RSC NEWS 

SEB Collective @ Embassy London with featured guest artist CONRAD KORSCH (Rod Stewart's bassist) www.myspace.com/conradkorsch, backed by Rod Stewarts band Ft: J'Anna www.myspace.com/jannajacoby Tues 27th July - performing songs from his debut album LIVE LOVE LEAVE in a fantastic 45minute set. Other acts on the evening the endearing SHERRY DAVIS www.myspace.com/sherrysherrydavis and the superb TAN HAUSER GATE www.myspace.com/tanhausergate. This is not to be missed. Sam sebcollective@aol.com

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Type of Ticket: £6.00 - CONRAD KORSCH £6.00 - TAN HAUSER GATE £6.00 - SHERRY DAVIS £6.00 - GENERAL ADMISSION       Number of Tickets: 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425     ticket(s) for this event. Delivery Type: Box Office Collection (0.00) To pick up this order the card holder must present the card used and provide a signature at the box office on event. Unless otherwise stated.

Rod is showing his support for the charity Tickets For Troops by offering free tickets for his summer tour to members of the Armed Forces and their families, it has been announced.

Soldiers, sailors, airmen and their families will have the chance to see the legendary hitmaker belting out chart toppers like Maggie May, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy and Tonight's the Night at the Sheffield Arena on July 20 and at the Glasgow SECC on July 26.

Tickets For Troops was set up last year to provide top tickets to sporting, musical and entertainment events to troops and their families.

Patrons of charity include the Prime Minister's wife Samantha Cameron, Dame Vera Lynn, Andrew Flintoff, Gavin Hastings and Joss Stone.

Mrs Cameron said: "Tickets For Troops has been a massive success in terms of recognising the work and courage of our troops but it has also rewarded those families whose support and love is crucial in the frontline.

"I am delighted and privileged to support such an excellent cause."

Members of the Armed Forces and veterans medically discharged since 2001 should register for top tickets at www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk

ROD REWRITES HISTORY WITH SESSIONS
 

Warner Bros. Reveals Legendary Performer’s Studio Past

With Four-Disc Boxed Set Of Unreleased Sessions Spanning 1971-1998

Available September 29th 2009 

Warner Bros. began reissuing Rod Stewart’s Warner Bros. catalog a year ago with remastered and expanded versions of some of the artist’s best studio work. With its latest effort, Warner Bros. goes deep into the vaults to reveal the secret studio history of this very public performer with a boxed set of unreleased recordings chosen from sessions spanning 1971-1998. THE ROD STEWART SESSIONS 1971-1998 will be available September 29th at all retail outlets.

Producers Andy Zax and Cheryl Pawelski prowled through a warehouse of Stewart’s tapes to unearth all the dusty gems four discs could hold. Spanning more than 25 years, the collection’s 63 songs, outtakes, and ephemera provide extraordinary insight into the studio work of one of rock’s legendary figures and paint a picture of what might have been. Many of these performances are more stripped-down and intimate than their released counterparts, so the set becomes an illustration and a showcase of Rod’s creative process. Few major artists have allowed such a revealing look behind the scenes.

More than a third of THE ROD STEWART SESSIONS 1971-1998 chronicles the torrent of indelible recordings Stewart unleashed during the ’70s. Fittingly, the set opens with a decidedly rough take of “Maggie May,” the #1 hit from Stewart’s third solo album–Every Picture Tells A Story–that broke him as a solo artist in 1971. SESSIONS offers alternate versions of well-known hits from that era such as “Sailing,” “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright),” “You Wear It Well,” and an acoustic version of “You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim).” Alongside those are rarities like the unfinished “Think I’ll Pack My Bags” (which later appeared on Ron Wood’s solo debut rewritten as “Mystifies Me”), an early version of “So Tired” that finds the band working out the arrangement in the studio, and an acoustic version of the B-side “Rosie.”  Of special note is the rumored-to-exist but never heard—until now—sequel to “The Killing of Georgie”; “Innocent (The Killing of Georgie Part III)” completes the epic narrative begun on 1976's A Night On The Town album with a ferociously rocking performance taken from the sessions for the following year's Foot Loose & Fancy Free. Stewart ended the decade with a hits package that was to include his cover of British pub-rocker Frankie Miller’s “When I’m Away From You” that has remained unreleased until now.

