Classic And Curious Beatles Covers

As part of the BBC's Beatles Week, BBC Four programme Sings The Beatles has delved into the BBC archives to look at some of the classic and curious cover versions of the Fab Four's tracks.

I AM THE WALRUS, OASIS, 1994

Much has been mooted as regards the derivation of the nonsense lyrics of I Am The Walrus.

A two-note police siren becoming "Mr City Policeman", Lennon enjoying sitting in his garden, and Lewis Carroll's The Walrus and the Carpenter apparently all providing inspiration. Written in 1967 at the peak of the first Summer Of Love, it was Beatles avant-garde at its best.

Originally the reverse of Hello, Goodbye, Oasis reinvented the Walrus as another B-side; for 1994 anthem Cigarettes & Alcohol. The Manchester rockers often closed their live shows with the track, and played it on Later...With Jools Holland.

The "eggman" in the song is supposedly a reference to Animals front man Eric Burdon, who, it was rumoured, liked to break raw eggs onto the bodies of naked groupies.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Have a look at what other songs were selected by clicking here.

Why Liam Gallagher Should Not Soldier On Without Brother Noel

The Chief has quit, but should Liam carry on without him? In a word, no.

The walkout“I will never leave Oasis”, stated Noel Gallagher in an interview only two months ago, shortly prior to the band’s gigs at Wembley Stadium. The media, clearly unable to stop recycling the same tired stories of an Oasis split, had been publishing rumours that the band were on the verge of doing just that - again. It would only take Liam to look at Noel the wrong way on stage for them to sensationalise it into being “the end”.

Then rumour became reality. Minutes before they were due on stage at a festival in Paris, a fracas broke out backstage between the Gallagher brothers which allegedly involved a punch up, a smashed guitar, and an ambulance. Thousands of fans waiting for the band’s arrival on stage were left absolutely gutted and shortly afterwards in a statement posted on the band’s web site Noel officially stated he had quit. Same shit, different tour, was my immediate thought, as any Oasis fan will know this was yet another case of deja vu. Then followed a second statement, which crushed any hope that this was going to blow over anytime soon. Noel cited “verbal and violent intimidation” and a “lack of support and understanding from management and bandmates” as his reasons for quitting. This sadly suggests that it is not only his relationship with Liam that has been damaged, but with others too, so it might take a lot more work to heal the wounds this time round.

That solo album

Noel is an intelligent man, he knows that quitting the band will hurt Liam more than any insult or punch ever could. Despite the fact they obviously do not get on, it’s obvious Liam deeply respects his brother and admires him greatly. How could you not have respect for a man that joined your band and wrote the songs that propelled the group to levels on par with the legends that inspired you? Not to mention making you a millionaire. Liam could never forge the type of successful solo career that Noel is more than capable of achieving. “When I grow up I want to be Paul Weller”, Noel once said in an interview. Well now is his chance. Whether or not Oasis did ’split up’, it was likely he was going to do a solo album after this tour was complete regardless, and so he should as it is well overdue.

Noel had got that edge back on the last two Oasis albums, Don’t Believe The Truth and Dig Out Your Soul, more-so on the latter. Given the platform to record an album not under the Oasis name, I’m convinced Noel will feel more confident to expand his musical horizons and throw in a few curve balls, as well as deliver some acoustic gems which suit his voice so very well. Speaking of which, vocally, he has never sounded better, and if the new songs he’s been singing at sound checks that leaked online are anything to go by, there is a lot of potential for the album to be something very special. As a long term Oasis fan, the prospect of an album written entirely by Noel is exciting, as we haven’t had one of those in over 12 years since the cocaine fuelled Be Here Now.

Should Liam carry on with Oasis?

So with Noel more than likely out of action with Oasis for the foreseeable future, should Liam carry on the band without him? No, is the answer. Liam has an incredible voice and is probably the last great rock star left (and no, Bono is not a rock star). His snarling Mancunian delivery is both charismatic and distinctive. He has a voice that can turn a great song into an even better one. Would Some Might Say have been as brilliant with anyone else singing it? would it fuck. With that said, without his brother in the band, it’s simply not Oasis. It’s a car without a steering wheel, it would inevitably end up wrapped around a lamppost. Both Gallagher’s must be involved for Oasis to justify using that name, collectively they are the heart and soul of the band, but apart the glass is half-empty.

It was Noel who wrote the timeless songs that changed lives and inspired people to pick up a guitar, a talent demonstrated at its best on their debut album, Definitely Maybe. Rock n’ Roll Star is a glorious statement of intent. Live Forever is an epic anthem that still tops ‘greatest ever song’ polls on a regular basis. Supersonic’s swagger and attitude has not been matched by a single band since it’s release. Cigarettes and Alcohol is social commentary done in a way no one can anymore, and Slide Away is a truly great love song, probably the best Noel ever wrote. These songs, among countless others, mean a lot to people, in some respects they are bigger than the band.

Oasis’ greatest songs were born out of a hunger to break free from the confined trappings of limited opportunities in Manchester during the Conservative period, these songs are inspiring and uplifting. They document the hope, aspirations and determination of a young man wanting to make a better life for himself and live the dream. The theme on Definitely Maybe can be summed up in five words on Cigarettes and Alcohol - “you gotta make it happen”, and he did. Noel has been criticised for being creatively a spent force as of late, but he can still undoubtedly write a great song, if not as often as he used to.

