Mick Fleetwood’s business has been affected by the wildfires raging in Hawaii. He shared on social media that his restaurant in Maui, Fleetwoods on Front Street, has been destroyed.
“MAUl and The Lahaina community have been my home for several decades. This is a devastating moment for MAUl and many are suffering unimaginable loss,” the Fleetwood Mac rocker writes. “Fleetwoods on front Street has been lost and while we are heartbroken our main priority is the safety of our dear staff and team members.”
He adds, “On behalf of myself and my family I share my heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the people of MAUI. We are committed to supporting the community and those affected by this disaster in the days month and years to come.”
An earlier post on the restaurant’s Facebook page indicated that their area had “taken the brunt” of the fires, yet they “didn’t have enough information” about the status of the restaurant. The post continued, “Mahalo for your continued thoughts and prayers for our community and our first responders.”
Fleetwood Mac is sharing another track off their upcoming Rumours Live double album, set for release September 8.
The latest is the live version of the classic “Say You Love Me,” which the late Christine McVie wrote for the band’s 1975 self-titled release. This is the second track they’ve released from the record. They previously shared the live version of “Dreams.”
Rumours Live features performances from the band’s August 29, 1977, concert at the Forum in Los Angeles. The 90-minute concert, the opening night of a three-night stand, features live versions of most of the songs on the album, including “You Make Loving Fun,” “Songbird” and “The Chain,” as well as “Landslide,” “Rhiannon” and others from 1975’s Fleetwood Mac.
Rumors Live is being released digitally and as a two-CD or two-LP set. It is available for preorder now. There will also be a crystal clear-vinyl edition sold exclusively through Walmart.
Cream hit #1 with their double album, Wheels of Fire. The album was made up of an LP of studio recordings and another LP of live tracks, recorded at the Fillmore in San Francisco.
The album, the band’s third studio release, also went to #1 in Australia and Canada; it only made it to #3 in the U.K.
Wheels of Fire featured such tracks as “White Room,” “Spoonful” and “Crossroads. It went on to become Cream’s best-selling album, and was their first Platinum certified double album.
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band kicked off the second leg of their North American tour on Wednesday, August 9, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. During the show, The Boss took a moment to remember the late Robbie Robertson, who passed away earlier in the day at the age of 80.
According to the Asbury Park Press, Bruce dedicated the last song of the night, “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” to The Band guitarist and chief songwriter, letting the crowd know he was singing the song for “my good friend Robbie Robertson.”
“I’ll See You In My Dreams,” from The Boss’ 2020 album, Letter To You, is a reflection on mortality and death that features the closing lyric, “For death is not the end. And I’ll see you in my dreams.”
Bruce and The E Street Band return to Chicago for a second show on August 11. A complete list of dates can be found at brucespringsteen.net.
Robertson was also remembered on social media by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wrote, “Guitarist. Songwriter. Storyteller. Robbie Robertson was a big part of Canada’s outsized contributions to the arts,” adding, “I’m thinking of his family, friends, and fans who are mourning his loss. Thank you for the music and the memories, Robbie.”
While Billy Joel has been touring stadiums and doing his Madison Square Garden residency for years now, he hasn’t released a new pop/rock album in three decades. It was August 10, 1993 — 30 years ago — that that final album, River of Dreams, arrived.
River of Dreams featured more serious songs than usual Billy, covering topics like the overdevelopment of suburbia, depression, pessimism and a lack of trust in one’s fellow man. The gospel-influenced title track, however, was a major hit and Billy’s last top 10 to date, while “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)” was a touching tribute to his daughter, Alexa Ray. Billy’s then-wife, Christie Brinkley, painted the album’s cover.
While it wasn’t clear at the time, the album’s final track, “Famous Last Words,” was a deliberate statement by Billy indicating that he was done with working in the pop/rock idiom.
As he explained in an interview about the album on his website, “I felt like I had reached a point where I wasn’t going to write songs anymore. It was sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy… it just seemed like ‘This is the time to write that song and I can close the book.'”
