As is evident from the following rundown of my 2011 faves, last year was a fine one for both established pop artists and some upstart newcomers.  And for the first time in a few years, there was so much great pop music being released that I had a tough time whittling my favorites down to just 20.  But alas, after many long, painful nights which ended up with me pondering my very existence on this planet….ah, who the hell am I kidding?  There’s no existential B.S. allowed here – just some cool music.  Here’s the list:

Kurt Baker

1. Kurt Baker – Rockin’ For a Living (Stardumb/Oglio)
Baker lets his pop flag fly loud and proud – on good ‘ol fashioned vinyl, yet – on this 10-song release. How do we know he’s pop? Well, he wears a skinny tie, he co-wrote one of the tunes here with Tommy Dunbar from the Rubinoos, and he covers not only the Knack, but also a 30-year-old number from Wisconsin’s new wave/power pop semi-legends Yipes!, for corn’s sake. The other (pop) proof is in the pudding, where Baker and his band barrel their way through a deliriously catchy group of stellar original tunes (“Just Forget About It” and “Don’t Steal My Heart Away” in particular deserve induction in that mythical Power Pop Hall of Fame) that owe big ‘ol debts to early Elvis Costello and the aforementioned Rubinoos. Hooks, energy and panache to spare – what’s not to love? (Technical-type notes: the LP was released by Stardumb in the Netherlands, while Oglio released a condensed, 6-song EP here in the U.S., which  unfortunately excises the Knack cover and a sweet little Gary Lewis-like charmer called “Since You’ve Been On My Mind,” among others.)

Fountains of Wayne

2. Fountains of Wayne – Sky Full of Holes (Yep Roc)
Ho hum, another typically wonderful FoW disc. Snappy melodies, smart (and often smartass) lyrics and Chris Collingwood’s understated lead vocals are again the stars of the show, while tunes such as “Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart” and “A Dip in the Ocean” are as good as anything they’ve ever done. Elsewhere, “A Road Song” manages to push both the sweet and smartass buttons while name checking Steve Perry and Will Ferrell, and “Hate To See You Like This” is actually a pretty tender ballad(well, as tender as a song that uses the word “disinfected” can be).

The Wellingtons

3. The Wellingtons – In Transit (Zip)
Ain’t no power pop like Aussie power pop, and the Wellingtons dish it out here in a high energy, fun and consistently engaging manner. The boy/girl vocals are quite fetching indeed, as are the daubs of well-placed synthesizer on many of the songs. Nothing even close to a duff track to be found, and “Baby’s Got a Secret” just might be the song of the year for me.

Andy Reed of An American Underdog

4. An American Underdog – Always On the Run (Pop Factory)
Michigan’s Andy Reed is the brains behind An American Underdog, and here he fashions (nearly all by his lonesome) a winning combination of upbeat pop numbers (the distorto guitar-led “Nothing I Can Do” and the uber-poppy “I’ll Miss You Girl” are personal faves) and more languid slower ones. Reed’s clear, sweet voice is one of his greatest assets, and overall, this is the kind of stuff that gives singer/songwriters a good name.

Michael Oliver

5. Michael Oliver & The Sacred Band – Yin & Yanxiety (Self-released)
Some old school popsongs here, some Beach Boys-influenced whimsy there and a whole slew of well-written and well-played tunes that are just plain enjoyable (hello, “Love While it Lasted”) comprise the excellent Yin & Yanxiety. The downcast ballads “It Was You” and “I Won’t Get Over You” are highlights, as is the sweet “Tell Me What You’re Dreaming” and the boppy “This Close to Heaven.” Oliver’s obvious flair for melody and the fact that his spare ballads slot in easily alongside the full band rockers help push this album over the top.

Tommy Keene

6. Tommy Keene – Behind the Parade (Second Motion)
Keene’s been a model of consistency for close to 30 (!) years now, and Behind the Parade is one of his finest later period efforts. The guitars ring and crunch appropriately and songs such as “Deep Six Saturday,” “Already Made Up Your Mind” and “His Mother’s Son” should find their place on the next TK “best of” compilation.

