Axl Rose has something that belongs to Zak Starkey that the drummer wants back.
In 2017, Starkey put together an all-star cover of T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution" that features his dad, Ringo Starr, Axl and his Guns N' Roses bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan, along with Elton John.
The song, a video of which has been released, is set to be included on a charity album that Starkey says also features "more than one Beatle [Paul McCartney], a Smith [Johnny Marr], a Pretender [Chrissie Hynde]...an Iggy [Pop] and many more."
What's holding things up is the fact that Axl has the master tape, which led Starkey to write on Instagram:
"Dear Axl Rose, please give me my master of this track back. Me and [my wife] Sshh [Liguz] spent three years making this Bolan tribute for teen cancer and without the master of 'Children of the Revolution,' which my dad, Sshh, and I arranged to include a modulating section for Slash’s guitar, another for Duff’s bass solo and plenty of room for Elton before you asked Sshh if you could sing it.
"It’s a drag that the record is on the shelf, as Christie's [auction house] have advised it could generate $2M for teen cancer. C’mon, bro."
In the comments, he added, "I’ve been waiting seven years for the finished master sent as an MP3 to me on May 4th, 2018. I need a WAV for a record, not an MP3. Who is suffering? Not me, not you, not the contributors.
"There are 12 other massive legacy artists doing 10 [T. Rex frontman] Marc [Bolan] songs. Put it in an auction as a limited-edition, make a boatload of money for teen cancer, and stop worrying about [crap] major label marketing plans.
"I had all this set up. I have the artwork in a one-off gold-leaf original, and a Marc Bolan Gibson Custom Shop guitar signed by all participants, including Axl Rose. All for the auction. It’s a charity record, not the Constitution."
Axl has not publicly responded to Starkey's request.
Ringo and Elton each have a deep connection to T. Rex and the late Bolan. They both appeared in the 1972 T. Rex film Born to Boogie, which Starr directed.