Classic Rock News

John Lennon‘s older son Julian has revealed he had an emotional reaction when he got to watch a preview of the upcoming Disney+ docuseries The Beatles: Get Back in Los Angeles this past week.

In a recent message on his Instagram that accompanied a new photo of him with his half-brother, Sean, Julian writes, “[T]he film has made me love my father again, in a way I can’t fully describe…Thank you to All who had a hand, in bringing this project to fruition…Life Changing.”

Julian also reveals that after the Get Back screening, he attended an event hosted by designer Stella McCartney, Paul McCartney‘s daughter, noting, “What an Amazing night, firstly seeing ‘Get Back’ & then Stella’s Event afterwards…The One True thing I can say about it all, is that it has made me so proud, inspired & feel more love for My/Our family, than ever before.”

It’s widely known that Julian didn’t have a close relationship with his father, who divorced his mother, Cynthia, and remarried Yoko Ono in the late 1960s when Julian was still a child.

Meanwhile, Julian posted several pictures of him with Sean Lennon — John’s son with Yoko — on Instagram, including a photo of them sitting together at the Get Back screening with Stella sitting behind them. Interestingly, he wrote in the caption of that pic, “Wish You were here Dhani & Zak!” referring to Dhani Harrison and Zak Starkey — the respective sons of George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Another Instagram photo that Julian posted Monday shows him and Sean on a beach in Malibu, California, with the sun setting behind them. Lennon captions the pic, “A lil wind blown & tired after a few hours driving through the Mountains to the Sea, but so worth it…A Magical Day.”

 

 

 

 

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Just a reminder that Foreigner and Matchbox Twenty‘s Rob Thomas are among the music stars that will be performing at the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which airs live Thursday on NBC from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET.

The veteran rockers will be featured on “The House of Marvelous Milestones” float sponsored by New York Life.  According to a post on their Facebook page, the band will perform at 10:27 a.m. ET.

As for Thomas, he’ll appear on the Hallmark Channel’s “Heartwarming Holiday Countdown” float, and will sing a tune from his new holiday album, Something About Christmas Time.

Neither Foreigner nor Thomas have ever performed before at the Macy’s parade.  Rob tells ABC Audio that he and his wife are equally thrilled that he’ll be part of the historic New York City holiday event.

“I’m stoked…my wife, growing up in Queens, [New York], that’s been her entire life,” Rob says. “Christmas starts when Santa Claus goes past Macy’s, then, from that moment on for her, it’s the holidays.”

He adds, “I’m excited about doing it and I’m excited about doing it on the Hallmark float. That’s huge! That’s serious Christmas, right there. I am knee-deep in Christmas at that point!”

As for the connection between the Hallmark Channel and Rob, one of the songs on his album — an updated version of his 2003 tune “A New York Christmas” — appears in the new Hallmark holiday film A Royal Queens Christmas.

Other musical artists scheduled to appear or perform during the parade include Nelly, R&B singer Kelly Rowland, pop singer-songwriter Andy Grammer, Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, and country stars Carrie Underwood, Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Chris Lane.

Visit Macy.com for more parade details.

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Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Ozzy Osbourne has postponed his European tour.

The seemingly snakebit run, which also features Judas Priest on the bill, has now been delayed to 2023, four years after it was originally supposed to kick off.

You may recall that the tour was first scheduled to begin all the way back in January 2019, but was postponed to early 2020 after Ozzy came down with a particularly nasty case of the flu. In the spring of 2019, the now 72-year-old metal legend suffered a fall in his home and required surgery, the extended recovery from which forced him to push back the tour again to the fall of 2020.

Then, of course, came the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the tour once more, to 2022. Now, as a result of “ongoing uncertainty with full capacity events and travel logistics in much of Europe” stemming from the continued pandemic, Ozzy is set to finally hit Europe beginning May 2023.

Should you still have your ticket from any of the previously scheduled shows, that will be valid at the 2023 dates. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Ozzy.com.

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Today marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of one of rock’s greatest champions, Queen singer Freddie Mercury.

Mercury died from complications of AIDS at age 45 on November 23, 1991, just one day after announcing to the world that he’d been diagnosed with the disease.

Widely regarded as one of the all-time great rock singers and frontmen, Freddie used his powerful vocals, flamboyant persona and dynamic performing style to help Queen become among the most popular and successful bands in the world.

Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in 1946 on the African island of Zanzibar, where his family lived until 1964, when they moved to the U.K. In 1970, Mercury teamed up with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor in a band called Smile, and after the addition of bassist John Deacon, the group changed its name to Queen.

The band blended a variety of genres to create a unique sound that captivated a wide variety of music fans. Mercury wrote many of Queen’s biggest hits, including “Killer Queen,” “Somebody to Love,” “We Are the Champions,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Bicycle Race,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Play the Game” and, of course, the enduring rock anthem “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Freddie also co-wrote Queen’s classic 1981 collaboration with David Bowie, “Under Pressure.” Mercury’s performance with Queen at London’s Wembley Stadium at the 1985 Live Aid festival is considered one of the highlights of that historic event.

