Classic Rock News

Michael Stipe has collaborated with famed producer Brian Eno on a new single titled “Future If Future” that’s one of about 100 songs that will be released by various artists via Bandcamp this Earth Day, April 22, to benefit groups focused on fighting the global climate crisis and to raise awareness about the issue.

In an interview with U.K. newspaper The Guardian on Friday, Eno revealed that he’d just completed the track with the former R.E.M. singer that day.

“This will be the first time I’ve worked with him, though I did sing with him once on Saturday Night Live or something like that,” Eno explained. “I’m very pleased with the way it’s gone. It’s a very good song, a very Stipe song. Beautiful lyrics, extraordinary piece.”

The Eno-founded EarthPercent organization has launched the Earth Day campaign, which asks artists to contribute new exclusive songs that will be available for download and streaming at Bandcamp. Proceeds raised will go toward organizations developing promising solutions to the climate crisis.

Among the other artists set to contribute songs to the initiative is Coldplay, whose last two studio albums were produced by Eno.

Part of EarthPercent’s mission is dedicated to addressing the environmental impact of the music industry, such as lowering the carbon footprint of touring artists.  EarthPercent is asking the music community and related businesses to pledge a small percentage of what they make to the cause, with a goal of raise about $100 million by 2030.

“People are becoming aware that we can’t just talk about the problem,” Brian tells The Guardian, “we have to do something about it in our own practice.”

Visit EarthPercent.org for more information about the campaign.

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Bon Jovi is currently on their long-delayed tour in support of their album 2020, but let’s hope Jon Bon Jovi’s got an easy way to eat his meals on the road. He admits that while he was away from home during the pandemic, his kids had to order him food on Grubhub so he wouldn’t “starve.”

Speaking to the Indianapolis Star, Jon explains that when he decided to write some last-minute songs for the 2020 album, he chartered a plane and flew from New Jersey to LA.  There, he recorded the additional tracks in a private studio, and stayed in an empty hotel where normal amenities like cleaning and room service had been suspended due to COVID-19.

“I called down to the front desk, and I said, ‘What are you supposed to do about any kind of food?'” Jon recalls. “And they said, ‘Most people call Grubhub, and they’ll deliver food to your door.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah…Grubhub,’ and thinking to myself, ‘I don’t know what that means. I’m going to starve.'”

He laughs, “I had to call one of my kids, who from 3,000 miles away ordered me a burger and had it delivered to my room!”

Now, after two-and-a-half years, the band’s finally back on the road. But Jon admits that, had there been any further delays, “I honest to God may have considered not doing it.”

“Three and a half years is enough time to think, ‘You know, ‘I’m over it,'” he explains. “But it would be a sin. We’ve worked hard, and we want to share 2020 the album, and I want to go out there and celebrate [our] 40th [anniversary in 2023] and the continued success that we’ve had.”

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This past December, Journey played a special orchestral concert in Las Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and now the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are set to return to Sin City this July for a series of four symphonic shows that will take place at the new state-of-the-art Resorts World Theatre.

The concerts, which are scheduled for July 15, 16, 22 and 23, will feature Journey playing a variety of their most popular songs, including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Wheel in the Sky,” and “Who’s Crying Now,” with accompaniment from a symphony orchestra.

The concerts will mark the first performances ever by a rock band at the venue, which opened on December 1, 2021. Tickets for the shows will go on sale to the general public this Friday, April 22, at 10 a.m. PT at AXS.com and RWLasVegas.com/entertainment.

Journey currently is touring the U.S. on their Freedom 2022 Tour with opening act Toto, which is mapped out through a May 11 concert in Hartford, Connecticut. Journey will wrap up the trek with a pair of Canadian shows that Heart‘s Ann Wilson will open, on May 13 in Toronto and May 16 in Quebec City.

Journey’s touring lineup currently features founding lead guitarist Neal Schon, longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain, lead singer Arnel Pineda, drummer Deen Castronovo, keyboardist/vocalist Jason Derlatka, and bassist Todd Jensen.

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The first teaser-trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder is finally here, and it brings along some sweet music.

