The Beatles drop video for “Now and Then” featuring unseen outtakes

November 3, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Barely 24 hours after debuting their new single, “Now and Then,” The Beatles are back with the track’s video.

The clip, directed by Peter Jackson, features archival footage of John Lennon and the band, clips of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison in the recording studio in the ’90s, and current footage of Paul and Ringo.

There are even clips that blend the archival and current footage to make it feel like the whole band is playing together and with younger versions of themselves.

According to Jackson, the video features “a collection of unseen outtakes in the vault, where the Beatles are relaxed, funny and rather candid.” He adds, “We wove humour into some footage shot in 2023. The result is pretty nutty and provided the video with much needed balance between the sad and the funny.”

Finally, he notes, “I realised we needed the imagination of every viewer to create their own personal moment of farewell to The Beatles.”

“Now and Then” uses vocals Lennon recorded on a demo in the late ’70s. Jackson developed new technology to isolate Lennon’s instruments and vocals, and Paul and Ringo completed the song in 2022, using guitar parts Harrison recorded in the ’90s during the sessions for their Anthology series.

Mike Mills says there’s no chance R.E.M. will do a reunion tour

November 3, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Many R.E.M. fans still mourn the day in 2011 when the band announced their breakup, but those holding out hope they may one day reunite will likely be disappointed.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone to promote the 25th anniversary reissue of their 11th studio album, Up, bassist Mike Mills insists he and his bandmates, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Bill Berry, will not be getting back together.

“There is not,” he replied, when asked if there was a chance of a reunion tour. “We’ve all got our own things that we’re doing, and I think we’re all really happy with the way things are.”

And Mills said seeing another huge band onstage made him realize he didn’t really miss going out on a big tour.

“I went to see U2 a few years ago, and they were so good. I was sitting there thinking, ‘Man, I could be up there doing that. That would be so much fun,’” he explained. “I said, ‘They’ll be doing it tomorrow night, and the night after that, and the week after that, and the week after that, and the month after that.’ I said, ‘You know what? It’s actually OK.’”

As for the breakup, Mills said they all knew it was the right time to go their separate ways.

“The music industry had radically changed. Our relationship to it had changed. Our record contract was up. Our record company was very different,” he said. “We said, ‘Let’s do something that nobody’s done and shake hands and walk away as friends, and go do other things while we’re still young enough to do them.'”

The 25th anniversary reissue of Up will be released November 10. It is available for preorder now.

Dolly Parton’s ‘Rockstar’ collab with Stevie Nicks was written for Fleetwood Mac

November 2, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Dolly Parton’s upcoming album, Rockstar, features a collaboration with Stevie Nicks — and while it isn’t a cover, it isn’t a new song either.

Dolly tells The Hollywood Reporter that the track, “What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done to Me,” was actually written by Stevie for Fleetwood Mac.

Dolly says Stevie told her it was a song written “back when we were in the heat of our stuff,” telling Dolly she loved the song but the band didn’t think it was good enough to be on a record.

Stevie told her the song was about another rocker she had an affair with. “She wrote that about their relationship because they had fun about it. ‘What has rock ’n’ roll ever done for you?’ They said, ‘Well, everything,’ because they were both famous and rich,” Dolly explained. “She just said, ‘I just love this song. I’d like to do it just to commemorate that time in my life and that person.’”

Dolly Parton’s Rockstar, featuring special guests Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Steven Tyler, Sting and more, drops November 17. It is available for preorder now.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame unveils 2023 inductee exhibit

November 2, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has opened a new exhibit honoring the 2023 inductees in its Cleveland museum.

The display includes a variety of artifacts related to Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, The Spinners and Musical Excellence honoree Bernie Taupin.

It will remain open over the next year and will close ahead of the 2024 induction ceremony.

The 2023 induction ceremony takes place Friday, November 3, in Brooklyn, New York, and will stream live on Disney+.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler accused of sexual assault by second woman

November 2, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Steven Tyler is in more legal trouble. Rolling Stone reports a second woman has sued the Aerosmith frontman, accusing him of sexually assaulting her when she was just a teenager.

The suit was filed in New York on behalf of former child model Jeanne Bellino, who says the incident happened in the summer of 1975 when she was just 17. It alleges she was assaulted twice on the one day she met Tyler and accuses him of forcibly kissing and groping her.

The suit states that Bellino “has suffered and will continue to suffer, great pain of mind and body, severe and permanent emotional distress, physical manifestations of emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, physical, personal & psychological injuries” from the alleged assault, noting she was medicated after it happened and still needs medication to cope.

