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Just as Liam Howlett's DJ mix album, "The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One," is about to hit store shelves on April 6, his fellow Prodigy bandmate, Keith Flint, is recovering from a high speed motorcycle accident that resulted in ligament damage to one of his knees. Last week, Flint (a professional racer) lost control of his 1000 CC Ducati bike while trying to overtake another rider at England's Mallory Park. The "Firestarter" was travelling at approximately 120 miles per hour when he left the track, crossed a short run-off area, and hit a barrier. After losing consciousness for a short period of time, he came to and was treated track-side by paramedics. The next day, he followed-up with a doctor's visit. At the time of his accident, Flint was competing in a Clubsmen's event for his Reve/Red Bull racing team. A spokesperson for Prodigy says that Flint will be kept off the track for a few weeks because of his injury and his band's South African tour schedule, however he is eager to rejoin his team. Flint says of the accident, "You only come off if you're really pushing it and trying your hardest, and I'll be getting back on as soon as I can." Prodigy performed with a bandaged flint on Monday in Cape Town, South Africa to help kick off a handful of dates. The next stop for the group will be on Wednesday in Johannesburg.

Prodigy frontman Keith Flint is said to be sporting a new tattoo across his back that reads "Drop The Debt." He already has the word "Inflicted" across his stomach in gothic script, but apparently this is the only such decoration on his flip side.

Prodigy Mix Album Delayed By Beatles Rebuff A new DJ mix album being put together by Prodigy's Liam Howlett suffered a minor setback when he was denied permission to use music by the Beatles on the project and had to replace the tracks with material by Jane's Addiction. "Prodigy Present The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume 1" was scheduled for a February 1 release in Britain, but it's now been pushed back to at least February 15. Britain's PA News reports that while Paul McCartney had no qualms about the band using material from the classic "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, the record label, Apple, said no and declined to license the music. The label's policy apparently only allows Beatles tracks on Beatles records. The material was removed from the Prodigy record and "Been Caught Stealing" by Jane's Addiction was used in its place. A spokesperson for Howlett told the news service that they've had to work on getting clearance for roughly 52 tracks used on the album, and that the process has not been easy. Many of the tracks are on small and hard-to-find hip-hop labels that may or may not still be in business. A Prodigy newsletter describes the new record as a "densely-packed fifty-minute trip through the sounds that have influenced Liam's music, taking in raw hip-hop, edgy rock and a fine selection of prime old-school beats."

Prodigy also cashed in at least a few of the four nominations that it scared up with the much-debated clip for "Smack My Bitch Up." The band wound up scoring this year's Best Dance Video and Breakthough Video honors. Between his work on Prodigy's "Smack" and on Madonna's "Ray Of Light," Swedish director Jonas Akerlund would up responsible for eight of the awards handed out Thursday night.

Prodigy also became a multiple winner early on as the band's controversial clip for "Smack My Bitch Up" grabbed statuettes for Breakthrough Video and Best Dance Video. The director of that clip, Jonas Akerlund, was handled Madonna's "Ray Of Light" video, bringing the Swedish director's early tally to four Video Music Awards.

Displaying either their laudable concern about violence against women or a surprising streak of political correctness, the Beastie Boys raised some eyebrows in England over the weekend by asking Prodigy to not perform their hit "Smack My Bitch Up" at the Reading Festival, where both bands played. A statement from the Prodigy camp says that Mike D called Prodigy's Liam Howlett the day before the show and asked that that band not play the song. Despite what the statement called some "friendly discussions" over the next two days, Prodigy did in fact play "Smack My Bitch Up," but not before telling the crowd about the Beasties' objections. Prodigy member Maxim told the crowd, "I do what the f*** I want."

Fans can watch for new material when The Prodigy kick off their 11-city mini-tour of North America tonight in Washington, DC, but they shouldn't be holding their collective breaths for a new album anytime soon. According to the L.A. Times, it's taken longer than expected for creative leader Liam Howlett to set up a studio in his new house, so he's a long way from even starting the record. Traditionally, Howlett has written one key piece of music to inspire him to start the process, then mapped out the rest of the project based on that inspiration. Apparently, the key tune for the next record has so far remained elusive. According to British press sources, Howlett has written five or so songs that have yet to be recorded, but the reports say they're more likely to be released on EP's later this year, not on a new album. The L.A. Times interview also covers the so-called Madonna snub. The diva was miffed that the band, which is signed to her Maverick label, declined her invitation to contribute on the production end of her latest album, telling the Times that they "turned their elitist noses" up at her, saying, "Oh, we can't work with you. You're a big pop star." Howlett told the Times that he refused the request because it would send the wrong message to Prodigy fans. "It might make people think we were selling out, or trying to be big pop stars," says Howlett. The Times reports that the band expects to play a few new tracks on their pending tour, some old favorites possibly incuding new remixes of "Voodoo People" and "Serial Thrilla," and most likely their controversial hit, "Smack My Bitch Up."

