Coldplay, Led Zeppelin Album Covers Featured On New British Stamps

Album art from Pink Floyd, Blur and David Bowie also included.
By James Montgomery


Coldplay's new British stamps
Photo: Royal Mail

On Thursday (January 7), the U.K.'s Royal Mail unveiled a series of 10 new stamps, honoring the most iconic album covers of the past 40 years.

The albums featured in the new series are the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin's IV, David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, Blur's Parklife and — the most recent album on to make the cut — Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Meant to honor "the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people's lives," the series is the end result of a lengthy research process by the Royal Mail, who looked through thousands of album covers by British artists before deciding on the final list. And, during a Wednesday night BBC Radio broadcast, it was revealed that the queen herself actually approved each design.

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page — who helped design the cover for IV — was on hand to celebrate the release of the stamps and recalled the mysterious nature of the album's iconic imagery.

"Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him," he said. "That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."

Of course, any great honor is befitting of an equally great contest, so, on the same day the stamps were made available to the general public, Coldplay decided to give one of their Rush of Blood stamps away. In a message on their official site, the band held a contest to send one lucky fan "a letter using a Coldplay stamp, postmarked with today's issue date."

"We visited our local post office earlier today and bought some of the Coldplay stamps," the message read. "Very nice they are too."

Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1629227/coldplay-led-zeppelin-album-covers-featured-on-new-british-stamps.jhtml

Laura Harring Laura Prepon Lauren Bush Lauren Conrad Lauren German LeAnn Rimes

Britney Spears Doesn't Channel Lady Gaga In 'Hold It Against Me' Video

Brit may be working with 'Telephone' director Jonas Åkerlund, but choreographer Brain Friedman debunks possible comparisons.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Britney Spears
Photo: MTV News

Just because Britney Spears is working with "Telephone" director Jonas Åkerlund and his stylist wife B. Åkerlund for the "Hold It Against Me" video does not mean that the clip will mirror Lady Gaga and Beyoncé's extravaganza. Spears' choreographer, Brian Friedman, said the video is all Britney.

"The styling for this video is beyond what Britney has done before," he teased. "B. Åkerlund did the styling for it, and I can say that it is not 'Britney does Gaga.' That is not what's happening with this. Gaga has her own niche, and although B. has worked with Gaga before, she's not giving Britney anything that Gaga would wear. I love seeing Britney try out new things. It's just an extension of what Britney already is."

With potential Gaga comparisons debunked, Friedman talked about having fun with Spears on set and helping her regain that joie de vivre that fans have come to know and love when she's out on the dance floor.

"One of the places that we always tend to improve with Britney is on her beauty shots, when it's just Britney alone dancing," he said. "And one of the little tricks that I like to do is stand right off camera and scream words at her to try and get motivation from her and coach her through the little scenario that she's in, so we did that in this video. And I know there was a picture posted of a bunch of microphones around her face, and that's one of the scenes in particular where I was screaming at her on the side — in a good way."

So, what does he scream at her? "Tiger! I scream tiger," he dished. "When we first started working and I had her back in the studio, I was referring to how she danced when we were working together in the past, when we were doing 'Slave,' 'Toxic,' like some of those things. She used to have a prowl about her and an attack that to me was like a tiger, so I kept telling her, 'I want to see the tiger back,' " he revealed. "I scream the word 'tiger,' so 'tiger' seems to work. It makes her laugh, so it works."

Are you excited to see "tiger" Britney back in action? Let us know in the comments!

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1656995/britney-spears-hold-it-against-me-video.jhtml

Leslie Bibb Lil Kim Lily Allen Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Price Lisa Marie

Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says

'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.
By Chris Harris


Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images

There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.

Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.

On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.

"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."

Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.

"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."

DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.

"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."

As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.

"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."

While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?

"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."

Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1586020/stone-temple-pilots-reunited-tour-with-zeppelin.jhtml

Lauren Bush Lauren Conrad Lauren German LeAnn Rimes Leeann Tweeden Leelee Sobieski

Evgeni Malkin Injured In Return to Penguins Lineup

Filed under: , ,

After missing the past five games with a knee injury and a sinus infection, Evgeni Malkin returned to the Penguins lineup on Friday night against the Buffalo Sabres. His return was a short one as he played just a little over six minutes before leaving the game with what's been described as a lower body injury.

The Penguins still managed to overcome a two-goal first period deficit and hold on for a 3-2 win.

He was injured when massive Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers fell on his left knee. Malkin instantly dropped to the ice and appeared to be in a great deal of pain, though he was able to slowly skate off the ice under his own power. He did not return.

The Penguins, built around their impressive depth at center, are still without captain Sidney Crosby who has missed 12 games with a concussion. Mark Letestu, having an impressive rookie campaign, is also out 4-6 weeks with a knee injury that he suffered after hitting a rut on the Madison Square Garden ice during a morning skate earlier this week. Suddenly, the Penguins center depth is down to Jordan Staal, Max Talbot and rookie Dustin Jeffrey.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/04/evgeni-malkin-injured-in-return-to-penguins-lineup/

Kelly Hu Kelly Monaco Kelly Ripa Kelly Rowland Kerry Suseck Kim Kardashian

James Franco Reveals Plans For 'Three's Company' Off-Broadway Play

Actor set up a temporary art-installation ode to classic sitcom at Sundance Film Festival.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


James Franco
Photo: MTV News

Late last month, James Franco swept into the Sundance Film Festival with a temporary art-installation ode to "Three's Company," re-creating episodes from the old ABC sitcom and projecting them on four walls as viewers reclined in a reconstruction of the show's living-room set.

