Classic Rock News

Ringo Starr plays drums on a brand-new song by Men at Work frontman Colin Hay called “Now and the Evermore,” which is the title track of Hay’s forthcoming solo album.

Hay, who happens to be a current member of Ringo’s All Starr Band, will release the new album on March 18, while the song is available now as a digital single.

“‘Now and the Evermore’ is a reminder to myself, to make the most of what time I have left walking around on top of the planet,” Colin says about the tune. “When I listen to it, it transports me back to when I thought I had all the time in the world. It is a song which is unashamedly inspired by the majesty of The Beatles, and the gift they gave us all. Having Ringo Starr play on the track, is more than icing on the cake.”

Hay wrote and recorded the Now and the Evermore album in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles. A press statement describes the 10-track collection as “a defiantly joyful celebration of life and love, one that insists on finding silver linings and reasons to smile.” The record finds the 68-year-old singer-songwriter reflecting on loss and mortality, while exploring such genres as vintage pop, pub rock and folk.

You can pre-order Now and the Evermore now. Hay will support the album with a solo U.S. tour that’s mapped out from a March 18 concert in Fort Collins, Colorado, through a May 12 show in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Colin also will be hitting the road this year with Ringo’s All Starr Band, which kicks off a U.S. trek on June 2 in Boston.

Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Now and the Evermore”
“Love Is Everywhere”
“Into the Bright Lights”
“The Sea of Always”
“Starfish and Unicorns”
“A Man Without a Name”
“Undertow”
“All I See Is You”
“Agatha Bell”
“When Does the End Begin?”

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Todd Rundgren will join forces with fellow Philadelphia-area native and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall for a series of eight U.S. concerts in April that will help promote the Hall & Oates singer’s first-ever solo best-of compilation, BeforeAfter, which will be released on April 1.

The  eight-date trek runs from an April 1 concert in Chicago through an April 16 show in National Harbor, Maryland, and includes stops at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and New York City’s Carnegie Hall on April 5 and April 14, respectively.

Rundgren will appear on one track on BeforeAfter, a 30-track collection that features selections from all five of Hall’s solo studio albums, as well as eight performances from his acclaimed TV/web series Live from Daryl’s House, six of which are previously unreleased.

Todd is featured on one of the Live from Daryl House performances — a version of his own “Can We Still Be Friends.”

Hall’s studio work outside of Hall & Oates includes his 1980 solo debut, Sacred Songs, produced by King Crimson‘s Robert Fripp, and 1986’s Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, which was co-produced by Eurythmics‘ Dave Stewart and included several tunes co-written by Stewart.

“I picked this collection of songs from my solo albums because I feel they encapsulate certain periods of my career,” says Hall. “It also shows the diversity of working with collaborators like Robert Fripp or Dave Stewart. And, having some tracks from [Live from Daryl’s House] on it…really makes the compilation complete.”

BeforeAfter can be pre-ordered now.

Here are Rundgren’s tour dates with Hall:

4/1 — Chicago, IL, Auditorium Theatre
4/3 -– Nashville, TN, Ryman Auditorium
4/5 -– Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Symphony Hall
4/7 -– Northfield, OH, MGM Northfield Park
4/9 -– Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia
4/11 -– Boston, MA, Orpheum Theatre
4/14 -– New York, NY, Carnegie Hall
4/16 -– National Harbor, MD, The Theatre at MGM National Harbor

And here’s the full BeforeAfter track list:

Disc One:
“Dreamtime”
“Babs and Babs”
“Foolish Pride”
“Can’t Stop Dreaming”
“Here Comes the Rain Again” (Live from Daryl’s House) — with Dave Stewart
“Someone Like You”
“Talking to You (Is Like Talking to Myself)”
“Sacred Songs”
“Right as Rain”
“Survive”
“North Star” (Live from Daryl’s House) — with Monte Montgomery
“In My Own Dream” (Live from Daryl’s House)
“NYCNY”
“What’s Gonna Happen to Us”

Disc Two:
“Love Revelation”
“Fools Rush In”
“I’m in a Philly Mood”
“Send Me”
“Justify”
“Borderline”
“Stop Loving Me, Stop Loving You”
“Eyes for You (Ain’t No Doubt About It)”
“The Farther Away I Am”
“Why Was It So Easy”
“Can We Still Be Friends” (Live rom Daryl’s House) — with Todd Rundgren
“Cab Driver”
“Our Day Will Come” (Live from Daryl’s House)
“Laughing Down Crying” (Live from Daryl’s House)
“Problem with You” (Live from Daryl’s House)
“Neither One of Us (Wants To Be the First to Say Goodbye)” (Live from Daryl’s House)

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Last year, Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson told ABC Audio that both she and her sister and band mate Ann were interested in touring together again, possibly in 2022, but Nancy now says a conflict with her sibling has put those plans on hold.

On Friday, Nancy took part in a livestream chat at the social-networking site TalkShop.Live, during which fans could buy signed copies of her 2021 solo album, You and Me.

