ABBA are this year celebrating their 25^th anniversary since their first hit "Waterloo", also the Eurovision songcontest winner in 1974. Coincidentally, the musical "Mamma Mia", featuring Abba songs, has opened its doors to the public this summer.
Björn, still living in Sweden and also owning a place in Oxfordshire, and Benny are still working together, both having split up from their wives, the singers of Abba, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Agnetha remarried and has settled down in Stockholm (and is NOT leading a recluse's life, like many reports suggest - this was confirmed by Björn himself recently), whereas Frida leads a happy life in Switzerland.

Paul McCartney has gone back to his roots on the 14/12 and performed at the famous and legendary nightspot in Liverpool, the Cavern Club. He had invited 300 fans only for the special night, not just promoted his new album "Run Devil Run", but also to take himself back in time singing some typical Rock 'n' Roll oldies as well as Beatles classics.
The show was also screened at Liverpool park and over the internet.

BEATLEMANIA is back! Check out some great sites: The Internet Beatles Album and All About The Beatles. The U.S. Postal Service will produce a special stamp to commemorate the group.
In Liverpool their fans were celebrating "Submarine Day Festival" beginning of September to mark the re-release of the film "Yellow Submarine".

The last ever single from the Beatles will be released in September or October this year in its original form. The yet untitled song will feature John Lennon on vocals. It was unearthed by the 3 surviving members Paul, George and Ringo and actually got lost during recording sessions at the Abbey Road Studios in 1968.
Also, read about the moving London tribute concert in April to honour the late Linda McCartney.

David Bowie hasn't just released another album, but also taken part in the big event of NetAid on the 9. 10. 99 and has been on tour too, supported by the famous Pete Townshend from the WHO. Mick Jagger was in the audience, enjoying Bowie's performance to the full with his (ex)wife Jerry Hall.

This winter David Bowie will release a new video. In this weird promotion for "The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell" 4 of his alter-egos from various eras of his career will appear as life-size puppets - each costing around 7.000 pounds - all of them trying to take his life.

David Bowie is trying to find renewed success, being casted as a new character in a computer game called "Omikron: The Nomad Soul", which will feature 8 new compositions from Bowie and his band.
Bowie, famous for his changes of image, became famous with the 1969 hit "Space Oddity" and then topped the charts on several occasions in the 70s and 80s. In the last few years he hasn't really 'hit the right notes', so to speak, as his last album 2 years ago only sold 50.000 copies in the UK.

Cher has gone on a world tour mid June with a 90-minute extravaganza show at the American West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
The stage was converted into a kind of cage, and the 53-year-old singer presented herself in about 9 various costumes and performed songs such as "Believe", "Strong Enough" or "If I Could Turn Back Time". The show was backed up by a great light show and six stunning ancers.
She was also honouring Vienna with a concert in November, with Belinda Carlisle for 'warm-up' band.

Actually, Culture Club were supposed to appear in concert here in Vienna, Austria, on March 25^th '99 after having reformed. However, they postponed (or cancelled) the date - reason unknown. And the manner it was done in, with no previous notice whatsoever, suggests that they can afford to lose some money and possibly some fans too.

Eurythmics' Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart have released their new album "Peace" and they decided to TOUR again! They'll be visiting Austria too, but the concert will actually take place some place quite far away from Vienna.
Read all about their ideas and plans on their own web site at Peacetour Net or in our special section.

Dave & Annie have taken part in the great NetAid concert event on the 9^th of October 1999, which took to 3 major cities (New York, London and Geneva).

Eurythmics have received a Brit Award in February '99 for outstanding contributions.

Finally Genesis have released a compilation album of greatest hits called "Turn It On Again - The Hits", featuring Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, both of them actually singing the song "The Carpet Crawlers" together. The album also includes the track "Congo" which is sung by their new vocalist Ray Wilson.

According to rumours, Genesis have actually brought out a new album called "Turn it on again - The Hits". All previous members - Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks - have worked together on this particular album. For more information go to this site: Follow me Site.

Hall & Oates are currently in the studio working on a new album which will probably be released around summer this year.

