Ian Brown will be remixing the next Manic Street Preachers single, "Let Robeson Sing". NME reports that he's going to bring in Aziz Ibrahim and Inder Goldfinger to help, and Brown will provide the vocals.

A little bit of finality to the IAN BROWN saga. Interscope Records' web site still shows him belonging to their roster, but the US tour is officially off, with the exception of TWO dates: New York (rescheduled to June 25th) and Los Angeles (still on June 29th.) Though Interscope still has him listed as a signed artist, whenever a label pulls tour support like this, it's a baaaaaad sign.

We're getting a little irked that we can't find out the official story on the unfolding IAN BROWN U.S. tour story, but we're still trying. This we know: The only two dates that havn't been cancelled as of yet are New York and Los Angeles. The circulating rumour is that Ian's been dropped by his American label, and that they've cut off tour support. We honestly don't know if this is true or not - there's been NO official statement yet. Again, we'll keep you updated.

We are receiving word today that IAN BROWN is cancelling some, if not all, of his North American tour. We know at this time that the Canadian shows, as well as the Boston gig, have been pulled. More details as we know them...

The new IAN BROWN single, 'When Dolphins Were Monkeys' will have a cover of MICHAEL JACKSON's 'Billy Jean'. This came about via the Stone Roses Mailing List which organized the online petition. The single will be released on February 7th.

Ian Brown has been performing Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' at recent gigs. The fans have started a petition in hopes to get the cover released as a single. You can help the cause by sending an email to: petition@hoops75.freeserve.co.uk.

Lovable, huggable Monkey boy IAN BROWN gets released from the pokey this week on good behavior, after serving half of his sentence in Strangeways Prison for his infamous airborne antics earlier this year on a trans-European flight. Brown has cancelled all pending tour plans to instead begin work on his second solo album. In the meantime, we can look forward to a one-off single with Brown and U.N.K.L.E., due out in the UK in February.

IAN BROWN is singin' those jailhouse blues again, after his appeal from a four-month sentence for threatening behavior on an airplane was denied. His UK tour, scheduled for November, has now been rescheduled for after his release. In the U.S., his long-delayed "Unfinished Monkey Business" album has been pushed back yet again, this time to early 1999. It is doubtful he could tour the U.S. until around April or May of 1999. Meanwhile, OASIS frontman Liam Gallagher had another run-in with "The Man" earlier this week after reportedly smashing up a photographer's camera.

Just when we thought King Monkey was all tied up in the pokey, IAN BROWN has been freed from jail after only a couple days, pending an appeal. All touring and promotions commitments appear to be pushed back to the New Year.

IAN BROWN, of course formerly of the STONE ROSES, was sentenced last week in Manchester Magistrate's court to spend the next four months imprisoned, due to that infamous air scuffle earlier this year, where he threatened to cut off the hands of a flight attendant while onboard a British Airways flight from Paris to Manchester. Thoughts of the post-jail, hard-edged, street-savvy New Millenium Monkey are disturbing indeed, but perhaps we can hope that he'll use his newfound spare time to learn to sing, eh?