Here’s your chance to show your love for Motörhead and compassion for men’s health issues at the same time.
Each November, the organization Movember launches a campaign in an effort to raise funds and awareness for men’s mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer by asking people to grow — or otherwise wear — a mustache for the month. This year, the project includes a special Motörhead twist.
In partnership with the “Ace of Spades” rockers, Movember is inviting participants to grow a mustache modeled after the late Lemmy Kilmister‘s signature facial hair. Not only will your Lemmy ‘stache benefit an important cause, but, with enough money raised, you may be entered to win special Motörhead-related prizes.
If you’re unsure whether the Kilmister look is right for you, you can check out a preview thanks to a Lemmy mustache filter.
Elton John made a virtual appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night and shared a couple of stories about fellow musical icons.
In one of the stories, he talked about performing with John Lennon at Madison Square Garden in 1974, which turned out to be Lennon’s last live public performance before his death in 1980.
“It was one of the most magical moments of my life,” Elton said. “Probably for me, the memory of him coming onstage and getting so much applause. I think all the band, and myself, were moved to tears. And it was such a wonderful occasion.”
At the time, Elton and Lennon had scored a #1 hit with their duet “Whatever Gets You thru the Night,” which was one of the songs they performed together at Madison Square Garden.
He also recalled the not-so-magical moment when he almost rejected a birthday surprise from Stevie Wonder. Elton was on board a private plane called the Starship and was bummed out about a performance he had.
“I went up front and sat on my own and they said, ‘Come up to the bow. We want to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to you,’ and I went, ‘I’m not interested in my birthday,'” he recalled. “And this happened about three or four times until my publicist burst into tears and said, ‘You have to come up there. Stevie Wonder is at the organ’ — of course the plane had an organ on it — ‘and he wants to sing “Happy Birthday” to you.'”
Elton finally got to collaborate with Stevie on the song “Finish Line,” which appears on his new album, The Lockdown Sessions.
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
This weekend in Cleveland, it’s the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. And each year, there’s always a story about an artist who doesn’t want to go because they either don’t like Rock Hall, or they’re feuding with their former band mates. Back in 2017, Steve Perry was one of those artists who wasn’t going to show up for his induction as a member of Journey…but now, looking back, he’s really glad he did.
“Yeah, it turned out to be one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” Perry told ABC Audio. In his case, he said he was concerned because “it had been so many years and the band’s moved on.” In addition, he didn’t want to make Journey’s current lead singer, Arnel Pineda, feel uncomfortable.
“I love Arnel and I thought, y’know, out of respect for him and just where they’d gone, I thought I would just leave it alone,” he says. “Then I had a friend of mine telling me, ‘Look, you deserve to be there — you should be there too.'”
“One thing led to another, and I went,” he recalls. “And backstage, it became clear to me what I was doing there, and what I needed to say. I sketched some stuff on a paper, and when I got out there, I pulled the paper out and said, ‘I got some things to say!'”
He laughs, “They gave us all about five to six minutes…and I thought, ‘That’s not going to cut it for me!’ So I went ahead and took the moment, and thanked everybody.”
The first person Perry thanked was ex-Journey manager Herbie Herbert, who was responsible for him joining the band. Herbert passed away Monday at age 73.
Perry’s first Christmas album,The Season, is out November 5.
Doors guitarist Robby Krieger has been quite busy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did the 75-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer finish and recently publish a new memoir, Set the Night on Fire, he tells ABC Audio that he’s also completed two album projects.
“Since the pandemic, that’s all I’ve been doing is recording,” Robby reports. “I’ve got two records ready to come out, both instrumental.”
The first is a reggae-flavored covers album titled Rocks Meets Dub that he says will include renditions of The Bee Gees‘ “Stayin’ Alive” and songs by Bob Dylan and The Beatles.
Krieger says he played a lot of slide guitar on the album, which he recorded with bassist Phil Chen, who for many years was a member of the bands that Robby co-led with late Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
“[Phil’s] been down with mesothelioma lately, so we wanted to do something that would make him happy,” Krieger explains. “And it just turned out really good.”
Keyboardist Ed Roth, who’s collaborated with Krieger frequently in recent years, also contributed to the album.
As for the other album, Krieger recorded that with his side project The New Experience, and is planning to release it after Rocks Meets Dub.
