Classic Rock News

A soundtrack for the new series Under the Banner of Heaven, featuring original music from Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and touring member Josh Klinghoffer, will be released in June.

As previously reported, Ament and Klinghoffer created the show’s score alongside Pearl Jam’s Gigaton producer Josh Evans and Fitz and the Tantrums drummer John Wicks.

“Banner was the perfect project to put to use an idea I’ve had for years — using the big room of my studio as an amplifier for a bunch of a low volume looper stations and composing and performing over tuned ambient beds,” Ament says. “It was truly a dream to put music to this incredible story.”

You can listen to three selections from the soundtrack now via digital outlets.

Under the Banner of Heaven, which airs via FX on Hulu, is a true crime drama based on the 2003 nonfiction book of the same name. It stars Andrew Garfield, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sam Worthington.

Ament, meanwhile, unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week during Pearl Jam’s tour after drummer Matt Cameron also contracted the virus last week. As a result, Pearl Jam canceled their shows in Sacramento, California, and Las Vegas.

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The new album Carry Me Home, featuring an archival live recording of late Band singer/drummer Levon Helm and gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples performing together with their respective solo groups, was released Friday, May 20, on CD and digital formats.

The album was recorded in the summer of 2011 at one of the popular Midnight Ramble events held at Helm’s barn and studio in Woodstock, New York.

The concert featured performances of various vintage gospel, soul, folk and blues tunes, along with renditions of Bob Dylan‘s “You Got to Serve Somebody” and The Band’s “The Weight.” Mavis famously sang the latter tune with her family group The Staple Singers and The Band in the classic 1978 concert film The Last Waltz.

The Woodstock show marked the last time that Mavis performed with Helm, who died of cancer at age 71 in April 2012.

Coinciding with Carry Me Home‘s release, a video capturing Mavis singing an impromptu version of the traditional gospel song “This May Be The Last Time” at Helm’s house with him and members of his band has been posted at the ANTI- Records label’s YouTube channel.

Mavis, who spent several days with Helm in Woodstock before the show, notes, “It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each other. He was so full of life and so happy that week. He was the same old Levon I’d always known, just a beautiful spirit inside and out.”

To celebrate Carry Me Home‘s release, Mavis and Helm’s daughter, Amy Helm, will perform at a concert Friday night in Brooklyn, New York, and on Saturday at the Levon-inspired Dirt Farmer Festival in Accord, New York.

A vinyl version of Carry Me Home will be released on June 17.

Here’s the album’s full track list:

“This Is My Country”
“Trouble in My Mind”
“Farther Along”
“Hand Writing on the Wall”
“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”
“Move Along Train”
“This May Be the Last Time”
“When I Go Away”
“Wide River to Cross”
“You Got to Move”
“You Got to Serve Somebody”
“The Weight”

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ZZ Top has released an updated live version of their enduring 1981 song “Tube Snake Boogie” as an advance digital track from their upcoming album, Raw, which is due out on July 22.

As previously reported, Raw was recorded in conjunction with the famed blues-rock trio’s 2019 documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas and is being released as a tribute to longtime bassist Dusty Hill, who died in July 2021 at age 72.

For the movie, ZZ Top’s classic lineup of Hill, singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard played an intimate set of songs from their back catalog at historic Gruene Hall, known as “the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas,” which was filmed and recorded. That “raw” performance serves as the basis for the new album.

“Tube Snake Boogie” originally appeared on ZZ Top’s 1981 studio album El Loco and reached #4 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It has gone on to become a classic-rock radio staple.

Hill described “Tube Snake Boogie” as the ultimate “party song,” while Gibbons credited Beard’s drumming as the tune’s driving force, noting, “It really revolves around Frank’s opening, which is kind of surf-meets-jungle.”

You can check out a video of ZZ Top performing “Tube Snake Boogie” at Gruene Hall at the band’s YouTube channel.

Raw, which was produced by Gibbons, can be preordered now and will be available as a 180-gram vinyl LP, on CD and via digital formats.

Prior to the album’s release, ZZ Top will kick off a lengthy U.S. trek, dubbed the Raw Whisky Tour, on May 27 in San Diego.

