Classic Rock 93.9

Hey, Dave Grohl, another rocker needs to use your throne.

On Wednesday, Wolfgang Van Halen revealed that he’d sprained his ankle after he “ate s*** walking off the bus” while on tour with his Mammoth WVH solo band. He also shared a photo of the boot he was to wear for the next month or so, adding that he was going to be “Dave Grohl-ing” it for Mammoth’s show Hunstville, Alabama, last night.

Grohl, of course, broke his leg after falling off the stage during a 2015 concert. For the Foo Fighters tour later that year, he sat on a giant, guitar-adorned throne while his leg healed.

Following the Huntsville concert, Wolf posted photos of him playing the show while sitting on a much more humble stool.

“Welp…Never done that before, but we pulled it off!” Wolf wrote in the caption. “Thanks to Huntsville for making it such a special show!”

Mammoth’s tour continues Thursday in Knoxville, Tennessee. They’ll also be playing this weekend’s Shaky Knees festival in Atlanta along with Foo Fighters, so maybe Grohl can bring the throne then.

Grohl previously lent the throne to Axl Rose to use after he broke his foot in 2016. Just last month, Grohl sent it to Darin Wall, the bassist for the Seattle-based metal band Greyhawk, who was recovering from being shot in the leg while defending others from a gunman outside an Idaho music venue.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The soundtrack to the new psychological thriller film Last Night in Soho features a variety of memorable 1960s tunes by British artists, including The Who, The Kinks and Dusty Springfield.

The album will be released on Friday, while the film is scheduled to open in theaters on October 29.

Last Night in Soho focuses a character named Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer who can travel back in time to 1960s London, where she meets a wannabe pop singer named Sandie, portrayed by The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor Joy.

The movie was written and directed by Edgar Wright, whose previous films include Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Baby Driver. Wright curated the soundtrack and says the songs he assembled for the film actually inspired the script and story.

The soundtrack includes The Who’s cover of the Motown classic “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave” and The Kinks’ “Starstruck,” as well as songs by Dusty Springfield, Peter & Gordon, The Searchers, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw and The Walker Brothers. The movie’s title is taken from a song of the same name by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, which also is featured on the soundtrack.

In addition, Taylor Joy recorded multiple versions of Petula Clark‘s classic pop hit “Downtown” for the soundtrack and the film’s original score, and she’s featured performing the tune in the movie.

You can check out a video of Taylor Joy performing the “Downtempo” version of “Downtown” on YouTube now.  The track’s also been released as an advance digital single from the Last Night in Soho — Original Score album.

You can pre-order the soundtrack and score now.

Here’s the full track list of the Last Night in Soho soundtrack:

“A World Without Love” — Peter & Gordon
“Wishin’ and Hopin'” — Dusty Springfield
“Don’t Throw Your Love Away” — The Searchers
“Beat Girl” (1993 Remaster) — The John Barry Orchestra
“Starstruck” — The Kinks
“You’re My World” — Cilla Black
“Wade in the Water” (Live at Klooks Kleek) — The Graham Bond Organisation
“I’ve Got My Mind Set on You” — James Ray
“(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave” — The Who
“Puppet on a String” — Sandie Shaw
“Land of 1000 Dances” — The Walker Brothers
“There’s a Ghost in My House” — R. Dean Taylor
“Happy House” — Siouxsie & the Banshees
“(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me” — Sandie Shaw
“Eloise” — Barry Ryan
“Anyone Who Had a Heart” — Cilla Black
“Last Night in Soho” — Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
“Neon” (Soundtrack Edit) — Steven Price
“Downtown” (A Capella) — Anya Taylor-Joy
“Downtown” (Uptempo) — Anya Taylor-Joy

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

More details have been announced about the upcoming Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne biopic.

According to Variety, the film will be produced Polygram Entertainment in partnership with Osbourne Media, the company of Ozzy and Sharon’s children Jack and Aimee. Sony Pictures is also handling development.

Meanwhile, the film’s script will be written by Oscar-nominee Lee Hall, who previously penned the 2019 Elton John biopic, Rocketman.

As previously reported, the movie is set to focus on the lives of the heavy metal couple through the lens of their relationship. Variety reports that it will include music from Black Sabbath and Ozzy’s solo career.

