By Scott Hillis 25 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Activision Inc on Friday unveiled a new "Guitar Hero" video game focusing on the rock band Aerosmith, taking the billion-dollar franchise in a new direction.

Called "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith," the new game will arrive in stores this summer, a surprise to many analysts and fans who had expected the next title to come out closer to the year-end holiday shopping season.

Aerosmith, known for hits such as "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion," is the top-selling American rock band of all time, with sales of 66.5 million albums in the United States alone.

The game will feature about 30 Aerosmith songs as well as others from various acts that have opened for the band. The price has not yet been set.

"The premise is that it's going to cover the 30-plus years of the band, from high school all the way through the rock superstardom of today," Kai Huang, head of Activision's RedOctane unit, which guides development of the franchise, told Reuters in an interview.

In the "Guitar Hero" games, players try to press colored buttons on a guitar-shaped controller in time with notes cascading down the screen. If the notes are hit, the song plays properly, and the player earns points.

Since the original "Guitar Hero" was released in late 2005, the series has gone on to sell more than $1 billion. Depending on the version, a bundle including the game and a controller costs from $80-$100, while the stand-alone game costs $40-$60.

When Activision reported quarterly earnings last week, analysts grilled the company on its plans for the franchise, expressing concern that sales would slow this year because many players who bought earlier versions with guitars would opt to buy the lower-price stand-alone game disks.

Huang said Activision had not yet decided whether it would offer a special controller with the Aerosmith game.

NEW DIRECTION

The focus on a single band marks a new twist for the franchise, whose three main titles featured dozens of artists spanning classic rock, grunge, metal, punk and other rock subgenres. Last year, Activision also released "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s" with songs from that decade.

"It's just a completely new way to interact with this music and with Aerosmith, and we think there's more opportunity to do that in the future," Huang said.

By spotlighting a single band, the company has also come up with a way to counter rival music game "Rock Band" from Viacom Inc unit MTV and Electronic Arts Inc, Activision's top competitor.

"Rock Band," which includes drums and a microphone as well as a guitar, each week has offered new songs that can be downloaded to consoles like Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360 and Sony Corp's PlayStation 3.

The music industry is eyeing "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" as a way to revive flagging sales. "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero 3," both launched last fall, have together sold millions of songs at about $2 each via download.

Speaking of Aerosmith's willingness to work on the project, Huang said: "They recognize that it can deliver their music in an innovative and new way. It's a new distribution platform for them."

To recreate the sense of attending an Aerosmith concert, developers held motion-capture sessions with band members, including energetic frontman Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry.

"As you play," Huang said, "you're going to be seeing Joe and Steven doing their moves onstage."

(Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

35 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Don't hold your breath waiting for the next Spice Girls reunion. Geri Halliwell, a.k.a. Ginger Spice, said a second outing "probably won't happen ever again." The quintet's Return of the Spice Girls World Tour wraps February 26 in Toronto.

"This is the last time you will ever get to see this Girl Power, the five Spices on the stage as one," said Halliwell, who left the group in May 1998 but was a chief proponent of the current reunion.

That said, Halliwell told Billboard.com that she would not entirely shut the door on a bit more Spice if fans really, really want it.

"What this reunion taught me is you can never say never," she said. "If you had asked me 10 years ago whether there'd ever be a Spice Girls reunion concert, I'd have gone, 'No f—ing way!"'

Halliwell said the reunion was "an experience of a lifetime," and denied reports that it was coming to a premature end because of infighting among the five Spices.

"Actually it's gone on longer than planned," Halliwell said, "because we thought we were only going to go to the end of January. After February everybody had commitments — kids had to go back to school and that. So we had to leave places out that we would have loved to have gone to."

Halliwell has her own post-Spice plan in place. In May she'll roll out the first in a new children's book series featuring a character named Ugenia Lavender, whom she cryptically described as "a rebirth of girl power."

Reuters/Billboard

By Belinda Goldsmith 38 minutes ago

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Roger Daltrey is well known as the founder and lead singer of British rock band The Who which he never sees ending but these days he is also appealing to a much younger audience — as a dragon bus driver called Aragon.

Daltrey, 63, has just voiced Aragon for the third DVD in a series called "The Wheels on the Bus" that is aimed at teaching socialization skills to two to four year olds.

He spoke to Reuters about his work with The Who and his charity work:

Q: How did you get involved in a kids' DVD?

A: "A bunch of friends were trying to get this off the ground. It sounded interesting and I was doing nothing else so I said why not."

