Classic Rock News

R.E.M., The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan are among the contenders for the 2024 class of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The organization just announced the artists in the running for induction next year. All four members of R.E.M. earned a nod in the performing songwriters category, along with Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald, and Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.

Others nominated in that category include: Bryan Adams, Blondie’s Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke, Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, George Clinton, Tracy Chapman, Kenny Loggins, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, founding members of The Guess Who, David Gates of Bread and the members of rap group Public Enemy.

Among the nonperforming songwriters who are nominated for induction are Timbaland, known for his work with Justin Timberlake on “Sexy Back” and Missy Elliott on “Get Ur Freak On”; Hillary Lindsey, writer of such songs as “Girl Crush” and “Jesus Take the Wheel”; and Maurice Starr, who wrote New Edition tracks like “Candy Girl” and “Is This the End.”

Some of this year’s nominees have already been in the running for the Hall of Fame. Adams, R.E.M., Blondie, Doobie Brothers and Heart were all nominated last year but failed to make the cut.

Voting is open from now until December 27. The eventual inductees will be honored at a gala in New York City next year.

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Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour recently released Metallic Spheres in Colour, a reimagined and remixed version of Metallic Spheres, a 2010 collaborative album with the British ambient techno act The Orb. Well, now they want fans to have some fun with it.

The artists are asking fans to go to metallicspheres.io to experience the Metallic Spheres In Colour AI project in partnership with Vermillio, which will allow them to reimagine the album’s music and cover art using AI.

Once on the site, users will have the opportunity to listen to a selection of music from the release, and AI will ask them to select how they feel, which will then generate new artwork based on those emotions. They will also be asked to reimagine the audio based on the mood and tempo they want to express.

Fans will be given the opportunity to share the results on social media. In the coming weeks, remixes will be available to purchase. Plus, the reimagined cover art may be used in a video for the album. 

The original album came from a musical project Gilmour was involved in that was designed to raise money to support the case of Gary McKinnon, a British hacker who was facing extradition to the U.S. The proceeds from Metallic Spheres, the album that grew out of that project, were donated to that effort; the extradition was later overturned, and McKinnon escaped prosecution in the U.K.

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Tool‘s show in Toronto on Monday, November 20, got an extra dose of prog courtesy of Alex Lifeson.

The Rush guitarist joined Maynard James Keenan and company onstage for a rendition of their song “Jambi.” According to setlist.fm, the performance also included elements from the Rush tune “A Passage to Bangkok.”

Toronto, of course, is Rush’s hometown. Lifeson is set to play another Toronto show at the upcoming Andy Kim Christmas benefit concert, taking place December 6.

Tool is also staying in Toronto to headline a second night on Tuesday, November 21. That will mark the final date on their fall North American tour; a winter leg is set to launch in January.

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Robert Plant has opened up about Led Zeppelin‘s decision to call it quits in 1980 following the death of their drummer John Bonham.

Although there were rumors that his bandmates Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones wanted to continue, Plant doesn’t have any regrets about the split.

“You have to keep on developing. Probably for everybody and everything it was the right thing, it was right for me,” he shares in a new interview with the Irish Examiner. “I think Jimmy and John Paul, for a while, wanted to keep it going but we all change.” 

He adds, “You have to go from the writing of youth, you’re talking about ‘Bron-Yr-Aur’ and ‘Battle of Evermore’, from writing in that fashion and those visions of a life and an eternal rub between people to the maturity you find along the way; I’m doing the right thing.”

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While The Osbournes Podcast is up and running again, don’t hold your breath for a reboot of The Osbournes reality TV show.

During the latest episode of said podcast, Ozzy Osbourne dismissed the idea of an Osbournes reboot.

“It won’t happen again,” Ozzy declares. “Never in a million years.”

The Osbournes originally aired on MTV from 2002 to 2005 and focused on Ozzy’s home life with wife Sharon and kids Jack and Kelly. In reflecting on the show, Ozzy says that he feels The Osbournes was a good diary of the family’s life at the time, though he found the experience to be “intrusive.”

Though The Osbournes may never be coming back, it was announced in 2022 that Ozzy and Sharon would be starring in an upcoming BBC reality series called Home to Roost.

Meanwhile, The Osbournes Podcast returned in September after a five-year hiatus.

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Ringo Starr is on the cover of the December issue of AARP magazine, where he opens up about his relationship with his Beatles bandmates.

