In the wake of September 11, some artists canceled tours while others played benefits. Neil Young — always one to stand apart from the crowd — wrote a song about the tragic event and sent it directly to radio programmers across the country, without releasing the single commercially. The song, “Let's Roll,” was inspired by the final words of Todd Beamer, a United Airlines Flight 93 passenger, who, in a cell-phone conversation with his wife, Lisa, told her that the plane's passengers were about to storm the cabin to prevent hijackers from crashing the plane into a building. Young, moved by an article he had read about Beamer, wrote the song two days before Thanksgiving. He recorded it the next day, accompanied by Booker T. and the MGs and guitarist Frank “Poncho” Sampedro of Crazy Horse. Young and his label wanted to get the song on the radio as soon as possible, so they distributed the discs to stations without artwork or a press release. Lyrics include: “I know I said I love you, I know you know it's true, I got to put the phone down and do what we gotta do/One standing in the aisleway, two more at the door, we gotta get inside there before they kill some more/Time is running out, let's roll.” It is unclear at this point whether “Let's Roll” will be on Young's next studio album, which is due to be out March 26.

The Sugar Hill Gang, whose 1979 hit “Rapper's Delight” was a milestone in the history of rap, recently won a $3 million judgment in their court case against Snapple Beverage Corporation and Turner Broadcasting Systems. In 1998 the companies apparently hired the Gang to play a party at Studio 54 in New York and then taped the concert and used it in a nationwide TV ad campaign for TBS's Goodwill Games. The group cried foul and filed suit. Both Snapple and Turner claimed the Gang was aware that the show would be used in a commercial. The judge, siding with the Gang, granted a summary judgment in their favor last June. With the case decided, it was up to the jury to decide how much to award the rappers. It ultimately settled on $165,000 in compensatory damages and a whopping $2.8 million in punitive damages. (No answer yet as to whether the jury consisted of employees from Lipton or Arizona Ice Tea.) The win must have reinvigorated the group; they're currently working on their first new album of original material in 21 years.

Shure and Sennheiser recently teamed with officials in Enping City, China, to stage a raid on five manufacturers of counterfeit gear. More than 10,000 pieces of bogus Shure and Sennheiser products were seized, resulting in one of the largest such actions in pro-audio history. The December 12 raid uncovered large quantities of look-alike Shure and Sennheiser mics. All confiscated goods were held by officials in the Chinese government pending an investigation, but preliminary inspections revealed that the phony mics had poor sound quality and severe handling noise. “Product piracy is an immense problem that damages the reputation of the whole industry. Therefore, it is only logical to work together with our competitors in planning and implementing effective action against a common opponent,” said Rolf Meyer, president of Marketing and Sales at Sennheiser. Shure president and CEO Sandy LaMantia concurred, adding: “We embrace fair competition, which inevitably pushes the industry forward, but we refuse to stand by idly as people attempt to deceive our consumers with inferior versions of our products that bear our name.”

Got the promise of Platinum up your sleeve and an achin' to create in your heart? Enter the 2002 USA Songwriting Competition, a contest that offers winners big rewards. Songs chosen will receive airplay on a nationally syndicated radio program serving more than 60 cities in North America and Canada, marking the first time that a competition has guaranteed airplay to winning participants. The grand-prize winner takes home more than $50,000 in cash and merchandise. Past winners have received recording and publishing contracts and had their songs placed in film and television spots. The competition is open to singer-songwriters and bands, and will be judged by a panel of record-label personnel from Warner/Reprise Records, Sony Music and Epic Records, among others. Participants may enter songs in 15 categories including Pop, Rock, and Country. Entries will be accepted through May 31, 2002. The USA Songwriting Competition is sponsored by Acoustic Café, ASN, Audio-Technica, D'Addario Strings, GigAmerica, Guild Guitars, Mackie, Sonic Foundry, Steinberg, Superdups, Electronic Musician, Music Connection, Onstage, Performing Songwriter, Bandwear.com, LiveWireContacts.com, and Musician.com. For more information on entry forms and to obtain a winners' list, visit www.songwriting.net on the Web or call toll-free: 1-877-USA-SONG.

Even if you thought ganja-tokin' Afroman was the worst musician on the planet, you probably wouldn't punish a juvenile offender by making him listen to the silly songwriter's music. Yet that's exactly what judge Nancy R. Dusek-Gomez of Springfield, Massachusetts, did recently in sentencing a 17-year-old who had been caught with a marijuana pipe, a liter of Jim Beam whisky, and ten bottles of beer. According to an Associated Press report, the misguided teen was compelled by the judge to get a copy of Afroman's song “Because I Got High” and was then forced to write at least three paragraphs about the moral of the song and turn the essay in to probation officials. The judge called the ditty a “stupid rap song” and read some of the lyrics in court: “Now I'm a quadriplegic and I know why/Because I got high.” The satirical tune tells the sordid tale of a man who loses his wife, children, both arms, and both legs because of drug use. If that doesn't keep the young man off weed, maybe next time the judge should make him rent a Cheech and Chong flick.

The Legacy of Joey Ramone

The spirit of Joey Ramone lives on. Lymphatic cancer claimed his life last year, but his legend continues to grow with the help of fans and fellow musicians. Soon the corner of East Second Street and the Bowery in New York City's East Village will be christened Joey Ramone Place, thanks to the efforts of a 20-year-old Staten Island woman, Maureen Wojcienchowski, and Manhattan's Community Board 3. In addition, Rob Zombie has a Ramones tribute album in the works. Zombie plans to perform “Blitzkrieg Bop” with Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, The Offspring, Eddie Vedder, Rancid, and Joe Strummer have also expressed interest in the project. Finally, Joey's first solo album, Don't Worry About Me, should have been released by the time you read this article. The disc features covers of Louis Armstrong's “What a Wonderful World” and the Stooges' “1969” (featuring Misfits bassist Jerry Only). The title cut on Don't Worry About Me includes Joey's blood brother Mickey Leigh on guitar; longtime Ramones drummer Marky Ramone and Dictators bassist Andy Shernoff also play on multiple tracks.