ABOUT ROD - News, January 5, 2010: SMILER New Year Message

Dear SMILER Member

We hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year. And what a year it is going to be...

As you are no doubt aware, after a break of four years SMILER magazine is set to return in a few weeks time. Although we are not yet able to provide details of how you can obtain your copy, we can confirm that all existing members will receive the new SMILER free! A second issue will follow later this year! Work has already started on this and we can reveal it contains interviews with some of the most popular and best loved musicians who have ever worked with Rod! And watch out for our SMILER launch parties - will you get a free invite?

Over the years SMILER has offered Rod Stewart fans an unrivalled service providing exclusive news about Rod's recordings, in depth interviews with Rod and those closest to him, advance notice of concerts and, for 20 years, the chance to obtain the very best tickets.

In addition to the return of the printed magazine, major improvements to the web site are planned for 2010. We will soon start to place our massive archive of original SMILER interviews and reviews on-line. This collection of works includes around 10 interviews with Rod himself, as well as with legends like Mickey Waller, Long John Baldry, John Peel, Jim Cregan, Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan and Gary Grainger, as well as members of Rod's road crew, musicians who have backed him on crucial recordings and his family. These will be accompanied by our massive collection of exclusive photographs, many of them never before seen in public! In addition our discography is to be expanded to include original reviews of all of Rod's albums and after months in the works we will be introducing our comprehensive Faces videography which contains several pleasant surprises!

With Rod on tour in 2010, remember to keep watching the Smiler site. We have already been able to give fans the opportunity to obtain the best tickets for the tour and more dates are certain to be added. Socially, SMILER's Ruby Tuesday club meets on a regular basis and allows fans an opportunity to meet informally and discuss all matters Rod related over a few beers and the occasional curry.

You can rest assured that we will continue to offer exclusive information and news that cannot be found anywhere else on the net. The vast knowledge bank held by our five man team is unsurpassed, with three of the team celebrating 40 years of loyalty to Rod next year - coincidentally SMILER's 30th anniversary! So to kick off the new year we have three exclusives for you right now!

* On 11 January Rhino release Rod's lost album, 'Once In A Blue Moon' and we are proud to bring you the first glimpse of the album cover!

The album was Rod's first ever covers album due to be released in 1993, long before J Records and Rod adopted the concept. Although all of the tracks eventually surfaced in one way or another, this album contains new versions and the original album as intended. If Rhino's recent releases are anything to go by we are in for a hell of a treat!

* We can reveal that this year the original Rod Stewart Group (1976 - 1980) will be re-forming and touring! The band's legendary drummer Carmine Appice has confirmed to us that the line up will include Jim Cregan, Billy Peek, Gary Grainger and Phil Chen with the possibility of Robert Hart taking Rod's role!

* Coming later this year will be the definitive biography of the Faces written by Andy Neill. SMILER has been assisting Andy with his research and it is hoped the book will be ready for publication in time for next Christmas!

Finally, if you still have some spare cash following the Christmas festivities and you fancy a good read, we were recently reminded of the great Rod Stewart Biography by Tim Ewbank and Stafford Hildred. This was originally published in 1991 and updated in 2004 and comes highly recommended. It is still available in all good book shops and can be purchased on-line from Amazon.

Click HERE to order from amazon.co.uk

With best wishes,
THE SMILER TEAM

Thomas Stadelmann
John Gray
Dave Reddy
Neal Webb
Mike Walton