Classic Rock News

A new collection of Jimi Hendrix-inspired footwear and accessories created by shoe designer John Fluevog in partnership with the Experience Hendrix company, which oversees the late guitar legend’s legacy, will be available starting later this month.

The John Fluevog + Jimi Hendrix collection includes The Stand Up Electric Lady and The Tudor Jimi boots, as well as a uniquely designed bag, belts and bracelets.

The designs were inspired by Hendrix’s life, music, lyrics, art and fashion sense, and Fluevog and his team worked closely with Jimi’s family to create items that pay proper tribute to the rock icon.

The Stand Up Electric Lady is a tall platform boot featuring silk scarf lacing, while The Tudor Jimi is an ankle boot that boasts braided appliqué. Both boots will be available in variations featuring either gold embroidery or purple velvet. The velvet used in the boots features examples of Hendrix’s handwriting.

“I feel such a sense of privilege to be connected to a cultural icon at the level of Jimi Hendrix,” Fluevog says in a statement. “We went deep into Jimi’s clothes, style and overall journey; one can envision him swinging down the streets of London in this collection looking perfect. We’re so proud of it and we’d like to think Jimi would be delighted with our collective efforts.”

Adds Janie Hendrix, Jimi’s sister and Experience Hendrix’s CEO, “If ever a product line has drawn from the very essence of the Hendrix experience, this one has. Fluevog has truly grasped the signature style and energy of Jimi and created pieces that could very well have come out of his closet. The ‘wow effect’ that Jimi unveiled every time he appeared is definitely there!”

The Hendrix collection will be available at John Fluevog stores and website starting January 27.

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Evidently, Rod Stewart, Snoop Dogg and Heidi Klum is the musical trio we didn’t know we needed.

Heidi, who’s not known as a singer, has teamed up with rap icon Snoop Dogg for a dance track called “Chai Tea with Heidi,” produced by L.A.-based producer duo WeddingCake.  In the track, Snoop raps, while Heidi sings the hook — which is lifted from Rod’s 1983 hit “Baby Jane.”

Specifically, Heidi sings the song’s chorus: “When I give my heart again I know/ It’s gonna last forever/ No one tell me where or when I know/ It’s gonna last forever.”

“I’m most honored that these Super Stars have included ‘Baby Jane’ in this memorable song,” says Rod in a statement.

Heidi adds, “I am still pinching myself to make sure this really happened. It was truly an honor to work with Snoop Dogg and WeddingCake to create this fun and upbeat song that will hopefully make you want to get up and dance. This would not have been possible if [the] iconic Sir Rod Stewart didn’t give us approval to use melody and lyrics to his ‘Baby Jane.'”

As for Snoop, he notes, “I know that all of Europe will be hearin this in tha clubs til 6 in tha mornin. Lookn forward to getting back overseas n performing it live ya dig?!?!”

As for why the song is called “Chai Tea with Heidi,” at one point, Snoop raps, “Girl, you’re hot and you’re sweet like chai tea/ After the show we can kick it like tai chi/ Me and you in the mood, that’s likely/ Get your dance on, baby, entice me.”

Wonder what Heidi’s ex-husband — Grammy-winning singer Seal — thinks of his former wife’s foray into music?

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Rolling Stone has unveiled its list of the 10 highest-earning music artists for 2021, and the tally is made up mostly up veteran acts who sold the rights to their music catalogs last year.

Topping the list is Bruce Springsteen, who earned a whopping $590 million last year, $550 million of which came from the sale of his publishing copyrights and master recordings to Sony, the parent company of his longtime label. The Boss’ 2021 earnings also included money he made from his Springsteen on Broadway performances, the Spotify podcast he did with Barack Obama, and the book that emerged from the podcast.

Landing at #3 on the tally was Paul Simon, who enjoyed a $260 million payday in 2021. Simon also sold his entire music catalog to Sony Music Publishing last year, including his solo compositions and those he wrote for Simon & Garfunkel.

