Classic Rock News

AC/DC is continuing their 50th anniversary celebration with their next set of limited-edition gold vinyl releases. 

The latest set, dropping June 19, includes Let There Be Rock, If You Want Blood You’ve Got It, ‘74 Jailbreak, Ballbreaker, Stiff Upper Lip and Rock or Bust.

Each gold vinyl, available for preorder now, will come with a 12-by-12 album-specific print and AC/DC 50 artwork.

AC/DC launched their gold vinyl series back in March, with limited-edition gold vinyl copies of Back in Black, Highway to Hell, The Razors Edge, Powerage, For Those About To Rock (We Salute You), High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Who Made Who, which was the 1986 soundtrack to the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive, and the double live album Live.

AC/DC is getting ready to hit the road on the Power Up tour. It kicks off with a two-night stand in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on May 17 and 21. So far, no U.S. dates have been announced. 

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When Rush‘s Geddy Lee was on the book tour for his biography My Effin’ Life last year, there was a lot of talk about whether he and his Rush bandmate Alex Lifeson had planned to make music together again. Well, Lifeson is now offering an update.

“Ged and I try to get together once a week,” Lifeson tells ABC Audio. “I mean, we’re really, really good friends. We’re best friends.” He adds, “I go over to his place. We have a little setup. He’s got a music room, and we just play together and have fun.”

But in news that will be disappointing to Rush fans, Lifeson says they “are not talking about doing anything beyond that.” Though he does note, “Who knows what the future brings?”

Lifeson says he and Geddy are at the point in their lives where they have other interests, and for Lifeson that includes his new guitar and amplifier brand Lerxst, which recently introduced the Lerxst By-Tor pedal, the OMEGA signature amplifier and the Limelight guitar.

“I kind of consolidated all the things that I learned into one package and wanted to see that come to life,” he says of his products, noting the amp and pedal “makes the guitar sing in different ways.”

As for the guitar, which was inspired by Lifeson’s mid-’80s Hentor Sportscaster, Lifeson says it was particularly important to him that it was “super comfortable to play on.” 

“You know, guitars are such a personal expression,” he says. “It’s like a paintbrush. You know, you give the same paintbrush to two painters, they’ll paint differently with it. And, that’s the important thing of these guitars”

He adds, “They’re really solid, good, easy to play platform at any level.”

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Beatles fans are getting another preview of the documentary Let It Be before it premieres Wednesday, May 8, on Disney+.

The latest clip revolves around Ringo Starr, showing him joking around in the studio working on “Octopus’s Garden” with George Harrison and more.

Originally released in April 1970, Let It Be takes Beatles fans inside the studio as they recorded their album Let It Be and includes footage from their January 1969 Apple Corps rooftop concert. It was released one month after The Beatles officially broke up.

The film hasn’t been available for more than 50 years. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the film’s original director, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, describes the journey of the picture as “a long and winding road,” a reference to the Let It Be track, noting that since it came out a month after The Beatles broke up, people weren’t excited to see it.

“It disappeared, and no one really cared if it came out again, because there were no Beatles anymore,” he says. “There were four people, but they weren’t Beatles anymore.”

The association with The Beatles’ breakup led many to form negative opinions of the movie without even seeing it, but Lindsay-Hogg is excited that it’s getting a new chance to win over audiences.

“Sometimes things go your way in life, and sometimes they don’t. But I got very lucky twice with this,” he says. “I did it originally, and then I got beat, but then it comes out again. So that’s a good conclusion to that story.”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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The Rolling Stones bring their ’24 Hackney Diamonds tour to Glendale, Arizona, on Tuesday, May 7, and the city is welcoming them with open arms. In fact, the band revealed on their Instagram that Glendale has renamed a street in their honor.

“If you’re in Glendale AZ for the Stones show tonight be sure to head to Satisfaction Way!” they share. “The city has ceremonially renamed a portion of 95th Avenue in Westgate Entertainment District in honour of the Rolling Stones being the first act ever to bring three separate stadium tours to State Farm Stadium and Glendale!”

The Stones previously played the stadium in 2019 and 2006. 

And that’s not all. In honor of their tour stop, Glendale’s Mayor Jerry Weiers also proclaimed May 7 “Ruby Tuesday,” after the band’s 1967 song.

The Stones kicked off their tour on April 28 in Houston, Texas, with dates set to run through July 17 in Santa Clara, California. A complete list of shows can be found at rollingstones.com.

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In news that’s certainly not sad but definitely is true, Kelly Clarkson has covered a Metallica song.

