Although other release dates have been bandied about, this one's official — Britney Spears' upcoming fourth album is slated to hit stores November 18. The album may include such tracks as "Early Mornin' " (produced by Moby), "The Answer" (P. Diddy), "Shadow" (The Matrix), "Outrageous" (R. Kelly), "Me Against the Music" (RedZone), "Brave New Girl" (previously called "Brave Girl"), "Touch of My Hand" and "Every Time," though a track list has yet to be determined. ...

Kirk Hammett doesn't play a double-necked guitar ... except when he's doing his best Jimmy Page impersonation. Metallica dressed up like Led Zeppelin for an Esquire photo shoot in July for the magazine's 70th anniversary issue, which hits newsstands this week. ... Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams has finished her second gospel record. The as-yet-untitled album will be released in early December. ...

R.E.M. paid tribute to Warren Zevon at their Los Angeles performance on Wednesday night. Singer Michael Stipe dedicated the song "Find the River" to Zevon, who died in L.A. on Sunday from lung cancer. R.E.M. played with Zevon in the side project Hindu Love Gods, who released a self-titled album in 1990. R.E.M had worked with Zevon on his 1987 album, Sentimental Hygiene, as well, serving as Zevon's band on most of the album. ... Sparklehorse have signed on to open for R.E.M. on their tour, from September 23 in New Orleans to October 4 in New York. Afterwards, the band will resume recording its fourth album in singer Mark Linkous's North Carolina studio. ... Pete Yorn, who will pick up for Sparklehorse on the R.E.M. tour for two weeks, has booked a headlining trek for the rest of October. British pop-rockers Minibar will open on Yorn's tour, which begins October 14 in Nashville and ends October 28 in Syracuse, New York. ...

Def Jam hosted the first of its monthly DJ appreciation parties Wednesday night at the Big Apple's Club New York. Such spinners as Kid Capri and Red Alert ventured out to party. ... The previously unreleased Stone Temple Pilots song "All in the Suit That You Wear" will be included on the band's greatest-hits album, Thank You, which comes out November 4. The 16-track disc will also feature an acoustic version of "Plush." ...

Two Black Sabbath books that cumulatively cover the group's entire history will be rocking the shelves in time for Christmas. The first, "How Black Is Your Sabbath," chronicles Ozzy's years with the band, ending when he was kicked out. Graham Wright, who was drummer Bill Ward's assistant in the '70s, assembled the book. The other Sabbath tome, "Never Say Die!," was written by Garry Sharpe-Young, and documents the band's post-Ozzy years from 1979 to 1997. ... Rock and roll workhorses 3 Doors Down have extended their tour and look to stay busy throughout the end of the year. Newly confirmed dates begin October 16 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. ...

Sugar Ray and Elton John are among the performers slated for the annual Brian Wilson and Friends concert, taking place October 16. John will sing a duet with the Beach Boys mastermind. Proceeds will benefit the Carl Wilson Foundation, named for the Beach Boy who died of cancer in 1998. ... The folks that let Adam Ant out of a mental hospital earlier this summer might want to reconsider their decision. The '80s new waver plans to dress up like a gorilla and run around London on September 21. Ant hasn't exactly gone bananas, though. He's among those participating in the Great Gorilla Run, a public-awareness effort to draw attention to the endangered ape's plight. Ant also rerecorded his "Stand and Deliver" for the Save the Gorilla benefit album, the proceeds from which go toward the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. ...

The sued file-sharer who settled with the RIAA earlier this week is already reaping the benefits of celebrity. Twelve-year-old Briana LaHara, whose mother settled the copyright infringement suit for $2,000, has been given that amount's worth of free downloads by musicrebellion.com to show that legitimate download services exist. …

09.10.03

The first single from Clay Aiken's self-titled debut will be a track called "Invisible." The album is due October 14. ...

C-Murder's murder trial is getting under way in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Jury selection started Monday, with jurors being asked their opinions about rap music and whether C-Murder's stage name — his real name is Corey Miller — is going to color their feelings about the case. The judge also imposed a gag order on attorneys and witnesses, which may be because prosecutors previously argued that some witnesses have been intimidated and fear for their safety if they testify against the rapper, who is accused of shooting and killing a 16-year-old during an MC battle almost two years ago. Jury selection should last most of the week, while the trial is expected to last for three weeks. ...

Vanessa Carlton is about halfway done with her as-yet-untitled second album. "This album is hugely personal and (not surprisingly) gothic," Carlton wrote on her Web site, adding, "a friend of mine is doing a film/documentary about the making of this album." ... Halloween's traditional black and orange had better make way for some red and white. The White Stripes have been added to the lineup of the fifth annual Voodoo Music Festival, taking place October 31 in New Orleans. The duo joins 50 Cent, Marilyn Manson, Godsmack and Queens of the Stone Age, among others. ...

