Classic Rock News

He’s not currently nominated for a Grammy, but Billy Joel will take the stage at this year’s Grammy Awards, set for February 4 in Los Angeles.

Over the years, The Piano Man has won five Grammys, including Album of the Year for 52nd Street, and Record and Song of the Year for “Just the Way You Are.” He also received a Grammy Legend Award. So far, he’s the only announced performer who isn’t a current nominee: The other performers include Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, as well as Luke Combs, Afrobeats star Burna Boy and rapper Travis Scott.

News of Billy’s appearance on the telecast comes just a few days after the release of his first pop single since 2007, “Turn the Lights Back On.”  

Billboard suggests that the Grammy folks may want to create some kind of “Grammy moment” with Billy and Olivia, because she mentioned him in the lyrics of her song “déjà vu.” Olivia did actually join Billy onstage at Madison Square Garden in 2022: they sang “déjà vu” and “Uptown Girl” together.

January 27 marks the 10-year anniversary of the start of Billy’s record-breaking residency at Madison Square Garden, which will come to an end in July.

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Guns N’ Roses have gotten some technological help with their new video. The band has just dropped the video for their latest single, “The General,” which has been powered by artificial intelligence.

The video, created in collaboration with Dan Potter, creative director of London-based Creative Works, features A.I.-animated visuals that help give insight into the subconscious of a young boy, who seems to be battling monsters from his past. The clips are cut with live performance footage of the band.

Guns N’ Roses released “The General” back in December, although they first debuted the song live during their November two-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. It was the second new single the rockers released last year, following “Perhaps,” which was their first new song since 2021.

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Elton John‘s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour may be in the rearview mirror, but the memories will last forever.

The Rocket Man has announced a new book, Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life On Tour, which  offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at the record-breaking tour, from its kickoff in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 2018 to its final show in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2023.

On Instagram, Elton writes, “It’s been a beautiful journey creating this book and remembering the people and places that shaped an incredible chapter in my life. As well as the stories and memories — not just from this tour but from throughout my career — I’ve included unreleased photography and memorabilia that I hope give you never-before-seen insights of my life on the road.”

The book, which costs $59, also includes a forward by Elton’s husband, David Furnish, and the tour’s creative director. It’s out September 24, but if you’re a member of Elton’s Rocket Club or buy it through his official store, you’ll get yours two weeks early. You can visit store.eltonjohn.com to preorder it now.

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Mark Knopfler is back with new music. The Dire Straits frontman announced that he’ll release his 10th studio album One Deep River on April 12, and he’s giving fans their first taste of the record with the release of lead single “Ahead of the Game.”

According to the album’s description, One Deep River “offers an unstoppable flow of future Knopfler classics, with their customarily learned lyrics and refined guitar textures.”

One Deep River is Knopfler’s first album since 2018’s Down The Road Wherever. It will be released digitally and on CD, cassette and as a two-LP set. There’s also a box set featuring the standard CD and two-LP release, along with a bonus CD and bonus vinyl, three guitar picks, a lithograph print and more.

Below is the track list for One Deep River. It is available for preorder now.

“Two Pairs Of Hands”
“Ahead Of The Game”
“Smart Money”
“Scavengers Yard”
“Black Tie Jobs”
“Tunnel 13”
“Janine”
“Watch Me Gone”
“Sweeter Than The Rain”
“Before My Train Comes”
“This One’s Not Going To End Well”
“One Deep River”

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Neil Young has been announced as one of the headliners for the 2024 Bourbon & Beyond Festival, taking place September 19-22 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Young will co-headline opening night with Beck, with Dave Matthews Band and Tedeschi Trucks Band booked for Friday, Zach Bryan and Cody Jinks on Saturday, and Tyler Childers and My Morning Jacket on Sunday.

Bourbon & Beyond is expanding this year to include two new stages and 40 more artists, with the bill also including The Beach Boys, Melissa Etheridge, Patty Smyth, Chris Isaak, Lyle Lovett, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, Soul Asylum, The National and Matchbox Twenty. 

Passes and single-day tickets are on sale now. More information, including a complete lineup, can be found at bourbonandbeyond.com.

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The Rolling Stones have been recognized with a 2024 BRIT Award nomination.