The Cry

7. The Cry! – The Cry! (Self-released)
If you’re a fan of Locksley – you know, young fellas who dole out slightly reckless, ’60s-influenced mod tuneage – then you’ll find plenty to like about The Cry! Hailing from Portland, OR, these kids also spice up their short, sassy tunes with some aural nods to the ’50s from time to time, and spit out their dozen songs in less than 30 minutes. Fave moment: during the instrumental break on the pounding “Modern Cinderella,” you can hear a Cry guy admit, “I f**ked up, guys.”

Smithereens

8. Smithereens – 2011 (Eone)
Reuniting with producer Don Dixon for their first collection of original songs in many moons, the Jersey boys sound as if they’ve never been away. As a matter of fact, tracks such as “Sorry,” “One Look at You” and “Rings On Her Fingers” make this sound very much like a worthy follow up to 1988′s Green Thoughts. Powerful guitar pop like only the ‘Reens can do it.

Brandon Wilde

9. Brandon Wilde – Hearts in Stereo (Self-released)
A low-key, under the radar stunner of a record (actually a download, since that’s the only way to obtain it) from NY’s Brandon Wilde. It’s very singer/songwritery, but the melodies are quite often drop dead gorgeous: witness the sweetly glorious “Ooh La,” another contender for song of the year.

Dwight Twilley

10. Dwight Twilley – Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
Beginning life as a batch of autobiographical tunes meant to accompany a proposed documentary about his life, Soundtrack ended up as Twilley’s best album in years. Joined by old cohorts Bill Pitcock IV on guitar (who sadly passed away not long after participating in the sessions) and Susan Cowsill on harmony vocals, it’s a welcome return to the classic mid-tempo, melodic Twilley sound. The ballsy “God Didn’t Do It” rocks like hell, the beautiful “Out in the Rain” recalls Twilley’s own “You Don’t Care” and “The Lonely One” should stand as one of his best ever cuts after everything is said and done. Oh, and “Good Things Come Hard,” an aural tribute to Twilley’s late bandmate Phil Seymour, is sure to induce a tear or two from power pop fans.

11. The Breakdowns – The Kids Don’t Wanna Bop Anymore (Rock Indiana)
You say you like classic late ’70s power pop? If so, you won’t want to miss this release, which recalls the Plimsouls (especially vocally) and other bands of the period, such as the Tremblers. There’s also a serious Ramones influence going on, especially on tunes such as “Summertime Twist,” which sounds nearly identical to the Ramones’ “Touring.” Still, it’s mighty fab stuff.

12. The Red Button – As Far As Yesterday Goes (Grimble)
Seth Swirsky and Mike Ruekberg are back with another helping of marvelous ’60s-inflected pop, greatly influenced by the Beatles (“Caught in the Middle”), Zombies, Nilsson, Byrds and sunshine pop. The overall sound is a bit closer to Swirsky’s solo efforts than it is to the first Red Button record, but no matter – it’s all good.

13. Michael Mazzarella – Songwriter (Kool Kat)
As the leader of the Rooks and as a solo artist, Michael Mazzarella has released some of the most outstanding – and deeply felt and personal – pop music of the past 20 years. Songwriter is a 5-disc collection of all things Mazzarella: it basically takes his entire songwriting output and presents it in a new light by juxtaposing all the tracks in an entirely different order from their original release. The quality of it all is revelatory, as is a 21-track bonus disc of previously unreleased demos – “Shades of Green,” “A Great Pretender,” “To Tell the Truth” and “Save Me Baby” (to name just a few) are all classic Maz.

14. The Fire Apes – A Life in Letters (Self-released)
A Life in Letters finds the Fire Apes transitioning to a more harder-edged and (dare we say it?) commercial sound without sacrificing one whit of their pop sensibility. “It’s Over” and “‘Cause You Don’t” are two uber-catchy examples of the Apes’ new direction, while “If Things Don’t Look So Good Today” and the string-laden “6 1/2 Years” both showcase leader John Seymour’s uniquely expressive voice in a slightly mellower pop setting. Very cool.

15. Meyerman – Who Do You Think You Are? (Pretty Decent)
Mixed and engineered by Gripweeds drummer Kurt Reil, Meyerman’s debut release features up front, power chorded guitars, snappy, compact tunes and tight vocal harmonies – in short, this is what power pop should be. Picks to click: the statement of purpose “New Direction,” the tongue-in-cheek “Permission to Rock You” and the Cheap Trick-influenced “Metalface.”

