Classic Rock News

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of British glam-rock legends T. Rex‘s classic album Electric Warrior.

The record was the Marc Bolan-fronted group’s sixth overall and its second after the band shortened its original moniker, Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Electric Warrior spent eight nonconsecutive weeks at #1 on the U.K. albums chart in late 1971 and early ’72, while peaking at #32 on the Billboard 200. It includes the band’s signature song, “Get It On,” which topped the U.K. singles tally, while reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 — becoming T. Rex’s only top-40 hit in the U.S.

The album also features “Jeepster,” a #2 U.K. hit, and such other gems as “Mambo Sun,” “Cosmic Dancer” and “Life’s a Gas.”

In the U.S., “Get It On” was retitled “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” to avoid confusion with a then-popular song by the jazz-rock band Chase.

Longtime Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman played piano on “Get It On.” Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman of The Turtles and Frank Zappa fame contributed backing vocals to Electric Warrior, while ex-King Crimson multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, who later became a founding member of Foreigner, played saxophone on the record.

Electric Warrior, which was written entirely by Bolan and produced by frequent David Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti, is considered among the first glam-rock albums, if not the very first.

The record’s influence could be heard in the early-to-mid-1970s music of Bowie, Elton John, The Hollies and The Rolling Stones, and went on to inspire many artists who emerged from the punk and new wave scenes.

Here’s the full track list of Electric Warrior:

“Mambo Sun”
“Cosmic Dancer”
“Jeepster”
“Monolith”
“Lean Woman Blues”
“Get It On”
“Planet Queen”
“Girl”
“The Motivator”
“Life’s a Gas”
“Rip Off”

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Nirvana‘s Nevermind turns 30 today.

Released on September 24, 1991, Nevermind brought the grunge and alternative scene to the masses as it became perhaps the definitive rock album of the ’90s.

Coming off the excess and bombast of ’80s hair-metal culture, Nevermind spoke to a generation of disaffected youth with songs of self-hatred and rebellion, set to Kurt Cobain‘s yelping vocals and distorted guitar over Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic thundering drums and bass.

Even after building an underground following with their 1989 debut, Bleach, no one could’ve predicted Nirvana’s meteoric rise with Nevermind. Things began to change with the premiere of lead single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and its high school pep rally-meets-anarchist punk mosh pit video.

While it debuted at a modest 144 on the Billboard 200, Nevermind‘s popularity continued to build and build as more people heard “Teen Spirit” and saw the video. By January 1992, Nevermind had hit number one on the Billboard 200, dethroning the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.

As Nirvana’s popularity grew, they ushered in the grunge frenzy as bands including Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains earned mainstream attention. The scene also inspired its own fashion, signified by flannel shirts, ripped jeans and Cobain’s thick-framed sunglasses.

Cobain himself was deemed an icon and a voice of his generation, a label with which he felt increasingly uncomfortable. His reaction to his sudden superstar status can be heard in the lyrics of Nirvana’s 1993 Nevermind follow-up, In Utero.

Sadly, that would be the last studio album Nirvana would record. Cobain, who struggled with mental-health and substance-abuse issues throughout his life, died by suicide in April 1994.

The legacy of Nirvana and Nevermind, though, has endured — the album is now certified Diamond by the RIAA.

Here’s Nevermind‘s full track list:

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”
“In Bloom”
“Come as You Are”
“Breed”
“Lithium”
“Polly”
“Territorial P***ings”
“Drain You”
“Lounge Act”
“Stay Away”
“On a Plain”
“Something in the Way”

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“Skool” is back in session for Guns N’ Roses.

The “Welcome to the Jungle” rockers have premiered a new song called “Hard Skool.” It’s the second fresh tune from GN’R in as many months, following the August release of “Absurd.”

The new track is available now as a digital download and via streaming services.

Like “Absurd,” the origins of “Hard Skool” date back to sessions for Chinese Democracy, the long-fabled GN’R album that finally became a reality in 2008, with frontman Axl Rose as the only original member still in the band.

Chinese Democracy remains the most recent Guns N’ Roses album. “Absurd” and “Hard Skool” mark the band’s first new music since Slash and Duff McKagan rejoined in 2016.

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Ringo Starr‘s new EP, Change the World, was released today on CD, cassette and digital formats.

The four-song collection arrives just six months after the former Beatles drummer’s previous release, the five-track Zoom In EP.

During a Zoom press conference this week promoting Change the World, Starr explained that he hoped the EP would bring his fans “joy.” He also noted that the record’s lead track, “Let’s Change the World,” offers an important message regarding climate change and pollution.