It was bizarre, to say the least. And in the future, folks who didn't attend Sundance might have a chance to take in a similarly off-kilter take on "Three's Company," courtesy, once again, of Franco. That's because the 32-year-old actor is planning a stage adaptation of the sitcom.

"When we came here, then the 'Three's Company' people contacted us like, 'What's going on?' " Franco explained to MTV News at Sundance. "So we had a talk with them, and they realized what we're doing is a cool thing. Otherwise, there's no other circumstance where 'Three's Company' would ever play at the Sundance Film Festival.

"They were like, 'Yes, we've been trying to figure out ways of bringing it back in some form or another. We want to do more projects with you,' " Franco added. "So now, we're planning — and this is serious — 'Three's Company,' the off-Broadway play."

But don't start lining up for tickets just yet. While Franco promises that the play will one day become a reality, it's not going to happen anytime soon. "Probably a couple years," he said.

Unlike the Sundance installation, though, the play won't be a script re-creation of actual episodes. "I think it needs to be developed a little more, something a little different but connected to the original," he said.

What do you think of Franco's idea? Let us know in the comments!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657205/james-franco-threes-company-play.jhtml

Katherine Heigl Katie Cassidy Katie Holmes Katy Perry Keira Knightley Kelly Brook

Roger Clemens Gets Key Parts of Brian McNamee's Defamation Case Tossed

Filed under: ,

Roger ClemensRoger Clemens' bid to get a defamation case brought by his former friend and personal trainer Brian McNamee dismissed failed, although a federal judge in Brooklyn severely weakened the lawsuit in a ruling on Thursday.

U.S. District Court Judge Sterling Johnson Jr. ruled that Clemens had enough ties to the state to establish jurisdiction, especially since McNamee's allegations that he supplied and sometimes injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone came while Clemens pitched for the New York Yankees.

While the case will proceed, three major pegs of the lawsuit -- intentional infliction of emotional distress, malicious prosecution and statements that implied McNamee had a mental disorder -- were thrown out by Johnson. Joe Roden, one of Clemens' attorneys, told FanHouse the ruling leaves only the allegation that Clemens harmed McNamee's reputation.

"McNamee is claiming that Clemens damaged his reputation by denying McNamee ever injected him with steroids or HGH," Roden said. "Think about it. How can denying that somebody illegally injected you or saying that you weren't the source of illegal drugs harm your reputation? Roger continues to deny he ever used steroids or HGH."

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/02/03/roger-clemens-gets-key-parts-of-brian-mcnamees-defamation-case/

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Price Lisa Marie Lisa Snowdon Liz Phair Lokelani McMichael

Monday Movers: Torrey Pines' Dramatic Finish Excites Golf World

Filed under:

Each week, Monday Movers will look back on the previous week in the golf world to see whose stock is rising and who will likely be heading back to the range.

Stock Up

Bubba WatsonBubba Watson -- Watson's victory at Torrey Pines won't be remembered for the 362-yard drive he bombed on 13. Instead, it was the brilliant touch he showed with his short game as he got up-and-down from a tough lie in a bunker on the 72nd hole to secure the one-stroke win over Phil Mickelson. The left-hander had to earn his second career PGA win against an experienced group of competitors all making a push, but did so with consistency. He led the field in greens in regulation and only carded one bogey during the final round.

Paul Casey -- The Englishman called Sunday at the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions "one of the toughest battles I've ever had." On paper, Casey ended the day in the same position he started it -- first -- but he did so by surviving 23 final-round lead changes to win his first tournament in 20 months. If not for Mickelson finishing second in San Diego, Casey would have moved into the top five of the world rankings. Instead, he moved up three spots to 6th.

Golf Rulebook -- PGA commissioner Tim Finchem spoke out about the recent rules violations that were reported by television viewers and led to disqualification for Camilo Villegas and Padraig Harrington. Finchem, speaking from the Farmers Insurance Open, said he wants a thorough review of the rules to decide whether there is a better way to punish players that aren't aware of their violation. He'll meet with the USGA executive committee next week and has also asked the European Tour to join him in examining the rule.

Sunday at Torrey Pines -- The PGA was hoping for an exciting finish when Tiger Woods announced he would make his 2011 debut at Torrey Pines alongside Phil Mickelson -- and they got it, despite Woods struggling efforts on the course. With the top of the leaderboard filled with some of the top players on Tour and super-rookie Jhonattan Vegas, the level of competition bordered on majoresque on Sunday. Nick Watney went out early and set the tone with a 28 on the front nine and the leaders followed. On a day in which only 11 of the 79 players broke 70, six of those came from the top 6 finishers, and that provided an incredible finish.



 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/31/monday-movers-torrey-pines-dramatic-finish-excites-golf-world/

Leeann Tweeden Leelee Sobieski Leighton Meester Leila Arcieri Lena Headey Leonor Varela