Classic Rock News

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell has revealed that The Dirty Knobs, the current band he fronts, will be back with their second album next year, when the group also is scheduled to return to touring.

In a recent message on his Twitter page, Campbell announced, “The Dirty Knobs are coming to your town next year with some special guests and a brand new album…Our second!”

The band’s debut album, Wreckless Abandon, was released in November 2020, and the group initially had a run of headlining dates in small venues, as well as a stint opening for country star Chris Stapleton, lined up for this year, but both were pushed back until 2022.

According to TheDirtyKnobs.com, the headlining concerts are scheduled from a March 9 show in Tampa, Florida, through an April 30-May 1 stand in Austin, Texas. The group then will lend support to Stapleton starting with June 2 performance in Nampa, Idaho, and mapped out through a July 23 event at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Beauty and the Beat, the debut album by The Go-Go’s.

The album spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, making The Go-Go’s the only all-female band whose members played their own instruments to ever top that chart.

Beauty and the Beat featured two of the group’s biggest hits, “Our Lips Are Sealed,” which peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “We Got the Beat,” considered the band’s signature tune, which reached #2.

Go-Go’s keyboardist/guitarist Charlotte Caffey, who wrote or co-wrote eight of the album’s 11 tracks, including “We Got the Beat,” tells ABC Audio that she’s extremely proud of Beauty and the Beat‘s success.

“The fact that it really stayed [at #1] for six weeks…Wow, come on,” she gushes. “I mean, from where we started, we were girls. No one wanted to hear from girls, did they? — I guess they did — But yeah, that was a whole overwhelming moment.”

The album was co-produced by Richard Gottehrer, who also produced Blondie‘s first two records and co-wrote such classic ’60s pop hits as “Hang On Sloopy,” “I Want Candy” and “My Boyfriend’s Back.”

Caffey says working with Gottehrer “was like being in a master class,” and credits his pop sensibilities for helping to make the album sound great.

Charlotte recalls that Gottehrer “wanted us to do slower tempos than what we were playing live, so we could really understand the lyrics and let the melodies…come through.”

Caffey says the band members initially were angry that the recordings didn’t capture the group’s live sound, but she notes that when she heard “how those songs sparkled on the radio, then I understood.”

Here’s the Beauty and the Beat track list:

“Our Lips Are Sealed”
“How Much More”
“Tonite”
“Lust to Love”
“This Town”
“We Got the Beat”
“Fading Fast”
“Automatic”
“You Can’t Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can’t Sleep)”
“Skidmarks on My Heart”
“Can’t Stop the World”

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Founding Journey and former Santana member Neal Schon has decided to part with 112 of his valuable guitars, which he’ll be selling at a July 31 auction hosted by Heritage Auctions.

The sale will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Schon joining Santana, as well as celebrate Journey’s return to touring following the COVID-19 pandemic and that group’s plan to release a new album this year.

Among the many guitars going up for bid is the 1977 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Black Solid Body that Schon used to record Journey’s chart-topping 1981 album, Escape, which featured such classic tunes as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Stone in Love” and “Who’s Crying Now.” The opening bid for the historic instrument is set at $200,000.

Another of Schon’s guitar being auctioned that holds an important spot in Journey history is his 1974 Guild F-50R Natural Acoustic model, which he used to write “Wheel in the Sky” and “Patiently,” among other tunes. The minimum bid for this instrument is $30,000.

Schon also will sell two 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard Sunburst electric guitars, the respective asking prices for which begin at $175,000 and $150,000.

Regarding his decision to sell some of his cherished instruments, Neal explains, “I don’t feel good about having them all in cases, these guitars I’m never going to really play on albums or live or anything. They’re not meant to sit there and look beautiful. Somebody should be utilizing them, and I should allow somebody to, because there are not that many of them around.”

The auction will take place on the same day Journey will perform at the 2021 Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, one of a handful of confirmed concerts the band has scheduled this year.

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The disaster that was Woodstock 1999 is the subject of a new HBO documentary.