“Paul loves me as much as I love him,” he says of Paul McCartney. “He’s the brother I never had.” It sounds like Ringo was equally close to George Harrison and John Lennon, as he notes, “As an only child, suddenly I got three brothers. We looked out for each other.” 

When the interviewer suggests that Ringo, who never feuded with any of his bandmates, was the person who helped keep the peace within the band, Ringo agrees.

“No, I was the glue,” he jokes. “That’ll be in big letters: I WAS THE GLUE, SAYS RINGO.” 

In an accompanying video, Ringo credits McCartney for encouraging the band to constantly record, which resulted in the release of so much music during their career.

“Paul loved to work more than all of us. John and I would be, like, hanging out in the garden and the phone would ring and we knew it was him,” Ringo says, adding, “I’ve always thanked him for being that guy because otherwise we’d have put, like, three albums out and vanished.”

Speaking of The Beatles output, Ringo also discusses the band’s recently released new song, “Now and Then,” which is being billed as the last new Beatles tune. He notes, “It’s a beautiful song and a nice way to finally close that door.”

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KISS is gearing up to say goodbye to the road with two shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 1 and 2, and the momentous occasion will be felt throughout the Big Apple.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced a five-day New York City takeover with a variety of activations, including a merch pop up, Metro Cards and a Rangers game night. 

“We’re thrilled to be performing our final shows at MSG since the band originated in New York City over 50 years ago,” KISS shares. “We are thankful for our long legacy of fans, the KISS Army, and excited to be celebrating through these activations.” 

The KISS takeover kicks off November 29 with New York Rangers “KISS” Game night at MSG, where fans can enjoy KISS-themed activities and limited-edition KISS x Rangers merchandise. There will also be a KISStore pop-up on West 37th Street, which will be open from November 30 to December 3.

Other activations include: KISS Metro Cards, sold at Penn Station and Herald Square Station; a commemorative edition of The New York Post; a KISS taxi fleet; taxies with KISS digital ads and TV content; complimentary KISS flash tattoos at Inked NYC on December 1 and 2; and KISS-themed pizza and pizza boxes from Prince Street Pizza. 

KISS will also help fans get in shape for their final two shows. On November 30, they’ll be part of Peloton’s Artist Series, with their music incorporated into Bike, Tread, Row and App classes.

KISS’ End of the Road tour hits Kanata, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday, November 21. A complete list of the remaining dates can be found at kissonline.com.

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On This Day, November 21, 1991…

Aerosmith made their debut on The Simpsons, becoming the first rock band to appear on the Fox animated series. 

The episode, Flaming Moe’s, revolves around Homer creating a new drink, the Flaming Homer, which Bar owner Moe then steals and renames the Flaming Moe. The drink is so popular that Moe’s Tavern becomes a hotspot, and a hangout for Aerosmith.

While Aerosmith was the first band to appear on The Simpsons, they weren’t the last. Other bands to turn up on the show include U2, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, and White Stripes.

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The wait is over for fans of The Rolling Stones. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced they’ll be hitting the road next year.

The Stones Tour ’24 Hackney Diamonds will see the band playing stadiums in 16 cities, kicking off Sunday, April 28, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, followed by a May 2 appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The tour — sponsored by AARP, the organization for the over-50 crowd — will hit cities including Las Vegas, Seattle, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles before wrapping Wednesday, July 17, at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Tickets go on sale Friday, December 1, at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of dates can be found at therollingstones.com.

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Those who didn’t make it to the theaters to see Billy Idol’s concert film, Billy Idol: State Line, now have another shot to check it out. The film, which captures the rocker’s April concerts at the Hoover Dam, will stream on Veeps starting Saturday, November 25, at 12 p.m. PT.  

Idol and his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens will host a livestream debut chat at veeps.com. The stream will feature bonus, never-before-seen footage of Hoover Dam performances of “Rebel Yell” and “Bitter Taste.”

Billy Idol: State Line, which had a limited theater run earlier this month, features performances from both of Idol’s shows at the iconic site on the Nevada/Arizona state line. One was a full band show, which took place at sunset and featured guest appearances by Sex Pistol’s Steve Jones, No Doubt’s Tony Kanal and Alison Mosshart of The Dead Weather. The second was an acoustic performance with just Stevens on the roof of the Hoover Dam.

Veep All Access subscribers will be able to stream the film for free, while individual tickets are available at a cost of $19.99. Tickets are available at veeps.com.

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