Classic Rock 93.9

Add America and founding Free/Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers to the list of artists who have recently sold off all or some of their song publishing rights to the Primary Wave Music company.

Primary Wave announced Wednesday that it had acquired the rights to the music catalogue of America co-founders Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell. The multi-million-dollar deal includes rights to such enduring hits as the chart-topping “A Horse with No Name” and “Sister Golden Hair,” and the top-10 singles “Ventura Highway” and “Tin Man.”

The agreement also includes some name and likeness rights.

“We are pleased that our catalogue is now in the able hands of the good folks at Primary Wave, where the music we have created over the last 50 years will be given new attention and exposure,” says Bunnell.

As for Rodgers, his deal includes Primary Wave acquiring a stake in the Free and Bad Company catalogues, as well as “master recording income streams from both bands.”

Free is best-known for the 1970 smash “All Right Now,” while Bad Company had a string of popular songs during the 1970s that Rodgers wrote or co-wrote, including “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Shooting Star” and “Wishing Well.”

Also as part of the deal, Rodgers will create an imprint that will be distributed by the Sun Records label, which Primary Wave acquired in late 2020. Via the imprint, the singer will sign new artists and also curate compilations.

“Given [Primary Wave’s] deep knowledge of my catalogue, joining forces with them seems a natural progression, to ensure that the messages and the music live on for the fans,” Rodgers says of the deal.

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Spencer Elden has filed an amended complaint in his lawsuit against Nirvana, according to Rolling Stone.

As previously reported, the now 30-year-old Elden sued Nirvana last August, claiming that the artwork for the band’s 1991 album Nevermind constituted child pornography. The now-iconic cover features a photo of Elden, then a four-month-old baby, swimming naked underwater while reaching for a dollar bill.

Surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as the late Kurt Cobain and his widow, Courtney Love, were named as defendants in the suit.

This past December, lawyers for Nirvana filed to dismiss the suit, arguing that the statute of limitations on Elden’s claims, which also included allegations of sex trafficking, had expired. The dismissal motion also criticized Elden’s suit as “not serious” and “absurd.”

When Elden missed the deadline to respond to Nirvana’s motion, Variety reported that the judge in the case dismissed the suit “with leave to amend,” giving Elden up until January 13 to refile. According to Rolling Stone, Elden submitted his amended complaint late Wednesday, January 12.

Notably, the revised suit drops a sex trafficking allegation, though still maintains that Nirvana “intentionally commercially marketed the child pornography depicting Spencer and leveraged the lascivious nature of his image to promote the Nevermind album, the band, and Nirvana’s music, while earning, at a minimum, tens of millions of dollars in the aggregate.”

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Former Blue Öyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard will be playing a special concert celebrating his two recent solo concept albums — 2020’s Re Imaginos and 2021’s Imaginos II Bombs over Germany — this Saturday, January 15, in Fall River, Massachusetts.

The show will feature Bouchard and his backing group — called the Imaginos Band — performing Re Imaginos in its entirety, as well as selections from Imaginos II and various classic songs from Blue Öyster Cult’s catalog.

The concert at Narrows Center for the Arts will mark the first time Bouchard performs many of the songs from the Imaginos saga live with a full group of musicians.

The Imaginos Band lineup includes Albert’s brother, Joe Bouchard — who was Blue Öyster Cult’s longtime bassist — as well as veteran guitarist/singer Mike Fornatale, who has played with latter-day versions of such 1960s group’s as The Left Banke, Moby Grape and The Monks.

As previously reported, Re Imaginos was an updated version of the 1988 Blue Öyster Cult concept album, Imaginos, which was based on the writings and poems of late Blue Öyster Cult manager, producer and songwriter Sandy Pearlman. The album was about an alien conspiracy that comes to fruition during the late 1800s and early 1900s, through the actions of an evil character.

The Imaginos II album continued the story, and Albert plans to record a third installment of the saga.

Bouchard recently released a vinyl version of Imaginos II that’s available at Merchbucket.com on black, black-and-red and black-and-white vinyl.

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Rod Stewart‘s scheduled tour of Australia is the latest casualty of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

Sir Rod, who turned 77 on Monday, was to have performed nine shows Down Under in March and April, but now those shows have been canceled “due to the ongoing surge of COVID in Australia and the reimposition of indoor entertainment venue capacity limits,” reads a statement announcing the news.

Rod, meanwhile, said, “My dear friends, once again I feel we’ve all been cheated by this evil disease…My thoughts are with all your families at this difficult time as we come out of the joyous and hopefully safe holiday season and I look forward to returning to Australia as soon as the health situation permits.”

He added, “I’m absolutely gutted with disappointment and when I do eventually get there we‘ll have the party to end all parties. Guaranteed!”  All ticketholders will get automatic refunds.

Billboard reports that the Australian state of Victoria has temporarily banned indoor dancefloors, while the state of New South Wales has instituted a “no singing, no dancing” policy in entertainment venues.  Meanwhile, the state of Queensland recorded its largest number of COVID deaths in a single day on Thursday.

At the moment, Rod is still scheduled to perform two shows in Hollywood, FL on February 14 and 15, and to resume his residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in May.

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John Fogerty has started lining shows for 2022, including a new series of Las Vegas residency dates at the Wynn resort’s Encore Theater.

The former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman’s latest Vegas engagement at the venue is a six-date stand scheduled for February 23, 25 and 26, and March 2, 4 and 5.

Prior to the Sin City residency, Fogerty will play two shows later this month in Southern California — taking place January 21 in Valley Center and January 22 in Rancho Mirage.