Mercury also released a pair of solo albums during the 1980s.

Following Freddie’s death, May, Taylor and Queen manager Jim Beach co-founded the Mercury Phoenix Trust in his honor. The charity supports AIDS-related causes.

Mercury was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Queen in 2001. His legacy continues to make its mark on the rock and pop world.

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The project that Beatles fans have anxiously awaited for years finally is set to arrive this week. The Beatles: Get Back, the three-part, six-hour docuseries directed by Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson focusing on the January 1969 sessions that yielded the Let It Be album, premieres this Thursday, Friday and Saturday on Disney+.

As previously reported, the series was created from dozens of hours of previously unseen footage shot for what became the film Let It Be, but while the 1970 movie zeroed in on the tensions between the band members during the sessions, Get Back offers a more well-rounded look at The Beatles’ relationships as they came together to create that music.

Jackson’s longtime film editor Jabez Olssen, who worked closely with Peter on Get Back, tells ABC Audio that it quickly became apparent watching the footage that the band was getting along much better than had been previously portrayed.

“This is four guys who still very much get on with each other, are joking around, having a good time,” Olssen notes. “They have…disagreements and constructive conversations, but this is not a breakup film and this was not a breakup period in The Beatles’ lives.”

Perhaps the centerpiece of the series is the entire 42-minute impromptu concert of The Beatles’ played on the roof of Apple headquarters on London’s Savile Row.

Olssen says the segment offers “the best footage of The Beatles playing live that there is,” explaining, “You’re in the front row. They’re playing great. You can see them really well…[It] feels so personal and in your face.”

He adds, “To see how well they play and how happy they are and the buzz that they come out of it with, it really is a moment of triumph for them.”

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Judas Priest‘s classic 1982 album Screaming for Vengeance celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, and in conjunction with the milestone, the metal legends are partnering with Z2 Comics on a graphic novel inspired by the landmark record.

Judas Priest: Screaming for Vengeance, which is expected to be released in July 2022, is being co-written by Rantz Hoseley and Neil Kleid, known for their work, respectively, on The Heroin Diaries and Savor, with illustrations by Hellboy artist Christopher Mitten.

The novel takes place 500 years in the future and focuses on a naïve engineer who lives in a ring of cities that orbit a desolate planet and are governed by an elite group of cruel rulers. When the engineer discovers an item called a Bloodstone that threatens the rulers’ power, he’s exiled to the planet’s surface, where he must either accept his fate or seek vengeance on his adversaries.

“I was already a fan of the band, when Screaming for Vengeance was released, but no one was ready for the impact it had,” says Hoseley. “That incredible cover art? Those songs? That album became my daily soundtrack and creative fuel…To be able to contribute to a project inspired by these songs…is an honor and a responsibility I take very seriously.”

The book, which you can pre-order now, will be available in hardcover and softcover, as well as deluxe and super-deluxe versions featuring an exclusive Screaming for Vengeance vinyl LP, prints and other items, including a collectible figure based on the metallic eagle that appears on the cover, aka “The Hellion.”

Released in July 1982, Screaming for Vengeance has been certified double=Platinum by the RIAA, making it Priest’s best-selling album in the U.S. It features the band’s classic song “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.”

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The nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday, and AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney and the late Chris Cornell all received multiple nominations.

All four artists will compete for the Best Rock Album prize, nominees for which include AC/DC’s Power Up, Foo Fighters’ Medicine at Midnight, McCartney’s McCartney III, and Cornell’s posthumous No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1.

Among the Best Rock Song nominees are Foo Fighters’ “Waiting on a War,” McCartney’s “Find My Way,” and the Wolfgang Van Halen-led Mammoth WVH‘s “Distance.”

For Best Rock Performance, the nominees include AC/DC’s “Shot in the Dark,” Foo Fighters’ “Making a Fire,” Cornell’s cover of Prince‘s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

Meanwhile, AC/DC’s video for “Shot in the Dark” scored a nod in the Best Music Video category.

Other veteran rock artists receiving Grammy nominations this year include Jackson Browne, Police drummer Stewart Copeland, ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and the late Jimi Hendrix.

Browne will vie for the Best Americana Album trophy for Downhill from Everywhere, while Copeland’s collaborative album with Ricky Kej, Divine Tides, is nominated for Best New Age Album.

In the Best Music Film category, you’ll find David Byrne’s American Utopia, the Spike Lee-directed film version of Byrne’s Broadway show of the same name, and the documentary Music, Money, Madness…Jimi Hendrix in Maui.

Also, the deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of the late George Harrison‘s classic 1970 album All Things Must Pass is nominated for the Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package award.

Check out the full list of nominees at Grammy.com.