The pop star and inaugural American Idol winner put her spin on the Black Album cut “Sad But True” during the Kellyoke segment on her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Clarkson’s rendition began as a piano ballad before rocking out to the song’s signature guitar riff. Following the performance, Clarkson noted that one of her producers, Megan Barry, is a “hardcore Metallica fan” who’s seen them live seven times.

“We all love Metallica here,” Clarkson continued. “I never thought I’d sing Metallica on daytime television, I’m just gonna be real with you. But we’re doing it and we did it and it was awesome.”

Metallica also posted Clarkson’s cover on their Instagram.

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Graham Nash is extending his time on the road. The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced a set of fall dates for his An Evening of Songs & Stories tour. 

The new shows, featuring special guest Judy Collins on select dates, kick off September 28 and 29 in Collingswood, New Jersey, with Nash playing New York’s famed Carnegie Hall on October 1. The trek will run through October 26 in Vienna, Virginia.

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, May 10.

The news comes as Nash is expected to make an appearance at a special Crosby, Stills & Nash tribute concert taking place May 13 at Carnegie Hall. The Music of Crosby Stills & Nash will also feature Todd Rundgren, Iron & Wine, Rickie Lee Jones, Grace Potter, Yola, Shawn Colvin, Real Estate and Neal Francis.

Nash is also set to kick off a summer leg of his An Evening of Songs & Stories tour on August 3 in Boulder, Colorado. A complete list of dates can be found at grahamnash.com.

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The late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott is being celebrated with an honorary coin in Australia.

The Perth Mint recently unveiled the Bon Scott coin, made of 99.99% pure silver, with a colored image of Bon Scott wearing a cut off vest on one side. Next to the image is “Bon Scott” written out with the first “O” covered by a lion holding a microphone. King Charles is featured on the other side.

“Many believe Bon Scott to be the greatest rock ‘n roll singer of all time,” reads the Perth Mint website, noting the rocker’s family moved to Fremantle, Western Australia, in 1952. “On joining AC/DC in 1974, his inimitable stage presence and distinctive, raspy vocals were key elements in the band’s rise to international super stardom. Together they recorded and performed some of the most enduring hard rock ever known.” 

The coin is priced at about $90 and is apparently a hot item, as it’s already out of stock.

Bon Scott passed away in February 1980. Following his death, Brian Johnson took over vocal duties in AC/DC. 

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Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee has won a round in court against a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her in a helicopter cockpit in February 2023. 

The plaintiff, listed as Jane Doe, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles back in December under the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, but a judge has now thrown out the case, suggesting the plaintiff did not meet the requirements to file it under that law.

In order for the suit to stand, the plaintiff needed to show there was some sort of “legal entity” that tried to “cover up” the assault. The judge, however, dismissed the case, ruling that Doe’s lawyers did not prove there was a “concerted effort to hide evidence relating to sexual assault.”

But Lee is not totally off the hook just yet. The judge gave the plaintiff 20 days to amend her complaint to show proof of a cover up. If she fails to meet the requirement, the court will consider throwing the case out completely.

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It’s been a while since Journey fans have heard Steve Perry sing one of their songs, but now, they are getting their chance. 

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer appears on the just-released cover of the Journey Raised on Radio track “It Could Have Been You” from The Effect, the band made up of Trevor Lukather —son of Toto‘s Steve Lukather— Phil Collins‘ son Nic Collins, Steve Maggiora and Emmett Sans.

“Steve and I go way back. Other than my Pop, SP has been a mentor to me,” Trevor shared on Instagram when the song was first announced. “When he heard The Effect, he called me and expressed how much he really loved what we were doing. It meant the world. On that same call, I started raving about a deep cut Journey tune ‘It Could Have Been You.'”

He adds, “The idea came up about The Effect doing our own version of it. I asked SP if he’d be into singing on it and he said yes.”

“The power of Steve’s vocals is on another level. One of a kind. That’s why he’s the GOAT,” Trevor continues. “Thank you @steveperrymusic for not only for the honor, but for your belief in us and what we do. That is never taken for granted!”

“It Could Have Been You” is available now on digital outlets.

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On This Day, May 7, 1977…

The Eagles hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Hotel California,” the title track from their fifth studio album, which also went to #1 on the Billboard Album chart.

The tune was the band’s fourth #1 single, following “Best of My Love,” “One of These Nights” and “New Kid In Town,” the last of which also appeared on Hotel California.

The six-and-a-half-minute song, which features a two minute and 12 second guitar solo at the end, went on to be one of the band’s signature tunes and is often played live during their shows.

“Hotel California” won Record of the Year at the Grammys and has been certified three-times Platinum by the RIAA.

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