16. David Mead – Dudes (Self-released)
Gotta admit that I’ve never been much of a David Mead fan, but this one really hit me hard. From the gentle sway of “I Can’t Wait,” “Tell Me What I Gotta Do” and (especially) “The Smile of Rachael Ray” to the overtly non-PC vaudevillian strut of “Guy on Guy” (yes, it’s about that) and the hilariously vulgar “No One Roxx This Town No More” (the fact that it sounds like Michael McDonald-era Doobies is part of the gag), the songs here are across-the-board great. Oh, and I dare you not to sing along to “Bocce Ball” after one listen.

17. Cirrone – Uplands Park Road (Escape)
Miss Badfinger? Snap this one up, then. Quite beautiful, well-produced and unfailingly melodic.

18. Beady Eye – Different Gear, Still Speeding (Dangerbird)
I was never much of an Oasis fan, either – always thought they sorta tried too hard – but if you’ve got a hankering for a varied, entertaining record that brings the Britpop sounds of the ’60s into the new millennium without any sort of pandering or retro B.S., then check out the latest from Liam Gallagher’s post-Oasis combo.

19. Nick Lowe – The Old Magic (Yep Roc)
Nick Lowe’s last several efforts have generally been too quiet and mellow for my tastes, but The Old Magic seems to strike just the right balance between an “adult” sound and something of a subdued country rock vibe. I particularly dig the swingin’ “Somebody Cares For Me” (which sounds like a not-too-distant cousin to Lowe’s “Half a Boy and Half a Man”), a speedy little shuffle called “Checkout Time” (“I’m 61 years old now/Lord, I never thought I’d see 30″), the devastating ballad “House For Sale” and a nice reading of Tom T. Hall’s “Shame On the Rain.” The sound of growing older gracefully.

20. Terry Anderson and the OAK Team – More Smooth Jazz and Sweet Sweet Jams
Coming off like a cross between Exile On Main Street-era Stones and your favorite band at the local watering hole on a Saturday night, Terry Anderson and the boys play their brand of rock fast and loose and with some country-esque overtones. It’s a highly enjoyable brew that’ll have you singing – and probably drinking – along in no time flat.

By Jeb Wright

Lemmy is one of only a handful of people in the entertainment industry recognizable by only one name, in fact most don’t even know that he has a last one. Unlike Madonna and Prince, Lemmy never used his one word moniker as a marketing tool. There was no simulated sex on an altar and no running around in a pair of golden underwear onstage. Nope, for more than 30 years Lemmy has worn a black cowboy hat, black shirt and pants, boots, sported two large moles on his face, had unkempt shaggy hair and pounded the hell out of his bass guitar.

As he gets older, he seems to be ignoring Neil Young’s advice to either burn out or fade away. Lemmy is defying the odds just as he did when he drove a van full of Jimi Hendrix’s gear across England wearing kaleidoscope glasses on his face. He doesn’t play by the rules, he doesn’t like rules, and he doesn’t like the people who make the rules.

(Love collecting Lemmy memorabilia? Learn more)

In this interview we chat about Lemmy the movie, Motörhead’s new CD and topics as diverse as drugs, Joan Jett and stealing from the poor.

It seems that every time we talk you are getting more and more famous. Now you’re a movie star.
Lemmy: [laughter] It’s not that kind of movie.

What was your first reaction when you learned that they wanted to do this film?
Lemmy: I thought it was very flattering. It is quite amusing because everyone says that I’m a nice guy. It is kind of painful in the end. As long as you don’t believe it then you will be alright.

You really are getting more popular.
Lemmy: It seems to be. It is good for the band too, you know. It’s just that I am too old now to chase all the woman involved; which just seems a shame. I think they did a really good job with the film. It wasn’t too showbiz and it wasn’t too ordinary. The guys who did the movie were all fans or at least they were when they started it. I don’t know if they still are now.

You also have a new album titled “The World is Yours.” You keep putting out genuine albums when a lot of your contemporaries are doing nothing, or, at least, nothing worthwhile.
Lemmy: We know what we are doing by now. Christ, we should know because we have had a long time to rehearse. We seem to make an album every 18 months or so and I think every band should do that. We’re not writing “Sgt. Pepper” every time; we are writing straight ahead rock n’ roll, do you know what I mean?

Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead autographs an eager fan in this movie still from "Lemmy." Photo courtesy Shore Fire Media/Lemmy Movie LLC.

