Pearl Jam performed a cover of The Beatles deep cut “Her Majesty” during their show in Toronto on Thursday.
A hidden track off Abbey Road, the original “Her Majesty” lasts just 23 seconds and features tongue-in-cheek lyrics, such as “Her Majesty is a pretty nice girl/But she doesn’t have a lot to say.”
Pearl Jam’s rendition of “Her Majesty” came just hours after news broke that Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, had died at age 96. Vedder made no specific mention of the queen when introducing the song, telling the crowd only, “This is just a little one I’m gonna borrow from Paul McCartney.”
You can watch fan-shot footage of the performance posted to YouTube by user mfc172.
Both McCartney and fellow living Beatle Ringo Starrsharedtributes to Queen Elizabeth II following the news of her passing.
The Beach Boys in 1964; Gems/Redferns/Getty Images
A new series of videos set to four classic Beach Boys songs from the mid-1960s launched Friday with the premiere of 1965’s “Barbara Ann.”
Watched together, the four videos tell the story of a high school romance between surfing-obsessed Helena and her classmate Lucas, an aspiring photographer who just moved into town. All of the clips include clever references and nods to The Beach Boys.
The “Barbara Ann” clip specifically follows Helena as she daydreams about surfing while sitting in class and then making her way home from school. We’re also briefly introduced to Lucas, whom Helena passes on her bicycle.
The other three videos, which will be set to “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows,” will debut on the band’s official YouTube channel at noon ET, respectively, on Saturday, September 10; Friday, September 16; and Saturday, September 17.
The “Don’t Worry Baby” visual will share Lucas’ back story, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” will focus on his and Helena’s romance, and “God Only Knows” will look at where their relationship is at as the school year ends.
The videos were directed by Andrew Litten, who’s worked with Earth, Wind & Fire, Anderson .Paak and Pusha T, and were filmed in South Africa with local actors.
“A recurring theme throughout The Beach Boys’ music is the feeling of being young and in love,” explains Litten. “Their most iconic songs were written when they were between the ages of 15 to 21, so there’s this exciting view on life that’s immortalized in their lyrics. I wanted to do the same with the music videos by capturing the spontaneity and playfulness of being a teenager, fantasizing about the future, pursuing new passions, and falling in love.”
Rod Stewart, who received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2016, is not only mourning the loss of the monarch but also of a close family member.
On Instagram, Sir Rod wrote, “It has been a devastating 48 hours. We lost my brother Don on Tuesday at 94 and today we have all lost Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at 96.”
He added, “The Queen has been an unwavering presence throughout my life and a great unifier. A shining star that will never fade in our hearts and souls. What a privilege it was to perform for her. My deepest sympathies to the Royal Family. God save the King.”
Rod met and performed for the queen multiple times: his most recent performance was at her Platinum Jubilee this past summer. Ahead of that concert, he told the BBC, “She’s been so much part of my life, almost like a sister, you know?”
At the time he also said he “loves” the newly minted monarch, Charles, and joked that his wife and the then-prince had “a thing going on.”
Wolfgang Van Halen is marking the anniversary of one of his father’s most iconic musical contributions with his own version.
The son of the late Eddie Van Halentweeted a video of him shredding Van Halen‘s famed instrumental “Eruption” on the same guitar his dad used to record the original.
While the video was filmed in 2015, Wolf’s sharing it now in honor of it being the 45th anniversary of “Eruption’s” first recording in 1977. The song was later released on Van Halen’s 1978 self-titled debut album.
Wolf, who played bass in Van Halen starting in 2006, hasn’t performed much of his dad’s music since Eddie passed away in October 2020, instead focusing more on his Mammoth WVH solo project. However, he did jam the Van Halen songs “On Fire” and “Hot for Teacher” during last weekend’s Taylor Hawkins tribute concert.
When it was announced that Ozzy Osbourne would perform during halftime at the NFL’s season opening game between the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills, a press release stated that a “portion” of his set would air as part of the NBC broadcast. As it turns out, a “portion” meant only about 10 seconds.
Those who tuned in for the halftime performance saw only a brief clip of Ozzy playing his tune “Patient Number 9,” the title off his just-released solo album, before the broadcast cut back to analysis of the game’s first half.
