Classic Rock News

Paul McCartney has contributed a bass part to a new song called “Home” by The Umoza Music Project, an international collective featuring various singers from the African country of Malawi collaborating with over a dozen U.K. musicians.

“Home” is the lead single and title track of The Umoza Music Project’s upcoming second album, both of which are due out May 6.

The Home album, which will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats, features the Malawian artists singing in their native language, Chichewa, and was put together remotely with the various musical contributors.

The song marks the first time that McCartney has played bass as a guest musician on an African language track. Sir Paul recorded his part while in lockdown in the U.K. during the sessions for his latest solo album, McCartney III.

“Home” will also be released as a limited-edition single on 7-inch and 10-inch vinyl. Proceeds from the discs will benefit Malawian musicians.

“I’ve always loved African music so when I was asked to do this I jumped at the chance and ended up playing my Hofner bass on this cool song,” McCartney says in a statement. “It was great to collaborate with these excellent African musicians.”

John Tobin, founder and producer of The Umoza Music Project, adds, “[Paul has] helped us create us a great track and lead single, and it’ll bring these beautiful Malawian voices to the attention of many more music lovers around the world than we would have reached otherwise.”

Tobin, who was born in Malawi but raised in the U.K., began The Umoza Music Project in 2010 as a collaboration with a Malawian singer/songwriter named Max Jere. A documentary about the project currently is in the works. Visit PaulMcCartney.com and UmozaMusic.com for more information.

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Aerosmith‘s 1971: The Road Starts Here, a collection of seven recently rediscovered rare live performances that was first issued as a limited-edition vinyl disc and cassette for the 2021 Record Store Day Black Friday event, will get its official release on CD and digital formats on April 8.

The announcement of the release is the first in conjunction with the band’s 50th anniversary celebrations this year.

1971: The Road Starts Here features performances that were recorded in 1971 on guitarist Joe Perry‘s Wollensak reel-to-reel tape machine by early Aerosmith roadie Mark Lehman, either in the band’s Boston rehearsal room with a few friends in attendance or during a soundcheck for an early gig.

Among the songs Aerosmith performs on the recording are versions of five tunes that went on to appear on the band’s 1973 self-titled debut album — “Movin’ Out,” the classic anthem “Dream On,” “Mama Kin,” “Somebody,” and a cover of Rufus Thomas‘ 1963 hit “Walkin’ the Dog.”

1971: The Road Starts Here also includes a performance of “Reefer Head Woman,” which the band later recorded for the 1979 album Night in the Ruts, and a rendition of “Major Barbara,” a tune that appeared the group’s 1986 Classics Live collection.

The CD will feature previously unseen archival photos, images of the original tape box, and liner notes penned by Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke that includes new interviews and comments from the band members.

1971: The Road Starts Here can be pre-ordered on CD and vinyl and pre-saved now. Aerosmith’s early version of “Somebody” has been released as an advance digital single.

Aerosmith also has introduced a collection of special merch items inspired by the album that are available now at the band’s online store.

Here’s the full track list:

Intro/”Somebody”
“Reefer Head Woman”
“Walkin’ the Dog”
“Movin’ Out”
“Major Barbara”
“Dream On”
“Mama Kin”

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Bruce Springsteen is helping Eddie Vedder celebrate the release of the Pearl Jam frontman’s new solo album, Earthling.

The Boss and Vedder got together at Springsteen’s farm in New Jersey for a conversation about the album that was filmed for a special that will premiere today at 2 p.m. ET on Amazon Live. The interview also will be made available at Vedder’s official YouTube channel starting this Sunday, February 13.

In a preview clip from the special that’s been posted on YouTube, Springsteen asks Vedder about his musical influences, and Eddie reveals that as he was grwing up they they included The Jackson 5, The Beatles and The Who, as well as, of course, the “Born to Run” rocker himself.

“Ah, grazie,” Springsteen responds.

Vedder adds that he also got into The Band, Split Enz, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Fugazi and his grunge contemporaries Mudhoney.

Earthling, Vedder’s first solo album in 11 years, is out today. It was produced by Ozzy Osbourne collaborator Andrew Watt and was recorded with a core of backing musicians that included Watt on bass and guitar, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer.

