After the sudden and unexpected death of ZZ Top‘s Dusty Hill last week, the group’s frontman, Billy Gibbons, revealed that the late bassist had recorded several tracks, including some vocals, that likely will appear on the band’s next album.
In a recent interview with Variety, Gibbons noted that the recordings were “gonna require some completion work,” while adding that Hill luckily laid down vocal tracks for two tunes.
“I handed Dusty a couple of lyric sheets and I said, ‘Hey, see if you can make heads or tails out of this,'” Billy recalled. “He said, ‘Can I sing it?’ I said, ‘Dusty, you could sing the calendar if you wanted to — people would love it.’ He goes, ‘Hey, that’s not a bad idea. If we ever get back to go to work, can we add the calendar into the show? I know all the words.'”
Gibbons also told Variety that he wasn’t sure about Hill’s cause of death, while noting that in recent years Dusty had broken a shoulder and a hip, and also had suffered from ulcers. Dusty’s health issues prompted him to leave ZZ Top’s current tour after only a couple of shows, and the band tapped its longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, to step in for him. Sadly, just a few days later, Hill passed away in his sleep at his home in Houston.
Gibbons said it was a coincidence that Francis had decided to stop shaving during the pandemic, so that when ZZ Top enlisted him to fill in for Hill, he’d already grown a long beard.
“I was looking over the front row and everybody was kind of giving each other the elbow, and they were pointing up and said, ‘Look, the ZZ Top circus still rolls on,'” Billy noted. “‘There’s another freak up there.'”
Sammy Hagar has spoke previously about how he and Eddie Van Halen made peace with each other prior to Eddie’s death in October 2020. But now, in a new interview, Hagar says his former Van Halen band mate told him that he wanted the two to “make some noise” together.
Speaking to The Washington Post a few days ago, Hagar said that when he reconnected with Eddie “four or five months before he died,” the late guitar legend “had elevated his whole thing.”
Hagar explains, “He had come to peace with everything. He knew he was sick. And it was so great to contact the guy when he was in that state of mind…And man, I’m so glad that that happened at that time, because if it wouldn’t have, if we had never made peace and he would have passed the way he did, I would feel terrible.”
Hagar goes on to say that in that conversation, Eddie told him that he’d been fighting cancer for 15 years and that he had to get “this big thing on my neck and my throat…all straightened out.” Then, Hagar says Eddie told him, “Next year, you and I have gotta make some noise. We made some great music together, and I wanna do it again.’ I was just, like, ‘Yes.'”
Hagar adds, “Hearing those things really made me able to handle his death. ‘Cause it’s still tough as hell. I miss the guy.”
Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985, replacing original frontman David Lee Roth, and recorded four number-one albums with the group. The band’s “Van Hagar” lineup — Hagar, Eddie, bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van Halen — last toured together in 2004.
Bob Dylan will issue a special seven-inch vinyl single on August 20, featuring two previously unreleased versions of his 1983 song “Blind Willie McTell.”
Both versions of the song, which Dylan recorded during the sessions for his 1983 album, Infidels, feature Dire Straits‘ Mark Knopfler and ex-Rolling Stones member Mick Taylor on guitars, and legendary reggae session musicians Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on drums and bass, respectively.
The single’s A-side will feature the first take of the track, which will be available exclusively on the single and can be pre-ordered at ThirdManStore.com. The B-side will feature the fifth take of the tune, which also will be included on the recently announced Dylan archival collection Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 (1980-1985) that’s due out September 17.
As previously reported, Springtime in New York is a five-CD, 57-track set that focuses on the sessions for three of the lauded singer/songwriter’s early-1980s albums — 1981’s Shot of Love, Infidels and 1985’s Empire Burlesque.
“Blind Willie McTell” was an outtake from Infidels. The only studio version of the song that’s been released so far is a take featuring just Dylan on piano and Knopfler on guitar that appeared on 1991’s The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 compilation.
Springtime in New York can be pre-ordered now. For full details about the release, visit BobDylan.com.
Former Poco singer/guitarist Paul Cotton, who was one of the influential country-rock act’s main songwriters during his long tenure with the band, has died.
According to a post on his official Facebook page, Cotton “passed away unexpectedly, peacefully” at the age 78.
Cotton joined Poco in 1970, replacing founding member Jim Messina, in time to contribute to the band’s third studio album, 1971’s From the Inside.
After founding singer/guitarist Richie Furay left Poco in 1973, Cotton co-led the group with singer/pedal-steel player Rusty Young until 1987, when Paul exited the band. Among the many songs Cotton wrote for the Poco were “Indian Summer,” “Under the Gun” and “Heart of the Night,” the latter of which reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cotton rejoined the band in 1991 and continued to play with them until 2010. He also released for solo studio albums, the most recent of which, 100% Paul Cotton, came out in 2014.
In 2015, Cotton was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame as a member of Poco and he reunited to perform with many of his former band mates at the ceremony.