In celebration of Nappy Roots Day in Kentucky, which governor Paul Patton declared last year on September 16, the group will perform a free show at the University of Louisville's Cardinal Stadium. The show will benefit the 100 Black Men of Louisville, a charity that promotes education for at-risk youth. ... Crunk kings Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Killer Mike and Big Gipp will have cameos in the in-production indie film "20 Funerals." The crime drama is about four cops who turn vigilante when one of their own is murdered. ...

Staind will launch a 17-date tour on September 26 in Hartford, Connecticut. The jaunt, which combines radio festivals with headline gigs, runs through October 19 in Jacksonville, Florida. Sevendust and Lo-Pro (featuring ex-Godsmack drummer Tommy Stewart) will open select dates. ... Velvet Revolver are testing out more producers. After recording "Slither" with Bob Ezrin, the band tackled "Loving the Aliens (Sometimes)" last week in Los Angeles with Josh Abraham, and have also recorded the song "Fall to Pieces" with Douglas Grean...

Mike Patton, formerly of Faith No More and currently of Tomahawk and a zillion other bands, will play the lead in a movie called "Firecracker," a role once attached to Dennis Hopper. Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's will also act in the film. ... Along with hits like "Hot Stuff" and "She Works Hard for the Money," The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer will feature two new songs from the disco diva and her longtime collaborator, producer Giorgio Moroder. The collection is due September 30. ...

"A Concert for George," a film chronicling last fall's George Harrison tribute at London's Royal Albert Hall featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty and others, will open in theaters in limited release on October 3. The movie, shot in high definition and recorded in 5.1 surround sound, is due worldwide on DVD in November. ... Phish bassist Mike Gordon will launch a tour in San Francisco on October 5. The trek will make multiple stops in nine different cities, ending in New York on October 16. Gordon will be touring for his solo album Inside In, which came out August 19. ...

Slayer's Kerry King is getting ready to market a line of clothing for KFK Industries, which will sell shirts, hats and other wares designed by the guitarist. The company will also peddle official Slayer merchandize. KFK's Web site is currently under construction, but features the message, "Sell your soul, buy our sh--." A launch date is expected soon. ... Teenage British garage and electronica act Dizzee Rascal surprised many by winning the Mercury Music Prize on Tuesday in London for his album Boy in Da Corner. He was presented the honor by last year's winner, Ms. Dynamite. Rascal beat out a host of higher-profile nominees including Radiohead, Coldplay, the Darkness, the Thrills and Floetry. ...

When the Offspring decided to call their new album Chinese Democracy, many thought it a foolish move. Now the band itself couldn't agree more. The follow-up to 2000's Conspiracy of One will now be called Splinter and is expected to arrive November 11. After the Offspring gave their LP the same name as the seemingly imaginary Guns N' Roses album, production ground to a halt, according to their official Web site. ...

• Britney Spears
• Metallica
• 3 Doors Down
• R.E.M.
• Black Sabbath

Adam Ant
Photo: Sony

Eighties new wave star Adam Ant was arrested for suspicion of criminal damage in London on Wednesday for allegedly hurling rocks through a neighbor's windows.

Ant, 49, whose real name is Stuart Leslie Goddard, was arrested and then booked at the Central London police station on Wednesday morning, according to a Scotland Yard spokesperson.

The spokesperson said a 49-year-old man was questioned and released on bail, although Ant was not named, per British police protocol. He was ordered to report back in July for a hearing.

Following his bail, Ant was transported to a secure hospital psychiatric ward, according to British media reports. The Sun newspaper quoted a neighbor of Ant’s in Primrose Hill as saying that the singer "lost it" and was "out of control," while other reports had the singer shouting unintelligibly about children and scrawling messages on a kitchen towel. Before his arrest, he allegedly ran into the local Curly Dog Café, dropped his pants and went to the cafe's basement saying he needed a rest.

The outburst comes a year and a half after the "Goody Two Shoes" singer ran amok at a London pub following taunts from locals about his cowboy outfit. Ant pleaded guilty in October to participating in the January 2002 pub brawl (termed "affray" in England), during which the singer threatened to shoot the patrons who taunted him with his father’s WWII-era starter pistol. He also tossed a car alternator through the window of the pub, hitting and injuring a local musician.

The singer was placed under a 12-month community rehabilitation order and entered a psychiatric hospital in October after a judge determined that he’d suffered a temporary episode of mental illness.

