Classic Rock News

John Mellencamp‘s first studio album in five years, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, was released today.

As previously reported, Bruce Springsteen appears on three of the album’s 12 tracks — “Wasted Days,” “Did You Say Such a Thing” and “A Life Full of Rain.”

In a new interview with USA Today, Mellecamp discusses the inspiration for “Wasted Days,” which was released as an advance single back in September 2021.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who turned 70 last year, notes that the song finds him reflecting on his mortality.

“I figure I’ve got about 10 summers left…I’ve had 70 summers and it’s just a math problem,” he maintains. “When you’re a kid, summers go on forever. But on the sliding ruler, you start pushing it toward time and you realize that 70 summers have come and gone, you don’t want to waste them. I’ll never perform in the summer again because I want to enjoy the summer.”

Mellencamp tells the newspaper that the album’s title refers to a cynical character he devised as the narrator of the songs, noting, “The most dangerous card in the deck is the one-eyed Jack…he has a sword behind his back.”

The album kicks off with the song “I Always Lie to Strangers,” in which, as Mellencamp explains, the character tells the listener “don’t trust me, I’m gonna lie to you and I know you’re gonna lie to me.” John adds, “[T]he whole thing comes to a head in the last verse, ‘this world is run by men much more crooked than me.’ He’s telling you, ‘I know I’m a scoundrel, but the people you pay attention to are bigger liars than me.'”

Strictly a One-Eyed Jack is now available on CD, vinyl and digitally. Here’s the full track list:

“I Always Lie to Strangers”
“Driving in the Rain”
“I Am a Man That Worries”
“Streets of Galilee”
“Sweet Honey Brown”
“Did You Say Such a Thing” (with Bruce Springsteen)
“Gone So Soon”
“Wasted Days” (with Bruce Springsteen)
“Simply a One-Eyed Jack”
“Chasing Rainbows”
“Lie to Me”
“A Life Full of Rain” (with Bruce Springsteen)

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Meat Loaf has passed away at age 74.

The news was confirmed in a statement on the rocker and actor’s Facebook page.

“Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight with his wife Deborah by his side,” the statement reads. “Daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends have been with him throughout the last 24 hours.”

The post notes Meat Loaf’s “amazing career,” which spanned six decades. Meat Loaf, birth name Marvin Lee Aday, sold 100 million album sales worldwide and starred in over 65 movies including Fight Club, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Wayne’s World. His 1977 album Bat Out of Hell is one of the top selling albums of all time and he scored a number one hit with 1993’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).”

The statement continues, “We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man…From his heart to your souls…don’t ever stop rocking!

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Patti Smith has announced plans for a special livestream event that will take place February 2 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, that will feature her performing songs, telling stories, and reciting some of her poetry and prose.

Patti will be joined by her longtime band mates Lenny Kaye and Tony Shanahan during the presentation, which will be available exclusively to paid subscribers to her Substack page.

Substack subscribers also can submit questions and requests that Smith may respond to or fulfill during the show. After the livestream, which begins at 8 p.m. ET, the presentation will be available on demand for 24 hours.

You can check out a video message from Patti sharing details about the livestream and her Substack page.

Substack is an online platform that’s geared toward writers interested in connecting directly with their audiences. Smith joined the platform last year, and has been using it to debut weekly installments of her first serialized long-form work, The Melting.

The Melting began as a series of writings from Patti’s private pandemic journal, and has expanded into covering other topics, incorporating elements of science fiction and including reflections on the climate crisis. The ongoing work, which so far is made up of almost 40 installments and is nearing completion, also features audio recordings and photos.

Meanwhile, the 75-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and her band are scheduled for their first concert of 2022 on February 22 in Brooklyn, New York. You can check out her full itinerary at PattiSmith.net.

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The first all-female edition of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, which originally was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles from January 27 to January 30, has been postponed because of ongoing COVID-19 concerns, and now will be held over Mother’s Day weekend, May 6-9.