Q: It's quite a change from The Who. Do you enjoy it?

A: "The character is exhausting. I always come out of it totally wiped out but the product works. I've been around a lot of children and it's great to find something that gives mum a break but is also educational. You don't do this sort of thing for the money but because it is worthwhile and should be done."

Q: You've got grandchildren now, haven't you?

A: "Don't mention that!"

Q: Are you still involved in Teenage Cancer Trust and the week of events designed to raise money for teenagers with cancer?

A: "Yes, it's in its eighth year now. It's not just about raising funds but awareness. We are a charity that has a system of trying to make hospitals more psychologically friendly for teenagers as they tend to withdraw in that environment."

Q: In 2006/07 The Who went on a world tour, "Endless Wire." You've been going for over 40 years. Is there an end in sight?

A: "We are not planning on stopping working on stage. We've had hiatuses but it was never the end and it won't be as far as I can see it. Peter Townshend has written so much important work that one tour is just a small snapshot of it."

Q: Any more tours planned?

A: "We will be making music on the stage somewhere in the world this year — maybe something new. But that is in the lap of the writer and the writer is Pete. It is the 40th anniversary of (rock opera) "Tommy" next year so we may go and play some opera houses."

Q: Do you still enjoy working together?

A: "Love it. It does get harder because of the grind of the road. But when you get the kind of rapport with someone that is like a sixth sense — as with Pete and I — then it is something so special that you can't ever consider stopping it. It's a part of you."

Q: You've released about eight solo albums. Any more in you?

A: "I never really wanted to be a solo artist and I've really put it on the backburner. I now give my time to charity and that keeps me busy when I am not busy with The Who."

Q: Have you been out to see many of the bands who have reunited recently to go back out on tour?

A: "Not really. I think it's good it's happening and it is probably to do with the age that they are. I did want to see Led Zeppelin and I could get a ticket but I felt bad about going. I didn't think it was right that I should have that privilege and thought it would be morally wrong for me to join the celebrity bandwagon that went. Led Zep was incredibly generous and gave our charity four tickets which we auctioned."

Reuters

44 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - A previously unreleased Smashing Pumpkins song, "SuperChrist," will be released on a CD featuring bands consisting of employees of Guitar Center.

The album will be available from March 1 at Guitar Center outlets. The members of the Pumpkins chose the acts appearing on the compilation based on submissions from Guitar Center.

"SuperChrist" did not make the cut for the Pumpkins' 2007 album "Zeitgeist," but has been performed on tour. It will be the subject of a new video, premiering February 27 on MySpace.

"We didn't feel we understood the song and thought playing it on tour would help us sort it out," frontman Billy Corgan said in a statement.

In addition, the Pumpkins are planning a new round of North American tour dates, with details to be announced.

Reuters/Billboard

By THOMAS WAGNER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 18 minutes ago

LONDON - Can his fractured fiddle — a million dollar Guadagnini — be fixed? It’s too early to tell.

David Garrett, a former model who has been called the David Beckham of the classical scene, said he tripped while carrying his 18th century violin as he was leaving London’s Barbican Hall after a performance, smashing it to bits.

“I had it over my shoulder in its case and I fell down a concrete flight of stairs backward,” Garrett said Thursday. “When I opened the case, much of my G.B. Guadagnini had been crushed.”

Garrett said he bought the 1772 violin for $1 million in 2003, and he is now hoping to get it repaired in New York, where he is based.

“I hope and pray that it can be fixed, but if it can’t, I hope my insurance policy will let me buy another great violin,” the 26-year-old musician said. He told The Associated Press that other published accounts saying the violin was a Stradivarius were incorrect. Guadagnini is believed by some to have been a student of Antonio Stradivari.

The accident occurred Dec. 27 but only came to light this week when he returned to London for another concert at the Barbican and told British reporters what had happened.

For his Valentine’s Day concert there, he is playing a Stradivarius that’s been loaned to him.

Garrett gained attention as a child prodigy. Before he was 10, he played as a soloist with the London Philharmonic, according to his Web site. When he studied at the Juilliard School in New York, he became a parttime model to help supplement his income.

___

On the Net:

http://www.david-garrett.com

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent 58 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles court commissioner has extended the conservatorship of Britney Spears.

Commissioner Reva Goetz told Spears’ father James and a battery of lawyers Thursday that the pop star will remain under conservatorship until a hearing now scheduled for March 10. The troubled singer’s father and an attorney were first named her conservators at the beginning of February.

