Classic Rock News

On This Day, June 25, 2023…

Elton John headlined the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival, which was the final U.K. show of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

This was Elton’s first ever time headlining Glastonbury, and he treated the crowd to a set filled with hits, including “Bennie and the Jets,” “Daniel,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Your Song,” “Candle in the Wind,” and more, wrapping the night with “Rocket Man.”

Elton was also joined by several guests including The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Stephen Sanchez, Jacob Lusk and Rina Sawayama.

While the concert was billed as Elton’s final U.K show, that didn’t turn out to be true. In March, he headlined a special concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall with Brandi Carlile.

The 2025 Glastonbury Festival kicks off Wednesday, with Neil Young and Rod Stewart among the performers.

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The 30th anniversary of Van Halen’s tenth studio album Balance is being celebrated with an expanded reissue, which will offer a boatload of extras for fans.

Balance (Expanded Edition), dropping Aug. 15, will be released as a two-LP/two-CD/Blu-Ray set featuring a remastered edition of the original album, along with audio and video rarities, like the B-side “Crossing Over,” and non-album tracks like “Humans Being” and “Respect the Wind,” which were originally featured on the Twister soundtrack.

The set will also include eight live performances from the band’s 1995 show at London’s Wembley Stadium, including a performance of “The Seventh Seal,” which is out now via digital outlets.

The expanded edition’s Blu-ray will include restored promo videos for songs like “Can’t Stand Lovin’ You,” “Not Enough,” and others, along with a previously unreleased live clip of “The Seventh Seal,” shot in Minneapolis in 1995.

In addition to the full expanded set, Balance will be released as a standalone two-CD set featuring the remastered album and the rarities, as well as on vinyl, marking the album’s first time on vinyl in three decades.

Balance (Expanded Edition) is available for preorder now.

Released in January 1995, Balance was the band’s last studio album with frontman Sammy Hagar and the last to feature bassist Michael Anthony. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.

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The late guitar great Jeff Beck has inspired a new guitar from Epiphone.

The company has just debuted an Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection recreation of Beck’s 1954 Oxblood Les Paul, which is featured in the artwork on the cover of his 1975 debut solo album, Blow by Blow. Beck’s original Oxblood guitar sold at auction in January for $1.3 million.

The new Jeff Beck 1954 Oxblood Les Paul from Epiphone features a mahogany body with a maple cap and a one-piece mahogany neck, with mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays, along with several other details that match the original guitar.

“Bringing the Epiphone version of the infamous ‘Oxblood’ Les Paul to life was something Jeff Beck wanted, and the team has now truly delivered,” says Lee Bartram, head of commercial and marketing EMEA at Gibson. “Making this guitar accessible to a wider market was important to Jeff and his family; this Epiphone guitar turned out truly exceptional and is a worthy tribute to the legacy of a legend.”

The Jeff Beck 1954 Oxblood Les Paul from Epiphone is now available online, at the Gibson Garage in Nashville and London, and at authorized Epiphone dealers around the world.

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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Annie Lennox is the subject of a new book.

Annie Lennox: Retrospective, dropping Sept. 16, is described as a “visual memoir” featuring over 200 photographs that take fans chronologically through the legendary singer’s career. The book includes shots from her personal archives, as well as album covers and music video stills, covering Lennox’s time with Dave Stewart in Eurythmics to her solo career and more.

“There have been thousands of photographic images floating around in the zeitgeist throughout the decades of my life as a performer. In a way, each one serves as part of the picture-puzzle narrative of my story,” Lennox shares. “With Retrospective, I wanted to look back at my life’s work lived under the public gaze, throughout the creation of music—lyrics—recordings and film.”

“Each album, video, and photograph has its own identity and style,” she adds. “Retrospective could actually have been presented in many different ways, with many more different images. But for now—here it is… A memento—a souvenir—A life lived through imagery and sound. I hope you enjoy it!”

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Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan is set to be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame this year.

The rocker is one of 17 inductees for 2025, with R&B group The Isley Brothers and pop stars the Jonas Brothers the other musicians chosen for induction this year.

“This year’s class of inductees remind us of what it means to be Jersey strong and resilient,” said Steve Edwards, president of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. “They showcase the incredible range of talent that has come out of New Jersey, from global icons in entertainment to pioneers in sports, public service, and enterprise. We’re proud to honor these heroes who inspire generations to be the best versions of themselves.”

The 17th annual New Jersey Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Nov. 21 at The Rink at The Arena at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is where the New Jersey Hall of Fame is located.

Bryan was born David Rashbaum in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and was raised in Edison, New Jersey. In addition to being a founding member of Bon Jovi, he is a Tony Award winner for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics to the 2009 Broadway musical Memphis. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Bon Jovi in 2018.

Bryan is the second member of Bon Jovi to be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Frontman Jon Bon Jovi was inducted in 2009.

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Bob Dylan is set to publish a new book dedicated to his art.

Point Blank (Quick Studies), to be released Nov. 18, is made up of about 100 works of art that the “Like a Rolling Stone” singer created between 2021 and 2022, many of which have never been seen before. It is the first major publication of Dylan’s artwork in over a decade.

