Adam Lambert's 'Whole Lotta Love': The Story Behind The Cover

Glam rocker tackled the legendary 1970 Led Zeppelin song for 'American Idol' rock night.
By Gil Kaufman


Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: R. Mickshaw/Getty Images/ Fox

Imagine a freight train speeding toward you at midnight. Or a rockslide barreling down a hill as you try to outrace it. That's the feeling of the ominous, chugging Jimmy Page riff that kicks off Led Zeppelin's 1970 Stonehenge of rock, "Whole Lotta Love." And that's before singer Robert Plant leans into one of the nastiest, ecstatic rock screams this side of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."

That's the song Adam Lambert chose to sing on "American Idol" rock night Tuesday (May 5), and, needless to say, it was a challenge that the eyeliner-loving Los Angeles stage veteran was more than up for, hitting a series of high notes and rock screams that would have made Plant proud. It was a risky maneuver that paid off for Lambert, who chose a tune that came in at #75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004.

The legendary British rock act recorded the tribute to Chicago blues icon Willie Dixon during their second U.S. tour after working it out in their live show, including it on their 1969 classic album Led Zeppelin II. Like many of the songs Zeppelin performed early in their career, "Love" was a blues standard turned on its head with a heavy dose of crunching psychedelic guitar and thundering drums, courtesy of late drummer John Bonham. The song was based on a 1962 tune by another blues forefather, Muddy Waters, called "You Need Love," which was penned by Dixon.

For Zeppelin's version, Plant customized the lyrics by adding some lyrical quotes from a few other songs Dixon wrote for Howlin' Wolf, "Back Door Man" and "Shake For Me," nailing the tricky vocal in a single take. It was also inspired by 1966's "You Need Loving" from the British rock group the Small Faces, for whom Zeppelin had great affection, but they also did not credit Dixon for his part in writing the original lyrics. The song became Zeppelin's first U.S. single and their only U.S. top 10 hit. Though their manager would not let them release singles in the U.K. because he thought it cannibalized album sales, the song was finally released as the band's only British single in 1997.

Dixon sued Zeppelin over the song in 1985, claiming it borrowed too heavily from his "You Need Love," and Zeppelin reached an agreement with him, with Dixon using the money he received to set up a program that provided musical instruments for schools. A cornerstone of heavy rock, the tune -- which was the theme song for the long-running British countdown show "Top of the Pops" in the 1970s and '80s -- has been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Tina Turner and Ben Harper to Prince, Slash, Leona Lewis, Train's Pat Monahan, the London Symphony Orchestra and Jane's Addiction.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1610709/20090505/led_zeppelin.jhtml

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Justin Bieber Explains Michael Jackson AMA Shout-Out

'Michael's not your dad or anything,' singer laughs, clarifying statement that 'without Michael Jackson, none of us would be here.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Tim Kash


Justin Bieber at the 2010 AMAs
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images

Justin Bieber had a great night at Sunday's American Music Awards. Not only did he perform his inspirational new track, "Pray," at the big show, but he also walked away with four awards, including Favorite Male Artist, Favorite Album for My World 2.0, Artist of the Year and T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist.

But Bieber's shout-out to Michael Jackson left some viewers confused: Taking the stage to collect one of his trophies, he said, "Without Michael Jackson, none of us would be here." When MTV News caught up with the superstar later in the night, he laughed off the somewhat misleading comment.

"You know, I said, 'Without Michael we wouldn't have been here,' but we would be here, but music wouldn't be the same," he explained. "I want to clarify that you'd still be born. Michael's not your dad or anything. You'd still be here. He's not your father."

Bieber may be here without Michael Jackson, but he says that he really wouldn't be here without his fans. "I think that my fans have been such a supporting factor that, I mean, I couldn't be doing this without them, so this has just been amazing," he explained. "I owe it all to my fans, my family, my friends."