Topping the list of artists taking part in this installment of Rock Camp are Heart‘s Nancy Wilson, Melissa Etheridge and Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine.

Other talented musicians who will serve as musical mentors to the campers include Australian guitar whiz Orianthi, ex-Hole and Mötley Crüe drummer Samantha Maloney, former Michael Jackson touring guitarist Jennifer Batten, Jeff Beck touring bassist Rhonda Smith and many more.

Besides the accomplished musicians taking part in the camp, the crew and staff for the event also will be solely comprised of women.

The four-day event will feature masterclasses, Q&A sessions and themed jams, and will culminate with the campers performing in front of a live audience at the famed Whisky a Go Go club in West Hollywood, California. The campers also will be treated to a pre-Grammy party on Saturday night.

Wilson says of the decision to reschedule the event, “The thrill of attending Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp is the up close and personal attention each camper receives from our RockStar counselors. With the current restrictions, this completely changes the whole experience. Looking forward to rocking out safely Mother’s Day Weekend.”

Visit RockCamp.com for more information.

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Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and New Order‘s Bernard Sumner are among the music artists who will be taking part in the 2022 Tibet House US virtual benefit concert, scheduled for March 3.

Smith is part of the event’s performance lineup, which also includes Phish‘s Trey Anastasio, Nathaniel Rateliff, Laurie Anderson, Angélique Kidjo and country artists Jason Isbell and Margo Price, as well as actor Keanu Reeves, who you may remember played bass in the ’90s alt-rock band Dogstar.

As for Pop and Sumner, they will be providing “special greetings” during the event.

Influential composer Philip Glass is the event’s artistic director.

Now in its 35th year, the annual concert raises money for Tibet House US, a non-profit organization that works to preserve Tibetan culture. It’s usually held in-person at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, but is taking place online for the second straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can watch the 2022 Tibet House US concert via the streaming platform Mandolin. For more info, visit Mandolin.com.

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After being canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is scheduled to return this spring with a lineup that includes headlining performances by The Who, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffett,and The Black Crowes.

The festival is scheduled to take place over the course of two consecutive weeks, April 29-May 1 and May 5-May 8. Many of the major artists on the 2022 bill had been scheduled to perform at either the 2020 or the 2021 festival.

The first weekend will feature performances by The Who, Foo Fighters, Lionel Richie, Randy Newman and many, many more.

Weekend two’s lineup will include Nicks, Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band, The Black Crowes, Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Melissa Etheridge, Boz Scaggs, blues great Buddy Guy, members of The Neville Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, The Radiators and Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes, as well as a Bob Marley set from Ziggy Marley and a tribute to the late Dr. John.

For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit NOJazzFest.com.

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Jimi Hendrix‘s estate has filed a lawsuit against the heirs of the two other original members of The Jimi Hendrix Experience — bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell — after those parties threatened to sue Jimi’s estate for millions of pounds in alleged unpaid royalties, Billboard reports.

The Hendrix estate, along with the Sony Music label, filed a suit in a New York City court on Tuesday asking that the court rule they owe no money to Redding’s and Mitchell’s estates.

In documents obtained by Billboard, the Hendrix estate and Sony explain they launched their action after the Redding and Mitchell estates sent them a cease-and-desist letter in December in which they threatened to file a lawsuit in a British court demanding millions of pounds in unpaid royalties dating back to 1973.

Hendrix’s estate and Sony maintain that Redding and Mitchell had signed away rights to Hendrix’s royalties in exchange for a monetary settlement during legal proceedings that followed the guitar legend’s death in 1970.

However, in the December letter, reps for the Redding and Mitchell estates claimed that the agreements Noel and Mitch signed weren’t enforceable.

“For almost half a century, there has never been any claim by defendants or their successors…concerning the copyright ownership, exploitation of these recordings by plaintiffs, or payments of royalties,” the Hendrix estate and Sony wrote in their suit.

