Classic Rock News

Hard-rock band Ruffyunz has just released its second album, Ruffyunz II, which includes contributions from a variety of well-known musicians.

Among the guest artists featured on the record are Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey, former Blue Oyster Cult/Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli, Night Ranger/ex-Whitesnake guitarist Joel Hoekstra, one-time Pat Travers bassist Pat Thrall and former Dio guitarist Tracy G.

Ruffyunz II is available to listen to for free at HyperspaceRecords.com. The core members of Ruffyunz are veteran singer Ed Terry, Emmy-winning engineer JZ Barrell and Randy Pratt of Cactus on bass.

A music video for one of the album’s tracks, the heavy-grooving “Hype in My Head,” has premiered on Hyperspace Records’ official YouTube channel. Airey, Rondinelli and Thrall all lent their talents to the song.

Here’s the full track list of Ruffyunz II:

“Hype in My Head”
“Back It on Up”
“Undercover Agent for the Blues”
“Doesn’t Matter”
“Candyman”
“Dark Side”
“Slither Man”
“Bubbles”
“Can’t Slow Down”
“Keep It Coming”
“The Game”

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Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson has released a new song called “Amigo Amiga” that pays tribute to her friend, late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

The melancholy tune, which Wilson began writing on the night that Hawkins died, got its premiere Monday at Consequence.net along with a lyric video featuring footage of Nancy singing the song and playing acoustic guitar.

“I heard myself in tears saying ‘too soon too soon’ which became a refrain in the song,” Wilson explains to Consequence. “I spent quite a few sleepless nights trying to express it all. He was a wonderful friend and we always had funny pet names for each other like ‘Amigo’ and ‘Amiga’ as well as ‘Luv’ and ‘Dahling.'”

Hawkins was featured on a song called “Party at the Angel Ballroom” that appeared on Nancy’s 2021 debut solo studio album, You and Me. Wilson is also among the many stars scheduled to perform at the second of two Hawkins tribute concerts organized by the Foo Fighters, taking place this Tuesday, September 27 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.

“It is such a painful loss — but it also feels like Taylor has galvanized and re-energized rock ‘n’ roll with so many of his musician friends and fans coming together,” Wilson says. “It’s a new renaissance Taylor and the Foo family have gifted us all.”

All proceeds raised by sales of the track will be donated to the Recording Academy’s MusiCares charity.

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Elton John shouted out his artistically gifted fans by unveiling an exciting opportunity for two of them — the chance to design the official artwork for his and Britney Spears‘ new song, “Hold Me Closer.”

“I’ve seen so much amazing fan art of @britneyspears and me for ‘Hold Me Closer,’ we knew we had to do something special with it,” the hitmaker revealed on Instagram while sharing a collection of four fan-made images for the song. Elton then revealed he needs fans to help him pick the one that’ll be upgraded to official artwork.

“Pick your favourite of these amazing works and the top 2 will feature on the newly announced ‘Hold Me Closer’ limited-edition CD single, available to pre-order from Tuesday,” he announced, directing fans to vote on his official website.

Elton will reveal the winners soon.

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Styx has unveiled plans to return to The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas early next year for a new five-show residency.

The concerts will take place on January 27 and 28, and February 1, 3 and 4. The 2023 residency follows Styx’s September 2021 and early 2022 engagements at the same venue, which is located inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.

Tickets for the new Vegas shows will go on sale to the general public this Friday, September 30 at 10 a.m. PT. Styx fan club members will be able to buy pre-sale tickets starting Tuesday, September 27 at 10 a.m. PT, while Live Nation customers and members of The Venetian Resort’s Grazie loyalty program can purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Wednesday, September 28 at 10 a.m PT.

You can buy tickets via Ticketmaster.com, VenetianLasVegas.com, the box offices at the resort, and by calling 702-414-9000 or 866-641-7469.

A limited amount of VIP packages also will be available.

Meanwhile, Styx is preparing to launch a Canadian tour featuring Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson and her solo group as the supporting act. The trek is mapped out from an October 5 concert in Victoria through an October 18 show in Winnipeg. Wilson and her group were also Styx’s special guests at the 2022 Vegas residency.

Styx also has a couple of U.S. headlining shows scheduled for December and early January. Visit StyxWorld.com to check out the group’s full list of dates.

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David Lee Roth has posted the third in a series of new, live-in-the-studio solo versions of classic Van Halen songs at his official YouTube channel.

The latest installment of the “Roth Lives!” series is a joyous rendition of Van Halen’s 1979 hit “Dance the Night Away,” which originally appeared n the band’s sophomore album, Van Halen II, and reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Roth’s updated version of the song includes a little guitar riff near the end nicked from the Them classic “Gloria.”

Accompanying the YouTube clip is a poster-like image of a vintage pinup model controlling two small Diamond Daves on puppet strings.

Earlier this month, Diamond Dave debuted new renditions of the Van Halen tunes “Panama” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” on his YouTube channel. All three tracks were recorded in May of this year at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles with the current members of his solo backing band — guitarist Al Estrada, bassist Ryan Wheeler and drummer Francis Valentino.

None of the new tracks have been made available as digital downloads or via major streaming services.