You’re not outspoken, but when people ask you something, you tell them the truth.
Lemmy: I have done interviews in the past, and they cut everything out except for the outrageous line, and then they take it out of context. I think that is just about as dishonest as a person giving a bad interview. I despise people like that; they don’t get two tries. It’s all just sensation. It is always bullshit. How many times can a rock star go over the top on drugs? How many times can a rock star be unfaithful to his old lady? It is really fu**ing boring, and that is what they do over and over and over. They just print the same sh*t.

Lemmy Kilmister, better known as Lemmy from Motorhead, is the subject of the new documentary "Lemmy." Lesser known? He hates heroin, once climbed down the outside of a Holiday Inn to surprise a crew member and admits that Motorhead once stole music gear so the members could rehearse. Photo courtesy Shore Fire Media/Robert John.

You’re not anti-drugs, but you are anti-heroin.
Lemmy: I hate that sh*t. It killed off a lot of my generation. It killed off a lot of my friends. Now this generation is getting killed off again. I can’t believe it. How many dead bodies do we need to have piled up?

Did the music bring the drug culture or did the drug culture bring the music?
Lemmy: It just all happened. Music had been going on a long time before that. You have to remember that before rock n’ roll there were a bunch of jazz musicians all doing heroin. That sh*t has been around a long time. Every generation thinks they are stronger than the generation before it. They think, “It can’t happen to me.” In the past people have died making that same mistake. Maybe you should take note. People lose their lives in the drug wars and you don’t have to prove it to yourself because others have proved it for you.

At this stage of our life, looking back, was the drug use a positive or negative experience?
Lemmy: It was both, you know. Eric Clapton wrote “Layla” when he was coked out of his mind. Later on, it nearly killed him. You’ve got to try to figure out which is the bigger benefit and which is the bigger loser. It nearly killed him; he was in a very, very bad way for a long time, but he came through it. Most people don’t come through it because they don’t have the money to buy the people to look after them. Most people die a miserable and lonely death because they don’t have the people to nurse them and get them through it all.

Why have you survived?
Lemmy: Pure dumb luck. Also, I never did heroin.

What is the dumbest thing that you have ever done?
Lemmy: There are a lot of them, for sure. I climbed down the outside of a Holiday Inn once just to surprise one of my crew by getting on his balcony and knocking on his window.

Do you know what the odds are the Motörhead would still be together after everything that you have been through in both the industry and your personal life?
Lemmy: I should write a musical about it, shouldn’t I?

Lemmy on Broadway!
Lemmy: Yeah, yeah [laughter]. We could wear straw hats while dancing down the road, you know.

Legend holds that you woke up a guy out of a coma by just talking to him.
Lemmy: It became kind of a fad in the late ’70s to try to help people wake up out of comas by hearing things that they liked. I remember we sent out about six tapes. We heard that we were this one kid’s favorite band so we sent a tape that said, “Hey this is Motörhead. It’s time to wake up.” We sent out tapes to the others but they didn’t wake up. It was worth it just to have one kid wake up. I got to meet him after he woke up.

Last year a guy got killed after your show. How does that affect you?
Lemmy: A kid got killed, but it didn’t have anything to do with us. It was a gang thing that happened in the parking lot outside. One of the gang members set fire to his hair during the show. One of the rival gang members met up with him outside in the parking lot and killed him. It is a drag, really. You remember it, but sh*t, man … what can I do?

Your music is a release that is there to help people get rid of those feelings and not to promote that sh*t.
Lemmy: That is how I feel. It really hits home with you that it didn’t have any effect on these people. They were just as intent on f**king killing each other as they were before they came to the show. It was just fate, you know. I guess when you’re young you have tunnel vision on that sh*t.

Which was your favorite decade …the ‘60s, the ‘70s or the ‘80s?
Lemmy: Probably the ‘60s, because there were hardly any rules and heroin hadn’t shown up, so people hadn’t started dying. It was incredibly upbeat, and we almost did change the world. I guess that was the best one … the ‘70s were pretty good, too.

Even Lemmy loves The Beatles. Motorhead's bass player browses at an Amoeba record shop in the new documentary "Lemmy." "The Beatles had an influence on everybody," he said. Photo courtesy Shore FIre Media/Lemmy Movie LLC.