SESSIONS touches on six albums Stewart released during the ’80s, including Foolish Behaviour (1980), which was originally intended to be a double album, but was eventually scaled back to a single disc. Along with an early version of the album track “Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight” the collection also features four unreleased tracks presumably destined for the second disc “Time Of My Life,” “TV Mama,” “Stupid,” and Buddy Holly’s “Maybe Baby.” While the multitracks for Tonight I’m Yours (1981) have gone missing, the producers managed to recover an unreleased song called “Thunderbird” from the session’s only surviving mixdown tape. The collection closes out the decade with several tracks from Out Of Order (1988), including a tender reading of “Forever Young” that features Stewart accompanied only by a piano and the improvised in the studio and then abandoned “I Go To Jail For You.”

The final SESSIONS disc is dedicated to Stewart’s resurgence as an artistic and commercial force in the ’90s. It begins with six songs recorded in the summer of 1992 that were shelved in favor of

Unplugged…And Seated, including a cover of Bob Dylan and The Band’s “This Wheel’s On Fire,” and an all-star remake of the 1969 Python Lee Jackson song (originally also sung by Rod) “In A Broken Dream,” which features Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. Also included is Stewart’s cover of Bobby Womack’s “Looking For A Love,” which was surprisingly left off A Spanner In The Works (1995) and a version of Oasis’ “Rockin’ Chair” that he recorded for When We Were The New Boys (1998).

Although never intended to be shared with the world, the directness and immediacy of the music on THE ROD STEWART SESSIONS 1971-1998 documents an exceptional artist at work over a long period of time, says Zax, the set’s co producer. “Admirers of particular eras of Rod’s career may be surprised to discover, upon listening to this box, that there is far less difference between the Rod of 1971 and the Rod of 1998–and all the years between them–than they had previously believed.”

Rod Stewart Reissues

CD Price: $24.98

For Rod Stewart, 1975 was a year of profound personal and professional change. Because of Britain’s high tax rate, he moved from London to Los Angeles, where he signed with Warner Bros. Records, and left his longtime mates in the Faces to finally commit himself as a solo artist. His first two “American” albums—ATLANTIC CROSSING and A NIGHT ON THE TOWN—went gold and double platinum respectively, charting with signature hits like “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” and “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright).”

For a limited time, Warner Bros. will reissue both albums as two-disc Collector’s Editions that contain the original album remastered with a bonus track and a second disc that contains unreleased takes of every album track, plus unreleased outtakes.

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For a limited time, we're proud to present some select tracks for your listening pleasure:

  IN ROD WE TRUST

Warner Bros. Reissues ATLANTIC CROSSING And A NIGHT ON THE TOWN As Limited-Edition Two-Disc Sets With Remastered Original Album, Plus Unreleased Versions Of Each Album Track and Outtakes

To Be Released June 30, Collectors Editions Are Only Available This Summer

LOS ANGELES -- For Rod Stewart, 1975 was a year of profound personal and professional change. Because of Britain's high tax rate, he moved from London to Los Angeles, where he signed with Warner Bros. Records, and left his longtime mates in the Faces to finally commit himself as a solo artist. His first two American albums--ATLANTIC CROSSING and A NIGHT ON THE TOWN--went gold and double platinum respectively, charting with signature hits like “I Don't Want To Talk About It" and “Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)."

For a limited time, Warner Bros. will reissue both albums as two-disc Collectors Editions that contain the original album remastered with a bonus track and a second disc that contains unreleased takes of every album track, plus unreleased outtakes. ATLANTIC CROSSING and A NIGHT ON THE TOWN will be available June 30 at all retail outlets, including rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $24.98 (CD), and digitally for $13.99 (Atlantic Crossing) and $11.99 (A Night On The Town). The two-disc version is only available this summer and will be replaced by a single-disc collection with fewer bonus tracks.

Along with Stewart's new home came a new producer, Tom Dowd, a man whose gifted ears led him to run sessions for some of Stewart's soul idols, including Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Ray Charles. It was Dowd's idea to record Stewart with many of soul musics legendary musicians: guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald Duck Dunn, and drummer Al Jackson Jr., known as the MGs (minus Booker T.); and the Swampers, the renowned studio band from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who played on many of Aretha Franklin's best. This fresh beginning marks the point where Stewart left behind his frequently rustic, folk-inflected sound and replaced it with the glossy stadium anthems that would become his new imprimatur.

