Classic Rock News

Paul McCartney is ready to share some more insights into the writing of his most famous works. The second season of the legendary singer’s podcast, McCartney: A Life in Lyrics, is set to debut February 7.

The podcast has The Beatles legend and his The Lyrics collaborator Paul Muldoon chatting about the creative process, with each episode focusing on a specific song from the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s more than 60-year career. The audio is taken from the interviews the pair conducted for McCartney’s book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present.

After delving into songs like “Let It Be,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “Penny Lane” in season 1, season 2 promises insights into classics like “Yesterday,” “Band on the Run,” “Here, There and Everywhere” and more.

McCartney: A Life in Lyrics will drop weekly wherever podcasts are available.

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Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is giving fans a chance to meet him in person. The rocker will promote the release of his upcoming solo album, 10,000 Volts, with a record signing in New York City.

Frehley is releasing a special limited-edition bubblegum vinyl of 10,000 Volts for the music store Sam Ash in New York, and fans who preorder it will be able to attend a special in-store autograph signing on Saturday, February 24.

The event takes place at Sam Ash on 34th Street in Manhattan from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

10,000 Volts, Frehley’s first solo album since 2020’s Origins Vol. 2, drops February 23. He kicked off a new solo tour in support of the record on January 25, with the next show happening March 28 in New York. A complete list of dates can be found at acefrehley.com. 

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Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera is ready to look back on his life and career with the release of his upcoming memoir, Revolución to Roxy, set for release on March 22.

The book covers his life growing up in Cuba, Hawaii and Venezuela, as well as his career with his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Roxy Music and his encounters with such rock legends as Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and Rick Wright, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and more. 

“I’ve written this memoir for my English and Colombian family, dear friends and music fans, who’ve followed my musical twists and turns for over half a century,” Manzanera shares. “It’s a memoir that spans my ‘50’s childhood in Cuba, Hawaii and Venezuela, when everything seemed in the brightest technicolor, to monochrome but very cool ‘60’s London and the start of a music career that continues to enrich my life.”

The book, which features 100 color and black-and-white photos, will be accompanied by a companion CD of the same name featuring 10 tracks, five of which have never been released before. The CD drops April 12.

Revolución to Roxy is available for preorder now.

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A court in London has ruled that two members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience can sue Sony over the rights to the three albums they appeared on.

According to Billboard, the heirs of Experience bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell claim they are owed millions in royalties for the work the late musicians did on Hendrix’s albums, something they informed Sony about in a letter in 2021.

But Sony disagreed and soon filed a lawsuit in New York aiming to prove the musicians didn’t have any rights to the music because they signed an agreement after Hendrix’s death in which they got one-time payments in exchange for not suing Hendrix’s estate or any labels distributing Hendrix’s music.

Sony’s suit prompted the heirs to file their own suit in England. A judge in London’s High Court ruled that Redding and Mitchell’s heirs can move forward with their lawsuit.

Attorneys for the heirs told Billboard in a statement that with the ruling “we can hopefully obtain some justice for the families.” They noted, “No one is denying that Jimi Hendrix was one of, if not, the greatest guitarist of all time. But he didn’t make his recordings alone, and they could not have achieved any success without the contributions of Noel and Mitch.”

So far there’s no word on when or where a trial may take place.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is going to camp … Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, that is.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is part of the lineup for the April 18-21 Los Angeles weekend, which also includes The Offspring’s Noodles and 311’s Nick Hexum. 

“I am looking forward to jamming with the campers this April!” Chad shares.

Campers attending will not only get to perform with Chad, Noodles and Nick, they’ll also be mentored by a host of rock star counselors, including former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, The Offspring bassist Todd Morse, and former Black Sabbath and Dio drummer Vinny Appice.

The weekend will include jam sessions, band rehearsals, Q&A sessions and more, culminating in live performances at the Viper Room and the iconic Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood.

Information on how to sign up can be found at rockcamp.com.

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The final book from Rush’s Neil Peart is coming in May.

Silver Surfers focuses on Peart’s lifelong passion for cars, with Rush sharing on Instagram, “[I]n his final literary creation, he writes about his beloved Silver Surfers collection; the joy of collecting these exquisite, rare, and important sports cars, and the myriad ways that they brought him great joy.” 

“Silver Surfers is an homage to these cars that meant so much to him, and to the passion of the road that fueled his life,” reads the book’s description.