Since then, Billy has released a few live albums, as well as Fantasies & Delusions, an 2001 album of classical music composed by him, but played by pianist Richard Joo.
Singles-wise, he released the Bob Dylan cover “To Make You Feel My Love” and the Freddie Scott cover “Hey Girl,” both in 1997. But since River of Dreams, he’s only put out two new original pop/rock songs with lyrics both in 2007: “All My Life,” dedicated to his then-wife Katie Lee, and “Christmas In Fallujah,” which was written by him but performed by Cass Dillon.
The Police’s classic album Synchronicity celebrated its 40th anniversary back in June and now the occasion is being celebrated by the Royal Mint.
The Mint is marking the milestone with new limited-edition coins. They come in both gold and silver in a variety of sizes, each featuring silhouette etchings of Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. Depending on their size, they range in price from $245 to over $6,700 for a 2-ounce gold proof coin, which is limited to only 150 copies.
There are also uncirculated silver coins and colored coins featuring the album’s iconic red, blue and yellow stripes. They both come in “bespoke packaging,” featuring images from the band’s career. They range in price from about $18 to $137.
All these coins are part of the Royal Mint’s Music Legends series. Other rock stars who’ve been commemorated with coins include Queen, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John and The Rolling Stones.
Tributes to The Band’s guitarist and main songwriter Robbie Robertson have poured in following the news of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s passing Wednesday, August 9, at the age of 80.
Neil Diamond, whose 1976 album Beautiful Noise was produced by Robertson, shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, “The music world lost a great one with the passing of Robbie Robertson,” adding, “Keep making that Beautiful Noise in the sky, Robbie. I’ll miss you.”
Diamond appeared in The Band’s iconic documentary The Last Waltz, as did The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, who shared, “Such sad news about Robbie Robertson – he was a lovely man, a great friend and will be dearly missed.”
And former President Bill Clintonremembered Robertson as “a brilliant songwriter, guitarist, and composer whose gifts changed music forever.” He added, “I’m grateful for all the good memories he gave me—going back to his time in the Hawks when I was a teenager—and for his kindness through the years. I’ll miss him.”
Among the other tributes:
Joni Mitchell – “Rest in peace Robbie Robertson, legendary lead guitarist of The Band, fellow Canadian, and cherished collaborator of Joni’s. May his legacy and musical harmony resonate for generations to come.”
E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandtcalled Robertson “a good friend and a genius,” adding, “The Band’s music shocked the excess out of the Renaissance and were an essential part of the final back-to-the-roots trend of ‘60s. He was an underrated brilliant guitar player adding greatly to Bob Dylan’s best tour & best album.”
Stephen Stills – “Always kind and generous. Rest in peace, Robbie Robertson.”
Bryan Adams – “RIP Robbie Robertson. Thanks for the amazing music and the great hangs, especially photographing you in LA not so long ago. We’ll keep Anna Lee company for you…”
Rod Stewart– “So sad to hear of dear Robbie Robinson (sic) passing. I’ll be dedicating #brokenarrow to this legendary guitarist at my show in Vancouver on Friday.”
Jason Isbell – “My heart breaks for the family of @r0bbier0berts0n, and I think it’s safe to say that without his influence the music we love and the music we make would be very different from what it is.”
Kiefer Sutherland – “The loss of Robbie Robertson is heartbreaking. Canada has lost an icon, and music has lost a poet and a scholar.”
Kings of Leon’s Nathan Followiill – “RIP Robbie Robertson. The Band will forever be one of my biggest influences.”
Rob Reiner – “So sorry to hear about Robbie Robertson’s passing. His music felt timeless when he wrote it and remains timeless. Thoughts and love to his family.”
Director Martin Scorsese is paying tribute to his friend and longtime collaborator, The Band‘s Robbie Robertson, who passed away Wednesday, August 9, at the age of 80.
