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The AMP News Archives

Week of 2/22 - 2/28
Talk Show Fires Vocalist
Smashing Pumpkins Being Sued by Virgin Records

An Odd Grammy Show



TALK SHOW FIRES VOCALIST

      [2-27-98 Fri] Talk Show, the band Stone Temple Pilots without frontman/vocalist Scott Weiland, have fired their first vocalist, David Coutts. The band is now searching for someone to take the place of Coutts, who recorded with Talk Show on their 1997 self-titled debut.

      Talk Show was a band that was born out of the many dull times due to Scott Weiland's substance abuse problems. Although the band hasn't broken up, the other three members combined with Coutts to form Talk Show, whose first album only sold about 8000 copies in it's first week, which debut at #131. Scott Weiland's first solo album, "12 Bar Blues," is due out March 17. Weiland says that STP will start recording again in 1999.


SMASHING PUMPKINS BEING SUED BY VIRGIN RECORDS

      [2-25-98 Wed] Virgin Records has filed a suit against the Smashing Pumpkins, alleging a breach of contract and failure to produce a certain number of albums, reports the Billboard Bulletin.

      Since the band signed to Virgin in 1991, they promised seven records before they left, however they only released three on the label. The lawsuit claims that the label was informed by the Pumpkins last October that they were through with Virgin after January 13, 1998 via terms of their present contract. The Pumpkins' response is that a California labor law keeps contracts to seven years, which it has been. Virgin say they are should recover damages for each non-delivered album and wants compensation in the form of damages, interest and legal costs, according the MTV's report from Billboard.

      However, the Pumpkins next album, very, very close to completion, will be out on Virgin this spring, even with their October statement.


AN ODD GRAMMY SHOW

      [2-27-98 Fri] There's not much to talk about on the rock/alternative side of things, but there were a lot of memorable moments...

      Hanson sat through the show not stepping up to the stage once, while the Awards weren't really dominated by one artist. The Best Alternative Music Performance was given to Radiohead's "OK Computer". Best Rock Album: John Fogerty. Best Rock Song: "One Headlight", The Wallflowers. Best Rock Instrumental Performance: "Block Rockin' Beats", The Checmical Brothers. Best Metal Performance: "Aenema", Tool. Best Hard Rock Performance: "The End is the Beginning is the End", Smashing Pumpkins. Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group w/ Vocal: "One Headlight", The Wallfowers. Best Male Rock Vocal Performance: "Cold Irons Bound", Bob Dylan. Best Female Rock Vocal Performance: "Criminal", Fiona Apple.

      At this 40th Awards ceremony, Paula Cole is believed to be the first person to ever 'give the finger'. It was part of her performance, and CBS cut the shot before it aired. Vanessa Williams, the first presenter, got hit with a wall that came up from the ground as she walked on stage. Ol' Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang Clan interrupted Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech at the podium, praising his band and his clothes. During Bob Dylan's performance, a man appeared on stage, shirtless, with "Soy Bomb" written across his chest. Dylan just glanced at him a couple times, as if saying: "What is this?!" Security guards took him away after a minute or two.

      Other than that, it was pretty normal.



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