Here’s the full track list of Raw:

“Brown Sugar”
“Just Got Paid”
“Heard It on the X”
“La Grange”
“Tush”
“Thunderbird”
“I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”
“Legs”
“Gimme All Your Lovin'”
“Blue Jean Blues”
“Certified Blues”
“Tube Snake Boogie”

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The latest edition of U.K. newspaper The Sunday Times‘ annual Rich List has just been unveiled and, as usual, Paul McCartney is ranked among the wealthiest musicians in his homeland and Ireland.

The former Beatles legend — whose wealth includes the fortune of his wife, American trucking heiress Nancy Shevell — remains at the top of the tally, with a net worth of about $1.1 billion. That’s an increase of about $56 million from the couple’s 2021 total.

In second place for a second straight year are Irish rock greats U2 with a collective net worth of $780 million. Elton John remains in fourth place with about $493 million.

Making the biggest jump in the top-10 rankings is ex-Police frontman Sting, who moves from a tie for ninth place in 2021 into the #5 spot, with about $400 million.

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is #6 on the tally with $397 million, while his bandmate and songwriting partner Keith Richards is #7 with $378 million.

At #8 are late Beatles guitarist George Harrison‘s widow and son, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, with a net worth of $368 million, while ex-Fab Four drummer Ringo Starr follows at #9 with $356 million.

Other veteran artists further down on the list include Queen guitarist Brian May at #12, Rod Stewart at #13, ex-Pink Floyd singer/bassist Roger Waters at #14, Queen drummer Roger Taylor at #16, Eric Clapton at #17 and 1960s pop idol Tom Jones at #19. Late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts‘ widow, Shirley, and their family are #20 on the tally.

Check out the full list at TheTimes.co.uk.

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An in-depth documentary about the life of rock-guitar legend Carlos Santana is currently in the works and is being directed by Emmy-winning Mexican American filmmaker Rudy Valdez.

The as-yet-untitled film will examine Santana’s life and musical journey from a teenage street musician to leading a world famous and Grammy-winning rock band. The movie will feature previously unseen archival film footage and and unheard songs.

The film is being produced by Imagine Documentaries in collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment. Imagine co-founders Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are executive producing the project.

“I am honored and grateful to have partnered with Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music to bring my story to light,” Santana says, noting that his story “is one of triumph and adventurousness.”

He adds, “The intentionality of this film is to touch people’s hearts and to inspire people to reconnect with their own light that they may ignite blessings and miracles.”

Meanwhile, Imagine executive Justin Wilkes says, “We’re thrilled that Carlos has entrusted us with bringing his incredibly inspirational story to life in this film. He is one of the greatest musicians of all time, and throughout his career, Santana has unapologetically broken down borders and reinvented a tone universally celebrated across the globe.”

In other news, the 10th anniversary of the start of Santana’s first Las Vegas residency show at the House of Blues was celebrated on Wednesday with a ceremony at the venue.

At the event, the 74-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was presented with the Las Vegas Icon Award by county commissioner Justin Jones. Santana’s manager, Michael Vrionis, announced that Santana had signed a multiyear extension to his House of Blues residency.

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Def Leppard has released a new advance single from their forthcoming studio album, Diamond Star Halos, a rocking, stadium-ready, riff-laden tune called “Fire It Up.”

The track is available now via digital platforms, and you also can check a visualizer video for the song at Def Leppard’s official YouTube channel.

Thursday, May 26, at 9 a.m. ET, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will premiere a music video for “Fire It Up” on YouTube. Following the clip’s debut, Def Leppard will take part in an exclusive afterparty, where the band members will discuss the new album.

For more information on how to join the afterparty, visit YouTube.

As previously reported, Diamond Star Halos will be released on Friday, May 27. The 15-track collection is the band’s first album of new, original tunes since 2015’s self-titled effort. It can be preordered now and will be available as a deluxe package, a two-LP set and digitally, among other configurations.

Diamond Star Halos includes two duets with acclaimed country/bluegrass artist and longtime Def Leppard fan Alison Krauss — “This Guitar” and “Lifeless.” In addition, famed David Bowie pianist Mike Garson plays on two songs — “Goodbye for Good This Time” and “Angels (Can’t Help You Now).”

