It’s clearly a slow news day in Celeb-land, as The Sun and The Mirror both regurgitate Robbie Williams quotes from his visit to We Will Rock You the other night.

The Mirror reckon Robbie said he was definitely going to rejoin Take That (a dull rumour that’s been doing the rounds every month since 2005). However, while The Sun’s report agrees with this, it also says that he was dashing back to the studio to record with Mark Ronson.

Now, let’s imagine that you’ve been asked the same question for four years: “Any chance of you rejoining Take That, Rob?” Why not just nod your head and go along with it? “Yeah, yeah. Even though I’m clearly recording a solo album, I’d love nothing more than to hook up with Take That again.”

Don’t you think that he might want to wait and see how well his new album does before committing himself to Take That?

Anyway, with Mark Ronson’s brand of music hitting the overexposure point, will his ‘magic touch’ be effective in rejuvenating Robbie’s career? I don’t think so. His collaboration with the Kaiser Chiefs has sent that particular band packing with a poor-selling third album.

To be honest, I’ve kind of got used to Take That without him and I’m not exactly missing his presence in the charts. But I still have a soft spot for Robbie, and he does have to make a living. Maybe we should have a whip-round, spare him from helping tarmac roads in China again?

Jaw-dropping Led Zeppelin news to start the new year with – Jimmy Page’s manager has confirmed that the remaining members of the band are planning to reform. But they’re going to replace Robert Plant and they’re going to take this new act on tour and into the studio to record a new album.

From the report – which I just read on NME – Peter Mensch (a far more reliable source than The Sun) told BBC 6Music that Page and Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones enjoy working together, and that John Bonham’s son Jason seems to be more than happy to sign on as drummer.

Jimmy Page has been playing guitar professionally since he was 16 years old. Jimmy Page likes being a musician. That’s what he does! He doesn’t want to be a race car driver or a solicitor.

So they [Page, Jones, Bonham] did the show with Robert Plant; they had a really good time rehearsing, the three of them, before Robert showed up.

And they decided that if they could find a singer that they thought would fit their bill – whatever their bill was at this stage in their career – that they’d make a record and go on tour.

And I support that because, why not? That’s what Jimmy Page does. That’s his job, his hobby, his vocation.

John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page enjoy playing with each other, Jason Bonham is a really good drummer so why not? We just need to find a singer.

Now, this is totally unprecedented stuff for a band of Led Zeppelin’s stature – replacing an iconic lead singer like Robert Plant, who incidentally was named the greatest vocalist in rock by NME recently.

Naming the band?

This immediately begs the question(s): will the project be called Led Zeppelin? Who owns the rights to the name? Can Page resurrect the band without Plant’s consent, or will Plant happily give the project his blessing? Will the fans accept a reformed Led Zeppelin that doesn’t feature Plant?

Funnily enough, I was listening to Zep’s Coda album the other day, with excellent versions of I Can’t Quit You Baby and Wearing And Tearing. Don’t you wonder what the band would have come up with if they’d continued?

To be honest, I don’t think they can get away with calling the new band Led Zeppelin. It just won’t be. Call it something tongue in cheek, like Stairway to Zeppelin. Shit, why not call it Lead Balloon? OK, maybe Led Balloon.

And who’s the new singer?

From all indications, the band are nowhere near recruiting or confirming a new singer at this stage. Aerosmith are just about to hit the studio to start work on their long-delayed new album, so the rumors about Steven Tyler taking over the role are probably ill-founded.

Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell has been suggested as a possible new singer, and that’s an interesting option because he’s currently without a band, is an excellent vocalist and might take the band in interesting directions creatively. He’s also on the verge of recording a solo album, so is he a plausible replacement for Plant? Hope so.

I wonder if Page’s original choice of singer for Led Zeppelin – Steve Marriott – is available for the gig? I’m pretty sure Jimmy won’t have to worry about broken fingers this time around!

Anyway, as I hinted up above, if this rumor had come from the tabloids, I’d be severely sceptical. But coming from Jimmy Page’s manager, the news is exciting and has me wondering what the future holds for Zeppelin. And much as I’d miss Plant, how exciting to see most of the band back together again?

Must dig out that Walking Into Clarksdale album again…

I’ll bet Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow are regretting ever meeting up at a football game a few weeks ago.