“Our relationship at times was often wild, insane and dangerous but it was our undying love that kept us together,” says Sharon in a statement to Variety. “We’re thrilled to partner with Sony Pictures and Polygram to bring our story to the screen.”

In a Rolling Stone article published last summer, Sharon said she wanted the film to feel different from the 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which she called a “Hallmark rock movie.”

“Our film will be a lot more real,” Sharon said. “We don’t want it to be squeaky, shiny clean and all of that. We’re not making it for kids. It’s an adult movie for adults.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Paul Simon will release a new audiobook titled Miracle and Wonder on November 16 that features conversations he had with bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell and Gladwell’s Broken Record podcast co-host, Bruce Headlam.

Woven throughout the biographical presentation are previously unheard live studio performances of some of Simon’s classic compositions, as well as archival music tracks.

The audiobook, which according to Variety is five hours long, was created from 30 hours’ worth of conversations recorded at Simon’s home in Connecticut and while he was on vacation in Hawaii.

Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon features Simon reflecting on his childhood, his collaboration with Art Garfunkel and many other aspects of his life, while also offering commentary about some of his most famous songs, including “The Boxer,” “The Sound of Silence,” and “Graceland.”

Variety reports that the 80-year-old singer-songwriter also reveals in the audiobook that he’s working on a new project that’s tentatively titled Seven Psalms, and plays snippets of some of his new music.

Miracle and Wonder also features reflections on Simon’s work by such other artists as Sting, Herbie Hancock, Renée Fleming, Roseanne Cash and Wilco‘s Jeff Tweedy.

The audiobook can be pre-ordered now at Pushkin.fm. The website also features three preview clips from the release that include Simon discussing “The Boxer” and “Bridge over Troubled Water,” as well as talking about some of the interesting instruments he’s collected and likes to incorporate into his recordings.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have debuted a lyric video for their new rendition of “Can’t Let Go,” a song written by Randy Weeks that acclaimed alt-country artist Lucinda Williams previously covered for her 1998 albumm Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.

“Can’t Let Go” will appear on Plant and Krauss’ upcoming duets album, Raise the Roof, which will be released on November 19. The track was issued as an advance digital single in August. The video, which you can check out on YouTube, features kitschy vintage-style graphics and images that include a vinyl disc spinning on a turntable.

The Led Zeppelin frontman and the lauded folk/bluegrass artist also released a second advance track from Raise the Roof earlier this month, “High and Lonesome,” an original tune that Plant co-wrote with producer T Bone Burnett.

Raise the Roof is a follow-up to Plant and Krauss’ Grammy-winning 2007 duets collection, Raising Sand. Like its predecessor, the new album was produced by Burnett and is made up mostly of covers of songs by various artists.

Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo and Plant’s Band of Joy collaborator Buddy Miller contributed to the album, as did a few musicians who also appeared on Raising Sand, including drummer Jay Bellerose, guitarist Marc Ribot and bassist Dennis Crouch.

You can pre-order Raise the Roof now.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney were among the stars who took part in the 2021 edition of the Robin Hood Foundation‘s annual charity gala, which was held Wednesday night at New York City’s Jacob Javits Center.

According to Rolling Stone, Springsteen was introduced by the event’s host, Saturday Night Live‘s Cecily Strong, and proceeded to deliver a short acoustic set that featured renditions of “Working on the Highway,” “Dancing in the Dark” and “Thunder Road.”

“For over 30 years, Robin Hood has been finding, fueling, creating, impactful solutions to lift families out of poverty here in New York City,” the Boss told the crowd of an estimated 3,000. “The funds raised tonight translate into real results for New Yorkers living in poverty. We appreciate your support.”

The Robin Hood Foundation has been supporting poverty-fighting programs in the New York area for over 30 years, and also helped organize the star-studded post-9/11 event The Concert for New York City, which McCartney famously headlined.

The gala took place on the 20th anniversary of the concert, and to mark the occasion, McCartney — who also helped put together the 2001 show — was honored with a special award.

Alicia Keys performed the classic Beatles ballad “Let It Be” before McCartney took the stage.

