Simmons Confirms New Kiss Album, April Wine Singer Hospitalized, more

Gene Simmons has confirmed to Canada's Sun Media that Kiss is writing new music and will record an album in 2009 with production by Paul Stanley. They will follow it with a short tour.

"We'll do a handful of shows just to keep in the game (next) summer, maybe 10, some Canadian shows."

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The salary register that may or may not reveal the identify of the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby sold at auction Thursday for $177,000. That is well below the $7 to 800,000 estimated.

Paul McCartney donated the item to the Sunbeams Music Trust in 1990, who was the benefactor of the auction, but has recently reclaimed that Eleanor Rigby was purely fictitious.

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Myles Goodwin, frontman for April Wine, was hospitalized in Montreal on Friday after collapsing at the airport.

The group was on its way to a Halifax radio station holiday concert where they were to surprise the crowd by including original members Richie and David Henman in the performance.

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Bob Dylan pulled out a number of rarities during his show last Friday at the United Palace Theater in New York. In the set list was the opener Gotta Serve Somebody (not played live in almost seven years), Tomorrow is a Long Time (not played in New York in 45 years), Desolation Row and Til I Fell in Love With You.

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Hip-O Select is about to relaunch their website and, in doing so, make previously sold out albums available again for download.

The company releases compilations and rare, out-of-print albums in limited numbers to the CD market, but is now making available albums that completed their initial run, such as Marvin Gaye's In Our Lifetime: Deluxe Edition and Love's The Blue Thumb Recordings. Also look for exclusive digital-only releases, including rare Chess masters.

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Photographer Pennie Smith, who shot the iconic cover of the Clash's London Calling album, received Outstanding Contribution to Music Photography at the Record of the Day awards in London for people working in music journalism and public relations.