Reflecting on the song, which was written by Toto‘s Joseph Williams and Steve Lukather, Ringo maintained, “[H]alf the world’s on fire, half of it’s under water and [politicians are] still wondering, ‘Well, we can’t do that’…And I think we have to do a lot. So I’d like to change the world for the kids.”

The second track is a reggae tune titled “Just That Way,” which Ringo co-wrote with his longtime engineer Bruce Sugar, and features veteran reggae guitarist Tony Chin and bassist Fully Fullwood.

“I got [a] real bass player and guitar from Jamaica playing on it…which gives it more force,” Ringo said. “And for me, it’s so great, ’cause I get to play with those guys.”

Track three is the country-influenced “Coming Undone,” which was penned by hit-making songwriter/producer Linda Perry. The song features contributions from acclaimed New Orleans musician Trombone Shorty, who added a brass section that, according to Starr, completely transformed the tune.

The EP finishes with a cover of one of Ringo’s favorite early rock ‘n’ roll tunes, “Rock Around the Clock.”

The track features a guitar solo by Starr’s brother-in-law, Joe Walsh, that Ringo said not only “rocked” but was different than any solo he’s heard on other versions of the tune.

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In the very likely event you missed Metallica‘s last-minute concerts in San Francisco and Chicago this past week, you can still pretend you were there from the comfort of your own home.

The streaming site Nugs.net is offering full audio from both shows to its members. You can sign up at Nugs.net/metallica.

The San Francisco show, which took place on September 16, featured an audience of just 400 people, and marked Metallica’s first full live, in-person concert in 738 days. On September 20, the metal legends headlined the 1,100-capacity Metro in Chicago, which they hadn’t played since 1983.

Metallica’s next scheduled shows are headlining sets this Friday and Sunday at the Louder than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Cat Stevens‘ classic 1971 studio album Teaser and the Firecat will be reissued on November 12 in multiple formats and configurations in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Released on October 1, 1971, Teaser and the Firecat reached #2 on the Billboard 200. It featured three of the singer/songwriter’s most enduring tunes: “Morning Has Broken,” “Peace Train,” and “Moonshadow,” which peaked at #6, #7 and #30, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.

A super-deluxe box set version of the reissue features four CDs, a Blu-ray, two LPs and a seven-inch vinyl single. The CDs feature a newly remastered version of the original album, a variety of unreleased studio recordings, a disc collecting audio of various TV and radio performances, and a CD boasting a full-length 1971 concert in Montreux, Switzerland.

The Blu-ray features an HD-audio version of the album, a 1977 animated video for “Moonshadow” and a 2020 concert clip of “The Wind,” and video of various live TV performances. The LPs feature an alternate version of Teaser and the Firecat on one disc and a selection of live performances from Montreux and the BBC on the other.

The vinyl single features a remastered version of “Moonshadow,” backed with a previously unreleased recording of the late U.K. comedian Spike Milligan reading the narration for the aforementioned animated video.

One of the bonus tracks is a newly recorded version of “Bitterblue,” retitled “Bitterblue².”

The box set also comes packaged with a softcover replica of the original 1972 Teaser and the Firecat book, and a 108-page hardcover essay book.

In advance of the reissue, a previously unheard 1970 demo of “Moonshadow” was released Thursday as a digital track.

Visit Cat Stevens’ official store for more details about the Teaser and the Firecat reissues.

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Ringo Starr took part in a Zoom press event this week to promote his forthcoming EP, Change the World. During the virtual Q&A, the former Beatles drummer shared a humorous memory involving The Rolling Stones‘ Charlie Watts and another famous late drummer, Led Zeppelin‘s John Bonham.

Ringo said he’d hang out with Watts from time to time, particularly when they used to live near each other in London, and he recalled an incident at a party he threw at his place during the 1970s that Charlie and Bonzo attended.

“I had a drum kit up in the attic…And Charlie came and so did John Bonham. And so, we’ve got three drummers just hanging out,” Starr remembered. “And Bonham got on the kit, but because it [wasn’t nailed down],…as he was playing and the bass drum was hopping away from him, you had Charlie Watts and Ringo holding the bass drum for him as he played.”

Reflecting on the comical scene, Ringo added, “[T]hat would have been a great little video or TikTok, or a photo would’ve gone worldwide, you know what I mean? But in the ’70s, I had parties and you’ll never find any photos, because I wouldn’t let you take photos…you know, in my house.”

Starr said of Watts, who died last month at age 80, “Charlie was a great guy. He was a lot of fun, and he had a harder band than I did to keep together…[W]e will miss Charlie. He was a beautiful human being.”

As previously reported, Change the World is a four-track EP that will be released this Friday, September 24, and will be available on CD, cassette and digital formats.

