Classic Rock News

Ringo Starr‘s All Starr Band has unveiled dates for a second North American tour leg this year.

The newly announced series of shows, which includes 19 dates, begins on September 23 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and runs through an October 19-20 engagement in Mexico City. After the kickoff show, the outing will stop in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and then work its way across Canada, with concerts in Michigan and Minnesota along the way.

Once on the West Coast, the trek will proceed to visit venues in Washington, Oregon, and California, wrapping up the U.S. portion on October 16 at Los Angeles’ famed Greek Theatre.

As previously reported, the first leg of the All Starr Band’s upcoming tour begins with a May 27-28 stand in Rama, Canada, and runs through a June 26 show in Clearwater, Florida. The 2022 trek is made up mostly of dates that were postponed from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is so great to finally announce all these shows we had planned for 2020, and I am really looking forward to playing them!” Ringo says. “How great to start at Casino Rama [in Rama, Canada], where we’ve begun 5 All Starr tours, and then to go back to [New York City’s] Beacon [Theatre], and to the Greek, which was the last show we played in 2019 on our 30th Anniversary tour. I can’t wait to see all our fans and until then I’m sending everyone peace and love and see you soon!”

The All Starr Band’s current lineup features Edgar Winter, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, Men at Work‘s Colin Hay and former Average White Band guitarist/bassist Hamish Stuart, as well as sax player/percussionist Warren Ham and drummer Gregg Bissonette.

Visit RingoStarr.com for a full list of dates.

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In conjunction with this year’s Record Store Day, Creedence Clearwater Revival will issue a limited-edition seven-vinyl single featuring a previously unreleased performance from a 1970 concert the band played at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall.

The disc, which will feature renditions of the CCR classics “Travelin’ Band” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” will be available at participating retailers on the second Record Store Day drop date of 2022 — June 18.

The version of “Travelin’ Band,” which appears on Side A of the single, is an unreleased performance of the song that Creedence played at the Royal Albert Hall on April 14, 1970. The rendition of “Who’ll Stop the Rain” was recorded on January 31, 1970, at the Oakland Coliseum in California, and previously appeared on the CCR live album The Concert, which was released in 1980.

Only 9,000 copies of the vinyl single will be pressed. The packaging replicates the sleeve of the double-sided single Creedence Clearwater Revival released in January 1970 featuring the studio versions of “Travelin’ Band” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” The enduring tunes peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and both tracks also were included on CCR’s chart-topping 1970 studio album, Cosmo’s Factory.

In 2020, CCR drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford told ABC Audio that plans were in the works to release the entire 1970 Royal Albert Hall concert as a live album, so it’s possible that an official update about that release may be announced soon.

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A new photo book celebrating the history of The Beatles‘ Apple Records label is available for pre-order now.

The book, titled Inside No 3: A History on the Products and Memorabilia from Apple Records 1968-73, features images of albums and singles released on the label, as well as promo photos of the artists who recorded for Apple, and pics of posters, t-shirts, stationary, correspondence and much more.

In addition to many Beatles-related photos, Inside No 3 features pics of albums, singles and/or promotional materials from George Harrison, Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono, Badfinger, James Taylor, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, Mary Hopkin, Ronnie Spector, Delaney & Bonnie, Phil Spector and many others.

The book was written by Nigel Pearce and focuses on the collection of Apple Records memorabilia he has amassed over the years.

The title Inside No 3 refers to the address of Apple Records headquarters, located at No 3 Savile Row in London. Four different versions of the book will be available, including a special collector’s edition limited to only 100 copies that features a signed and numbered hardback copy packaged with replica memorabilia.

The other versions are signed and unsigned hardback copies, and an unsigned softcover edition.

“When you open this beautiful book, you will enter a world that millions of people never knew existed. It’s a world of colour, innovation, revolution, coupled with a completely fresh and different mode of marketing from Apple Records, the label owned by The Beatles,” Pearce writes. “No 3 Savile Row is where it all happened in a way beyond belief operation that still inspires artists from all walks and ages of music and life.”

You can pre-order the book now at InsideandOutsideNo3.com and GonzoMultimedia.co.uk.

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Bobby Whitlock is best known as a member of Eric Clapton‘s 1970s band Derek and the Dominos, but in recent years, the singer, keyboardist and songwriter also has become a prolific painter.

On April 1, Whitlock’s first-ever art exhibition opened at the Crockett County Museum in Bobby’s current hometown of Ozona, Texas, and the 74-year-old musician will be at the museum this Wednesday, April 13, for a special meet-and-greet event that runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT.

The exhibit features almost 200 of his paintings displayed throughout the museum’s three floors, and Whitlock tells ABC Audio that he feels like he’s making art history with such an auspicious debut exhibition.

“No other artist has ever had this happen, where their first exhibition [features] nearly 200 works of art, and in a museum on top of that,” he enthuses. “Generally, an artist gets maybe a showing at a gallery [with] couple of pieces, that’s it.”

Whitlock says the exhibit came about when he was approached by one of the museum’s curators at the local post office.

She said, ‘I’ve been on your [websites] and I love your art, and would you like to do an exhibition?'” he recalls. “And I said, ‘Yeah, that’d be great,’ you know, ’cause I didn’t know what I was gonna do with all of my paintings.”

Bobby says he happily surprised when he was informed that so much of his artwork would be displayed, and that the exhibit was to run for six months.

As for how he felt getting to view his paintings hung on the walls of a museum, Whitlock notes, “[I]t took my breath away…It was pretty astounding to see something like that.”

To find out more about Whitlock’s paintings, visit BobbyWhitlockArt.com.