Stewart's sixth album, ATLANTIC CROSSING became a hit in Britain and the U.S., where it was certified gold. It contains two of Stewart's signature hits: “I Don't Want To Talk About It" and “Sailing." The latter became a #1 hit in the U.K. and a popular soccer anthem, a gratifying twist for Stewart, a rabid fan of the sport. Along with an alternate version of the album, the bonus disc also contains an eclectic trio of outtakes: the Bee Gees “To Love Somebody," Lee Dorsey's “Holy Cow," and Elvis Presley's “Return To Sender."

In 1976, Stewart returned with A NIGHT ON THE TOWN, a double-platinum success thanks to the #1 smash “Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)," the definitive cover of Cat Stevens “The First."

 

 

“Cut Is The Deepest," and “The Killing Of Georgie (Part I and II)," a heartfelt tribute to Stewart's friend, who was mugged and killed in New York. Stewart cut the majority of A NIGHT ON THE TOWN in Los Angeles with musicians who are credited as The Garage Band, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the caliber of players assembled for the album: the MGs once again as well as guitarists Joe Walsh, Jesse Ed Davis, David Lindley, and Fred Tackett.

The second disc features a preliminary treatment of Lennon/McCartney's “Get Back" for the film All This And World War II, and two outtakes written by Stewart. The first, “Rosie," was used as the B-side of “Killing Of Georgie." The second, “Share," features a gorgeous, understated guitar arrangement from an unidentified source that sounds suspiciously like Cropper.

ATLANTIC CROSSING and A NIGHT ON THE TOWN are both so similar conceptually, structurally, and musically that they are virtually of a piece. Each is a mix of covers and originals, split between fast and slow sides, produced by Tom Dowd, and recorded in Muscle Shoals and Los Angeles. Together the music captures an important evolution in Stewart's iconic career.

 

COLLECTORS EDITION: ATLANTIC CROSSING

Track Listing

Disc 1

FAST HALF

1. Three Time Loser
2. Alright For An Hour
3. All In The Name Of Rock N Roll
4. Drift Away
5. Stone Cold Sober

SLOW HALF

6. I Dont Want To Talk About It
7. Its Not The Spotlight
8. This Old Heart Of Mine
9. Still Love You
10. Sailing

BONUS TRACK

11. Skye Boat Song The Atlantic Crossing Drum & Pipe Band

Disc 2 ALL PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

1. To Love Somebody (Studio Outtake) with The MGs
2. Holy Cow (Studio Outtake) with The MGs
3. Return To Sender (Studio Outtake) with The MGs

THE ALTERNATE ATLANTIC CROSSING

4. Three Time Loser (Alternate Version)
5. Alright For An Hour (Alternate Version)
6. All In The Name Of Rock N Roll (Alternate Version)
7. Drift Away (Alternate Version)
8. Too Much Noise (Early Version of Stone Cold Sober)
9. I Dont Want To Talk About It (Alternate Version)
10. Its Not The Spotlight (Alternate Version)
11. This Old Heart Of Mine (Alternate Version with The MGs)
12. Still Love You (Alternate Version)
13. Sailing (Alternate Version)
14. Skye Boat Song (Alternate Version) The Atlantic Crossing Drum & Pipe Band

 

 

COLLECTORS EDITION: A NIGHT ON THE TOWN

Disc 1

SLOW SIDE

1. Tonights The Night (Gonna Be Alright)
2. The First Cut Is The Deepest
3. Fool For You
4. The Killing Of Georgie (Part I And II)

FAST HALF

5. The Balltrap
6. Pretty Flamingo
7. Big Bayou
8. The Wild Side Of Life
9. Trade Winds

BONUS TRACK

10. Rosie (Bonus Track)

Disc 2 ALL PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

1. Share (Studio Outtake)

THE ALTERNATE NIGHT ON THE TOWN

2. Tonights The Night (Gonna Be Alright) (Early Version)
3. The First Cut Is The Deepest (Early Version)
4. Fool For You (Early Version)
5. The Killing Of Georgie (Part I And II) (Early Version)
6. The Balltrap (Early Version)
7. Pretty Flamingo (Early Version)
8. Big Bayou (Early Version)
9. The Wild Side Of Life (Early Version)
10. Trade Winds (Early Version)
11. Rosie (Early Version)
12. Get Back (Alternate Version)
 

---

Rod plays it cool in a fedora as pretty-in-pink Penny walks for breast cancer...

With the sun beating down Penny Lancaster was probably relieved that the ten miles she was walking to raise money for Breast Cancer Care was just that - a walk.

