DURAN DURAN's album track 'Tel Aviv' is under discussion to become the official theme song for the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Israeli city next year. The city is also said to be in talks with the band about headlining a special concert in the city as part of the celebrations.

SIMPLY RED will play a special greatest hits concert in London in December. The show, scheduled to follow the band's new hits collection which will be released in November. See GIGS for details.

OMD are to release a CD/DVD hits package in EMI's 'Sight & Sound' series on September 22nd.

THE HUMAN LEAGUE, ABC and HEAVEN 17 have added another date to their forthcoming 'Steel City Tour'. The new show will take place at the Newport Centre on December 12th, see GIGS for all the dates.

THE CURE are currently working towards an October 13th release date for their currently untitled new album. Meanwhile the band will release a fourth single from the album,'The Perfect Boy', on August 13th and an EP of all four singles in remixed versions on September 13th.

BLANCMANGE will have their three studio albums; 'Happy Families', 'Mange Tout' and 'Believe You Me' reissued on September 1st in remastered and expanded editions. Blancmange meanwhile are working on new material although no release dates have been set. See NEWS for the full tracklistings of all three albums.

GEORGE MICHAEL is rumoured to be reuniting with his former WHAM! partner ANDREW RIDGELEY for his forthcoming shows at London's Earls Court...

KILLING JOKE will release an album of radio session recordings, 'The Peel Sessions '79 - '81', on September 8th. The release will see the first CD release of all seventeen tracks on the album in their live session form. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting.

SHALAMAR will be one of nine musical acts accompanying David Gest on his forthcoming 'David Gest... My Life' tour which starts on October 3rd.

HUE AND CRY will play a short UK tour in September to support their upcoming new album 'Open Soul' which is due for release on September 8th. See GIGS for all the dates.

MARIAH CAREY is planning a major tour later this year to promote her current 'E=MC2' album and is promising that the shows will be 'elaborate'.

THE BLOW MONKEYS have been forced to change some of the September dates they had planned to promote their reunion album 'Devil's Tavern'. See GIGS for the new tour schedule.

THE PRETENDERS will release their new album 'Break Up The Concrete' one downloadable track at a time, each via a different download store in the run up to the CD release of the album on September 23rd. The first track 'Boots of Chinese Plastic' is available via AOL and from the band's own website.