That group features Roth, as well as longtime Aretha Franklin bassist Kevin “Brandino” Brandon and drummer Franklin Vanderbilt, who also plays with Lenny Kravitz.
“[W]e don’t have a name for [that album] yet, but these guys are just amazing players,” Robby notes, adding that “it’s jazz, but it’s R&B as well.”
Krieger’s most recent album was another instrumental project, The Ritual Begins at Sundown, which was released in August 2020.
Elvis Costello will greet 2022 with a new studio album that he recorded with his longtime backing group The Imposters called The Boy Named If.
The 13-track collection, which will be released on January 14, is described in a press statement as an album “of urgent, immediate songs with bright melodies, guitar solos that sting and a quick step to the rhythm.”
Costello explains about the project, “The full title of this record is The Boy Named If (And Other Children’s Stories). ‘IF’ is a nickname for your imaginary friend; your secret self, the one who knows everything you deny, the one you blame for the shattered crockery and the hearts you break, even your own.”
The Boy Named If will be available on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital formats. There also will be “an 88-page hardback storybook edition,” each copy of which will be signed and numbered by Elvis.
The storybook edition features 13 illustrated short stories that have the same titles as the album’s songs and relate to the corresponding tunes in some way. The stories feature the lyrics of the songs, and the illustrations were created by artist Eamon Singer.
In advance of The Boy Named If, one of the tracks, “Magnificent Hurt,” has been released as a digital single.
Costello has been quite busy since the start of the pandemic. He released his last studio album, Hey Clockface, in October of 2020, followed in March 2021 by La Face de Pendule à Coucou, an EP featuring French-language versions of six songs from Hey Clockface sung by Iggy Pop, actress Isabelle Adjani and others.
In September, Elvis released Spanish Model, a Spanish-language version of his 1978 album This Year’s Model showcasing various guest singers.
Here’s The Boy Named If‘s full track list:
“Farewell, OK”
“The Boy Named If”
“Penelope Halfpenny”
“The Difference”
“What If I Can’t Give You Anything but Love?”
“Paint the Red Rose Blue”
“Mistook Me for a Friend”
“My Most Beautiful Mistake” (guest vocal by Nicole Atkins)
“Magnificent Hurt”
“The Man You Love to Hate”
“The Death of Magic Thinking”
“Trick Out the Truth”
“Mr. Crescent”
Historic collectibles from various music legends, including Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin‘s Robert Plant and Bob Dylan, will be up for bid during a memorabilia sale hosted by Julien’s Auctions on November 19 and 20 at the Hard Rock Café in New York City.
Among the priciest items going on the block is a 1968 Martin D-45 acoustic guitar once owned by Clapton, who played the instrument at the live debut of his group Derek and the Dominos at London’s Lyceum Theatre in June 1970. The guitar, which Clapton gifted to singer/guitarist Dave Edmunds in 1976, is estimated to sell for between $300,000 and $500,000.
Meanwhile, a sheet of lyrics for the classic Led Zeppelin song “Kashmir” handwritten by Plant on stationery letterhead from Chicago’s Whitehall Hotel is estimated to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000. The lyrics feature some differences from the studio version of the tune, which appeared on 1975’s Physical Graffiti album.
Another interesting item being auctioned is an abstract oil painting of a nude woman created by Dylan during the 1960s and gifted to his late manager, Albert Grossman, which is expected to bring in between $100,000 and $200,000.
Also up for bid is a cream-colored Fender Stratocaster Vintage ’57 reissue electric guitar that Pink Floyd‘s David Gilmour owned and played on stage with the band during the 1980s and ’90s. It’s estimated to sell for between $80,000 and $100,000.
Other items being sold as part of Julien’s Auctions’ “Icons & Idols: Rock ‘n’ Roll” event include memorabilia and artifacts from The Beatles, Guns N’ Roses, Eddie Van Halen, U2, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Trent Reznor, Keith Richards and Quiet Riot.
Herbie Herbert in 2008; Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Herbie Herbert, the veteran music-industry figure who managed Journey from the band’s 1973 inception until 1993, died of natural causes Monday, October 25, at his home in Orinda, California, Variety reports. He was 73.
Early in his career, Herbert worked for famed concert promoter Bill Graham as a roadie for Santana, which is how he met co-founding Journey members Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie.