While most of  Britain took advantage of the glorious weather and hit the beach on Saturday, the 38-year-old model took part in the sponsored walk around Blenheim Palace.
 

Her husband, rocker Rod Stewart was there to greet her with a congratulatory kiss as she crossed the finish line and unlike Penny, was sensibly wearing a hat to shield the sun's rays.
 

Kiss me quick: Rod Stewart greeted his wife Penny Lancaster with a celebratory kiss at the finish line

The walk dubbed the 'Ribbon Walk' by Breast Cancer Care took in the stunning Oxfordshire scenery with rivers, picturesque villages and the splendour of one of England's finest country houses, Blenheim Palace.
 

Participants were reminded on the charity's website that this was a walk and that no running was allowed.
 

They also warned that the walkers would encounter all manner of terrain from fields and country lanes to uneven farmland and riverside walks.

Hot Rod: Penny and Rod, dressed for the summer, after the walk

The ten mile walk started at 11.30am but Penny missed the start due to being stuck in holiday traffic.

She made up for lost time however and reached the finish line to receive a big hug and kiss from her husband.
 

With her hair in loose pigtails and eyes shaded from the glare with a classic pair of aviator sunglasses Penny went for an all pink outfit in keeping with the charity's brand colour.

She sported bright pink hot pants that showed off her long, tanned legs, a strappy pink vest and even wore a shocking pink bra underneath.
 

At the end of the walk participants received an Olympic style medal on a pink necklace which Penny proudly showed off.

Rod meanwhile was dressed for the summer in tight white trousers and unbuttoned shirt that showed off his tanned chest. As the mercury soared to almost 26.6C (80F) Rod rolled his sleeves up to keep cool.
 

He also donned a gold waistcoat with a summery flower print for the occasion and wore what looked like rosary beads around his neck.
 

The Ribbon Walk is open to women and men of all abilities over 16. There are three more scheduled walks happening this year.

NEW UN-EARTHED TRACKS FROM THE WARNER BROS VAULTS!

Check out these extended albums at ITunes (USA)...

Download new tracks for $0.99 or $11.99 per album.

ABSOLUTELY LIVE.   BODY WISHES.   CAMOUFLAGE.   EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART.

FOOLISH BEHAVIOUR.   HUMAN.   OUT OF ORDER. A SPANNER IN THE WORKS.

TONIGHTI'M YOURS.   VAGABOND HEART.   WHEN WE WERE THE NEW BOYS.

MEANWHILE...

Rhino/Warners have announced through Smiler that more unreleased material is on the way...

QUOTE...

"We’ve spent the last year going through every single Rod Stewart tape held by the Warner Music Group, as well as Rod’s manager Arnold Stiefel’s private warehouse of unexplored material, and over the next 18 months we’ll be deluging you with the results of our labors.
On June 30th, we’ll be releasing 2 CD Collectors’ Editions of Atlantic Crossing and A Night On The Town. Each of these has been carefully remastered from first-generation tapes (especially notable in the case of A Night On The Town, as we managed to find the original album master which had been missing since 1976 — the improvement in quality is massive). Each includes pertinent non-LP material from the period, as well as an entire disc of previously unreleased outtakes and alternate versions. (Collectors Editions of Foot Loose And Fancy Free and Blondes Have More Fun will follow in early 2010.)
Even before that, we’ll be rolling out expanded digital editions of Rod’s 1980-2001 albums May 19th (for the US & Canada, the rest of the world to follow shortly thereafter). These are intended for a more general, less-hardcore audience, and although they do include some things you won’t have heard before (we’re especially partial to a 1980 studio rough in which Rod and the band discover the seeds of something that would blossom into “Young Turks” the following year), we want to make sure that you know that this is just the tip of the iceberg: the bulk of the unreleased and rare material will be arriving in different ways, and it will be available on CD.
We feel pretty confident in saying that for serious Rod aficionados, the biggest event of 2009 will be the release of a brand new boxed set. We’re sworn to secrecy about the details for a little while longer, but we’re really excited about this box, and we think that you will be, too.
But wait! — as they say on TV — That’s not all! 2010 will see the arrival of a decades-spanning 4CD live retrospective. We’re also planning a series of internet-only CD releases designed with the serious Rod Stewart fan in mind. There will be volumes devoted to b-sides and remixes, an Out Of Order Collectors’ Edition, the long-delayed debut of the legendary lost album Once In A Blue Moon, and more. By the time we get finished, we hope you’ll feel like we’ve given Rod’s catalog the care and attention that it has long deserved.
We’re really looking forward to the next 18 months, and we hope that you enjoy hearing all of this music as much as we enjoyed putting it all together."