Liam’s role in Oasis should also never be undervalued. They would not be the band they are today without that voice. He has also written a handful of decent songs, and a couple of very good ones, namely Guess God Thinks I’m Abel and I’m Outta Time. But let us not kid ourselves, neither he, Andy, nor Gem could ever write a song that would sit alongside any of Noel’s best. Gem and Andy between them have come up with a few solid tracks. Turn Up The Sun and To Be Where There’s life are great tunes. I’m sure it is healthy for the chemistry of the band to have everyone contributing to the song writing process, which has made for mixed results. What is important though, in this band at least, is that the man responsible for writing their best material and steering the ship for nearly two decades is involved. You can lose as many drummers, guitarists and keyboard players as you like because at the end of the day they are replaceable. Noel is not.

Entertaining the thought of Noel-less Oasis is ludicrous, especially if they toured. They would become an absolute joke. It’d be as awful as the remaining members of The Jam touring as From The Jam without Weller, its inexcusable and a disgrace. I’m hopeful enough that if Liam is actually keen on carrying on as Oasis without Noel, that Andy and Gem will persuade him not to and convince him that this is an absurd idea. There is no doubting that an album without Noel on board would be decent at least. Between Liam, Gem and Andy I’m sure they have enough songs good enough to put together a record that wouldn’t be substandard, but if that really has to happen, they need to change their name and not rely on the laurels of ‘Oasis’. It would be riding on the coattails of Noel’s hard work and talent. Alternatively, Liam should record a solo album and collaborate with Andy and Gem who can chip in as co-songwriters. If Liam’s motives for potentially continuing Oasis are based on proving a point to his brother, then he’s in it for the wrong reasons.

The future

Many critics have said Oasis should have quit at their peak in 1996 after the Knebworth gigs, with even former rhythm guitarist Bonehead agreeing that this would have been the best time to bow out. Two classic albums, a stack of great b-sides, the biggest gigs and most records sold by any band in a very long time, it would have been an impressive legacy to leave behind. Nobody could have predicted what would become of Oasis after that point, to say they have never been the most stable of bands would be an understatement. If this really is the end now though, 13 years after those gigs, as far as stories in rock n’ roll go, what a dramatic ending to the saga it would be. Given the choice between choosing this ending and having Liam soldier on and make a mockery of the band I love, it’s not a hard decision. At least there’s always the hope of a box set release with tonnes of unreleased tracks and demos at some point in the distant future.

Liam has allegedly said he’ll have news on Oasis in January 2010. What this means is anyone’s guess at the moment, but if it involves use of the words “carrying on without Noel” it will not be met with the warmest reception. In an interview with the Gallagher’s that featured on the DVD from the Stop The Clocks best of package, they were asked about the time Noel walked out of the band in 1994. “Who cares, he’s back now,” Liam said with a surprising demeanour of happiness and relief in front of his brother. Will we ever hear him say that again? who knows, but until then Oasis as a band should be put on the backburner until both parts that make up the puzzle are able to stand in the same room together without someone having to call an ambulance. Worst case scenario? Bonehead makes a comeback and takes over Noel’s place. Nevermind, as someone once said, it’s just rock n’ roll.

Source: www.live4ever.uk.com

Robbie Williams Is Fans' Dream Desert Island Companion

Robbie Williams has beat out competition from his arch-rival Liam Gallagher to be voted as the singer most people would want to be stuck on a desert island with.

The Angels hitmker, who has had a longtime feud with the Oasis singer, came out tops in a new poll of the most popular male entertainer to be marooned with.

Beatles legend Sir Paul MCCartney came second, while Mick Jagger and Eminem took the third and fourth spots, with Gallagher lagging in fifth.

Aussie superstar Kylie Minogue topped the women's list, while Girls Aloud beauty Cheryl Cole was the second favourite female. In third was Leona Lewis, with Madonna and Lady Gaga coming fourth and fifth respectively.

The survey was conducted by staff from music royalties company PRS, who polled 1,000 people in the U.K.

Source: www.contactmusic.com

Upside Down: The Story Of Creation Records

Upside Down:The Story of Creation Records, Cinema release Nov/Dec 2009, TV/DVD release Summer 2010.

Millions of sales, near bankruptcy, pills, thrills, spats, prats, success, excess, pick me ups, breakdowns and of course some of THE defining music of the late twentieth century, this is the definitive and fully authorised story of the UK’s most inspired and dissolute label.

Register by sending your email to info@documentuk.com for updates on all information regarding the film.

Click here to watch the trailer for Upside Down: The Story Of Creation Records.

Also

The company producing the documentary film for the story of Creation Records, are after any Oasis memorabilia while they were signed to the Creation or any Creation memorabilia at all e.g. gig tickets, posters, vinyl sleeves etc.

They are looking to borrow such items in return for a thank you credit on the DVD.

Contact: Joe Powell, Document Productions @ joe.powell@documentuk.com

The Pretty Green Autumn/Winter 09 Collection Is Causing A Stir…

The Autumn/Winter (launching in October) collection is currently being seen in London by every respected fashion buyer in the industry and will be available to buy from reputable outlets, as well as on the Pretty Green website (keep a look out for the confirmed retail list on the site in a few weeks) . The reaction to the collection has been incredible and people are already touting Pretty Green as the next big thing in menswear.

As well as the top industry people, we invited some of our community customer’s along last week to have a look and see what’s coming this October.

Every single person who attended was blown away by what’s to come this season from Pretty Green.