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The cannabis brand Dad Grass has launched a new line of George Harrison-themed products celebrating the late Beatles guitarist’s classic 1970 solo album, All Things Must Pass, and approved by Harrison’s estate.

The All Things Must Grass collection in includes pre-rolled joints featuring organic CBD and CBG hemp flower, as well as paraphernalia and merch items. The products can be purchased online now, and will be available at select U.S. stores this month.

Among the products available is a pack of joints made to look like an All Things Must Pass cassette case, featuring the classic cover image of Harrison on the lawn of his Friar Park estate surrounded by garden gnomes. The collection also includes rolling papers, a rolling tray, silk-screened posters, buttons, pins, and stickers.

To promote the All Things Must Grass collection, a teaser video has premiered online set to George’s song “Let It Roll.” The clip brings the All Things Must Pass cover to life, with an animated Harrison frolicking with his garden gnomes, and the gnomes sampling the Dad Grass products.

Dad Grass CEO and co-founder Ben Starmer says, “For this project, we set out to create a mellower kind of joint, something that blended together the type of high quality, low potency, and all-natural flower that was around when George was ‘having a laugh’ back in the early ’70s. Just a classic smoke for a classic bloke.”

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Alice in Chains‘ Jerry Cantrell has canceled two upcoming shows on his ongoing solo tour due to “some positive COVID-19 cases” amid members of his touring party.

The affected dates include a stops in Orlando and St. Petersburg, Florida, originally scheduled for April 12 and 13. Those who bought tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.

“We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to return to these cities as soon as possible,” Cantrell says.

Cantrell has been on tour in support of his new solo album, Brighten, which was released last October. The outing is expected to resume Friday, April 15, in Atlanta.

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Alice Cooper has announced dates for a new fall leg of his 2022 U.S. headlining tour.

The new dates of the shock rocker’s Detroit Muscle tour kick off with a September 7 concert in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and will wrap up October 8 in Las Vegas. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, April 15, at 10 a.m. local time.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit AliceCooper.com.

Cooper will be touring in continued support of his new album Detroit Stories, which was released February 2021.

If you can’t wait until the fall, you can catch Cooper on his spring tour leg, which comes to a close April 24 in Los Angeles. Buckcherry and Ace Frehley open on select dates.

Cooper is also hosting his CoopStock 2 — Grooves and Divots charity event on April 30 in Mesa, Arizona. The fundraiser, which will support Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers dance, music and art education program, will feature Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford, R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills and Creed‘s Scott Stapp, among others.

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How’s this for a grunge supergroup?

Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil and Pearl Jam/Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron have released a new album together as the new band 3rd Secret. The group’s self-titled debut record is out now via select digital outlets, including Spotify.

Cameron previously hinted at the existence of 3rd Secret in an Instagram post late last year featuring a photo of Novoselic at the Avast! Recording Studio in Seattle. “Tracking with Krist,” the caption read.

Along with the grunge trio, 3rd Secret includes Bubba Dupree of the hardcore band Void, and vocalists Jillian Raye and Jennifer Johnson. Raye also played with Novoselic in the band Giants in the Trees.

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of John Mellencamp‘s breakthrough fifth studio album, 1982’s American Fool, which was the last collection of original tunes that the Indiana-born singer/songwriter issued under the moniker John Cougar.

American Fool is Mellencamp’s only album to date to top the Billboard 200 chart, spending nine weeks at #1, spanning from September to November. It features two of his most-enduring hits, “Hurts So Good” and a little ditty called “Jack and Diane,” which peaked, respectively, at #2 and #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Jack and Diane” became John’s biggest hit, and his only song ever to reach the top of the Hot 100, where it enjoyed a four-week run in October of ’82.

The track features guitar and background-vocal contributions from Mick Ronson, best known as the lead guitarist in David Bowie‘s famed 1970s backing band The Spiders from Mars.

The album also includes one other hit single, “Hand to Hold on To,” which peaked at #19 on the Hot 100. American Fool has been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA for sales of 5 million copies in the U.S.

Meanwhile, in 1983, Mellencamp won his only Grammy for “Hurt So Good” in the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category, while American Fool was nominated for the Best Rock Album that year.

Mellencamp teamed up producer Don Gehman to co-produce American Fool, which the first of a run of four consecutive multi-Platinum albums on which the duo collaborated. The others were 1983’s triple-Platinum Uh-Huh, 1985’s fives-times Platinum Scarecrow and 1987’s triple-Platinum The Lonesome Jubilee.

Here’s the full track list of American Fool:

“Hurts So Good”
“Jack & Diane”
“Hand To Hold On To”
“Danger List”
“Can You Take It”
“Thundering Hearts”
“China Girl”
“Close Enough”
“Weakest Moments”

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Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit has released a second advance track from his upcoming solo studio album Day by Day, a melodic, R&B-flavored love ballad called “Heartbeat.”

The song is available now via digital formats, while a lyric video has premiered on Schmit’s official YouTube channel. The tune finds the 74-year-old Schmit reflecting on the things that help make a long-term romantic relationship work.

As previously reported, Day by Day will be released on May 6. The 12-track collection features guest contributions from an impressive roster of artists, including Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham, John Fogerty, longtime Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench, Doobie Brothers multi-instrumentalist John McFee, blues-rocker Kenny Wayne Sheppard, and acclaimed session drummer Jim Keltner.

Preceding “Hearbeat,” Schmit released Day by Day‘s lead track, “Simple Man,” as a digital single, along with a companion music video. Buckingham contributed electric guitar to the song, which also features backing vocals from ex-Beach Boys touring members Chris Farmer and Matt Jardine, the latter the son of founding Beach Boys member Al Jardine.

You can pre-order CD and two-LP versions of Day by Day now at Timothy’s online store.

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