Classic Rock News

The fourth installment of Aerosmith‘s five-week archival streaming concert series, 50 Years Live!: From the Aerosmith Vaults, premieres Friday at 3 p.m. ET on the band’s official YouTube channel.

The flick captures the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers performing in September 2003 at Detroit’s Comerica Park during the Rocksimus Maximus Tour, a co-headlining trek with KISS.

The show features a rendition of Aerosmith’s 2001 hit “Jaded,” as well as such classics as “Walk This Way,” “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Mama Kin,” “Love in an Elevator” and “Cryin’.” The band also played some select covers, including Aretha Franklin‘s “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” and the early Fleetwood Mac gem “Stop Messin’ Around.”

The film, which has been remastered in HD from the original master tapes, will be viewable for one week after its premiere.

As previously reported, the five-part series is offering new archival “official bootleg” concert films featuring never-before-seen footage debuting weekly. Each flick captures Aerosmith during a different decade.

One day after each film premieres, highlight clips from the respective movies will be added to Aerosmith’s YouTube channel.

The 50 Years Live! series concludes next Friday with a 2016 concert that Aerosmith played in Mexico City. The band is then scheduled to begin its 50th anniversary tour plans, which include a September 4 concert in Bangor, Maine, a September 8 show at Boston’s Fenway Park and two eight-date Las Vegas residencies at the Dolby Live at Park MGM venue. The Vegas engagements run from September 14 to October 5 and November 19 to December 11.

Here’s the remaining schedule of the 50 Years Live!: From the Aerosmith Vaults series:

8/19 — Live from Comerica Park, Detroit, MI, 2003 (Rocksimus Maximus Tour)
8/26 — Live from Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City, 2016 (Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble Tour)

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Sammy Hagar & The Circle have released a raucous, hard-rocking version of Elvis Costello and the Attractions‘ classic 1978 song “Pump It Up” as the second advance track from their forthcoming studio album, Crazy Times, which is due out September 30.

The song is available now as a digital download and via streaming platforms, while a companion music video has debuted at Hagar’s official YouTube channel.

Explaining how he and his band wound up recording the tune, Hagar notes, “‘Pump It Up’ has been a Circle go-to backstage jam before shows. When we went in the studio with [producer] Dave Cobb, we were jamming it, getting the levels on all the instruments, headphones, mixes, etc. After an hour or so, Cobb said come on in and have a listen. We all looked at each other and said, ‘Wow sounds pretty f***ing good’ and it became our first track we recorded for the album.”

As previously reported, Crazy Times is a 10-song collection that features nine songs either written or co-written by Hagar, plus “Pump It Up.”

The album, which can be preordered now, will be released on CD and via digital formats on September 30, while standard black-vinyl and limited-edition red-vinyl LP versions will follow on October 28.

The album’s title track was previously released as an advance track, along with a companion music video.

Meanwhile, after about a month break from touring, Hagar and the band will return to the road this Sunday with a performance at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. A new leg of the group’s Crazy Times! Tour with support act George Thorogood and the Destroyers will kick off August 23 in Clarkston, Michigan.

Visit RedRocker.com to check out Hagar’s full schedule.

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This Sunday, August 21, would’ve been the 70th birthday of the late Joe Strummer, frontman of the hugely influential British punk band The Clash.

Strummer, who was born John Mellor, joined the group that became The Clash in 1976 after playing in a pub rock band The 101’ers.

Known for his gruff vocals and intense performance style, Strummer co-wrote nearly all The Clash’s original songs, usually with the group’s lead guitarist and second singer Mick Jones. The band was initially best known for their fast, hard-charging songs that featured left-leaning political and social themes, although the group also embraced reggae.

The Clash later experimented with hip hop, funk, and other musical genres.

The band enjoyed immediate commercial success in the U.K., but it wasn’t until their third album, the 1979 double-LP London Calling, that the group began garnering major attention in the U.S.

The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200 and featured the memorable title track, as well as the Jones-sung “Train in Vain,” which reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Clash’s fifth album, 1982’s Combat Rock, was their commercial high point, peaking at #7 on the Billboard 200 and featuring the #8 Hot 100 hit “Rock the Casbah.”

After The Clash broke up in 1986, Strummer released various of solo projects. He also contributed songs to a number of movie soundtracks, and composed the score to the 1987 film Walker. Joe also acted in several films, including 1989’s Mystery Train.

