Classic Rock News

On This Day, Dec. 11, 1968 …

The Rolling Stones began shooting the concert film Rock and Roll Circus.

The film was shot over two days and featured The Stones, as well as The Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal and Marianne Faithfull, performing on a stage set that looked like a circus.

It also featured a one-time-only performance by The Dirty Mac, a group made up of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and more.

The film was originally supposed to air on the BBC, but, unhappy with their performance, The Stones opted to hold back the broadcast. It took 28 years for them to change their mind and release it. It premiered as part of the New York Film Festival in October 1996. A soundtrack followed two days after the premiere.

 A remastered edition of the film in Dolby Atmos received a limited theatrical release in March 2019.

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Elton John‘s just been named Time’s Icon of the Year for 2024.

“TIME Icon of the Year – what an honour!” Elton writes on Instagram. “Reflecting on my journey – from the highs and lows of my early career to the peace and happiness of life now with my husband and two wonderful sons – I’m reminded of the incredible support and love that have shaped my path. This accolade is a personal milestone and a reminder to the world that being yourself is truly iconic.”

In the accompanying article,  Elton’s writing partner, lyricist Bernie Taupin, talks about how in-demand their music still is today.

“Do you know how many requests I get a day for the use of our songs on things like America’s Got Talent, The Voice, or the silly show where they dress up as poodles?” Taupin shares. “I don’t think Bob Dylan gets a lot of requests for The Masked Singer.” 

And Elton reflects on his legacy, saying it would be enough “if people remember that we tried to change the world a little bit, we were kind, we tried to help people. And then, apart from that, there was the music.”

On a totally different subject, in the interview, Elton, who’s battled drug addiction in the past, shares his thoughts on the legalization of marijuana — and he’s not for it.

“I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs,” he says. “And when you’re stoned—and I’ve been stoned—you don’t think normally. Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”

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Online ticket platform StubHub has come out with its look back at the year in live entertainment, with bands like The Rolling Stones, the Eagles and U2 among the most in-demand artists of the year.

While, unsurprisingly, Taylor Swift was the most in-demand global artist of 2024, the Eagles landed in the top 10 at #7, followed by The Stones at #8, Billy Joel at #9 and U2 at #10.

And looking ahead to next year, the Eagles, thanks to their Las Vegas Sphere residency, land at #3 on the in-demand global experiences list, with Metallica at #4 and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, who’ll tour Europe again next summer, at #10.

In other year-end news, the in-venue interactive music and entertainment platform TouchTunes has released its 2024 year-end charts, with AC/DC nabbing the honor of the most played band of the year.

Other bands making the list include Lynyrd Skynyrd at #2, The Stones at #3, Fleetwood Mac at #5, Queen at #6, Creedence Clearwater Revival at #7, Metallica at #8 and Led Zeppelin at #10.

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The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, KISS’ Gene Simmons and ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons are among the artists contributing to the upcoming new album by soul legends The Stylistics.

The album, Falling In Love With My Girl, will be released Feb. 21 and will mark the band’s first new album since 2008’s That Same Way. The new record has the group — original members Airrion Love and Herb Murrell, along with Jason Sharp, who joined the group in 2011 — collaborating with a whole host of artists.

Other guests on the record include Toto’s Steve Lukather, Ray Parker Jr., The Elton John Band, Chicago’s Bill Champlin and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins.

The first single from the record, “Yes I Will” featuring Shania Twain, is set to drop on Feb. 14.

Falling in Love With My Girl is available for preorder now.

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Never Too Late, the new documentary that captures Elton John‘s life and career, debuts on Disney+ on Dec. 13. If you want to prepare by taking a spin through his more than 30 albums, Rolling Stone has thoughtfully narrowed down his discography to the “50 Best Elton John Songs.”

Coming in at #1 is the song that gave Elton one of his nicknames: “Rocket Man.” In his autobiography, Me, Elton recalls crafting that song, plus two others from the Honky Château album, one day over breakfast after Bernie Taupin left him the lyrics on the piano. Rolling Stone points out the song has been covered by everyone from Neil Diamond to Kate Bush to William Shatner. It was also one of the Elton songs interpolated in his Dua Lipa duet, “Cold Heart.”

