Classic Rock News

Queen continues to highlight their connection to their fans in the latest episode of their weekly YouTube series, Queen The Greatest Live, titled “Vocal Games.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are known for having loads of songs their audience can sing along to, and frontman Freddie Mercury was known for his ability to challenge the crowd to match his vocal prowess. Well, in this episode, we get to see a prime example of that.

It features a clip from the band’s 1982 show at the U.K. Milton Keynes Bowl in England, with Freddie getting the audience to join him for some vocal challenges.  

“I’m gonna make you sing like Aretha Franklin!” he tells the crowd as he sits at the end of the stage. They then aptly match him note for note before he finally lets them know, “Alright, you can join the band.”

Next week on Queen The Greatest Live: “Radio Ga Ga.”

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Pearl Jam‘s concert at Chicago’s United Center on Thursday, September 7, turned into a surprise ceremony in honor of hockey star Chris Chelios.

During the show, frontman Eddie Vedder invited Chelios onstage to inform him that the Chicago Blackhawks would be retiring his jersey number. In addition to having played for the Blackhawks for many years during his historic Hall of Fame career, Chelios is also originally from the Windy City.

“The band and I are deeply honored to be the ones who get to tell you in front of all these fine people that before [Blackhawks owner] Mr. [Rocky] Wirtz passed, it was one of his last wishes that you would be honored,” Vedder told Chelios.

The Blackhawks posted footage of the moment on social media. Chelios’ jersey will officially be retired during a pregame ceremony held February 25, 2024.

Chelios, by the way, wasn’t the only athlete to get a shoutout during PJ’s Chicago show. In footage posted by the United Center, Vedder told a story about how Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman, who’s a well-known Pearl Jam fan, gave Eddie’s grandmother his jersey after Game 1 against the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals.

“[My grandmother] was so inspired, she had this jersey and showed it off to all her friends, and then she ended up getting this massive back tattoo of Dennis,” Vedder joked. Or, at least, we think he was joking.

As for the actual music, the show’s set list included a cover of The Rolling Stones song “Street Fighting Man.”

Pearl Jam’s tour continues Sunday, September 10, in Indianapolis.

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On This Day, September 8, 1990…

Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi landed his first and only solo #1 single with “Blaze of Glory” from the soundtrack to the hit movie Young Guns II, starring Emilio Estevez.

Emilio originally wanted to use the Bon Jovi track “Wanted Dead or Alive” for the movie, but the rocker instead opted to write an original tune with lyrics he felt were more appropriate for a Western about famed outlaw Billy the Kid.

The track, which featured Jeff Beck on guitar, went on to win a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award; it lost to “Sooner Or Later (I Always Get My Man)” from the movie Dick Tracy.

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Rod Stewart recently launched his own brand of Scotch whisky, Wolfie’s, in the U.K. and Europe, and he’s about to bring it to his American fans, as well. And while it’s not surprising Rod would have his own Scotch — he’s very proud of his Scottish heritage, after all — it is surprising Rod would have a product he doesn’t actually like.

“I was very ill on [whisky] it when I was 15 so I find it hard to drink,” Rod tells Forbes. “Although this one it has a special taste to it. It’s almost like ice cream and custard — it’s just gorgeous. But I still prefer to drink mine as a martini.”

In fact, Rod’s favorite is an appletini, but he’ll only drink after he gets offstage. “I can’t [drink] whisky martinis before [a show],” he says. “Alcohol is not great for the voice … Usually, I’ll drink the whisky on a night off. “

And Rod says that while some women might think they don’t like whisky, Wolfie’s will change their minds.

“Obviously, everything in moderation but this … is made for the gentle sex,” Rod says. “I like it, so they might like it! That ice cream, custard, apple pie [taste] … you don’t screw your face up when you swallow it.”

Asked to share his best drinking memory, Rod mentions his tenure with Faces, a band that was notorious for their drunken antics.

“When I was in the Faces we used to have a bar on stage and a barman and a couple of women dressed up as schoolgirls going around serving,” he recalls. “Wouldn’t get away with that anymore.”

But, “I’d like to have a bar on stage one day again.”

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Bonnie Raitt and Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are among the artists booked to perform on the upcoming 49th season of Austin City Limits.