The Guns N’ Roses classic “Sweet Child o’ Mine” provides the soundtrack to the clip, which finds the self-proclaimed “Strongest Avenger” working out to turn his “Lebowski Thor” body from Avengers: Endgame back into his usual superhero physique. But while he’s back to his old self, physically, Thor finds himself embarking on a new life path, declaring that his “super-heroing days are over.”

“These hands were once used for battle,” he explains, as he buries his fearsome axe Stormbreaker in the soil. “Now they’re but humble tools for peace.”

We’ll see how long that lasts, as we see a glimpse of some big alien battles.

The teaser also features appearances by Chris Pratt‘s Star-Lord and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie, and the return of Natalie Portman‘s Jane Foster, who’s seen holding Thor’s iconic hammer at the end of the clip.

Hopefully we’ll hear “Sweet Child o’ Mine” in the actual movie, too. You may recall that 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok used Led Zeppelin‘s “Immigrant Song” not once, but twice.

Thor: Love and Thunder premieres July 8 from Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

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Journey‘s Jonathan Cain and The Who‘s Roger Daltrey will both take part in a special virtual wine-tasting event scheduled for May 15 that will help raise money for Teen Cancer America, the charity co-founded by Daltrey and his band mate Pete Townshend.

The event, dubbed “Sip & Sing,” will be hosted by Cain and will feature tastings of four different wines, as well as performances of a number of classic Journey songs by Jonathan and some of his musical friends. In addition, Daltrey will appear to deliver a special message.

Cain will be joined by master sommelier Ferdinando Mucerino and vineyard owner Dennis De La Montanya, the latter of whom teamed up with Jonathan in 2008 to launch the Finale Wines brand.

Following the tasting, Cain and some of the other participants will take part in an online Q&A with the virtual attendees.

Those who’d like to attend the wine tasting can order either a four pack, an eight pack or a 12 pack of wines, with the eight pack featuring two bottles of each wine being sampled and the 12 pack featuring bottles of an additional four wines chosen by Cain and Mucerino.

The wine packs will be delivered by the event’s partner, the Wine Insiders online wine marketplace. Orders must be placed by May 10 at 4 p.m. ET.

Proceeds raised by wine purchases will benefit Teen Cancer America, which funds programs and designated social and recreational areas in U.S. hospitals geared specifically toward adolescents and young adults with cancer.

Those who wound like to view the event without participating in the wine tasting can purchase a ticket for $25.

The event streams at 7 p.m. ET, and will be archived for on-demand viewing via a YouTube link.

Visit WineInsiders.com for more details.

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Doors guitarist Robby Krieger has just released three new tracks via digital platforms — reggae-flavored instrumental covers of the 1940s country song “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” Ritchie Valens‘ “La Bamba” and The Bee Gees‘ “Stayin’ Alive.”

Robby recorded all three tracks with two longtime collaborators — bassist Phil Chen and keyboardist Ed Roth. Chen, who died of cancer in December 2021 at age 75, was for many years a member of the bands that Krieger co-led with late Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, while Roth plays in Robby’s side group The New Experience.

In addition, a music video for Krieger’s rendition of “Ghost Riders in the Sky” has premiered at The Doors’ official YouTube channel. The clip features footage of Krieger and Roth driving a vintage car in the desert, where they pick up a hitchhiker, who happens to be Robby’s son and current solo band mate Waylon Krieger. The video also includes scenes of Robby playing a sitar, Chen playing bass, and drummer Pride Hutchinson, as well as Krieger and his son jamming on guitars while Roth plays keys.

Last October, Krieger told ABC Audio that he had recorded an entire album of reggae-influenced cover songs with Chen and Roth that was to be called Rocks Meets Dub, but there’s been no official word yet about plans to release the full-length project. Robby reported at the time that tunes they recorded included “Stayin’ Alive,” as well as songs by The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

In other news, Krieger has just announced a series of nine U.S. concerts with his solo group, spanning from a May 3 show in Tempe, Arizona, through a September 25 gig at The Doors’ famed Los Angeles-area stomping ground, The Whisky a Go Go.