In addition, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, Elton John and longtime Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench make guest appearances on the record.

Watt, Smith and Klinghoffer are also members of Vedder’s solo live band, The Earthlings, along with Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard. Their tour continues February 15 in San Diego and wraps up with February 21-22 stand in Seattle.

Here’s the Earthling track list:

“Invincible”
“Power of Right”
“Long Way”
“Brother the Cloud”
“Fallout Today”
“The Dark”
“The Haves”
“Good and Evil”
“Rose of Jericho”
“Try”
“Picture” — featuring Elton John
“Mrs. Mills”
“On My Way”

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Michael McDonald, the soulful singer and talented songwriter and keyboardist who found success with The Doobie Brothers, as a solo artist and as a collaborator with various other musicians and singers, celebrates his 70th birthday this Saturday, February 12.

In 1974, McDonald briefly was a member of Steely Dan‘s touring band. He would go on to contribute backing vocals to all of Steely Dan’s albums, from 1975’s Katy Lied through 1980’s Gaucho.

McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975. During his tenure with the group, Michael sang and wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “Real Love,” “Minute by Minute” and the chart-topping “What a Fool Believes.” The latter, which McDonald co-wrote with Kenny Loggins, also won multiple Grammy awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

After The Doobie Brothers’ 1982 breakup, Michael launched a successful solo career. Among his solo hits are 1982’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” and 1986’s “Sweet Freedom.”

McDonald also lent backing vocals to notable tunes by other artists, including Loggins’ 1979 hit “This Is It,” which he co-wrote, and Christopher Cross‘ 1981 #2 single “Ride Like the Wind.” In addition, he scored hit duets including the Grammy-winning “Yah Mo B There” with James Ingram in 1983, and the chart-topping “On My Own” with Patti LaBelle in 1986.

McDonald was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Doobie Brothers in 2020.

McDonald has reunited with The Doobies several times over the years after the band’s initial breakup. Starting last year, Michael rejoined the group to take part in their 50th anniversary tour, which gets underway again in June.

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Ian McDonald, a multi-instrumentalist and founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, has died at the age of 75.

The rocker “passed away peacefully on February 9, 2022 in his home in New York City, surrounded by his family,” according to a press release. A cause of death was not given.

McDonald co-founded King Crimson in 1968, alongside Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake and lyricist Peter Sinfield. He contributed saxophone, flute, clarinet, Mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ, vibraphone, the band’s influential debut album In the Court of the Crimson King, as well as backing vocals and production. McDonald left the band after their first U.S. tour in 1969, although he later contributed sax to two songs from the group’s 1974 album, Red.

In 1976, Ian became a founding member of Foreigner, joining guitarist Mick Jones, singer Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Ed Gagliardi. McDonald played on the band’s first three albums: Foreigner, Double Vision and Head Games, all of which went platinum, and produced such classic songs as “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded” and “Double Vision.”

McDonald also took part in several Foreigner reunion concerts alongside the band’s other surviving original members in 2017 and 2018.

McDonald was also an in-demand session musician, playing on numerous recordings by the likes of T. Rex, Steve Hackett and Asia. Notably, he played saxophone of T. Rex’s signature tune “Bang a Gong (Get It On).”

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Last summer, Jon Anderson teamed up with the students of the Paul Green Rock Academy for an 11-date U.S. tour, and the now former Yes frontman is set to join forces again with the talented young musicians for a lengthier North American trek this year.

So far five concerts have been confirmed, starting with an April 6 show in Atlanta, and followed by stops in four Florida cities — on April 10 in Clearwater, April 12 in Melbourne, April 14 in Orlando, and April 16 in Sarasota.

A post on PaulGreenRock.com reports that the 2022 tour will eventually feature more than 30 dates.

Like last year’s tour, the new shows will feature Anderson performing with 25 Paul Green Rock Academy members. The concerts will feature renditions of Yes classics and deep cuts, songs from Anderson’s solo catalog, mash-ups and more, with lush arrangements including choral vocals, horns and other musical elements.

