Classic Rock 93.9

Sting is the latest rock legend to cash in by selling the rights to his music.

MusicWeek reports that Sting has sold his entire songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group in a deal that’s worth a reported $250 million.  The deal is for Sting’s solo songs, as well as songs by The Police, and includes hits like “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Fields of Gold,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” “Desert Rose,” “Message in a Bottle” and many more.

MusicWeek reports that the deal is similar to the one Bob Dylan made, in that it includes the rights to the publisher and the writer shares of the songs.  It means Sting’s songs are now in the same place as his entire recorded music catalog: Universal Music Group.

In a statement, quoted by MusicWeek, Sting says, “It is absolutely essential to me that my career’s body of work have a home where it is valued and respected — not only to connect with longtime fans in new ways but also to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations.”

He adds, “Throughout my career, I have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with UMG as my label partner…so it felt natural to unite everything in one trusted home, as I return to the studio, ready for the next chapter.”

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and the estate of David Bowie recently made similar deals regarding their catalogs.

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Fleetwood Mac‘s Rumours was released 45 years ago this past week, and in conjunction with the anniversary, drummer Mick Fleetwood reflected on landmark 1977 album with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe.

Part of the interview focused on the volatile dynamic between the band mates during the making of Rumours.

While working on the album, all five members were dealing with romantic conflicts, as Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were breaking up, Christine McVie and John McVie had just divorced, and Mick had broken up with his wife.

“[The] five of us were in a state of flux…a lot of pain. And this creature known as Fleetwood Mac and what we were doing became the safe harbor in a way, I believe,” Mick noted. “Was it a complete healing? No, but it has those elements to it, certainly in the complete chaos.”

Having said that, Fleetwood suggested that before the band members had the opportunity to work out their conflicts, the success of Rumours — described by Mick as “the wave of what this body of work created” — drew away their attention.

Fleetwood maintained that the fallout of those conflicts, particularly between Nicks and Buckingham, continues to the present day. Of course, tensions between the two led to Lindsey being fired in 2018.

“[E]specially for Stevie and Lindsey, I don’t think [things] certainly are…resolved fully,” Mick said, “and I wish they were and I visualize those moments as the years trickle by somehow, but I truly, somewhat sadly think…that will go into the rainbow somewhere and never really change.”

Rumours spent 31 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, featured four top-10 hits — “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun” — and has sold over 20 million copies in the U.S.

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Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson‘s new band Envy of None has launched a contest offering a fan the chance to win one of Lifeson’s new Epiphone Les Paul Axcess Standard signature guitars.

Fans can enter the giveaway by using a QR code that’s printed on a ticket located on the inside of one of the CDs from in the Deluxe Edition of Envy of None’s self-titled debut album, which is due out on April 8. In addition, fans outside of the U.K. can enter by simply sending their full name, postal address and email address to “EON Giveaway, Snapper Music, 52 Lisson Street, London, NW1” by July 11, 2022 — the contest’s closing date. Visit KScopeMusic.com/EONGiveaway for more details.

The Alex Lifeson Epiphone Les Paul Standard Axcess guitar, which was released in June 2021, was based on a similar model on which Lifeson collaborated with Gibson in 2015. The instrument features special modifications requested by Lifeson, including alterations to the pickups and a vibrato setup.

Lifeson’s Epiphone Les Paul Standard Axcess guitar is available for a list price of $899.

As for Envy of None, Lifeson is joined in the band by bassist Andy Curran of the veteran Canadian rock group Coney Hatch, guitarist/keyboardist Alfio Annibalini and singer-songwriter Maiah Wynne.

The album is an 11-track collection that offers up a wide sonic palette, with influences including alternative rock, synth rock and experimental rock mixed with melodic pop. It includes a song titled “Western Sunset,” which Alex wrote as a tribute to late Rush drummer Neil Peart.

Envy of None can be pre-ordered now, and will be issued in multiple formats, including digitally, on CD, on LP and as a deluxe limited-edition collection featuring a blue-vinyl LP, a two-CD set and a booklet.

