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]."
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Vanessa Hudgens 'Fell In Love' With 'Moulin Rouge'
MTV News will revisit Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie musical Monday.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Kara Warner
Vanessa Hudgens
Photo: MTV News
Vanessa Hudgens knows the power of the movie musical. She starred in two uber-successful "High School Musical" movies and played Mimi in "Rent." So, if anyone can speak to the undeniable influence of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie musical masterpiece, "Moulin Rouge," it's her.
"Oh my goodness! It was just a beautiful, very specific look that I feel like everybody could completely submerge themselves into," she told MTV News about the film before Monday's upcoming "Moulin Rouge at 10: A Spectacular Spectacular MTV News Event." "And it was fun, and it was thrilling, and your heart just went out for these characters. I fell in love with the movie, and I have not stopped watching it since."
Hudgens' "Sucker Punch" co-star Jena Malone immediately drew comparisons between "Moulin Rouge" and their equally fantastical flick, thanks to their musical scores. "It's an interesting segue because Marius [de Vries] also did the music for 'Moulin Rouge' and he did the music for 'Sucker Punch,' and he does such crazy abstractions," she said. "I mean, Baz Luhrmann's incredible."
MTV News will reunite Luhrmann, and the movie's stars, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, on Monday at 3 p.m. ET on MTV.com. The director and actors will be joined by co-star John Leguizamo, who played artist Toulouse-Lautrec, and Catherine Martin, who won the Oscar for costume design and art direction. Hosted by MTV News' Josh Horowitz, the live stream will include special appearances and live interviews while looking back at how the film came to be and how its legacy continues to grow.
Don't miss "Moulin Rouge at 10: A Spectacular Spectacular MTV News Event" on Monday at 3 p.m. ET on MTV.com! Get in the conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #AskMoulin.
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Bad Meets Evil Producers Tease 'Top-Secret' Eminem/ Royce Da 5'9" EP
'The album is dope. That's all I can tell you about it,' Denaun Porter tells Mixtape Daily.
By Rob Markman
Eminem and Royce Da 5' 9"
Photo: Courtesy of Tim Westwood
Behind the Beats: Denaun Porter, Havoc, DJ Khalil and Bangladesh
Eminem is looking to thrill hip-hop fans once again. Earlier this week, it was announced that Shady Records will release a joint EP featuring Em himself and fellow Detroit lyricist Royce Da 5'9", under the group moniker Bad Meets Evil. But fans aren't the only ones excited about the upcoming project.
Producers Denaun Porter, Mobb Deep's Havoc, DJ Khalil and Bangladesh have all been tapped to provide beats for the project and seem to be pretty pumped for the final product, which is set to drop June 14.
"The album is dope. That's all I can tell you about it," said Porter when Mixtape Daily caught up with him at his Detroit studio. (Big Mixtape shout-out to photographer Patrick Daly.) The idea for a Bad Meets Evil EP first came about while Porter and Royce were working on Royce's solo album.
"We had one song and it turned into, 'Yo, what do you think about getting Em on this record?' " Denuan recalled. Soon, Royce and Em were bouncing ideas back and forth, and more producers were eventually brought into the fold.
Havoc, who also worked on Eminem's Recovery, submitted a number of tracks to the Shady camp, but initially had no idea what Em and Royce were cooking up. "A couple of months ago I got hit up and they told me that they're using another track for some future project," he said. "So I found out along with everybody else what it was actually for, because they like to keep things top-secret."
West Coast beatsmith DJ Khalil has been a longtime fan of the Bad Meets Evil duo and has fond memories of buying Em and Royce's first collaborative 1999 single, "Nothin' to Do." "I remember buying the 12-inch back in the day when I was DJ'in'," he said. "It's like a classic; I still have the vinyl."
Bangladesh, like Havoc, didn't learn that he was going to be on the EP until recently. "I ain't know that [Eminem] even had this beat, I didn't even know he liked the beat. I ain't know I was gonna be on this EP until probably like two weeks ago."
