The Alarm reinterprets MTV classics for new album ‘Music Television’

March 26, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Alarm is revisiting the good old days of MTV with a new album featuring their take on songs considered classics on the music cable network.

The album, Music Television, will feature the band’s reinterpretations of such classic MTV staples as The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star,” which was the first song played on the network; Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing,” the first song played on MTV Europe; Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight”; Modern English’s “I Melt With You”; and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”

The first single released from the record is a cover of David Bowie’s “Man Who Sold The World,” which was covered by Nirvana for their classic episode of MTV Unplugged.

“Unplugged was a series that redefined music as we knew it,” The Alarm’s Mike Peters shares. “I remember watching in awe at some of the incredible stripped-down arrangements of classic songs and, at the same time envious that I had been denied the opportunity to appear on the show back in the day.”

He adds, “This is my chance to take back part of music television history and pay my respects to an era that changed everything.”

Music Television will be available to purchase on vinyl and CD during the band’s upcoming Live Today Love Tomorrow tour and will be sold in limited-edition yellow/purple vinyl via the band’s website.

The Live Today Love Tomorrow tour kicks off May 1 in New Orleans and wraps June 6 in Clearwater, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at thealarm.com.

INXS goes behind the scenes of “Never Tear Us Apart” video for 35th anniversary

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

INXS is looking back at the video for their song “Never Tear Us Apart,” 35 years after they filmed the clip in the Czech Republic city of Prague.

The band shared a new behind-the-scenes video of the making of the clip, with exclusive interviews with the band and never-before-seen footage, including deleted scenes.

Andrew Farriss, INXS’ co-songwriter, keyboardist and guitarist, talks about the development of the song, sharing, “I wanted to do something that was very different than what we were doing before,” noting their late frontman Michael Hutchence laughed when he first heard it.

“He thought it was funny because for us it’s so different. I don’t think he took it all that seriously,” he says. “And then when he took the tape away and listened to it he came back, he said, ‘I love that. Whatever you’re doing is great.’”

Interview clips from Hutchence are also heard in the clip, with him talking about their time in Prague filming. He shares, “The spirit of the people there is fantastic, that’s what I loved, it really makes you appreciate what you have so much.”

“Never Tear Us Apart” was the fourth single off INXS’ blockbuster album Kick, which was released in 1987. The song was a top 10 hit for the band, peaking at #7 in the U.S. The video for the song, directed by Richard Lowenstein, has been viewed over 101 million times on YouTube.

Roger Daltrey celebrated by Robert Plant, Eddie Vedder & more at Teenage Cancer Trust charity concert

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Roger Daltrey’s 24-year tenure as curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows was celebrated Sunday, March 24, with a star-studded night of music at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Ovation, a Celebration of 24 Years of Gigs for TCT featured guest appearances by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones and Paul Weller, with all the artists coming out to join Daltrey for the night’s encore of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley.”

“I’m not going away from the Teenage Cancer Trust,” Daltrey said, according to Rolling Stone. “I’ve completed the job I set out to do. We’re going to get curators to do a year rather than doing 20 years. Talk about nerve-racking.”

The evening included a set by Daltrey, which included Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open The Door,” The Who’s “Squeeze Box” and solo tunes “After the Fire,” “Giving It All Away” and “Without Your Love.”

Vedder treated the crowd to two Pearl Jam tunes, “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” and “Porch,” and brought out guests Simon Townshend, Glen Hansard and his daughter Eddie Vedder, while Robert Plant and Saving Grace’s set included one Led Zeppelin deep cut, “Friends.”

Teenage Cancer Trust is a nonprofit dedicated to providing specialized treatment and support for young people with cancer.

Yes reissuing 14th studio album, ‘Talk’, for 30th anniversary

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Yes’ 14th studio album, Talk, just turned 30, and to celebrate the occasion, the album will be reissued as a four-CD deluxe box set, a single CD and on two-LP limited edition white vinyl.

Dropping May 24, the deluxe edition will include eight bonus studio tracks, a previously unreleased live show recorded June 1994 in Canandaigua, New York, and new interviews conducted by writer Jerry Ewing.

Released March 24, 1991, Talk featured the Yes lineup of Trevor Rabin, Tony Kaye, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire and Alan White, with most of the songs written by Rabin and Anderson.

“It was just a beautiful time for me and Trev… it was a very harmonious experience for me,” Anderson shares.

The band released two singles from Talk, “The Calling” and “Walls,” but their label Victory Records went bankrupt not long after the album’s release, which affected its performance, leaving many to refer to Talk as the “lost” Yes album.

The Talk deluxe box set is available for preorder now.

Foo Fighters mark two-year anniversary of Taylor Hawkins’ death

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died March 25, 2022 — two years ago Monday.

The Foos marked the somber anniversary with a photo of Hawkins, posted to Facebook alongside a heart emoji.

Hawkins passed away while Foo Fighters were on tour in South America. In revealing the news, Dave Grohl and company wrote, “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins.”

“His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on all with of us forever,” the statement continued.

In September 2022, Foo Fighters held tribute concerts to Hawkins in London and Los Angeles. Performers at the star-studded shows included Paul McCartney, Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich, AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson, Joan Jett and Miley Cyrus, as well as members of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Queen, blink-182 and Black Sabbath.

Foo Fighters returned to the road in 2023 with new drummer Josh Freese. They also released their latest album, But Here We Are.

Pattie Boyd auction, featuring Eric Clapton love letters, brings in over $3.6 million

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Model Pattie Boyd, who was married to both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, made over $3.6 million auctioning off her personal possessions, including love letters Clapton wrote her while she was still married to Harrison.

