Classic Rock News

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s One to One concerts in the ’70s are the subject of a new documentary premiering Aug. 30 at the Venice Film Festival, and a teaser for the film has just been released. 

The clip for One to One: John and Yoko, directed by filmmaker Kevin Macdonald, features quick cuts from what appear to be home movies with footage of John and Yoko in the Big Apple, set to the Lennon-penned Plastic Ono Band track “New York City.” 

A previous announcement about the film describes it as “a moving look at the couple’s life upon their entry into a transformative 1970’s New York, exploring their musical, personal, artistic, social, and political world.”

It culminates with the pair’s 1972 One to One concerts, which were Lennon’s only full-length performances after The Beatles‘ 1970 breakup. They featured Yoko, the Plastic Ono Band, Elephant’s Memory and special guests. 

This isn’t the only documentary about John and Yoko hitting the big screen this year. Another doc, Daytime Revolution, which looks at the week in February 1972 when the pair produced and co-hosted the popular daytime talk show The Mike Douglas Show, is set to open in theaters Oct. 9, which would have been Lennon’s 84th birthday.

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Aerosmith may have retired from the road but bassist Tom Hamilton doesn’t believe they’re over for good.

In a new interview with AARP, Hamilton was asked to rate on a scale of one to 10 the likelihood of whether Aerosmith will do anything in the future, and he didn’t rule it out. 

“On the hope scale, I’m somewhere between seven and nine,” he says. “We won’t be doing any tours from now on, but I’ll always have hope that other types of opportunities will come along.”

He adds, “This isn’t the first time black clouds have been on our horizon — and somehow the sun managed to come out. Time and hope are all we have at the moment.”

Aerosmith canceled their Peace Out tour and retired from the road in early August, citing Steven Tyler’s continuing vocal problems. He fractured his larynx when the tour first launched in 2023. The new dates were supposed to kick off in September.

Hamilton says he “was surprised but not shocked” by the cancellation, noting “it was a real punch in the gut.”

As for what the future holds for Aerosmith, Hamilton doesn’t seem to know. While he says there’s hope Tyler recovers completely, he insists they won’t be touring. But he notes “there are a lot of other ways to be and do Aerosmith.”

He also says he has doubts of a another Aerosmith residency in Las Vegas. As for new music, he shares, “So far there hasn’t been any talk about a new Aerosmith album.”

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The Who’s Pete Townshend continues to share live footage from his 1985 concert at the Brixton Academy in London. 

The latest is a clip of a performance of the track “Give Blood,” which appeared on Pete’s fifth solo album, White City: A Novel, a concept album released in 1985. The original track featured Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, and Gilmour backed Townshend on guitar at the concert.

This is the third video Townshend has released from the concert, following performances of “After the Fire” and “The Sea Refuses No River.” 

The Brixton Academy concert, Deep End Live at Brixton Academy in London, is part of Townshend’s recent release, Pete Townshend Live > In Concert 1985-2001, a 14-CD box set that included newly remastered versions of his live solo recordings, seven of which have long been out of print. In addition to the Brixton show, it includes concerts recorded in Brooklyn, San Francisco, La Jolla and London.

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Warren Haynes is finally sharing details of his new solo record.

The Gov’t Mule frontman first teased the record, Million Voices Whisper, back in July. Now he’s announced that it will be coming out digitally and on CD Nov. 1, and on vinyl Nov. 15. 

“This album is quite different than my previous solo records,” Haynes shares. “There’s a lot of soul music influence but very song oriented with subtle nods to a few of my heroes. … I’m really proud of this new album.”

Million Voices Whisper, Haynes’ first solo record in almost a decade, features guest appearances by Derek Trucks, Lukas Nelson and Jamey Johnson. It is being previewed with the release of the first single, “This Life As We Know It,” along with an in-studio performance video that features behind-the-scenes footage.

“It has a very uplifting message and musically, as well, it is just a very positive feeling song,” Haynes says of the tune. “One that I feel we can all relate to. It’s about moving forward and getting past a lot of things but feeling good about life and feeling good about yourself.”

Million Voices Whisper is available for preorder now. There will also be a deluxe CD edition that includes four additional tracks.

Haynes and his Warren Haynes Band will support the album with the upcoming Million Voices Whisper Tour, which kicks off Sept. 19 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at warrenhaynes.net.

Here is the track list for Million Voices Whisper:
“These Changes” (ft. Derek Trucks)
“Go Down Swinging”
“You Ain’t Above Me”
“This Life As We Know It”
“Day of Reckoning” (ft. Lukas Nelson and Jamey Johnson)
“Real, Real Love” (ft. Derek Trucks)
“Lies, Lies, Lies > Monkey Dance > Lies, Lies, Lies”
“From Here On Out”
“Till The Sun Comes Shining Through”
“Terrified”
“Hall of Future Saints” (ft. Derek Trucks)

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Personal items belonging the late Fleetwood Mac star Christine McVie are set to go up for auction this fall.

Julien’s Auctions just announced the new Property from the Life and Career of Christine McVie auction, taking place over two days, Oct. 16 and Oct. 17, at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville.

The auction will feature over 650 McVie items from her London estate, including instruments, handwritten lyrics, clothing, jewelry and fine art.