Silver Surfers will be released May 7 and is available for preorder now. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Neil Peart Memorial at Lakeside Park and the American Brain Tumor Association from The Estate of Neil Peart.

Peart passed away January 7, 2020, after a battle with brain cancer. He was 67. He previously authored seven nonfiction books, including 1996’s The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa, 2002’s Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road and his 2004 memoir, Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times.

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Sammy Hagar was in Scottsdale over the weekend for the Barrett-Jackson auction to promote the Arizona debut of his Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co. premium sparkling rum canned cocktails. And evidently he decided to get up on the stage and play a few tunes.

The rocker surprised fans who came out to see Red Voodoo on the Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum Live Music Stage Friday, January 26, by joining the band for a few songs. 

Hagar treated the crowd to songs like “Mas Tequila,” “Your Love is Driving Me Crazy,” “Heavy Metal” and “I Can’t Drive 55.” He was also joined by his Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony for “Finish What Ya Started,” from Van Halen’s 1982 album, OU812.

Hagar was supposed to be auctioning off his 2015 LaFerrari at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, but that particular auction was postponed until October because the car needed a new battery. It didn’t stop Hagar from having fun, though. According to AZ Central, he told the crowd that he and Anthony spent the day hanging out and drinking.

“This is so awesome. For me, this is like (expletive) heaven,” he said. “I would rather be here than at a (expletive) Rolling Stones concert. All these cars?!”

The performance was just a precursor to what fans can expect this summer when Hagar heads out on his The Best of All Worlds Tour with Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Joe Satriani. The tour kicks off July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at redrocker.com.

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Should a guy who once bit the head off a bat be honored with the title of “sir?” According to Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford, the answer is yes.

Speaking to Classic Rock magazine, Halford says, “If one person deserves a knighthood, it’s Ozzy Osbourne. Just for the joy he’s given people over the years.”

Usually when rock stars are knighted, it’s for “services to music,” as well as for charitable activities — two things that Ozzy can conceivably claim.

While he doesn’t have a knighthood himself, Halford did meet the late Queen Elizabeth II. He tells Classic Rock that he was at Buckingham Palace for an event celebrating British music when he was introduced to the queen by singer and actress Cilla Black.

“Cilla … says, ‘This is Rob Halford, he’s flown in from Finland to be here,’” Halford recalls. “And the Queen said, ‘You play music? What kind of music do you play?’ So I said, ‘Heavy metal.’ And she said, ‘Oh, heavy metal? Why do they have to play so loud?’ So I just went, ‘So you can bang your head, Your Majesty.’”

“It was such a lovely night, talking about heavy metal to the Queen.”

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REO Speedwagon is heading out on the road with Train this summer for what they’re calling the Summer Road Trip 2024 Tour. 

The trek kicks off July 8 in Somerset, Wisconsin, and is set to wrap up September 11 in Phoenix, Arizona. The popular yacht rock band Yacht Rock Revue will open all dates.

To get fans hyped for the tour, the bands will perform together at LA’s iconic Whisky a Go Go club on February 1. Tickets for the show are on sale now via TicketWeb. Ahead of that, they’ll also perform together on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on January 31; the show will stream the next day on Hulu. 

A Citi card presale begins January 31 at 10 a.m. local time via citientertainment.com; artist presales also start that day and time. The general on-sale date is February 2 at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of dates can be found at SaveMeSanFrancisco.com and REOSpeedwagon.com.

Train singer Pat Monahan and REO Speedwagon singer Kevin Cronin have done several charity events together over the years. In a statement, Kevin shares, “I love the idea of bringing together people of all ages, who share a common love for well-crafted songs and high energy live performances.” 

Pat adds, “This tour won’t just be a great time with great people, but a tour that will have a ton of familiar songs to most generations.”

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The music of Paul Simon will be celebrated in Los Angeles this week.

Variety reports that the annual Americana Music Association pre-Grammys event will be a salute to Simon, featuring performances by Jackson Browne, Jason Isbell with 400 Unit guitarist Sadler Vaden, Allison Russell, Brandy Clark, Rufus Wainwright, Marcus King, Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor and more.

The event is taking place Saturday, February 3, one night before the Grammys, at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Tickets for the concert go on sale Tuesday, January 30, at 10 a.m. PT.

The Americana salute comes just two years after the Grammys paid tribute to Simon with Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon, which took place in LA and aired on CBS. It featured performances by such artists as Sting, Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Bonnie Raitt and more.

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