Lennon tribute album puts good "Karma" to work

NEW YORK (Billboard) - In the latest example of the rock world doing more for humanity than any other industry ever has, Amnesty International's "Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur" will be released May 25. Ever heard of an oil company doing anything for anybody?

The idea is a good one: having acts cover songs written by John Lennon to bring attention to the Sudanese government-backed genocide going on in its western province of Darfur. This will greatly assist the good work already being done by George Clooney and others trying to focus a distracted planet on its latest nightmare.

Green Day's version of "Working Class Hero" was released last week and has some of Lennon's original vocal on it. Also participating are R.E.M., Corinne Bailey Rae, U2, the Black Eyed Peas, Christina Aguilera, Jack Johnson, Snow Patrol and Aerosmith.

Obviously the project has been endorsed by Yoko Ono Lennon and Sean Lennon, and they will donate their publishing royalties as well.

ZOMBIES REUNITE

In other news, the Zombies will perform the classic 1968 album "Odessey and Oracle" in its entirety next March (let's not rush into anything) at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire. Only their great guitar player, Paul Atkinson, who died in 2004, will be missing. It will be the first time they've ever played it live since the album and their biggest hit "Time of the Season" came out after they broke up. Luckily for all of us, Al Kooper happened to be working at CBS for a brief time as a troubleshooter/producer, and he forced the company to release it even though the band had broken up, knowing how exceptional the work was.

Thank you, Al.

STRIPES ALL OVER

And file under I Get Around: The White Stripes will tour every province and territory in Canada no matter how small or out of the way. Like the Rolling Stones finally playing Montana last year, this is a very cool thing to do. I cannot imagine growing up in an area where the big rock bands never come. Absolutely horrifying.

So, we salute you, White Stripes, and hopefully the idea will catch on.

See you on the radio.

(Actor and guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt, a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and host of the syndicated radio show "Underground Garage," plays Silvio Dante on "The Sopranos," which is in its final season.)

Reuters/Billboard