Classic Rock 93.9

In a career filled with best-selling albums, worldwide tours and jam sessions with nearly every legendary rock star on the planet, Dave Grohl may have found his most unexpected project yet with Studio 666.

The new horror-comedy film stars Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters as fictionalized versions of themselves, who enter a creepy mansion to record their next album. Things soon turn from spooky to downright evil when Grohl is possessed by demonic forces and begins killing the other band members.

In between the R-rated flick’s blood, gore and entrails, one might find a metaphor for the way a song might “possess” someone as they write it, though Grohl doesn’t think it’s exactly the same thing.

“Well, it’s a little different, because in the film I’m inspired by Satan,” Grohl tells ABC Audio. “That’s not my typical motivation when I’m writing a Foo Fighters song. ‘Times Like These’ is not about the Devil.”

He adds, “Making this movie, we know what it’s like to make an album. We just had to learn what it’s like to make an album possessed by the Devil.”

Even putting Satan aside, making Studio 666 brought its fair share of surprises to Grohl and company.

“I thought the hardest part was sitting around waiting,” Grohl says, channeling his one-time band mate, Tom Petty.

“Remember the room that we would sit around and wait in?” laughs guitarist Chris Shiflett. “We did it so f***ing low-budget. Like, there was two folding chairs and, like, a dirty old couch or something in this room, and we would just be huddled in there for, like, 12 hours a day.”

Studio 666 is in theaters today.

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It wasn’t surprising when Elton John‘s collaboration with pop star Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix),” hit number one in the U.K. — after all, both artists are British. But apparently, Australia loves them even more.

The song, which mashes up four of Elton’s previous songs, has just checked off its 10th non-consecutive week at number one on Australia’s ARIA Singles Chart, which is that country’s official song ranking.

“Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” is now one of only four songs that have spent 10 weeks on top of the ARIA Singles Chart. The others include Whitney Houston‘s “I Will Always Love You,” LMFAO‘s “Party Rock Anthem” and Sandi Thom‘s “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair).”

Of course, “Cold Heart” has a long way to go before it sets any records Down Under: The longest-running song on the ARIA Singles chart is “Dance Money” by Tones and I, which was number one for 24 weeks.

Incidentally, the remix was created by the electronic dance duo Pnau, who happen to be Australian.

In the U.S., “Cold Heart” peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s the only song from this century that Elton is performing during his Farewell tour. Earlier this week, Elton performed at his “favorite venue in the world” — New York’s Madison Square Garden — for the last time. He’s played there more than 70 times.

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Paul McCartney‘s recently announced Got Back tour just got an additional show. The new date, which was added “due to overwhelming demand,” is scheduled for June 8 at Boston’s Fenway Park, and joins a previously announced June 7 concert at the historic stadium.

Tickets for McCartney’s June 8 performance will go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 4, at 10 a.m. ET.

American Express card members can get pre-sale tickets starting Monday, February 28, at 10 a.m. ET, while PaulMcCartney.com also is offering pre-sale tickets beginning at 12 p.m. ET that same day. For all the details, visit PaulMcCartneyGotBack.com.

As previously reported, McCartney’s Got Back tour, his first since his Freshen Up trek wrapped in 2019, launches April 28 in Spokane, Washington, and is scheduled to wrap up on June 16 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The U.S. outing currently features 15 shows.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers are known for recording memorable versions of other artists’ tunes, but frontman George Thorogood has written plenty of memorable songs as well. It’s those originals that are the focus of a new compilation titled, aptly, The Original George Thorogood, that’s due out April 15.

The album, which you can pre-order now, will be available on CD, via digital formats, and as a two-LP vinyl set, including a standard black-vinyl version and a limited-edition translucent-orange-vinyl collection.

The CD and digital versions of The Original George Thorogood feature 14 tracks, while the vinyl editions boast 11 songs. All versions include such classic Thorogood tunes as “Bad to the Bone,” “I Drink Alone,” “Born to Be Bad,” “If You Don’t Start Drinkin’ (I’m Gonna Leave)” and “You Talk Too Much,” as well as the previously unreleased track “Back in the U.S.A.”

“It’s easy to write a song, difficult to write a good song, and even harder to write a great song,” says Thorogood. “It strikes home that I have the ability to write some pretty great songs, and there’s a real sense of achievement to that.”