In a statement, Scorsese called the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer “one of my closest friends, a constant in my life and my work.”
The pair collaborated 14 times. Not only did Scorsese direct The Band’s iconic documentary, 1978’s The Last Waltz, but Robertson wrote the music for many of Scorsese’s films, including 1980’s Raging Bull and his upcoming release Killers of the Flower Moon, which is due out in October.
“I could always go to him as a confidante. A collaborator. An advisor. I tried to be the same for him,” Scorsese continued. “Long before we ever met, his music played a central role in my life—me and millions and millions of other people all over this world. The Band’s music, and Robbie’s own later solo music, seemed to come from the deepest place at the heart of this continent, its traditions and tragedies and joys.”
He adds, “It goes without saying that he was a giant, that his effect on the art form was profound and lasting. There’s never enough time with anyone you love. And I loved Robbie.”
Robbie Robertson, best known as the guitarist and main songwriter for Rock & Roll Hall of Famers The Band, has died after a long illness, his publicist has confirmed to The Associated Press. He was 80.
Variety reports that a statement from Robertson’s manager reads, “Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, including his wife, Janet, his ex-wife, Dominique, her partner Nicholas, and his children Alexandra, Sebastian, Delphine, and Delphine’s partner Kenny,” as well as his five grandchildren. No cause of death was given.
The statement notes that Robertson had recently finished working with his longtime friend and collaborator Martin Scorsese on music for Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon.
In lieu of flowers, the statement requests that donations be made to the Six Nations of the Grand River to build their new cultural center; Robertson’s mother, Rosemarie Dolly Chrysler, was Mohawk, one of the Six Nations. His biological father, Alexander Klegerman, died in a car accident before he was born. Robertson’s First Nation heritage later inspired much of his solo work.
Robertson, born in Toronto, was a member of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins‘ backup band, The Hawks, along with Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson. After leaving Hawkins, the musicians toured as Bob Dylan‘s backup band and recorded the legendary “basement tapes” with him in 1967.
As The Band, they released their debut album, Music from Big Pink, in 1968. Their rootsy sound influenced everyone from Elton John and Eric Clapton to The Beatles. As The Band’s guitarist and primary songwriter, Robertson wrote such classics as “The Weight,” “Up On Cripple Creek” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”
The Band split in 1976 amid personal conflicts and substance abuse issues; they said goodbye at a star-studded farewell concert documented in the Scorsese-directed film The Last Waltz. Robertson went on to work with Scorsese on music for movies including Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Casino, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman, and on other TV and movie soundtracks. He also worked as an A&R rep at DreamWorks, helping to sign Nelly Furtado, among other acts.
Robertson released six solo albums; his self-titled 1987 debut featured contributions from U2‘s Bono and Peter Gabriel, and included the rock hit “Somewhere Down the Crazy River.” Robertson and The Band were inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
New bronze sculptures celebrating The Rolling Stones‘ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have been unveiled in their hometown of Dartford, Kent, England, The Guardian reports.
The statues, which are being called The Glimmer Twins, were unveiled Wednesday, August 9, at One Bell Corner, which is close to the town center. Richards’ daughter Angela and granddaughter Ava were on hand.
The Glimmer Twins are the creation of sculptor Amy Goodman, who captured the rockers midperformance: Richards playing his guitar and Mick strutting with a microphone in his hand. “I was a nervous wreck,” she said about the project. “There was a lot of pressure because they are such icons.”
“Many Dartfordians have gone on to change our world, but in terms of culture and music you don’t get much more influential than The Rolling Stones,” Jeremy Kite, leader of the Dartford Borough Council, previously said about the pair. “Their music has changed the face of popular music and these lads from Dartford are now two of the most recognizable and loved people in the world.”
Jagger and Richards, who were childhood friends, reunited as teenagers in 1961 at the Dartford Railway Station. It was then that they started talking about music and decided to form a musical partnership that eventually became The Rolling Stones.
