The White Stripes wail no more, but Jack White continues to put out some of the duo's recordings in limited formats. This time, he's gone public with a pair of covers, including the druggie Love classic "Signed D.C." The White Stripes' version of "Signed D.C." can be heard on YouTube (see bottom of post). Earlier, it was released as a 7-inch vinyl under the band's From the Vault paid-subscription series, via Third Man Records. A suitably rough recording, it features White on acoustic guitar and vocals, with Meg White (apparently) playing tambourine. There is no harmonica, as heard on Love's recording. White also released to YouTube his take on Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long." In a similar vein, White's band the Raconteurs previously covered British singer Terry … [Read more...]

Tired of your Grateful Dead jigsaw puzzles? Had enough of the Grateful Deadopoly board game? Good news: Soon you'll be playing with the band. "We’re planning to design an interactive masterpiece," the developer of an upcoming online Dead game says. It's being described as "sort of a psychedelic journey through Grateful Dead history” and a "social game." Release is set for Aug. 1 with access via dead.net, Facebook and some game portals. The unnamed game will be free (in the Dead spirit) but in-game revenue models might emerge. Fans' input is being sought. "From the first click the player will enter into a universe of Grateful Dead music, sounds, and visuals," developer Curious Sense vows. "Games and activities will reside within several regions of the world, each designed according … [Read more...]

Pink Floyd and their longtime label EMI have reached a new global deal that appears to end the messy legal wrangling between the parties. The five-year agreement sees EMI Music continuing to distribute and market the veteran psychedelic rock act's catalog. Individual Pink Floyd tracks will continue to be available via online retailers such as iTunes and Amazon, despite several U.K. court rulings last year favoring the band's position that EMI did not have those rights. "All legal disputes between the band and the company have been settled as a result of this new deal," EMI said in announcing the Pink Floyd deal Jan. 4. The band and record company go way back -- to 1967. Both have been greatly enriched over the decades. The ubiquitous "The Dark Side of the Moon," for example, … [Read more...]

The surviving members of Iron Butterfly who recorded "In-a-Dadda-Da-Vida" have sued Warner Music Group over royalties from their psychedelic recordings of the late 1960s. Doug Ingle, Lee Dorman and Ron Bushy filed the suit against several WMG entities Tuesday in New York state Supreme Court. They're seeking almost a quarter million dollars in payments, according to Bloomberg News. The "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" song and album are by far the most valuable recordings in the group's catalog. Dorman v. Atlantic Recording Corp. pits the 1960s band against the record label that made them famous. Atlantic is now part of WMG, along with Elektra Entertainment Group and Warner/Chappell Music, also named in the complaint. Guitarist Erik Brann, the fourth member of that incarnation of the band, … [Read more...]

Saying "the music of The Grateful Dead is meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone," the twinkly-eyed elves at dead.net offer up 30 live tracks for free. The good vibes last only through Wednesday (Dec. 8), so go get the free Grateful Dead downloads now if you want them. No catches, no bullshit, nothing to buy. The live tracks were unveiled one-by-one in November as part of the "30 Days of the Dead" promo, but many users had issues downloading the tunes. "We realize that it was sometimes a little tougher than it should have been for you to download the music (especially that first week -- sorry!), so we thought it only right that we give everyone a second chance to get every minute of the music," the download page explains. "It's the kind thing to do." Copies of "Dark Star" … [Read more...]