The 76-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer also has a one-off East Coast concert scheduled for April 14 in Red Bank, New Jersey.

In addition, in May, Fogerty will head to Los Cabos, Mexico, for the Roxfest Classic festival. The four-day event, scheduled for May 11-14, also will feature performances by Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, The Beach Boys and Heart‘s Ann Wilson. Visit MusicGetaways.com for more info.

Lastly, Fogerty has a brief European tour leg that runs from a June 3 concert in Kvaerndrup, Denmark, through a June 12 gig in Sankt Goarshausen, Germany.

Check out John’s full itinerary at JohnFogerty.com.

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Alice in Chains‘ Jerry Cantrell has released a new live video for his song “Brighten,” the title track off his new solo album.

The clip, which was filmed at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, showcases the bluesy tune in action. You can watch the performance streaming now on YouTube.

Cantrell released the album Brighten, his first solo effort in nearly 20 years, this past October. The record features Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses on bass.

You can catch Cantrell live yourself on his upcoming headlining solo tour, kicking off March 24 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Jethro Tull has premiered a music video for a third advance track from its forthcoming studio album, The Zealot Gene, the record’s ominous title track.

The animated clip, which was directed by Iranian filmmaker Sam Chegini, can be viewed at the band’s official YouTube channel. The video features a variety of enigmatic scenes and images that help depict the flute-driven song’s theme of the potential danger of fanatically following polarizing leaders and philosophies.

The clip includes scenes depicting a swimming sperm whose tail becomes the fuse of a bomb, falling eggs that crack open to reveal curled-up people, a human figure with a television instead of a head, and a cartoon version of frontman Ian Anderson.

Anderson explains of “The Zealot Gene,” “The title track offers many allusions to the radical, politically-charged world of populism in leadership. As a song lyric, it sums up, for me, the divisive nature of societal relationships and the extreme views which fuel the fires of hate and prejudice, more so today perhaps, than at any time in history. Perhaps you think you know who I might have been thinking about here but, in reality, there are probably right now at least five prominent, dictatorial national figures who could fit the bill.”

“The Zealot Gene” is available now as a digital download and via steaming services. Its release was preceded by “Sad City Sisters” and “Shoshana Sleeping,” which also were accompanied by music videos.

Anderson also has been posting a series of videos featuring him discussing the album on the band’s YouTube channel.

As previously reported, The Zealot Gene will be released on January 28. The 12-track collection, which can be pre-ordered now, is Jethro Tull’s first new studio album in more than 18 years.

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Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has formed a new band called Envy of None that will release its self-titled debut album on April 8.

Envy of None also features bassist Andy Curran of the veteran Canadian group Coney Hatch, guitarist/keyboardist Alfio Annibalini and singer-songwriter Maiah Wynne.

The 11-track collection offers up a wide sonic palette, with influences including alternative rock, synth rock and experimental rock mixed with melodic pop.

Lifeson has been working on the Envy of None material for several years, but he says the project really took off when Wynne got involved.

“Maiah became my muse,” Alex maintains. “She was able to bring this whole new ethereal thing through her sense of melody on tracks like ‘Liar’ and ‘Look Inside.’…I’ve never had that kind of inspiration working with another musician.”

The band has released “Liar” as an advance digital track, and a companion lyric video has premiered at the Kscope label’s YouTube channel.

The album ends with a song titled “Western Sunset,” which Alex wrote as a tribute to late Rush drummer Neil Peart.

“I visited Neil when he was ill,” says Lifeson. “I was on his balcony watching the sunset and found inspiration. There’s a finality about a sunset that kinda stayed with me throughout the whole process. It had meaning. It was the perfect mood to decompress after all these different textures…a nice way to close the book.”

The album is available for pre-order now, and will be issued digitally, on CD, on LP — in black vinyl and colored-vinyl variants — and as a deluxe limited-edition package. The latter collection features a blue-vinyl LP, a two-CD set offering five bonus tracks, and a 28-page booklet.

Here’s the full Envy of None track list:

“Never Said I Love You”
“Shadow”
“Look Inside”
“Liar”
“Spy House”
“Dog’s Life”
“Kabul Blues”
“Old Strings”
“Dumb”
“Enemy”
“Western Sunset”

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The Marshall Tucker Band are set to launch a 2022 U.S. tour celebrating their 50th anniversary with a concert tonight in The Woodlands, Texas.

The Southern rockers’ trek currently features more than 40 shows, and is mapped out through a June 24 performance in Riverside, Iowa.

A variety of guest artists will be supporting the group on its anniversary outing, including ex-Traffic singer/guitarist Dave Mason, who will open 17 of the shows in February and March.

Other support acts joining The Marshall Tucker Band on select dates include Firefall, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, The Kentucky Headhunters, The Outlaws and Pure Prairie League.

Meanwhile, two of the concerts will see Marshall Tucker serving as the opening band, a January 22 show in Tallahassee, Florida, headlined by Alabama, and a January 29 gig in Miami headlined by Kansas.

The Marshall Tucker Band also will be bringing some Southern rock to the Carolina Country Music Fest, which takes place June 9-12 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and featuring such major country stars as Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Keith Urban.

The Marshall Tucker Band, which formed in 1972, is best known for their top-40 hits “Heard It in a Love Song” and “Fire on the Mountain,” as well as their memorable tune “Can’t You See.” Founding lead singer Doug Gray is the only original member still in the group.

Check out the band’s full tour schedule at MarshallTucker.com.

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