Strummer’s recorded his last few albums with The Mescaleros, a group that combined various musical influences.

Strummer died in December 2002 of a heart attack cause by an undiagnosed heart defect. He was 50.

Joe was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with The Clash in 2003.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers will receive the Global Icon Award at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.

The honor, which was given to Foo Fighters in 2021, “celebrates an artist or band whose unparalleled career and continued impact and influence has maintained a unique level of global success in music and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on the music landscape.”

In addition to being named Global Icons, the Chili Peppers will perform at the VMA ceremony. The last time the “Californication” outfit performed on the VMAs was all the way back in 2000, when they won the Video Vanguard Award.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are also VMA nominees this year. They’re up for the Best Rock prize with their video for “Black Summer.”

The 2022 MTV VMAs take place next Sunday, August 28.

In other Red Hot Chili Peppers news, the band has released a new song called “Tippa My Tongue.” The track is the first single off the band’s upcoming album Return of the Dream Canteen, due out October 14.

You can listen to “Tippa My Tongue” now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

Return of the Dream Canteen is the second Red Hot Chili Peppers album of 2022, following April’s Unlimited Love.

RHCP’s current U.S. tour continues Friday in Chicago. The headlining outing is scheduled into mid-September.

Here’s the Return of the Dream Canteen track list:

“Tippa My Tongue”
“Peace and Love”
“Reach Out”
“Eddie”
“Fake as Fu@k”
“Bella”
“Roulette”
“My Cigarette”
“Afterlife”
“Shoot Me a Smile”
“Handful”
“The Drummer”
“Bag of Grins”
“La La La La La La La La”
“Copperbelly”
“Carry Me Home”
“In the Snow”

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Almost 50 years after beginning his professional music career, founding Toto keyboardist/singer/songwriter David Paich has released his debut solo EP, Forgotten Toys.

Paich co-produced the seven-track collection with longtime Toto frontman Joseph Williams, who also co-wrote and sang on three tunes, while founding Toto guitarist Steve Lukather contributed to multiple songs as well. David also enlisted a variety of other well-known musicians for the project, including Michael McDonald, ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder, Brian Eno, Elton John guitarist Davey Johnstone, Ray Parker Jr. and Rolling Stones touring drummer Steve Jordan.

Paich tells ABC Audio that he’s “excited” about releasing Forgotten Toys, which he describes as a “collection of little gems.”

“I’m giddy and have butterflies, like I did…when we released the first Toto album,” David says. “I think it’s fresh. It’s new for me…I have my fingers crossed that people will enjoy it out there as much as I enjoyed making it.”

He adds, “[T]he reward…was the actual making of the record, with the players that I made it with. And it was so much fun and so inspiring.”

Paich notes that doing the EP outside of Toto gave him the chance to collaborate with “other musicians who have been family and friends for such a long time…[but] that I normally wouldn’t work with.”

For example, the track “Queen Charade” features Felder on slide guitar and Jordan on drums, with additional guitar from Lukather.

David says the tune, which he calls “my rock ‘n’ roll song,” was influenced by The Stones, noting, “It’s a little more reckless than Toto gets sometimes.”

Coinciding with the EP’s arrival, Paich is releasing the melodic tune “willibelongtoyou” as a single today, along with a companion video.

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Here’s exciting news for Who fans with some disposable cash available: A 1965 Volkswagen camper van that was customized and restored in 2008 with a design inspired by the band’s 1968 hit “Magic Bus” is going up for bid at U.K.-based Silverstone Auctions on Saturday, August 27.

The vehicle, which was designed by the band’s longtime art director, Richard Evans, was originally raffled off in 2008 to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, for which Who singer Roger Daltrey has long been a patron. The Magic Bus currently is estimated to fetch between 60,000 and 80,000 pounds, or between about $72,000 and $95,000. A large donation from the money raised by the sale will go toward the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The van’s exterior paint job features The Who’s bull’s-eye logo on both sides, as well as images of the band’s four original members, while a large Union Jack flag appears on the roof. The inside boasts red, white and blue upholstery, with an embroidered Who logo appearing on the backrest of some seats. Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend have signed the cab’s two sun visors, while Evans autographed an interior wall of the van.

As an added bonus, the winning bidder will receive a limited-edition model of the Magic Bus, as well as some special merch.

Visit SilverstoneAuctions.com for more details about the sale.

