Here are four names I never thought would be together in the same report: Paul Westerberg, Glen Campbell, Kii Arens and Ellen DeGeneres.
Westerberg -- who has been out of the public eye for about five years now and famously didn't appear in the Replacements' video for "Bastards of Young" -- makes a surprising yet typically coy cameo appearance in the video for the title track of Campbell's acclaimed new album, "Ghost on the Canvas." The video actually starts off as a direct homage to and/or imitation of the classic "Bastards" clip, with Westerberg playing the part of the dude loafing on the couch staring at the stereo speaker. Paul reappears throughout, too (though not as part of the weirdly hip, young band behind Campbell). The Minneapolis music legend's involvement makes sense (sort of) if you know that he wrote the "Ghost" song for Campbell. And if you're a fan, you should know it right away upon hearing the song -- classic Westerberg.
Here's where things really get six-degrees odd: The video was co-directed by ex-Minneapolitan Kii Arens, a member of glam-metal band Flipp and graphic artist extraordinare now living in Los Angeles. Arens' name is mentioned on Ellen DeGeneres' website, where the video had its premeire today following an appearance by Cambell on Ellen's talk show.
Click here to see the "Ghost on the Canvas" video. And here to compare it to "Bastards of Young."
Campbell, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, will be honored at the Country Music Awards on Nov. 9 in a tribute segment featuring Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Vince Gill. Apparently, Westerberg wasn't invited to that one.
