Classic Rock News

Peter Gabriel is set to release i/o, his first new album in over 20 years, sometime in 2023. But until then, fans will be getting a new song with each new moon, which is far from a conventional approach to releasing an album. 

“I’m an awkward sod. I like doing things differently, if I can,” he tells Uncut magazine in a new interview. “I’m 72. At this point, it doesn’t matter what other people say. I listen, still, to people who I think are wise and smart and have good taste. Generally, though, I’ll end up doing what I think will be either fun or interesting.”

So far Gabriel has released three tracks from i/o: the lead single, “Panopticom,” along with “Playing for Time” and “The Court (Dark-Side remix).” It sounds like he has plenty more to share. 

Gabriel says he has a “surplus” of material just waiting for release, explaining “there’s probably 20 or so new things.”

“So I’ll see where we get to with those,” he says. “If I have the stamina, I may just keep going.”

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David Byrne is known for innovative presentations of his music, and he didn’t disappoint Sunday night at the 95th annual Academy Awards.

Byrne performed his Best Original Song “This Is a Life,” from the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, accompanied by Son Lux — whose member Ryan Lott co-wrote the song with Byrne — and one of the movie’s stars, Stephanie Hsu, standing in for the song’s other writer, Mitski.

Hsu sang the song in a floor-length gown which appeared to be covered with feathers, while Byrne wore a white suit.  When he moved his arms, he revealed that he was wearing “hot dog fingers” on his hands, aping one of the most memorable scenes in the film.

As Byrne and Hsu sang the song, a group of dancers performed balletic fight choreography in front of them, and large video screens displayed a number of key images from the movie: An everything bagel, googly eyes and a raccoon, among other things.  

If “This Is a Life” wins the Oscar, it’ll be Byrne’s second: In 1988, he won Best Original Score for his work on The Last Emperor with composers Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su.

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Billy Joel predicted that he and Stevie Nicks would sing each other’s songs during their co-headlining stadium tour, and they did — but they sang them together.

Billboard reports that for the opening night of the tour, which took place Friday, March 10 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, they sang two duets.  The first was “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Stevie’s hit duet with the late Tom Petty; Billy joined her onstage to sing Petty’s parts.  Then, during Billy’s set, Stevie joined him to sing the ballad “And So It Goes,” from his 1989 album Storm Front.

You can watch fan-shot videos of both performances on YouTube.

Billboard notes that when Stevie paid tribute to her late Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie while performing “Landslide” during her set, she told the crowd, “I have to imagine she’s still here. It’s all I can do.” She also sang the Fleetwood Mac song “Sara” for the first time since 2008.

The next date on the tour is April 8 in Arlington, TX and will continue on and off through November.

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James Taylor has a treat in store for his fans. The singer announced that on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET he’ll stream a “rarely seen” classic concert on YouTube.

James Taylor – In Concert will feature a 90-minute show filmed August 19, 1979, at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

And after Friday’s debut, fans who missed the initial airing will be able to watch it on demand on Taylor’s YouTube channel for seven days.

Fans will soon be able to see Taylor perform live, in person. He is scheduled to hit the road on a new tour this spring, with dates kicking off with a two-night stand in Woodinville, Washington, May 25 and 26. A complete list of dates can be found at jameestaylor.com.

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It sounds like The Who fans shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for a new album. In a new interview with NME, frontman Roger Daltrey explains why the band has no plans to make new music together. 

“What’s the point?” Daltrey tells the mag. “What’s the point of records? We released an album four years ago, and it did nothing,” he says, referring to the 2019 release Who. He adds, “It’s a great album too, but there isn’t the interest out there for new music these days. People want to hear the old music. I don’t know why, but that’s the fact.”

He also lays the blame on record companies, noting that despite the fact their fan base ranges “from 80-years-old, all the way down to eight-years-old,” companies “just don’t do the same job as they used to.”

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David Bowie’s life and career are being explored in a new book of personal photos from his childhood friend Geoff MacCormack.

David Bowie: Rock ‘n’ Roll with Me, dropping March 20, features photos MacCormack took while on tour with the White Duke in 1973, while Bowie filmed The Man Who Fell to Earth, recorded Station to Station and more. 

“I was very lucky,” the photographer tells People of his friendship with the rock star, noting that while it was happening he had “absolutely” no idea the photos were capturing history.