An attorney for Spears’ father also told the court that investigators have spent over 200 hours trying find the Britney Spears’ sometime manager and friend Sam Lutfi to serve him with court papers.

The commissioner agreed to reissue a temporary restraining order against Lutfi if he is not served soon.

2 minutes ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Mark Hall of the Christian group Casting Crowns has a leading six nominations for this year’s Dove Awards.

The nominations were announced Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Hall is nominated for male vocalist and song of the year for “East to West.”

His band has four nominations, including artist and group of the year.

Chris Tomlin, the David Crowder Band and tobyMac have five nominations each.

The awards will be presented in Nashville on April 23rd. They will air live on the Gospel Music Channel.

1 hour, 10 minutes ago

CARACAS (Reuters) - More than 100 celebrities from the singer Shakira to soccer star David Beckham backed a Spanish pop star in a dispute with Venezuela after a concert was canceled following his criticism of President Hugo Chavez.

The Latin Grammy music awards organization also supported Alejandro Sanz, one of Latin America's most popular singers, saying the cancellation of the concert planned for Thursday smacked of censorship.

Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, music's Ricky Martin and Hollywood star Penelope Cruz also signed the letter protesting Venezuela's decision.

"Because we believe in a Latin America where we should be free to express our opinions … we hope in our hearts that this problem is resolved," the letter, released by Sanz's publicity office, said.

In 2004, Sanz accused Chavez of trying to stymie a nationwide campaign for a recall referendum against the president. Millions of Venezuelans signed a petition that year seeking such a vote, but Chavez eventually won the referendum easily.

Last year, government officials banned a Sanz concert after saying the venue, a state-run stadium, was an inappropriate place to host a Chavez critic. The concert plan was resurrected, only to be canceled again this month by its promoters, who gave no reason for the decision.

Chavez and his aides routinely brand local detractors as traitors and foreign critics as part of a U.S. plot to destabilize his self-styled socialist revolution.

The anti-U.S. president closed a critical TV station last year. But other channels — with albeit much lower ratings — vehemently oppose him and many Venezuelan newspapers are openly critical of his government.

(Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Saul Hudson, editing by Patricia Zengerle)

59 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Beyonce’s father says Aretha Franklin’s criticism of his daughter for referring to Tina Turner as “the Queen” at the Grammys is “ridiculous.”

On Tuesday, the Queen of Soul let everyone know her royal feathers were ruffled when Beyonce called Turner “The Queen” before their joint performance Sunday at the Grammys. Franklin, who also performed at the ceremony, was sitting in the audience: Beyonce did reference her along with other top female singers before introducing Turner.

“I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyonce,” Franklin said in a statement issued by her publicist. “However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy.”

However, in an interview with CelebTV.com posted Wednesday, Matthew Knowles, Beyonce’s father and manager, said: “I am not taking something this ridiculous to Beyonce. Beyonce referred to Tina Turner as a ‘queen.’ Not queen of gospel, queen of soul, queen of blues, Queen of England. I consider my wife a queen and sometimes call her that. Does Aretha have a problem with that?”

Beyonce’s representative did not respond to a request from The Associated Press seeking comment.

An e-mail request for comment from Franklin’s representative was not immediately returned. However, in her statement on Tuesday, Franklin made clear she wasn’t holding a grudge toward Beyonce, ending her statement by giving the Grammys thanks and “love to Beyonce anyway.”

1 hour, 42 minutes ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Marty Stuart and Connie Smith gave a sweetheart gift to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The Grand Ole Opry stars, who are married, have donated Lester Flatt’s 1950 Martin D-28 guitar. The instrument, which some have called “the Holy Grail of bluegrass guitars,” was used on most of Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ classic recordings and live performances.

Flatt & Scruggs are perhaps best known for their tunes “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” from the 1960s TV show “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

Flatt bought the guitar for $115 at a Charleston, W.Va., pawnshop in 1956.

In the 1970s he loaned it to Stuart, then a prodigy in his band.

Stuart fell in love with the guitar and often played it until Flatt retired and disbanded his group.

Stuart thought he’d never see it again, but after Flatt’s death in 1979 he was able to buy it from Flatt’s daughter, Brenda, and has had it ever since.

“It’s possibly one of the greatest rhythm instruments ever made,” said Stuart, an avid collector.

Stuart and Smith also donated some of their own stage costumes and instruments to the Hall of Fame on Wednesday, as well as items once belonging to Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.

___

On the Net:

Country Music Hall of Fame:

http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site