Prodigy Switches Brit Fests, Keith Flint To Make Race Debut The Prodigy have one less reason to rush home to England from their mini-tour of The States and Canada come July -- the giant Phoenix music festival they were scheduled to headline in mid-July has been canceled. But The Prodigy bounced back immediately with the announcement that they'd be switching their performance to an even larger Brit outing, the giant Reading festival. The band has been added to the bill for Saturday, August 28. Phoenix co-headliners New Order have also made the transition--they headline Reading the following day. It's unlikely Prodigy vocalist Keith Flint is too bent out of shape about any extra time off this summer. Britain's "New Musical Express" reports that he's been spending as much time as possible working with a motorcycl racing team and that he'll be making his racing debut on the track this summer. For the time being, however, he's practicing and working as a junior crew member, fetching wheels and parts, changing tyres and helping out the mechanics. The band's handlers are making a point of shoring up Flint's insurance policies in case of any mishaps, which are common to the sport. Meanwhile the chances are good that Flint will at least survive long enough to play the dates on their two week tour beginning June 16 in Washington, DC.

Prodigy In Concert On New Home Video Prodigy is currently wrapping up work on a home video that incorporates footage of the band in concert, taken from the group's explosive performances at Brixton Academy last December. Other plans for the as-yet-untitled home video also call for the inclusion of the promotional clips for "Firestarter" and "Breathe," although it's unclear as to whether Prodigy's controversial video for "Smack My Bitch Up" would also be featured. In related news, Meat Beat Manifesto has been selected to open most of the dates for Prodigy's brief tour of the U.S. in June, and the band is mulling over the possibility of releasing a fourth single from last year's "Fat of the Land."

Prodigy To Play Beirut, Will Return To U.S. In June Not that the war-torn city of Beirut needs any fires being started, but Prodigy will be sure to ignite a few, musically at least, when the group brings its aggressive brand of electronica there for a concert this Saturday. It's not the first time Prodigy has made a high-profile incursion into strangely foreign lands, as the band performed for a crowd of 200,000 at Moscow's Red Square last October. In related news, the band has also announced that it will be returning to the states for two weeks worth of shows in June. The dates for Prodigy's upcoming tour are: ˇ 6/16 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ˇ 6/18 - Seattle, WA @ Seattle Center Mercer Arena ˇ 6/22 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater ˇ 6/23 - Montreal, QUE @ Du Maurier Stadium ˇ 6/24 - Detroit, MI @ State Theater ˇ 6/26 - Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle ˇ 6/27 - Miami Beach, Fl @ Babyfront Amphitheater ˇ 6/29 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom ˇ 6/30 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Some women's group's might not like it, but Prodigy's drug-fueled-night-on-the-town clip for walked off with Video Of The Year honors at this year's 7th annual Music Video Production Association Awards.

Their 1988 album "Critical Beatdown" is considered a Hip Hop classic. The Prodigy is expected, though not yet confirmed, to guest on the Ultramagnetic MC's album. That would be fitting since Kool Keith raps on The Prodigy track "Diesel Power" on the "Fat Of The Land" album, which also samples the Ultramagnetic MC's on "Smack My Bitch Up." Also expected to guest on the Ultramagnetic MC's album is rapper Rakim.

January 8 [7:55 EDT] -- If you re upset that you missed Prodigy s outrageous and controversial video for the handful of times MTV played it last month, you ll be happy to know that you can soon own your own copy of the clip. That video, which offers the point of view of an obnoxious and sexually molesting clubgoer for one wild night, will be part of a Prodigy home video due this spring. The tape will also include concert footage, interview snippets, and the videos for Firestarter and Breathe.

