Classic Rock News

In one of her new songs, “Clara Bow,” Taylor Swift mentions Stevie Nicks, and the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has actually penned a poem that’s included in Taylor’s new album.

The poem is titled, “For T – and me …” and it’s noted that it was written “September 13 at 8:50 p.m.”  It starts, “He was in love with her / Or at least she thought so / She was broken hearted / Maybe he was too / Neither of them knew.”

“She was way too hot to handle / He was way too high to try … she was on her way to the stars / he didn’t say goodbye,” she continues.

The middle part of the poem reads, in part, “She brings joy / She brings Shakespeare — / It’s almost a tragedy — / says she / “Don’t endanger me — (pause) / Don’t endanger me.”

Later, Stevie writes, “He really can’t answer her / He’s afraid of her / He’s hiding from her / And he knows that he’s hurting her / She tells the truth / She writes about it / She’s an informer / He’s an ex-lover / There’s nothing there for her / she’s already gone / there’s nothing that can stop her.”

The poem ends, “She was just flying / through the clouds / When he saw her / She was just making her way / to the stars / When he lost her…”

It’s not clear which of Taylor’s ex-lovers the poem is about. In her own lengthy prologue to the album, Taylor describes being involved with two men who both let her down in different ways.

Taylor and Stevie performed together in 2010 at the Grammy Awards. In June of 2023, Stevie said that she was grateful to Taylor for her song “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” which she said helped her come to terms with the death of her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie.

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Pearl Jam‘s Dark Matter has arrived.

Dark Matter is the 12th studio effort from the grunge veterans and their first since 2020’s Gigaton. It was produced by Andrew Watt, who mostly worked in the pop world before linking up with big-name rockers including Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop and The Rolling Stones. Watt also produced front man Eddie Vedder‘s 2022 solo album, Earthling.

“In 2023, the band retreated to Shangri-La Studios in Malibu where they simply plugged in and played under the watch of producer Andrew Watt,” the Pearl Jam website reads. “Writing and recording in a burst of inspiration, Dark Matter was born in just three weeks. As a result, Dark Matter channels the shared spirit of a group of lifelong creative confidants and brothers in one room playing as if their very lives depended on it.”

“One of my goals was like, ‘Let’s make this sound like a Pearl Jam show, but in the studio,'” Watt told Rolling Stone.

The lead Dark Matter single, also its title track, hit #1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, the first Pearl Jam song to achieve that feat in over 26 years. That broke a record for the longest gap in between number ones in the history of Mainstream Rock Airplay, which launched in 1981.

“Dark Matter” the song was followed by two more advanced tracks, “Running” and “Wreckage.”

Pearl Jam will launch a North American headlining tour in support of Dark Matter May 4 in Vancouver. Along the way, they’ll play BottleRock Napa Valley in Napa, California.

Here’s the Dark Matter track list:

“Scared of Fear”
“React, Respond”
“Wreckage”
“Dark Matter”
“Won’t Tell”
“Upper Hand”
“Waiting for Stevie”
“Running”
“Something Special”
“Got to Give”
“Setting Sun”

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Gene Simmons is getting ready to return to the stage for the first time since KISS wrapped their End of The Road tour at New York’s Madison Square Garden in December.

Simmons will perform with the Gene Simmons Band at the grand opening of the Rock & Brews Restaurant and Concert Bar within the ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, Washington.

Simmons, who is a co-founder of Rock & Brews with his KISS bandmate Paul Stanley, tells ABC Audio fans should expect a fun show.  

“There are no rules, which is my favorite thing in life. Anything is bound to happen,” Simmons shares. “I may jump off the stage and get into the audience. We may pull some folks out of the audience. You want to sing ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’? Here’s the mic. Good luck.”

He also teases some possible treats for KISS fans, sharing, “We get a chance to play songs KISS has never played and some songs have never been recorded. So it’s a very exciting event.”

