Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John usually uses his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music to spotlight new, emerging talent, but this Saturday’s episode will feature a legendary artist who Elton counts among his own musical influences: Joni Mitchell.

“I am incredibly excited to announce a very special Rocket Hour with one the most talented songwriters of all time, @jonimitchell,” Elton wrote on Instagram, captioning a photo of himself with Mitchell. “I can’t wait for you all to hear this.”

Last year, Elton featured Joni’s music on an all-Canadian music installment of Rocket Hour, along with the likes of Rush, Leonard Cohen and The Band.  But Saturday’s episode will be a full spotlight on the woman Elton called “certainly one of the most magical people I’ve ever met.”

When Mitchell’s landmark album Blue turned 50 last year, Elton told the Los Angeles Times that it was her “masterpiece.” “I always thought of Joni as an incredibly inspirational figure — I listened to albums like Blue and The Hissing of Summer Lawns in complete awe,” he explained.

“She was a fabulous songwriter and she ever repeated herself, never thought ‘I’m on a roll, I’ll make an album like that again,’ she always followed her own path,” Elton added.

He went on to note that it wasn’t until last year that he realized one of his own songs, “Madman Across the Water,” was “very Joni-esque.” As he put it, “Psychologically, her style had implanted itself really deep in my subconscious, and it came out in songs like that.”

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Drummer Carl Palmer, sole surviving member of legendary English prog-rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer, is preparing to launch a unique tour that will feature him performing live alongside archival footage of late bandmates Keith Emerson and Greg Lake.

The Welcome Back My Friends: The Return of Emerson Lake & Palmer Tour is a 10-date trek that kicks off November 18 in Philadelphia and is plotted out through a December 3 show in Akron, Ohio.

Palmer tells ABC Audio the concerts will consist of 13 songs, six of which will feature high-quality footage of Emerson and Lake filmed during a pair of October 1992 ELP shows at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall projected on large screens.

“It gives me a chance to bring ELP back in the most honest way, where Keith is at his very best, Greg is at his very best,” Palmer notes. “Both of them look great.”

Carl says of the Royal Albert Hall footage, “Wow, I was really impressed. I was impressed with the audio, ’cause the audio is absolutely superb, fantastic. Because it was all recorded individually, [it] meant I could go back and … remix it if I wanted to.”

He continues, “So, it took nine to 10 weeks of editing, and I managed to edit myself out of all the frames. I didn’t want to see me, because I’m gonna be playing on the stage, and Greg and Keith are gonna be left and right on these huge screens.”

Palmer will be joined at the shows by his current band, ELP Legacy — guitarist Paul Bielatowicz [bee-ELL-uh-TOE-vitch] and bassist/Chapman Stick player Simon Fitzpatrick — who will “reinforce some parts” on some songs with the Emerson and Lake footage, and play on all the other tunes.

Visit CarlPalmer.com for the full list of dates.

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Guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, best known for his work with The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, has scheduled his first solo tour of the Midwest — in support of his first solo album, Speed of Heat.

The five-date tour is the latest leg of his debut solo tour, which started back in May. The run of shows starts December 14 in Milwaukee and visits Evanston, Illinois; Ferndale, Michigan; and Kent, Ohio, before wrapping up in Warrendale, Pennsylvania. Tickets are available now at jeffskunkbaxter.com.

In addition to songs from Speed of Heat, Baxter’s solo sets have included his versions of Steely Dan’s “My Old School,” “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and “Do It Again,” as well as The Doobies’ “China Grove.”

In recent years, Baxter has built a successful consulting career, advising the government and the Defense Department on missile defense and counterterrorism. In an interview in Stars and Stripes, Baxter also said he teaches jazz improvisation to intelligence analysts, which apparently helps with their problem-solving abilities.

As Baxter told the publication, “Problem solving, whether it’s doing a solo on the guitar in the middle of a song or trying to figure out are the Russians really going to come down the Fulda Gap, it’s kind of all the same. At least I see it as all the same.”

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The jokes just write themselves, folks: Todd Rundgren has partnered with the Michigan-based company Cheef Cannabis for a collection of two limited-edition strains called, yes, Hello, It’s Weed.

One strain, Michigan Cookies, has a “super-high level of potency,” as well as a “sweet mocha coffee aroma.”  It’ll make you feel “happy and creative” and “socially inspired,” according to Cheef.

The other strain, Dosi Mintz, has a “spicy-nutty herbal flavor and a sharp kick of mint” and will make you feel a “light tingle throughout your entire body,” leaving you “pain-free and happy.”

To mark the partnership, Todd will make in-store appearances at two branches of House of Dank, a Michigan dispensary, while he’s in the state later this month for his tour with Daryl Hall. On November 21 at 12 p.m., he’ll drop by the one in Ypsilanti; he’ll be at the one in Grand Rapids on November 23 at noon. The product will then be made available everywhere Cheef is sold.

In a statement, Todd says, “So if I were to say that I was getting into the branded cannabis market, I think the response would be ‘Duh’. I’ve never made it a secret that I’ve sought inspiration from altered states. And while there’s no guarantee that you’ll create a masterpiece, you may at least find a little peace. Worth a shot.”

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When Alice in Chains released a 30th anniversary edition of their landmark 1992 album, Dirt, it surprised the band by reentering the top 10 of the Billboard chart. While the album is legendary for its dark, sometimes brutal lyrics about drug addiction, war, death and depression, the band feels that it’s wrong to think of Dirt — and by association, late frontman Layne Staley — as being completely miserable.

