Reunited and united

CNN reports on how they've come up with a way to make creaky old bands reuniting even worse: you stick a couple on a package tour, and then make them record a new song. Together:

It started with classic rockers REO Speedwagon and Styx, with their "Can't Stop Rockin' " tour and single of the same name.

Now Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire are getting on the bandwagon.

Yes, Chicago, Earth, Wind And Fire are going to mark their combined tour with a combined single.

It is, though, in a good cause, as it's designed to encourage people to bring food to the gigs to help local food banks, in effect, turning the gigs into horn-heavy harvest festivals. Which makes it hard to be too grumpy about it - there's more than enough to cavil over in that it takes this sort of thing to block the holes in the American welfare state before making it down to wondering how the hell you merge Chicago with EWF.