During the interview, Nancy revealed that discussions about a new Heart tour between her and Ann’s camp broke down over a disagreement regarding the musicians that would back her and Ann.

“[T]hey were trying to bring their new lineup of players that Ann wanted to put on stage as Heart with me and I wasn’t really willing to do that,” Nancy explained, referring to Ann’s current solo group, which is called The Amazing Dawgs.

“I don’t know those guys, you know, and I didn’t want to feel like a sideman,” Nancy continued. “So, [the tour]…kind of went away. They didn’t really respond to any of our responses in response to…what they [wanted]…They wanted this and I didn’t want that and nobody responded to anything, so…”

She added, “[M]y thing was that everybody that’s played on the last big Heart tour [in 2019] would be back, you know, in the same band,” then noted, “I think Ann might be a little bored with Heart. I don’t know.”

It’s worth pointing out that most of Heart’s backing band for their 2019 tour are part of Nancy’s current solo group.

Also during the interview, Nancy revealed that she also has plans for a solo acoustic album and a Christmas album.

You can buy signed CD and blue-vinyl copies of You and Me at TalkShop.Live.

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Coinciding with today’s release of John Mellencamp‘s latest studio album, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, the famed singer-songwriter has released a new single from the record called “Did You Say Such a Thing.”

The gritty-sounding blues-rock tune, which is available now via digital formats, features backing vocals from Bruce Springsteen, and is one of three collaborations with the Boss featured on the album.

You can check out a visualizer video for “Did You Say Such a Thing” on Mellencamp’s official YouTube channel.

Mellencamp wrote and self-produced Strictly a One-Eyed Jack at his Belmont Mall Studios in Bloomington, Indiana. He’d previously released one of the other Springsteen collaborations, “Wasted Days,” as an advance single back in September of last year.

Strictly a One-Eyed Jack is currently available everywhere.

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Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, a reboot of the original show created by the late Jim Henson, is now streaming on Apple TV+, and a soundtrack has also been released, with the hardest-rocking song coming courtesy of Foo Fighters.

The band, which had previously been announced as making a “special appearance” in the new series, has recorded a song called “Fraggle Rock Rock” for the soundtrack. The album also features guest stars like Patti LaBelle, Saturday Night Live‘s Kenan Thompson and The Office‘s  Ed Helms.  All the songs are featured in the new 13-episode series.

You can watch a clip of Dave Grohl and the guys rocking out with the Fraggles on Instagram.

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Queen guitarist Brian May will make his acting debut in an upcoming episode of Andy and the Band, a popular U.K. TV show geared toward children.

The show stars Andy Day as the leader of a rock band called The Odd Socks that’s made up of a group of his offbeat friends. May will appear as the Godfather of Rock in an episode titled “Planet Rock” that will premiere on January 24 on the BBC iPlayer and January 27 on the CBBC channel.

On the program, May’s character will join Andy and the Odd Socks to play the “best jam ever” and also will help the group overcome what’s described as a “a global ‘rocktastrophe.'”

The plot of the episode involves The Odd Socks visiting Planet Rock to seek the Godfather’s help in reuniting them with the group’s guitarist, Rio, who has lost his confidence, and his beloved air guitar.

In conjunction with the show, May has recorded a new song with Andy and the Odd Socks called “Planet Rock” that will be released on February 18.

“I have loved working with the Odd Socks! Playing the role of their Godfather of Rock was actually a very emotional experience,” May says. “The episode is a wonderful message of hope to kids who lose their self-confidence. The symbolic use of air guitar is beautifully apt. And on a broader scale I absolutely align with Andy and the Band in their quest for every kid to feel proud of their individual qualities.”

He adds, “I’m backing their anti-bullying campaign to the hilt!”

Meanwhile, Day notes, “Working with Brian has been a musical dream come true, as I am a huge Queen fan, but most importantly he completely understood the ethos and message of inclusivity we share in everything we do.”

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The 2022 Boston Calling Music Festival will take place May 27-29, 2022 at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Boston, will feature performances by Foo Fighters, Metallica and Cheap Trick.

Foo Fighters and Metallica will headline the first and last days of the festival, respectively, while The Strokes will be the headliners for day two. Cheap Trick is part of the May 27 lineup.

Other artists on the bill for the three-day event include Weezer, HAIM, Glass Animals, Modest Mouse, Run the Jewels, The Struts, Avril Lavigne and the late Michael Jackson‘s daughter, Paris Jackson. Check out the full lineup at BostonCalling.com.

Tickets are on sale now, with packages ranging from $370 to $2,000.

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Photos from a 1991 gig Nirvana played six days after the release of Nevermind are being turned into NFTs, with some of the proceeds from their auction going to charity.

Forbes reports that the pictures were taken at J.C. Dobbs in Philadelphia on October 1 by photographer Faith West, as the band played to about 150 people.  To mark what would have been Kurt Cobain‘s 55th birthday, the NFTs are going up for auction on February 20 via Pop Legendz, a website West founded, and the NFT platform Rarible.