“I love New York,” he told the audience. “Many years ago, when I was a little kid in Liverpool, we saw New York in the movies. I never dreamed that I would be here getting an award like this from you fantastic people. But then years later, we did show up at JFK with my buddies, the Beatles. We went on The Ed Sullivan Show and, boy, that was something.”

The event, which raised $77.5 million, also featured a performance by the Jonas Brothers.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Black Sabbath is launching a new apparel collaboration with DC Shoes.

The collection, which includes various footwear, t-shirts and long-sleeve shirts, is inspired by Sabbath’s 1971 metal opus Master of Reality in honor of its 50th anniversary.

Along with the clothes and shoes, DC is also releasing an exclusive Master of Reality tribute album titled Shadow of Reality, which includes contributions from Pearl Jam‘s Jeff Ament, The Melvins, and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.

Fittingly, the DC X Black Sabbath collaboration will be available starting on Halloween, October 31. For more info, stay tuned to DCShoes.com.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Last week, Judas Priest released an expansive 42-disc box set called 50 Heavy Metal Years, which features all of the band’s official studio and live albums, plus 13 discs of unreleased material and some cool memorabilia.

The huge collection, which celebrates the band’s 50th anniversary, was supposed to arrive during Judas Priest’s 50 Heavy Metal Years tour, but unfortunately the trek was postponed after guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered an aortic aneurysm at a September 26 show in Kentucky.

The good news is that Faulkner is now recovering from the health scare…and that the box set is available for fans to enjoy in all its glory.

Priest frontman Rob Halford tells ABC Audio that the collection is “a treasure trove.”

“[I]t really is heavy metal. It weighs about 50 pounds,” he notes. “But then, when you look at all of the CDs, and then you look at the list of the songs, it’s just remarkable. The team of people that worked with us to put this together did an outstanding job. It’s superb.”

He adds, “It’s a really beautifully crafted, curated piece of work. It’s got like almost like a metal museum-esque type of attitude to it, when you look at it and you listen to it.”

The unreleased material in the set includes eight newly restored, full-length concerts, and two discs of demos and various live tracks recorded over the years.

Halford says one of his favorite highlights is a 1975 live version of the rarity “Mother Sun,” a song that Judas Priest never recorded in the studio.

“It’s a real treat, ’cause it’s an extraordinary piece of work musically,” Halford notes.

You can order 50 Heavy Metal Years now at JudasPriestStore.com. Reflections, a collection of highlights from the box set, also is available.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Steve Cropper, guitarist with legendary Stax Records house bands The Mar-Keys and Booker T. & the MG’s, and later The Blues Brothers, celebrates his 80th birthday today.

Formed in 1958, The Mar-Keys were the Memphis-based Stax label’s first house band. Besides backing other artists, The Mar-Keys made their own records, and in 1961, they scored a #3 hit with the instrumental single “Last Night,” which, interestingly, featured Cropper on keyboards.

In 1962, Cropper co-founded Booker T. & the MG’s with keyboardist Booker T. Jones, drummer Al Jackson Jr. and bassist Lewie Steinberg, who was replaced in ’65 by Donald “Duck” Dunn.

Like The Mar-Keys, Booker T. & the MG’s backed Stax artists and also made their own records. The group’s debut single, the classic 1962 soul instrumental “Green Onions,” peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B chart.

Cropper also wrote songs with various Stax artists, including all-time classic soul hits like Otis Redding‘s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Wilson Pickett‘s “In the Midnight Hour” and Eddie Floyd‘s “Knock on Wood.”

Starting in the 1970s, Cropper began playing on and producing records for artists outside of Stax.

Among the many other artists Steve has worked with over the years are John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Orbison and Etta James.

Cropper also played with The Blues Brothers, the blues/R&B tribute band led by Saturday Night Live stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, which released a chart-topping live album in 1978. Steve was featured in the hit 1980 comedy film focusing on the group as well.

Cropper was welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T. & the MG’s in 1992, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.

Steve’s most recent solo album, Fire It Up, was released in April of this year.

Last month, Cropper’s 80th birthday was celebrated with a special concert at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium that featured performances by ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons, James Burton, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Eddie Floyd, R.E.M.‘s Mike Mills and more.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.