As it became clear that the rest of Ozzy’s performance wouldn’t be aired, followers of the Prince of Darkness took to social media to air their frustrations.
“Wtf was that?” asked one fan. “You say ‘here’s Ozzy Osbourne’ cut to him for 5 seconds then back to the half time recap no one cares about?”
Another added, “NBC thinking we’d rather hear a 1st half recap than Ozzy Osbourne’s performance is…puzzling.”
According to Setlist.fm, Ozzy’s whole performance included “Patient Number 9” and his solo classic “Crazy Train.” He was backed by producer Andrew Watt on guitar, bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Tommy Clufetos for both songs, while Zakk Wylde joined for “Crazy Train.”
If you were among those disappointed by the broadcast, perhaps you can find comfort in listening to the Patient Number 9 album, which is out September 9. It includes guest contributions from Wylde, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi, Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica‘s Robert Trujillo and late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Following the announcement of Queen Elizabeth II‘s death on Thursday at the age of 96, Elton Johnpaid tribute to late monarch at his Toronto concert.
“We have the saddest news about the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth,” he said. “She was an inspiring person to be around — I’ve been around her and she was fantastic. She led the country though some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, decency and a genuine care and warmth.”
“I’m 75 — she’s been with me all my life and I feel very sad that she won’t be with me anymore,” the legendary rocker shared. “But I’m glad she’s at peace, and I’m glad she’s at rest, and she deserves it because she’s worked bloody hard,” Elton continued as the audience cheered.
“I send my love to her family and her loved ones. She will be missed, but her spirit lives on and we celebrate her life tonight with music, okay?” he concluded, before launching into his 1974 hit, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” a song that gets its title from the Queen Victoria-era saying, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.”
Elton’s tribute was similar to a post on his Twitter earlier in in which he called the late Queen “an inspiring presence to be around.”
Elton paid tribute to his close friend Princess Diana after her death in 1997 with the song “Candle in the Wind ’97,” a reworking of his 1973 hit honoring Marilyn Monroe.
Elton was knighted by the Queen on April 24, 1998 for his musical and commercial contributions to the United Kingdom, as well as his extensive charity work, particularly with AIDS research and financial support.
The latest installment of The Kinks‘ series of expanded 50th anniversary reissues, which focuses on two of the legendary U.K. band’s albums — 1971’s Muswell Hillbillies and 1972’s Everybody’s in Show-Biz – Everybody’s a Star — was released today.
The collection is available in multiple formats and configurations, including a box set featuring six vinyl LPs, four CDs, a Blu-ray, a 52-page hardback book, a badge, glossy photos and more.
Muswell Hillbillies was a loose concept album that found Kinks frontman Ray Davies reflecting on growing up in the London area of Muswell Hill, while also celebrating the American music and culture that influenced him.
Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, Ray’s younger brother, tells ABC Audio, “I can’t listen to … Muswell Hillbillies without thinking of great heroes of mine, like Hank Williams and Lead Belly and all these incredible American artists that captured mine and Ray’s imagination.”
One of the best known tracks on Muswell Hillbillies is “20th Century Man,” which Dave considers “a colossal song.”
Everybody’s in Show-Biz – Everybody’s a Star is a double album that features a disc of studio tracks and a live disc recorded at New York’s Carnegie Hall in March 1972. The studio portion includes the classic song “Celluloid Heroes.”
“Celluloid Heroes,” of course, is a reflective homage to some famous actors who were immortalized with stars on Hollywood Boulevard.
“Honestly, Ray, to his great credit, wrote a masterpiece, I think,” Dave says. “I like the way he sings it, because it’s … a bit yearning, like he’s lost, but he isn’t.”
The box set features remastered versions of the two albums, as well as 11 new remixes by Ray Davies. The Blu-ray contains an unseen 15-minute 1971 home movie shot and narrated by Ray.
A limited-edition vinyl picture version of The Police‘s popular 1981 album Ghost in the Machine, featuring the record’s originally planned track list and sequencing, will be released November 4.
The LP, which can be preordered now, boasts three extra tracks — “I Burn for You,” “Once Upon a Daydream” and “Shambelle.”