Cheryl Pawelski /Andy Zax (Rhino)

Rod & Penny in Tenerife...

Rod Stewart Reunites With Jeff Beck at Los Angeles Concert

Just weeks after reuniting with Jeff Beck Group bassist Ronnie Wood at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Jeff Beck found himself onstage with another former bandmate from his namesake band last night as Rod Stewart hit the stage at Beck’s gig at the El Rey in Los Angeles. According to Live Daily, Stewart surprised Beck last night when he appeared onstage with a microphone in hand, singing on covers of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready” and Willie Dixon’s “I Ain’t Superstitious,” which Beck and Stewart recorded together in 1967 for the Jeff Beck Group’s Truth.

Stewart served as vocalist of the Jeff Beck Group for the classic LPs Truth and Beck-Ola. Wood, who along with Beck’s former Yardbirds bandmate Jimmy Page performed at the Rock Hall ceremony, was also a member of that Jeff Beck Group lineup. After Beck-Ola, both Stewart and Wood left the Group, forming another band that has been surrounded by reunion talk in recent months, the Faces. Beck and Stewart briefly reunited again in 1985 for their cover of “People Get Ready” for Beck’s Flash. Last year, Rolling Stone spoke to Beck about the prospect of the Jeff Beck Group possibly reuniting, and at the time Beck seemed pessimistic. “Reformation of bands is never my idea of a good idea. Leave well enough alone, especially 35 years after it happened,” Beck told RS. “It would be fun if we did it in private to see if it would sound any good, but leave it well enough alone and remember it for being groundbreaking at the time.”

Joss Stone also guested at Beck’s concert last night, singing on a cover of Sly & the Family Stone’s “I Want to Take You Higher.” As Rock Daily previously reported, Jeff Beck was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist after already receiving the honor as a member of the Yardbirds.

 'Dad is on the prowl - time to make ourselves scarce!' Rod Stewart's son on living up to his superstar father.
 

Sean, it seems, must sleep in the guest house when Rod is in town. Many will find the arrangement curious. But for Sean, 28, and his sister Kimberly, 29 – Rod’s children by his first wife, Alana Hamilton – and their half-sister Ruby, 21  his daughter with model Kelly Emberg, it is quite routine. As Sean says, it is simply ‘Dad’s way of making everything work’ Sean admits he has not told his father he is doing this interview. Indeed, he has gone to great lengths to conceal my presence. An initial meeting was cancelled because ‘Dad’s tired and if he sees any strange activity around the house he’ll go nuts’. The following day, we are told to meet in an upmarket shopping mall called The Glen where Sean, myself and Sean’s long-suffering PR man leave our cars and travel up to the main house crammed into a photographer’s vehicle.

When we get to the security gate – Rod lives in an exclusive gated community called Beverly Park, where neighbours include Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington and Sylvester Stallone – the armed security guard peers into the car and spies Sean. ‘Hi dude,’ says Sean, and we are waved through. Sean takes me to his black-walled bedroom in the guest house. Waving an arm towards a 42in flatscreen TV, he admits: ‘Honestly, I can’t complain at all this, can I? It’s a nice guest house. And while I know some people won’t understand Dad putting us older kids out here while he’s in the main house, to us it makes sense.  'He and Penny have their own family now and the big house is very much their home. When they are in town, they want their privacy. It’s no big deal.’

For Sean, this is a small price to pay for the fact that, after years of an uneasy relationship, father and son are finally forging a bond.

Rod divorced Alana when Sean was just four and he suffered long periods of separation from his father while Rod toured the world churning out hit records, cavorting with a series of lookalike leggy blondes and amassing his fortune, estimated at £150million. In an all-too-familiar story – at least where the scions of Hollywood royalty are concerned – Sean admits he ‘started running with the wrong crowd at ten’. By 13, he was regularly sneaking off to get drunk and do drugs at Hollywood clubs. ‘When people found out who I was, the drugs were always free,’ he says with a shrug, pausing to play with his BlackBerry. At 17, he was smoking crack cocaine.  Sean, though, is at pains to defend his father. ‘Dad never turned his back on me,’ he says. ‘I always knew he was there for me if I needed him. But there were many lost years. I needed to grow up to have a grown-up relationship with him. ‘He never kicked me out. I always knew there was a bedroom for me. But I preferred to do the other stuff.’

