Classic Rock News

In an exclusive interview with Variety, Mick Jagger discusses working on “Strange Game,” the theme song to the new Apple TV+ espionage series Slow Horses, which premieres this Friday, April 1.

As announced earlier today, Jagger co-wrote and sings the tune, and the Rolling Stones frontman tells Variety that before getting involved in the project, he’d already read and was a fan of author Mike Herron‘s book series on which the show is based.

“I knew the vibe really well, so as soon as [composer Daniel Pemberton] sent the track to me, I just dashed off a few pages of notes of what I thought it was about,” Mick explains. “It came very, very quickly, which is always a good sign.”

Pemberton, an Oscar-nominated composer who co-wrote “Strange Game” and composed Slow Horses‘ score, says his collaboration with Jagger took place via Zoom, text and email starting in December 2021.

“I played him the track on guitar,” Pemberton reveals. “I’m not even a good guitarist. That was very weird, playing guitar for Mick Jagger on the Zoom line.”

Jagger says he then recorded his ideas on his iPhone and sent the track back to Pemberton, who loved it.

Mick adds, “And then we had to do a bit of crafting, trying to get a chorus…and trying to get the verses from the point of view of the main character.”

That character is Jackson Lamb, portrayed by Gary Oldman, who’s the head of a branch of the U.K. counter-intelligence agency MI5 that’s populated by failed agents hoping to redeem themselves.

“It’s quite irreverent, but the Gary Oldman character is irreverent,” Jagger notes. “It’s also slightly eerie, so it combines those two things. You don’t want to make it too serious.”

“Strange Game” will be released Friday.

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Scorpions‘ eighth studio album, Blackout, which saw the German rockers achieve their first significant chart success in the U.S.

The album peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200, and featured the melodic rock anthem “No One Like You,” whose popularity was propelled by a memorable music video that went into heavy rotation on MTV.

Much of the clip was filmed during an overnight shoot at the site of the infamous former prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. It included a scene where frontman Klaus Meine is strapped into a prop electric chair.

Meine tells ABC Audio that the experience of filming the video on Alcatraz “was fantastic.”

“It was a little spooky,” the singer recalls. “When you went outside, the whole bay, it was very foggy…and it was pretty cold. And we went to different places inside the prison.”

Meine also remembers that the electric chair that had been brought to island for the shoot became quite popular with the tourists who began arriving the next morning.

“I remember the first boat arrived with some Japanese tourists,” Klaus recalls, “and when they spotted the electric chair, they were lining up, taking pictures of [it], thinking Al Capone was grilled there or whatever.”

Blackout went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million in the U.S.

The Scorpions’ popularity in the wake of Blackout‘s success led to the band getting a slot at the 1983 US Festival’s “Heavy Metal Day,” just before headliners Van Halen.

Meine says the band, performing in front of a crowd of over 300,000 people in California’s San Bernardino Valley, “played one of the best shows in our life.”

Here’s Blackout‘s full track list:

“Blackout”
“Can’t Live Without You”
“No One Like You”
“You Give Me All I Need”
“Now!”
“Dynamite”
“Arizona”
“China White”
“When the Smoke Is Going Down”

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If it seems like Elton John announced his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour years ago, it’s because he did: It was January 2018. But now, he’s reached the end of the road — in North America, anyway.

Elton has just announced 11 North American stadium dates that will include the actual, very last, we promise, U.S. and Canadian shows of the tour. He’ll say goodbye to the continent on November 20 at LA’s Dodger Stadium — the site of one of his most iconic career concerts — and it’ll mark his landmark 2,000th U.S. concert in a 52-year career of touring.  When the tour ends, Elton will have played in all 50 states.

Tickets for the 11 dates go on sale Wednesday, April 6, at 10 a.m. local time via EltonJohn.com. Members of his Rocket Fan Club have access to a pre-sale this Friday.