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Founding INXS multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Andrew Farriss has just released a music video for the latest single from his 2021 self-titled debut solo album, the uplifting “You Are My Rock,” which premiered Thursday exclusively on the CMT Music channel and at CMT.com.

The video features Farriss and his backing musicians performing the tune in the outback of his native Australia. The tune combines the country influences showcased throughout most of the album with some rock and gospel flavors.

As Farriss explains in a YouTube video clip, “‘You Are My Rock’ is the last track, and I wanted to deliberately leave it ’til the end because I wanted to, basically, kick a** at the end of the record. The song is about thanking people in your life for opportunities that are given to you, for people that support you.”

He adds, “I’m simply saying thank you to everybody [for] listening to my album to get to the end of the song.”

Farriss has a few upcoming U.S. performances lined up to promote his album, including on August 22 in Lexington, Kentucky, and on September 15 at the AmericanaFest event in Nashville.

Farriss co-wrote most of INXS’ songs with the group’s late original frontman, Michael Hutchence, including such big hits as “What You Need,” “Need You Tonight,” “Devil Inside,” “New Sensation,” “Never Tear Us Apart” and “Suicide Blonde.”

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The Band‘s classic 1972 double live album, Rock of Ages, was released 50 years ago this week. To commemorate its anniversary, a series of previously unseen photos taken at the series of 1971 New York City concerts that were recorded for the album have been made available for the first time.

The color images, which were shot by acclaimed photographer Ernst Haas, capture The Band performing at New York’s Academy of Music venue. The group’s longtime friend and mentor Bob Dylan made a surprise appearance at the final show of the run, on New Year’s Eve, and he’s also featured in a couple of the photos. The photos have been posted at UDiscoverMusic.com.

Some of the photos Haas took at the concerts were featured in the original Rock of Ages packaging, while additional shots were included in the 2013 box set Live at the Academy of Music 1971, which boasted remixed versions of Rock of Ages‘ tracks, as well as a full soundboard recording of the New Year’s Eve show.

Rock of Ages peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, while a cover of the Marvin Gaye song “Baby Don’t Do It” — retitled “Don’t Do It” — reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Meanwhile, restored versions of performance videos for three songs shot at the concert have debuted on The Band’s official YouTube channel. The clips capture renditions of “Don’t Do It,” “King Harvest (Has Surely Come)” and “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show,” while a newly created lyric video for the latter performance has also been posted.

The Band also is celebrating Rock of Ages‘ 50th anniversary by making available a new lined of themed merchandise at their official store.

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Happy birthday, Frances Bean Cobain! The daughter of the late Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love celebrates turning 30 Thursday.

In an Instagram post reflecting on the milestone occasion, Cobain shares, “20-year-old Frances wasn’t sure that was going to happen.”

“At the time, an intrinsic sense of deep self loathing dictated by insecurity, destructive coping mechanisms & more trauma than my body or brain knew how to handle, informed how I saw myself and the world,” Cobain writes. “Through a lens of resentment for being brought into a life that seemingly attracted so much chaos and the kind of pain tied to grief that felt inescapable.”

Cobain then mentions an unspecified “event on a plane” that she experienced, which she says, “brought me closer in proximity to death.” However, Cobain feels that what happened “catapulted me towards running at this lived experience with radical gratitude.”

“I’m glad to have proven myself wrong & to have found ways to transform pain into knowledge,” Cobain shares.

“Entering this new decade I hope to stay soft no matter how hardening the world can feel at times, bask in the present moment with reverence, shower the people I am lucky enough to love with more appreciation than words could ever do justice & hold space to keep learning, so the growth never stops,” she continues. “I’m happy to be here & I’m happy you’re here too.”

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Elton John‘s been traveling the world on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, but he’s finally enjoying some much-deserved time off with his family.

As the Daily Mail reports, Elton, dressed in head-to-toe Gucci, was spotted on a yacht in the South of France Wednesday with his husband, David Furnish, and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah. His tour won’t resume until September 7 in Toronto, so he’s got plenty of vacation time left. And he’ll need it: The tour isn’t scheduled to wrap up until the summer of 2023.

Meanwhile, it hasn’t been confirmed, but Elton’s much-anticipated collaboration with Britney Spears, “Hold Me Closer,” is rumored to be coming out on Friday. Not much is known about it, other than it appears to be an interpolation, reworking or remix of Elton’s classic “Tiny Dancer.”

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