December 22 [16:00 EDT] -- While the National Organization for Women has publicly thanked MTV for its decision to stop airing Prodigy's, the cable channel says such gratitude may be undue. The channel says that it wants it known that NOW's recent protests against Time Warner over the Prodigy track had nothing to do with the decision to stop airing the video. In a statement that addresses the decision, an MTV spokesperson says, "We thought Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up' was groundbreaking and newsworthy. It aired only between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m. over the course of one week and is no longer on-air." During its brief stint on MTV, the video aired with a rating, a disclaimer, and a special intro by Kurt Loder of MTV News. In a statement released last Friday, NOW heralded the move as an "early Christmas gift to young women and girls" as Feminist Majority Foundation president Eleanor Smeal declared, "I'm glad MTV has gotten the message and will no longer air the video." For their part, MTV says the decision to pull the video was made before NOW launched its public protest of Time Warner late last week.

Prodigy Protest Led By Gloria Steinem December 19 [10:00 EDT] -- High profile feminists Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan, anti-rap lyrics crusader C. DeLores Tucker, and actress-singer Melba Moore were among a dozen or more women protesting The Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" at the Time-Warner headquarters in New York on Thursday. The Prodigy records for Madonna's Maverick label, which is half-owned by Time-Warner. According to reports from AP and the L.A. Times, the women were turned away at the office of Time Warner chairman Gerald Levin but left a letter that called for the elimination of the song's offensive lyric. They carried hand-lettered signs with messages like "Sexism Is Music to Time Warner's Ears," and presented their own song, sung to the tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," that included the lyric "Beating up women is a big vice, Time Warner better beware." Warner Bros. and Maverick issued a joint statement that said in part, "While the lyric in question was never intended to be harmful or disrespectful to women or any other group and we sincerely regret that it may have been misinterpreted, the possibility that some will be offended or disturbed by any creative work is a risk inherent in any artistic endeavor." According to AP, Prodigy producer Liam Howlett said the title and refrain means "doing anything intensely, like being on stage -- going for extreme manic energy." The band had previously issued a statement that noted that the line "Change my pitch up/Smack my bitch up," the song's only lyric, is a sample taken from the Ultramagnetic MCs track "Give The Drummer Some" and is not actually penned by the Prodigy. They strongly denounced violence against women in the statement. Prodigy Album To Wear Warning Sticker In Target Stores December 17 [7:55 EDT] -- An agreement has apparently been made between Target department stores and Maverick Records regarding Prodigy's "Fat Of The Land" that will see the album carry a parental warning sticker in all of its stores across the country. Reuters news service reports that Maverick has agreed to sticker the album, which has been in record racks for some five months now and sold two million copies without incident, after public outcry over the group's new single, "Smack My Bitch Up." The song, whose only lyrics are "Change my pitch up/Smack my bitch up," became the object of protest when it was released as a single a few weeks ago and drew significant fire from groups like the National Organization for Women, who argued that the song glorified violence against women. Other musicians have also taken the band to task for the song, including Chumbawamba and Moby. A spokesperson for Maverick told Reuters that warning stickers will be shipped to Target stores to be placed on the album. Prodigy Courts More Trouble With Posters December 9 [12:00 EDT] -- There's more trouble (and more publicity) for the Prodigy in Britain in the wake of their provocatively titled new single, "Smack My Bitch Up." The Press Association in England reports that billboards advertising the song have been publicly condemned by "sickened" politicians who expressed "disgust and outrage." Fifteen Labour party Members of Parliament, the majority women but led by Barry Gardiner, launched the campaign. The MP's filed an early motion Monday urging the band's record company to "to withdraw this advertisement immediately." Gardiner told the P.A. News that he first saw the billboards while driving in his car with his ten-year old daughter who inquired about the meaning of the title, which is reproduced in large letters on the ads. "It is extremely offensive and particularly in the sense of violence against women," Gardiner told the news service. "I am not a prude and I think the Prodigy are a very good group. But they should think about the message they are giving out, especially to young women, and to young men about the way they should treat women. They should "sack their advertising manager," he added. England's Advertising Standards Authority is also formally investigating the poster campaign after a high number of complaints. A Prodigy spokesperson told P.A. News the campaign had ended, anyway. Prodigy Pulled From Stores December 8 [13:00 EDT] -- "The Fat Of The Land" LP from the clamor-creating band The Prodigy has a new distinction. The record reportedly has been pulled from Kmart and Wal-Mart stores after said retailers got wind of the controversy surrounding the single "Smack My Bitch Up." The National Organization for Women seriously objected to the negative message they feel the track sends regarding violence against women. According to "The Hollywood Reporter," Wal-Mart removed the album Friday after learning of the opposition from NOW, as did Kmart, who reportedly pulled the "Fat" from over 2,000 of their stores. When MTV News contacted stores directly, Kmart retailers had yet to hear of the mandate, so if you hurry, you may still be able to find it. Wal-Mart was in the process of removing the album from their shelves. "Fat Of The Land" has already sold two million copies in the U.S. since its release in June. Prodigy Video To Air On MTV As Controversy Continues December 4 [19:00 EDT] -- As controversy continues to swirl around Prodigy's new single "Smack My Bitch Up," MTV has decided to air the graphic video for the track. The video will get its MTV premiere Sunday, December 7 at midnight during "120 Minutes" and will air again at 1, 2, and 3 a.m. The Associated Press reports that Time Warner execs are feeling the heat from the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women. NOW spokesperson, Janice Rocco, said, "This teaches violence against women is a form of entertainment." And in an "LA Times" interview, Rocco commented, "I think it is deplorable for Madonna's record company to be putting this kind of message out into the mainstream music market." Prodigy's label is Maverick, Madonna's label that she co-owns with Warner Brothers, a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. The band issued a statement on Thursday to try to clear the air about some of these issues. The group notes that the line "Change my pitch up/Smack my bitch up" is a sample taken from the Ultramagnetic MCs track "Give The Drummer Some" and is not actually penned by the Prodigy. The group also says that since there are no other lyrics to the song other than the sample, the song doesn't have the lyrical content to glorify anything. The statement goes on to say that the band is categorically against violence against women, or any kind of gratuitous violence. After laying out a few other arguments in their statement, the Prodigy conclude that their listeners are too smart to act out their song lyrics, and note that arson numbers did not go up after "Firestarter." ALICIA SILVERSTONE: And the winner is... Prodigy! PRESENTER: Prodigy! HANSON: Prodigy! LEEROY THORNHILL, Prodigy: Well, what can I say? Three times in one night... you ask any lady and that's very lucky.

