12/12/10 - Alan Merrill solo acoustic and band backed shows in the New York City area this month after a successful trip to Japan for three weeks of performances and interviewsNew York show at The Empire State Building, The Mercury Lounge, Nancy Lee's, The R Bar, Otto's Shrunken Head (see video link here). Please see the Tour Dates section of this website for more information. Pictures of the recent Japan shows have been updated New Photo Album on this website. Alan is still hard at work on his latest solo album this month, The Collections Volume 2. Release date is still due around February of 2011. More to come!

11/4/10 - Only one New York band backed show this month, on Saturday the 6th, then Alan Merrill will be flying off to Japan on November 9th for three weeks of shows and interviews in Tokyo (Bar Amrta on November 29th) and Yokohama (The Club Sensation on November 12th, 13th and 27th). Alan has still working on a new solo album most of last month, The Collections Volume 2, and more new never before heard Alan Merrill composed tracks have been recorded with Alan writing the songs and playing all the instruments. Release date is due January or February of 2011. Also, on November 19th 2010 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Alan will make a solo appearance backed by a huge band and go-go dancers on RTL television's "The Ultimate Chartshow," the new season's debut show. Also appearing on the show are Paul Young, Shakin' Stevens, and The Peter Maffay band. More to come!

10/14/10 - As usual some local New York solo acoustic and band backed shows this month. Alan Merrill is still working on a new solo album as well, The Collections Volume 2, and a new track has been recorded with Steve Holley (ex-Wings) on drums and Steve Gould (Rare Bird/Runner) on guitar and harmonies. As I stated last month, Volume 1 has been released, titled "The Face Of 69." There are new youtube clips of Alan doing a variety of performances, including lead vocals on "Forever" from the 2007 Ron Wood tribute album release by Kurios Kurt and the ZugZug Club . Next month Alan will be in Tokyo performing in Yokohama at The Club Sensation and in Tokyo at bar Amrta. Mari Kaneko, Japan's answer to Janis Joplin, has recorded a full tilt boogie style cover version of Alan Merrill's 1972 glam classic composition "Automatic Pilot" on her latest album (track # 7) titled "Sweet Memories." The song was originally recorded and released by Alan Merrill's band Vodka Collins on their "Tokyo - New York" LP.

09/10/10 - Local New York solo acoustic and band backed shows this month. Alan Merrill is starting a new solo album as well, Volume 2 of The Collections, the exact title to be announced here at a later date. Volume 1 has been released, titled "The Face Of 69." There are new youtube clips of Alan doing a variety of performances, including "Tranquility" from his Merrill 1 album reissue. Also baroque rock in Japanese from 1970, with lyrics written by Yasui "Zuzu" Kazumi, featuring the songs "Heiwa", and "Love Is All" which appeared on Alan Merrill''s Atlantic Records album Alone In Tokyo, reissued as "Alien In Tokyo." -with bonus tracks. Then there's the rocker "Always Another Train" from the Alan Merrill solo album Never Pet A Burning Dog. As if that's not enough, there are clips from Alan in Japan performing at the Joe Yamanaka benefit with the band Tensaw backing him up, backstage , being interviewed on television about his former band-mate Hiroshi Oguchi of Vodka Collins, and performing songs like "Sands Of Time" "Pink Soup" and "I Love Rock N Roll" with a Japanese all star cast for the grande finale of the show.

08/4/10 - Alan Merrill will be leaving New York August 5th for some shows inJapan, including a benefit for Joe Yamanaka of the Flower Travellin' Band on August 12th at Club Crocodile in Tokyo. Alan will round off the trip with some interviews and will be there until August 17th. On August 18th he'll be back in New York making another appearance on the Rew and Who radio and internet tv show show in at 5PM east coast time. There are new youtube clips of Alan doing a variety of performances, including "Pretty Ballerina" from his Rive Gauche extended play EP tribute to the sixties band The Left Banke. Also a version of the Otis Blackwell rock classic "Breathless" which appeared on Alan Merrill''s album Double Shot Rocks.. As if that's not enough, there's a new rough clip from a a fan's camera of Alan doing a version of "I love Rock N Roll" at Cha Cha's of Coney Island NYC with Kirk Yano (ex-Savoy Brown), Amy Madden (The Jon Paris Group) and Steve Holley (ex-Paul McCartney's Wings) providing the backing. This month marks the 38th anniversary of Alan Merrill having his compostion "Movies" covered by Tiny Tim (on Scepter Records, #12351). A new cover of Vodka Collins' "Automtic Pilot" (an Alan Merrill composition) has been covered and released by Japan's answer to Janis Joplin, Mari Kanako this month. Good luck in Japan, Alan! - For this month, sayonara!

07/19/10 - Clips of Alan Merrill doing bass guitar sessions in Japan in 1971 on records by his band Godzilla and Yellow Gypsy (King Records) are on youtube. Some being featured are "Rock N Roll," "Get It On" and also "Tumbling Dice"- Godzilla and Yellow Gypsy have become a cult band over time and their two releases, the"Dai Go-Go Party" series volume one and two are valuable collecter's items. Other members of the band were guitarist Hiroshi Kato, keyboard wiz Haruo Chikada and drummer Jun Kanazawa Another rare clip on youtube is "Motive Confusion" from Vodka Collins' 1997 "Pink Soup" album This track features keyboard legends Hiro Yanagida and Shinohara Nobuhiko augmenting the Vodka Collins lineup. As usual Alan Merrill is doing a few live solo acoustic and band backed shows around the New York area. This month, the show Alan Merrill did in January 2010 in Tokyo (The Concert For Hiroshi) was broadcast at last on Japanese television and was a great success. Videos of the show are sure to be up on youtube soon. This recently uploaded clip from the audience is from a fan's handicam with Alan and friends doing "Pink Soup" on January 25th, 2010.