We wanted to share some of their thoughts and comments with you…

“It was a brilliant day and I left buzzing to get my hands on the majority of the new range! I haven’t been able to stop talking about the new range, whilst making people aware that pretty green is about to shake up the marketplace in a big way! I left knowing that pretty green is creating clothes specifically for people like me. People with similar interests and the same desires about what their clothes should say about the people who wear them and the envy they put into the people who are not wearing them” (Ben D)

“I love my clothes and from what I saw today i have no doubt that from now on all I will buy is Pretty Green. Thank-you Dean and all at Pretty Green, as Liam would say you are all BIBLICAL!” (Jaswant)

“I thought everything in the new range was fantastic, I loved the t shirts, jumpers, jeans in fact it was just all brilliant and as for the leather jacket that was just amazing it’s top of my wish list, got me fingers crossed for that lottery win! However I’m currently throwing most me clothes out to get some space in the wardrobe for an October shopping spree! … Anyway keep up the good work, Pretty Green is shaping up to be the best brand out there!” (Ben P)

Source: www.prettygreen.com

Beatlemania Is Set To Sweep The World All Over Again

Fans and celebs alike are going wild with excitement as 14 of the Fab Four’s legendary albums are reissued today on what is being called Beatles Day.

The famous recordings – painstakingly remastered to give the Mersey sound a stunning new edge – are expected to swamp the album charts as a whole new generation thrills to The Beatles, 47 years after the Liverpool lads’ released their first hit single Love Me Do.

And today’s pop idols admit just how much their music owes to the influence of their heroes – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Outrageous Lady GaGa, 23, reckons listening to the Abbey Road album helped her to write her debut record The Fame.

“It’s the sense of melody in conjunction with the very liberating, strange storytelling,” she explains.

“They were masters of songwriting and just as relevant now as they ever were.”

Oasis have often told how The Beatles inspired their own hits. Noel Gallagher, 42, says: “I was playing guitar before I heard the Beatles, but as I got older and listened to the tunes I realised they were amazing.

“They inspire me more now than they did when I was a kid and are still the greatest. There will never be another Beatles.”

The list of artists who have covered Beatles songs is immense, from Tom Jones to The Killers to Kaiser Chiefs and McFly. Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, 28, says: “When someone mentions the Beatles

to me, the first thing I think of is those cool grey suits and those boots. Iconic imagery has always been a big deal for me.”

Both Carl Barat, 31, and Pete Doherty, 30, have covered Beatles songs, with Pete even dedicating She Loves You to ex-girlfriend Kate Moss, 35, at a gig.

Blur frontman Damon Albarn, 41, believes there’s nothing in music today that can match The Beatles.

“The Beatles were always an adventurous, funny, witty band,” he says. “Where’s the intelligence in this music now?”

The band’s guitarist Graham Coxon, 40, is a huge fan. He says: “They express a soul in their singing.” Another admirer, pop king Robbie Williams, 35, has a Beatles tattoo on his lower back, of the music to All You Need Is Love.

Beatles tunes are even a favourite on The X Factor, with hotly-tipped Danyl Johnson, 33, wowing the crowd at his audition singing With A Little Help From My Friends.

And in America – where today’s album launch is causing just as big a stir – actor and singer Jamie Foxx, 41, says: “Everything they did – incredible talent, man.

“It’s amazing how they infl uenced our culture and the music stands up today.”

Back home in Liverpool, where The Beatles’ amazing story began at the Cavern Club, the magic still lives on.

Last weekend saw 300,000 fans from 40 different countries flock to the city for the start of Beatles Week. Cavern Club owner Bill Heckle, 53, reckons the band’s continuing appeal is down to the fact they pushed the boundaries of pop music.

He says: “The Beatles are the first ever band to have been played in space – last year Nasa transmitted Across The Universe to a star 431 light years from Earth.

“That was the music they believed best represented the whole of humanity. “And that is why today, The Beatles are bigger than ever.”

Source: www.dailystar.co.uk

Writer Vents His Feelings Towards Oasis

"You don't know what you've got till it's gone," Janet Jackson once famously sampled, and how true it is. Only now that Noel Gallagher has left in a firestorm of brotherly acrimony can I truly take stock of my feelings toward OASIS.

I spent my youth hating them for their worst ballads, "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova" — songs of the round-specs days, the Prince Valiant–cut days. As I grew older and angrier, I resented them for the shabbiness of their pastiches of superior groups, from the Kinks all the way to the Stone Roses. They even grabbed Andy Bell, superior guitarist of Ride, and made him their goddamn bassist. Finally, in recent years, I became engulfed in the total Oasis indifference that's shrouded our continent for a decade. To most Americans, the big shocker this week wasn't that Oasis broke up. It was that Oasis had still been together.

(One could be forgiven for having the vague recollection that they split up back in 2000 or so. This is actually the second time Noel has left the group after a squabble with his brother. I'm writing under the assumption that now it'll stick.)

I never managed to like Oasis. I tried going back and giving them a second and a third chance, but the genuine, empirical crapness of their songs always thwarted me. Even so, the break-up is bittersweet. I'm going to miss the pure comedy of their existence. So, rather than crowing over their demise, I'd like to take a moment to remember all the good stuff:

• With so few enduringly BIG bands left, there was a certain comfort in knowing how huge they were across the pond. To this day, the UK rock press reveres them as gods — probably because their faces still sell magazines after all these years, and interviewers can always count on Noel for a rugged Mancunian witticism and Liam for a dumbshit quotable. The mere existence of such an institution — a rock band who could make headlines just by calling another band shit in a drunken backstage interview — toasted up my cockles a little.

• A credible rock band getting sued for ripping off a commercial jingle seems like an obvious killer blow, but Oasis managed to get through the ordeal only lightly scathed. Their early single "Shakermaker" grabbed the tune from the classic Coca-Cola jingle "I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing," and Oasis paid a hefty fine. You've gotta love them for perfecting the art of the brazen, reckless homage: witness the similarity between "Cigarettes and Alcohol" and T-Rex's "Bang a Gong," or "Mucky Fingers" and the Velvet Underground's "Waiting for the Man," or "Part of the Queue" and the Stranglers' "Golden Brown."