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In July, the popular Bruce Springsteen fan site Backstreets.com reported that an archival film focusing on the performances that The Boss and his E Street Band gave at the historic 1979 “No Nukes” concerts would be coming out later this year.  Now official details about the release have been announced.

The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts will be released digitally on November 16 and on DVD, Blu-ray and audio formats on November 19.

The film and companion audio feature Springsteen and the E Street Band playing 13 songs at two of the MUSE benefit concerts, aka the “No Nukes” concerts, a star-studded series of shows that took place in September 1979 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Ten of the performances are previously unreleased.

The movie was edited by longtime Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny using the original 16-millimeter film, and the audio was remixed by lauded engineer Bob Clearmountain.

Springsteen’s set list included renditions of two songs from his then-upcoming album The River — the title track and “Sherry Darling” — as well as covers of Buddy Holly‘s “Rave On” and Maurice Williams‘ “Stay,” the latter of which featured guest appearances from Jackson Browne and Tom Petty.

“A few years ago, I started re-examining the filmed archives for Bruce and the Band’s appearances at the No Nukes concerts of 1979,” says Zimny in a statement. “I quickly realized that these were the best performances and best filming from the Band’s legendary Seventies, and dedicated myself to bringing out the full potential of the footage.”

The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts, which you can pre-order now, is available as a two-CD/DVD or two-CD/Blu-Ray set, a two-LP vinyl package, and on digital audio and video formats.

Here’s the full track list:

“Prove It All Night”
“Badlands”
“The Promised Land”
“The River”
“Sherry Darling”
“Thunder Road”
“Jungleland”
“Rosalita Come Out Tonight”
“Born to Run”
“Stay”
“Detroit Medley”
“Quarter to Three”
“Rave On”

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As The Rolling Stones prepare to launch the 2021 leg of their No Filter Tour this Sunday in St. Louis, the band’s main members have shared a new official interview in which they chat about plan for the trek — their first without longtime drummer Charlie Watts, who died on August 24 at age 80.

In the conversation, which was conducted by acclaimed rock journalist David Fricke, frontman Mick Jagger talks about how rehearsals have been going with Watts’ handpicked replacement, Steve Jordan.

“It’s gone well. We all knew [Steve], and I’d played with him before. He’s very respectful of Charlie,” Jagger says. “He played with Keith [Richards] before we started the rehearsals, and then he did homework, listening to the tunes. When we talk about what Charlie did on this one, we listen to the original record, and then we listen to the live versions. There’s certain licks that we want to do, that Charlie did.”

Jagger reveals that The Stones have rehearsed “80 to 90 songs” for the trek, adding, “We’ve got tons of numbers from most eras. So we have a big set list. We can certainly change up the set list.”

Richards reveals that among the songs the band will be playing are two of the bonus tracks from the group’s upcoming Tattoo You reissue — “Living in the Heart of Love” and a cover of The Chi-Lites‘ “Troubles A’ Comin'” — as well as the 2020 Stones single “Living in a Ghost Town” and the 1976 gem “Hand of Fate.”

Regarding how Jordan has been fitting in with the band, Keith notes, “Steve brings with him a lot of knowledge about the Stones. He’ll say, ‘No, Charlie plays like this.’ Steve is so meticulous, so aware of the seat he’s sitting in.”

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Notify your mama, papa and daughter: Blood Sugar Sex Magik is turning 30 years old.

Red Hot Chili Peppers released their breakout album on September 24, 1991. Spawning the hit singles in “Under the Bridge,” “Give It Away” and “Suck My Kiss,” Blood Sugar became one of the definitive albums of the ’90s alternative rock scene on its way to being certified seven-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Notably, Blood Sugar marked the second Chili Peppers album to feature guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith, who’d made their debut on 1989’s Mother’s Milk. Along with frontman Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea, they made up the band’s “classic” lineup.

“It changed a lot for [us],” Smith tells ABC Audio of Blood Sugar. “John and I had been in the band and we’d toured a bunch on Mother’s Milk and we had been in the group for awhile. We wrote all those songs, Anthony started to sing more, John was more involved in the songwriting.”

“To me, it was the first time the band actually sounded like what I thought we sounded like,” he adds.

Smith recalls feeling more focused during the Blood Sugar sessions, since the Peps recorded it themselves in a house, as opposed to a traditional recording studio.

“There were no other distractions,” he explains. “There were no other people walking around, studio secretaries or whatever. It was very insular, and we just dug right in and took advantage of that.”

Blood Sugar Sex Magik also marked RHCP’s first album with Rick Rubin in place of Mother’s Milk producer Michael Beinhorn, who often clashed with the band. Rubin then produced every Peppers album up until their most recent effort, 2016’s The Getaway.

“That was the beginning, obviously, of a long relationship with [Rubin],” Smith says.

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