Classic Rock 93.9

Brian May has shared another video giving insight into his 1983 side band Star Fleet Project, this time introducing folks to his bandmates, Eddie Van Halen, Alan Gratzer, Phil Chen and Fred Mandel.

In the clip, May calls Van Halen “a phenomenon,” sharing that they met through Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi and that he saw him play for the first time when Van Halen opened for Sabbath.

May says his first reaction to seeing Eddie play guitar was, “Wow, what is this, what is this guy, what is he doing. I can’t even begin to figure out how his fingers are moving,” adding, “It was a bit like seeing Jimi Hendrix for the first time.”

May says they got to meet up after and he felt there was an “instant bonding” there, with Eddie telling May he had been “massively influenced” by Queen.

As for the rest of the group, May recalls bassist Chen as “full of sunshine, full of life,” and says Gratzer “hits the drums pretty much harder than anyone I’ve ever known.” He describes Mendel as “a character,” adding that he’s also “a virtuoso keyboard player.”

May will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Star Fleet Project with the release of a new box set, Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Project, on July 14. It is available for preorder now.

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Longtime Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell has announced a new album with his Bastard Sons band.

The upcoming record is titled Kings of the Asylum and arrives September 1. You can listen to the first single, “Schizophrenia,” now via digital outlets.

Campbell founded the Bastard Sons following Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister‘s death in 2015. As the band name suggests, the lineup includes Campbell’s three children: Todd, Tyla and Dane. For Kings of the Asylum, the Campbells have recruited a new vocalist, Joel Peters.

Motörhead, of course, has been inactive since Lemmy’s passing, though a number of archival pieces have been released over the years, such as the Live at Montreux Jazz Festival ’07 live album that dropped Friday, June 16.

Here’s the Kings of the Asylum track list:

“Walking in Circles”
“Too Much Is Never Enough”
“Hammer and Dance”
“Strike the Match”
“Schizophrenia”
“Kings of the Asylum”
“The Hunt”
“Show No Mercy”
“No Guts! No Glory!”
“Ghosts”
“Maniac”
“Monster” (CD bonus track)

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Elton John previously hinted that he was going to have “guest artists” join him during his headlining set at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, June 25, and now his husband and manager David Furnish has spilled a little more info about that. 

In an interview with Sky News, Furnish revealed that Elton will be joined by “four collaborators of his choosing,” although he wouldn’t name names. “Sorry. I am sworn to secrecy.”

Reiterating earlier comments from the singer, Furnish says the show, which will be Elton’s final U.K. date, will feature “a different set list” from his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, noting Elton’s made “a lot of changes.”

As for life once the tour is over, Furnish joked, “I don’t think he’ll be sitting on the sofa with a remote control. He’s going to go back into the studio in October and start his next album. Which will be great. He’s not done a studio album in a long time.”

And speaking of Glastonbury, to get fans excited for the show, Elton posted a cute video to Instagram of the festival in Lego form, complete with a Lego Elton sitting behind the piano and performing.

Glastonbury runs from June 23 to June 25. A complete lineup and schedule can be found at glastonburyfestivals.co.uk. Elton’s final Farewell Yellow Brick Road show is set for July 8 in Stockholm, Sweden. A complete list of dates can be found at EltonJohn.com.

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Paul Simon has made another catalog deal. The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has sold the royalty rights to his Simon & Garfunkel music to BMG. The deal also includes neighboring rights income, which refers to the performance and broadcast of recordings.

The deal includes albums like Sounds of Silence, Parsley Sage, Rosemary & Thyme, Bridge Over Troubled Waters and more, with such songs as “The Boxer” and “Mrs. Robinson.”

“In any list of the true greats, Paul Simon stands as one of the pillars of popular music history,” BMG’s Thomas Scherer said. “We will play our part to ensure his music continues to be honored and respected.” 

Although terms of the deal were not revealed, a source tells Rolling Stone it was worth eight figures. The deal is only for Simon & Garfunkel music, though; Simon sold his solo publishing catalog to Sony Music Publishing in 2021.

Simon is in good company at BMG, which has already acquired the rights and/or royalties for the music of artists like Mick Fleetwood, Peter Frampton, Tina Turner and ZZ Top.

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Ringo Starr, Toto and guitarist Joe Bonamassa are just a few of the artists signed on to perform for a special show to help raise funds for The Ed Asner Family Center, which provides programs to support special needs children and their families.

The concert is happening September 9 at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, with a lineup that also includes Stone Temple Pilots, Men at Work’s Colin Hay and Hoobastank, all of whom will be backed by an all-star band for their three-song set.