• There was a certain magic in their unwavering view that they were the greatest thing in history. From their frequent proclamations that they'd be bigger than the Beatles to their condemnation of Keith Richards as "senile" and George Harrison as a "nipple," their resolute commitment to delusion and obnoxiousness was as inspiring as it was irritating.

• Those YouTube videos of Noel Gallagher getting toppled like a bowling pin by some nutcase at a Toronto-festival appearance! I must have watched it happen a hundred times, from multiple angles, and seeing Noel getting hurt was the greatest sort of wish fulfillment.

• Ah, those faces! Music be damned — every photograph of the Brothers Gallagher and their ridiculous mugs brought me joy. Liam, always sullen and glassy-eyed, frequently V-signing the camera, monobrowed, uncomprehending. Forever a model for the latest cutting-edge British haircut — many of which have not stood the test of time and have become retrospectively hilarious. And Noel, with that wondrous sphere of a head, those squinting, wide-set eyes, the fixed, toadlike grump of his countenance. Such a gruesome pair of walking carnival caricatures we may never see again.

"Live Forever" indeed, Noel and Liam. Thanks for the laughs — you can keep the songs.

Source DAVID THORPE dthorpe@phx.com The Boston Phoenix

Serge's No-asis

Kasabian axeman Serge Pizzorno has ruled out of ever stepping into 42-year-old pal Noel Gallagher’s shoes.

The Mercury Prize nominee, 28, told me: “I’m really sad as Oasis were a massive influence on us, and so many bands.

“I’m sure one day they’ll come back.

“I spoke to Noel briefly, but it was mental on the day the news came out.”

He added: “I could never replace him. Oasis should be left as a masterpiece.”

Source: www.dailystar.co.uk

Win An Exclusive Oasis Print On NME.COM

Oasis photographs from the 1990s previously unseen by the public are set to go on display at a new exhibition in London on Friday (September 11).

The exhibition features the work of photographer Michael Spencer Jones, who photographed the Gallaghers from the '90s and into this century, with his work including the cover for the band's debut album 'Definitely Maybe'. It will take place at the This Feeling club-night at the Parker McMillan venue.

Entitled 'Out Of The Blue', the exhibition will feature previously un-exhibited photos including shots from the Manchester band's 1993 photoshoot for the 'Cigarettes And Alcohol' single cover. See the new issue of NME, out now, for an exclusive look at one of the shots from the session.

Head to MySpace.com/thisfeelingclub for more information about the exhibition. See Spellboundpublications.com for more of Jones' work.

Meanwhile, Jones is giving one exclusive Oasis photo print away to one NME.COM reader. Head to NME.COM/win to enter the competition.

Source: www.nme.com

Spandau Ballet Can Empathise With Warring Oasis Siblings

"Gary and I were in a similar situation where the pressure of the band came down on us all.

It was left to the brothers to sort things out. For a good 10 years with Spandau Ballet we were the pressure cooker and it was bound to explode now and again."

Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp can empathise with warring Oasis siblings Liam and Noel Gallagher after years of feuding with his brother/bandmate Gary.

Source: www.contactmusic.com

In This Week's NME

Inside this week's NME Magazine on sale from Wednesday 9 September, NME readers give their verdict on the Oasis split.

Oasis Special Un-Seen Exhibition And More

An extra special TF for you this Friday Sept 11th…(don’t worry, we’ll still be doing TF last Friday of month in Sept!)

Noel Gallagher called time on Oasis last week and spookily we’ve got an un-seen Oasis photographic exhibition & Phil Smith the Oasis Tour DJ this Friday.

A five year journey which began in 1993, Michael Spencer Jones worked closely with Oasis to create the first three album covers and their accompanying singles. Come down and see never before seen photographs, prints, alternative album covers, little known facts & then get off your Rockin’ Chair!

Drink deals galore & DJ dance-floor mayhem till 3am with live music from Black Cherry, Buster Shuffle, Call Me Laura and FC 20.

£6 cheap advance tickets here or £8 on door

TF TOWERS

Win! Jet signed albums and gig tickets here.

Text For England 2018

England 2018 has launched a new text message service to help even more fans get behind its Bid to stage the FIFA World Cup. With the whole country ready to cheer on the national side in the crucial upcoming fixtures, supporters will be able to Back the Bid by simply texting ENGLAND to 62018.

Organisers hope a groundswell of support will sway Fifa chiefs to opt for England when the host nation is announced in December 2010 .

Oasis star Noel Gallagher, one of many celebrities urging fans to text ENGLAND to 62018, said: "The buzz would be incredible. We live and breathe football."

England captain John Terry added: "Fans' support can help us get it."

Fans can also Back the Bid by logging onto the newly redesigned official website, www.england2018bid.com

A host of England 2018 news, video and photography can be found at www.england2018bid.com including pictures of the most recent celebrity backers.

Liam Gallagher's Strum Cheek

Liam Gallagher led his Oasis bandmates in a game of air guitar over the weekend – perhaps poking fun at his feud with brother Noel, 42, who recently quit the group.

The singer, 36 – plus guitarist Gem Archer, 42, bassist Andy Bell, 39, and drummer Chris Sharrock, 45 – were in the Garden Gate pub in Hampstead, north London, on Saturday with Prodigy pal Liam Howlett, 38, family and crew members.

An onlooker told me: “Everybody was in good spirits, particularly Liam, who was making everybody laugh.

“He was doing lots of air guitar movements and chuckling. Whether it was taking the mick out of his brother it was hard to tell.

“There was a real party atmosphere and it seemed like a farewell booze-up following the end of the tour, or maybe a proper goodbye.

“It appeared like Noel was the real outcast in the band and Liam is still top dog in their circle.”

