The music of prog rockers Emerson, Lake & Powell is being celebrated with a new CD set.
Emerson, Lake & Powell: The Complete Collection, dropping April 12, is a three-CD set featuring a remastered edition of the trio’s self-titled album, which was their only studio release, along with three bonus tracks. There’s also a live album and a previously released bootleg of rehearsal recordings called The Sprocket Sessions.
After the success of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the prog super group took a break in 1979, and Keith Emerson and Greg Lake explored solo careers before deciding to work together again. They teamed with drummer Cozy Powell in 1984 to take the place of Carl Palmer, who was busy with the band Asia.
The Beatles gave their final public performance on Apple Records’ rooftop in London. The band, who was joined by guest keyboardist Billy Preston, did nine takes of five songs— “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “I’ve Got A Feeling,” “One After 909” and “Dig A Pony” — with the police pulling the plug after 42 minutes.
The concert happened while The Beatles were recording what would become their album Let It Be. It was released May 8, 1970, almost a month after the band’s breakup.
Footage from the concert was used in the 1970 documentary Let It Be. In 2021, the entire performance was featured in the eight-hour Disney+ docuseries The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson.The full rooftop concert was then released to streaming services as a standalone album, Get Back- The Rooftop Performance, in January 2022.
The Beatles: Get Back went on to win five Emmys, including Best Limited Documentary Series.
Bernie Taupin and Elton John, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song 2024 honorees; Photo Credit: Gavin Bond
Elton John just became an EGOT, and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin was just inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Now, they’re both getting another prestigious award.
On March 20, the duo will receive the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in Washington, D.C., as part of an all-star concert, which will premiere April 8 on PBS. The Gershwin Prize, established in 2007, recognizes artists “whose career reflects the influence, impact and achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding.”
Elton and Bernie will be the third duo to receive the award, following Burt Bacharach and Hal David,and Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Past recipients include Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Lionel Richie and Carole King.
“I’ve been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never thought that that one day this might be bestowed upon us,” Elton said in a statement. “It’s an incredible honor for two British guys to be recognized like this. I’m so honored.”
Bernie added, “To be in a house along with the great American songwriters, to even be in the same avenue, is humbling, and I am absolutely thrilled to accept.”
In a statement, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said, “Elton John and Bernie Taupin have written some of the most memorable songs of our lives. Their careers stand out for the quality and broad appeal of their music and their influence on their fellow artists.”
Elton John is Billboard’s top solo male artist of all time: He’s placed 59 songs in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
