Classic Rock 93.9

Allman Brothers Band’s classic live album Down in Texas ’71 has just been released as a two-LP “yellow rose of Texas” colored vinyl.

The critically acclaimed album was recorded September 28, 1971, at the Austin Municipal Auditorium in Texas, just two months after the release of the band’s debut live album, At Fillmore East. It features the original Allman Brothers lineup of Duane Allman, who passed away a month later, Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe.

The nine-track album features performances of such songs as “Statesboro Blues,” “Trouble No More,” “You Don’t Love Me” and more.

The limited-edition Down in Texas ’71 colored vinyl is available now exclusively through Barnes & Noble.  

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Beatles have been denied another #1. While early tracking suggested the legendary rockers’ remaster of 1967-1970 (The Blue Album) would land at #1 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, it turns out they were no match for Taylor Swift.

Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) wound up at #1 for a third week, with The Blue Album settling for #2 and 1962-1966 (The Red Album) coming in at #3. Interestingly, when both albums were initially released in 1973, they peaked at these same positions.

Had The Beatles topped the chart, it would have been their 16th #1. Instead, they’ll just have to settle for maintaining their record of the most #1 albums in the U.K., with 15.

Meanwhile, The Beatles’ box set of both albums, which was initially expected to debut at #9, is at #33.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Sting is heading to India in January. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is set to headline the 2024 installment of Lollapalooza India, marking his first performance at the iconic festival. 

This is the second time the two-day festival is being held in India. It is happening at Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai, January 27-28, with a bill that also includes Jonas Brothers, Halsey and OneRepublic.

More than 35 acts are on the bill for Lollapalooza India, including U.K. rockers Royal Blood and Keane. The complete lineup can be found at lollaindia.com. Tickets are on sale now.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Eric Clapton’s iconic “The Fool” guitar has sold for big bucks at auction.

The 1964 Gibson SG electric guitar, which Clapton first played onstage while touring the U.S. with his band Cream, sold at Julien’s Auctions for a whopping $1.27 million, a new world record for a Clapton guitar.  

The famous guitar got its name because of its custom-painted psychedelic finish, courtesy of The Dutch art collective The Fool.

The new owner of the legendary instrument is Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, whose Jim Irsay Collection already consists of iconic rock memorabilia from artists like Elvis Presley, Jerry Garcia, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and more.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to the mental health awareness initiative Kicking the Stigma, started by the Colts and the Irsay family.

“The Fool” sale was part of Julien’s Played, Worn, & Torn: Rock ‘N’ Roll Iconic Guitars and Memorabilia auction, which runs through Saturday, November 18. Also sold during the first day of the auction was one of Eddie Van Halen’s stage-played Charvel EVH series electric guitars, which went for $117,000, well above the original estimate of between $40,000 and $60,000. 

More information about the auction can be found at juliensauctions.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Bob Dylan has come out in defense of Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner, who earlier this year was removed from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame board in response to comments he made in a New York Times interview that were deemed racist and sexist.

The rocker gave a shout-out to Wenner during his show Thursday, November 16, at the Beacon Theatre in New York, saying hello to him in the audience and telling the crowd, “Jann Wenner, surely everybody’s heard of him. Anyway, he just got booted out of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and we don’t think that’s right. We’re trying to get him back in.”

Wenner drew backlash while out promoting his recent book, The Masters. He tried to explain why it didn’t include interviews with any Black or female artists, saying there were no women “articulate enough on this intellectual level.” Regarding Black artists, he acknowledged the genius of Stevie Wonder but noted, “I suppose when you use a word as broad as ‘masters,’ the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level.” 

Wenner did eventually apologize, noting the artists featured in the book — Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Jerry Garcia, Bono and Bruce Springsteen — “were not meant to represent the whole of music and its diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Judas Priest is giving fans another preview of their upcoming album, Invincible Shield. The rockers just dropped the track “Trial By Fire,” the second song from the album following “Panic Attack,” which was released in October.

You can listen to “Trial By Fire” now via streaming services and on YouTube.

