Paul McCartney landed a new number one when “Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)” topped the Billboard Hot 100, his first solo track to top the charts since 1971.
The studio version of the song appeared on McCartney’s 1980 solo album McCartney II. It was actually the one released as a single, with the live version as the B-side, but Columbia Records promoted the live version, and radio stations played it, helping it to rise to #1.
“Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)” is one of nine solo number ones for McCartney. That doesn’t include the number ones he had with The Beatles.
Paul McCartney’s new photo exhibit, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm, is set to open at London’s National Portrait Gallery on Wednesday, June 28, and he hosted a special preview Monday that brought out many of his superstar friends.
Photos posted to Instagram show that guests at the celebration included Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, John Lennon’s son Julian Lennon and even former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Photos also show McCartney posing with wife Nancy Shevell, and daughters Stella and Mary McCartney.
Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Stormis set to run until October 1 and feature more than 250 never-before-seen photographs taken by McCartney. The portraits on display are from McCartney’s own archive, and were taken between December 1963 and February 1964, giving fans an insight into his point of view as The Beatles were becoming international superstars.
Neal Schon is paying tribute to legendary guitarist EddieVan Halen. The Journey guitarist shared a video of him shredding on his EVH Striped Series guitar, which resembles Eddie’s red striped guitar, but in white.
“A little tribute to Ed. It was so amazing to be on Van Halen’s 1st tour with him,” Schon writes in the Instagram post, referring to Journey’s 1978 tour, which featured Van Halen as openers. “I watched him annihilate every single night and was grateful I didn’t have to follow him.”
Journey doesn’t currently have any tours on the books but they do have one show scheduled for July 1 in Provo, Utah. They wrapped their 50th anniversary Freedom tour in April.
ZZ Top’s BillyGibbons is giving fans an update on the band’s next album and says the late Dusty Hill will be represented on the record.
Gibbons tells Classic Rock that the band is “currently reviewing the tracks that deserve completion” for the next record, noting that both Dusty, who passed away in 2021, and his replacement, Elwood Francis, are on it.
“What’s fascinating is that we have three or four tracks with them both, they’re trading off,” he says. “The only tell-tale difference is that Dusty, playing with his fingers, sounds a little warmer.“
Gibbons says they “hope” to have the album out sometime this year, but notes, “We’ve got lots of road work ahead,” referring to ZZ Top’s upcoming Sharped Dressed Simple Man Tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd. The trek kicks off July 21 in West Palm Beach, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at zztop.com.
In the same article, Gibbons also reveals he has an unfinished song with the late Jeff Beck, inspired by Beck’s love of chocolate and the time he mistook a box of chocolate malt balls for chocolate meatballs.
“We had a big laugh, and I suggested we write a song called ‘Chocolate Meatballs,'” he explains. “We got a half of it done. You’ve reminded me that it needs to be finished.”
Judas Priest‘s Richie Faulkner has announced a new signature guitar in collaboration with Gibson.
The Richie Faulkner Flying V Custom is a personalized take on the famed model, complete with a falcon inlay on the 12th fret in reference to the guitarist’s nickname.
The Ronnie James Dio documentary, Dreamers Never Die,will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 29.
The film follows the late metal icon’s life, from his early bands and his stint with Black Sabbath in place of Ozzy Osbourne to the formation of his namesake band Dio and his death in 2010 of stomach cancer. It first premiered at the 2022 South by Southwest festival and was shown in theaters later that year.
Among those interviewed for the doc include Sabbath’s Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, Lita Ford, Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford and Tenacious D‘s Jack Black.
“I wanted this documentary to be authentic, for the fans to see the roller coaster ride that was Ronnie’s life — the good times, the bad times and everything in between, especially including events that even the most diehard fans would not have known about,” says Ronnie’s widow and longtime manager, Wendy Dio. “It’s all in there, right up to the very end.”
The Blu-ray and DVD release will also include 20 minutes of bonus footage.
R.E.M.’s 1995 single “Strange Currencies” is gaining renewed interest thanks to its appearance on season 2 of The Bear, and now, the band has released a new video to capitalize on that.