The 2022 Grammys will take place Monday, January 31.

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Forty years ago today, AC/DC released its seventh internationally available studio album, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), a follow-up to the Australian rockers’ massively successful Back in Black.

While its popularity and impact paled in comparison to Back in Black — which, with 25 million copies sold, has become the fourth best-selling album ever in the U.S. — For Those About to Rock was AC/DC’s first album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200.

The album also was AC/DC’s second with singer Brian Johnson, who joined the band before the recording of Back in Black following the death of longtime frontman Bon Scott. Additionally, it was the third of three consecutive AC/DC records produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange.

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, spanning the last week of 1981 and the first two weeks of 1982. Two singles were released from the album: the title track and “Let’s Get It Up,” which reached #4 and #9, respectively, on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. “Let’s Get It Up” also peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100.

AC/DC toured extensively in 1981 and ’82 in support of the album, which has gone on to sell over four million copies in the U.S.

Here’s the For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) track list:

“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”
“I Put the Finger on You”
“Let’s Get It Up”
“Inject the Venom”
“Snowballed”
“Evil Walks”
“C.O.D.”
“Breaking the Rules”
“Night of the Long Knives”
“Spellbound”

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British Invasion greats The Hollies will return to the U.S. next year for the first time in two decades for a series of shows celebrating the band’s 60th anniversary.

The five-date tour kicks off on April 2 in Morristown, New Jersey, and also will visit Washington, D.C., on April 4; New York City on April 5; and Chicago on April 7, before winding down in Los Angles on April 7.

The Hollies have long been led by two members of the band’s classic lineup — lead guitarist Tony Hicks and drummer Bobby Elliott. Rounding out the group’s current incarnation are lead singer Peter Howarth, bassist Ray Stiles, keyboardist Ian Parker and rhythm guitarist Steve Lauri.

“We felt like this is something no other band gets to do, celebrate six decades together,” says Hicks. “Sixty years of this band and these songs means so much to us and so many others.”

Adds Elliott, “We’re incredibly excited performing for everyone on what will be some of the most special shows in the history of The Hollies.”

The group, which was co-founded in 1962 by singers Allan Clarke and Graham Nash, scored a string of hits in the 1960s and early ’70s, including “Bus Stop,” “Stop Stop Stop,” “Carrie-Anne,” “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” “The Air That I Breathe” and “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress).”

Tickets for The Hollies’ U.S. tour are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting TheHolliesOfficial.com.

Prior to the trek, the band will be making a special appearance on March 31 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as part of the 2022 Flower Power Cruise, which sets sail from Miami on March 28.

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Dion DiMucci has just released his new studio album, Stomping Ground, the doo-wop and rock ‘n’ roll great’s second star-studded collaborative project in just over a year.

A follow-up to 2020’s Blues with Friends, this record includes contributions from Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa, ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Boz Scaggs, Rickie Lee Jones and more.

Dion tells ABC Audio that he had a lot of fun working on Stomping Ground, and he couldn’t be happier with the project.

“I’m writing some of the best songs in my life, singing better than ever, the way I express stuff,” he maintains. “I have more confidence than ever, and I have these great tracks with the greatest guitar players on the planet on them, and making music with great artists and friends, and making friends with this music.”

Clapton lent his guitar talents to a song called “If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Dion says that when it came time for Eric to record his part, “he said…’I’m gonna play this standing up like I’m playing for 20,000 people.’ And he did, man. He walked in the studio and did this thing, and I tell you, it sounded like he was 19 years old.”

Springsteen and Scialfa, who also appeared on Blues with Friends, are featured on the new song titled “Angel in the Alleyways,” with Patti singing and Bruce contributing harmonica and tremolo guitar. Dion says Springsteen told him that Scialfa was responsible for “the whole arrangement” of the tracks they recorded.

Gibbons, another Blues with Friends contributor, plays guitar on the tune tune “My Stomping Ground.”

Dion says of Billy, “His guitar playing is so simple and recognizable…and so potent.”

Here’s the full Stomping Ground track list:

“Take It Back” — with Joe Bonamassa
“Hey Diddle Diddle ” — with G.E. Smith
“Dancing Girl ” — with Mark Knopfler
“If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll” — with Eric Clapton
“There Was a Time ” — with Peter Frampton
“Cryin’ Shame ” — with Sonny Landreth
“The Night Is Young ” — with Joe Menza and Wayne Hood
“That’s What The Doctor Said ” — with Steve Conn
“My Stomping Ground ” — with Billy Gibbons
“Angel in the Alleyways ” — with Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen
“I’ve Got to Get to You ” — with Boz Scaggs, Joe Menza and Mike Menza
“Red House ” — with Keb’ Mo’
“I Got My Eyes on You Baby ” — with Marcia Ball and Jimmy Vivino
“I’ve Been Watching ” — with Rickie Lee Jones and Wayne Hood

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