Classic Rock News

On This Day, July 16, 1952 …

Stewart Copeland, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer for The Police, was born in in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Police were formed in London in 1977 and released their first album, Outlandos d’Amour, in 1976. They released five studio albums in total, including their fifth, final and most successful release, 1983’s Synchronicity.

Synchronicity spent 17 weeks at #1, with the single “Every Breath You Take,” their only #1 song, spending eight weeks on top.

After a tour to support the album, The Police went on hiatus in 1984 and eventually disbanded in 1986.

In 2003 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and reunited to perform three songs together. It was their last live performance together until they reunited in 2007 for a tour that lasted until 2008. They broke up again after that.

Outside of The Police, Copeland has composed music for several films, including Wall Street and Men at Work, and has released several solo albums, including his most recent release, 2023’s Police Deranged for Orchestra.

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Grateful Dead fans will soon have a new opportunity to get their hands on some one-of-a-kind band memorabilia.

Relix Marketplace and ANALOGr.com have teamed up to offer some rare and unique music collectables, starting with the sale of 19 Grateful Dead items from the band’s career post 1960. 

Items up for grabs include a variety of posters, like a “New on Warner Bros” promo poster for their 1971 Skull and Roses album, owned by Grateful Dead roadie Ram Rod, which is priced at $500, and a rare first print “Quick & The Dead” glow poster, priced at $22,500. 

One of the larger items is a half-scale working model of The Dead’s Wall of Sound PA speaker system, which is being offered for $300,000.

There’s also a signed contract from the Grateful Dead’s 1985 Twilight Zone TV appearance, priced at $15,000; a 1995 “Northbound Train” Summer tour T-shirt for $200; a contact sheet with photos of The Dead and Bob Dylan for $2,500; and a Grateful Dead logo pressing by Bob Thomas and Owsley Stanley for $27,500. 

The Relix Marketplace/ANALOGr.com Grateful Dead sale will happen online starting Thursday at 1 p.m. More info can be found at relix.com.

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Could Dave Grohl be the latest artist to go country? Maybe, if HARDY has his way.

Speaking with Billboard, the country star names the Foo Fighters frontman as a dream collaborator.

“I don’t even know if he even knows I exist, but he would be cool,” HARDY says. “Dave Grohl is definitely No. 1.”

Grohl has crossed over into the country world on a few occasions, including performing live with Shania Twain at the 2023 Austin City Limits festival and collaborating with Zac Brown on Foo Fighters’ 2014 Sonic Highways album.

HARDY, meanwhile, just released what he calls his debut rock album, Quit!! It includes collaborations with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Limp Bizkit‘s Fred Durst, and references Nickelback with the single “ROCKSTAR.”

“To meet people that like who truly influenced the s*** out of me growing up and then to become friends with them, it’s a very cool thing,” HARDY says.

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The Zombies’ Rod Argent is expressing his gratitude to fans for all the support he’s received since his announcement Thursday that he’s currently recovering from a stroke and, because of his health, has decided to retire from touring. 

“I am absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that has happened in response to the news of my having suffered a stroke three weeks ago,” he shared on Instagram. “I have read every post, and have to thank you so much.”

He adds, “I do feel so lucky that physically l’ve escaped the worst possible effects, and while I’m still frustrated by not finding all my words easily, I feel really hopeful that eventually I will make a full recovery.” 

With his decision to retire, The Zombies have now canceled all shows planned for 2024, although their second annual Begin Here Festival in St Albans, England, set for November, will still happen.

Argent notes, “It is with a heavy heart that I can’t carry on with the live playing that I love so much,” adding that he does plan to “carry on in the studio with writing and recording” with his Zombie bandmates.

The Zombies played their last U.S. shows in March and April. Their 2023 North American tour was cut short after Argent became ill with migraines, fatigue and exhaustion.

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Blue Öyster Cult is giving fans another preview of their upcoming live album, 50th Anniversary Live – Second Night.

The band just released a live performance video of “Hot Rails to Hell (Live),” the second track they’ve released from the album following “7 Screaming Diz-Busters.”

50th Anniversary Live – Second Night, dropping Aug. 9, features a concert recorded during the band’s 2022 three-night stand at Sony Hall in New York. It has the band performing their sophomore album, Tyranny and Mutation, in its entirety, along with such classic tracks as “Burnin’ For You” and “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.”