06/18/10 - Rare clips of Alan Merrill doing bass guitar sessions in Japan in 1971 on hit records for the band Garo (Denon/Columbia) are on youtube. The first being "If Tomorrow" and also "No Need For Tears" Garo were a very poplular group in Japan in the seventies known for their tight three part harmony. Their Golden Best of Garo album has been released, a retrospective including a number of tracks with Alan on bass. On June 16th Alan appeared on the Rew and Who show, a live televised internet radio at 5:30PM, at the new location at Otto's Shrunken Head. Alan Merrill is doing several local Manhattan appearances as well, starting the month with a band backed show (with the Jon Paris Group) in Central Park for the Mississippi Day Picnic on June 5th. Alan is also hard at work on his autobiography, which is nearly done. As if that's not enough, glam rock king Alvin Stardust has released a version of the Arrows chestnut "I Love Rock 'N Roll" as the title track of his new album!

05/07/10 - Alan Merrill is doing band backed and solo acoustic shows in NYC this month. The first being at BB Kings in Times Square with the Jon Paris Group on May 5th at 8PM, a Cinco de Mayo party. Also earlier on May 5th Alan will appear on the Rew and Who show, live radio at 5PM. Alan Merrill is doing several local Manhattan solo acousic shows as well, see the tour dates and appearances section of this website for more information. Alan will be a guest speaker at a private event in Chicago on May 21st about the Japanese Group Sounds pop culture and music in the late sixties and early seventies, and will perform several of his hit songs in Japanese for the event. A 1990 Vodka Collins reunion tour TV promo clip has been discovered, featuring the stellar lineup from that incarnation of the band. New slideshows are up on youtube of Alan's version of "Every Time She Comes Around" and "Miles Away" from his Face Of 69 album featuring modelling photos by Ken Kageoka of Alan from vintage issues of the legendary Non-No magazine in Japan.

04/07/10 - This month Alan Merrill is staying close to home in New York City, doing both band backed and solo acoustic shows, the first being at Fontana's on April 3rd, on Manhattan's Lower East Side.New Arrows tee shirts are available here in all sizes style and shapes at Rerock.com - A new slideshow is up on youtube of Alan's version of The Left Banke's hit single "Desiree" from his Rive Gauche EP, and a solo acoustic performance of "Brand New Man" a song Alan co-wrote and was covered by R&B great Freddie Scott as the title track of his last album, released in 2001. This live version by Alan was taped at the New York Songwriter's Circle, and photos provided by kind courtesy of Neil Kitson (Getty Images) and Robbie Michaels. Also on youtube an Alan Merrill cover of the classic "Hang On Sloopy" which is portrayed in slideshow comic book format, and this new version of the sixties mainstay song appears on his "Face Of 69" album, which was released in January 2010.

03/07/10 - Alan Merrill is going to Germany on March 16th for several days to film a solo TV spot on "The Ultimate Chartshow" where he'll perform a couple of songs and also do a half hour interview. The show will be broadcast sometime in October 2010. Exact date to be announced, watch this space. ~ Exciting news! The band L'Arc En Ciel, a Japanese superstar group, have recorded their own unique cover version of The Arrows classic "I Love Rock N Roll" for a Pepsi Cola TV commmercial, sung in English.~ Alan has done several radio interviews this month. He also did a band backed show at BB King's on March 8th with Les Paul's son Russell Paul, Jon Paris and Steve Holley. ~ New, a youtube slideshow feauring former Meat Loaf / Neverland Express band member Alan Merrill performing the Jim Steinman gem- "2 out of 3 Ain't Bad" from Alan's recent "Face Of 69" album release. ~Going way back in the archives, Alan's first professional band The Lead is on Youtube, featuring his first lead guitar work ever released on record. A version of The Monkees hit song "Valleri" and it features some fuzz -wah wah guitar leads from Mr. Merrill circa 1968. From the RCA Victor album "Sound Of Silence" / The Lead produced by Robby Wada ~ As usual Alan will do some local New York band backed and solo acoustic shows this month.

02/03/10 - Alan is back in New York from a successful trip to Japan, where he was interviewed for the 40th anniversary of Atlantic records' Japanese division. Alan was the first male signing to the label and the first artist to have a hit single for Warner-Atlantic there with the song "Namdia" in 1970 ~ The Tokyo concert at the Duo Music Exchange 1-25-10 in Tokyo's Shibuya was a reuniting of all the orginal Vodka Collins band members in a tribute concert to Vodka Collins' drummer and founding member Hiroshi Oguchi, who passed away a year ago. The concert will be televised as a 90 minute special for Sky channel's Perfec TV in Japan. The concert footage is in the editing stage right now. Vodka Collins, with Alan Merrill as frontman, headlined the show. The concert features 10 acts including The Golden Cups, Joe Yamanaka, GHQ, Sheena (of Sheena and The Rokkets), Tensaw and more ~ Also, as usual Alan will do local New York band backed and solo acoustic shows this month.

01/09/10 - The new Alan Merrill solo album is now released, titled "The Face Of '69" (The Collections, Volume 1) - New musical slideshows from Alan Merrill's new album "The Face Of '69" are now on youtube, including a new mix of "Hard Road"- To kick off the month Alan did a local New York band backed New Year's Eve show and rocked the house! On January 17th Alan will be leaving for Japan for several concerts and also a series of interviews commemorating the 40th anniversary of Atlantic Records / Japan division. He was the first male recording artist to be signed to the label in 1969. His Atlantic records solo album "Alone In Tokyo" was released in 1970.