Chumbawamba recently told the British Music Press that it had gotten an idea from Prodigy's next single, a track called "Smack My Bitch Up." The band's idea was a track called "Smack My Keith Up," referring to Prodigy singer Keith Flint. Prodigy's Liam Howlett responded by telling the British Music Press "It's taken them 15 years to come up with that one piece of blank record. Any one of my cymbal patterns is more radical than their entire recorded output, which is basically just a waste of plastic." "We don't actually have a song called "Smack My Keith Up," Chumbawamba's Dunstan Bruce told "120 Minutes" on Tuesday. "It was just an idea, because Prodigy have a song called "Smack My Bitch Up." But I never felt they'd properly justified why they'd done it. "The problem with the Prodigy album is that musically it sounds absolutely brilliant but if you scratch the surface, there's no real content," bandmember Alice Nutter added. "There's no real sort of depth of ideas, its all shock horror." The band will be playing a free show tonight on top of a parking garage in Washington, D.C. Prodigy Rock Red Square October 6 [10:00 EDT] -- In one of the oddest sights to come our way in a while, Prodigy kicked out the jams for 200,000 Russians right outside of Moscow's Red Square last week as part of a snowboarding event promoted by a British beer company. "You can't compare it to a normal gig 'cause it is a whole event, isn't it? But it is definitely the biggest crowd we have played in front of... definitely," Prodigy's Liam Howlett said of the concert. According to Pollstar, Prodigy moves on to Zurich on October 12, and stays far from American shores through the end of the year.

Working the project was excellent," Rage Against The Machine's buzzsaw guitarist Tom Morello told MTV about his work with the Prodigy. "We did a song called 'One Man Army'... and it was difficult to get our schedules to mix, so I called up Liam (Howlett of the Prodigy) and I said, 'Why don't you just send me a track, and I'll put some guitar on it.' He suggested that I should just send him a DAT of some f***ed up guitar, and I said, 'Well, that's easy, that's my specialty.'" July 17 [12:00 EDT] -- Will Smith and the "Men In Black" soundtrack pushed their way to the top of the "Billboard" album chart this week, while the Prodigy failed to take the traditional second week tumble that has plagued many big debuts this year. One week after debuting in the top spot with "The Fat Of The Land," the British outfit holds strong at number three on the chart, while the Spice Girls land at number two. After debuting at number two last week, the "Men In Black" soundtrack jumped up one spot to hit the top of the chart. Prodigy Tops Pop Chart July 10 [16:00 EDT] -- Hot news for Electronica, the multifaceted techno-dance genre touted by many tastemakers as the next big musical thing: On Monday, Electronica reaches a commercial pinnacle, when the new album from The Prodigy, "The Fat of the Land," debuts on the Billboard pop chart at number one. MTV News caught up with The Prodigy's Leeroy Thornhill, who is the group's interpretive dancer, when the Prodigy was in New York recently for a mini-tour. Thornhill marveled at the sudden emergence of the new genre. "It's amazing because to us, before we came here, there's never been an electronica scene," Thornhill said. "It's something that the Americans have invented, which -- dance music, club music -- has been here for ages, anyway."