She is seeking unspecified damages.

This isn’t the first time Tyler has been sued for sexual assault. In December, a woman named Julia Misley filed a lawsuit in California accusing Tyler of sexual assault, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The pair was in a relationship for three years starting in 1973, when she was 16 and he was in his 20s. She claimed she was “powerless to resist” the rock star’s “power, fame and substantial financial ability” and said he “coerced and persuaded” her into believing their relationship was a “romantic love affair.”

Robbie Robertson, U2 nominated for Hollywood Music in Media Awards

November 2, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Robbie Robertson, Bono and The Edge are among the musicians who earned nominations for the 14th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

Robertson, who passed away in August at the age of 80, is recognized in the Score — Feature Film category for his work on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, while U2’s Bono and The Edge are nominated in the Song — Documentary category for the song “Forty Foot Man” from Bono & The Edge: A Sort Of Homecoming With Dave Letterman.

Lenny Kravitz is also in the running for an award: His song “Road to Freedom,” from the movie Rustin, is nominated in the Song — Feature Film category.

Winners will be announced November 15 at the Avalon in Hollywood, California. A complete list of nominees can be found at hmmawards.com.

Billy Joel announces final show of his Madison Square Garden residency

November 2, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Billy Joel has set his Madison Square Garden residency goodbye.

The rocker will play his 150th lifetime show at the iconic New York arena on July 25, which will also be the last date of his 10-year MSG residency.

A Citi presale kicks off Monday, November 6, at 10 a.m., with the general onsale set for Friday, November 10, at 10 a.m.

“It is an honor to be here. I’m kinda flabbergasted that it did last as long as it did,” he told reporters when announcing the 150th show would mark the end of his residency. He joked that his team told him he could keep on going if he wanted but said with 150 shows, “It’s ‘Alright, already!'”

Joel played his first show at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 1978. He kicked off his residency, the first for the arena, on January 2014, playing one show a month.

He went on to break several records for the arena. In January 2015, he broke his own record for most consecutive performances by any artist, with 13, and in July 2015, he broke the record for the most lifetime performances by any artist at the arena, with 65.

On This Day, November 2, 1973: Billy Joel releases “Piano Man”

November 2, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

On this Day, November 2, 1973…

It was 50 years ago that Billy Joel released the song “Piano Man,” which would go on to be his signature tune and earn him the nickname Piano Man.

The song was the title track of Joel’s sophomore album and the first single released from the record.

“Piano Man” peaked at #25 on the Billboard chart but eventually became a fan favorite and a staple at his live shows, where he lets the audience sing the final chorus.

In 2015, “Piano Man” was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, or artistic significance.”

The Beatles release their final song, “Now and Then”

November 2, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

The long anticipated final song from The Beatles is finally here.

The track, “Now and Then,” features vocals John Lennon recorded on a demo in the late ’70s. In 1994, his wife, Yoko Ono, gave the three-song demo to surviving Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. They then used it to create “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” which appeared on The Beatles Anthology project in the mid ’90s.

Unfortunately, at that time, technology wasn’t good enough to extract Lennon’s vocals from “Now and Then,” but in 2021, Peter Jackson, director of The Beatles: Get Back docuseries, developed new technology to isolate Lennon’s instruments and vocals. Paul and Ringo completed the song in 2022, using guitar parts Harrison recorded in 1995.

You can listen to “Now and Then” now via digital services and on YouTube. The official video for the song is set to drop Friday, November 3, at 10 a.m.

The final track is being released as a double-A side single paired with “Love Me Do,” the band’s 1962 debut single. It is available for preorder now.

Green Day confirms 2024 tour + releases new ‘Saviors’ song, “Look Ma, No Brains!”

November 2, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Green Day has confirmed the details of their 2024 tour.

The North American trek runs from July 29 in Washington, D.C., to September 28 in San Diego. As previously teased during the “American Idiot” trio’s last-minute Las Vegas club show in October, the bill will also include The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and The Linda Lindas.

Along the way, Green Day will headline Montreal’s Osheaga festival, taking place August 2-4.

Tickets to the tour go on sale Friday, November 10, at 10 a.m. local time. Presales begin Tuesday, November 7.

Green Day has also announced a European tour launching May 30 in Spain with support from The Hives, The Interrupters and Nothing But Thieves, among others.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit GreenDay.com.

Green Day will be touring behind their upcoming album Saviors, due out January 19. The record includes the lead single “The American Dream Is Killing Me” along with a just-released tune called “Look Ma, No Brains!” You can listen to that now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

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