He says his father is determined not to make the same child-rearing mistakes twice and is much more ‘hands-on’ with his youngest son.  Alastair is going to a British nursery school and has an English accent. Penny is determined he will be raised in her native Essex and will attend a private boys’ school there. Sean says: ‘Penny wants to be near her family and Dad is happy to raise Alastair there. England isn’t as messed up as Hollywood.’ We walk out of the guest house – a sign declares: ‘No trespassing. Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.’

Sean points towards the five-a-side football pitch: ‘Dad is teaching Alastair to play soccer, too. He taught me. I’m very good, you know. ‘Am I jealous of Alastair? Of course not. He’s a fantastic kid, really bright. He’s the apple of my Dad’s eye and Dad does everything for him.
'He is loving fatherhood this time around and it’s fantastic to see. With me, he was busy working. I don’t blame him, but it took me a long time to understand that and come to terms with it.’ 

Does he think Rod might have more children? ‘I doubt it. Penny wanted another one but he says the shop is now closed. But who knows with Dad?
'All I do know is he’s happier than he’s ever been. Our family isn’t typical but we all get along.’ And Sean insists his dad is generous, despite rumours to the contrary.  Ronnie Wood once declared Rod  ‘tighter than two coats of paint’. ‘That’s not fair,’ said Sean. ‘He’s careful with his money but he’s certainly not mean. He’s taking us all away in August to somewhere hot and sunny.  'We all get along great. That’s when Dad is happiest, when he’s with all his kids just relaxing somewhere.’

Today, Sean cuts a sweet, slightly sad figure. At 6ft, he is taller than Rod but he has his father’s cheeky grin and confidence with women. Yet for all his advantages, it seems he is still looking for his place in the world. Sean dropped out of school at 16 and admits he has never held down a job in his life.
Instead, his trust fund ‘pays’ him $11,000 – about £7,500 – a month. It is clear where some of this, at least, has been going. He is covered in tattoos and is proud to show them off. Written across his stomach is the legend ‘Stewart’ with two ‘lucky’ clovers on either side.
When I gently point out that a lucky clover should have four leaves, he seems baffled, scratches his head, looks down at the tattoos and says: ‘Whatever.’

After several stints in rehab and a brief spell in jail for attacking a man during a drug-fuelled haze, Sean has now been clean and sober for nearly a year, the longest spell since his childhood. He hoped for a career as a singer, but that failed after his father took him to one side and told him he could not sing. But it is a slight Sean shrugs off: ‘Listen, Dad is iconic. He has one of the most distinctive pop voices ever.
'I tried to sing and he supported me but when he heard me he was honest and told me I should look for another career.
'Ruby’s the talented one in the family. She’s the only one who has inherited Dad’s vocal gift.’At this point Ruby, blonde and a double for her mother Kelly, pops her head around the door, clutching a small black lapdog and vainly hunting for another.
‘Hey, have you seen my dog?’ she asks her brother, before disappearing again back to her part of the guest house. In point of fact, the main house – all 30,000sq ft of it – is so big that there is no need for Rod to see any other resident unless he chooses. Yet, surveying Sean’s accommodation in the guest house, it is clear why his father might not want him around. Underwear, jeans and T-shirts are piled in one corner of the bedroom, which smells musty.
A selection of Kama Sutra massage oils and a video camera sit on a bedside table beside a picture of ‘the boys’ – Rod, Sean, Liam and young Alastair – posing by a goalpost.  Sean is more than happy to talk about his success with women. His most serious relationship, with Caleigh Peters, the daughter of movie producer Jon Peters (an ex-lover of Catherine Zeta-Jones) ended with a broken engagement a year ago.
We dated for two years but I found it hard to be faithful,’ Sean says. ‘I guess faithfulness is a problem all the Stewart men have.’

He walks across to the bathroom, also painted black, and stares in a mirror. ‘Do ya think I’m sexy?’ he asks, then supplies his own answer: ‘I’m cute, I’ve got a gorgeous face and all the girls love me.’ Sean is even happier to talk about his forthcoming ‘projects’, including a reality show scheduled for the summer in which he is due to embark on a new life in New York. ‘I’m going to have to support myself without my trust fund,’ he says. ‘I’m going to have to, like, get a real job. I’ve never had a real job so it should be fun to watch. ‘And I have plans for a clothing line. I want to make it affordable and good quality so kids can dress like a rock star but for a fraction of the cost.’
 