Cotton’s Facebook page reports that a private and public celebration of his life and tribute concert will be held during the last week of January in Key West, Florida, where he and his wife resided for many years.
Paul’s death comes less than four months after the passing of Young, who died of a heart attack at age 75 in April.
Foo Fighters had a new lead singer — temporarily — on Sunday for their set at Lollapalooza: Dave Grohl‘s 15-year-old daughter.
Violet Grohl joined her dad and his band mates to sing “Nausea,” by pioneering L.A. punk band X. In April, Violet performed the song on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, backed by her dad, his ex-Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic, producer Greg Kurstin, and Mr. Bungle drummer Dave Lombardo. They recorded the song for Grohl’s documentary, What Drives Us.
Sunday was also the seventh birthday of Grohl’s daughter, Ophelia, and after leading a “Happy Birthday” singalong for her, Grohl introduced Violet by saying, “If you stick around long enough, maybe your daughter will join your band, too. So since my daughter Violet Grohl is now in the Foo Fighters, we thought, ‘Why don’t we come out and sing a song for Lollapalooza tonight?'”
Dave described Violet as “the most bad-a** person I know in my life,” and boasted that “she likes to listen to the punk rock music that I like to listen to.” After claiming that he and X drummer DJ Bonebrake are related — which may actually be true — he then let Violet take the mic for “Nausea.” She acquitted herself admirably in true rock-star style, and seemed totally unfazed by the massive crowd.
Foo Fighters’ tour continues August 3 in St. Louis, MO.
(Violet’s song with the band starts at 1:32:18 into the video.)
The Smashing Pumpkins have been working on a new album, which has been described as a “sequel” to 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and 2000’s Machina. Speaking with ABC Audio, guitarist Jeff Schroeder shares a bit more about the record, and its massive scope.
“This Pumpkins thing is such a big project,” Schroeder reveals. “It’s gonna be 33 songs.”
Working on the record, Schroeder says, has so far been the “deepest musical journey” he’s taken in his career.
“I mean, 33 songs is a lot,” he muses. “That’s a lot of tunes.”
The ambition of the forthcoming project is also influenced by the way the Pumpkins have come to approach making records.
“We are not a band that goes in the studio and jams it out and is gonna do an album in a few days,” Schroeder explains. “Like, these are painstakingly worked-over albums where every second of the record is thought about.”
As for progress on the album, Schroeder says he’s about “halfway done” with his parts. Production-wise, he likens the music to the most recent Pumpkins record, last November’s CYR.
“It’s more of a forward-leaning album in production, not very four guys, five guys in a room jamming-type of record,” Schroeder says. “It’s a very produced album, so far.”
He adds, “But…things could change.”
Meanwhile, Schroeder just released his debut solo song, “Haenim.”
First announced in 2019, a new Led Zeppelin documentary — the first in 50 years to feature the band’s participation — has been completed, and now has a title: Becoming Led Zeppelin.
As Variety reports, the director, Bernard McMahon, had what’s described as “unprecedented” access to the band for the project. “Becoming Led Zeppelin is a film that no one thought could be made,” Variety quotes MacMahon as saying. “The band’s meteoric rise to stardom was swift and virtually undocumented. Through an intense search across the globe and years of restoration of the visual and audio archive found, this story is finally able to be told.”
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones all sat for new interviews for the doc, and archival interviews with late drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980, are also included. Never-before-seen pictures and film, plus state-of-the-art audio transfers of Zeppelin’s music, round out the project.
McMahon also directed American Epic, a documentary series focusing on American roots music and its impact on the world. According to Variety, when Becoming Led Zeppelin was first announced, Page said that he knew McMahon would be “qualified’ to tell their story based on his “remarkable achievement” with American Epic.
So far, the documentary does not have a release date.
A new Beatles tribute album featuring an eclectic variety of well-known artists, including Heart‘s Ann Wilson, late Cream bassist Jack Bruce and Southern rockers Molly Hatchet, performing classic songs by the Fab Four will be released this Friday, August 6.
The album, which can be pre-ordered now, features Wilson’s rendition of “Across the Universe,” Bruce’s version “Eleanor Rigby” and Molly Hatchet performing “Back in the USSR.”
Other artists contributing tunes to the record include late Asia frontman John Wetton, ex-Deep Purple bassist/singer Glenn Hughes, folk legend Judy Collins, ’80s synth-pop artist Howard Jones and longtime Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse, the latter of whom teams up with Mr. Mister‘s Richard Page for a cover of “Here Comes the Sun.”
Here’s the full track list of Legends Play The Beatles:
“Here Comes the Sun” — Richard Page & Steve Morse
“Across the Universe” — Ann Wilson
“Penny Lane” — John Wetton
“Back in the USSR” — Molly Hatchet
“Norwegian Wood” — Andrew Gold
“The Long and Winding Road” — Air Supply
“Tomorrow Never Knows” — Electric Moon
“Rain” — Sugar Candy Mountain
“Eleanor Rigby” — Jack Bruce
“And I Love Her” — Howard Jones
“Yesterday” — Judy Collins
“Let It Be” — Glenn Hughes
ZZ Top in 2015; Randy Holmes/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
Following the unexpected death of bassist Dusty Hill earlier last week, ZZ Top returned to the stage on Friday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Billboardreports that the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers honored their late band mate before getting into the thick of their performance.