Also in the top 10 of the list were The Red Hot Chili Peppers at #6 with $145 million in earnings, Lindsey Buckingham at #7 with $100 million and Mötley Crüe at #8 with $95 million in income. All three acts sold the rights to their music publishing and/or master recordings in 2021.

Discussing the wave of music catalog acquisitions that’s been taking place recently, Josh Gruss, CEO of Round Hill Music, notes, “These are almost like pieces of art — there’s a finite number of real, super-high-quality hit songs from the past — and there’s this sort of all-out grab to own those rights…It’s a very steady stream of revenue that’s there.”

Only three artists in the top 10 didn’t sell their music rights last year — Jay-Z, Kanye West and Taylor Swift.

Here are the 10 artists who made the most money in 2021

1. Bruce Springsteen — $590 million
2. Jay-Z — $470 million
3. Paul Simon — $260 million
4. Kanye West — $250 million
5. Ryan Tedder — $200 million
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers — $145 million
7. Lindsey Buckingham — $100 million
8. Mötley Crüe — $95 million
9. Blake Shelton — $83 million
10. Taylor Swift — $80 million

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Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has revealed new details about his forthcoming solo album, Earthling, including the fact that some very famous musicians have lent their talents to the project, including Elton John, Ringo Starr and Stevie Wonder.

Elton appears on a song titled “Picture,” while it wasn’t announced which tracks feature Ringo and Stevie.

Also contributing to the album are three members of Vedder’s Earthlings solo band: Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer, and guitarist and producer Andrew Watt.

Interestingly, Vedder contributed to a song called “E-Ticket” from Elton’s latest album, 2021’s The Lockdown Sessions, while Elton, Smith and Watt, along with Miley Cyrus, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, all collaborated on a version of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” that also appears on The Lockdown Sessions as well as on last year’s The Metallica Blacklist tribute record.

Meanwhile, Vedder has shared a new song from Earthling called “Brother the Cloud.” The track, which you can download and stream now via digital outlets, is the third advance cut to be released from the record, following “Long Way” and “The Haves.” Smith, Klinghoffer and Watt all play on the track.

Earthling, Eddie’s first solo effort in 11 years, is due out on February 11. Vedder and the Earthlings will launch a tour in support of the record February 3 in New York City.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Slash and his solo band Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators have premiered a new song called “Call of the Dogs.”

The track, which is available now for digital download, will appear on the group’s upcoming album 4. It’s the third cut to be released from the record, following “The River Is Rising” and “Fill My World.”

4, the aptly titled fourth Conspirators effort, will arrive in full on February 11.

Slash and company will hit the road in support of 4 on a U.S. headlining tour kicking off February 8 in Portland.

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Maybe he should rename his band “Goldsnake” now that Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale has joined the ranks of artists who have sold off their music publishing rights.

Coverdale has struck a deal with Round Hill Music Royalty Fund Limited, which — according to Billboard — has acquired the “music publishing, master rights and master rights royalties” for the veteran rock singer’s catalog. Also as part of the agreement, the company will help oversee income generated from performance of songs in the catalog.

The deal not only includes songs by Whitesnake, which Coverdale founded in 1978 and continues to lead, but material from his mid-1970s stint with Deep Purple, solo releases and various other projects.

Among the notable songs included in the acquisition are Deep Purple’s “Burn” and “Stormbringer,” and Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” “Still of the Night” and “Slow an’ Easy.” The deal also includes “The Last Note of Freedom,” a song David co-wrote with Billy Idol and Hans Zimmer for the film Days of Thunder.

“I am thrilled beyond words to joyfully announce that my existing catalog of works, both songs and master recordings, which I have been involved in creating for over 50 years, is now in exceptionally safe hands with the fine people at Round Hill,” Coverdale says in a statement. “I look forward immensely to working together with [CEO] Josh Gruss and all at Round Hill to ensure the legacy of my existing works for future generations to enjoy.”