Another act with possible problems of its own is the British techno-band Prodigy, which scored a hit single with "Firestarter," scored a record deal with Madonna's Maverick label, and is now in the always uncomfortable position of being hailed at home and by hopeful U.S. record-bizzers as the "next big thing." Prodigy will be climbing aboard the Lollapalooza tour next month. We caught up with the group on a recent U.S. mini-tour, when it played New York City, and brought back this report. LIAM HOWLETT, Keyboards, The Prodigy: To us it's like this is the fifth tour we've been on here in America. To some people it's like the first time we've come here. MAXIM REALITY, Vocals, The Prodigy: (Onstage) Anything we do is going to be funky! (In interview) We're not over here trying to prove anything. We just bring the show over here so that people can check out what we're about. MTV: And what The Prodigy is about is a high energy show featuring two frontmen, a guitarist, an interpretive dancer, and band mastermind Liam Howlett providing the majority of the music from his keyboards. HOWLETT: We introduced some more rock elements to our show just because that's the type of music we listen to. We're not techno heads, we don't... I don't actually like techno that much anymore. FAN 1: I thought it was more rock than most rock shows that I've seen recently. MTV: But a conventional rock show isn't what you get from The Prodigy, either. KEITH FLINT, Vocals, The Prodigy: Who wants to see that? You've been watching that for the last 50 years. This is new. MTV: Performing in America has provided its challenges for Prodigy, since the group is playing mostly new material from their yet-to-be- released record. HOWLETT: Kids don't know the songs, but they are still jumping around and stuff. It's good. We're playing two or three songs off "Jilted," the last album. But most of the new stuff is off of "The Fat Of The Land," the new album. MTV: With all the hype around the new electronica, many are sure to see the release of the new Prodigy album as a test of just how commercially viable the scene really is. HOWLETT: We've come across over here in this huge hype and been made to look like we're part of this electronic scene, as it were, where we're strong enough to stand up on our own. We don't need to be put into a scene. LEEROY THORNHILL, Dancer, The Prodigy: It just makes us laugh -- "electronica" -- I mean why, why not even, if you're gonna come up with a name, why put an "a" on the end? MTV: Whatever you want to call their original brand of hip-hop, dance, rock-fused music, it's striking a chord with fans stateside. FAN 2: I don't know -- it was people dancing around, jumping -- it was great excitement. It was the best. Prodigy's the best. FAN 3: More people should be getting into it now because it's getting wild. Back where I live -- I live out in the sticks -- it's getting out there even, people are raving all over the place and it's great. FAN 4: I think it's going to be big in America. It's getting big right now, so it's going to be huge.

Well, we'll see. Prodigy joins Lollapalooza's main stage in Columbus, Ohio on July 20th... ...Along with vintage metallist Ozzy Osbourne, whose sore throat cancellation of a multi-act Ozzfest date last week, midway through a show in Columbus, Ohio, sparked a small riot that resulted in 23 arrests. Ozzy announced a makeup date this week. It's July 1st at the Polaris Ampitheatre, where the scuttled show was held, and it'll feature only Ozzy and his band, plus his old Black Sabbath partners doing their reunion set with him. Ticket stubs from last week's concert will be honored, and additional tickets are also on sale.