He also hopes to turn his love of music into a career as a professional DJ. With that, Sean declares that he is ‘exhausted’. He glances through the window, where a flash of spiked blond hair announces that Rod is walking towards the massive garage housing his fleet of Ferraris, a Bentley and the Range Rovers. Sean looks nervous. He says he has ‘an appointment’ to have lunch with Rod the next day before imploring: ‘Please don’t make this sound like there is anything wrong between Dad and me.
'He is such a great father, he looks after all his kids and he has been there for me so much recently. ‘He’s so busy that, of course, I make an appointment to see him for lunch. It’s just going to be me and him, which is cool. But Dad’s on the prowl right now. Time to make ourselves scarce.’

Why Rod & I want a new baby

PENNY HOPES TO SWAP NIGHTS OUT FOR NAPPIES

Dazed Rod Stewart celebrates Penny's birthday.

The beaming birthday girl was clearly in need of a little support as she tottered out of the party.
Judging by his dazed expression, however, Rod Stewart was in no fit state to provide it.
The 64-year-old singer had taken his wife Penny Lancaster to the Dorchester Hotel for a belated celebration of her 38th birthday, which was on March 15th. 

 

What a swell party that was: Rod in a daze as he leaves the Dorchester

They spent more than three hours toasting the occasion with champagne and nibbling on oriental delicacies at the hotel's China Tang restaurant.
The party had a private room, and Rod provided the music for the occasion... on a silver portable stereo.
By the time they emerged after midnight a tottering Penny, propped up by two pals, had removed her tights, which had become laddered, and had somehow acquired a military hat from a restaurant display. Meanwhile, Rod had his tie loosened and white shirt unbuttoned.

Penny Lancaster is propped up by friends as she leaves her birthday party ‘They were behaving like excitable teenagers in the car,’ one onlooker said. Penny was clutching her legs, clearly worried about her lack of tights, and Rod seemed to find this hilarious. He was just laughing and pointing at her.

It is not clear what she said to her husband after they stumbled into the back of their car. But it roused him sufficiently to bash her over the head with a tartan cushion. Miss Lancaster was surrounded by birthday gifts inside the car. Mr Stewart is understood to have given her a diamond Cartier ring. The couple, who have been living in the United States, are moving back to British soil so their three-year-old son, Alastair, can be educated in Britain.

 

Rod Stewart hotlegs it to the UK to get son in a top school.

Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster are moving back to Britain from America so that their three-year-old son Alastair can be educated here.

The couple, who are also hoping to have another baby, have told friends they want the boy enrolled in a top British private school and would like to spend more time in the UK.

Rod, 64, and Penny have a mansion in Epping Forest but will hang on to their £12million family home in Los Angeles and continue to spend time in the States.

 

A friend said: ‘Rod wants to move back to the UK so Alastair can get the best education. He and Penny both think it’s a safer place to bring up kids and don’t want Alastair going off the rails, which can happen in LA.

Five of Rod’s six other children – Kimberly, 29, and Sean, 28, with first wife Alana, Ruby, 21, with ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg, and Renee, 16, and Liam, 14, from his marriage to Rachel Hunter – have all lived at the Los Angeles mansion.

But Sean in particular has caused Rod a number of headaches over the years and is still the subject of a court case over an alleged attack on a clubber in an LA nightclub. 

‘LA is a party town and Rod’s seen the effects it can have on children first-hand,’ adds the source. ‘He and Penny are really keen for Alastair to be educated and brought up in Britain.’

Their planned move back will also mean that Penny, 38, is closer to her Essex-based family. ‘Penny is very much a home girl and wants to be in England more,’ says another friend. 

Meanwhile, I’m told, Kimberly, Ruby and Sean will have the run of the LA home. ‘They are looking forward to all the house parties they are planning when their dad leaves,’ says my mole in Los Angeles.

A spokesperson for Rod said: ‘When Alastair is older and it’s more important for him to settle in one school for exams etc, their wishes would be for a school in the UK.’

 You Wear It (not so) Well: Penny Lancaster's dress turns transparent under the flashlights.
 

It's hard to imagine what Penny Lancaster was thinking when she picked her outfit last night.

The hanging shawl-type knitted dress was hardly a flattering choice for Rod Stewart's wife, who usually chooses clinging clothes which show off her fabulous figure.
 

