It sounds like we may be getting some new music from Blondie, if you believe Johnny Marr. During an appearance on The Lineup with Shaun Keaveny podcast, the former The Smiths guitarist revealed he’s written a new song for the band.
Johnny previously wrote the song “My Monster” for Blondie and he now shares, “I’ve written another new one for the new, current record that they’re recording,” adding, “I don’t know whether it will end up on the album, you never know. But they seemed to really like it.”
Johnny says hearing Debbie Harry singing his lyrics is “a new level of wow for me because they are my lyrics, Debbie’s singing my lyrics.”
The new song is called “Spectral Eyes,” but Marr says “they took so long recording it” he recorded it himself as a B-side on a 7-inch. He adds, “I wasn’t about to put it on an album, just in case.”
Personal items from the late Christine McVie will go up for auction as planned this weekend, with proceeds from the sale benefiting the Recording Academy charity MusiCares.
Following the news of McVie’s death at age 79 on Wednesday, Julien’s Auctions announced they will move forward with the auction on Saturday. “We worked with the legendary Christie McVie and her team for the past year in curating a world class auction set to take place on December 3 celebrating her amazing life and career and supporting her charity MusiCares,” they shared.
They add, “It was important to Christine that MusiCares, a charity close to her heart to help other musicians in need, would greatly benefit from her auction,” noting, “It is now our mission to make this auction a fitting tribute to the legacy of one of the greatest singers and musicians of our time.”
The auction includes a variety of Fleetwood Mac items, but McVie-specific items include: a 1960s stage-played Hammond B-3 Organ, a stage-played Yamaha C3 Baby Grand Piano, a Rumours photo-matched album cover-worn dress and a pair of black, lace-up combat boots she wore to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2019 and throughout the 2018/2019 Fleetwood Mac Tour.
Apparently, The Smashing Pumpkins are to the ’90s what Cheap Trick was to the ’70s.
According to Variety, Pumpkins guitarist James Iha plays on an updated version of the That ’70s Show theme for the upcoming sequel series That ’90s Show.
The song, titled “In the Street,” was originally released by the band Big Star in 1972. It was adapted for That ’70s Show when the sitcom premiered in 1998; Cheap Trick’s version was used as the theme starting in the second season.
Variety reports that Iha is also the composer on That ’90s Show.
That ’90s Show will premiere January 19 on Netflix. Set in 1995, it stars returning actors Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprising their roles as Red and Kitty Forman, whose house is once again invaded by teenagers when their granddaughter Leia comes to visit.
This year’s Bowl for Ronnie charity bowling tournament, held in honor of late metal icon Ronnie James Dio, raised over $72,000 for cancer research.
The annual event made its return last month after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the rockers who participated were Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello, Tenacious D‘s Jack Black, Theory of a Deadman frontman Tyler Connolly and Lita Ford.
The team featuring former Judas Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens won first place.
Proceeds from Bowl for Ronnie benefits the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, which was founded following Dio’s death from stomach cancer in 2010.
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of George Thorogood‘s first show, so he and his band, The Destroyers, are celebrating the milestone with a new tour. Thorogood just announced dates for the Bad All Over The World 50 Years of Rock tour, with dates set in the U.S. and Canada.
The tour kicks off with an appearance on the Rock Legends Cruise X in February, before launching March 17 and 18 in Lincoln City, Oregon. The last U.S. show has Thorogood hitting Las Vegas’ Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino Resort on March 25.
“From that very first show, we’ve stayed true to ourselves and the music we love,” says Thorogood, referring to their first gig, which was on December 1, 1973, at the University of Delaware. “We’ve decided to celebrate our first half-century by throwing the biggest and baddest rock party ever.”
After the Vegas show, the tour heads to Canada for Thorogood’s first shows there in three years. Dates are confirmed through May 17 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
December 1 is World AIDS Day, and for 30 years, Elton John has been on the forefront of the fight against the disease. While progress has been made, Elton pointed out on Instagram that there’s still much to do: In 2021, 650,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, while 1.5 million were diagnosed with HIV.
Speaking to E! Online, Elton says, “We need to keep up the energy, momentum and conversation around HIV so it doesn’t feel like something in the past,” adding that his foundation is committed to “ending AIDS by 2030.” He also says it’s important to “normalize the conversation” around safe sex and how to live a healthy life while being HIV-positive.
The foundation recently received a $1 million donation from Saks Fifth Avenue, which he says will go towards “expand[ing] and mobiliz[ing] our mission for the rights and health of everyone, everywhere.”
