A Few More Things: The Rolling Stones, Patti LaBelle & Patti Page

U.S. Fans can get their hands on the Universal Music Group reissue May 18. The album is being released internationally the day before.

New tracks include “Plundered My Soul,” “Dancing in the Light,” “Following the River” and “Pass The Wine.” According to Reuters, the four tunes appear to be unknown to bootleg-happy Stones collectors. The reissue will also feature new versions of “Soul Survivor” and “Loving Cup.”

“I went back in the archives and dug out a load of things. I added some percussion and some vocals. Keith put guitar on one or two,” frontman Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone, which ranked the album No.7 on its 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.  The vocals Jagger put in include new lyrics for “Following the River.”

Guitarist Keith Richards said he didn’t mess with the tracks too much.

“I really wanted to leave them pretty much as they were,” Richards says. “I didn’t want to interfere with the Bible, you know. They still had that great basement sound.”

Fans have three choices when it comes to purchasing Exile on Main Street: the original 18-tracks, the original songs along with the 10 bonus tunes, and a deluxe package that includes a vinyl version, a 50-page collector’s book and a 30-minute documentary called “Stones in Exile.”

Click here for the Reuters story.

Click here for the Rolling Stone story.
 
Judging The Judges
Everyone’s a critic when it comes to “American Idol,” including Patti LaBelle. The R&B diva recently gave an interview offering her two cents on the reality singing competition’s judges.

“Some of the judges, I don’t think they’re qualified to even judge,” she said.

That remark makes it seem like she’s talking about new judge Ellen DeGeneres, who loves music and dancing up a storm on her talk show but lacks a music industry background. Ellen took over judging duties for the ninth season after Paula Abdul left the show in August show, reportedly over a salary dispute.

Then again, LaBelle said she thinks the judges’ critiques are just too mean so maybe she’s talking about always-keeps-it-real Simon Cowell.

“The comments that were made, they could make you … wanna kill yourself,” the singer said.

LaBelle said she was offered a gig as an “Idol” judge before Abdul. A rep for the show had no comment.

Click here for the AP story.

Patti Page Way
Although Patti Page may be best known for her 1950 song “Tennessee Waltz” and 1952’s “(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?,” the town of Barnstable, Mass., loves the pop singer best for her 1957 hit “Old Cape Cod.”

Barnstable and the Cape Code Chamber of Commerce have honored the 82-year-old singer with her very own street, Patti Page Way. The street was unveiled on Friday.

“Old Cape Cod” is an ode to the vacation haven with lyrics happily describing “sand dunes and salty air, quaint little villages here and there” and “lobster stew served by a window with an ocean view.”

Page said a Cape Code street was previously named after her for just a day and that it is “mind-boggling” that Patti Page Way is here to stay.

Click here for the AP story.