The legendary rockers, who last year released Hackney Diamonds, their first album of new material since 2005, have been nominated in the Alternative/Rock Act category, where they’ll compete against Blur, Bring Me the Horizon, Young Fathers and Yussef Dayes. 

The nomination is the fourth for The Stones and their first since 2013.

Foo Fighters have also been recognized with a nomination in the International Group category, where Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Paramore and more also received nods.

Winners in the genre categories will be selected via a public vote being held on Instagram from Thursday, February 1, at 12 p.m. until Thursday, February 15, at 6 p.m. 

The BRIT Awards 2024 will take place Sunday, March 2, at The O2 arena in London.

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The estate of late Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland has announced a partnership with the music publishing company Primary Wave.

The agreement includes publishing copyrights and recording royalties for Weiland’s songs with STP and Velvet Revolver as well as his solo material. Additionally, Primary Wave will be “working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film and television projects.”

“There are few rock artists that had the impact that Scott Weiland did on music,” says Primary Wave Music CEO and founder Larry Mestel. “We are honored to partner with Scott’s family on such a legendary catalog of music and career. Scott’s influence on music is unparalleled and he remains one of the most influential musicians in rock music. We are extremely grateful the estate has chosen to partner with us to continue to grow his incredible legacy.”

Weiland died in 2015 at age 48. A reissue of Weiland’s 2011 holiday album, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, was released in 2022, marking what a press release called the “first posthumous music to be released from the Weiland vault.”

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Bon Jovi is kicking off the celebration of their 40th anniversary. 

The band’s self-titled debut album was released 40 years ago this month, and to mark the occasion, the New Jersey rockers have just released Bon Jovi: Deluxe Edition to digital outlets.

The deluxe edition features nine never-before-heard bonus tracks, including different versions of the album’s hit “Runaway” and live tracks from a 1985 concert in Tokyo.

“We can’t believe it’s been 40 years since we released Bon Jovi – the record that changed our lives forever,” they share on Instagram, announcing the kick off of what they’re calling #BonJovi40!

In addition to the digital release, the band is releasing 5,000 limited-edition anniversary copies of Bon Jovi on ruby red vinyl, which will ship on March 22. There’s also a limited-edition anniversary Bon Jovi cassette, which will ship on April 5.

And it sounds like there will be a lot more to the celebration.

“We can’t wait to share more with you!” they write. “Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of our journey so far. Get ready for 2024, the year of #BonJovi40!” 

Released January 21, 1984, Bon Jovi featured nine tracks, including the hit “Runaway,” which Jon Bon Jovi originally recorded for a demo. The demo version wound up getting airplay on a local New York radio station, which led to Jon getting signed by Mercury Records and the eventual formation of Bon Jovi.

The album wound up peaking at #43 on the Billboard 200 chart and was later certified double Platinum by the RIAA.

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On This Day, January 24, 2017… 

Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks died by suicide in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was 69.

Born Claude Hudson Trucks, Butch joined the Allman Brothers Band in 1969 and played with them throughout their career. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 1995. 

His nephew, guitarist Derek Trucks joined the ABB in 1999 and went on to form the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Derek’s brother, Duane Trucks, is the drummer for Widespread Panic.

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John Densmore is the reason we don’t hear music from The Doors in commercials, and he says his decision to fight against it was inspired by an incident with the group’s late frontman, Jim Morrison. 

“It all started in 1968 when Buick offered us $75,000 — huge money at the time — to sell its new model,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer tells The Spectator, noting he, guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboardist Ray Manzarek all agreed to the deal without Morrison.  

“He came back and went nuts. Or, being Jim, what he actually said was that if they aired the ad he would smash up a Buick on live TV with a sledgehammer,” he says. “A bulb went off over my head at that moment.”

Densmore is so serious about not licensing The Doors’ music that he took his former bandmates to court over it; things got testy in court, which hurt their relationship. “Among other things, they asked me if I was a communist, and whether I supported Al-Qaeda,” he says.

Densmore wound up winning the legal battle, and says his relationship with Krieger and Manzarek did eventually improve.

While Manzarek passed away in 2013, Densmore says they “made peace right before the end, for which I’m eternally grateful.” As for his relationship with Krieger, Densmore says they’re friendly and hints at a possible project in the future.

“We might even do something together, but I can assure you it won’t be called The Doors,” he says.

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