There are four unique NFTs created from 10 never-before-seen images, and bidding starts at 67 Ethereum, a digital currency, which is worth about $250,000.  Each buyer will also get a fine-art print of one of the images, signed by the photographer.  The 10 images are also being auctioned off individually as NFTs, in both black-and-white and color versions.

A second tier will allow 200 Nirvana fans to buy 14 artworks that have been created from three of the images, for $499. 100 copies each of 21 still images will be sold for $99 each.  You can buy those with either Ethereum or a credit card.

According to the Pop Legendz site, half of the auction’s proceeds will benefit The Trevor Project, which works to prevent suicide among at-risk LGBTQ+ youth.  Additionally, a portion of the other half of the proceeds will go to Grid Alternatives, which brings solar power to working poor families.

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The music world is mourning the death of Bat Out of Hell singer Meat Loaf, who passed away Thursday at the age of 74. A cause of death is unknown at this time. The singer and actor, born Marvin Lee Aday, sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, appeared in more than 65 movies, and won a Grammy in 1994 for “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).”

Among the many stars saluting Meat Loaf on social media were Queen guitarist Brian May, Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive fame, and current Queen singer Adam Lambert, who played Eddie — the character Meat Loaf portrayed in The Rocky Horror Picture Show — in the 2016 TV revival of the musical film.

Other tributes came from Meat’s former duet partner Cher, Ted Nugent, Rob Thomas and Bonnie Tyler who, like Meat Loaf, also recorded hit songs by the late Jim Steinman.

Here’s what the music world is saying about the larger-than-life singer with the powerhouse voice:

Brian May: “Completely gutted that Meat Loaf has left us. Always full of madness, with the innocent sense of naughtiness of a 5-year old, Meat was forever young. I called him Mr Loaf, and he called me when he wanted some wacky guitar playing. We had so much fun so many times, and, just three months younger than me, he felt like a brother. Dear Meat, the world is mourning and will miss your fine and powerful presence for a very long time. RIP.”

Randy Bachman: “What a legend, what a career, what a legacy. Rest In Peace, Meatloaf. Thank you for the lifetime of music that will stay with us forever.”

Adam Lambert: “A gentle hearted powerhouse rockstar forever and ever. You were so kind. Your music will always be iconic. I’m sure you’re singing concerts in the great beyond. Rest In Peace sir.”

Cher: “Had So Much Fun With Meatloaf When We Did  “Dead Ringer”. Am Very Sorry For His Family, Friends, & Fans. Am I imagining It, or Are Amazing Ppl In The Arts Dying every other Day⁉️”

Ted Nugent: Rest in peace my soulbrother soulmusic bloodbrother! A great man great American rocksolid in the asset column of the American dream! The wonderful Meatloaf force of nature will be with us forever.

Rob Thomas: “I was sitting in a hotel lobby one evening with friends when a nice woman came over and said ‘Loaf would like you to come up to his room’ I was taken aback but you gotta go where the loaf tells you to go. I went up to his room and he was sitting on his bed listening to a cassette of my local band, pre Matchbox, Tabitha’s Secret. It turned out he had been listening to that since the late 90s and was a big fan and just wanted to connect. It was a surreal and wonderful moment with a legend and I’m thankful for it. #rip Marvin and Long Live Loaf.”

Bonnie Tyler: “I am shocked & saddened by the sudden death of Meat Loaf. He was, as you might imagine, a larger than life character with a voice & stage presence to match & is one of those rare people who truly was a one off talent and personality. Rest In Peace.”

Slash: “RIP #Meatloaf.”

Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid: “A complete original. Meatloaf was the exact opposite of what ‘success’ in Rock & Roll was SUPPOSED to look like. The Anti-Plant. He WORKED being a Mystery Date ‘Dud’ into the ‘100 Million Sold’ that’s the ONLY reason he’s relevant to the Fancy Folk pretending to love him now.”

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The Zombies were scheduled to return to the road next month for their first tour of their U.K. homeland since 2018, but the trek has now been postponed until 2023.

According to a note on the group’s Facebook page, the postponement is necessary because “one of the band members requires an urgent (but non-life-threatening) medical procedure, and a full 6 weeks of recovery time before he can perform.”

The message continues, “We truly appreciate the patience and understanding of our fans, many of whom have held on to their tickets, despite this tour already being postponed twice due to COVID.”

The U.K. shows, which were to have taken place in February and March of this year, are now scheduled for April and May of 2023. A few new British dates also have been added to The Zombies’ itinerary.

Tickets to the postponed shows will be honored for the rescheduled dates, but refunds also will be available at the point of purchase.

According to their website, the rest of The Zombies’ 2022 tour plans remain unchanged. The band is scheduled to take part on the Flower Power Cruise, which sets sail from Miami on March 28, and then are slated to launch a U.S. trek that’s mapped out from an April 1 show in Orlando, Florida, through a May 1 concert in Fall River, Massachusetts.

The band also has a few Canadian shows scheduled for July, as well as a July 15 concert in Everett, Washington, and a July 28-30 engagement in Park City, Utah. The group also has a tour of mainland Europe set to take place in September.

Visit TheZombiesMusic.com for full details.

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