Bieber says that his dad is equally impressed by what the 16-year-old has accomplished. "He was just telling me how proud he was. I'm Canadian, so he was like, it's like when he sees a hockey team score a goal and he jumps out of his seat," he said. "He's like, 'Yes! That's my boy.' So it was great."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652783/20101122/bieber_justin.jhtml

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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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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1586020/20080422/stone_temple_pilots.jhtml

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Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup

Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery


Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.

To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.

According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.

Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).

The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.

It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.

Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1617950/20090810/foo_fighters.jhtml

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Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil Tour Details Revealed

'Michael will be represented in every way possible,' writer/director Jamie King tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Michael Jackson
Photo: Al Messerschmidt Archive / Getty Images

Michael Jackson might be gone, but he's certainly not forgotten. With new music to be released on his posthumous album and a Jackson-centric Cirque du Soleil show set to hit the road next fall, MJ's pop-culture influence is still going strong.

When MTV News spoke to writer/director Jamie King, who is helming the Cirque du Soleil Immortal World Tour, he made it clear that when fans come out to see the show, Jackson's presence will be felt.

"It started with the music for me. I had to go back. I mean, we all know the Michael Jackson hits, but I really just wanted to sit and remember why I, as a fan, loved Michael and what his lyrics meant to me," he said. "I really started there, and ... it kind of became a snowball, wherein a story was being created for me. I was invited to Neverland [Ranch], and once I got there, I knew this was the environment I wanted to create for this show.

"Michael will be represented in every way possible, and that is from the video elements, holographic-type images and installation pieces to, of course, the choreography and that energy he gave onstage," King continued. "Essentially, there are living beings that are giving that energy that Michael would. Michael's lead vocal will always be there, because no one could sing it like Michael, but around that and outside of that, I'm going to be playing with remixing and mashing up, as well as give you some surprises and unreleased songs."

Without giving away too much about the 90-minute Jackson spectacular, King teased a bit about what Jackson maniacs can expect: "Michael's songs are the score for the show, and they guide us and lead us. ... Essentially, it's about following several characters as they get transported through a portal into Michael's world. This place is Neverland. In that world, we discover all kinds of things about Michael. Things we know ... and secrets."

What are you expecting from the MJ Cirque du Soleil show? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651758/20101108/jackson_michael.jhtml

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Lady Gaga Cameo Rumored For 'Muppets' Movie

Plot of reboot is said to involve Miss Piggy ending up as Gaga-esque character.
By James Montgomery


Lady Gaga gives Kermit the Frog a kiss at the 2009 VMAs
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images

She's already worn them and been escorted by them, so it makes sense that Lady Gaga now may be joining the Muppets, in a reboot of their long-running film series due in theaters next year.

This is according to Production Weekly, an industry publication that chronicles film and television projects in pre-production and development, which on Thursday tweeted that they were "hearing that [actors] Eric Stonestreet, John Krasinski and Ed Helms may be in Lady Gaga's entourage for 'The Muppets.' "

By logical extension, that would mean that Gaga herself could be filming a cameo for the movie. And it lends credence to earlier reports that "How I Met Your Mother" star Jason Segel — who is writing the script for the new "Muppets" movie — was basing the story line around the idea that "Miss Piggy ends up becoming like a Lady Gaga-esque character living in Europe."

A spokesperson for Lady Gaga did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the matter, but if LG does show up in the new "Muppets" film, we expect a few scenes with Kermit the Frog, her date to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Their appearance on the red carpet — not to mention the smooch they shared — had gossipmongers whispering that the two were an item. But Kermit would later deny those rumors, telling People that he "just gave Lady Gaga a ride to the VMAs, and when [she] left her credentials in the limo, I had to bring them to her."

Of course, that angered Kermit's longtime beau Miss Piggy, which had some rather disastrous results. "After Lady Gaga and I were seen on the red carpet together, well ... Miss Piggy got a little jealous," Kermit said. "But I definitely did get a ride home — in the trunk!"

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652130/20101112/lady_gaga.jhtml

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