Some of the items up for grabs include a tour-played Hammond XK-5 organ, estimated to sell for up to $8,000; Fleetwood Mac Tusk chord sheets and unknown handwritten lyrics, estimated at up to $1,200; a watercolor painting by Edward Reginald Frampton titled “St. Cecilia,” estimated to go for as much as $150,000; a floral lace blazer McVie wore at the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Fleetwood Mac, estimated to sell for $2,000 to $4,000; and her 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Award, estimated to sell for as much as $15,000.

Fans will be able to get a preview of the items up for auction at an exhibition running from Aug. 30 to Oct. 15 at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum. And to celebrate the auction, AXS TV will air a weekend of special Fleetwood Mac programming Oct. 12 and Oct. 13, including concerts, interviews and previews of the auction items.

More info can be found at juliensauctions.com.

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Rod Stewart is setting the record straight about the state of his marriage to Penny Lancaster.

The rocker took to social media to respond to a recent Daily Mail article that claimed the couple had reached a “stalemate” in their marriage and that they were at odds over where they were going to live, with Penny wanting to be in the U.K. and Rod changing his mind about selling his Beverly Hills mansion.

Well, Rod is denying the claims.

“Despite erroneous articles in the Daily Mail and other tabloids that followed suit. We wanted to put the record straight,” Rod wrote in a note on social media. “There is absolutely no rift between Penny and I and no disagreement over where we should reside, in fact it’s the opposite.” 

Rod notes that they permanently moved back to Britain a year ago, but still own homes in different countries.

“Originally we did think it made sense to sell our house in LA, but having spent a wonderful time there in the summer with family and friends during my Vegas residency we realised that it makes sense to keep our house there,” he shared.

“Penny and I could not be more in love with each other after 27 glorious years,” Rod added. “Please trust me on this … there’s no disharmony in our marriage.”

He then signed the note, “Rod ‘a very lucky man’ Stewart.”

Rod and Penny began dating in 1999 and were married in 2007. They have two sons together, Alastair, born in 2005, and Aiden, born in 2011.

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Neil Young has opened up to fans about why he decided to cancel the remaining dates on his Love Earth tour with Crazy Horse.

Young had played about 15 shows before canceling the tour in June due to health concerns. In a recent Zoom with subscribers of his Neil Young Archives, which was shared on Reddit, he revealed what prompted him to stop the tour.

“I was doing great, and we were moving right along. Everybody was loving the shows. Then I just woke up one morning on the bus and I said, ‘I can’t do this. I gotta stop.’ It was like I felt sick when I thought of going on stage,” the rocker explained. “My body was telling me, ‘You gotta stop.’ So I listened to my body.”

Young added that he understood there could be legal issues that come with the cancellation, but felt his decision was the right one.

“What matters to me is the art of playing and the music. That’s what matters. That’s what people loved. That’s what they come to see,” he said. “But if that’s not there, me going is not happening. My body told me to not do it.” 

But it sounds like there will be other chances for fans to see Young on tour in the future. 

“I’m starting to feel like I could do it again and that’s a great feeling,” he says. “Not all of Crazy Horse — this happened to a couple of us, and we’re not all all the way back. Crazy Horse will be back, God willing. And we’ll play more.”

He also noted that while he hasn’t announced any new tour dates yet, he does plan to go out and play theaters “in a couple of weeks,” backed by several members of Promise of the Real.

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On This Day, Aug. 29, 1966 …

The Beatles played what would be their last-ever full public concert, at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.

The band played an 11-song set, which didn’t include any songs from their recently released album, Revolver.

The public was unaware that it would be the band’s final concert, although The Beatles themselves knew and brought a camera onstage to capture the moment.

The Beatles’ final public performance of any kind was their iconic “rooftop concert” in London in January 1969. That concert was recorded for the documentary Let It Be, which was rereleased on Disney+ in May and was also part of the 2021 Disney+ documentary The Beatles: Get Back.

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It looks like the latest dispute between Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon is over.

A rep for Cain announced he and Schon have resolved their legal dispute with regard to appointing an impartial third party to settle any issues pertaining to the management of their touring company, Freedom 2020. 

Cain filed a lawsuit in Delaware in July detailing what he claimed was Schon’s overspending, including maxing out a $1 million limit on the company’s American Express credit card and charting private jets, accusations that Schon said were “absolute rubbish.” The suit requested the court appoint a third party to the board of their company to settle their disagreements, and that’s exactly what has now happened.

“Mr. Schon ceded to Mr. Cain’s demand and stipulated to the Court of Chancery’s appointment of a third director of the Company,” the statement from Cain’s rep says. “On August 28, 2024, the Delaware Chancery Court issued an order appointing former Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights as the Custodian.” 

The statement notes that Schon is now “prohibited from unilaterally acting on behalf of the Company and all future deadlock between Mr. Cain and Mr. Schon will be broken by the vote of the Custodian.”

“Mr. Cain is elated with the outcome and looks forward to moving beyond this matter so that Journey can continue the band’s 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour,” the statement concludes.

ABC Audio has reached out to Schon’s lawyer for comment.

Schon and Cain have continued to tour together despite the dispute. Journey’s Summer Stadium tour with Def Leppard hits San Diego on Friday.

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