March 19, 2009 06:32 PM ET
David J. Prince, N.Y.
As Pearl Jam fans eagerly await the release next Tuesday of the "Ten" reissue, the group's debut album and the first in a two year catalog re-release campaign, its starting to sound like 1991 all over again on radio and TV.
"Brother," one of six previously unreleased songs on the set remixed by Pearl Jam's longtime producer Brendan O'Brien (who did not work on "Ten" but produced Pearl Jam's subsequent four albums) shoots to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks radio play chart, becoming only one of a handful of from-the-vaults material to ever reach that peak.
In early May, CBS's "Cold Case" will have Pearl Jam-only soundtracked episodes for its two-part sixth-season finale. Pearl Jam is one of only 10 artists to be exclusively featured by "Cold Case," and the first to takeover more than one episode. 16 Pearl Jam songs will be used on the shows, including several from "Ten."
On Saturday (March 21), VH1 Classic will premiere "Pearl Jam Ten Revisited," a 30-minute look back at the album and its place in music history, including original videos, the television debut of the uncensored "Jeremy" video, and archival interview footage of the band. In addition, MTV, VH1 and VH1 Classic will be airing blocks of Pearl Jam videos and editorial through the end of March.
Even gamers are getting in on the Pearl Jam nostalgia trip: drummer Matt Cameron will be on hand for a live session of Rock Band 2 at 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday March 27. XBox Live Gold Members will have the opportunity to play the game live with Cameron by sending a friend request to Gamertag "Pearl Jam GWF" and being online half an hour before start time.
Pearl Jam, which formed in Seattle in 1990 and began its recording career in 1991 with "Ten," is marking their 20th anniversary with a series of reissues between now and 2011.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/...03953499.story