Did the Beatles really influence Motörhead?
Lemmy: The Beatles had an influence on everybody. You have to realize what an incredible explosion the Beatles were. They were the first band to not have a lead singer in the band. They were the first band to write their own songs in Britain because we always just covered American songs before that. Everybody was singing at the same time and the harmonies were great. Daily papers in England used to have an entire page of the paper dedicated to what the Beatles had done the day before. When George died the guards at Buckingham Palace played a medley of George’s songs during the changing of the guard; that sort of thing never happens.

Motorhead's Lemmy (far left) performs with Metallica. Photo courtesy Shore Fire Media/Jeff Yeager.

Motörhead were the support act for Ozzy back on the Blizzard of Ozz tour. I am a huge fan of Randy Rhoads. What was he really like?
Lemmy: He was really a good guy. I never could get over how incredibly little he was. Randy had small hands. Boy, could he play guitar. He became an even better guitar player after he died. It is a well-known mystery that guitar players suddenly get better once they are dead. Buddy Holly was the first. Stevie Ray Vaughan is known by a lot more people than had ever heard of him when he was alive.

Tell me about the early days of The Runaways.
Lemmy: The first time The Runaways played in Britain, Joan Jett wore my bullet belt onstage. The Runaways were really the first all-girl band to really strut their stuff and say, “F**k you.” “Cherry Bomb” was the best song for a girl band to sing. It was just outrageous at the time. There were American families sitting on the sofa watching television going, “F**k me.” It was great fun.

Lemmy credits his survival to 'pure dumb luck.' No word on whether that luck holds at the casino, though. Photo courtesy Shore Fire Media/Lemmy Movie LLC.

Girlschool never got much respect in America.
Lemmy: They couldn’t afford to tour over here. If I hadn’t been living here, do you think we would have gotten a Grammy? No chance.

I bet there are still people on the Grammy committee that can’t believe they gave Motörhead a Grammy.
Lemmy: I think so, too. It was just a mercy f**k, as it was our 30th anniversary. They gave it to us for a cover of somebody else’s song. It would have a lot more meaning if it had been for one of our songs. We were nominated once before for our album 1916. We were up against Metallica at the time and they had just sold a quarter of a zillion albums.

At least you didn’t lose to Jethro Tull.
Lemmy: That’s true.

While he's old enough to qualify for any number of senior-citizen discounts, Motorhead's Lemmy has no problem keeping up with rock stars half his age. Still from the movie "Lemmy." Photo courtesy Shore Fire Media/Lemmy Movie LLC.

You hit 65 years of age. Are there any goals that you have not achieved or is there anywhere you would still like to play?
Lemmy: We never played China, India or Africa. We also haven’t played Russia enough. I would love to play those places. I would love to have some sort of hit in America before we go.

You are proof that you can still rock your ass off at 65.
Lemmy: You can as long as you are not married.

You never got married.
Lemmy: I have never been married, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t mate. As you get older you get too many bad habits. Who is ever going to put up with me?

Last one: I have also heard that Motörhead stole music gear just so they could rehearse. Is that true?
Lemmy: Well, yeah. We never nicked stuff from other bands because that was a no-no because we were all in the same boat. You don’t steal from the poor because, let’s face it, they’re poor. There’s no sense in that.

This placard from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 Bed-In for peace in Montreal sold for more than $155,000 at auction Nov. 15, 2011. Photo courtesy Christie's.

By Susan Sliwicki

A trio of Beatles-related lots comprised more than one-third of the total sales at the Popular Culture: Rock and Pop Memorabilia auction by Christie’s.

The Nov. 15 auction resulted in sales of $767,432 (all figures include buyers’ premiums), and 150 of the 216 lots offered were sold, according to a news release. Earning top lot honors was the ‘Bed Peace’ placard that hung above John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed at their historic 1969 Montreal Bed-In for Peace in Suite 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Signed in black ink by Lennon and green ink by Ono, the piece included caricatures of the couple in Lennon’s hand. It brought $155,892.

A full set of 15 of Lennon’s lithographs housed in the original white vinyl “Bag One” case sold for $69,330 — more than twice the presale estimate of $24,045-$32,060. Each lithograph was signed by Lennon, and each was numbered 52/300. All of the prints were listed in Mint condition, while the bag showed minor marking and minimal signs of age, according to the Christie’s online catalog.