Anderson commented about the upcoming shows in a recent Facebook post.

“[G]etting ready to tour this April with the teenagers of Academy of Rock,” he wrote. “Ready to perform ‘Close to the Edge’…and many more Yes classics like ‘Heart of the Sunrise’, and some fun mash ups…like [Led Zeppelin‘s] ‘Kashmir’…[David Bowie‘s] ‘Let’s Dance’…[Eminem]’s first hit…things like that…I call the show Wonderful Chaos!!….so if by chance you see us advertised near you, please come along and have fun.”

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The lineup for the 2022 edition of the Allman Brothers Band-founded Peach Music Festival has been unveiled, and The Black Crowes and Phish singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio‘s solo band are among the acts that have been confirmed as headliners.

The 10th anniversary event will take place over four days, June 30-July 3, at its usual location, Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

More than 50 artists will be performing at this year’s festival, with the bill also including founding Allman Brothers Band drummer Jaimoe, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, reggae legends The Wailers and Steel Pulse, G. Love, and Duane Betts — son of original Allman Brothers singer/guitarist Dickey Betts.

Jaimoe will be playing with a collective dubbed Jaimoe and Friends, while The Wailers will perform the late Bob Marley‘s classic hits compilation Legend in its entirety. In addition, a group called Trouble No More will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Allman Brothers’ 1972 album Eat a Peach. Trouble No More’s lead singer is Lamar Williams Jr., whose late father played bass with the Allmans from 1972 to 1976.

With the festival scheduled just before July 4, the four-day bash will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display on Sunday, July 3.

To purchase tickets and packages, and to check out the latest information about the fest, visit ThePeachMusicFestival.com.

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You can watch now Foo Fighters‘ trip to Fraggle Rock without an Apple TV+ subscription.

As previously reported, Dave Grohl and company appear on an episode of the new Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock series, which brings back the beloved music-loving puppets created by the late Jim Henson. The series premiered on Apple TV+ in January, but the streamer has now released a clip of the Foos’ performance.

The video, which you can watch now on YouTube, finds the “Everlong” outfit playing an original song, fittingly titled “Fraggle Rock Rock.” The tune also appears on the Back to the Rock soundtrack, which is out now.

By the way, Fraggle Rock isn’t Grohl’s first foray into the wacky world of Henson’s creations. He also had a cameo in the 2011 The Muppets movie, and guested on a 2015 episode of the ABC sitcom The Muppets.

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In case you missed it, U.S. figure skater Nathan Chen won the gold medal Wednesday night at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in the men’s singles competition, delivering a thrilling free skate program set to a medley of cover versions of Elton John songs, including “Rocket Man” and “Bennie and the Jets.”

Now, the “Rocket Man” himself has extended congratulations to the 22-year-old athlete via his social media pages.

“Congratulations Nathan Chen for winning Gold skating to ‘Rocket Man’ in the free skate finals in Beijing,” Elton writes.

The British pop-rock legend also points out that Chen is featured in new episodes of the Olympic Channel series From the Top, which Elton executive-produced for his Rocket Sports production company.

Nathan appears with singer/actress Hayley Kiyoko in three segments of the program, which pairs Olympic athletes and music artists together and features them discussing their journeys to success. You can check out the episodes at Olympics.com.

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It may have been a long time since Anthony Kiedis made a new friend, but it took no time at all for Red Hot Chili Peppers to make an impact with their new song, “Black Summer.”

The track, the lead single off the upcoming RHCP album Unlimited Love, has debuted at number three on Billboard‘s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, a career-best start for the “Under the Bridge” outfit.

“Black Summer’s” bow is also the highest debut on Rock & Alternative Airplay since Green Day‘s “Father of All…” also entered the ranking at number three in 2019.

Rock & Alternative Airplay, which first launched in 2009, measures “radio airplay audience impressions” across rock, alternative and adult alternative-formatted stations.

Red Hot Chili Peppers will release Unlimited Love, their first record since guitarist John Frusciante rejoined the band in late 2019, on April 1. They’ll launch a world tour in support of the record this summer, with the U.S. leg kicking off in July.

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