Gene Simmons Band will hit the stage at Rock & Brews on April 23 at 8 p.m., with the show free and open to the public.

This is the 24th Rock & Brews location and features a 10,000-square-foot space, with concert bar and live music stage, along with more than 1,000 square feet of LED screens playing music videos and sports. There’s also custom art celebrating the Pacific Northwest music scene, and even a guitar throne for selfies. 

Following the performance, Gene Simmons Band will play the Summer Breeze Open Air Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, on April 26. They’ll launch a European tour on July 27 in Kuopio, Finland. A complete list of dates can be found at genesimmons.com.

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Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony says it’s been a while since he’s been in touch with the band’s original front man, David Lee Roth.

In a video recently posted to YouTube of a Q&A at a Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp that took place in March, Anthony says it’s been “quite some time” since he’s spoken to Roth.

He says that the last time they talked was when there was a discussion about “a possible reunion thing,” with Anthony saying Roth and Alex Van Halen called him from manager Irving Azoff’s office “some years back” asking what he thought about doing reunion with Joe Satriani on guitar.

He says, “And that was probably the last time I talked to Dave. That was, you know, God, I don’t know, about a few years ago now.”

But it sounds like Anthony doesn’t hold any ill will toward Dave, although he does describe him as “kind of a crazy guy.” 

“It’s hard to explain Dave. We don’t have enough time,” he says. “I mean, I don’t have anything against Dave. And I’ve said this in the past to different people, whatever, that if the chance ever came up or whatever, I would definitely be willing to jam with him or whatever.”

But Anthony hasn’t given up playing Van Halen music. He’s set to join the band’s other lead singer,  Sammy Hagar, on The Best of All World Tour, where they plan to delve into the Van Halen catalog. The tour, which also features Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham, kicks off July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at redrocker.com.
 

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E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt will soon be honored by his hometown.

The New Jersey Hall of Fame and Middletown Township are partnering to name a street after the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist and his brother — playwright, actor and director Billy Van Zandt — in their hometown of Middletown, New Jersey.

The dedication of Van Zandt Way is set to happen April 26 at 11 a.m. with Stevie and Billy in attendance, along with Middletown Mayor Tony Perry and special guest speaker Brian Williams, who is also a Middletown native. 

Stevie Van Zandt is currently on tour with Bruce Springsteen, with their next show happening April 21 in Columbus, Ohio. A complete list of dates can be found at brucespringsteen.net. 

Stevie is also the subject of a new documentary, Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple, directed by Bill Teck, which will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 8.
 

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The solar eclipse may not have washed away the rain, but it did push Soundgarden‘s “Black Hole Sun” to #1 on a Billboard chart.

The Superunknown single saw an increase of 34% in streams and 166% in downloads following the April 8 celestial event. As a result, “Black Hole Sun” became the first Soundgarden song to conquer the Hot Hard Rock Songs tally, which has been around since 2020.

The eclipse also led to streaming bumps for The Beatles‘ “Here Comes the Sun,” Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s “Bad Moon Rising” and, of course, Bonnie Tyler‘s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

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Allman Brothers Band has paid tribute to founding member Dickey Betts, who passed away Thursday at the age of 80.

“With deep sadness the Allman Brothers Band learned today that founding member Dickey Betts has passed away peacefully in his home in Sarasota, Florida, following a period of declining health,” reads a statement signed by Allman Brothers Band, Family, and Crew.

“Dickey wrote quintessential Brothers songs including ‘Blue Sky,’ ‘Rambling Man,’ ‘Jessica,’ ‘In Memory of Elizabeth Reed’ and many others,” it continues. “His extraordinary guitar playing alongside guitarist Duane Allman created a unique dual guitar signature sound that became the signature sound of the genre known as Southern Rock.”

The statement goes on to mention the many things Dickey was passionate about, including music, songwriting, fishing and boating, noting, “Dickey was all in on and excelled at anything that caught his attention.”