The plaintiffs aren’t seeking any monetary damages in the lawsuit; rather, they want the court to declare that they haven’t done anything wrong.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience formed in 1966. Redding left the group in 1969, while Mitchell continued to play with the band until Jimi’s death in September 1970 at age 27. Noel passed away in 2003 at the age of 52, while Mitchell died in 2008 at age 62.

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Elton John‘s much-delayed Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour resumed Wednesday night in New Orleans, with a fresh new addition to his set list.

Not only did Elton play pretty much every hit you’d want to hear, from “Bennie and the Jets” and “Tiny Dancer” to “I’m Still Standing” and “Your Song,” but he also played his current top 10 hit “Cold Heart” live for the first time.  His duet partner Dua Lipa didn’t join him for the song, but her vocals were heard during the performance.

“Cold Heart,” from Elton’s The Lockdown Sessions, is his first U.S. top 10 hit since 1998.

Elton’s North American tour dates run through April, and then he’ll head to Europe. This summer, he’ll return to North America to play stadiums starting July 15 in Philadelphia; he’ll wrap up those dates with two shows at Dodger Stadium in L.A. on November 19 and 20.

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Here’s wishing a very happy birthday to KISS‘ Paul Stanley, who was born 70 years ago today.

The band’s frontman, co-lead singer and rhythm guitarist was born Stanley Eisen in New York City. He was born with a deformed ear caused by a defect called microsia that also left him deaf in that ear.

In his late teens, Paul joined a group called Rainbow that featured bassist/singer Gene Simmons. The band changed its name to Wicked Lester in 1971 and eventually recruited drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley. In 1973, the group again changed its name…to KISS. The band members soon came up with costumes and face makeup for themselves, with Stanley choosing the persona “The Starchild,” featuring a star over his right eye.

With their cartoonish look and over-the-top live shows featuring pyrotechnics and other dramatic effects, KISS soon became one of the most popular rock bands on the planet. Over the years, Stanley has written or co-written many of KISS’ biggest hits and most popular songs, including “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Hard Luck Woman,” “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” “Lick It Up” and “Forever.”

Stanley and Simmons have continued to lead KISS through the band’s entire history, while a number of musicians have filled the guitarist and drummer slots over the years.

In 2014, Stanley was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of KISS.

Outside of KISS, Stanley is an accomplished painter and also has released a few solo projects. His most recent was the debut album by his side project Paul Stanley’s Soul Station, Now and Then, which arrived in 2021. The album featured covers of a variety of classic soul tunes from the 1960s and ’70s, as well as a handful of originals.

Meanwhile, Stanley has had a rough go of it during the last several months, overcoming two bouts with COVID-19 and undergoing shoulder surgery in late 2021.

Thankfully, Paul appears to be on the mend as KISS prepares to relaunch its End of the Road farewell tour with an Australian leg that kicks off in March.

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The Scorpions celebrate the joy of rocking their fans like a hurricane in the official video for the title track of their forthcoming studio album, Rock Believer.

The clip, which premiered this week at the veteran German hard rockers’ YouTube channel, features new scenes of The Scorpions performing “Rock Believer” in a studio, mixed with archival footage of the band playing at a variety of major concerts and behind-the-scenes footage of the group interacting with fans and having fun offstage.

The video also incorporates glimpses of childhood photos of the band members.

The group has posted a message on its Facebook page about the inspiration behind the song that reads, “Over the years, we’ve heard people say lots of times that rock is dead. But there are still millions of rock believers out there all over the world to prove them wrong. Our fans are the best in the world…We’ll see you someday somewhere out there, because we’re Rock Believers just like you.”

The Scorpions released “Rock Believer” as an advanced digital single last week, while the album, which can be pre-ordered now, is due out on February 25.

In conjunction with the video’s premiere, the band members took part in an online afterparty and Q&A event that was accessible by subscribers of the YouTube Premium service. The 50-minute presentation is available on demand at The Scorpions’ YouTube channel. A free YouTube Premium trial also is being offered.

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