A handwritten letter from Paul McCartney to an unknown drummer that included the offer of an audition for The Beatles sold for more than four times the pre-auction estimate at Christie's pop culture auction held Nov. 15, 2011. Photo courtesy Christies.

A handwritten letter from Paul McCartney to an unknown drummer sold for $55,412.

“A dramatic, last-minute telephone bid competing against bidders in the room and online secured the rediscovered Paul McCartney handwritten letter generating a result far in excess of the presale estimate for this very important document,” Director Neil Roberts said in a news release.

The letter, which was a response to an Aug. 8, 1960, ad in the Liverpool Echo (Box KP 60) that read “Drummer — Young — Free,” was expected to fetch between $11,221 to $14,427, according to the online catalog. The auction house graded the letter in good/fair condition overall, noting some fading to the ink, slight water damage and minor splits and tears along the fold lines and paper edges.

Dated Aug. 12, 1960 — four days after after McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe had verbally committed to travel to Hamburg on Aug. 15, 1960 as a five-piece band — the letter is one of the earliest documented occasions that the band referred to itself as The Beatles. The story behind the letter’s discovery is a collector’s dream. A Liverpool man found the folded-up letter inside of a collectibles price guide he purchased in early 2011 at a sale in Bootle, near The Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool.

“Following an ongoing trend for popular culture sales at Christie’s, Internet bidding played a significant part in the sale, with over 36 percent  of lots bought or directly under bid online,” Roberts added.

A range of instruments, clothing, posters, awards, signed items and ephemera once owned, worn, played or inscribed by international legends of the music industry were among the auction . Other highlights included:

• A set of 30 black-and-white transparencies (35 mm) of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, $48,090. The images were taken by Henry Passar in Paris and Amsterdam in March 1969, and they were sold with the copyright. (Preauction estimate: $15,700-$23,600).

• A two-piece suit and western-style shirt worn by The Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious at court appearances circa 1978, $16,030. Made from navy blue fabric flecked with silver lame thread, the suit featured a single-breasted jacket and was labeled Kammgarn TREVIRA inside. The black shirt had snap buttons. The lot also included four black and white photographs showing Vicious wearing the suit, as well as a Victoria & Albert Museum catalog and five commemorative postcards. (Presale estimate: $16,030 to $24,045).

• Two early pen and ink drawings by John Lennon, $14,026 apiece. One drawing featured a humorous illustration of a couple sitting up in bed, titled “We’re Just Good Friends;” the other is a humorous depiction of a middle-aged couple pushing a pram, surrounded by 10 infants, titled “But I Do Love You Dear.” Both drawings were given by Lennon to a female friend during their time together at the Liverpool College of Art, circa 1958, according to the catalog. (Presale estimate for each drawing: $11,221 – $14,427).

• A black and white photograph showing John Lennon and Yoko in bed, $13,024. The photo was taken by Henry Pessar in 1969, during the couple’s Bed-In For Peace in Room 702 at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel. Signed and dedicated in black marker pen “To Henry Proust Love John Lennon Yoko Ono,” the photo also features Lennon’s customary portrait caricatures.  (Presale estimate: $6,412 – $8,015).

A host of signatures of famous musicians, including Paul McCartney, Slash and David Gilmour, adorn this guitar sold to benefit the Band Aid Trust. Photo courtesy Christie's.

• Eric Clapton’s 1980s Fender Stratocaster Elite model guitar, $11,021. The cream finish guitar features a maple neck with skunk-stripe routing, 21- fret fingerboard with dot inlays, three Fender Elite-style pickups, three rotary controls, selector switch and active electronics. Case included. (Presale estimate: $9,618-$12,824).

More than a dozen items that were donated or autographed to generate money for The Band Aid Trust also were featured in the sale. They included:

• Pete Townshend’s owned and Live Aid-used Roger Giffin/Schecter guitar, $55,865. The black and white guitar with a Telecaster-style body was accompanied by a signed letter from Townshend about the instrument’s provenance. (Presale estimate: $48,090 – $80,150).

• A custom-made guitar with an African zebrawood body in the shape of the African continent, $24,045. The guitar is signed on the body, fingerboard and neck by artists including Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmoure, The Who’s Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, Slash, Keane, Pete Doherty, Sting, Bob Geldof, Neil Morrissey, Annie Lennox, Robbie Williams, Snoop Dog and members of Sterophonics, UB40, Velvet Revolver and The Killers. (Presale estimate: $9,618 to $12,824).

