Classic Rock 93.9

Back to the Future fans probably couldn’t imagine the film without Christopher Lloyd playing Doc Brown, but it turns out he may not have been the first choice for the role.

While at the Sundance Film Festival, Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo told The Wrap he was originally offered the part by the film’s producer Steven Spielberg and director Robert Zemeckis.

Mothersbaugh says Spielberg and Zemeckis attended one of Devo’s shows, and at the end of the night they came up to him and said they wanted to talk to him about working on their film. He was convinced they were going to ask him to do the score, so he was totally surprised by their offer.

“I went into this meeting and they said, ‘Well, we love what you do on stage. We love the way your band looks. We want you to be sort of a crazy mad scientist in this film we’re doing,”’ he shared. When he asked them what they meant, they told him, “There’s a part in the film of a guy who runs around in a lab coat and he has a car that goes through time. We want you to play that part.” 

But Mothersbaugh had no interest, telling them, “I don’t want to act in a movie.” When they argued he already acts onstage, Mothersbaugh countered, “Well, we make that stuff up ourselves.”

And while Mothersbuagh didn’t do the film, a quick reference to Devo is featured in the movie: Marty, played by Michael J. Fox, comments, “What is this Devo?” when he sees Doc’s contamination suit. That clip now appears in the new documentary Devo, which had its debut at the Sundance Film Festival.

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Iron Maiden‘s Bruce Dickinson has shared a new song called “Rain on the Graves,” a cut off his upcoming solo album, The Mandrake Project.

The track is accompanied by a six-minute video, in which Dickinson plays a preacher who makes a deal with the Devil, which, as is often the case, doesn’t work out too well for him. You can watch it now streaming on YouTube.

The Mandrake Project, Dickinson’s first solo effort in nearly 20 years, drops March 1. It also includes the single “Afterglow of Ragnarok.”

Dickinson will launch an international solo tour in April.

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 First he took a shot at Sammy Hagar; now David Lee Roth is taking aim at Eddie Van Halen’s son, Mammoth WVH frontman Wolfgang Van Halen.

In a new Roth Show video, the rocker shares his displeasure at having had to work with Eddie’s son, who played bass in Van Halen from 2007 to 2015. Roth starts off the video with a mock interview, painting Wolfgang as Jesus Christ, who’s complaining about not getting any respect.

“I want people to know I got this job because of my talent,” says Roth. “I woulda had this job anyway even if my dad wasn’t God,” a reference to claims Wolfgang only got the Van Halen gig because of his dad. 

Referring to Wolfgang as “this f****** kid” throughout the video, Roth then starts discussing how Wolfgang would complain about his behavior onstage.

“He’s complaining the entire tour like I’m not paying enough attention to him onstage,” Roth says. “I’m giving him the best, everything I got in front of 20-30,000 people at a clip and he’s complaining to everybody around me, the business manager, the security guy, the clothing lady, ‘Dave’s not paying enough attention to me.’”

Roth then tells two stories about how Wolfgang had Roth’s female guests thrown out of shows in New York and Los Angeles to allegedly teach him a lesson. But unbeknownst to Wolfgang, the women were actually from the band’s accounting firm and were there to pay the crew. Roth gave them tickets only after Eddie and Alex Van Halen stiffed them.

The video comes just days after Roth went after Hagar in a clip, suggesting Hagar being probed by aliens was the reason for his bad behavior toward Roth.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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He’s not currently nominated for a Grammy, but Billy Joel will take the stage at this year’s Grammy Awards, set for February 4 in Los Angeles.

Over the years, The Piano Man has won five Grammys, including Album of the Year for 52nd Street, and Record and Song of the Year for “Just the Way You Are.” He also received a Grammy Legend Award. So far, he’s the only announced performer who isn’t a current nominee: The other performers include Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, as well as Luke Combs, Afrobeats star Burna Boy and rapper Travis Scott.

News of Billy’s appearance on the telecast comes just a few days after the release of his first pop single since 2007, “Turn the Lights Back On.”  

Billboard suggests that the Grammy folks may want to create some kind of “Grammy moment” with Billy and Olivia, because she mentioned him in the lyrics of her song “déjà vu.” Olivia did actually join Billy onstage at Madison Square Garden in 2022: they sang “déjà vu” and “Uptown Girl” together.

January 27 marks the 10-year anniversary of the start of Billy’s record-breaking residency at Madison Square Garden, which will come to an end in July.

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Guns N’ Roses have gotten some technological help with their new video. The band has just dropped the video for their latest single, “The General,” which has been powered by artificial intelligence.