While monetary terms of the deal weren’t announced, Billboard estimates that the income streams in the package are worth $35 million.

Other artists that have inked music-publishing agreements with Round Hill Music include Heart‘s Nancy Wilson, Randy Bachman, Rob Thomas, Tesla, Triumph, Goo Goo Dolls‘ Johnny Rzeznik and many more.

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Fifty years ago today, Paul Simon released his first post-Simon & Garfunkel solo album, a self-titled effort that arrived almost two years after the lauded folk-rock duo’s final full-length record, Bridge over Troubled Water.

Paul Simon featured two hits singles, the reggae-flavored “Mother and Child Reunion” and the catchy, samba-influenced “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” which reached #4 and #22, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album itself peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 and went on to sell more than a million copies in the U.S.

Simon wrote 10 of the album’s 11 songs by himself, while one tune, “Hobo’s Blues,” was co-written with legendary jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, who also plays on the track.

The song “Duncan” features the Paris-based Andean folk group Los Incas, which also contributed to the 1970 Simon & Garfunkel hit “El Condor Pasa (If I Could).” “Duncan” was issued as the Paul Simon album’s third and final single, but stalled at #52 on the Hot 100.

Paul Simon landed at #425 on Rolling Stone‘s 2020 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” As the magazine noted, “Simon’s first solo effort after the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel had plenty to prove, and it did, with a tour de force of songcraft, virtuosic guitar picking, upper-register vocal dazzle, and vivid storytelling.”

Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Mother and Child Reunion”
“Duncan”
“Everything Put Together Falls Apart”
“Run That Body Down”
“Armistice Day”
“Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”
“Peace Like a River”
“Papa Hobo”
“Hobo’s Blues”
“Paranoia Blues”
“Congratulations”

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Moody Blues singer/bassist John Lodge‘s new live album The Royal Affair and After, featuring performances from his stint on the Yes-headlined 2019 Royal Affair Tour and from his subsequent U.S. solo trek, gets its release today on CD and digital formats.

The album is mainly made up of renditions of popular Moody Blues songs, and features current Yes frontman Jon Davison on two songs.

Lodge tells ABC Audio that during the Royal Affair trek, he invited Davison to join him and his 10,000 Light Years Band to sing backing vocals on their encore, the 1968 Moody Blues gem “Ride My See-Saw.”

“[I]t was fantastic,” Lodge says of Davison’s performance.

For Lodge’s headlining tour, he decided to salute his fellow Moody Blues members by including songs they wrote for the group in his set, among them the Justin Hayward-penned Moodies classic “Nights in White Satin,” on which Davison sang lead.

“[H]e sings a fantastic version, and it’s on the album,” John notes. “And I’m really pleased with it, because he’s brought the exact emotion to the song.”

Lodge also recorded Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge reciting the spoken-word piece “Late Lament” that Graeme wrote for The Moody Blues’ Days of Future Passed album for use on John’s tour. Audio of Edge’s performance is included on The Royal Affair and After.

Edge died of cancer at age 80 in November 2021, and Lodge says he visited Graeme four days before he passed away, and gave him a copy of the new CD.

“We had a few laughs, a few tears,” John shares, adding that when he gave Graeme the CD, “he was tickled pink.”

A blue-vinyl LP version of The Royal Affair and After will be released on January 28. Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Steppin’ in a Slide Zone”
“Saved by the Music”
“Legend of a Mind”
“Sunset”
“Late Lament” (with Graeme Edge)
“Nights in White Satin” (with Jon Davison)
“Gemini Dream”
“Isn’t Life Strange”
“I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)”
“Ride My See-Saw” (with Jon Davison)

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Art inspired by musicians that have recorded for Interscope Records, including U2 and Nine Inch Nails, will be displayed at an upcoming exhibition celebrating the 30th anniversary of the label.

Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined, which opens at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on January 30, features over 50 original works by visual artists relating to particular albums or songs from the Interscope catalog.