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Billie Joe Armstrong‘s stolen car has been found.

Over the weekend, the Green Day frontman posted an Instagram message asking for information about his missing vehicle, a 1962 Chevy II that he called “near and dear to all our hearts” and a piece of the band’s “family for over 30 years.” In a follow-up post Wednesday, Armstrong revealed that the car has been safely recovered and “all in one piece.”

“FOUND MY CAR!!” Armstrong wrote. “False alarm…turns out I forgot where I parked it…KIDDING! Truth is the person that stole it left it parked. Joy ride? Maybe…who knows. We live in desperate times.”

The punk rocker and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee added, “Thank god it’s all in one piece. No damage.”

Armstrong also thanked everyone who helped with the search.

“Love you all,” he wrote, alongside a trio of prayer-hands emojis.

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Chicago, Billy Idol, Metallica and The Zombies are among a variety of artists that are taking part in a new charity initiative called F-COVID.

Created by the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund charity organization in partnership with fundraising platform Fandiem and concert database Bandsintown, F-COVID seeks to raise money for musicians and music industry professionals that continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign is raffling off a number of unique prizes, including an electric guitar autographed by Chicago and two tickets to an upcoming U.S. show by the band; a set list signed by Idol from a September 2021 concert he played in Port Chester New York; two tickets to Metallica’s upcoming sold-out February 25 show in Las Vegas; and a pair of tickets to one of The Zombies’ 2022 stateside concerts, plus a virtual hang with founding members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone.

The more you donate to the initiative, the more entries you’ll receive in the raffle.

Other artists participating in the initiative include Nine Inch Nails, Social Distortion, Wilco, Imagine Dragons, Darius Rucker, Marcus King and Kesha.

“The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the music industry, shutting down touring, festivals, and live performances,” a press release reads. “Though we are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, the financial damage from missing two years of touring and work is unprecedented. Sweet Relief created the F-COVID fundraising campaign to help provide immediate assistance to artists and crews who have been financially devastated by the pandemic.”

For more info, visit Fandiem.com.

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Foo Fighters were among the winners at Tuesday’s Pollstar Awards, hosted by the concert industry publication Pollstar.

Dave Grohl and company were honored with the Best Rock Tour prize at the ceremony, which celebrated the return of live music in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Variety, Grohl sent in a statement to accept the award, which read in part, “F*** COVID. Live entertainment will always survive, and it will always be vibrant.”

Other winners included Garbage, who opened for Alanis Morissette‘s 25th anniversary Jagged Little Pill tour, for Best Support/Special Guest Act and Tour, and Eddie Vedder‘s Ohana Festival for Music Festival of the Year in the under 30,000 attendance category. Texas’ Austin City Limits won Music Festival of the Year, over 30,000 attendance.

Harry Styles took home the night’s top prize: Major Tour of the Year.

For the full list of winners, visit Pollstar.com.

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Longtime Moody Blues frontman Justin Hayward has joined the lineup of this year’s edition of the prog-rock-themed Cruise to the Edge, which is scheduled to take place during the first week of May.

According to the cruise’s official site and social media pages, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will be giving a special performance at some point during the nautical music extravaganza, which sets sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, on May 2 and stops on the Haitian island of Labadee and at CocoCay in the Bahamas before returning to port on May 7.

As previously reported, Cruise to the Edge is returning this year after being grounded in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, for the first time, it won’t be featuring its traditional headlining act, Yes.

The lineup does feature Alan Parsons, Marillion, lauded jazz guitarist Al DiMeola, Al Stewart, ex-Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, Saga, former King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew, current King Crimson guitarist Jakko Jakszyk, prog-rock supergroup Transatlantic, Wishbone Ash, Nektar, King’s X and Moody Blues touring keyboardist Alan Hewitt.

For more details about the cruise and to book a cabin, visit CruisetotheEdge.com.