Source: www.dailystar.co.uk

John Lydon Mourns Gallagher Walk-Out

Punk legend John Lydon is devastated Noel Gallagher quit Oasis - because the band's music cheered him up.

The Sex Pistols frontman is a big fan of the 'Wonderwall' hitmakers, and is convinced singer Liam Gallagher has borrowed his vocal style.

So he was saddened when guitarist Noel walked away from the British band after a bust-up with his brother before a show in Paris last month.

Lydon, who went by the moniker Johnny Rotten during his punk heyday, says, "It is sad. They're a nice backdrop on a dull day. There's no content or depth to Oasis but it's still poignant.

"Noel is fantastic, one of Britain's finest. Liam's alright if you want a second-rate Rotten. I remember hearing Rock 'n' Roll Star for the first time and it sounded like John Lennon and John Lydon mixed together."

Source: www.3news.co.nz

Loud And Proud Gallaghers Were Rock 'N' Roll Stars

Oasis were much more than an overrated Beatle tribute band, writes long-time fan Andrea Byrne

It's hard to know whether Noel Gallagher's estrangement from his brother and dramatic departure from their band Oasis is permanent. We have, after all, been here before (four times in total) which is why the latest acrimony doesn't really surprise many. However, what is odd is the countless music critics who have greeted the news with a certain amount of sadistic glee.

One reviewer last week wrote how "Oasis, the most, overrated band in the history of music, have finally done the decent thing and split".

I'm not a music critic, nor would I claim to be any sort of rock buff, but what I am in tune with is popular culture, and for a very long time Oasis was the face of a musical generation. And for that, the band should be duly acknowledged.

If you look at the rock bands currently in vogue, you'll find many, if not most of them, seem to boast an Oasis-like sound. Take for example fellow Mancunians Kasabian -- one of the most popular bands around, a band that, whether the band members like it or not, find themselves constantly the subject of Oasis comparisons.

Oasis themselves should be all too familiar with comparisons. At the height of their success, many critics, in an attempt to deride, accused them of sounding too like the Beatles. I never understood this, given that the Beatles was a brilliant band, and to this day is still one of the most successful. Why is sounding like them a negative thing?

The aforementioned review also commented how Oasis encouraged a yobbish culture. Well yes, many of their fans wore Man City jerseys, drank lager, swore a lot and boasted garish forearm tattoos, but you could say the same about the Manic Street Preachers or The Prodigy or Blur.

Sure, you'd even be liable to find a rough element at a Take That concert.

Undeniably, the Oasis boys were loud and vulgar, and were unapologetic for it, but at least they had personality, unlike the manufactured, saccharine-coated, borderline robotic musical acts that currently saturate the charts. When the Gallagher brothers fought, they hid nothing from anyone, refusing to allow a damage-control PR machine splutter into action. The Oasis boys were pure rock 'n' roll and it wasn't contrived.

On their most recent tour, Liam and Noel travelled separately and didn't communicate unless it involved barbed comments made in interviews.

It all came to a head when the brothers met backstage at the third last concert of the tour. Allegedly, Liam was drunk. A fist-fight ensued between the pair, with Liam also reportedly smashing one of Noel's guitars.

"It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight," Noel said in a statement. "People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer." The drama between the two makes an episode of Eastenders appear tame in comparison.

Anyone who has ever had the privilege of interviewing Oasis, will probably tell you what a wonder of unpredictability it is to be in their company. The two brothers are polar opposites. Liam, the younger of two, is positively nuts. Noel is a deeper thinker and more articulate, but he has a temper too. Married to a former member of a girlband, Liam befriends celebrities, Noel prefers musicians.

While, they may not complement each other on a family level, musically they gel. Whatever you may say about Liam's gravely voice, at least it's original. While, Noel has proved over the years that he's an excellent songwriter.

I have been lucky enough to see them in concert twice. The most recent of which was earlier this summer at Slane Castle. Despite the alleged tensions in the band, they sounded brilliant, offering a great mix of old and new.

However, many fans commented on the fact that Oasis could have been playing in Uzbekistan, so lacking was the interaction with the audience. But the Gallagher brothers have never pandered to an audience, they don't feel the need to wave a tri-colour or get the audience to sing 'The Fields of Athenry' in order to satisfy. For that I admire them. Also, they have never pretended to have gone into this career for anything other than the money. Which again is refreshing.

Definitely Maybe and (What's The Story) Morning Glory are two of my favourite albums. I, along with many of my friends, listen to them with the same appreciation and enjoyment we did a decade ago. OK, so admittedly the lyrics aren't worthy of awards and don't exactly captivate on any great intellectual level, but they are memorable nonetheless, the kind of songs you'd belt out at a party in the small hours of the morning, because you know there would be plenty of people who would join in the chorus. In 10 years' time, most people will remember the words, or at the very least the chorus, to 'Wonderwall'. I doubt the same can be said for the current rash of rock stars out there.

Source: www.independent.ie

Liam: Oasis Will Not Split

OH brother - Liam Gallagher is going to continue with Oasis despite Noel binning the band for good.

The mad fer it Manc wants to Roll With It and keep the music alive as he holds the rights to the super band.

This week Liam said he wouldn't talk to his brother until January - because he thinks Noel will need that long to cool off.

I'm told by a contact in Liam's camp: "He's decided that just because the guitarist has quit, it doesn't mean the band should collapse.

"He's been on holiday with bassist Andy Bell and both of them reckon they can keep going and create good music - even without Noel.

"Liam has been writing a lot and Andy has made a big contribution to the band."

I'm also told that Noel has agreed to meet with Liam at the start of next year.

But on one condition - his MUM is there to make sure there's no fisticuffs.

