"Hallelujah" tops Christmas chart

The top two spots in the Christmas singles chart were taken by covers of Leonard Cohen's 1984 song "Hallelujah," with "X Factor" talent show winner Alexandra Burke's new version beating Jeff Buckley's 1994 cover on Sunday.

U.S. singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen performs at the Glastonbury Festival 2008 in Somerset

Burke won this year's series of the pop talent show that is one of ITV's biggest ratings successes, and she is the fourth successive "X Factor" winner to take the Christmas singles title.

Leona Lewis, who won "The X Factor" and the Christmas number one slot in 2006, dropped down to third from number one last week with "Run," the Official Charts Company said.

Cohen's original version of "Hallelujah" entered the chart at number 36, while the success of Buckley's version was partly due to a campaign on social networking website Facebook among music fans upset at what they saw as the manufactured nature of Burke's career.

Buckley drowned in 1997, and achieved only modest sales though significant critical acclaim during his lifetime.

Reformed 1990s boy band Take That remained at the top of the artist album chart with "The Circus," and Leona Lewis's album "Spirit" stayed at second place.

Jeff Buckley would have loved chart revival

The mother of cult singer Jeff Buckley is convinced her son would have been amused that music mogul Simon Cowell has given him a boost up the pop charts - years after his death.

Fans of the late rocker, who died in a swimming accident in 1997, are campaigning to take his recording of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah to the top of the charts this Christmas in a bid to beat another cover version of the song by singer Alexandra Burke.

Burke was awarded a £1 million record deal with Syco Records, Cowell's division of Sony BMG, when she took home the crown on Cowell's TV competition The X Factor last week.

But Buckley's mother Mary Guibert insists the tragic star would have loved the music rivalry.

She says, "I think Jeff would have found this number one thing very amusing. It's ironic in so many ways. I mean, here is The X Factor, run by Simon Cowell, who is supposed to be the ultimate taste arbiter, and they've been run to the wire by my son.

"It's come about so organically, with no record label pushing it, and I think Jeff would have loved that, and loved his fans for doing it."

The Killers third studio album "Day & Age."

The Killers are back with their third studio album "Day & Age." Lead singer Brandon Flowers and guitarist Dave Keuning spoke to AP about touring, the record, and the band's evolution.





The Killers

Nobel honours Bono

Bono has been honoured as a 'Man of Peace' at a ceremony in France.

The U2 singer received the commendation from Paris Mayor Bertrand Delance on Friday.

The award was made in the presence of five Nobel Peace Prize winners, in recognition of his efforts to support causes in Africa.

The singer said: "This is a very big award for me, because let's be honest this is as close as I am going to get, as close as a rock star is ever going to get to the Nobel Peace Prize.

"I am an over-awarded, over-rewarded rock star. You are the people who do the real work", he told the laureates at the event.

U2 are expected to release a new album, "No Line On The Horizon", in 2009.




U2 - I Believe In Father Christmas




U2 Great Albums


















U2 - Electrical Storm

Hallelujah JEFF BUCKLEY

Buckley's 'Hallelujah' for Christmas Top 40

Absolute Radio are getting behind The Sun's campaign to get Jeff Buckley's version of 'Hallelujah' in the UK singles chart this Christmas. It's been announced that Simon Cowell's X Factor finalist will hit the Crimbo charts with a cover of Leonard Cohen's classic, but it's Buckley's beautiful cover that needs to be heard by a new generation of real music fans.

X Factor is great but it's not about music - it's about entertainment. Hallujah is a brilliant, all time classic song but I know the X Factor version will pail into insignificance compared to the incredibly moving Jeff Buckley version - you need to have had a life to sing this song.

We need to get it the Top 40 so people know there is another 'real' version out there.

Hallelujah" Jeff Buckley MP3


I urge all Sun readers and my breakfast show listeners to download it and get it into the charts to rival the X Factor winners version - Christian O'Connell

Download for Christmas

Show your support by downloading the song on Monday 15 December (and not before!).
Download from iTunes

You can also join the facebook group, which already has tens of thousands of supporters

AC/DC play Wembley

AC/DC will play a show at Wembley Stadium next summer, in support of new album "Black Ice", they have confirmed.

The rock veterans embark on a UK tour next April, appearing for two gigs at the O2 Arena in London, before the dates continue into Europe.

They have now revealed plans for two further concerts in June, with the second taking place at Hamden Park in Scotland.

The tour follows the release of the band's Grammy-nominated new album, their first in eight years.

AC/DC will play:

April 2009

14+16 London 02 Arena
21Manchester MEN
23 Birmingham NEC

June

26 London Wembley Stadium
28 Dublin IR Punchestown Racetrack
30 Glasgow Hampden Park

Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

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Coldplay dismisses plagiarism allegations what do you think?

Rockers Coldplay have hit back at claims their single Viva La Vida ripped-off a track by guitarist Joe Satriani - insisting any similarity is a coincidence.

Satriani filed a lawsuit at Los Angeles federal court last week, claiming the Yellow hitmakers copied segments from his 2004 instrumental If I Could Fly to use in their 2008 hit track.

Joe Satriani Vs. Coldplay

He is seeking damages and profits from Viva La Vida, claiming he was devastated when he first heard the song, saying, "I felt like a dagger went right through my heart. It hurt so much. The second I heard it, I knew it was If I Could Fly."

But the band has responded dismissing the allegations in a statement issued to TMZ.com.

It reads, "With the greatest possible respect to Joe Satriani, we have now unfortunately found it necessary to respond publicly to his allegations. If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental, and just as surprising to us as to him. Joe Satriani is a great musician, but he did not write the song Viva La Vida. We respectfully ask him to accept our assurances of this, and wish him well with all future endeavours. Coldplay."