The U2-themed art was based on the band’s 2000 hit “Beautiful Day,” and was created by John Currin. Two NIN albums, Broken and The Downward Spiral, served as inspiration for two separate pieces of art that will be featured in the exhibit, created by Emily Mae Smith and Richard Prince, respectively.

Among the many other acts whose music inspired artwork for the exhibit are musicians including Helmet, No Doubt, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dr. Dre, Billie Eilish, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Tupac, Nine Inch Nails, Olivia Rodrigo, Kendrick Lamar, Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent and Eve.

“Interscope’s original mission was to find the most profound artists, empower their creativity and watch what happens,” says the label’s co-founder, Jimmy Iovine. “For the 30th, we wanted to continue that vision by assembling the most admired visual artists and empower them with that same creative license to honor the musical artists we have worked with over three decades.”

The exhibition will be on display through February 13. For more info, visit LACMA.org.

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A variety of famous music stars, including The Rolling Stones‘ Keith Richards, The Beach Boys‘ Brian Wilson and Billy Joel, have paid homage to legendary Ronettes singer Ronnie Spector, who died Wednesday of cancer at age 78.

Richards, who was a longtime friend of Ronnie’s and had a brief romance with her during the 1960s, wrote on his social media pages, “This is so sad. Ronnie was a very dear friend and she leaves a huge gap. How I’m going to miss that infectious laugh and that great voice! My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.”

Wilson was a huge fan of The Ronettes’ 1963 hit “Be My Baby,” which inspired him to write “Don’t Worry Baby.” He presented “Don’t Worry Baby” to Ronettes producer Phil Spector for the group to record, but Phil turned it down, and it went on to become a hit for The Beach Boys in 1964.

Paying homage to Ronnie, Brian wrote on Twitter, “I loved her voice so much and she was a very special person and a dear friend. This just breaks my heart. Ronnie’s music and spirit will live forever.”

Accompanying the post is a YouTube video featuring footage of Ronnie visiting Brian backstage at a 2002 New York City concert. In the clip, she gushes at how much she loved “Don’t Worry Baby” and serenades a swooning Wilson.

Joel, whose classic song “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” was covered by Ronnie and Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band in 1977, writes, “The great Ronnie Spector has died. So many faces in and out of my life…We mourn her passing.”

In addition, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan posted a video of him performing an acoustic version of the Ronettes hit “Baby, I Love You.”

Here are some other tributes to Ronnie from various well-known artists:

Joan Jett: “Our dear friend Ronnie Spector, has passed. She was the sweetest person you could ever know. And her mark on rock and roll is indelible.”

The Beach Boys’ Al Jardine: “So sad to hear about Ronnie.”

“Little Steven” Van Zandt: “RIP Ronnie Spector. It was an honor to Produce her and encourage her to get back on stage where she remained for the next 45 years. Her record with the E Street Band helped sustain us at a very precarious time…Condolences to her husband and family.

Southside Johnny: “She was definitely one of the high points of my teenage years, one of the high points of my touring life. When she came on stage with The Jukes the crowd went crazy. And, I got to play castanets! Who could ask for more. Rest in a groove, Ronnie.”

The Bangles‘ Susanna Hoffs: “Peace and Love, Ronnie Spector.”

Darlene Love: “I’m in total shock! Did not see this one coming. Please give me time to process my thoughts to give Ronnie the proper tribute she deserves. She and I shared so much together.”

Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine: “this totally blows. f*** cancer. RIP the legend Ronnie Spector. Thank you for the music, for being so freaking cool.”

The Pointer Sisters: “Condolences to family & friends of #RonnieSpector RIP”

Paul Shaffer: “Our voice has been silenced.”

Carole King: “Rest In Peace #RonnieSpector”

Jimmy Webb: Sad to hear that #RonnieSpector left us today. #TheRonettes and Roni were a main part of the soundtrack of the early 60’s & ‘Be My Baby’ was certainly a signature song. Ronnie’s vocals rang out with her beautiful clear voice across the radio waves. Rest in power, Roni.”

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