The tabloids are going to town on this story, today speculating that because Robbie has recently bought a mansion in the country, he’ll be needing some cash to pay the mortgage.

I mean, they’re even interpreting a comment like:

I’d like to think we’d be the only band in the history of music to get together because of artistic differences.

as a positive signal that he’s considering re-joining the band.

This is despite Gary Barlow stating that they don’t need Robbie and Robbie doesn’t need them.

I don’t want to dash the hopes of housewives everywhere, but I just don’t believe it’ll happen. Take That have proven they can be successful without Robbie. And does Robbie want or need Take That? I don’t think so.

If Robbie Williams could get his act together long enough to rejoin the boys, then he’d be just as capable of releasing a new solo album (which he’s working on). The best I think we can expect is a cameo appearance at a live TT show or a collaboration on a single.

As a matter of fact, I think all that Robbie needs is to prove that he and the other guys are on speaking terms again. I think that would restore Robbie’s reputation in the eyes of the public, clearing the way for him to resume his solo career. But maybe with some decent tunes this time round, eh?

Am I the only one who thinks that Take That should remain a four-piece at this stage of their career? Or are you still craving the classic lineup?

Look at this photo of S Club 7 – those were the days, weren’t they? Bring It All Back, Natural, Don’t Stop Movin’…all those hits! Well, the band are planning to reform for a series of university and club dates.

That’s a lie, actually. You can hardly call it a reunion when only 3 out of the original 7 are involved. Apparently only Jo O’Meara, Paul Cattermole (who left the group to form a rock band before S Club actually disbanded) and Bradley McIntosh are involved in the project.

I’d imagine the other 4 have gainful employment and weren’t able to join in the ‘fun’ reunion. It’s like Lee Latchford Evans and H getting together and calling it a Steps reunion (which hasn’t happened yet, but it might

O’Meara was undoubtedly the voice of S Club, but without Rachel Stevens for star appeal, it’s hardly worth it. Rachel can currently be seen dancing her heart out on Strictly Come Dancing, while Hannah Spearritt has carved a fairly successful acting career for herself.

Frankly, and there’s no way to say this without seeming mean – this is a humiliating move for these three. I’m not ashamed to admit to being a fan of the group – they left behind some brilliant pop songs – but this reunion is so undignified, I can’t even bring myself to be snide about it.

As we said last week amid all the speculation of a Led Zeppelin reunion – it ain’t over with Zep until someone releases an official statement.

And now someone has released an official statement: stand up Mr Robert Plant. Via his website, Plant has released an official statement saying that he’s not planning to tour for at least the next two years, and that he will certainly not be touring with Led Zeppelin.

In a post-script to all this, he managed to insult fans and Zep-watchers by claiming that the speculation was “frustrating and ridiculous”.

This leaves folk like us confused about what’s going on with Led Zeppelin. Wasn’t there speculation that Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham were working together with an unnamed singer?

Only time will tell if this is true or not. If the remaining Zeppelin members did decide to tour, would they have the right to call it “Led Zeppelin” if Plant’s still alive? We’re sure that issue is a legal and logistical minefield. Probably better to call it something else and disassociate Led Zep. The fans will lap it up anyway.

But is Plant a spoilsport? Is he disregarding the wishes of the loyal legions of fans who’ve followed him and Zeppelin over the decades?

It’s hard to judge. Plant has had a long and distinguished career, first as lead singer of Zep, then as a solo artist. He’s now managed to completely reinvent himself and start a new phase of a career with Alison Krauss in the bluegrass genre. How many musicians are that lucky in their lifetimes?

And Zep fans, especially those who’ve taken the time to read and learn about Robert and Jimmy, will understand Robert’s need to thrive and record new music and explore different genres. It would be easy for him to coast by on past glories and spend his later years rehashing Zeppelin tracks while people complain “he can’t hit the high notes like he used to”.

Interestingly, Plant has taken the high road, while we – the fans – seem to be living in the past. Let’s celebrate his career, buy a copy of Raising Sand and stop day dreaming about reunions that will never happen.

The Led Zeppelin rumour mill has been in overdrive since way back in June 2007 – that’s when we first started talking about possible reunions.

As you all know, Robert, Jimmy and John reunited, with the rightful heir to the drum riser, Jason Bonham, and the band performed a one-off concert in London last autumn.