Frontman Billy Gibbons introduced Elwood Francis — who has served as the band’s guitar tech for the past two decades — as Hill’s temporary replacement. Francis had previously filled in for the late bassist prior to his death.
“We’re gonna have a good time in here tonight,” promised Gibbons. “Got a new guy up here, as you know. Dusty gave me the directive. My friend, your pal, Elwood Francis is gonna hold it down behind me.”
Mid-performance, Gibbons addressed the crowd again on behalf of Hill, shouting at the revelers, “How about that Elwood? Tearing up that bottom there for Dusty.”
Gibbons previously confirmed that Hill wanted the band to continue without him, according to tweets shared by rock radio personality Eddie Trunk.
“As Dusty said upon his departure, ‘Let the show go on!’ and…with respect, we’ll do well to get beyond this and honor his wishes,” a reported text from Gibbons said.
The 71-year-old singer/guitarist added, “Dusty emphatically grabbed my arm and said, ‘Give Elwood the bottom end and take it to the Top.’ He meant it, amigo. He really did.”
Last Wednesday, ZZ Top announced that Hill “passed away in his sleep at home in Houston” at age 72. No cause of death has yet been publicly revealed.
That’s what anyone with cable TV who happened to be up at midnight on August 1, 1981 — 40 years ago this Sunday — heard, as MTV: Music Television signed on the air for the very first time. At the time, it wasn’t even available in most major markets, including MTV’s home base, New York City. And that first day was a little rocky.
“The plan was that Mark Goodman would begin the welcome,” recalls original VJ Alan Hunter of MTV’s first moments. “After you had the Buggles and Pat Benatar videos, Mark comes on and says, ‘Hey, welcome to this thing called MTV and here are my pals'” And it would roll down to JJ [Jackson] and Martha [Quinn] and Nina [Blackwood]. And I was the last guy to say, ‘and I’m Alan Hunter.'”
But because the guy loading the videotapes screwed up, Hunter ended up being the first VJ we ever saw, saying, “…And I’m Alan Hunter.”
“No one really noticed, it was late at night,” Hunter laughs. “There was so many technical glitches that first day…MTV was duct-taped together to start, to be honest.”
But MTV soon took hold across the country — especially in the Midwest, where Hunter and his fellow VJs would find hundreds of people waiting to greet them at in-store appearances.
“They would ask for an autograph and say, ‘I watch this 24/7 in the dorm at college,’ or, ‘in the basement of our friend’s house down the street who has cable’…kids [were] going crazy for it,” Hunter recalls. “And they were beginning to ask for the music that they were seeing on MTV.”
Flooded with requests for songs by MTV faves like U2 and Duran Duran, radio eventually responded and previously unknown bands became superstars. But hey, don’t expect any gratitude from Duran Duran, whose stylish videos were a highlight of MTV’s early years.
“We tend to look at it the other way around,” Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon tells ABC Audio. “We think, ‘How much does MTV have to thank us for the popularity that they had in the 1980s?'”
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes snarks, “Yes, at least with Duran Duran, we didn’t have to resort to game shows in the end. We stuck with the music!”
Indeed, MTV stopped being the place for music videos literally decades ago.
“When I look at MTV’s daily schedule, all I see is Ridiculousness,” laughs Hunter, referring to the viral video clip show. “I think they’re struggling to try to find where they’re going.”
But whatever MTV is today, its impact is still being felt. Rob Tannenbaum, co-author of the oral history I Want My MTV, explains, “It changed record labels because now a certain type of band was more profitable. It changed the TV industry and the movie industry because they all wanted to emulate the fast cutting [and] bright colors. It changed fashion design. It changed advertising. It had a wholesale effect…all over popular culture.”
And the quintessential MTV Video? Tannenbaum says it’s Van Halen‘s “Hot for Teacher.”
“It has all the things that are supposed to make a video good. It’s got a guitar solo. It’s a band with long hair, chicks in bikinis,” he says, adding, “If you were trying to illustrate to an alien from another planet what MTV was about, you would show them ‘Hot for Teacher.'”
Here were the first 10 videos played on MTV:
“Video Killed the Radio Star” — The Buggles
“You Better Run” — Pat Benatar
“She Won’t Dance with Me” — Rod Stewart
“You Better You Bet” — The Who
“Little Suzi’s on the Up” — Ph.D.
“We Don’t Talk Anymore” — Cliff Richard
“Brass in Pocket” — The Pretenders
“Time Heals” — Todd Rundgren
“Take It on the Run” — REO Speedwagon (interrupted after 12 seconds due to technical difficulties)
“Rockin’ the Paradise” — Styx