In a statement, Elton says, “Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I cherish these memories we’re making together. It has been nothing short of incredible and I look forward to seeing you very soon one last time, on my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”

The tour won’t actually finish until sometime in 2023, which is when Elton will perform in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

Here are the final North American dates:

July 24, 2022 — East Rutherford, NJ, MetLife Stadium
July 27, 2022 — Foxborough, MA, Gillette Stadium
September 8, 2022 — Toronto, ON, Rogers Centre
September 13, 2022 — Charleston, SC, Credit One Stadium
October 8, 2022 — Santa Clara, CA, Levi’s Stadium
October 16, 2022 — Tacoma, WA, Tacoma Dome
October 17, 2022 — Tacoma, WA, Tacoma Dome
October 22, 2022 — Vancouver, BC, BC Place
November 9, 2022 — San Diego, CA, Petco Park
November 11,2022 — Phoenix, AZ, Chase Field
November 17, 2022 — Los Angeles, CA, Dodger Stadium

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A new tune co-written and recorded by Mick Jagger called “Strange Game” will serve as the theme song to the new Apple TV+ series Slow Horses and will be released this Friday, April 1, coinciding with the premiere of the show’s first two episodes.

The Rolling Stones frontman co-wrote the track with Academy Award-nominated film composer Daniel Pemberton, who produced the song and also is responsible for the score and soundtrack of Slow Horses.

The six-part series, which stars Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce and Olivia Cooke, focuses on a group of dysfunctional British intelligence agents who are relegated to Slough House, a department that serves as a dumping ground for spies who have made major career mistakes.

“Strange Game” is described as an “atmospheric and infectious” track that includes clever references to various aspects of the program’s storylines.

“Working with Mick Jagger has been one of the most exciting collaborations of my professional career,” says Pemberton, whose previous credits include the scores of Being the Ricardos, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ocean’s 8 and Yesterday. “I think we have managed to create an incredibly unique and original titles theme and I cannot wait for the rest of the world to hear it.”

Adds Slow Horses director James Hawes, “We always wanted a song to set the tone for the show and there was only ever one name in my mind — Mick Jagger. Hearing the track for the first time was utterly thrilling. Mick’s lyrics and performance have totally nailed the mood of Slow Horses, with all the humour and swagger I dreamed of.”

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Styx will be touring the Great White North this fall, and they’ll be bringing Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson and her new solo group, Nancy Wilson’s Heart, along for the road trip.

The 11-date Canadian trek is scheduled to kick off on October 5 in Victoria, British Columbia, and is scheduled through an October 18 show in Winnipeg. The tour will include two-night stands in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, respectively on October 9-10 and October 12-13.

Tickets for the Canadian concerts go on sale to the general public this Friday, April 1, at 10 a.m. local time via LiveNation.com. Styx will offer VIP packages and exclusive pre-sale opportunities starting Tuesday, March 29, at 10 a.m. local time at StyxWorld.com.

In addition, American Express card members will be able to buy pre-sale tickets beginning Wednesday, March 30, at 10 a.m. local time; visit Ticketmaster.ca/americanexpress for more information.

Earlier this year, Nancy Wilson’s Heart served as Styx’s special guest at the band’s five-show show Las Vegas residency at The Venetian Theatre that ran from January 28 through February 5.

Before the Canadian trek, Styx has a series of spring U.S. headlining lined up, and then will team up with REO Speedwagon and Loverboy for lengthy Live & Unzoomed Tour, which kicks off May 31 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is mapped out all the way through a September a September 18 performance in Bangor, Maine.

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On April 8, expect your favorite artists’ socials to be flooded with messages calling for support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion and the associated humanitarian crisis.

Among the artists participating in the Stand Up for Ukraine social media movement are Stevie Nicks, U2, Billy Joel, Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Green Day, Radiohead and many more.

Organized by Global Citizen, Stand Up for Ukraine is designed to mobilize people across the globe to call on world leaders to commit billions of dollars to help refugees. It takes place ahead of a global humanitarian pledging summit on April 9.

More than 12 million people need assistance due to the war in Ukraine, and more than 6.5 million have been displaced internally; in addition, more than 3.5 million have left the country for neighboring countries. Nearly two million are women and children. Since the conflict began, one child from Ukraine becomes a refugee every second.

Visit GlobalCitizen.org to learn how to participate yourself.

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Chad Smith is one proud papa today: His daughter earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood on Sunday night’s American Idol.

Under the name Ava Maybee, the 20-year-old daughter of the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer sang Stevie Wonder‘s classic “Lately,” and impressed judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Richie compared Ava’s alto voice to that of Cher, and Perry said it was a “cool sound.”  Bryan said he felt that Ava was an “artist,” adding, “I’m interested to hear and see more of what you’ve got goin’ on.”

Richie then said he was going to “go against” the singer’s family, joking, “You’re not going to be a ‘maybe,’ you’re going to be a ‘for sure.'” Perry and Bryan dubbed her “Ava Yes,” and told her she was going to Hollywood.  Perry also complimented Ava’s outfit, which mixed florals with leopard print.