Source: www.newsoftheworld.co.uk

Celebrity Clothing Ranges In The Men’s Market

If, thanks to the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez and Elle MacPherson, the women’s wear market has long accepted direct celebrity involvement, it is – apart from the hip hop and urban clothing market – still a new idea for men’s wear. Until now.

In November new men’s wear label Pretty Green, a casual wear line with leanings towards Mod culture, will launch in Selfridges. It also happens to be designed by former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher.

Alongside the singer’s new venture comes Nikki Sixx, bassist and founder of band Motley Crue, who will launch his Royal Underground brand in the UK this autumn, not to mention Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who are planning a men’s wear line to complement their women’s wear label The Row.

But will such name recognition help or hurt a brand when it comes to men’s wear? “There’s always a danger of losing credibility when a celebrity is behind a fashion brand,” says Pharrell Williams, of the band N.E.R.D., who partnered with Tomoaki Nagao, the Japanese designer behind A Bathing Ape, to create the Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream lines. “When it’s a world you don’t know much about, you need to team up with an expert. That said, however, name recognition also helps – we’ve been able to build up a dedicated fan base quickly,” he says.

According to Simon Aboud, director of brand consultancy Make Believe, now may be the best time for a new brand to have genuine celebrity involvement. During a recession consumers are more likely to re-examine brand values and seek those with heritage and integrity. And, says Aboud, “Celebrity values are among the most potent, especially now that fashion advertising has collapsed.”

Yet stars can be divisive, too. For every man who buys David Beckham’s forthcoming sportswear collection for Adidas Originals, there may be many who will be put off precisely because it is Beckham who is involved. A celebrity-backed men’s wear line is, says Nigel Grant, director of Pretty Green, a complex proposition to manage, as the demise of Vinnie Jones’s 2003 fashion line suggests.

Barry Grainger and Neil Adam, co-founders of new British men’s wear brand Citizen Seven, whose main investor is the Manchester City and England footballer Shaun Wright Phillips, have been subtle in publicising their famous backer.

“It has to be a drip feed,” Grainger says. “Clearly there is value in mentioning Shaun – it gives the brand appeal to terrace fashion fans. But we also know that it may alienate some people, maybe even simply because they support a rival team.” Although Phillips’ involvement is largely financial, the new label’s promotional material does mention him. “You have to accept that a brand with deeper celebrity involvement, rather than mere endorsement, may need more time to find acceptance.”

Grant of Pretty Green adds: “Consumers are seeing through those brands that have simply had a celebrity name lent to them. Ultimately, the product has to stand on its own.”

Trace Ayala, who co-founded William Rast with singer Justin Timberlake in 2005, says: “Running a brand with a celebrity is a double-edged sword. Men are more inclined to think that if a celebrity is involved, it’s them lending their name for the cheque. And there is a danger of the celebrity overshadowing the brand, which is why, after a while, it helps if they move into the background.

“That said, a famous name generates media interest and tends to open doors with buyers. Ask a department store to stock you, and the buyer is invariably not interested. Tell them that Justin Timberlake wants to meet them for dinner to discuss matters, and you get an altogether different response.”

Source: www.ft.com

Brothers Grim

Aussie rockers Jet say Noel and Liam Gallagher couldn't bare to be in the same room Four years ago.

Frontman Nic Cester says tension between the pair was evident when the band joined Oasis on their tour of the States in 2005 .

Nic said: "I'm not surprised they split at all. If anything I'm shocked they managed to make it work for so long. I'd say it's definitely the end. They didn't get on."

Brother Chris added: "They were never in the same room when we were on tour. I have never seen them have one conversation together the whole time I've known them.

"Avoiding each other was best."

He added: "Noel is one of the funniest people I've ever met. Liam is mental. A real clash."

Read the full interview and see the songs Jet performed in the Biz studio by clicking here.

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Oasis From The Archives: Noel Gallagher In 1994

Just before the release of Definitely Maybe, Caspar Llewellyn Smith caught up with Noel Gallagher to find out about scraps with Liam, spats with Suede and why people would still be listening to his band's debut album in 20 years' time. Here, for the first time, we publish the whole interview

Oasis' Noel Gallagher with little brother Liam: 'If he ever acted like Brett Anderson I'd take off my guitar and smack him!'

It was the second week of August 1994 and Oasis were at the Top of the Pops studio in Elstree to perform Live Forever. The band were on a short tour, including a festival date in Sweden (on the same bill as Primal Scream) and a gig the night before at the Astoria in London, where Paul Weller had gatecrashed the aftershow party. The Tories were still in power; no one had heard the term Britpop yet; the band's debut album Definitely Maybe would be released at the end of the month. The others – bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, drummer Tony McCarroll and singer, Liam Gallagher – left the dressing room while I spoke to 27-year old Noel Gallagher. I think I'm right in saying it was his first broadsheet interview and during the course of it he'd show why he wasn't just the best songwriter in the UK: for the next 15 years, he'd be the best interview in rock music, too.

Caspar Llewellyn Smith: How's this last tour been?
Noel Gallagher: Where do I start? Started last Tuesday – so that's a week and one day. So we've had a fucking riot: a broken ankle; we've been barred from two hotels; been to Sweden and made the front page of the national newspaper. They called us "English scum" and told us we weren't allowed back in the country. Throb from Primal Scream's got a broken nose and had to have eight injections in his knee.

CLS: So that's pretty much everything you've ever wanted …
Noel: It's been all right. This has been the wildest tour. We thought it'd be boring 'cause this is about the fifth one and we thought it would be just like the others but somehow this one has just got a bit out of hand.

