Ron Geesin, the composer and musician who worked with Roger Waters on the soundtrack to the movie, The Body (and subsequent soundtrack album), and with the Pink Floyd on their 1970 epic, Atom Heart Mother, has signed a deal with Dutch label Tonefloat Records. His first studio album for nearly two decades - tentatively entitled "Roncycle1 - The Journey of a Melody" - is scheduled for release on CD in March 2011, with the possibility of a vinyl release alongside.

Those of you who have read our exclusive, extensive interview with Ron back in July 2008 will recall that, as part of our conversation covering his long association with Pink Floyd, culminating in the Atom Heart Mother concerts in 2008 with David Gilmour, Ron made mention of this long-awaited work. If you've not read the interview, check it out - Ron has now said that for him, it is the definitive, final conversation he will have on his work with Pink Floyd!

Orders for the new album will be through normal outlets, including our friends over at Floydstuff.com.

Roger Waters has been driven to defend himself from allegations of anti-Semitism, after being accused by Abraham Foxman, the director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of using images in his stage show that promoted stereotypes.

During "Goodbye Blue Sky", a B52 bomber projected on to a backdrop is shown dropping a number of different symbols including the Star of David and a dollar sign, which Foxman said echoed the stereotype that Jews were avaricious.

Roger felt compelled to set the record straight in an open letter to The Independent newspaper, published this week (and shown below).

"I watch the workings of politics here and particularly the Republican Party. They work with the axiom that you can tell as many lies as you want – and often the bigger the better – and eventually they will believed," he said. "If I don't respond people will see the story and will come to believe I'm anti-Semitic, and I'm not. Nothing could be further from the truth."

UPDATE, October 8th: Rolling Stone report today that the video sequence used on October 6th at Madison Square Garden was adjusted so that the Stars of David were now followed by Mercedes symbols.

Just announced is the Fender Roger Waters Precision Bass guitar, named for the world-famous bassist/singer/songwriter whose bass performance formed one of the hallmarks of the legendary Pink Floyd sound and a thriving solo career that continues to this day, with his current The Wall Live tour.

The instrument's features include his trademark black-on-black colour scheme (black body and single-ply pickguard), Seymour Duncan Basslines SPB-3 Quarter-Pound split-coil Precision Bass pickup, knurled black control knobs (master volume, master tone), brass nut, black bridge and strap buttons, vintage '70s-style "Fender"-stamped open-gear chrome tuners, and gasketed "F"-stamped neck plate.

Other features are a 9.5"-radius maple neck with vintage-style truss rod and slotted truss rod nut, maple fingerboard with 20 medium jumbo frets, a gloss urethane finish (body and neck), and deluxe gig bag.

The Fender Roger Waters Precision Bass guitar is available at Fender dealers with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,199.99, and adds to Fender's line-up of Floyd related instruments, with the brand having released two versions of David Gilmour's Black Strat guitar in 2008.

As we told you back in August, 'An Introduction to Syd Barrett' is released by EMI/Harvest Records, next week. It is a brand new collection that will bring together for the first time the tracks of Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett on one compilation.

This release (full details below) will include the previously-unreleased 20-minute instrumental 'Rhamadan'. Produced by former Pink Floyd and Syd co-manager Peter Jenner, the list of musicians is lost in the mists of time, though it's rumoured to include congas by Steve Peregrine Took of Tyrannosaurus Rex. It is to be offered as an extra downloadable track with the CD (via an auxiliary website), and also the iTunes version of the album.

Preorders for the album have been ongoing since it was announced, with some retailers offering it at a very reasonable 44% off the recommended retail price, at Play.com through this direct link. You can also order it from HMV.com, Amazon UK, Amazon France, and Amazon Germany. Amazon.com and Amazon.ca were previously just offering it as an expensive import, but have now just started offering it as a North American edition at a good price (albeit with a slightly later release date). We thought we'd best let you know in case you'd already ordered the import edition!