Classic Rock 93.9

It’s the best “get well” present he could’ve received: Elton John has scored his first number-one single on the U.K. charts in 16 years.

The song that did it for the Rocket Man is, of course, “Cold Heart,” his mashup remix with British pop star Dua Lipa. The song, which combines four of Elton’s previously released tracks, took over the top spot on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart after three weeks at #2. It dethroned his pal Ed Sheeran‘s “Shivers,” which has been #1 for four weeks. 

Last week, Sheeran actively encouraged his fans to stop streaming his song and stream Elton’s instead, writing, “It will be his first number one in almost twenty years and I really want it to happen…Who doesn’t wanna be knocked off [the top] by Elton anyway?”

The last time Elton topped the charts in his native country was in 2005, as a featured performer on “Ghetto Gospel,” a posthumous single by slain rapper 2Pac that samples Elton’s 1971 song “Indian Sunset.” The last time Elton had a number-one hit on his own was in 1997, with “Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind ’97.”

Elton, who recently had hip surgery, posted a photo of himself celebrating while wearing a bathrobe.

“We did it — UK NUMBER 1!! I cannot begin to tell you how much this means to me,” he wrote, adding, “You’ve made me feel infinitely better after my surgery and I can’t wait for you to hear the whole of The Lockdown Sessions when it comes out next week!”

Elton’s Lockdown Sessions album also includes collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, the late Glen Campbell and many more.

 

 

 

 

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Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil is recovering from broken ribs after falling off the stage during his performance with his solo band on Friday at the Monsters on the Mountain festival in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

“Vince is back home and resting after breaking a few ribs on Friday night,” a message on Mötley Crüe’s Twitter feed reads. “Our love and best wishes for a speedy recovery and ready to rock in ’22!!”

According to TMZ, the incident happed a few songs into Neil’s set when he accidentally stepped off the edge of the stage and fell about four feet onto a cement floor.

TMZ reports that Vince, 60, was helped to his feet by his roadie and a security guard, and then was taken to a local hospital via an ambulance.

According to the website, Neil’s band finished up the set with guitarist Jeff Blando taking over lead vocals.

A video of the accident posted on the Metal Sludge Twitter feed shows Neil falling into a gap between the stage and the monitors. A separate fan-shot video showing a different angle of Neil’s tumble has been posted on YouTube.

Next year, Mötley Crüe is slated to team up with Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts on The Stadium Tour, a major U.S. trek that’s is slated to kick off June 16 in Atlanta. The tour originally was supposed to have taken place in 2020, then was postponed until this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic before being pushed back yet again because of the ongoing health crisis.

Another close up of Vince Neil’s scary fall last night at ⁦@MonstersOfRock⁩ ⁦@MonstersCruise⁩ Monsters on the Mountain concert. #getwellsoon pic.twitter.com/HUx0NeAlT9

— metalsludge (@MetalSludge) October 16, 2021

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Drummer Ron Tutt, who played with Elvis Presley‘s longtime backing group the TCB Band from 1969 to Elvis’ passing in 1977 and also worked with many other famous artists, has died at age 83.

Tutt’s death was announced Saturday in a message posted on Elvis Presley Enterprises’ Graceland.com website.

“In addition to being a legendary drummer, [Ron] was a good friend to many of us here at Graceland,” the tribute reads. “We enjoyed each time he joined us here to celebrate Elvis Week, Elvis’ Birthday and many other special occasions. Ronnie was an amazing ambassador to Elvis’ legacy — sharing his memories of working with Elvis with fans — as well as bringing Elvis’ music to arenas around the globe through later Elvis in Concert shows and performances.”

The note adds, “Our hearts go out to [his wife] Donna, his family, his fellow TCB Band members — and to his fans around the world. He will be deeply missed by all of us.”

During his time playing with the TCB Band, Tutt also established himself as an in-demand session drummer. He played on two Billy Joel albums, 1973’s Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade, and recorded and toured for several years with the Jerry Garcia Band.

He also recorded with Neil Diamond from the 1980s till the early 2000s, and was a member of Diamond’s touring band until Neil’s retirement.

Other well-known artists that Tutt recorded and/or performed with included Johnny Cash, The Carpenters, Kenny Rogers, Elvis Costello, Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks, Michael McDonald, Glen Campbell and Gram Parsons.

