Tom Morello has a new solo album, self-awareness

Hey, this sounds GREAT:

Yeah, I'd imagine it's quite easy to compare a solo Morello record with Hendrix. Hendrix has been dead nearly half a century; I imagine Morello's album will stink like something that's been dead since 1970, too.

What comeback excited people?

So within a twenty-four hour period, David Bowie, Suede and Jimi Hendrix all came back from the dead with new singles.

Which comebacks excited people? Google Trends, can you help us?



Sorry, Brett. Sorry, the Estate Of The Late Mr Hendrix.

Jimi Hendrix working again... hang on...

6Music is excitedly reporting that it's going to play a record! On Monday!

Caps lock on:

We have the WORLD EXCLUSIVE FIRST PLAY of the new Jimi Hendrix single on Monday morning.

Hang on... isn't he, you know... not exactly in a fit state to get to a studio?

It's called 'Somewhere' and is taken from the new LP of unreleased recordings called 'People, Hell and Angels'.

Oh. I would suggest we file this under Free As A Bird, then, only I don't think any of us want to have to head out to the field where we filed that and start digging again, do we?

6Music is keen, though:

From what we've heard so far, it's going to be amazing!

I hope that when they say "from what we've heard so far" they're referring to the album, and not that they've committed to play a record next week on the strength of the introduction and first half verse. But I'm not so sure.

Firm denial

The ghost of Jimi Hendrix makes it clear to the NME: No plans to work on a film about Andre 3000; currently spending all its efforts on developing a musical about the rise of Gnarls Barkley.

Drumobit: Mitch Mitchell

An era of rock history has drawn to a close with the death of Mitch Mitchell, last of the founder members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

London born, shortly after the end of the Second World War, Mitchell made an early entrance to showbusiness as a child actor. Fortunately, a passion for jazz led him astray and by the 1960s, he was drumming for a number of rock groups. He missed out on joining The Who after failing at an audition, but in the end that worked out alright for both The Who and Mitchell, as it left him free to take up a job the George Fame's backing band, The Blue Flames. Then, after they split, within a week he landed the job beating stuff behind Jimi Hendrix. Some sniffy critics will point out that, as a self-taught drummer, he often had trouble keeping up momentum during his solos - but surprisingly, this didn't seem to hold the Experience back any.

What did do for the band was the death of its focal figure, Hendrix, in 1970; this led to a glum period of jobbing drumming for Mitchell - including a spell working with Ramatam and Hinkley’s Heroes. It hadn't helped that the Experience's manager, Michael Jeffery, had arranged a contract which had left Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding treated as freelance staff in their own band. With his earnings taking a dive, Mitchell was sometimes reduced to flogging memorabilia to make ends meet.

After a couple of decades of side-projects, tribute acts and disappointments, Mitchell entered semi-retirement at the start of the century. Shortly before his death he had been tempted to return to the drum stool for a US "Experience Hendrix" tour. He was found dead in his hotel in Portland early yesterday morning. He was 61; his death is believed to have been due to 'natural causes'.

[Thanks to Karl & Michael for the tips]

Katy Perry attempts to draw our attention to Katy Perry

There's nothing to say that god-fearing, right-living evangelicals Mary Hudson and Keith Hudson didn't lead an exciting life before meeting up with Jesus, but Katy Perry's claims for her parents seem a little extreme.

Mummy, says Katy, dated Jimi Hendrix, while her dad was chums with Timothy Leary. Close chums, apparently.

Katy tells Blender:

'In terms of wild youth, they put me to shame.'

Well, yes, given that you're in your mid-20s and so didn't actually have a wild youth, spending it in gospel choirs, they probably do.

And since writing a song about kissing someone of the same gender is about as wild as thinking about having strawberry and chocolate sauce on your ice-cream, they probably are still more wild than you are.