CLS: What's it like doing Top of the Pops?
Noel: You've got to do it, you know what I mean? You can be a fucking knob like Joe Strummer and say you're never going to do Top of the Pops. You've got to get on and do it and try and be as fucking big as you can. It's all about ambition, innit?

CLS: Is that your aim? To be the biggest band ever?
Noel: You've gotta. If somebody says: "Do you want to be put into how-many-ever fucking million homes on a Thursday night?" it's like, "Yeah." You've got a duty to the people that buy your records. The people that buy your records are going to be sat at home on a Thursday night, and saying to their mams and dads, "See, this is the band I'm into. This is what I like." We don't want to be an indie band from England who've had a couple of hits. We want to go on and be an important band and there's certain things you've got to do. You want to sell 5,000 limited-edition red vinyl seven-inches, that's fine. Make music for a closet full of people in Bradford somewhere ... but it doesn't mean anything to anyone. Phil Collins has got to be chased out of the charts, and Wet Wet Wet. It's the only way to do it, man, to fucking get in there among them and stamp the fuckers out.

CLS: It's a pretty dire time.
Noel: There's more bands about now than there has been for the last three or four years. A lot of them are mediocre. A lot of them get press coverage and they're not very good. The only bands I'm into are Paul Weller, the Verve, Primal Scream and that's it.

CLS: Was it weird having Weller at the show last night?
Noel: We've met him a couple of times. He's all right. He's older than us and set in his ways. It's like, I totally respect him but he does his thing and we do ours. He likes our band and we love his band. He's a fucking top guy.

Oasis at the Knebworth Festival, 1996. Photograph: Rex Features CLS: What happens if it ends tomorrow? Do you carry on writing songs? Is that what it's really about?
Noel: The thing about all this fucking hype shit and press about our tours and drugs, although it's true, they write about it 'cos it sells papers. You've got to get your records out because your records last forever. Press stories last for a week until someone else is doing something else. The songs are what it's about and the albums, gigs, that's what sticks in people's memories – not being bundled off a ferry in Amsterdam. In 20 years' time our album Definitely Maybe will still be in the shops and that's what it's about. In 20 years' time people will buy the album and listen to it for what it is. They won't listen to it because we were rock'n'roll or something like that. That's what matters.

CLS: What's about the stories about rows with your brother?
Noel: The thing about brothers, the thing between me and him, is ... he can bullshit to other people and they believe him and I can bullshit to other people, but we can't bullshit to each other because we've known each other for too long. Brothers are always competitive anyway. Aren't they?

CLS: Is he happy with all your lyrics?
Noel: Yeah. If any of the band ever said, "I'm not singing that or not playing it ..." I'd say, "Right, we'll we're not changing it because that's the fucking song," you know what I mean? Of course he's happy. I mean, why would he not be?

CLS: The story is that he formed the band. It seemed that you needed that to get you off your arse...
Noel: Totally. I didn't know anybody else who I would desire to be in a band with, except these four guys. It's as simple as that. It's fate I suppose.

CLS: Is writing songs the most important thing in your life?
Noel: Totally. Writing songs, that's what gets me going. Not the drugs or the sex or the rock'n'roll behaviour, it's the music. I write all the time. I've got the attention span of a fucking gnat so if I'm not doing something like writing or doing interviews I just sit there vegetating, fucking taking drugs.

CLS: How would you describe your sound to someone who's never heard you before?
Noel: I'd just say, all the best bits of every band that anyone's ever liked. We sound like all the important bands. People slag us off and say we sound like the Beatles, T-Rex, the Stones, Jam, Sex Pistols, but it's better than sounding like Spandau Ballet.

CLS: What's the best thing that you've written?
Noel: On the album I'd say Slide Away, personally. I remember the times when we recorded Supersonic and it was supposed to be a B-side and it ended up being the first single. That's my favourite for that reason. Married with Children, because it's funny. Sad Song, because I sing it. But Slide Away is probably the best song I've ever written. At the moment.

CLS: One of the things I love about your band is the sense of humour.
Noel: Most of the bands in England are just too inward looking. Bollocks! Music should be like TV. Turn it on, it entertains you. That's what we're about. The lyrics do mean certain things. I don't like talking about it 'cause it's too difficult for me. Each line in a song means something else. They mean what they mean to people. [But] we don't aspire to be deep like Suede or the Smiths. A lot of people want to go out and change people's lives and dictate to them what they should be doing and what they should be wearing and who they should be voting for. Our music has changed people's lives, I know it has, Live Forever has, but all the songs on that album were written when I was on the dole and I had fuck all going for me. I was writing about escaping. I wasn't writing about being on the dole and how shit it was. I was writing about how great it could be if we were in a band. That's what [people] – especially the people who come to the gigs – can relate to cause we're singing about them. If it takes you out of your surroundings, if you're listening to it at work or on the bus, then that's what it's all about.

CLS: Do you not find it weird with pop music … it's not like an advert. That entertains you but it's just so what. [Pop is] three minutes of ... a bit of magic.
Noel: Yeah. If you try too hard you're never going to get there. Most of the pop stars today ... Blur are trying to be entertaining but they're trying too hard. Their music just doesn't mean anything. They get people to gigs and sell out and that's fine. They're a working band and play live. Fucking great, I've got respect for them but it sounds like they're trying too hard. What we do is just completely natural. I sit there and just pick up a guitar and I wait and I wait and I wait and then something goes and it fucking comes out. I don't try to write songs about things. Like Girls and Boys about being on holiday in Spain. I ain't the voice of a generation for anyone and neither is anyone in the band. We're not figureheads of any movement and we don't aspire to be. People are saying we're the most important band since blah blah blah and that's their opinion. We're not going to say, "No we're not". If you say we're the most important band since the Smiths then fine. But I'm not going to go and say, "I'm the most important songwriter since John Lennon". It's not within me to say that.