Whitney Houston has released a new album called "My Love Is Your Love" - only the 4^th one in her 13-year-old career - in November '99 and was on a world-tour from June until beginning of October 1999.
One of her tour stops was Vienna, Austria, on the 23^rd of October. Find out about it in our report on our concert site.

Manfred Mann (line up: Manfred Mann on keyboards, Noel McCalla - vocals, Mick Rogers - lead guitar and vocals, Steve Kinch - bass guitar, John Trotter - drums) were touring during summer and have also visited Vienna, Austria, for the so-called "Donauinsel Fest" on June 26^th '99.
Read our account on that particular gig.

After some failed efforts of regaining her success from the 80s - and various music styles -, Kylie Minogue's new record label EMI asked the Australian singer to go back to her pop roots and possibly even team up again with her ex-producer Pete Waterman (who, as it will have it, has also split from his previous partners Matt Aitken & Mike Stock). Kylie quipped that she's very enthusiastic about the whole idea and that she's also learnt a lot in the last couple of years. Remains to be seen.
Meanwhile Mr. Waterman is still enjoying renewed success with his latest project, the group Steps.

Neil Tennant, 45, and Chris Lowe, 39, alias the Pet Shop Boys have had yet another new single out in the charts, "New York City Boy", the follow-up to "I don't know what you want..." released from their album 'Nightlife'. It's a dance track, as the Pet Shop Boys' favourite style just happens to be dance music.
Neil and Chris started out in 1985 with their number 1 hit "West End Girls". Other classics were "It's A Sin", "Go West" (a remake of YMCA's original), "Always On My Mind" (original by Elvis Presley), "Suberbia" and "What have I Done To Deserve This", a duet with the late Dusty Springfield.
Nowadays they decided to branch out into a new direction of music. They've written an up-to-date musical with the dramatist J. Harvey, something of a different kind to a classic musical. At present they're also getting ready to tour again for the first time after 8 years. The tour will start in December in Scotland.

This year's 80s revival sees the Pet Shop Boys trying to make a comeback by dressing up oddly (as women!), hiding their expressions behind sunglasses, accompanied by some dangerous looking hounds.
They will tour for the first time after 9 years and their first venue was the "Party in the Park" in London's Hyde Park on July 4^th. Also, their new single "I don't know what you want..." was released on the 19^th of July '99.

In November The Artist, as he likes to be called at present - also known as Prince, T.A.F.K.A.P., Symbol or actually The Artist formerly known as Prince - has agreed to an interview with the British tabloid paper, the SUN, in New York. Among other subjects he talked about his new album 'Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic', out in November, and the first one for 3 years, for which he joined together with the likes of Sheryl Crow or Gwen Stefani (No Doubt). The album is said to be of a funky style, specially the first released track "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold".

His future plans include transforming his new mansion in Marbella, Spain, into an orphanage. Him and his wife Mayte are supposed to have moved there, probably partly because of the early sudden death of their baby son some years ago, but mainly, as he claimed, as his wife needed a change from the scenery and the people in Minneapolis.

The Artist concluded his interview with two wise quips:

about money
• "money has some value but it's not the most valuable thing. The most valuable thing is knowledge of the truth and love - and if you have that, then give it away. After I learned that I thought, 'let me try this with money'. So I just started to give it away. Lots of it and then lots more."
  about his name

• "I didn't change my name to 'The Artist', but to an unpronounceable symbol. Because that's the spirit of truth."

Sir Cliff Richard is currently at the top of the charts - yet again - with a new hit called "Millennium Prayer", based on "Auld Lang Syne". All royalties will go to the Children's Promise charity. As for some silly folks in showbiz finding it 'disgusting' that Cliff actually 'abused' people's religious believes (just because the man himself can't help being very religious and wanted to do something different for the upcoming Millennium) and campaigned for that particular single... well, isn't it common procedure to campaign for a charitable song? And also the words "stones" and "glasshouse" spring to mind.

