SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2016 Five acts to join Rock Hall of Fame but tensions fester ive acts ranging from gangsta rap pio- toppers, had earlier indicated that the neers N.W.A. to hard rockers Deep group would perform for the first time since FPurple will Friday enter the Rock and 1985 with Cetera, who went on to a suc- Roll Hall of Fame, but not everyone wants to cessful solo career. But Cetera later said that celebrate together. The shrine to rock histo- he had failed to reach an agreement with ry will also induct radio-friendly rockers Hall of Fame organizers on a reunion song. Cheap Trick and Chicago and experimental “Personally, I’m frustrated and tired of deal- bluesman Steve Miller at a gala evening ing with this and it’s time to move on,” he concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. said in an open letter, asking that his award While many artists see the induction as be sent to him. career affirmation, the 2016 crop will fea- ture notable absences-Deep Purple’s defin- Cheap Trick plays nice ing guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and former In sharp contrast to Deep Purple and Chicago frontman Peter Cetera, who have Chicago, US heartland rockers Cheap Trick both moved on from their original bands. will appear with estranged veteran drum- Fans will be watching closely to see mer Bun E Carlos. “We are so excited. It’s an whether N.W.A. returns with Dr Dre, who honor and we’re not bitching about it one went on to become a multimillionaire exec- bit like everybody else does,” Cheap Trick utive at Apple and did not show up for a frontman Robin Zander said of the Hall of one-off reunion show last year in Los Fame induction in an interview with radio Angeles. Ice Cube, another of N.W.A’s origi- host Howard Stern. Cheap Trick, hailing nal members, said on the eve of the cere- from the blue-collar city of Rockford, Illinois, mony that “everybody’s going to be there”- This file photo shows Cheap Trick’s, rose to fame through constant touring but that the rappers would not perform. He around the Midwest and eventually packed British singer Shirley Bassey poses on the red Rick Nielsen during CMT Crossroads voiced appreciation for the recognition but in Nashville, Tennessee. — AFP arenas-notably developing a strong fan carpet upon arrival to attend the 2016 criticized organizers over the logistics for base in Japan-with guitar-driven anthems Laurence Olivier Awards in London. — AFP the event, which will be taped for later Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, to enter the such as “Surrender.” broadcast on HBO. Hall of Fame-is responsible for one of rock’s Carlos filed a lawsuit after the group “I guess we really didn’t feel like we were most famous song openings with removed him from touring in 2010. While supported enough to do the best show we Blackmore’s heavy but bluesy riff on “Smoke the case was resolved, he does not appear could put on,” he told The New York Times. on the Water.” Fans’ hopes for a reunion on the band’s 17th studio released Rolling Stones N.W.A. is only the sixth rap act to enter the with Blackmore, who left the band in 1993 earlier this month. Steve Miller entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is based to pursue folk and other musical projects, cultural mix of San Francisco in the 1960s in Cleveland. Music experts vote on candi- were short-lived. Blackmore said he was and brought together blues, jazz and wife pulls horses from dates-eligible 25 years after their first told by the current Deep Purple that he was American roots music, winning commercial release-for induction. The group, raised in unwelcome. success with the 1973 song “The Joker.” He the rough Los Angeles area of Compton, Deep Purple’s singer Ian Gillan gave a still plays regularly at age 72 and devotes troubled Polish stud farm shocked much of white America with their more detailed explanation, saying that the much of his time to guiding the musical in-your-face accounts of street life and Hall of Fame citation did not include two instrument collection at the Metropolitan he wife of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts police harassment. N.W.A. won the nod on relatively new band members and that it Museum of Art in New York. Despite this on Thursday became the first breeder to withdraw its fourth nomination shortly after the would be unfair to exclude them from the year’s absences no act plans to boycott Thorses from a famed Polish stud farm after two release of a hit Hollywood biopic on the performance, although all members were entirely. Most infamous were punk icons the other Arabian purebreds she owned died there. Breeder group, “Straight Outta Compton.” welcome to attend the ceremony. Chicago, Sex Pistols, whose frontman Johnny Rotten Shirley Watts’ withdrawal of the two pregnant mares Deep Purple-the last in a trio of British who adapted the jazz heritage of the band’s refused to come and called the institution a worth nearly half a million euros follows the death of hard-rock forebearers, alongside Led namesake city to become soft rock chart- money-hungry “piss stain.” — AFP her other two horses on March 17 and April 3 and a political storm in February over a government-appoint- ed director who admits he knows nothing about horses. The horses left the 200-year-old Janow Podlaski stud farm, used by an array of sheikhs and celebrities, in a pursues truck bound for Britain earlier Thursday. The state- owned farm made headlines in February when Poland’s conservative government unexpectedly replaced its new fusion on next album director with an economist with no equine expertise. The move triggered outrage at home and abroad aul Simon, the folk star turned world new album. On “,” Simon against the Law and Justice (PiS) government, which music champion, plans a range of fur- also looked to the 20th century music theo- has made several other controversial reforms since Pther experimentation including a col- rist who designed his own coming to power in November after eight years in laboration with a flamenco band on his new instruments with microtonal scales meaning opposition. album. “Stranger to Stranger” is the 74-year- with smaller intervals than those usually used The horses that died, Preria and Amra, were worth old’s first album since 2011’s “So Beautiful Or in Western music. Working with longtime 230,000 and 340,000 euros ($260,000 and $386,000) So What,” which had partially returned to the producer , Simon went to the late respectively. Her remaining two horses, Augusta and acoustic guitar style that made him famous Partch’s laboratory at Montclair State Pieta, are worth 40,000 and 400,000 euros. Local media as part of Simon and Garfunkel. Simon on University in New Jersey. Simon recorded reports say other breeders from Poland and abroad are Thursday announced the latest album, which sounds from some of Partch’s instruments thinking of following her lead and withdrawing horses. will come out on June 3, and released a first such as cloud chamber bowls, which consist Insiders charge that the world-renowned stud farm, track, “Wristband,” an upbeat, ironic tale of suspended large glass containers, and the where a broodmare fetched a cool 1.4 million euros at about an overzealous bouncer. chromelodeon, a uniquely tuned keyboard. auction last year, is the latest state enterprise to be The song starts with a jazzy string bass Simon and Garfunkel were one of the sig- threatened by the actions of the government. before bringing in a flamenco rhythm section nature acts of the 1960s, starting off with In addition to former farm director and international- and a subtle electronic backdrop. Simon said clean-cut folk songs before delving into ly acclaimed breeder Marek Trela, the government also “Wristband” was one of four songs which he fusion. The duo produced hits such as sacked the equally respected head of the Michalow recorded with a flamenco band. He also “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Mrs. state stud farm, Jerzy Bialobok. The move sparked worked with Clap! Clap!, an underground Robinson.” As a solo artist, Simon put out street protests and petitions for the reinstatement of Italian DJ also known as Digi G’alessio who hits such as “Me and Julio Down by the both men, who quickly received a flood of job offers infuses club tracks with traditional dance Schoolyard” and “.” The from leading Gulf state breeders. Since taking office the music from southern Africa. “It’s about get- latter song appeared on the 1986 album PiS government has pushed through several pieces of ting you to actually hear something in a new “Graceland,” on which Simon brought South controversial legislation that have notably strengthened way. It’s about making music that sounds old African artists into his pop songwriting. This file photo shows US singer Paul controls over public media and paralyzed the EU mem- and new at the same time; music with a sense “Graceland” went on to win the Grammy for Simon performing during the 45th ber’s constitutional court. —AFP of mystery,” Simon said in a statement on the Album of the Year. — AFP Montreux Jazz Festival. — AFP