For more information or to view upcoming events, visit www.christies.com

GOLDMINE has teamed up with Universal Music to give away “Ed Sullivan Presents: Rock ‘N Roll Revolution: The British Invade America, America Fights Back” DVD Collection.

In the ’60s, a new sound of rock ‘n roll came across the Atlantic from England.  The “British Invasion” was a musical movement unlike anything America had ever experienced.  It sparked a massive cultural change in rock n’ roll and ignited a friendly and creative musical rivalry between British and American rock bands. At the heart of this revolution was The Ed Sullivan Show, chronicling this movement from the beginning by giving these new groups a national platform and broadcasting them into millions of living rooms across America.

On August 2, 2011, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) and SOFA Entertainment presented the DVD collection Ed Sullivan Presents: Rock ‘N Roll Revolution: The British Invade America, America Fights Back.  Hosted by Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas and Graham Nash of The Hollies, this DVD is packed with cutting-edge performances and insightful interviews from the musicians themselves.

When The Beatles landed on Ed Sullivan’s stage in February 1964, our world changed forever. The so-called “British Invasion” took America by storm and bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Hollies, Herman’s Hermits and The Animals were all over the record charts. Their beat – a reinvigorated brand of rock ’n roll was taking America by storm and kids couldn’t get enough of it.  How did America respond? We met the British head on with groundbreaking artists of our own such as The Beach Boys, The Mamas and The Papas, The Byrds, Bob Dylan and James Brown.

Included on Rock ‘N Roll Revolution is The Beatles historic first American television appearance with “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You,” The Rolling Stones performing their hits “Time Is On My Side” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” Herman’s Hermits doing “Dandy” and The Animals with “Bring It On Home To Me.” The American acts showcase their own brand of rock ‘n roll including The Beach Boys singing “Good Vibrations,” The Byrds performing their Bob Dylan penned hit “Mr. Tambourine Man,” The Godfather of Soul James Brown doing “Please, Please, Please,” the one and only Bob Dylan with “I Don’t Believe You” and The Mamas and The Papas with “Monday, Monday.”

Rock ‘N Roll Revolution also includes additional bonus material that features two previously unreleased and quite revealing interviews with rock legends David Crosby of The Byrds and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas.

The Ed Sullivan Show changed the landscape of American television and music and was an undisputed institution in American pop culture.  Here is the track list of iconic performances by the groundbreaking artists that appear on Rock ‘N Roll Revolution:

1.  I Want To Hold Your Hand               THE BEATLES
2.  Ferry Cross The Mersey        GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS
3.  Time Is On My Side                              THE ROLLING STONES
4.  Bring It On Home To Me                   THE ANIMALS
5.  Mr. Tambourine Man                         THE BYRDS
6.  I Don’t Believe You                          BOB DYLAN
7.  Carrie Anne                                         THE HOLLIES
8.  Dandy                                                 HERMAN’S HERMITS
9.  Please, Please, Please                    JAMES BROWN
10. Come See About Me                         THE SUPREMES
11. Turn On Your Love Light              THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
12. Do You Believe In Magic?               THE LOVIN’ SPOONFUL
13. Monday, Monday                               THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS
14. Good Vibrations                               THE BEACH BOYS
15. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction        THE ROLLING STONES
16. She Loves You                                  THE BEATLES

TO ENTER:
Step 1. Head to Goldmine’s Facebook page (GoldmineMag) and “like” us … OR go to Twitter and “follow” us (@Goldmine_mag). (If you already do either or both of these, skip directly to Step 2!)

Step 2. Comment on this page, and tell us why — gold stars for doing it in 140 characters or less — you want to win this particular item. Then sit back and wait to win!

PUBLICATIONS/GOLDMINE MAGAZINE
GOLDMINE Ed Sullivan GIVEAWAY SWEEPSTAKES
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
OFFERED ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (“U.S.”), AGED 18 YEARS OR OLDER.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older. Employees, officers and directors of F+W Publications, Inc. (“Sponsor”), its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies (collectively, “Sponsor and its agents”) and immediate family members (spouses and siblings, children and parents and their spouses, regardless of where they live) or members of the same households (whether related or not) of such individuals are not eligible. Void where prohibited.