During the late 1960s, Herbert managed Frumious Bandsnatch, a psychedelic group that featured future Journey members Ross Valory and George Tickner.
Herbert helped put together Journey in 1973 and guided the band for the next two decades. According to Variety, he was involved in all aspects of their career, including overseeing recordings, the design of their logo and album covers, concerts and more.
In a 2017 interview with ABC Audio, ex-Journey frontman Steve Perry credited Herbert for bringing him into the band.
“Herbie…really is a legend,” Perry said, “and I’m actually in the band because he heard my demo tape and believed in me and told the band, ‘You gotta listen to this tape, I think this is the guy that should be the singer.'”
Interestingly, a reported personality conflict with Perry led to Herbert exiting Journey. He also managed the Steve Miller Band and co-managed acts like Roxette, Europe, Mr. Big and Enuff Z’Nuff.
In a lengthy tribute to Herbert, Schon wrote on his Facebook page, “I’ll cherish all the incredible times and trials and tribulations we experienced together. Herbie was an incredible hands on Manager and fought like a mother f***** for all of us every step of the way.”
Variety reports that a documentary about Herbert’s life is in production, and plans for a memorial celebration will be announced soon.
Ozzy Osbourne has announced a digital reissue of his 1981 solo album Diary of a Madman in honor of its 40th anniversary.
The expanded collection is due out November 5 — two days before its actual anniversary on November 7 — and includes bonus live versions of the songs “Flying High Again” and “Believer,” which were previously unavailable digitally.
Diary of a Madman was Ozzy’s second solo album, and his last to feature Randy Rhoads before the guitarist’s untimely death in 1982.
Fittingly, the reissue will arrive a week after Rhoads is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Musical Excellence award.
This year, Ozzy also released digital reissues of his solo albums No More Tears and Down to Earth for their 30th and 20th anniversaries, respectively.
Anyone can start a podcast that talks about an artist, but what about an entire podcast series about a single song? We Didn’t Start the Fire: The History Podcast is solely devoted to Billy Joel‘s 1989 number-one hit, and a few days ago, the Piano Man himself appeared on it to discuss the song, its legacy and, surprisingly, how much people dislike it.
“The only thing I’ve heard about that song from people is, ‘I hate that song!'” Billy told podcast hosts KatiePuckrik and Tom Fordyce. “Some people hate that song. It’s one of the most hated things I ever wrote! And I don’t get the hate.”
“I mean, I hate the music, because it’s not good,” Billy admitted. “But I think the lyrics are fairly clever, I think I did a pretty good job with the words, but some people just hate that thing.”
As for why the music isn’t good, Billy explained, “I wrote the words first, which is why the music is so horrible in that song. I usually write the music first and then I write the lyrics, but in that song, the melody…it’s like a mosquito buzzing around your head! It’s more annoying than musical.”
Each episode of the podcast is a deep dive into one of the historical figures or event named in the song, from Eisenhower and The King and I, to Liberace and Joseph Stalin. Billy discusses what inspired the song, why he chose to mention certain people, and answers trivia questions about those people.
By the way, despite its “horrible” music, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” is one of only three Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits Billy has had in his career, next to “It’s Still Rock ‘n Roll to Me” and “Tell Her About It.”
Dave Grohl has offered a sly response to Nevermind cover model Spencer Elden‘s lawsuit against Nirvana, alleging that the artwork — which shows a naked, baby Elden swimming in a pool reaching for a dollar bill — constitutes child pornography.
When first asked about his reaction to the suit in a new interview with Vulture, Grohl at first gave a vague answer, saying, “I don’t know that I can speak on it because I haven’t spent too much time thinking about it.”
“I feel the same way most people do in that I have to disagree,” he added. “That’s all I’ll say.”
However, Grohl got a little less diplomatic after the interviewer wonders why Elden would be upset about the cover if he’s recreated the Nevermind artwork before, including for a 2016 New York Post piece.
“Listen, he’s got a Nevermind tattoo,” Grohl quipped. “I don’t.”
Grohl previously told the U.K.’s Sunday Times that he has “many ideas” about how to change the Nevermind cover should that be necessary.
Nirvana plans to release a 30th anniversary reissue of Nevermind — with the original artwork intact — on November 12.