George adds about the compilation, “We’ve been playing a lot of these songs for a long time, and some haven’t been performed live at all. I hope fans are surprised by the ones they’ve never heard before.”

This year, Thorogood and the Destroyers launched the Good to Be Bad: 45 Years of Rock Tour, which resumes on April 29 in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The band also will be supporting Sammy Hagar & the Circle on the Crazy Times! trek, which includes a variety of dates in June, August and September. Check out a full list of shows at GeorgeThorogood.com.

Here’s The Original George Thorogood‘s full track list:

“Bad to the Bone”
“I Drink Alone”
“Gear Jammer”
“Born to Be Bad”
“If You Don’t Start Drinkin’ (I’m Gonna Leave)”
“Back in the U.S.A.”*
“Rock and Roll Man”
“You Talk Too Much”
“Miss Luann”
“Back to Wentzville”**
“Rock and Roll Christmas”
“Oklahoma Sweetheart”
“Woman with the Blues”**
“I Really Like Girls”**

* = previously unreleased
** = on CD and digital versions only.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider pays tribute to the victims of tragic 2003 Station nightclub fire in a brand-new music video for his recent solo song, “Stand,” which got its premiere today at the Napalm Records label’s YouTube channel.

The clip features Snider and his solo band performing the song along with footage from a new documentary titled America’s Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List, which debuted last Sunday on the Reelz channel. Dee was interviewed for the doc, and the video begins with a clip of him saying of the tragedy, “Nobody deserves to die because they wanted to see a band.”

The fire took place during a Great White show at Warwick, Rhode Island, club on February 20, 2003. One hundred people died in the horrifying incident, and over 200 were injured.

“While I didn’t write ‘Stand’ for the Station nightclub fire documentary America’s Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List, it is a perfect fit,” Snider says. “The full tragedy of that horrific night was the despicable lack of support shown for a community in desperate need. ‘Stand’ speaks to the importance for us all to recognize these moments of desperation and do something about them. ‘Don’t leave your mark…leave a scar!'”

Dee adds, “This documentary not only serves as a reminder of this incredible tragedy, but it shines a light on an amazing group of people who overcame unfathomable loss, and survived, even thrived in the aftermath.”

Snider had performed at the Station, and after the fire he helped bring fellow music artists together for a charity concert to aid the survivors and victims’ families.

The documentary will air again on Reelz this Sunday, February 27, at 3 p.m. ET.

“Stand” is featured on Snider’s 2021 album Leave a Scar.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Scorpions‘ long-awaited 19th studio album, Rock Believer, the band’s first new record since 2015’s Return to Forever, arrived today.

Frontman Klaus Meine tells ABC Audio that with the album, exemplified by its title track, The Scorpions deliver the message that they believe hard-rock music is alive and well, and that they know their fans feel the same way.

“The lyrics [of ‘Rock Believer’ are] about saying, ‘We are the essence of rock believers, doing this for so long,'” Meine explains. “And, of course, it was addressed to all the rock believers out there, addressed to the hard and heavy community.”

Meine says the band’s objective with Rock Believer was “for us to have great songs, powerful songs for our live set, and…for the hard and heavy fans out there hoping The Scorpions this time would not focus too much on ballads.”

Having said that, Meine notes that alongside various fast and mid-tempo rock songs on Rock Believer, there is indeed one ballad, “When You Know (Where You Come From).”

Asked to name some of his favorite songs on the album, Klaus says “When You Know,” “Rock Believer” and “Call of the Wild,” which he says is “a cool little…bluesy song.”

He also singles out “When I Lay My Bones to Rest” which he says he likes because it’s “a fast song, it’s so powerful, with really funny lyrics.”

The Scorpions recorded the album during the COVID-19 lockdown, and while some of the songs feature lyrics inspired by the global health crisis and other serious issues, Meine says he focused more on writing tunes “for the fans to enjoy and get away from this whole corona thing…and just to rock out with us with positive energy.”