However, Robert Plant went cold on the idea of a full-on reunion soon after the O2 concert, preferring to focus on his collaboration with Alison Krauss. I remember saying at the time that while disappointing, Plant’s comments about preferring to be a “creator, not a curator” were dignified and understandable.

Recently the instrumental section of Led Zeppelin have been getting together for some sessions. Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham were said to be working with an unnamed singer with a view to replacing Robert Plant as lead singer. Sacrilege! No way!

Whatever the truth of the matter, it seems that this may have spurred Plant into action – recent reports suggest that Led Zeppelin might be reforming for that all-important tour. According to the various sources:

The rest of the band had all but given up on Robert joining them, but they were determined to go ahead so had started to seriously explore other avenues. When Robert realised the band were serious about doing it without him, it made him think long and hard.

He realised he couldn’t face the thought of not being involved. The band were over the moon when he told them the news. They are now forging ahead with the tour plans and they can’t wait to get on the road.

I saw Page and Plant’s Walking Into Clarkesdale tour back in the 90’s, and my only criticism was the way they’ excluded Jones from the Unledded project and the follow-up album. So a proper reunion that fans can afford has me salivating.

However, if you’re a long standing Zep fan, you’ll be waiting for that official announcement, since the rumour mill can be deadly unreliable. All we can ask for now is that the guys come out and confirm the speculation. And hopefully some free tickets and an interview for Unreality Music?

If hints dropped by Floyd’s Dave Gilmour recently are anything to go by, the band’s brief Live 8 reunion might not be the last time the Pink Floyd OAPs club performs on stage.

Only joking about the OAPs thing, serious fans – we love Pink Floyd here!

Apparently Gilmour told BBC 6Music “Who knows? Who knows the future? I haven’t absolutely said ‘no’ to the possibility, but I think that in reality any sort of long-term thing together is not going to happen. At my incredibly advantaged age – having achieved this – I’ve earned the right to sit on my ass for a little while and consider what to do next.”

TicketNews seem to think that Floyd winning the Polar Music Prize this year might grease the wheels for a reunion, however brief.

And when you consider the massive demand and success of Led Zeppelin’s reunion show at the O2 Arena, there’s nothing to say that Gilmour and Waters might find themselves sharing a stage again in the near future.

Wethinks there’s another gig we’ll not be able to afford tickets for….sob….

New Kids On The Block appeared on the Today show in America …well today, and revealed their plans for their new reunion album.

We reported back in January that NKOTB were planning to reform, but Danny Woods spoke out and refuted that rumour. We’d be calling them liars right about now, except that Donnie explains in the video that they were hoping to keep things under wraps until the new album was ready, but that the earlier leak forced them to come out and admit the reunion was on.

Watch the clip below:

The five guys will appear on US TV show, The Today Show, this Friday, April 4th.

Though it is not yet clear if the band will be performing or if it will be an interview only, we will try and get you a clip from the mighty youtube asap!

To get you in the mood here are the boys, back in the day, performing ‘Hangin Tough’. Quality!

I’ve long been a fan of The Jayhawks, discovering their music through a recommendation, then discovering to my disappointment that they’d split up years before.

So, my ears pricked up today when I heard that Gary Louris and Mark Olson, the brains behind The Jayhawks have come together to release a new album, Ready For The Flood. It even sounds like a Jayhawks type of title, doesn’t it?

I’m busting to hear some of this new material, and if you’ve never listened to a Jayhawks album before, I suggest you go out and find one. They’re an awesome band and their music is just so sweet and relaxing to listen to.

The new album is going to be released either in the summer or autumn of this year, despite it being recorded in January 2007. The delay was to allow for Louris‘ and Olson’s solo album releases.

My guess is that although they could return to the Jayhawks moniker for this release, they probably decided that they would be able to be slightly more creative than if they felt they had to live up to certain fan expectations. Many of the articles I’ve read about The Jayhawks lead with a missive about how they got tagged as an alt-country act early on in their career and were never able to break out of those constraints.

Regardless of what they decide to call the act, anything these two release is guaranteed to be excellent. I’ve just been reminded that Gary Louris was one of the songwriters on the Dixie Chicks’ Taking The Long Way album – another reason to sit on the edge of your seat until Ready For The Flood gets released.