With drummer Jaimoe now the last surviving founding member of the group, the statement remembers all of the other members of the band and crew who are now gone.

“Betts joins his brothers, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman, as well as ABB crew, members Twiggs Lyndon, Joe Dan Petty, Red Dog, Kim Payne and Mike Callahan in that old Winnebago in the sky touring the world taking their music to all who will listen,” it reads. “Play on Brother Dickey, you will be forever remembered and deeply missed.”

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Elton John‘s 1974 album, Caribou, turns 50 this year, and a special sky-blue vinyl edition of the album, including a second disc of bonus tracks, will be available on Record Store Day April 20. But fans can watch never-before-seen footage of Elton’s first live performance of one of the album’s big hits, “The Bitch Is Back,” right now.

In 1974, Elton became director of his favorite football team, Watford FC. In order to give the team a financial boost, he staged a benefit concert at the team’s home field, Vicarage Road, marking the first time a concert ever took place there. Tickets cost one pound — the equivalent of about 15 bucks today — and Elton took the stage wearing a yellow and black outfit inspired by the team’s nickname, the Hornets.

During that show, which drew 40,000 fans, Elton sang “The Bitch Is Back” — a full two months before its parent album, Caribou, was released in June; the single didn’t come out for another three months. When it did, it hit the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. The album’s first single, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me,” had reached #2.

Fun fact: “The Bitch Is Back” got its title from something Bernie Taupin‘s then-wife, Maxine, would say whenever Elton was in a bad mood or throwing a tantrum.

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Legendary musician Randy Bachman is cleaning out his closet.

The rocker, founder of such bands as The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, is auctioning off over 200 guitars from his personal collection through Julien’s Auctions.

Included in the Music Icons auction is Bachman’s 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, known as “The American Woman Guitar,” which he used to create the iconic riff in their classic tune “American Woman.” It is estimated to sell for between $200,000 and $400,000.

Other guitars in the auction include a 1955 white Fender Stratocaster used in the 1975 music video for “Roll on Down the Highway,” with an estimated price of $100,000-$200,000; a 1968 Fender Hardtail Stratocaster, which was Bachman’s main stage and recording guitar in BTO, with an estimated price of $20,000-$40,000; and Bachman’s first guitar, a 1957 sunburst Harmony H1215 acoustic archtop, with an estimated price of $600-$800.

Julien’s Auctions’ Music Icons auction of The Randy Bachman Collection is happening Wednesday, May 29, and Thursday, May 30, live at the Hard Rock Café in New York. Special exhibitions to view the items will be held at the Hard Rock from May 22-28. More info can be found at juliensauctions.com.

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Allman Brothers Band founding member Dickey Betts has died at the age of 80, according to a post on his official Instagram page.

“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) at the age of 80 years old,” read the statement. “The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch passed away earlier today at his home in Osprey, FL., surrounded by his family.”

“Dickey was larger than life, and his loss will be felt world-wide,” the statement continued. “At this difficult time, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days.”

Betts co-founded Allman Brothers Band in 1969 along with brothers Duane and Gregg Allman, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe Johanson, releasing their self-titled debut that year. They went on to be considered one of the pioneering Southern rock bands and were particularly known for their touring career, which included long shows filled with extended jams. 

In addition to playing lead guitar in the band, Betts wrote and sang lead on several songs, including “Ramblin’ Man,” their only top 10 hit, and “Blue Sky.” He also composed the band’s well-known instrumental tunes, including “Jessica” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.”  

Over the years, the Allman Brothers Band went on hiatus, while Betts concentrated on other projects, including a solo career and forming other bands, like Great Southern, Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks and the Dickey Betts Band. 

Betts was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Allman Brothers Band in 1995. He was officially ousted from the band in 2000 and never played with them again.

With Dickey’s death, 79-year-old drummer Jaimoe Johanson is the last living Allman Brothers co-founder.

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