Here’s Rock Believer‘s full track list:

“Gas in the Tank”
“Roots in My Boots”
“Knock ‘Em Dead”
“Rock Believer”
“Shining of Your Soul”
“Seventh Sun”
“Hot and Cold”
“When I Lay My Bones to Rest”
“Peacemaker”
“Call of the Wild”
“When You Know (Where You Come From)”
“Shoot for Your Heart”
“When Tomorrow Comes
“Unleash the Beast”
“Crossing Borders”
“When You Know (Where You Come From)” (Acoustic Version)

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Heart‘s Nancy Wilson has recorded a new version of The Beatles‘ “Here Comes the Sun” with longtime Elton John guitarist Davey Johnstone and actor/drummer John Stamos, and a video for the cover will premiere this Saturday, February 26, during the 2022 gala for the Hillsides charity taking place in Pasadena, California.

Hillsides is a nonprofit organization that focuses on helping children deal with trauma and mental health issues.

You can check out a preview clip of the “Here Comes the Sun” video on Wilson’s Facebook page. John Mahon, a multi-instrumentalist who, like Johnstone, is a longtime member of Elton’s touring band, also contributed to the song.

The year’s fHillsides undraiser, which has been dubbed “Come Together,” will be held at The Langham Huntington hotel in Pasadena and also will be streamed live on the organization’s YouTube channel.  In addition to the screening of the “Here Comes the Sun” video, the event will feature a cocktail hour, dinner, a silent auction and a live, silent auction.  Among the hundreds of items and experiences up for bid are virtual meet-and-greets with Wilson, Johnstone, Mahon and Elton John drummer Nigel Olsson, and a drumhead signed by various members of Elton’s band.

To bid on items in advance, visit ComeTogether2022.ggo.bid. You can purchase tickets to the gala or make a donation to the charity at Hillsides.ejoinme.org/ComeTogether2022.

The YouTube livestream of the Hillsides gala starts at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday.

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Long-running label Metal Blade Records is turning 40, and its celebrating with a bit of Metallica history.

Metal Blade has announced a vinyl reissue its debut release, a 1982 compilation titled Metal Massacre Volume One, due out April 22.

Metal Massacre Volume One was originally released to showcase unsigned metal bands in the Los Angeles area, including a very young Metallica. The future Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ contribution was “Hit the Lights,” notably the first song James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich wrote together.

The compilation also features the early Ratt tune “Tell the World,” as well as songs by Avatar, Malice, Pandemonium and other bands.

You can pre-order your reissue of Metal Massacre Volume One, which hasn’t been available on vinyl since 1984, now via MetalBlade.com. A special edition clear-vinyl variant will be released exclusively via Metallica.com.

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Tomorrow, The Scorpions will release Rock Believer, the veteran German rockers’ first new studio album since 2015, and to celebrate its arrival, the band will treat fans to a short studio tour via their YouTube channel at 12:45 p.m. ET.

After the virtual tour, The Scorpions will debut a music video for its new song “When You Know (Where You Come From)” on YouTube at 1 p.m. ET. The track is the only ballad on Rock Believer. You can check out an advance preview of the video that’s been posted at the group’s Facebook page.

You can pre-order Rock Believer now.

In other news, The Scorpions have posted a message on their social media pages reacting to the invasion Russia launched Thursday morning of neighboring country Ukraine.

The note reads, “Don’t stop the Dialog…Words are better than bullets…Our hearts go out to the people in the Ukraine,” and is accompanied by a photo of Scorpions frontman Klaus Meine sitting in a chair and holding a bullhorn.

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Dave Grohl is the latest person to enter the ring of fire on Hot Ones.

The Foo Fighters frontman guests on the latest episode of the popular YouTube show, in which host Sean Evans asks celebrity guests different questions as they attempt to eat hotter and hotter chicken wings.

Being something of a barbecue expert himself, Grohl handled the heat level pretty well in-between sharing stories about his belief in UFOs and his various onstage injuries. During the 30-minute conversation, Grohl also revealed that he’s a huge Hot Ones fan, and compared the experience of appearing on the series to playing Saturday Night Live and David Letterman‘s show.

“For years, I’ve watched…[Hot Ones], and I finally walked onto this set and saw those sauces and saw your face, I was, like, ‘Yes! Bucket list, bam!'” Grohl told Evans. “The only thing I have left to do in my life is jam with AC/DC.”

Grohl, of course, also gave a shout-out to the upcoming Foo Fighters movie Studio 666, which premieres in theaters Friday.

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