In March of last year, the London Daily Telegraph reported that Ant had been plagued by depression for more than 25 years, beginning with an alleged attempt to commit suicide with an overdose of pills in his early 20s. After his efforts to reinvent himself as a solo crooner and actor in the United States failed, the Telegraph reported that Ant checked himself into a psychiatric clinic in Miami in 1994.

Ant sold more than 15 million records as part of Adam and the Ants, the pirate-themed early '80s group which spawned such hits as "Prince Charming" and "Stand and Deliver."

• Adam Ant

Adam Ant
Photo: Capitol

You'd think a guy who used to dress up as a gender-bending pirate with tiny braids and a white makeup stripe across his nose could take a bit of ribbing about his sartorial style.

Alas, new wave's Prince Charming is something to be scared of. Eighties pop singer Adam Ant (born Stuart Leslie Goddard) pleaded guilty in a London court on Tuesday (August 13) to participating in a pub brawl during which he used a starter pistol to threaten patrons who'd made fun of his outfit, according to the Associated Press (see "Adam Ant Lands In Mental Hospital After Allegedly Brandishing Fake Gun").

Charges of criminal damage, assault causing bodily harm and possession of an imitation firearm were dropped against the 47-year-old Ant, who was released on bail awaiting an October 2 sentencing hearing.

The incident, according to prosecution lawyers, occurred January 12 when Ant showed up at the Prince of Wales pub in north London wearing a cowboy getup. Patrons began to laugh and mockingly hum the theme song from the 1966 Clint Eastwood spaghetti western "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," according to the AP report.

The "Goody Two Shoes" singer reportedly stormed out of the bar and returned later in the day with a WWII-era starter pistol that belonged to his father, then threw a car alternator through the pub's window, hitting a local musician. When patrons began chasing him down the street, Ant pulled the gun, "which they thought was genuine, and threatened to shoot them if they didn't back up," Ant's lawyer, David Tomlinson, told the court in an earlier proceeding, according to AP.

Ant was arrested a half-hour later when police found him trying to hail a cab. The report described Ant as looking "pale and drawn" during the proceedings, during which he wore an understated black fedora and tight-fitting pinstripe suit.

According to Ant's Web site, the singer pulled out of the spring and winter editions of the Here & Now Tour 2002, in which he was to take a nostalgic trip around the U.K. with such contemporaries as China Crisis, Go West, Howard Jones and Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle.

• Adam Ant

Adam Ant
Photo: Capitol

Eighties new wave icon Adam Ant was released last week from a psychiatric hospital in England. The singer had been committed in mid-January following a bar row where he had been arrested for brandishing an imitation firearm at a pub in North London.

Ant, born Stuart Goddard, was brought into custody by police, who charged him with possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence as well as criminal damage and committing actual bodily harm (see "Adam Ant Lands In Mental Hospital After Allegedly Brandishing Fake Gun").

Police later brought the singer involuntarily to a mental-health ward located at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, since under the Mental Health Act, persons brought for their own good under evaluation are allowed to be detained for up to 28 days.

Following his commitment, Ant appeared in court Thursday, and a trial date was set for March 6, according to a statement on Ant's Web site. Ant is still scheduled to perform on the Here and Now Tour in the U.K. with Howard Jones, Spandau Ballet and Belinda Carlisle in April.

• Adam Ant

Adam Ant
Photo: Sony

Adam Ant, the eccentric new wave singer behind such '80s pop hits as "Goody Two Shoes" and "Stand and Deliver," has been committed to a London psychiatric hospital after a bizarre bar row.

Ant (born Stuart Goddard) was taken into custody Saturday night at the Prince of Wales pub in North London after getting into a fight and allegedly brandishing a fake gun. He was charged with possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence as well as criminal damage and one charge of committing actual bodily harm on a man in his forties, according to a police statement.

The next day, police said, officials received calls from several of Ant's close friends and members of his family who said they feared for the 47-year-old singer's safety. The cops then picked up Ant in the Camden Town area of North London, near his home in Primrose Hill.

The singer, who suffers from manic depression, was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken "involuntarily, but not necessarily against his will" to London's Royal Free Hospital, a hospital spokesperson said. Under the law, Ant can be detained for up to 28 days. Within his first 14 days at the facility he may file an appeal to be released.

A statement on Ant's Web site said the singer "is not suicidal, however family and friends are concerned that Adam [was] not receiving the care that he requires, and they do not wish to see him become a potential threat to himself."

Ant is still scheduled to embark on his "Here and Now" tour with members of Spandau Ballet in April.

• Adam Ant