Whatever, some of those people would love to see him drop off that well-deserved top spot in the charts, such as Yoko with the re-release of John Lennon's "Imagine" - or even the "Hampster Dance".

Visit him on his own website now.

Wondered what Cliff Richard has been up to lately? We are told that he's currently touring round Australia in a bus after having finished his 41-year-old 'relationship' with EMI Records. Apparently he's trying to figure out his future while on that trip.

Sir Cliff Richard is still as fit as a fiddle, so to speak. Celebrating his 40 years in music business this year, he has brought out an album titled "Real As I Wanna Be" and was also doing a promotion tour in Europe. Cliff's latest single "The Miracle" is Cliff's 121^st hit single in the UK charts.

Well, we've seen Sir Cliff Richard on the 5. 5. 99 and we were amazed.... For more details see our section of concert reports.

Lionel Richie was one of only a few artists in a long row to have performed his concert on 16. 12. 98 and he was just great! :oD ....
For more details see our section of concert reports.

Jimmy Sommerville, ex Bronski Beat and Communards singer, has popped up again to revive his success of the 80s with a solo LP "Manage The Damage".

Martin Kemp was honoured at the show "This Is Your Life" in November with the red book which contains - as the name already lets on - famous and deserving people's life in brief, including photos and which is read out to the audience during the programme. Part of the show is also to call upon not so/famous people, friends and/or relatives of that person. In Martin's case, one of his surprise guests was Mr. George Michael.

According to the SUN (british tabloid) from the 28. 1. 99, Spandau Ballet's members John Keeble (drummer), Tony Hadley (singer) and Steve Norman (sax) sued songwriter Gary Kemp for royalties. They claimed that they had an agreement for each of them to receive a 12^th of the earnings. However, Gary Kemp denied the allegations.
Also, his brother Martin Kemp, married to - former backing singer and other part of the duo 'Pepsi and Shirlie' - Shirlie Kemp, is currently starring as the nightclub owner Steve Owen in the british soap 'Eastenders'.

On April 30^th '99 however, Gary kemp won the court case against Tony Hadley, John Keeble and Steve Norman. Though the ex-Spandau singer intends to appeal, he's nonetheless in favour of reuniting the group, including Gary and Martin Kemp. He stated that the appeal would be a matter of principals.
These days the other 3 members are said to have dropped the case after settling amicably out of court.

Tina Turner, who's turned 60 on the 28. 11. this year, claimed that she will finally retire from touring. She's apparently tired of travelling around the world, getting ready for shows all the time, though she still enjoys performing live. That's one of the reasons she'll do a New Year's concert in Vegas alongside Elton John.

In a recent interview she said her 17 years younger lover Erwin Bach, a record company boss, helps to keep her young and feeling good. When asked her opinion about upcoming younger stars like Madonna or Mariah Carey, she arrogantly replied that none of the younger generation would ever come close to her own talents, because they don't work hard enough and can't dance, except for possibly Madonna herself.

Maybe it IS time for Tina Turner to retire to spend some time looking round herself. I'd like to see her copying a dance routine by Janet Jackson, for example.

On the 26. 4. 99 we went to see UB40 in concert here in Vienna..... For more details see our section of concert reports.

Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow was said to have received treatment for alcohol and heroin addiction at London's Priory Clinic (ref. SUN + Q magazine) and has been discharged after 3 weeks' intense therapy at the beginning of April. Wet's manager Elliot Davis only confirmed, when questioned about an incident at a hotel soon after the singer's release, that Marti "is an addict but" he "can't talk about the nature of his addictions." However, Davis also said that Marti Pellow "was receiving treatment before this incident and spent the following week in London's Priory Clinic."

The sad NEWS (see british tabloid SUN) are confirmed that Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow has split up from the group to pursue a solo career.
We are sorry to read that, due to their split, the official Wet Wet Wet site will be closed from now on.

Great news is that Paul Young has given a concert here in Vienna on the 1. 12. 1999. Here we tell you all about it.

Paul Young has been dropped by his old management 'MCA' and is now under new management called 'WHAT'. He's finished his U.K. tour and is said to relax on a nice holiday at present.