[Thanks to Mike E for the tip]

Say goodnight, Jimi

Meanwhile, the FT must be slightly miffed that it secured an interview with Ronnie Wood and between transcription and publication, it turned out he'd fallen off the wagon, on to the top of a Russian model. Or, more accurately, "model".

Still, it did at least get him to talk about flatsharing with Jimi Hendrix:

“He didn’t think he was any good as a singer. I used to say, ‘Don’t worry about that voice’,” Wood revealed.

“He used to obliterate real life by being stoned all the time – and he couldn’t handle it. He didn’t realise how good he was.”

Hendrix obliterated life with drugs. Not, perhaps, the biggest revelation.

Wood seems to be carrying a grudge from their final meeting, though:

“He was leaving Ronnie Scott’s. He had his arm around a girl and he looked really sad. I went out after him and said, ‘Jimi, you didn’t say goodnight.”

Wood is strangely quiet about what happened next. Probably trying to avoid self-incrimination.

Hendrix "sex tape": Kerry Katona not involved

The sudden appearance of a grainy movie which may or may not feature Jimi Hendrix having sex has upset the Hendrix estate. Which is perhaps unsurprising; they get upset whenever anyone (other than themselves) turns a few quid off the Hendrix name:

"On behalf of both the Jimi Hendrix Foundation and Brave New World, I want to address the despicable news in regards to the Jimi Hendrix 'sex tape.' Regardless of the tape's authenticity, it is obvious that this is an intentional means to profit off of the exploitation of the greatest musician of our time. This by no means is a reflection of the contribution he's given to us all through his talents and therefore we will aggressively pursue any and every legal course of action to protect the integrity of his legacy."

An obvious attempt to profit, you say? Why, yes, it would be.

Of course, half the potential interest in the tape disappeared when one of the key market segments discovered the tape was filmed while he was still alive.

Blunt's coming down

In what looks like a calculated attempt to try and reposition himself, James Blunt is telling anyone who'll listen that his new album was written "coming down after raving in Ibiza."

Sharing a growing sense of depression and a terrible headache, then.

Blunty also has a dream:

“I’d like to see JIMI HENDRIX cover one of my tracks but it’s probably not going to happen.”

Chances are, no, James. Not because he's so very dead, but more because can you really see Hendrix covering your supermarket tannoy slop?

Ride the Hendrix dipper

Proving that there's no brand extension too tacky for some franchises, the Hard Rock cafe people are going to add to their overpriced burger bars, casinos, hotels and lucrative "selling unflattering t-shirts to timid tourists" business by opening a theme park in South Carolina.

This, apparently, is to be the largest tourist initiative ever in South Carolina - which is a little bit like "the most welcoming pub in the Gorbals" in the 1980s, to be honest.

As you can see, to celebrate the groundbreaking on the project, they built a massive sand sculpture called Mount Rockmore (but of course) - we're not quite sure, but we think the featured figures are Rufus Hound, Billie Jean King, Estelle Getty and Bill Webster.

(Actually, the press release reckons they're "Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix" - Bob Marley?)

So, what can visitors expect?

With more than five years in creation and design, the innovative Hard Rock Park will feature six unique “rock environs” celebrating rock’s culture, lifestyle, legends and irreverence. Appealing to the family audience, the destination theme park will offer a diverse blend of rides, shows and interactive elements creating a totally immersive full day experience.

The rock lifestyle and irreverence, eh? So there's going to be a drug ride (the ultimate trip), a dubious under-age sex zone, and a Swearatholon machine where you can try and outrage public decency by saying "cock" on an authentic recreation of a... oh, hang about, it's going to be some rollercoasters with paintings of Dolly Parton on the cars, isn't it?

Drink yourself to death to Jimi Hendrix

The unapproved use of musicians names and likenesses always causes a bit of upsetment, but it takes a special kind of stupid for a drinks company to pick someone who killed themselves with booze and pills and to slap their name on a bottle of vodka. The Hendrix estate is now taking legal action to try and get Hendrix Electric Vodka taken off the market.