Jaunuary 7 [15:00 EDT] -- Noel Gallagher has recorded a song for a tribute project dedicated to The Jam, the 80s new wave/punk combo fronted by Paul Weller. The song, "To Be Someone," was originally on the Jam album, "All Mod Cons."

Gallagher is one of several artists helping to celebrate The Jam's 20th anniversary-or at least the 20th anniversary of the band's first album. Their label, Polydor, is marking the even with a five-CD anthology called "Direction, Reaction, Creation" to be released May 20 in Britain, the same day "In the City" was issued in 1977. That release will be followed by remasters of their six studio LPs and capped off with the aforementioned tribute album.

The guest list on the latter also includes The Prodigy and the Beastie Boys.

Gallagher addressed the Jam project in an interview with a British disc jockey, saying he chose that track because he liked the line, "Getting drugged up with my trendy friends." He added that he had been paid "20 grand" for the project, but it wasn't clear if that was the total figure or just his share. Also not specified was the currency.

Gallagher was his usual run-off-at-the-mouth self during the interview, which was with X-FM DJ Gary Crowley just prior to Christmas and reported on by Britain's New Musical Express. Gallagher revealed that the band had been recording new material at soundchecks during their recent tour. He teased that he's been compiling tape and drum loops but then reassured fans that the next album will not be a radical departure. However, it's not happen radically fast. He told the interviewer he didn't want to even think about the next album for a long time, saying the band was planning to take a long break from the UK this year once they had completed their tours of America, Japan and Australia, which most likely means this Spring.

The band is booked through March.