The residency had the band playing their first three albums in their entirety, one each night; Frontiers Music is releasing each night separately. The first release, 50th Anniversary Live – First Night, featuring the band performing their self-titled debut album, was released in October.

50th Anniversary Live – Second Night is available for preorder now.

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Metallica has entered a new pantheon of Billboard history.

The metal legends’ 1991 self-titled record aka the Black Album has notched its 750th week on the Billboard 200, according to a tweet from the @BillboardCharts account.

Only three other albums in history have spent at least 750 weeks on the Billboard 200. Pink Floyd‘s The Dark Side of the Moon has the most weeks on the chart, with 990, followed by Bob Marley & The Wailers‘ Legend and Journey‘s Greatest Hits, with 843 and 813, respectively.

Metallica celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Black Album in 2021 with The Metallica Blacklist, a massive tribute compilation featuring 53 covers of the original record’s songs.

Metallica is currently prepping for the upcoming U.S. leg of their M72 world tour, which kicks off in August.

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Bob Dylan is not finished with his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced a new European and U.K. leg of the trek, kicking off with a three-night stand in Prague, Oct. 4-6.

The tour will hit cities in Germany, France, Belgium, the U.K. and more before wrapping with a three-night stand at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall Nov. 12-14.

Tickets for all shows go on sale July 19.

Dylan launched his Rough & Rowdy Ways tour in November 2021. He’s currently on Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival, which hits Chula Vista, California, on July 29. A complete list of dates can be found at bobdylan.com.

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The Black Crowes are spending some more time on the road.

The band is already set to open for Aerosmith on their upcoming Peace Out tour, but now The Crowes have announced a new set of dates for what they’re calling the Happiness Bastards Tour (The Reprise). 

The new 22-date trek is set to kick off Sept. 28 in Cleveland and wrap Feb. 28 in Uncasville, Connecticut. It will run alongside the Aerosmith tour, which kicks off Sept. 20 in Pittsburgh, with The Black Crowes’ first date on the trek being Sept. 23 in Philadelphia.

Tickets for new dates go on sale July 19 at 10 a.m. A complete schedule can be found at theblackcrowes.com.

The Black Crowes are touring in support of their recent album, Happiness Bastards, which was their first album of new material in 15 years.

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Sting has added a new festival to his 2024 schedule.

The rocker is set to headline Bourbon & Beyond, happening at the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Sept. 19-22.

Sting, who’ll headline Sept. 19, is replacing original headliner Neil Young, who in June canceled the remainder of his tour due to health reasons. Sting will be taking the stage with guitarist and longtime collaborator Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas.

“While we will miss Neil Young at Bourbon this year, we’re excited to welcome a music legend, Sting, to the Bourbon & Beyond lineup,” Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, shares. “We’ve been trying to bring Sting to Bourbon for you since 2018 and it’s an incredible honor to have him join us for what will undoubtedly be our biggest and most unforgettable year ever.”

In addition to Sting, the Bourbon & Beyond lineup includes Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, My Morning Jacket, Matchbox Twenty, The Beach Boys and Melissa Etheridge. A complete lineup can be found at bourbonandbeyond.com.

Sting is set to kick off the U.S. leg of his Sting 3.0 tour on Sept. 17 in Detroit, with the tour wrapping with a four-night stand in Los Angeles, Nov. 12, Nov. 13, Nov. 15 and Nov. 16. A complete list of dates can be found at sting.com.

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Sammy Hagar kicked off his The Best of All Worlds tour in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, and as promised treated fans to a set filled with Van Halen classics.

According to setlist.fm, Sammy opened the show with 5150’s “Good Enough,” followed by the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge track “Poundcake.”

The set also included plenty of other songs from the Sammy era of Van Halen, including “Judgement Day,” “5150,” “Summer Nights,” “Top of the World,” “The Seventh Seal,” “Right Now,” “Why Can’t This Be Love” and “When It’s Love.”

But Sammy and his band – Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Jason Bonham and keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte – also played at least two Van Halen tracks from the David Lee Roth era. First, they tackled the 1984 classic “Panama,” then later performed “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love,” with Anthony handling the vocals on the latter. They also performed a little bit of the #1 hit “Jump” as part of a medley. 

But it wasn’t all Van Halen all the time. Sammy also played some of his solo tracks, including “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” “Heavy Metal,” “Mas Tequila” and his classic “I Can’t Drive 55.”

Sammy Hagar’s The Best of All Worlds tour next hits the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia, on Tuesday. A complete list of dates can be found at redrocker.com.

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