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Velvet Revolver split from label

Velvet Revolver have confirmed reports they've split from record label RCA.

In a posting on his website, guitarist Slash insists the supergroup and label executives have "parted amicably".

He claims the fact his band has no singer - after sacking Scott Weiland in April - and therefore cannot produce a contracted third album led to the label split.

He writes, "The truth is not as negative as the rumour. The band owed RCA money for a third album, which, at this time, they are unable to produce (no singer). The band and RCA parted amicably. When they are recording the new album, it most likely will be for a new label."

The group has yet to name a new frontman, but former Skid Row star Sebastian Bach and ex-Spacehog singer Royston Langdon have been linked to the vacancy in recent months.

Stewart confirms The Faces reunion

Rod Stewart has confirmed that 70s supergroup The Faces are set for a reunion, more than 30 years after the band split.

Earlier this week, website Raygigs.com reported that Stewart and other original members Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones had booked a secret rehearsal slot next week to see if the band still had what it takes to launch a string of reunion shows next year.

Scheduling problems between the members has hampered previous comeback plans - but Stewart has confirmed that this time it is a reformation is definitely on.

He says, "Yes, absolutely. We have our first rehearsal on Monday. It will be next summer and I am looking forward to it. It'll be great."

And Stewart is adamant that Wood's recent break-up with wife of 23 years Jo won't hold the star back from giving everything to the tour.

He adds, "Ronnie is up for it. I think he feels great. He is full of energy and very excited. We try not to mix our family problems with work. I'll see him Monday."

The band has previously reunited for a handful of one-off gigs - Wood and McLagan performed with Stewart at the Hollywood Bowl in 2004.

Stewart's touring bass player is expected to complete the group, replacing late bassist Ronnie 'Plonk' Lane, who died in 1997.

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Conman posed as rocker Francis Rossi at carnival

Residents of a seaside town were tricked by a conman who pretended he was a member of rock band Status Quo, a council member said.

When the trickster duped members of Dover Town Council in Kent into believing he was frontman Francis Rossi, they were so impressed they invited him to be guest of honour at the town's annual carnival parade.

Councillor Chris Precious said the man, whose true identity is unknown, spent the day enjoying the hospitality of the town's mayor before his secret was found out.

He said he did not believe him to be the chart-topping musician but went along with him as he did not want to spoil the day's festivities.

He said: "I was introduced to him and I thought to myself, if that's Francis Rossi, he's turned ginger, shrunk a bit and grown more hair.

"He spent the day with us and the council were keen to have him on board as we were preparing for this year's Festival of Dover and we thought he might be able to help us promote it.

"I went to the town clerk a couple of days later and said, 'that's not the man he says he is'. I believe he was confronted but I don't know what happened to him after that."

Mr Precious said that he believed the conman may have been given "a couple of glasses of wine" but had not gained anything else from the deception as far as he was aware.

He added: "I think a couple of other people had their doubts about him but they were prepared to accept it as they didn't know what Francis Rossi looked like."

He said that it was not the first time that the people of Dover had been conned by somebody pretending to be a celebrity. A year earlier a man visited several pubs in the area claiming to be Pete Townshend of The Who.

Beatles' guru Neil Aspinall dies

Neil Aspinall, a close friend of the Beatles and the man who ran the Apple music empire, has died aged 66, a spokesman has announced.

A childhood friend of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, Neil Aspinall was the group's road manager before overseeing the creation of Apple Records.

In a statement, Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Yoko Ono said: "Neil's trusting stewardship and guidance has left a far-reaching legacy."

Despite no musical training, he sang in

the chorus of "Yellow Submarine".

Jagger escapes assassination

Mick Jagger escaped an assassination attempt by a gang of Hells Angels in the '60s, it has been claimed.

The Rolling Stones' frontman was apparently targeted by the infamous group following their tragic 1969 Altamont show.

The news is revealed in a new radio documentary about the history of the FBI, with a former agent explaining how Jagger became a target.

Tom Mangold claims The Stones' disastrous San Francisco concert, in which one man was killed by a Hells Angel, prompted the death threat.

Jagger was said to be furious about the uprising in the crowd, blaming the biker group, who had been employed to quell any trouble.

Mangold explained: "The Hells Angels were so angered by Jagger's treatment of them that they decided to kill him."

A boatload of gang members set-off to attack the rock icon at his holiday home in the Hamptons, New York City, but were thwarted by bad weather.

"They planned the attack from the sea so they could enter his property from the garden and avoid security at the front", explained Mangold.

"The boat was hit by a storm and all of the men were thrown overboard. All survived and there was not said to have been any further attempt on Jagger's life."

Stones vs Zeppelin

Keith Richards has dismissed Led Zeppelin's reunion, claiming he didn't even know it had taken place.

The Rolling Stones legend says he has no interest in their rock rivals, who played a one-off show at the O2 Arena in London last year to considerable acclaim.

In a new interview, the guitarist was asked about the reunion, commenting: "They had one? Well, well done Jimmy and Robert...'Stairway To Heaven' don't make it for me, baby."

Meanwhile, in an interview with Uncut to promote The Stones' upcoming "Shine A Light" live film, Richards also claimed Mick Jagger is "a maniac".

He commented: "Mick's a maniac. He can't get up in the morning without knowing immediately who he's going to call.

"Meanwhile, I just go 'Thank God I'm awake' and wait for three or four hours before I do anything."

As previously reported, "Shine A Light", directed by Martin Scorsese, is due for general cinema release in April, to coincide with a soundtrack of the same name.