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Former Journey frontman Steve Perry has released his take on the yuletide classic “Winter Wonderland” in advance of his recently announced first-ever holiday album, The Season, which is due out on November 5.

Perry’s soulful and sexy rendition of “Winter Wonderland” boasts a very different arrangement than the one we’re all familiar with.

“‘Winter Wonderland’ is one of my favorite tracks on The Season,” Steve says in a statement. “I have always felt a close love for Motown’s music and how it shaped my early school years. This track is a homage to that.”

Perry’s version of the song is available now in digital formats, and a visualizer video that brings The Season‘s Christmas-themed cover art to life has debuted on Steve’s official YouTube channel.

“Winter Wonderland” is the second advance track that Perry has released from the album, following his rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” The Season is the follow up to 2018’s Traces, which marked the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s return to music after 24 years.

You can pre-order The Season now in multiple formats, including CD, digital, streaming and vinyl. Various limited-edition colored-vinyl versions of the record can be purchased at Perry’s official online store, Target and Barnes & Noble.

Here’s the full track list of The Season:

“The Christmas Song”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“Auld Lang Syne”
“Winter Wonderland”
“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
“Silver Bells”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

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During a recent interview with The New Yorker, Paul McCartney took a dig at The Rolling Stones when asked whether he thought The Beatles were a better band than their British Invasion counterparts, and apparently Mick Jagger was paying attention.

As previously reported, McCartney commented to The New Yorker, “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are…I think [The Beatles’] net was cast a bit wider than theirs.”

Keeping that in mind, footage has emerged from The Rolling Stones’ Los Angeles-area concert Thursday night at SoFi Stadium that shows Jagger playfully making reference to McCartney’s insult while chatting with the audience between songs.

In the clip from the show, shared by The Daily Mail‘s website, Jagger listed some of the celebrities who were in the audience, including Megan Fox, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lady Gaga. He then joked, “Paul McCartney is here. He’s gonna join us in a blues cover later on.”

McCartney made similar comments about The Beatles being better and more diverse than The Rolling Stones in an April 2020 radio interview, while also declaring that he loved The Stones.

Jagger was asked about McCartney’s 2020 comments that same month while chatting with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, and he called Sir Paul a “sweetheart” and insisted that there was “obviously no competition” between their two bands.

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In honor of its 50th anniversary, Queen will be celebrated on the fourth and latest installment of ABC’s Singalong franchise, which will air November 4 at 8 p.m.

Hosted by Emmy-winning actor and singer Darren Criss, The Queen Family Singalong will feature various well-known music artists and other celebs performing hits by the iconic British band, including Adam Lambert, who currently serves as Queen’s frontman.

Lambert will be singing “The Show Must Go On” on the special. Other stars who will be performing on the special include Fall Out Boy, former Alice Cooper guitarist Orianthi, country singer Jimmie Allen, Miss Piggy, singer and reality star JoJo Siwa, OneRepublic and vocal group Pentatonix.

Previous installments of ABC’s Singalong specials have focused on Disney music, so perhaps it’s not surprising that the Queen-themed show also will feature the casts of the Broadway productions of Disney’s The Lion King and Aladdin, who’ll team up to perform a group rendition of “Don’t Stop Me Now.”

Here’s a list of confirmed performances on the special, with more to be announced soon:

Adam Lambert –- “The Show Must Go On”
Derek Hough featuring Alexander Jean -– “Another One Bites the Dust”
Fall Out Boy -– “Under Pressure”
Jimmie Allen featuring Miss Piggy -– “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
JoJo Siwa and Orianthi -– “We Will Rock You”
OneRepublic -– “We Are the Champions”
Pentatonix –- “Somebody to Love”
The casts of Disney’s The Lion King and Aladdin — “Don’t Stop Me Now”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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The Rolling Stones are giving fans an extra chance to see them perform on their current No Filter Tour of the U.S. The band has just announced a November 23 concert at the Hard Rock Live venue at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, which will be the final show of the trek.

According to a press statement, the Hard Rock Live concert will be the most intimate performance The Stones have given in more than a decade. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Monday, October 18, at 10 a.m. ET, and will be available at MyHRL.com.