The Ghost in the Machine picture disc features a single mix of “I Burn for You,” which first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1982 film Brimstone and Treacle.
The picture disc also features audio of drummer Stewart Copeland counting in each track, something not heard on the original album.
Side A of the disc features the Police logo that appeared on the front of the Ghost in the Machine album cover, while side B features an image from the inner sleeve.
Released in October 1981, Ghost in the Machine topped the U.K. album chart and reached #2 on the Billboard 200. The album featured two top-20 singles in the U.S., “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Spirits in the Material,” which peaked at #3 and #11, respectively. In the U.K., “Every Little Thing” topped the singles chart and “Spirits” reached #12, while “Invisible Sun” ascended to #2.
Other memorable tunes on the album include “Demolition Man,” “Too Much Information,” “One World (Not Three)” and “Secret Journey.”
Here’s the Ghost in the Machine picture disc’s full track list:
Side A
“Invisible Sun”
“Demolition Man”
“Secret Journey”
“Darkness”
“Spirits in the Material World”
“Too Much Information”
“Omegaman”
Side B
“One World (Not Three)”
“Rehumanize Yourself”
“I Burn for You”
“Hungry for You (j’aurais toujours faim de toi)”
“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”
“Once Upon a Daydream”
“Shambelle”
As The Who gets ready to launch the second North American leg of its The Who Hits Back! tour next month, singer Roger Daltrey reveals this could be the British rock legends’ final road trip, depending on how his voice holds up.
“The Who is getting near retirement age,” the 78-year-old singer tells Forbes. “I would like to stop while we’re still doing it well. When I can’t sing the notes anymore, sing to where it touches the audience, then it’s time.”
He adds, “The Who’s music is very different from most rock. You’re dealing with words from a deep inner space within us all. [The words] have to connect the singer to the audience. If I lose the power to do that, well, I will stop, even if it’s after this tour. I don’t want the downward slope where you’re not quite as good as you used to be.”
Having said that, Daltrey insists that he still loves touring, noting he had a great time on the solo U.K. trek he mounted over the summer.
Roger says one of the motivating factors was to give his backing musicians and road crew members some work after the COVID-19 pandemic hit them hard financially.
“[Musicians] were quite poorly treated during the [COVID-19] lockdowns, and received very little help from both [British and American] governments,” Daltrey maintains.
Meanwhile, questioned about the toll touring takes on him at his age, Roger responds, “[I]t’s a good toll — gets you fit, keeps you moving — instead of just sitting on a chair watching TV.”
The upcoming leg of The Who Hits Back! tour features 14 shows, running from an October 2 concert in Toronto through a November 4-5 engagement in Las Vegas.
Members of the rock community are sharing their thoughts on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, who died Thursday at age 96. Here are some of the reactions:
The Rolling Stones: “The Rolling Stones extend their deepest sympathy to the Royal family on the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who was a constant presence in their lives as in countless others.”
Mick Jagger: “For my whole life Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has always been there. In my childhood I can recall watching her wedding highlights on TV. I remember her as a beautiful young lady, to the much beloved grandmother of the nation. My deepest sympathies are with the Royal family.”
Ozzy Osbourne: “I mourn with my country the passing of our greatest Queen. With a heavy heart I say it is devastating the thought of England without Queen Elizabeth II.”
Sharon Osbourne: “Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth ll. The embodiment of strength, dignity and unwavering commitment to her vow. May you be at peace beside His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburg. Long Live The King.”
Black Sabbath‘s Geezer Butler: “Sad to hear of The Queen passing. I remember the street celebrations when she was crowned Queen. Always a staple of growing up in England. GSTQ- RIP.”
Def Leppard‘s Joe Elliott: “Dignity. If there’s ever one word to describe this wonderful lady & monarch it’s dignity. We will never see the likes of this again. She has transcended eras with good grace and service to her country that is unparalleled anywhere or by anyone. Thank you your Majesty for a lifetime of great memories and leadership.”
Ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach: “RIP #QueenElizabeth a leader who brought the whole world together.”
The Offspring‘s Noodles: “My sincere condolences to [radio host Gene ‘Bean’ Baxter] & all those who loved her. #QueenElizabeth”