The video, created in collaboration with Dan Potter, creative director of London-based Creative Works, features A.I.-animated visuals that help give insight into the subconscious of a young boy, who seems to be battling monsters from his past. The clips are cut with live performance footage of the band.

Guns N’ Roses released “The General” back in December, although they first debuted the song live during their November two-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. It was the second new single the rockers released last year, following “Perhaps,” which was their first new song since 2021.

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Elton John‘s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour may be in the rearview mirror, but the memories will last forever.

The Rocket Man has announced a new book, Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life On Tour, which  offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at the record-breaking tour, from its kickoff in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 2018 to its final show in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2023.

On Instagram, Elton writes, “It’s been a beautiful journey creating this book and remembering the people and places that shaped an incredible chapter in my life. As well as the stories and memories — not just from this tour but from throughout my career — I’ve included unreleased photography and memorabilia that I hope give you never-before-seen insights of my life on the road.”

The book, which costs $59, also includes a forward by Elton’s husband, David Furnish, and the tour’s creative director. It’s out September 24, but if you’re a member of Elton’s Rocket Club or buy it through his official store, you’ll get yours two weeks early. You can visit store.eltonjohn.com to preorder it now.

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Mark Knopfler is back with new music. The Dire Straits frontman announced that he’ll release his 10th studio album One Deep River on April 12, and he’s giving fans their first taste of the record with the release of lead single “Ahead of the Game.”

According to the album’s description, One Deep River “offers an unstoppable flow of future Knopfler classics, with their customarily learned lyrics and refined guitar textures.”

One Deep River is Knopfler’s first album since 2018’s Down The Road Wherever. It will be released digitally and on CD, cassette and as a two-LP set. There’s also a box set featuring the standard CD and two-LP release, along with a bonus CD and bonus vinyl, three guitar picks, a lithograph print and more.

Below is the track list for One Deep River. It is available for preorder now.

“Two Pairs Of Hands”
“Ahead Of The Game”
“Smart Money”
“Scavengers Yard”
“Black Tie Jobs”
“Tunnel 13”
“Janine”
“Watch Me Gone”
“Sweeter Than The Rain”
“Before My Train Comes”
“This One’s Not Going To End Well”
“One Deep River”

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Neil Young has been announced as one of the headliners for the 2024 Bourbon & Beyond Festival, taking place September 19-22 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Young will co-headline opening night with Beck, with Dave Matthews Band and Tedeschi Trucks Band booked for Friday, Zach Bryan and Cody Jinks on Saturday, and Tyler Childers and My Morning Jacket on Sunday.

Bourbon & Beyond is expanding this year to include two new stages and 40 more artists, with the bill also including The Beach Boys, Melissa Etheridge, Patty Smyth, Chris Isaak, Lyle Lovett, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, Soul Asylum, The National and Matchbox Twenty. 

Passes and single-day tickets are on sale now. More information, including a complete lineup, can be found at bourbonandbeyond.com.

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The Rolling Stones have been recognized with a 2024 BRIT Award nomination.

The legendary rockers, who last year released Hackney Diamonds, their first album of new material since 2005, have been nominated in the Alternative/Rock Act category, where they’ll compete against Blur, Bring Me the Horizon, Young Fathers and Yussef Dayes. 

The nomination is the fourth for The Stones and their first since 2013.

Foo Fighters have also been recognized with a nomination in the International Group category, where Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Paramore and more also received nods.

Winners in the genre categories will be selected via a public vote being held on Instagram from Thursday, February 1, at 12 p.m. until Thursday, February 15, at 6 p.m. 

The BRIT Awards 2024 will take place Sunday, March 2, at The O2 arena in London.

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The estate of late Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland has announced a partnership with the music publishing company Primary Wave.

The agreement includes publishing copyrights and recording royalties for Weiland’s songs with STP and Velvet Revolver as well as his solo material. Additionally, Primary Wave will be “working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film and television projects.”

“There are few rock artists that had the impact that Scott Weiland did on music,” says Primary Wave Music CEO and founder Larry Mestel. “We are honored to partner with Scott’s family on such a legendary catalog of music and career. Scott’s influence on music is unparalleled and he remains one of the most influential musicians in rock music. We are extremely grateful the estate has chosen to partner with us to continue to grow his incredible legacy.”

Weiland died in 2015 at age 48. A reissue of Weiland’s 2011 holiday album, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, was released in 2022, marking what a press release called the “first posthumous music to be released from the Weiland vault.”

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