PRIZE/ODDS OF WINNING: Before Aug 31, 2011, representatives of the Sponsor will conduct a random drawing from among all eligible entries received to award five (5) each of the Grand Package Prize: Ed Sullivan Presents Rock ‘N Roll Revolution’ DVD Collection. Valued at approx. $50.00 (ARP) each. Odds of winning will be determined by the number of eligible entries received. No prize transfer or cash redemption permitted. No prize substitution, in whole or in part, except by Sponsor due to prize unavailability, safety or security considerations, or any other reason as solely determined by Sponsor in which case a prize of comparable or greater value will be awarded. Winner will be notified by phone, email, postal mail or express mail at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Return of a prize notification or other documentation as undeliverable will result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected. Winner may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility, a liability release and (where legal) a publicity release, which must be returned within the time period specified in the notification letter or an alternate winner may be selected.

GENERAL: Taxes on prize and all expenses related to acceptance and use of prize and not specified are the sole responsibility of winner. Winners of prizes valued at $600 or more will be issued an IRS 1099 Form for the value of the prize. By participating, entrants agree [a] to these rules and decisions of Sponsor and judges, which shall be final in all respects relating to this Sweepstakes; and [b] to release, discharge and hold harmless Sponsor and its agents from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind resulting from their participating in the Sweepstakes or their acceptance, use or misuse of a prize including, without limitation, personal injury, death and property damage; and if a winner, [c] to permit Sponsor to use his or her name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, voice likeness and city and state address for advertising, publicity and promotional purposes in all media, including but not limited to on air and online, in perpetuity, without compensation (unless prohibited by law) and agree to execute specific consent to such use upon request. Sponsor and its agents are not responsible for and shall not be liable for: [a] electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet, computer or other technical malfunctions, failures, or difficulties of any kind, including without limitation, server malfunction or by any human error which may occur in the collection, processing and transmission of data; [b] lost, late, misdirected, illegible or incomplete entries or postage-due mail; [c] any type of graphical or other error in the advertising or printing of the Sweepstakes or in the administration of the Sweepstakes; or [d] any condition that may cause the administration, security or proper play of the Sweepstakes to be disrupted or corrupted; and in such event Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or suspend the Sweepstakes or any portion thereof and to award the prize(s) via a random drawing from among all eligible entries legitimately received prior to cancellation. Entry information becomes property of Sponsor.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Internet entry must be made by the entrant only at the authorized Web site address. Entries may not be made by any other individual or any entity, and/or originate at any other Internet Web site or e-mail address, including but not limited to commercial sweepstakes subscription notification and/or entering service sites. Any winner who enters by any of the methods described above will be disqualified and an alternate winner selected. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting an online entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the person in whose name the e-mail account is registered at the time of entry. Potential winner may be required to provide evidence that winner is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the winning entry. Use of any device to automate entry is prohibited. Judge’s decisions are final and binding.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION/CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited, by participating each entrant agrees that all issues and questions concerning these official rules shall be governed by Ohio law without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law of any jurisdiction. Entrant agrees that any action at law or in equity arising out of or relating to this Sweepstakes shall be filed only in the state or federal courts located in Hamilton County in the state of Ohio, United States, and entrant hereby consents and submits to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purposes of litigating any such action. Except where prohibited, by participating in this Sweepstakes, entrant agrees that: [a] any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; and [b] any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with participating in this Sweepstakes but in no event attorneys’ fees; and [c] under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain awards for and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.
USE OF ENTRANT INFORMATION: As permitted by law and in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, each entrant agrees that the Sponsor may share his/her entry information (including name, address, email address, etc.) with Sponsor’s promotional partners and other parties and grant Sponsor, its promotional partners and other third parties with whom Sponsor chooses to share your information, permission to contact you about upcoming promotions, special offers or for other reasons via electronic and ordinary mail. If you would prefer not to hear from us or prefer us not to share information about you, please opt out in accordance with our on-line privacy policy, available for viewing at http://www.fwmedia.com/privacy.
WINNER LIST: To receive a winner list, mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to be received by Sept 1, 2011 to: Goldmine Giveaway Sweepstakes, 700 E. State St. Iola, WI 54990-0001
SPONSOR: F+W Publications, Inc., 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45326