Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has revealed that Patti Smith will appear on his new solo EP. In a series of tweets, he wrote that the proceeds to the self-recorded Helen Burns EP will go towards Silverlake Conservatory for Music, the music school he set up in 2001. "I am putting out an EP I made by myself in a couple of days. It is obscure arty mostly instrumental music, except when Patti Smith sings," he wrote. "All proceeds from my Helen Burns EP will go towards the Silverlake Conservatory of Music".

Keith Richards has admitted he sometimes forgets how to play The Rolling Stones songs. The guitarist said that sometimes during the first few bars of a song he forgets how to play the entire track, but that he has become so accustomed to playing the songs, he remembers it automatically. 'When you kick off a song you say, 'I can't remember how the middle bit goes', but the fingers remember even if you don't," he told Absolute Radio.

Roger Daltrey has been given an honorary degree by Middlesex University. The Who frontman has been recognised for his contribution to the music and acting industry over his six-decade career. He joined hundreds of students who were graduating, some of whom contributed visuals to his rock-opera Tommy.

Bryan Ferry has said that the current run of Hyde Park concerts are an "embarrassment" to music. The singer spoke out after Bruce Springsteen’s Hyde Park Calling set on Saturday (July 14) was cut short during the final song, a duet with Paul McCartney, after he broke the sound curfew. The Roxy Music singer told the Evening Standard: "They shouldn't have these events in Hyde Park any more if it’s going to cause embarrassing problems."

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Another issue in the bag, and these are the records that have got us through the last couple of days of production. Mostly very good, with a few probably glaring exceptions.

David Bowie is to release a 40th anniversary limited edition 7" of his 1972 single, "John, I'm Only Dancing". 'John, I'm Only Dancing' was originally released on Friday, September 1, 1972 on RCA as the follow-up single to "Starman", it reached number 12 on the UK singles charts, although it never appeared on one of Bowie's studio albums. Recorded too late for inclusion on the Ziggy Stardust album, it was considered for the following year's Aladdin Sane, but never made it on to the final running order.

The organisers of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival have announced that they will be launching a Coachella cruise, which is due to set sail in December. Headlined by Pulp, Hot Chip, Warpaint and Grimes, the luxury liner, called the S.S. Coachella, will head to the Bahamas between December 16-19 and then to Jamaica December between 19-23. Prices start at £320 ($500). Organisers are already touting a series of at-sea activities, including DJ tutorials and wine tastings hosted by former LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy.

Health and safety officials have said that concert promoter Live Nation was "disingenuous" for citing health and safety concerns for pulling the plug on Bruce Springsteen’s headline set at Hard Rock Calling on Saturday night (July 14).

Bob Babbitt, bass player with Funk Brothers and legendary Motown studio musician, has died at the age of 74. Babbitt passed away yesterday (July 16) after he lost his ongoing fight with brain cancer. He died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, where he had lived for many years, reports the Associated Press. The bassist played on a series of seminal tracks during his career, including the likes of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours", Smokey Robinson's "The Tears of a Clown", Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" and Edwin Starr's "War".