Elton notes that seeing the foundation grow over the years has been “one of the greatest joys of my life.”
The music icon founded Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 after losing two friends to AIDS within a year: Ryan White, who was infected with HIV during a blood transfusion at age 13 and died in 1990, and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991.
The past year has been a good one for touring artists, especially for some heritage acts, who made big bucks on the road this year.
While Bad Bunny tops Billboard’s year-end Top Tours chart for 2022, bringing in $373.5 million and selling 1.8 million tickets across 65 shows, acts like Elton John, The Rolling Stones,Mötley Crue and Def Leppard all make the top 10.
Elton lands just under Bad Bunny at two, with over $334 million from 63 shows; The Rolling Stones comes in at six, with over $179 million from 20 shows.
Others making the list include the Red Hot Chili Peppers at seven ($176.9 M), Def Leppard and Motley Crue at eight ($173.4 M), Paul McCartney at 15, Eagles at 16 ($105 M), Guns N’ Roses at 17 ($93.3 M) and Genesis at 25 ($81.9 M).
The “Welcome to the Jungle” rockers will headline the English capital’s historic Hyde Park on June 30. A full lineup of supporting artists will be announced at a later date.
Tickets go on sale next Wednesday, December 7. Members of GN’R’s Nightrain fan club will have access to presale tickets beginning Monday, December 5. For all ticket info, visit GunsNRoses.com.
GN’R just played London last summer and was joined by country star Carrie Underwood for performances of “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Paradise City.”
The Hyde Park date marks the first announced Guns N’ Roses show of 2023. The group will close out 2022 with a show in New Zealand on December 10.
Grateful Dead fans can now show off their love for the band while improving their health, thanks to a new line of Grateful Dead yoga mats, cork yoga blocks and cotton yoga straps that’s being released by JadeYoga. The natural rubber Grateful Dead Harmony mats will feature the band’s signature dancing bears, with the bears in Tree, Downward Dog, Warrior, Crow and Dancer yoga poses.
“When I first saw the Grateful Dead inGlens Falls, NY over 40 years ago, I never would have thought I would someday have a chance to work with the band or just how fitting it would be,” JadeYoga founder Dean Jerrehian shares. “With the Grateful Dead’s history of environmental activism and support, the Dead is a perfect match for Jade’s mission of creating the best quality, most eco-friendly yoga products and giving back to the earth with each product sold.”
The mats will also help the environment because with every mat sold, Jade will plant a tree; over two million trees have been planted so far.
Fleetwood Mac‘s Christine McVie continues to be remembered on social media, with former President Bill Clinton among the famous names paying tribute to the star.
“I’m saddened by the passing of Christine McVie,” he writes. ““Don’t Stop” was my ’92 campaign theme song – it perfectly captured the mood of a nation eager for better days.” He adds, “I’m grateful to Christine & Fleetwood Mac for entrusting us with such a meaningful song. I will miss her.”
Also remembering McVie, who passed away Wednesday at age 79, are the Eagles, who shared, “We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Christine McVie. Hers was a vibrant, soulful spirit, and her music was, and will remain, a gift to the world.” The statement adds, “We had the utmost admiration and respect for Christine.”
HAIM, whose song “Hallelujah” was quoted in Stevie Nicks’ tribute to McVie, shared on Instagram, “the sisterhood Stevie and Christine had was so vital to us growing up. seeing two strong women support each other in our favorite band has had such a huge impact on us throughout our lives.”
The sister group added that McVie “has been a constant inspiration.” Alana Haim, who wrote the “Hallelujah” verse that Stevie quoted, added that it was written “to help me heal” after the death of her friend Sammi Kane.
She noted, “Seeing Stevie and Christine together changed my life forever and made me want to play music. I’m speechless. I love you so much Stevie, rip beautiful songbird.” “Songbird” was McVie’s signature song.
Other tributes include:
The Go-Go’sBelinda Carlisle – “Oh no. The voice of an angel. RIP #christinemcvie Forever loved.” The Kinks‘ Dave Davies– “I’m really upset about #ChristineMcVie a very underrated and talented woman. A great talent.” Marc Maron – “Christine McVie died. One of the greatest rock voices ever. Both as a singer and songwriter. RIP.” Drive-by Truckers– Christine McVie had the most hits of anyone in Fleetwood Mac, yet was somehow the most underrated member. Never flashy, alway great. She was the glue that held all those crazy wonderful elements together. Her songs had a soulfulness unhampered by pretense. RIP.” Bryan Adams – “RIP Christine McVie. Thanks for the music.”