In other news, Hayward recently released a digital album titled Tuesday Afternoons – The Audio Files that features audio of performances from Justin’s “Tuesday Afternoons” YouTube video series. The nine-song track list features mainly deep cuts from The Moody Blues and from Hayward’s solo career. You can order the album at JustinHayward.com.

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Rock guitar virtuoso Steve Vai released his latest studio album, Inviolate, last month.

On the nine-track instrumental collection, Vai’s impressive technique, inventiveness, melodic sensibility and knack for showcasing various influences are on full display.

Vai’s music could be described as otherworldly, but Inviolate‘s first track, “Teeth of the Hydra,” features a unique new signature guitar that Steve helped design that looks like something an alien would play. To create the three-necked instrument, dubbed the Hydra, Vai teamed up with the designers at Ibanez.

“I wanted it to have a 12-string neck that was half fretless, [a] seven-string [neck], [a] three-quarter [scale] bass neck that had two fretless strings, and these harp strings,” Steve tells ABC Audio. “And I was also into steampunk fashion at the time, so I gathered a bunch of material and I sent it to Ibanez, and the designers…went crazy, man. They just blew up the bridge.”

Vai’s reaction to seeing the finished instrument? “It was fascinating, it was stunning and it was terrifying, because I knew I had to write a piece of music with it,” he says.

It took him months, but he finally composed “Teeth of the Hydra.”

Inviolate also features contributions from a number of talented guest musicians, including drummers Terry Bozzio and Vinnie Colaiuta, both of whom, like Steve, are alums of the late Frank Zappa‘s touring band. Bassist Billy Sheehan, who was a member of David Lee Roth‘s solo band during the 1980s alongside Steve, also plays on the album.

Vai had planned to launch a lengthy U.S. tour in support of Inviolate last month, but he recently reinjured his shoulder — which had required surgery last year — forcing him to postpone the trek until the fall. You can check out Steve’s tour schedule at Vai.com.

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Last month, Asia revealed that it planned to mark its 40th anniversary with a new tour this summer, and now the Asia spinoff group Asia Featuring John Payne has announced that it’s plotting a special 2022 trek that will celebrate two milestone anniversaries for the supergroup.

Payne was Asia’s lead singer and bassist from 1991 to 2006, and he formed his own version of the band in 2007, after the group’s full original lineup reunited in ’06.

The 2022 Asia Featuring John Payne tour will not only mark the 40th anniversary of the release of Asia’s chart-topping 1982 self-titled debut album, but the 30th anniversary of Aqua, the band’s first studio effort to feature Payne.

Asia Featuring John Payne is preparing a 90-minute show that will focuses on those two albums, featuring a set list that includes “Heat of the Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell,” “Sole Survivor,” “Wildest Dreams,” “Who Will Stop the Rain” and many more.

“This is going to be very nostalgic for me,” says Payne. “I haven’t played some of these songs in 30 years and I’m extremely excited to do this tour with our band. We want the shows to sound as close to the original recordings as possible.”

Asia Featuring John Payne currently has three confirmed upcoming concerts on its schedule — a February 26 performance in Orlando, Florida; a May 21 show in Lynn, Massachusetts, that also will feature founding Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm; and a July 14 gig in Cleveland.

Visit AsiaFeaturingJohnPayne.com for more info.

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The family of Cliff Burton has announced a livestream celebrating what would’ve been the late Metallica bassist’s 60th birthday.

The virtual event will premiere on this Thursday, February 10, at 7 p.m. PT on host Nicholas Gomez‘s YouTube channel. Among the guests taking part are Anthrax‘s Charlie Benante, Faith No More‘s Mike Bordin and Slayer‘s Gary Holt.

Benante has also designed two t-shirts celebrating the occasion, which are available for pre-order now.

Burton was born February 10, 1962. He played on Metallica’s first three albums — 1983’s Kill ‘Em All, 1984’s Ride the Lightning and 1986’s Master of Puppets — before he was tragically killed in a bus accident at age 24.

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