“[W]e are honored to have the privilege of hosting perhaps the most iconic rock band of all-time on the final date of their North American tour,” says Hard Rock International executive Keith Sheldon. “With what will be by far the most intimate performance on the No Filter Tour, we know this will be an incredibly special evening at our 6,500 seat Hard Rock Live venue.”

The Rolling Stones next concert will take place Sunday, October 17, in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, the second of two shows the band has scheduled at the venue.

Just Announced – The Stones will bring the No Filter tour to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on November 23. Tickets go on sale this Monday, October 18 at 10am ET. pic.twitter.com/0KMk1PDkmp

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) October 14, 2021

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It’s The Velvet Underground as you’ve never seen them before.  A new documentary from acclaimed indie-film director Todd Haynes about the hugely influential rock group debuts today on Apple TV+. 

Haynes tells ABC Audio that the film, like the band itself, is different from other rock documentaries.

“This band…and the whole culture from which the band arose, is kind of an invitation to look at what this whole experimental attitude,” he explains. “And not just in terms of music making…but in the sort of the language that was being swapped from medium to medium.”

Titled simply The Velvet Underground, the documentary features new interviews with surviving members John Cale and Maureen Tucker, as well as other people associated with the band. There are also archival conversations with the late artist Andy Warhol, who managed and helped promote the group during its early years. What you won’t see in this film is the typical archival material, because it doesn’t exist.

“There is no live concert footage…no promotional record label material, there aren’t interviews of them at the time on film,” notes Haynes. “What you see is what’s in the film, which is films from Andy Warhol, where they were kind of part of an art project.”

The doc offers an inside look at the group and its classic lineup — the late Lou Reed on lead vocals and guitar, Cale on bass and viola, Tucker on drums and the late Sterling Morrison on lead guitar — as well as their life inside Warhol’s studio, The Factory.

“They were making art all day long…because Andy was a taskmaster…And then they’d go out partying all night,” adds Haynes. “And you’d go to a party and then you’d go wake up the next morning, do some more speed, and start making art again…it was a…ludicrously pleasurable time.”

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Neil Young and Crazy Horse have revealed complete official details about their recently announced forthcoming studio album, Barn, which will be released on December 10.

According to a press release, the 10-track collection was recorded “this summer under a full moon, in a restored off-grid 19th century barn high up in the Rockies,” and features “stunning love songs, reflective ballads and powerhouse rockers.”

You can check out the album’s first track, “Song of the Seasons,” now at NeilYoungArchives.com and Young’s YouTube channel. The song is a lilting folk-rock tune showcasing Young’s acoustic guitar and harmonica playing, as well as Crazy Horse multi-instrumentalist Nils Lofgren‘s accordion talents.

Barn will be released on CD, vinyl, cassette and digital formats. A deluxe box set version of the album also will be available featuring a CD, a vinyl LP and a Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray will feature a film directed by Neil’s wife, actress Daryl Hannah, offering a look at the making of Barn. The Blu-ray also will be available as a standalone release.

Vinyl versions of Barn purchased at The Greedy Hand Store at Young’s website and at independent record shops will come with six behind-the-scenes photos. The pics also will be included in the box set.

All versions of Barn bought via The Greedy Hand Store will come with a free hi-res digital download of the album.

Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Song of the Seasons”
“Heading West”
“Change Ain’t Never Gonna”
“Canerican”
“Shape of You”
“They Might Be Lost”
“Human Race”
“Tumblin’ Thru the Years”
“Welcome Back”
“Don’t Forget Love”

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Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had my little cancer battle a year ago, which I got through and that’s in remission now, thank God,” Halford tells Consequence.

“That happened while we were all locked down, so things happen for a reason as far as time sequence of events,” he adds. “I have nothing but gratitude to be at this point in my life, still doing what I love the most.”

As Consequence reports, Halford goes into more detail about his private fight with cancer in the newly released paperback edition of his 2020 book, Confess.

In an added chapter to the book, Halford writes that he underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer in July 2020. When the cancer returned earlier this year, Halford started radiation therapy, and was cleared by doctors in June. His appendix was also removed after it grew a tumor.

“It’s been a draining year, I can’t deny it, but I’m delighted to have come through it,” the book reads.

Meanwhile, Halford’s Priest band mate Richie Faulkner just went through his own scary health ordeal when his aorta ruptured during a performance at September’s Louder than Life festival. He’s currently recovering after undergoing over 10 hours of emergency heart surgery.

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