News

Patti Smith has unveiled a collaborative track with Kronos Quartet and Clint Mansell, entitled 'Mercy Is'. The track was given its first airing on Mary-Anne Hobbs' radio show, which can be listened to here. The track is featured at the 2:55:00 mark.

Morrissey's 1994 album Vauxhall And I will be reissued later this year. Vauxhall And I was Morrissey's fourth solo album and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Morrissey fansite True To You states that the album will be reissued on June 2 and has been remastered by Bill Inglot in Los Angeles. The 1994 album will include previously unused photographs, and will be available on CD and LP.

Scott Asheton, the drummer with the Stooges, has died aged 64. According to a report on Rolling Stone , Asheton [pictured, above right] died on Saturday [March 15] from an unspecified illness. Iggy Pop confirmed the news in a statement on his Facebook page on Sunday.

Suede are to release their "lost" single, "Let Go", on 7" vinyl on Record Store Day 2014 (april 19). The track was originally issued as a CD single in Sweden in 1999. The Record Store Day 7” single (backed with "Heroin") coincides the release of the Suede 7” Singles Box Set on April 14, but will not be included in it. You can watch a trailer for the Singles Box Set below:

Director Dexter Fletcher has reportedly quit the forthcoming Freddie Mercury biopic. Deadline says that filmmaker Fletcher, who made his directorial debut with 2012's Wild Bill and also helmed last year's Proclaimers-inspired musical Sunshine On Leith, has backed out of the project due to creative differences. His vision for the film reportedly clashed with that of producer Graham King.

A new documentary charting Pulp's homecoming show in Sheffield in December 2012 has been unveiled at the SXSW Film Festval. The movie, simply entitled Pulp, received its world premiere in Austin, Texas, and also had a follow-up screening last night (March 12) at the city's Stateside Theatre, at which Jarvis Cocker and director Florian Habicht were present.

Peter Gabriel answers your questions in the new issue of Uncut, dated April 2014 and out now.

The Rolling Stones have returned to China for the first time since their debut there in 2006, headlining the Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena last night (March 12) with a setlist altered due to government censorship. The band had been set to play the country for the first time in 2003 but the gigs were cancelled due to the Sars crisis. When they did play there, in 2006, songs including "Brown Sugar", "Honky Tonk Women" and "Let's Spend The Night Together" were banned by the Chinese Ministry Of Culture.

Led Zeppelin are to kick off a major chronological reissue programme of their entire catalogue on June 2, 2014 with deluxe editions of Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, and Led Zeppelin III. Each album has been remastered by Jimmy Page and will feature a second disc of companion audio comprised entirely of unreleased music related to that album.

Johnny Marr has said that his future live shows are in jeopardy after he broke his band earlier this month. The guitarist and singer fell while he was out running in London last week, and now has his hand in plaster (see picture above). In a statement, Marr said: "I was running pretty fast and just went straight over. I banged my shoulder and then realised my hand was in a bad way. Obviously we’re hoping there’s no long term damage."