According to Christie’s, the item that brought in the most money was the original artwork Clapton used for the Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, which Clapton acquired because he thought the image looked like Boyd. It sold for over $2.5 million, well above the original estimate of between $40,000 and $60,000.

Two handwritten love letters from Clapton were also hot items. One, written on the opening page of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, sold for just over $153,000. In it, Clapton wonders why Boyd won’t be with him, asking “am I a poor lover, am I ugly, am I too weak, too strong?” In the second, addressed to “Dearest L,” he asks Boyd if she still loves Harrison and if she still has feelings for him. It sold for almost $137,000. Both were estimated to sell for between $13,000 and $19,000.

“I am completely blown away by the enthusiasm of international bidders for these special treasures that I have always loved,” Boyd shares. “I am so happy that new hearts will now enjoy them, as they enter into their next ‘chapters.’”

She adds, “I am lucky that my life today continues to bring me joy and different adventures – I would encourage people to follow their passions and live their lives with gusto!”

Other big ticket items include photographs of The Beatles in India, which sold for close to $68,000, and handwritten lyrics to Harrison’s “Mystical One,” which sold for over $60,000.

The Who’s Pete Townshend says he only tours “for the money”

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Who’s Pete Townshend still takes the stage with his bandmate Roger Daltrey, most recently performing at the Teenage Cancer Trust shows in London earlier this month. But even though he’s onstage playing The Who’s music, it doesn’t sound like he’s necessarily loving it.

In an interview with The New York Times to promote the new reimagining of the musical Tommy, Townshend indicates that he might be ready to let go of touring as the band, noting that his wallet is the only reason he keeps doing it.

“It feels to me like there’s one thing the Who can do, and that’s a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die,” he says. “I don’t get much of a buzz from performing with The Who. If I’m really honest, I’ve been touring for the money.”

Besides, Pete doesn’t really consider performing with Roger the same as performing with The Who.

“The Who isn’t Daltrey and Townshend onstage at 80, pretending to be young. It’s the four of us in 1964, when we were 18 or 19,” he says.

He does offer a hint about what might be in store for The Who in the future, sharing, “If you want to see the Who myth, wait for the avatar show. It would be good!”

The Who’s Tommy opens March 28 at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City. More information on tickets can be found at tommythemusical.com.

Courtney Love to host new UK radio show, ’Women’

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Courtney Love is hosting a new show on BBC Radio 6.

Titled Women, the eight-episode series will find the Hole frontwoman embarking on an “intimate and unfiltered, era by era journey through her life and the music that made her.” She’ll also tell stories about her late husband, Kurt Cobain, the attempt to “creatively matchmake Stevie Nicks and Billy Corgan,” and “hanging out with Debbie Harry at a Limp Bizkit album launch at the Playboy Mansion.”

Joining Love on Women will be writer Rob Harvilla, who also hosts the podcast 60 Songs That Explain the 90s. Love memorably guested on the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” episode, during which she debuted Cobain’s previously unpublished early lyrics for the era-defining hit.

Women will broadcast in two parts from April 8-11 and April 15-18, and will be available via BBC Sounds. In between, BBC Radio 6 will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hole’s 1994 album, Live Through This, on April 12.

Bruce Springsteen’s Las Vegas show included four tour debuts

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band brought their tour to Las Vegas on Friday, March 22, and got a little inspiration from their location.

According to setlist.fm, The Boss kicked off the show, his first concert in Vegas in over 20 years, with the Human Touch track “Roll of the Dice,” fitting for the gambling mecca. It is the first time Bruce has played the song on this tour and the first live performance of the track since 2017.

But that’s not all: Later in the show, Bruce broke out the Elvis Presley classic “Viva Las Vegas,” another tour debut, which also marks the first time he’s played the song since 2022.

The set list also included the Darkness on the Edge of Town classic “Racing in the Street” and The River’s “Hungry Heart,” the first time either have been played on this tour.

All of these great treats were witnessed by at least one celebrity Bruce fan. Video posted to social media shows Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav meeting Bruce backstage. When he’s introduced, he bows down to The Boss, hugs him and is heard saying, “This is such an honor man.” He adds, “Thank you for all of the years of good music and leadership.” In another clip, he can be seen rocking out in the audience to the Springsteen hit “Dancing in the Dark.”

Bruce and the E Street Band next hit San Diego on Monday, March 25. A complete list of dates can be found at brucespringsteen.net.

On This Day, March 25, 1947: Elton John is born

March 25, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, March 25, 1947…

Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in Pinner, Middlesex, England. In 1967, he began using the name Elton John (he legally changed it to Elton Hercules John in 1972) and would go on to become one of the most beloved and successful recording artists in the world.

Elton’s long and successful partnership with songwriter Bernie Taupin, which started in 1967, has produced more than fifty top 40 hits, including nine #1 singles in both the U.S. and U.K. He’s also had seven Billboard #1 albums in the U.S., his first being 1972’s Honky Château.

Known for being a dynamic live performer, Elton wrapped his touring career in July, playing the final date of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Sweden. The tour, which launched in 2018, grossed over $939.1 million and is the second highest grossing tour of all time.

Elton has won numerous awards throughout his career, including five Grammys, two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. In 2024, he won his first Emmy Award, making him one of only 19 entertainers to win the EGOT.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004. In March, he and Taupin received the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Elton is also well known for his philanthropic work, having raised over $375 million for the fight against HIV/AIDs through his Elton John AIDS Foundation, which he started in 1992.

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