It's not the size...

We're not normally acquisitive types here at TM Towers but more or less everyone in the office wanted one of these big 7" single's when they saw them. These printed canvas sleeves taken from original paintings of classic 45's are constructed to resemble giant (680 mm square) 3D singles and come complete with natty chrome spindles to facilitate popping them up on the wall, they even come with realistically crinkled and worn edges. Arguments here have been raging about whether ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ by The Animals, ‘My Generation’ by The Who or ‘Paranoid’ by Black Sabbath would be the coolest choice – the choices also include Bowie, The Stones, The Clash, The Beatles and more - but regardless which one you pick we reckon any music fan would be totally knocked out to get one and you can find out all about them at www.supersizeart.com

All New Hendrix?

Jimi Hendrix may have been dead for almost forty years now but his short recording career is still held by many to be amongst the finest ever committed to tape and for those lucky young so and so's not yet acquainted with the guitar slinging genius Sony Commercial Group and Experience Hendrix LLC will be releasing new deluxe CD/DVD editions of Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love, Electric Ladyland, and First Rays of the New Rising Sun (also available on vinyl) on March 8. Of far more interest to us old buggers however is news that 12 previously unreleased studio cuts will also be making an appearance on a new album entitled Valleys Of Neptune. We've yet to hear the results but long time engineer Eddie Kramer is involved so we're certainly very keen to do so, and we won't have to wait too long as the album is preceded by a download single 'Bleeding Heart' (written by Elmore James) on March 1st with a proper 7" single due a week later (boasting yet another unreleased track 'Peace in Mississippi' on the flip).

Gold Medalists

We can only assume someone on the organisational panel of the Winter Olympic Games’s has been necking buckets of Night Nurse as this bright spark has decided it would be a good idea if Devo performed at the Victory Ceremony which will be broadcast live later this month. Not that we have a problem with Devo you understand, we often hobble around the office whistling ‘Whip It’ - apparently the chaps even have their first studio album in nearly twenty years pretty much in the can – we’re just wondering what the hell the estimated audience of three billion people will make of five flowerpot wearing loons with barely a sporting muscle between them regaling everyone with tales of mongoloid's, sloppy girls and pinheads. Actually sounds like a great idea, can't wait.

What's That Noise?

A lost classic or four sides of unlistenable noise? Your answer to that will depend where you stand on Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music, many would argue that a record collection is not complete without a copy but, like Neil Young’s feedback noise album Arc, just how many people actually take it out and listen to it? Real fans will be delighted to learn that Reed’s Metal Machine Trio: MM3 will be performing what is being described as 'A Night of Deep Noise' that features Lou Reed on processed and unprocessed guitars, Ulrich Krieger on tenor sax and live-electronics, and Sarth Calhoun on continuum and live processing – a collaborative affair that will feature no songs and no vocals just soundscapes influenced and inspired by Lou Reed’s seminal 1975 album (although it should be noted that the concerts won’t duplicate the original album). The three live dates in April are at The Cambridge Junction on 17th, Oxford O2 Academy on 18th and the London Royal Festival Hall Ether Festival on 19th.

Happy Birthday

Had he lived today (Jan 8th 2001) would have been Elvis ‘The Pelvis’ Presley’s 75th birthday, which makes us feel bloody old we can tell you. Hard to accept perhaps but the man who once could only be filmed from the waist up lest he inflame the passions of unwary virginal young ladies would already have been flashing his bus pass for a decade, hell it has been fifty years since he invented rock and roll (right now I’m well depressed – Ed). If the fancy takes you you can even stand on the exact spot where this new style of popular music was invented as Sun Studios actually has a cross on the floor where Elvis sang - of course you’ll have to travel to 706 Union Street in Memphis. Needless to say there are any number of releases hurtling out to celebrate this landmark date but we reckon the three disc Sony effort Elvis 75 get’s it about spot on, in fact we’re so keen on it we’ve nabbed a few of ‘em to give away (see home page for more details).

Beatles Band Boxed

Looking for a cool present for that big Beatles fan in your family who just re-purchased all of the re-mastered albums? Well how about this deluxe companion LP sized book of complete album artwork which also includes storage for the entire Beatles CD Catalogue? It's called Box Of Vision® and is officially licensed by The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd. Previously only available in North America, the box includes two books, the first, 'The LP Sized Album Artwork Book', includes 200 pages of The Beatles' LP art prints, the first time all the Beatles U.K. and U.S. album artwork has been collected together in a single LP sized book and includes front covers, back covers, gatefolds, inserts, and the complete LP booklets from Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be... Naked and LoveBook Two, The second book, 'The Catalography' is an extensive, all-new, full color discography guide packed with photos, text and track-listings providing the first-ever side-by-side presentation of the U.K. albums and their U.S. counterparts. You can find out more by going to www.BoxOfVision.com or www.HardDaysNightShop.com

Eat My Short Guitar

OK, so it's not actually a short guitar but the delightfully named Uke 'n Play Bart Simpson Ukulele, ho yus Bart, it might be a bit early to be thinking of Christmas but if you want your kids to rock like a hurricane then this 21" soprano ukulele could be just the jobbie to get them interested. Apparently the Ukelele (which never looks right when you write it down) is one of the most popular instruments in primary schools so you can even pretend it's educational. Finished in flaming rock star red with a duckwalking 'Bart Rocks' graphic on the body and The Simpsons logo on the headstock the Uke retails at a pocket friendly £24.99 and you can grab one from the ever reliable online Nevada Music Store (oh and you can also get a Spongebob Squarepants Uke, but obviously that's just for kids). Which just leaves us trying to work out how to end this paragraph with a Doh! Oh, there, we've done it...

Beatles Contract Up For Grabs

On 1st October 1962 Brian Epstein handed the four Beatles a revised management contract. Their previous management contract with Epstein had been signed by all four Beatles on the 24th January 1962 but Epstein deliberately refrained from signing the first contract to give the Beatles the ability to walk away from the agreement, if he did not fulfil his promise of a major recording contract for the young band and on the 1st October 1962 Epstein's signature was finally added. With a recording deal with EMI already established and the first single 'Love me Do' about to be released, Epstein now felt he had fulfilled his role and was about to reap his rewards in the form of 25% of the gross earnings of the band and one lucky Beatles fan is set to win this incredibly rare artifact courtesy of the Imagine Corporation. Needless to say they're not giving the bugger away (lest we forget John Lennon's hand-written "All You Need is Love" lyric sheet sold for £750,000), and each entry will set you back a tenner, but we can think of far less exciting ways to part with your dosh so why not pop along to www.imagine.uk.com and find out how you can bag this historical document, Over 70,000 Beatles fans from around the globe have already done just that.