CLS: What were you doing before [you joined the band]? Roadying?
Noel: Yeah. For a Manchester band. Fucking about. Before that? Fucking fish-tank maker. I worked in a bakery. As a signwriter. As a labourer. Worked in a dry cleaners. You fucking name it, I done it. I only done it because I had to. I only did it for the money, I only did it because that's what I had to do. Why the fuck would I aspire to be a fucking fish-tank maker? Beyond me. I was 16, 17. You do what you have to do, because your mam boots you out of bed at 11 o'clock in the morning and says, "Get down the fucking job centre!".

CLS: Do you think you are special in that you've got this ability?
Noel: If it was that easy every fucker would be doing it. If it was that easy, you'd be doing it. I believe people have got certain talents. Not everyone can write songs, that is special 'cause you're communicating with people. If it's for building walls or plastering or painting or something like that, then that's a fucking talent. You can't build a house yourself, you've got to get someone to build it for you. I believe everyone's got special talents, it's just a matter of finding it, realising what it is and then getting on with it and doing it. I was always told when I was young, there's no point in playing that guitar because you're just going to end up working in Maccy D's. It was like, no. Fuck that.

CLS: What was school like?
Noel: I wish somebody had actually taken the time to realise that I could actually play the guitar and could write songs and took me to one side and gave me a bit of fucking time. They always take the best footballers and put them in their own little class and they get treated better at school. There should be more emphasis put on music and the arts. The education system doesn't understand musicians ... doesn't understand music except classical music. Classical music means fucking diddle in this country to the kids.

CLS: What's this about you saying you'd like to move about a bit more on stage?
Noel: But I can't because I'm concentrating too much on playing guitar. Yeah. I'd hate to be like Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix who actually mastered the guitar. Then I'd just go, "Pfft, fucking hell, it's just not exciting anymore". I learn new chords everyday. I'll get dead excited and fucking be like, "here, check that out for a chord. Fucking ace!" Someone will be like, "Oh yeah, G minor flat suspended". "I just invented that chord! And it's called N!"

CLS: What about your brother on stage? He stands dead still.
Noel: Well, I mean, he shakes the tambourine, doesn't he? Sings the songs. Not that much else to do really. Unless you want to be Brett Anderson.

CLS: Is he never tempted to do a Jagger or Bobby Gillespie number?
Noel: Us lot would all laugh at him. That's him. He is his own man. It's as simple as that. He just doesn't do them sort of things. He doesn't talk to the crowd. That's him. If he started acting like Brett Anderson I'd fucking take my guitar off and I'd fucking smack him round the back of his head.

CLS: Has it all come naturally to him?
Noel: I'd imagine so.

CLS: Does he get nervous?
Noel: Him? Oh yeah, absolutely fucking terrified. But he'd never admit it to anyone. You see that look of fear in his eyes before he goes out on stage. The shitbag. But that's him. He doesn't scare me.

CLS: What if he wants to start writing songs himself?
Noel: Erm ... I suppose we cross that bridge when we come to it. If they're all right songs, then fine, but he won't be writing them for this band. It's taken us three years to get where we are today and I'm not going to hand over the reins ... You can keep your songs and stick 'em up your arse. When the band splits up or runs its course, then you can write your own songs, but it was me who got us where we are.

CLS: The music you seem to like, it's all white rock guitar bands, isn't it?
Noel: When it first kicked off in 88, 89, I was at the Hacienda every night, into dance music and hip-hop and all that. But I got bored of it 'cos it ran its course, and now it's just 2 Unlimited and the Prodigy and it's too fast and it's lost its groove. I'm not really a dance music fan. But people who are into it are into it ... and people who are into dance music can't understand people like us.

CLS: Does it bother you that it's not like the 60s, when everyone liked the Beatles and the Stones? Does it upset you that it's never going to be like that again?
Noel: Totally. It upsets me that Suede have to all intents and purposes split up. Blur are a musical joke. So really there's only us that are a new young band doing anything and there should be six or seven of us, but there ain't. People are trying to build up Shed Seven against us but Shed Seven couldn't tie my shoelaces. They go on in the press saying, "Oasis stole our thunder". But thunder belongs to no one ... it belongs to the kids. If it wasn't for us, fucking Echobelly and Shed Seven would be the most important bands in Britain and that would be a farce.

CLS: Can you ever see yourself settling down with a couple of kids?
Noel: No, fucking never.

CLS: A nice semi in the country? A big mansion in LA?
Noel: Well, that's the general plan! Buy an island ... build a big fence, keep the fuckers out. Maybe I'll wake up one day and think I'll want two kids and a wife but I can't see it, I'm too selfish. When I'm 50, am I going to be bankrupt and in rehab? I don't think about that. I just think about today and tomorrow. I don't believe in that ethic of live fast and die young – which is what the song Live Forever is about – I hope to live to be 390. But what will be will be. I believe everything is mapped out for you anyway. Nothing gets me down about life in general, nothing pisses me off. I'm ambidextrous, I write with my left hand and I play guitar with my right. I'm right-footed, I'm double-jointed in one elbow: I'm the most bizarre character ever. So nothing amazes me. If I see a spaceship land I won't get freaked out. I'll just say, "What kept ya?". As long as people keep buying the records and coming to the gigs, there's no point in being down about anything. We're not deep people, we don't worry about what's going to happen in five years' time. I might get up in the morning and inclination might take me to say, "Fuck it, I don't want to be in a band no more". You live and die by your decisions and I'll live and die by whatever decisions I make. But I'll still be laughing.

Source: www.guardian.co.uk