With her long legs and slim body, the model could have just about carried off the dress - if it weren't for the flashlights. Under their bright glare, the woollen fabric turned transparent - exposing the fact that Miss Lancaster was not wearing a bra.

Penny Lancaster arrives at the 1,000th performance of Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theatre in London last night wearing a transparent dress

It was as an underwear model for Ultimo that she made her name, although she was later replaced by her husband's ex-wife Rachel Hunter.

Perhaps Stewart has been saving his pennies recently by encouraging his fourth wife not to splash out on new undergarments.

The Scottish rocker was recently labelled 'cheap' by his son Sean during a televised U.S. court case.
 

However, with Stewart's estimated £70million fortune, it seems unlikely that Miss Lancaster would have to hold back her spending.

 

 

 

Penny for your thoughts! Miss Lancaster donned a hanging knitted dress
 

The 38-year-old mother showed off her outfit at a special performance of the Dirty Dancing musical in London last night. (19th March)

ROD'S FERRARI UP FOR AUCTION

Auction salesperson Karis Chandler poses with a guitar, as she sits on the front of Rod Stewart's red 2005 Superamerica 575 Ferrari, displayed outside the Hard Rock Cafe in London, Friday, March 6, 2009, ahead of Britain's first Rock and Roll motoring auction. Various cars and guitars with links to rock stars will be auctioned on March 12 at the Royal Horticultural Halls. The Ferrari is expected to fetch between £70,000- £85,000.

ROD & PENNY IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE...

Rod signs up for Haiti charity single...

Rod Stewart, Leona Lewis, JLS and Michael Buble have all agreed to take part in the Haiti charity single, which has been organised by Simon Cowell.

The artists will record a cover of REM's ballad Everybody Hurts.

The Sun newspaper, which has teamed up with Cowell, said Robbie Williams, Coldplay, Take That and Sir Paul McCartney have also been approached. Meanwhile, Madonna and Beyonce will take part in a global telethon to raise cash for the earthquake-hit country

Performances for the Hope for Haiti event will be screened on every major TV network in the US and streamed on websites around the world.Other acts taking part in the telethon include U2's Bono and The Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna, who will all be performing together in London.Wyclef Jean, who is a Haitian-American, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J Blige, Shakira and Sting will perform in New York.

Hollywood actor George Clooney has organised the event...

Speaking to MTV, he said: "It's a big world out there, and we all have a lot of responsibility to look out for people who can't look out for themselves. "So what we can do is first and foremost, raise money. If I thought we could all pick up shovels and go in there and help without being in the way, I think a lot of people would do that."

The proceeds from the single, which is being organised by Cowell, will be split between the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and the Sun's Helping Haiti campaign.The government has already agreed to waive VAT on the record and REM, who own the rights to the song, have also waived royalties on the charity track.

"We are all working hard to make this single a success and to raise lots of money for Helping Haiti," Cowell said. "We have a short time to do this and the people in Haiti need as much help as we can possibly give them as soon as possible. "I'd like to make this record with as many different types of singer as we can and I hope everyone in the industry comes together to get involved. The response has been fantastic."

Will Young, X Factor winner Joe McElderry and hip-hop trio N-Dubz are also said to have expressed an interest in singing.Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who apparently requested Cowell organise the charity track, said he thought the single would make a big difference.

DEC APPEAL   The UK's Disasters Emergency Committee is co-ordinating an appeal to help the people of Haiti There are 13 charities involved including the British Red Cross, Islamic Relief and World Vision Donate via the DEC website or by telephoning 0370 60 60 900   DEC radio appeal Haiti: How to help

"The agony and anguish for the people that we are seeing on our television screens is something that British people want to respond to."Simon Cowell can make a huge amount of money to help the people of Haiti."

Artists have also agreed to take part in a special eBay auction, which has been set up by Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis.Coldplay, Damon Albarn, the Arctic Monkeys, the Chemical Brothers, The Kooks, The Pet Shop Boys, Klaxons and Pearl Jam have all donated various pieces of rock memorabilia for the sale.

It goes live from 0900 GMT on Friday and will run for 10 days.

Coldplay's Chris Martin added: "I visited Haiti with Oxfam a few years ago. It's a country of extreme poverty and brutal living conditions. Most people in Port-au-Prince live in tin shacks."The earthquake that has struck Haiti will have turned the city into an unimaginable hell."

An estimated 1.5 million people were left homeless by the 7.0-magnitude quake, which is believed to killed as many as 200,000.