Ava’s birth name is Ava Maybee Cardoso Smith. 

American Idol‘s Hollywood Week starts tonight on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

The Chili Peppers will release their new album, Unlimited Love, on April 1.

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Jane’s Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza co-founder Perry Farrell has posted a touching video message on his Facebook page in which he discusses his friendship with late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died Friday at age 50.

Blabbermouth.net reports that Farrell recorded the five-minute message on Saturday, and it was played Sunday during the Lollapalooza Brasil festival, where Foo Fighters had been scheduled to play a headlining set.

“Taylor Hawkins…was my best friend — beloved in my home by my wife, my children, even my dogs,” Farrell begins his tribute. “He was one of the most passionate drummers I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. When I think of him, I sum it up with one word: velocity. He had the gift to maintain a confident striking and stroking velocity on drums.”

Perry continues, “There’s a large part of my heart that I had reserved for him. I accepted him into my heart when we became friends because he was such a pure guy, so pure of heart…I would receive texts from Taylor. There were always bits and pieces of songs he was writing or looking to write or wanted me to listen to. I got music tidbits as often as I got ‘I love you’s.”

Farrell goes on to explain that their mutual passion for music was the “common ground” that served as a basis for their friendship.

He concludes, “The only sense that I could make of the tragedy is to know that Taylor’s now in heaven; he can hear us. What I’m gonna do from this day forward is to try to make music that I think Taylor would really love.”

The video also features footage of Perry and Taylor singing Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody” together accompanied by a street musician playing piano.

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Aerosmith just announced that it will return to the stage this year for the first time since the start of the pandemic for a new series of Las Vegas residency shows, but now comes word that founding drummer Joey Kramer won’t be joining the band.

According to a statement that Aerosmith shared with USA Today, Kramer has “regrettably made the decision to sit out the band’s concerts in 2022 so he can focus his full attention on his family during these uncertain times.”

The 71-year-old musician’s hiatus is described as “a temporary leave of absence,” and the statement notes that “he and the band look forward to his future performances with Aerosmith.” Filling in for Kramer will be the group’s drum technician, John Douglas, who previously took over for Joey at select shows in 2019 when Kramer was injured.

In early 2020, Kramer sued his band mates when they decided to not allow him to perform with the group when they played the Grammy Awards ceremony because they felt he hadn’t sufficiently recovered from then-recent injuries he’d suffered.

He was subsequently invited to rejoin Aerosmith when they began their February 2020 Las Vegas residency.

As previously reported, Aerosmith’s 2022 residency features 24 dates, broken up into three eight-show engagements taking place at the Dolby Live at Park MGM theater from June 17 to July 8, from September 14 to October 5, and from November 19 to December 11. Tickets for the residency dates go on sale to the general public this Thursday, March 31, at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.com.

The band also has a previously announced September 8 concert at Boston’s Fenway Park with Extreme scheduled.

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Roxy Music will reunite this fall for its first tour in 11 years, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the influential art-rock band’s self-titled debut album.

The trek will feature 10 North American dates, kicking off September 7 in Toronto and mapped out through a September 28 show at the famed Los Angeles-area venue The Forum. The trek also will visit Washington, D.C.; New York City; Philadelphia; Boston; Chicago; Austin and Dallas, Texas; and San Francisco.

The band will feature four members of Roxy Music’s classic lineup — singer Bryan Ferry, sax player Andy Mackay, guitarist Phil Manzanera and drummer Paul Thompson.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, April 4, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.com. Pre-sales will be available starting on Tuesday, March 29, at 10 a.m. local time, and a number of VIP packages also will be offered. Visit BryanFerry.com, LiveNation.com and VIPNation.com for more information.

Alt-rocker St. Vincent will open all of the North American shows except for the Boston concert. Roxy Music also has announced three U.K. dates in October — in Glasgow, Manchester and London.

In related Roxy Music news, the band also will celebrate its 50th anniversary by reissuing special vinyl editions of its eight studio albums. The LPs will be half-speed mastered, and will feature revised artwork. The albums will be released two at a time in installments, with the first pair — 1972’s Roxy Music and 1973’s For Your Pleasure — due out this Friday, April 1.

Roxy Music was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. They are best-known in the U.S. for the 1975 dance hit “Love Is the Drug” and the acclaimed 1982 album Avalon, which included “More Than This” and the title track.

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