Toto’s Steve Lukather says the organization is one that’s been very important to his family. “I am honored to be a part of this event as the cause is very close to my heart,” he says. “The Center has done unbelievable, incredible things for my son Bodhi. May it be a source of support for families forever.”

Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday, June 23, at 10 a.m. local time.

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Metallica has announced a 72 Seasons-themed edition of the band’s Blackened Whiskey.

The latest batch of the metal legends’ signature spirit comes in a bottle inspired by the cover artwork of the new 72 Seasons album. Additionally, songs from 72 Seasons were played during the “Black Noise” distilling process, which uses the sound waves of Metallica’s music to help “shape the flavor” of the whiskey.

The 72 Seasons edition of Blackened Whiskey is 90 proof — that’s 45% alcohol by volume — and comes in a 750 mL bottle. For more info, visit BlackenedWhiskey.com.

Metallica released 72 Seasons, their 11th album, in April. Their M72 world tour supporting the record just wrapped its first European leg and will kick off in the U.S. in August.

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A new box set will celebrate the music of Beck, Bogert & Appice, the power trio made up of legendary guitarist Jeff Beck, bassist/singer Tim Bogert and drummer/singer Carmine Appice.

Live In Japan 1973, Live In London 1974 is dedicated to Beck, who passed away in 2023, and Bogert, who passed away in 2021. It will capture the trio’s short partnership, highlighting two concerts recorded at Koseinenkin Hall in Osaka, Japan, in May 1973, and one of their final performances at London’s Rainbow Theatre in January 1974. The latter includes a live version of “Superstition,” which you can listen to now via streaming services. 

The set is due out September 15 in a variety of formats, including a five-CD or four-LP set, as well as a purple vinyl version. It will include a booklet with extended liner notes, memorabilia, archival photos and more.

Live In Japan 1973, Live In London 1974 is available for preorder now.

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Paul McCartney is setting the record straight about reports artificial intelligence was used to “extricate” John Lennon’s voice from an old demo, for what he says will be “the last Beatles record.”

McCartney first revealed the news of the new Beatles song in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Best of Today podcast. But in a post to social media, McCartney seems to suggest people have been interpreting his comments the wrong way.

McCartney starts off noting that it’s been “great to see such an exciting response to our forthcoming Beatles project.”

“No one is more excited than us to be sharing something with you later in the year,” he says. But he adds there’s been “some confusion and speculation” about the song. “Seems to be a lot of guess work out there.”

While he admits he “can’t say too much” about the tune right now, McCartney wants fans to know “nothing has been artificially or synthetically created.”  

“It’s all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings – a process which has gone on for years,” he clarifies. “We hope you love it as much as we do. More news in due course.”

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On this day, June 22, 1971…

Joni Mitchell released her quintessential confessional singer/songwriter LP Blue, now considered one of the greatest albums of all time.

The album included the track “River,” which went on to become a holiday standard, and “A Case of You,” as well as songs about Mitchell’s relationships with James Taylor and Graham Nash, and the daughter she gave up for adoption in 1966. 

Blue peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.

The album has earned a spot on many greatest albums lists, including Rolling Stone’s Greatest Albums of All Time list, where it landed at #3 in 2020.

Mitchell recently returned to the stage after a more than 20 year absence, performing at the Newport Folk Festival in 2022, and at Washington’s Gorge Amphitheatre in early June. A live album of her Newport concert, Joni Mitchell at Newport, will be released July 28.

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The mechanical bull from the 2022 Commonwealth Games has officially been named after Ozzy Osbourne, the BBC reports.

The 33-foot statue was first unveiled during the sporting event, which took place in the Black Sabbath frontman’s hometown of Birmingham, England. Ozzy also performed during the closing night of the festivities, joining Tony Iommi for renditions of the Sabbath classics “Iron Main” and “Paranoid.”

“I can’t believe it, I’m absolutely blown away,” Ozzy tells the BBC. “I don’t know what to say any more, I’m just thrilled to bits. God bless you all, and Birmingham forever!”

As previously reported, Ozzy was one of four potential names for the bull, which was chosen by a public vote. The other possibilities were Boulton, referring to 1700s industrialist and Birmingham native Matthew Boulton, as well as Brummie and Bostin, slang for a Birmingham resident and the word “great,” respectively.

Ozzy’s Commonwealth set marked his first live performance in three years. Earlier this year, Ozzy announced his retirement from touring due to health issues, though he later said he wanted to continue to perform live. He’s scheduled to play the upcoming Power Trip festival in October alongside AC/DC, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden and Tool.

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