Number 2 on the list is “Tiny Dancer” — Elton credits the film Almost Famous for making that song popular. He wrote in his book, “People forget that when it came out as a single in 1971, it flopped.”

“Levon” is #3, followed by “Daniel” at #4. The latter has been described by Taupin as “the most misinterpreted song that we’ve ever written.” It’s actually about a blind war veteran, written from the point of view of the veteran’s little brother, but Elton wrote that many people felt it was “a coded description of a gay relationship” — which it wasn’t.

#5 is the enduring “Your Song,” which Elton says Bernie “wrote over breakfast one morning,” and for which he wrote the music in “15 minutes flat.” 

The rest of the top 10:
6. “Funeral for a Friend”/”Love Lies Bleeding”
7. “Candle in the Wind” [the original 1973 version]
8. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”
9. “Madman Across the Water”
10. “The Bitch Is Back”

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Nirvana‘s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has been certified Diamond by the RIAA.

The generation-defining hit officially passed the milestone, which recognizes 10 million certified units, on Dec. 6.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the lead single off Nirvana’s breakout album, Nevermind, which was certified Diamond in 1999. Nevermind currently sits at 13-times Platinum.

A number of other Nirvana releases have also earned new RIAA certification, including “Something in the Way,” which is now officially Platinum following its 2022 resurgence driven by The Batman movie.

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U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. has just released two new songs, both of which were written for the new documentary Left Behind, which is getting a theatrical release in January.

The songs, “Between The Lines” featuring GAYLE and “One of Us” featuring Welsh singer Donna Lewis, are now available via digital outlets.

Both tunes were co-written by Mullen, who is also a producer on Left Behind. The film tells the story of the New York City mothers who fought to open the city’s first public school for dyslexic children. The school, the South Bronx Literacy Academy, opened in September 2023.

Mullen and GAYLE, who teamed to co-write “Between The Lines,” both have a personal connection to the subject matter, as GAYLE and Mullen’s son both have dyslexia.

Left Behind is set to open Jan. 17 for a weeklong engagement at New York City’s QUAD Cinema. It will then expand to select theaters nationwide.

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Joan Jett & the Blackhearts are the latest act heading to Las Vegas.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are set to headline five dates at the House of Blues Las Vegas in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The shows are happening June 13, 14, 18, 20 and 21.

A Joan Jett fan club presale will launch Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday at 10 a.m. PT.

The Vegas shows are the first dates Joan Jett & the Blackhearts have announced for 2025. The last time they played Vegas was in September 2022, opening for Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe at Allegiant Stadium.

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Elvis Costello will be highlighting his early catalog on a new tour.

The rocker just announced dates for the new Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello tour, which will have him performing songs from 1977’s My Aim is True to 1986’s Blood & Chocolate, plus “other surprises.”

The tour is set to kick off June 12 in Seattle and wrap July 12 in Miami Beach.

“For any songwriter, it has to be a compliment if people want to hear songs written up to fifty years ago,” Elvis shares. “You can expect the unexpected and the faithful in equal measure.” 

For the tour, Costello will be backed by The Imposters, made up of Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher, with the addition of guitarist Charlie Sexton.

An artist presale kicks off Wednesday at 10 a.m., with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. 

Before the Radio Soul! tour, Elvis and Nieve will hit the road on a separate trek that kicks off Feb. 19 in Easton, Pennsylvania. A complete list of all of Elvis’ dates can be found at elviscostello.com.

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Santana is returning to the road, announcing a 2025 leg of his Oneness tour.

The trek is set to kick off April 16 in Highland, California, with dates in Phoenix, Albuquerque, Tulsa and more before wrapping in the U.S. on April 29 in Nashville. He’ll then bring the tour to Europe, starting June 9 in Lodz, Poland, and wrapping Aug. 11 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

A fan club presale begins Wednesday, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. A complete list of dates can be found at Santana.com.

Santana is set to take the stage again on Jan. 22 for the first show in his 2025 residency at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. He has Vegas dates booked through Feb. 2.

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