The video for “Strange Currencies (Remix)” features clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the hit FX series, starring Jeremy Allen White. It also includes footage from Road Movie, a documentary about R.E.M.’s 1995 tour.
Several versions of “Strange Currencies” appear throughout season 2 of The Bear, including the original, the remix — which was part of the 2019 remix of Monster — and a never-before-heard demo, making its debut on the series. The original, the remix and a live version of the track, featured in Road Movie, are part of a new digital EP on streaming services now.
“The Bear is hands down my favorite show of last year – I cannot wait to dive into episodes for season 2. Having incorporated R.E.M. songs into their universe makes it even sweeter,” R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe shares. Bassist Mike Mills adds, “I’m so glad The Bear exists. It has become one of my favorite TV shows, and I can’t wait to watch more of it.”
The Bear’s creator Christopher Storer and Executive Producer Josh Senior are both big R.E.M. fans, and they’ve included the band’s music on the show in the past, with season 1 featuring the Collapse Into Now track “Oh My Heart.” Season 2’s finale also includes the Out of Time tune “Half A World Away.”
William Shatner‘s all-star prog rock album Ponder the Mystery is getting reissued for its 10th anniversary, with a new mix by famed producer Jürgen Engler.
Originally released October 8, 2013, the album features guest appearances by rockers like Yes’ Rick Wakemen, guitarist Steve Vai, The Doors’ Robby Krieger, The Clash’s Mick Jones and more. At the time of the release, Shatner called the project “quite possibly the most creative thing I have ever done.”
Shatner has given fans their first taste of the reissue, dropping the new version of the title track, which features Vai on guitar.
The new mix of Ponder the Mystery will be released August 25 on CD, vinyl and digital and is now available for preorder.
Here’s the track list for Ponder the Mystery:
“Red Shift”
“Where It’s Gone…I Don’t Know” feat. Mick Jones
“Manhunt” feat. Simon House
“Ponder The Mystery” feat. Steve Vai
“So Am I” feat. Al Di Meola
“Change” feat. Rick Wakeman
“Sunset” feat. Joel Vandroogenbroeck
“Twilight” feat. Edgar Winter
“Rhythm Of The Night” feat. Nik Turner
“Imagine Things” feat. Vince Gill
“Do You See?” feat. Edgar Froese
“Deep Down” feat. Robby Krieger
“I’m Alright, I Think” feat. Dave Koz
“Where Does Time Go?” feat. George Duke
“Alive “feat. Zoot Horn Rollo
Wolfgang Van Halen has released a new song called “Take a Bow” with his Mammoth WVH band.
The track was recorded using the original Frankenstein guitar owned by Wolf’s dad, Eddie Van Halen, as well as an amp belonging to the late Van Halen shredder.
“I played the solo on the original Frankenstein guitar and through dad’s original Marshall head and one of the original cabinets,” Wolf shares. “It’s straight up what he used on the earliest Van Halen records. It makes me happy to capture some of dad’s history on this song forever.”
“Take a Bow” will appear on the upcoming sophomore Mammoth WVH album, Mammoth II, due out August 4. Mammoth II also includes the previously released songs “Another Celebration at the End of the World” and “Like a Pastime.”
Mammoth WVH will be on tour throughout the summer and fall, playing shows with Metallica, Alter Bridge and Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard.
Yes fans hoping to see a reunion between bandmates Steve Howe and Jon Anderson probably shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for it to happen.
In a new interview with Classic Rock, Howe explains why a reunion isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. He tells the mag he’s “absolutely hesitant” to do it because of what he calls “the fiasco of the Union tour,” which took place in 1991 and featured eight past and current members of Yes.
“It was very, very difficult and out of control,” Howe says. “Sometimes I might have thought, ‘Well, one day maybe,’ and one never wants to say never, but basically I can’t see it.”
Howe says that while he loves Anderson, “I’m a lot older now, and so is he, and the only terms I work on is that I’m happy working on this. I’m not going to take a sudden load on my back that I either don’t need or want.”
He adds, “My music’s always guided me, and it’s not telling me to do those things. It’s telling me to go forwards. If it keeps steering me where it is now, then it’s great to have this live and vibrant Yes.”