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One of the most popular tourist destinations for Beatles fans to visit is London’s Abbey Road Studios and the famous crosswalk in front of the facility, where the Fab Four were famously photographed walking across for the cover of their Abbey Road album.

Now, The Beatles are asking fans to share photos and videos they may have taken for use in an upcoming documentary about the studio, where the band recorded nearly all of their albums.

A message on The Beatles’ social media pages reads, “Have you ever made the pilgrimage to Abbey Road’s crossing, and captured the moment? [The] Ventureland [film production company] are looking for the best crossing selfies, photos and videos throughout the ages, to be included in a feature documentary on Abbey Road Studios. You can email yours in to abbey.road@venture.land.”

The film in question is the documentary If These Walls Could Sing, which Paul McCartney‘s daughter Mary is directing.

Details of the movie were first announced in January 2021 on Abbey Road Studios’ official website.

According to a press release posted on the site, the film will feature interviews with a star-studded cast of musicians and is intended to be the centerpiece of the studio’s 90th anniversary celebrations, which kicked off in last November.

For the making of the documentary, film crews were allowed to have intimate access to Abbey Road Studios’ premises for the first time ever.

Mary is an accomplished photographer who recently contributed photos to the packaging of her father’s latest album, McCartney III. She also co-founded the Meat Free Monday campaign with her father and her sister, Stella, to promote vegetarianism.

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When you heard the new Red Hot Chili Peppers single “Black Summer,” your first thought might’ve been, “Yay, new Red Hot Chili Peppers music!” Your second thought might’ve been, “Wait, why is Anthony Kiedis singing like that?”

Fans were quick to point out Kiedis’ unusual annunciation on certain words throughout the song, which made it sound like he was singing with an accent somewhere between Irish and trying out to play The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Now, Kiedis has offered an explanation behind his unusual vocal styling.

During an online listening party for the new RHCP album Unlimited Love, which features “Black Summer” as the lead single, Kiedis wrote, “My adopted accent on this one is a tribute to Cate Le Bon,” referring to the Welsh musician.

Whatever you may think about Kiedis’ “Black Summer” accent, the song is doing just fine. “Black Summer” currently sits at number one on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart and number two on the Mainstream Rock Airplay tally, while Unlimited Love debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with the biggest week for a rock album in over a year.

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The children of Metallica are hitting the road together.

Bastardane, featuring James Hetfield‘s son Castor Hetfield on drums, and OTTTO, featuring Robert Trujillo‘s son Tye Trujillo on bass, have announced a co-headlining tour, making stops in a number of California cities in May and June.

Both Bastardane and OTTTO are also playing the Bottle Rock Napa Valley festival over Memorial Day Weekend, which Metallica is headlining.

By the way, Hetfield and Trujillo aren’t the only Metallica members with kids following in their dads’ rocker footsteps. Lars Ulrich‘s children Myles and Layne Ulrich also have a band, Taipei Houston.

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Sheryl Crow has released a cover of the 1969 Rolling Stones song “Live with Me” that features none other than Mick Jagger playing some blues harmonica licks throughout the track.

The song is featured in her new documentary, Sheryl, and on its accompanying soundtrack. The film will get its television premiere on Showtime on May 6, and the album, titled Sheryl: Music from the Feature Documentary, will be released the same day.

Crow has had a long association and friendship with The Rolling Stones, and performed “Live with Me” in concert with the band as far back as 1994.

According to a press release, the movie “[n]avigates Crow’s seminal yet hard-fought musical career battling sexism, depression, perfectionism, cancer, and the price of fame — before harnessing the power of her gift.”

As previously reported, the album is a 35-track compilation that features the Grammy winning singer and songwriter’s biggest hits, including “If It Makes You Happy,” “Soak Up the Sun,” “All I Wanna Do,” “Strong Enough,” “Everyday Is a Winding Road” and many others.

The album also is packed with deep tracks and three newly recorded songs, one of which is the “Live with Me” cover, as well as collaborations with other stars including Stevie Nicks, Eric Clapton, Sting, Keith Richards and the late Johnny Cash.

Sheryl: Music from the Feature Documentary can be pre-ordered now, and will be available digitally and as a two-CD set.

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