June 25 [7:55 EDT] -- After releasing a sizzling single in "Firestarter" and landing a big-bucks record deal from Madonna's Maverick Records, British techno-band Prodigy has a lot to live up to when it finally releases its much-delayed album next week. In addition to proving its own worth, the group seems saddled with proving the viability of the burgeoning electronica movement. When the Prodigy's recent U.S. mini-tour blew through New York City, the group didn't seem to be feeling the weight of the "next big thing" albatross that their brand of dancefloor music has tied around their collective necks. "We're not over here trying to prove something in any way," vocalist Maxim Reality told MTV News. "We bring the show over here so that people can check out what we're about." Keyboardist Liam Howlett added, "I've been hearing this huge hype and its been made to look like we were a part of this electronica thing as it were when we're strong enough to stand up on our own. We don't need to be put into a scene." Scene or no scene, a lot of folks will be watching when the Prodigy's "Fat of the Land" hits record stores next week. Prodigy's Flint Jettisoned By Airline June 24 [7:55 EDT] -- Prodigy frontman Keith Flint was removed from a Air U.K. flight as it was about to depart from Munich, Germany back home to Essex, England on Monday. Flint apparently got into a disagreement with a flight attendant as the plane was waiting for take-off and the company had the German police escort the singer back to the terminal while the plane and the rest of the band left without him. Flint was detained for 30 minutes, but not charged with a crime. He caught the next available flight to London. The band, who had been playing two festival dates in Germany, told reporters Flint did nothing wrong and vowed never to use Air U.K. again. Rage And Prodigy Spawn "Serial Thrilla" June 19 [10:00 EDT] -- Their schedules wouldn't mesh, but that didn't stop a collaboration between Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and The Prodigy. The musical marriage is for a soundtrack contribution to the movie "Spawn." Morello told Britain's New Musical Express magazine that he first got a call from Prodigy's Liam Howlett out of the blue with a request to add guitar to "Serial Thrilla," a song from The Prodigy's new album, "The Fat Of The Land." However, with opening for U2, Rage's inclusion on a new Snoop Doggy Dogg EP and the planning of a summer tour with Wu-Tang Clan, they had no time. Morello told NME that Howlett then asked for "a DAT of "some f***ed-up guitar." The Rage guitarist says he went into a studio "in a sleepy Illinois town" and complied, recording 15 minutes of a "freeform bunch of squirrelly guitar playing." Morello says he gave the Prodigy an array of "new hoots and howls and squonks and stuff" as well as some more traditional Sabbath heavy grooves. Howlett described the Morello offering as quite "Prodigy-ish," and a Prodigy spokesman said Howlett would be Raging it up a bit. The spokesperson told NME that "It's gonna be called Prodigy Versus RATM, it's kind of a sound clash-type vibe. The music that Liam's doing is all totally new." A Prodigy spokesman later confirmed that Howlett spent two days last week working on the track at his Earthbound studio. In other news, NME also reports that Sony is trying to stop Manifesto Records from using a reference to Rage Against the Machine in the selling of a product by Lock Up, a band Morello recorded with in 1990. Sony threatened legal action after Lock-Up re-issued their LP, "Something Bitchin' This Way Comes," with stickers that read, "featuring Tom Morello currently of Rage Against The Machine." Manifesto has beat Sony to the legal punch by seeking a resolution of the issue through the Los Angeles court system.

May 20 [10:00 EST] -- When the Prodigy's "Fat of the Land" album hits stores later this year, fans may notice a familiar voice helping out on an equally familiar tune. "I've just done some backing vocals on the new Prodigy album, on a track with Keith (Flint)," Republica singer Saffron told the MTV Radio Network recently. "They're very good friends, and I'm very honored that they asked me to do that."

KEITH FLINT, PRODIGY: We've watched the DJ go from a very quiet darkened corner to center stage with his own light show. And, you know, we watched that happen and we suddenly thought, "Hang on. The DJ is emulating himself into the rock star.

April 2 [7:55 EST] -- While still wrapping up its Maverick Records debut, The Prodigy are busy making big plans for the summer. As we reported yesterday, the band has rescheduled the U.S. tour that it had recently postponed, and the group says the brief tour will include a stop at Washington D.C.'s annual WHFStival on May 31. Promoters for the day-long concert haven't yet announced the line-up for that show.

April 1 [7:55 EST] -- "Billboard" magazine reports that the postponed Prodigy tour is back on track, and set to kick off on May 26 in Seattle. The industry publication's website reports that the techno outfit will hit major metropolitan areas during its brief swing through the States. The Prodigy had postponed the dates to devote more time to finishing up its Maverick Records debut, "Fat Of The Land," due this summer. Prodigy Delays Tour, May Get Help From Soundgarden Drummer March 20 [7:55 EST] -- If you were hoping to catch The Prodigy live while "Firestarter" is still fresh in your head, you'll have to wait a bit longer. The band has just pushed back its U.S. tour, originally slated to kick off on April 14 in Chicago, and says it will now wait until at least June before it comes to the States. The band says it want to complete its upcoming Maverick Records debut before touring.