Invincible Shield, Judas Priest’s first new album since 2018’s Firepower, is due out March 8 and is available for preorder now.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers plan to hit the road in support of the record starting March 11 in Glasgow, Scotland. They’re bringing the tour to the U.S. starting April 18 in Wallingford, Connecticut. A complete list of dates can be found at judaspriest.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Since lots of folks can’t get enough of holiday music, Bon Jovi has given them a new tune to enjoy this season.

The band just released the new Christmas song, “Christmas Isn’t Christmas,” on which frontman Jon Bon Jovi  laments how the holidays are not the same if a loved one isn’t there.

“’Christmas Isn’t Christmas’ is a song that I wrote about family,” the rocker shares. “The sentiment that Christmas really isn’t Christmas without YOU which can bring up a lot of memories for people. I also liked to turn it around and know that because of you Christmas IS Christmas.”

In a post on Instagram, Jon explains that he wrote the song two years ago on a “tough” day when both his father and mother had taken ill. He notes, “I wrote this as a gift to my parents and my children.”

You can listen to “Christmas Isn’t Christmas” now via streaming services and watch the lyric video on YouTube. 

Bon Jovi has plenty of experience getting fans into the holiday spirit. They previously released the original Christmas track “I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas,” as well as covers of “Please Come Home For Christmas” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”

Plus, in 2020, Jon released a Christmas EP aptly titled A Jon Bon Jovi Christmas, which featured three songs: “Christmas All Over Again,” “Fairytale of New York” and “If I Get Home on Christmas Day.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, November 17, 2007…

Eagles topped the Billboard album chart with their seventh studio album Long Road Out of Eden, which was their sixth, and so far last, #1.

The record was their first since 1979’s The Long Run, and was also their first since firing Don Felder in 2001. It also turned out to be their last studio album with Glenn Fry, who passed away in 2016.

The album featured such singles as “How Long” and “Busy Being Fabulous,” which were hits on both the Hot Adult Contemporary and Hot Country Songs charts. Other singles include “What Do I Do With My Heart,” “No More Cloudy Days,” and “I Don’t Want to Hear Any More.”

Long Road Out of Eden went on to become the best-selling album of the year and has gone on to be certified seven-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After earning rave reviews in London, Elton John‘s latest musical, Tammy Faye, will hit Broadway for the 2024-2025 season. 

As the title suggests, the show is inspired by the life of late Tammy Faye Messner, who pioneered televangelism by co-founding the TV show The PTL Club with her then-husband, Jim Bakker. After Bakker was sent to prison for fraud and conspiracy in 1989, Tammy Faye divorced him and married megachurch builder Roe Messner.

Known for her glamorous image and layers of makeup, Tammy Faye, who died in 2007, became a gay icon by preaching compassion for HIV/AIDS patients and support for the LGBTQ community. Jessica Chastain won the Oscar for playing her in the 2021 movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

Elton wrote the music for the show, while Jake Shears of the group Scissor Sisters wrote the lyrics. The musical, which premiered last fall in London, was nominated for four Olivier Awards, the U.K. equivalent of the Tony Awards.

Details of the show will be announced later.

Meanwhile, a “substantially reworked” version of Elton’s other musical, The Devil Wears Prada, is opening on London’s West End next year. The original was savaged by critics when it ran last year in Chicago.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Seems like The Rolling Stones are looking to land a dance hit. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just released a remix of their Hackney Diamonds single “Mess It Up,” courtesy of Grammy-winning producer Purple Disco Machine.

Purple Disco Machine previously worked with such artists as Elton John, Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga and more, and even earned a 2023 Grammy for Best Remixed Recording for his work on Lizzo’s “It’s About Damn Time.”

You can listen to “Mess It Up (Purple Disco Machine Remix)” now via streaming services or on YouTube.

“Mess It Up,” which features The Stones’ late drummer Charlie Watts, is the current single off Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling Stones’ first album of new material in 18 years. The album has gone to #1 in 19 countries, debuting at #3 in the U.S.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.