EDIT: Okay.. now the progress bar moves, but only if the menu item that is currently playing is under selection, i.e. highlighted by clicking on it. The variables still return nothing in the columns. Can anybody post a track info string they use so I can check it?

You kind of edited out your original question, so I'm only guessing here, but...

have you tried double-clicking or middle-clicking in the track info window. This changes the mode from "follow cursor" which shows the song info for the selected song to "now playing" which shows for the playing song.