When the album, titled "Fat of the Land," hits stores, it may feature the work of Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. Our colleagues at MTV Europe report that Cameron may turn up in sampled form on the album, noting that Soundgarden and Prodigy headlined a recent Australian tour together, during which the English band apparently formed a sort of Matt Cameron fan club. The Prodigy is not talking about this report. The Prodigy Plan May Release, Announce More Dates March 11 [14:00 EST] -- British dance heroes and all-around buzz generators The Prodigy have added five more U.S. tour dates to the small handful of shows they announced last week. In addition to the stops we told you about last Wednesday (which will see the band hit Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, and New York), the act (whose Maverick Records debut, tentatively titled "Fat of the Land," should arrive in May) has now announced plans to play San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Boston, and Atlanta. The group signed to Madonna's Maverick Records after what was reported to be an intense bidding war, and plans to release its first album for the label in May. Prodigy Announce Tour Plans

March 5 [16:00 EST] -- Techno phenoms the Prodigy have announced a handful of North American tour dates, but unless you live in a major metropolitan area, you'll have to wait to see them. So far, the band has only announced four dates from mid to late April that see them hit Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, and New York City. The band has not yet released plans for a summer tour, and rumored possibilities include the techno-festival Organic tour, the Lollapalooza tour, or an opening slot with U2. After getting a foothold in America with "Firestarter," the British dance outfit signed to Madonna's Maverick Records after what was reportedly an intense label bidding war. If you want to see what the buzz is about, check out the following dates:

KEITH FLINT, Prodigy: Prodigy music is buzz music you know, it stirs you up. If a model's out there and she's wearing something with a bit of guts behind it, if she's walking out there to something that's really tough, it probably gives her a nice strong attitude, that's what the music's about. Prodigy Lured By Madonna Jan. 10 [14:00 EST] -- Hoping to find the same level of success in the States that they currently enjoy in the U.K., the Prodigy have signed with Madonna's Maverick record label. After weighing offers from several major labels, the kings of British techno decided to join Alanis Morissette in the Maverick stable. The Prodigy, who topped the U.K. singles chart with "Firestarter," are reportedly "absolutely delighted" with the deal, and are hoping that their affiliation with Maverick (which is distributed by Warner Bros.) will lead to greater exposure in the U.S. A spokesperson for the band told reporters that Madonna herself did a great deal to woo the Prodigy to the label, saying that she was "very, very clued up" about the band and the British dance scene. Now that the deal has been inked, the band is hoping to gain exposure through some U.S. dates. The Prodigy Go Label Shopping Dec. 20, 1996 -- The emergence of the new wave of electronic dance music was highlighted last Thursday morning, when no less than the "New York Times" broke the news that an intense major-label bidding war for British act the Prodigy had been won by Madonna's Maverick Records. The "Times" reported that Maverick had signed the prodigy to a 5-year, multi-million-dollar deal. Mute Records, the indie label to which Prodigy had been signed, said last Thursday that the "Times" had jumped the gun, and that no deal had yet been signed. No matter what, you will be seeing lots more of the Prodigy and similar acts on the new MTV in 1997. You can also see the Prodigy along with Marilyn Manson and 311 in a Buzz Bin special airing on "MTV News Presents" Sunday, January 5 at 10:30 p.m. If all that isn't enough, you can see the Prodigy in a February episode of "Fashionably Loud." The Prodigy Teams With Kula Shaker Dec. 13, 1996 -- It's a match made in U.K. heaven. Techno-wonders the Prodigy have reportedly teamed with mysterio-rock mavens Kula Shaker for some studio work. Prodigy have reportedly joined forces with head Shaker Crispian Mills to record a song that will most likely pop up on the next Prodigy album, which is due in March. The group also reportedly recorded a track with Skin of Skunk Anansie in hopes of including it on the album, but are still unsure if it will be released or not. Fans who can't wait until next year to get a taste of the Prodigy can access an on-demand cybercast of the group as of Friday, December 13. The hour-long show includes RealAudio performances of a fistful of tracks that are expected to be included on next year's album, as well as concert photos, bulletin boards, and chat rooms.

No i nie myślcie, że ja to będę wam tłumaczyć!!!