Speaking to Variety, guitarist Jerry Cantrell says Staley, who died in April 2002, was “truly a hilarious guy,” and that Dirt “dealt with a wide range of emotions and subject matter, beautiful and dark and everything in between.”

Drummer Sean Kinney adds, “Dirt was never a drug concept album and Layne wasn’t a d**k. He wasn’t tormented, but instead witty, funny and generous.”

Most importantly, Cantrell and Kinney are still incredibly proud of Dirt, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Released during the time that they, along with other Seattle bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, were leading the grunge movement and changing the music industry, Cantrell notes that era was “one of the few times in my lifetime where it felt like the good guys were winning.”

“Dirt was a hell of a record,” Cantrell tells Variety. “It stands the test of time, and it’s a powerful piece of work without an ounce of fluff.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

When Alice in Chains released a 30th anniversary edition of their landmark 1992 album, Dirt, it surprised the band by reentering the top 10 of the Billboard chart. While the album is legendary for its dark, sometimes brutal lyrics about drug addiction, war, death and depression, the band feels that it’s wrong to think of Dirt — and by association, late frontman Layne Staley — as being completely miserable.

Speaking to Variety, guitarist Jerry Cantrell says Staley, who died in April 2002, was “truly a hilarious guy,” and that Dirt “dealt with a wide range of emotions and subject matter, beautiful and dark and everything in between.”

Drummer Sean Kinney adds, “Dirt was never a drug concept album and Layne wasn’t a d**k. He wasn’t tormented, but instead witty, funny and generous.”

Most importantly, Cantrell and Kinney are still incredibly proud of Dirt, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Released during the time that they, along with other Seattle bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, were leading the grunge movement and changing the music industry, Cantrell notes that era was “one of the few times in my lifetime where it felt like the good guys were winning.”

“Dirt was a hell of a record,” Cantrell tells Variety. “It stands the test of time, and it’s a powerful piece of work without an ounce of fluff.”

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The closest The Who ever came to doing a holiday song was “Christmas,” a track from their album Tommy, and it’s not very festive or merry. Still, that’s not stopping Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend from headlining a charity Carol Service at St. Luke’s Church in London next month.

The event will benefit Nordoff-Robbins, a charity that promotes music therapy for those affected by life-limiting illness, isolation or disability. Daltrey and Townshend will perform acoustically at the event, which will also feature “Christmas carols, celebrity readings and performances from musical superstars,” as well as mulled wine and mince pies for everyone.

“For while I must admit I didn’t really understand what Roger and I might be expected to do at a Carol Concert,” Townshend says in a statement. “But I now understand that our presence and support is more valuable than whether I can still manage a [harmony vocal] on ‘Angels We Have Heard On High.'”

The Who have actually been longtime supporters of Nordoff-Robbins. Daltrey says in a statement, “Music therapy can reconnect people who may otherwise feel isolated or disconnected from the world — whether a young person with autism, a person living with dementia, or somebody rebuilding their lives after an accident.”

And bringing it back to Tommy, Townshend adds, “I had done research on the early work of music therapy when writing [the album] back in 1967, and continued to research and learn about how it works, when it works, and accepting that it does in fact sometimes — often — work miracles.  Very glad to help out.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now.

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Iggy Pop is set to release his new album, Every Loser, on January 6.

His 19th solo album will feature 11 tracks, including the first single, “Frenzy.” The collection is being described as a throwback to Iggy’s “primordial roots” combined with “an undeniably modern lyrical point viewpoint and sonic palette.”

The cover features an original piece of art created by world renowned artist Raymond Pettibon, who’s designed iconic albums for artists such as Sonic Youth and Black Flag.

In addition to streaming services, Every Loser will be available as limited-edition vinyl, cassettes and CDs. And as a tie-in, Iggy will also be releasing an exclusive issue of the legendary fanzine PUNK Magazine.

Here is the Every Loser track list:

“Frenzy”
“Strung Out Johnny”
“New Atlantis”
“Modern Day Rip Off”
“Morning Show”
“The News For Andy”
“Neo Punk”
“All The Way Down”
“Comments”
“My Animus Interlude”
“The Regency”

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The Lion King will celebrate 25 years on Broadway this weekend, one of only three shows ever to hit that milestone. At a private event, Elton John — who wrote the music for the film that inspired the musical — celebrated the “extraordinary” milestone with a special performance.

While onstage at the event, Elton said, “For a show to have run this long is very rare and it’s extraordinary. It was one of the greatest things to happen in my life in 1993 when Sir Tim Rice rang me up and said, ‘Disney don’t think you want to do this, but will you do The Lion King?’ And I went, ‘Are you kidding me?'”

“It changed my whole life,” Elton added. “Because it’s such a magical show, brilliantly put on the stage by Julie Taymor. Every time you go and see it, you just get goosebumps. It’s extraordinary, and I’m so proud to be a part of it.”

He then performed his 1994 top-five hit “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from the film, which won him the Oscar for Best Original Song, as well as the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The Lion King musical opened on Broadway November 13, 1997. It earned six Tony Awards, including one for director Taymor — the first woman ever to win the Tony for Best Director of a Musical.

Over the years, The Lion King as grossed more than $1 billion, making it the highest-grossing Broadway production of all time. Its various productions have been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide.

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