According to a press release, these works include drawings of “roller-skating lovers, a suit of armor, a suspension bridge, a karaoke singer, a roll of Scotch tape” and more, with the book mostly made up of portraits, still lifes and landscapes.

“This book showcases Bob Dylan’s mastery of telling stories, creating moods and provoking feelings,” Simon & Schuster Vice President and publisher Sean Manning says. “The images are deeply evocative, at once innocent and world-weary, joyous and forlorn, humorous and sensual, enigmatic and familiar.”

He adds, “Dylan’s ability to find beauty and mystery in the seemingly mundane is one of his great gifts—and the gift he’s continually given to the public over the years, including now with Point Blank.”

Point Blank (Quick Studies) is available for preorder now.

And that’s not the only Dylan book news. A new audio version of his 2004 memoir, Chronicles: Volume 1, is also coming on Nov. 18. While an abridged version of the book has been available since 2004, the new recording is unabridged and will be narrated by actor Sean Penn.

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The new Billy Joel documentary has an airdate.

Part one of the two-part doc Billy Joel: And So It Goes will debut July 18 on HBO, with part two debuting July 25. Both will be available to stream at the same time on HBO Max.

The film, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, is centered around an exclusive interview with Joel, giving insight into “the key moments that forged his character and the events and muses that inspired his music for more than six decades.”

The doc also features never-before-seen performances, home movies and personal photographs, along with interviews with those who played an important part in his life and career.

Among those interviewed for the film are ex-wife and former manager Elizabeth Weber, ex-wives Christie Brinkley and Katie Lee, current wife Alexis Roderick Joel and daughter Alexa Ray Joel, as well as his band and artists like Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Paul McCartney and Sting.

Part one of Billy Joel: And So It Goes had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival in New York in early June. Joel did not attend the premiere amid the revelation that he’s been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus. The condition refers to a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid that causes issues with hearing, vision and balance.

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Following news of the death of Mick Ralphs, guitarist and co-founder of Mott the Hoople and Bad Company, Def Leppard paid musical tribute to the rock legend at their concert in Rogers, Arkansas, Monday night.

The band posted video of their tribute on Instagram, with frontman Joe Elliott telling the crowd, “Today’s a strange day for us. … The world is a worse place today because a hero of ours when we were growing up, a guy called Mick Ralphs, passed away today.”

“Mick Ralphs was a guitarist in Mott the Hoople, later to be the guitarist in Bad Company,” he continued. He noted that Ralphs had been in bad health for a while, letting the audience know he wanted to perform a tribute to him. He added, “You might know this one.”

Elliott then performed a portion of the Bad Company track “Seagull” on acoustic guitar, ending it by saying, “Mick Ralphs, rest in peace. What a guy. What a lovely bloke.”

Elliott is a well known Mott the Hoople fan and even formed a cover band, Down ‘n’ Outz, that covered Mott the Hoople’s music and music of any artists associated with the band.

Earlier in the day, Elliott posted his own tribute to Ralphs, writing, “I just heard the news … totally heartbroken … Mick has been a constant companion through my musical journey & he was one of the kindest souls I ever met. The world is a poorer place today.”

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Simple Minds are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their album Once Upon A Time with a new anniversary reissue.

Dropping Oct. 17, the five-CD box set is a cut-down version of the super deluxe edition released in 2016. The 40th anniversary edition will include the original album, as well as bonus discs featuring new and extended mixes, B-sides, single edits and rare tracks. It also includes a two-CD concert, Live in the City of Light, recorded in Paris in 1986.

Among the bonus tracks are the original and extended mix of their hit “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” which originally appeared on the soundtrack to The Breakfast Club.

The set also includes a 36-page book with rare photos and interviews with Simple Minds founding members Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill.

Released in October 1985, Once Upon A Time featured such songs as “Sanctify Yourself,” “All the Things She Said,” and “Alive and Kicking. It was released not long after they hit #1 with “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” and the album went on to become the band’s most successful album to date, peaking at #10 in the U.S.

In addition to the CD set, the album is being released on ruby red vinyl, which will feature the addition of “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” for the first time. 

Once Upon A Time (40th Anniversary Edition) is available for preorder now.

Simple Minds recently wrapped their North American Alive & Kicking tour. They will kick off a U.K. tour in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday, where they will play Once Upon A Time in its entirety. A complete list of dates can be found at SimpleMinds.com.

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On This Day, June 24, 1995…

After Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder got sick with a stomach flu, rocker Neil Young stepped in to headline the Seattle band’s concert at the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California.

Vedder performed about seven songs before he told the crowd he was sick, introducing Young, who then performed with the rest of the band.

Young treated the crowd to such classic tunes as “The Needle and the Damage Done,” “Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black,)” “Down By the River,” “Cortez the Killer” and more, wrapping the show with his iconic hit “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

The concert happened a few days before Young and Pearl Jam released the collaborative album Mirror Ball, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.  That December, Pearl Jam released the EP Merkin Ball featuring two songs recorded with Young, that were left off of Mirror Ball.

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