Def Leppard debuted two other advance tracks from the album prior to “Fire It Up” — “Kick” and “Take What You Want” — and also released a music video for “Kick.”

Diamond Star Halos arrives a few weeks before Def Leppard’s expansive 36-city Stadium Tour of North America with Mötley Crüe, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. The trek gets underway June 16 in Atlanta and is mapped out through a September 9 concert in Las Vegas.

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Dio‘s Holy Diver is being reissued in honor of what would’ve been the late Ronnie James Dio‘s 80th birthday.

The set will arrive on July 8, two days before Dio would’ve hit the big 8-0 on July 10. It will come in two editions: the first features a new mix of the original record by engineer and producer Joe Barresi, who’s previously worked with the bands Tool, Queens of the Stone Age and Slipknot; the second, dubbed the “Super Deluxe” edition, consists of the Barresi mix and a remastered version of the original Holy Diver mix, plus various bonus tracks, including live recordings, outtakes and rarities.

For a preview, you can check out the Barresi mix of the Holy Diver title track now via digital outlets.

Holy Diver, Dio’s debut album with his namesake band, was released in 1983 after he left Black Sabbath a year earlier. In addition to spawning the classic title track, the double-Platinum Holy Diver features one of the most metal album covers of all time.

Dio passed away in May 2010 from stomach cancer. He was 67.

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Vince Neil guests on a new song from Classless Act, an up-and-coming rock band set to open for the Mötley Crüe‘s reunion tour this summer.

The track, also titled “Classless Act,” finds Neil joining the group’s vocalist, Derek Day, in declaring, “Sit back, relax, and witness the class of the classless act awry.”

“What drew me is that these are young guys playing real rock ‘n’ roll, playing their own instruments, all that good stuff that you miss from the last 20+ years,” Neil says. “These guys remind me of Mötley Crüe growing up and they definitely rock. Can’t wait to see what happens in the future.”

You can listen to “Classless Act” now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

The track will also appear on the debut Classless Act album, Welcome to the Show, which arrives June 24. The record also includes a collaboration with Justin Hawkins of The Darkness.

The Mötley Crüe tour, which was originally scheduled for 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is finally set to kick off in June. Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts will also be on the bill.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.) 

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As they gear up for a joint summer tour with Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson, Chicago has released its first new song in over eight years, a bouncy pop gem titled “If This Is Goodbye.”

The track is available now as a digital download and via streaming services, while a lyric video has debuted at Chicago’s official YouTube channel.

The song mixes the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ classic soulful, horn-driven sound with some electronic beats, with lyrics that seem to celebrate a long relationship that may be coming to an end.

“If this is goodbye, let’s take one more shot for the memories/ Life’s too short to be enemies,” the band sings in the chorus. “If this ends tonight, you can save your tears for the other guy/ I’ll see you in another life.”

Chicago has been playing “If This Is Goodbye” at its recent concerts.

The band’s joint tour with Wilson and his solo group kicks off on June 7 in Phoenix, although Chicago first has three headlining dates scheduled for May 20 in Greensboro, North Carolina; May 21 in Montgomery, Alabama; and May 22 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Check out the group’s full schedule at ChicagotheBand.com.

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Aimee Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, is safe after exiting a Los Angeles recording studio that caught fire Thursday.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze occurred at 5:42 p.m. local time at a two-story commercial building with “an abundance of small individual recording studios inside.” The statement reports that two people were “found with smoke-related respiratory symptoms,” while one person was tragically killed.

In an Instagram post early Friday morning, Sharon confirmed that Aimee and her producer were in the building when the fire began.

“They are the lucky two that made it out alive,” Sharon writes. “It is utterly heartbreaking that someone lost their life today in this fire & we are sending our prayers to this person & their family.”

Sharon adds that “what happened…was beyond horrific,” and that she hopes that the tragedy will put a bigger focus on fire safety for similar buildings.

“This building was a creative hub for music in Hollywood, a space that should have been regulated for fire code,” Sharon writes. “Producers, musicians, mixers & artists also lost all of their equipment. Once again, our prayers go out to the family and friends of the person that lost their life to this senseless fire.”

Aimee releases music under the band name ARO. The group’s debut album, Vacare Adamaré, dropped in 2020.

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