MacCormack previously released a limited-edition Bowie photo book in 2007, which included a forward written by Bowie, who claimed MacCormack imagined all their adventures. That forward is included in the new book, but as the afterward.

“Obviously the book is sad at the end because he departs,” MacCormack shares, referring to Bowie’s 2016 death. “So I’ve used that and it kind of lifts you up at the end.” 

MacCormack shares some of the photos from the book with People, including one of what looks like Bowie moving a tree branch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where The Man Who Fell to Earth was shot.

“I’m totally mystified about this picture because I don’t remember taking it!” he says. “It looks like Santa Fe, if you look at the house, it’s got that kind of look about it.” He added, “Why would he be moving trees? It’s beyond crazy.”

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Pete Townshend fans won’t have to wait much longer for his new solo single. After teasing the track last month, The Who rocker finally announced the song “Can’t Outrun The Truth” will drop March 24 and shared a snippet of it on social media.

“Can’t Outrun The Truth” is Townshend’s first solo single in 29 years and will be accompanied by his first solo video in 40 years. The track was composed and produced by Townshend’s wife, Rachel Fuller, under her nom de plume, Charlie Pepper. 

Rachel shares that the song was inspired by the feelings of isolation many were dealing with during the pandemic: “I really started to think about how unbelievably difficult this period of time was going to be for so many people.”

She added, “I wrote lyrics and then I sat at the piano and wrote the music, and then I thought, ‘Oh, I really would like to record it, because it’s really not a bad song at all’ – and my singing days are long over. So, I asked Pete to record the demo.”

A portion of each “Can’t Outrun The Truth” download will be donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust. The song is available for preorder now.

There will also be 200 12-inch singles of “Can’t Outrun The Truth,” featuring artwork by Damien Hirst and Pete’s “Let My Love Open The Door” on side B. Each one will be signed by Townshend and will be sold at the upcoming Teenage Cancer Trust shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall from March 21 to 26. All proceeds from those sales will go to the charity, as well. 

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When Jeff Beck passed away in January, many of his fellow artists shared touching tributes to him. Well, now some of those artists are going to do it again, this time onstage. 

Eric Clapton and Beck’s widow, Sandra, have announced A Tribute to Jeff Beck with Eric Clapton and Friends at London’s Royal Albert Hall, set to happen May 22 and 23.

Although a complete lineup is still being finalized, artists confirmed to join Clapton at the tribute include Rod Stewart, ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, Johnny Depp, Gary Clark Jr., Robert Randolph, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Joss Stone, Doyle Bramhall, Imelda May, John McLaughlin and Olivia Safe, along with Jeff Beck Band members Rhonda Smith, Anika Nilles and Robert Stevenson. 

Tickets for the shows are set to go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. GMT, although there will be a presale on Tuesday. Information on ticket sales can be found at ericclapton.com.

Any surplus proceeds from the concerts will benefit the Folly Wildlife Rescue based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, which is “dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured, orphaned and distressed wild animals and birds” in their area.

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Yes is back with new music. The band, currently made up of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood and Jay Schellen, is set to drop the new studio album Mirror To The Sky on May 19. They’ve shared the first single from the record, “Cut from the Stars.”

“This is a very important album for the band,” Howe, the band’s longest serving member and producer of the record, shares. “We kept the continuity in the approach we established on (2021’s) The Quest, but we haven’t repeated ourselves.”

He added, “As Yes did in the 1970s from one album to another, we’re growing and moving forward.”

Mirror to the Sky is available for preorder now and comes in a variety of formats, including a limited deluxe box set, featuring transparent electric blue double vinyl, two CDs and a Blu-ray, with a 36-page hardcover book, a poster and more.

Here is the track list for Mirror To The Sky:

“Cut from the Stars”
“All Connected”
“Luminosity”
“Living Out Their Dream”
“Mirror to the Sky”
“Circles of Time”
“Unknown Place”
“One Second Is Enough”
“Magic Potion”

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On This Day, March 10, 2003…

The Police were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers reuniting for their first performance in 18 years.

They performed “Roxanne,” and “Message in a Bottle,” as well as their classic “Every Breath You Take,” joined by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani and John Mayer. 

Also getting inducted into the Hall of Fame on this day were The Clash, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, AC/DC and The Righteous Brothers.

Four years after the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame reunion, in February 2007, The Police reunited once again to open the 49th annual Grammy Awards, which was followed by a 30th anniversary reunion tour.

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