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When Elton John dropped by the White House on Friday to perform at an event on the South Lawn, he was surprised by a special gift from President Biden: the National Humanities Medal.

Elton performed at A Night When Hope and History Rhyme, an event organized in collaboration with The History Channel and A+E Networks. In addition to celebrating the healing power of music, the event paid tribute to Elton’s philanthropic work, as well as his musical achievements.

“On behalf of the American people, thank you — and I sincerely mean this — for moving the soul of the nation,” the president told Elton. 

Elton entertained the crowd with favorites like “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “I’m Still Standing,” and “Crocodile Rock,” a favorite of the Biden family.  He also spoke about his work with his Elton John AIDS Foundation, praising the American people and the U.S. government for their generosity in helping him in his fight to eradicate the disease.

But Elton was shocked when Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden presented him with the Medal, given to people those “activities, contributions, and achievements have significantly enriched the educational, intellectual, and cultural life of the nation.”

“I said to the First Lady, I’m never flabbergasted but I’m flabbergasted. And humbled,” said Elton. “It will make me double my efforts to make sure this disease [AIDS] goes away.”

On Instagram, he wrote, “There is so much more to be done to reach the most vulnerable communities – thank you to everyone who has joined and supported us so far on our mission to make sure no one is left behind.“

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Cars guitarist Elliot Easton and Def Leppard bassist Rick Savage are among the new additions to the lineup for Foo Fighters‘ upcoming Los Angeles-area tribute concert to late drummer Taylor Hawkins, taking place this Tuesday, September 27 at the Kia Forum.

Other artists who’ve joined the bill include Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Yes vocalist and Hawkins’ childhood friend Jon Davison, Tool drummer Danny Carey and The Pretty Reckless‘ Taylor Momsen.

Additionally, The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins and pop star Kesha, who performed at the London tribute earlier this month, have been added to the LA lineup.

Previously announced participants, many of whom also played the London concert, include Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones, Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Queen‘s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Phil Collen, Black Sabbath‘s Geezer Butler, The Police‘s Stewart Copeland, Heart‘s Nancy Wilson, the Joe Walsh-fronted James Gang, Joan Jett, Mötley Crüe‘s Nikki Sixx, Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Chad Smith, Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich and Nirvana‘s Krist Novoselic.

Additionally, Dave Grohl‘s daughter Violet and Hawkins’ son Shane will perform. Foo Fighters’ performance of “My Hero” with Shane on drums was widely considered to be one of the main highlights of the six-hour London concert.

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Dave Mason has announced a fall tour, followed by the release of his autobiography in early 2023.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will kick off the trek October 29 in Thousand Oaks, California, wrapping things up November 20 in Tucson, Arizona. Starting January 25, he’ll play a string of shows in Florida, which run through February 26.

“There is nothing quite like performing live. I love it!” Mason says in a statement

Also in early 2023, Mason will publish Only You Know & I Know, in which he’ll share “some of the great untold tales in rock and roll.” He’s certainly got plenty of those: In addition to being a founding member of Traffic, he has played and recorded with Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, George Harrison and The Rolling Stones, and was a member of Fleetwood Mac.

Dave’s most recent album is 2020’s Alone Together…Again, a rerecorded version of his 1970 debut solo album, Alone Together.

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Dead & Company has come to the end of The Golden Road. The band took to Instagram on Friday to announce some good news and bad news: The Grateful Dead spinoff group is going to tour next summer, but that trek will be their last one.

“As we put the finishing touches on booking venues, and understanding that word travels fast, we wanted to be the first to let you know that Dead & Company will be hitting the road next summer for what will be our final tour,” reads the message on the band’s Instagram page.

“Stay tuned for a full list of dates for what will surely be an exciting, celebratory, and heartfelt last run of shows. With love and appreciation, Dead & Company.”

Dead & Company, formed in 2015, includes John Mayer, former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and bassist Otiel Burbridge. Their most recent tour was last year.

The band had previously announced plans for a 2023 edition of their Playing in the Sand destination festival, set for Moon Palace Cancún in Rivera Cancún, Mexico, from January 14 to January 17, 2023. 

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Pink Floyd has had many iconic album covers — The Dark Side of The Moon and The Wall come to mind. But the cover of its 1977 album Animals is up there: it shows London’s Battersea Power Station, with a pink pig floating between the chimneys. Now, fans are convinced the band plans to recreate the album cover to promote its newest archival release: Animals (2018 Remix), which features a 5.1 surround sound mix created in 2018.

A message posted on the band’s social media pages Friday reads, “To mark the release of Pink Floyd’s Animals 2018 Remix, London’s Battersea Power Station will be an eminently suitable canvas next Wednesday and Thursday, between 8:30pm – 11pm, with a sneak preview on Tuesday night at the same time, as a test run.”

The message is accompanied by the artwork from the release, which shows Battersea Power Station as it is today, with the iconic pig, nicknamed “Algie,” floating above it.

There’s speculation that the band plans to float an inflatable pig above the station in real life on September 27, 28 and 29, or that Pink Floyd members will make an appearance there, or both.

The deluxe box set comes out October 7, but the CD and Blu-ray versions are available now.

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