The producers couldn't say much in terms of song detail, but Bangladesh did confirm that his track has a vocal sample in the hook, while Havoc said his beat has an eerie feel and sounds like, "You're going down a dark hall with a whole bunch of monks just screamin' at you."
Denuan, an original member of D12 and a longtime friend and collaborator of both Em and Royce, is perhaps the most thrilled about the upcoming Bad Meets Evil project. "I was happy to see it because I thought the songs that they did back in the day was dope."
For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.
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Vanessa Hudgens 'Fell In Love' With 'Moulin Rouge'
MTV News will revisit Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie musical Monday.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Kara Warner
Vanessa Hudgens
Photo: MTV News
Vanessa Hudgens knows the power of the movie musical. She starred in two uber-successful "High School Musical" movies and played Mimi in "Rent." So, if anyone can speak to the undeniable influence of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie musical masterpiece, "Moulin Rouge," it's her.
"Oh my goodness! It was just a beautiful, very specific look that I feel like everybody could completely submerge themselves into," she told MTV News about the film before Monday's upcoming "Moulin Rouge at 10: A Spectacular Spectacular MTV News Event." "And it was fun, and it was thrilling, and your heart just went out for these characters. I fell in love with the movie, and I have not stopped watching it since."
Hudgens' "Sucker Punch" co-star Jena Malone immediately drew comparisons between "Moulin Rouge" and their equally fantastical flick, thanks to their musical scores. "It's an interesting segue because Marius [de Vries] also did the music for 'Moulin Rouge' and he did the music for 'Sucker Punch,' and he does such crazy abstractions," she said. "I mean, Baz Luhrmann's incredible."
MTV News will reunite Luhrmann, and the movie's stars, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, on Monday at 3 p.m. ET on MTV.com. The director and actors will be joined by co-star John Leguizamo, who played artist Toulouse-Lautrec, and Catherine Martin, who won the Oscar for costume design and art direction. Hosted by MTV News' Josh Horowitz, the live stream will include special appearances and live interviews while looking back at how the film came to be and how its legacy continues to grow.
Don't miss "Moulin Rouge at 10: A Spectacular Spectacular MTV News Event" on Monday at 3 p.m. ET on MTV.com! Get in the conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #AskMoulin.
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Justin Bieber's Grammy Performance Will Be 'A Crossover,' Usher Says
The 'O.M.G.' singer looks forward to sharing the stage with his protégé on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery
Usher
Photo: Amanda Edwards/ Getty Images
HOLLYWOOD — At Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards, Usher will be pulling double duty as both a nominee and a performer. Of course, given the massive year he just completed — with the success of his smash single "O.M.G." and as a mentor to rising phenom Justin Bieber — Ush's Grammy plans seem rather fitting.
Especially since he'll be performing with Bieber (and Bieber's pal Jaden Smith), a move that's just as much about celebrating Usher's successes as it is the successes of his young protégé.
"Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn't want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here," Usher told MTV News on Thursday, hours before his performance at the (Belvedere) RED launch party in Hollywood. "And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for."
And just how will the dynamic duo tell that story? Well, Usher wasn't about to reveal all the details, but he did say that he's hoping their performance will show another side of Bieber ... a side most tend to overlook.
"The performance will be fun," Usher explained. "We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. ... This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn't believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He's going to play acoustically, and also, we'll get down a little bit."
And though Ush is up for a pair of Grammy awards on Sunday — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond — he's most looking forward to sharing the stage with Bieber and giving fans a look at where the young artist will be heading next.
"I'm very proud, man. I definitely saw it from the beginning, but thanks to the team that we have around us, it was made to happen. And that story has only just begun," Usher said. "The story of Justin Bieber doesn't stop with screaming girls; we need screaming fans all around the world ... a cultural experience that's much more than just fanfare. And that's what this is. That's what the Grammys will be; that's what my next phase for Justin is. This is the way I found him: I found him with a guitar in his hand, so I want him to be seen that way."
Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!
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Michael Jackson - Heal the World
- Artist: Michael Jackson
- Label: Epic
- Album: Dangerous
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1102&vid=208386

