Tokyo (AP)
After nearly a five year hiatus, what was thought by most to be an impossibility, just might finally happen. It is rumored that the founding members of the legendary Hot Rods - Carburetor Mike, Gio Clutch, and Vinny "The Cenz" Grease-Pan have decided to reunite. While the group released only two albums along with an EP before going their separate ways, they made a significant mark, and are widely regarded as one of the greatest rock n' roll bands of all time. They are best known for their hits Do You Know The Way To Bethlehem?, Angel Boobs, and the Karaoke craze they sparked with their thoughtful re-working of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn's Feelins'.
For better or for worse, members of the Hot Rods have remained in the public eye during their time apart. Winning abronze medal in Torino and going into Vancouver as the hands down favorite to win the gold, Carburetor Mike was dropped from the U.S. Olympic Curling Team, after showing up to the qualifying round in a full-body bear costume and proclaiming he had legally changed his name to Osso Bucco. Vinny Grease-Pan has recently been released from a minimum security California correctional facility, after serving a six month sentence for smuggling contraband. Authorities became immediately suspicious when "The Cenz" opened a video rental store called Video Havana Cigars. After months of surveillance, Border Patrol descended on the property in April 2009, seizing all assets. Head agent John Alvarez commented "What was he thinking? No one uses VHS anymore". Feeling his creative expression had been somewhat stifled under the constraints of the Hot Rods, Gio Clutch embarked on an ambitious musical project. Releasing three albums under the name The Divsions, Clutch self-produced and played all the instruments on the trilogy - Divided, Indivisible, and Long-Division. While the albums were widely panned by critics, and the last two banned in 17 countries, the final installment of the trilogy, Long-Division did go multi-platinum in several Eastern European countries along with Belize. Recent rumors of a reunion for the updated version of Sun City in tribute of the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl victory were immediately dismissed after Gio Clutch was quoted as saying "It will never happen. Never." Nonetheless the rumor mill is abuzz once again with reports that the group will convene in the studio to finish the fabled The Last Drive-In. It is said that the long awaited / much anticipated / most expensive / thought forever shelved / unfinished album which has been in the works for over three centuries, with various big name producers attached to the project over the years such as Ludwig Van Beethoven, Phil Spector, and Napoleon Bonaparte, may finally see its completion.
For better or for worse, members of the Hot Rods have remained in the public eye during their time apart. Winning abronze medal in Torino and going into Vancouver as the hands down favorite to win the gold, Carburetor Mike was dropped from the U.S. Olympic Curling Team, after showing up to the qualifying round in a full-body bear costume and proclaiming he had legally changed his name to Osso Bucco. Vinny Grease-Pan has recently been released from a minimum security California correctional facility, after serving a six month sentence for smuggling contraband. Authorities became immediately suspicious when "The Cenz" opened a video rental store called Video Havana Cigars. After months of surveillance, Border Patrol descended on the property in April 2009, seizing all assets. Head agent John Alvarez commented "What was he thinking? No one uses VHS anymore". Feeling his creative expression had been somewhat stifled under the constraints of the Hot Rods, Gio Clutch embarked on an ambitious musical project. Releasing three albums under the name The Divsions, Clutch self-produced and played all the instruments on the trilogy - Divided, Indivisible, and Long-Division. While the albums were widely panned by critics, and the last two banned in 17 countries, the final installment of the trilogy, Long-Division did go multi-platinum in several Eastern European countries along with Belize. Recent rumors of a reunion for the updated version of Sun City in tribute of the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl victory were immediately dismissed after Gio Clutch was quoted as saying "It will never happen. Never." Nonetheless the rumor mill is abuzz once again with reports that the group will convene in the studio to finish the fabled The Last Drive-In. It is said that the long awaited / much anticipated / most expensive / thought forever shelved / unfinished album which has been in the works for over three centuries, with various big name producers attached to the project over the years such as Ludwig Van Beethoven, Phil Spector, and Napoleon Bonaparte, may finally see its completion.