Benatar and Giraldo are set to tape their ACL debut on September 24. Raitt is booked for October 15, with Nashville-based singer/songwriter Sunny War joining her as special guest.

This will be Raitt’s first ACL performance in over a decade. She made her ACL debut in 1984 and last appeared on the program in 2012, although she did perform on the 2014 40th anniversary special. She was also inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Other artists booked for season 49 include Foo Fighters, Alanis Morissette and Brittney Spencer.

Austin City Limits airs on PBS. Episodes will also be available to stream via PBS.org.

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Billy Idol is headed to the Super Bowl. While the rocker isn’t headlining the halftime show, he will be performing, with his show taking place ahead of the big game. 

Idol announced on social media that he’ll headline a special pregame concert for Club 67 and Touchdown Club guests at Allegiant Stadium.

To get to see Idol, fans will have to purchase special Super Bowl experience packages, which include tickets to the game, the pregame concert and more. They don’t come cheap, though, with packages starting at over $8,500 a person.

Super Bowl LVIII will go down February 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

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Lady Gaga is one of the many guest stars on The Rolling Stones‘ new album, Hackney Diamonds, but apparently her participation in the project was pretty much an accident.

Stones frontman Mick Jagger told The Associated Press at the band’s album launch event in London Wednesday that Gaga just happened to be recording in the studio next door to them and popped in to say hello. That led to her contributing to the song “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.”

“She walked in next to me and we started singing together,” Jagger said. “She sang it live and then we went in and tidied it up a bit.”

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood told Sky News, “She was sitting on the floor in the studio and Mick said, ‘Don’t just sit there and hum! Get up, let’s record this!'” He added, “She’s lovely, very talented and lovely.”

As previously reported, in 2012 Gaga joined the Stones onstage for a performance of their classic “Gimme Shelter,” which is documented on the Stones’ 2023 concert album, Grrr Live!

The first single from Hackney Diamonds, “Angry,” is out now with a video starring Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney. Hackney Diamonds is out October 20.

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Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood and The Police’s Stewart Copeland are among the artists coming together to help raise money for the victims of the Maui wildfires. Both artists are set to take part in #MauiStrong, a live stream event happening Friday, September 8, on YouTube. 

Mick is set to perform alongside Gretchen Rhodes “and friends,” while Copeland will lead a “Drums for Maui” segment, backed by some local musicians from the island. The live stream will be a mix of art, music and storytelling and will also feature LL Cool J, Sarah McLachlan, Ziggy Marley, Lukas Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff and others .

Funds raised will benefit the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund as well as the Recording Academy charity MusicCares. A future soundtrack from the event will also benefit the two organizations.

#MauiStrong will premiere at 8 p.m. ET on Marley’s YouTube channel. Those interested in donating will be able to do so by clicking a button right on the watch page. 

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This fall marks 50 years since David Bowie released his covers compilation, Pin Ups. The anniversary is being celebrated with a vinyl reissue of the album.

Recorded in France and released October 19, 1973, Pin Ups featured Bowie covering tracks from such artists as The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, The Who, Pretty Things, The Easybeats and more, all artists who influenced Bowie. The album went to #1 in the U.K. and featured an iconic cover image of Bowie with model Twiggy, a photo that was originally supposed to be used for the cover of Vogue.

The 50th anniversary vinyl will be released on October 20 as a limited edition half-speed mastered LP from restored masters of the original tapes. It is available for preorder now. 

Here is the track list for Pin Ups:

“Rosalyn”
“Here Comes The Night”
“I Wish You Would”
“See Emily Play”
“Everything’s Alright”
“I Can’t Explain”
“Friday On My Mind”
“Sorrow”
“Don’t Bring Me Down”
“Shapes Of Things”
“Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere”
“Where Have All The Good Times Gone”

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Joni Mitchell has just treated fans to a never-before-heard song, “Like Veils Said Lorraine,” which will appear on her upcoming box set, Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975).

The song, which was recorded in late 1971/early 1972 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California, is one of several previously unreleased demos featured on the set, which will be released October 6.

In addition to the demos, Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) will also feature performances and early and alternative versions of songs from three of her albums: 1972’s For The Roses, 1974’s Court And Spark and 1975’s The Hissing Of Summer Lawns.

It will be released in a variety of formats, including a five-CD/digital version and a shorter four-LP version, and is available for preorder now.

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