The film, titled Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage, is set to premiere July 23. It’ll tell the story of the ill-fated festival, which featured performances by bands including Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit, but became infamous as it erupted into scenes of chaos, violence and sexual assault.

A newly released trailer sets up how poorly planned logistics, including expensive water and shoddy bathroom facilities — “You had kids rolling around in what they thought was mud,” shares one talking head — led to mass dehydration and health risks, which ultimately contributed to the festival’s demise.

The film also explores how Woodstock ’99 reflected what was happening socially and culturally in the U.S. at the time, and how that’s manifested itself in the country today.

“A lot of that energy just wound up in chatrooms and Reddit boards in 2021,” says The New York Times writer Wesley Morris.

Peace, Love, and Rage also features interviews with a variety of artists who performed at Woodstock ’99, including The Offspring, Korn‘s Jonathan Davis and Creed‘s Scott Stapp.

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Hulu has released the trailer for McCartney 3, 2, 1, the streaming service’s forthcoming series centering on an in-depth conversation between Paul McCartney and acclaimed producer and fellow Grammy winner Rick Rubin. 

Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Zachary Heinzerling and co-executive produced by McCartney and Rubin, filmmaker Peter Berg and others, the series is a exploration of McCartney’s work with The Beatles, his musical segue into “the emblematic ’70s arena rock of Wings,” and his long career as a successful solo artist.

“We were writing songs that were memorable, because we had to remember them,” Paul jokes in the trailer about his work with The Beatles, as he and Rubin explore the creation of classics like, “All My Loving,” “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” among others featured in the just-released snippet.

According to Hulu, the six-episode McCartney 3, 2, 1, “explores music and creativity in a unique and revelatory manner,” as Macca and Rubin have an “intimate conversation about the songwriting, influences, and personal relationships that informed the iconic songs that have served as the soundtracks of our lives.”

The series, which premieres Friday, July 16, will be available in the U.S. as a Hulu Original and internationally on Disney+ as a Star Original.

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Yes will release its 22nd studio album, The Quest, on October 1.

The 11-track collection, which was produced by the legendary prog-rock group’s longtime guitarist, Steve Howe, will be available as a two-CD set featuring eight songs on the main disc and three additional tunes on the second CD.

The Quest also will be issued in additional formats and configurations, including a limited-edition box set boasting two CDs, two vinyl LPs and a Blu-ray disc.

The Quest, a follow-up to 2014’s Heaven & Earth, is Yes’ first studio effort since the 2015 death of founding bassist Chris Squire, who appeared on all of the band’s previous albums and who was succeeded by Billy Sherwood.  The Quest also is the second Yes studio album to feature current frontman Jon Davison, who joined the group in 2012.

“It is simply an honor for me to have the opportunity to bring together the band members in the development of a well-refined set of songs that capture the band’s true potential,” Howe says of the new record.

He also shares, “Much of the music was written in late 2019 with the rest in 2020. We commissioned several orchestrations to augment and enhance the overall sound of these fresh new recordings, hoping that our emphasis on melody, coupled with some expansive instrumental solo breaks, keeps up the momentum for our listeners.”

The Quest will be available for pre-order starting on July 23. The album’s cover art was designed by longtime Yes collaborator Roger Dean.

Here’s the album’s full track list:

CD 1:
“The Ice Bridge”
“Dare to Know”
“Minus the Man”
“Leave Well Alone”
“The Western Edge”
“Future Memories”
“Music to My Ears”
“A Living Island”

CD 2:
“Sister Sleeping Soul”
“Mystery Tour”
“Damaged World”

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Metallica is headlining Atlanta’s 2021 ATLive festival.

The metal legends will take the stage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 6, the second night of the two-day event. Greta Van Fleet and Cage the Elephant are also on the bill.

Tickets go on sale to the general public next Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. ET. Those who’ve joined Metallica’s Fifth Member fan club will have access to a pre-sale. Visit Metallica.com for all ticket info.

The first night of ATLive, November 5, will be for the country fans, and features a lineup of George Strait, Eric Church and Caitlyn Smith. That show is ticketed separately from the Metallica day.

In related news, Metallica has shared Biffy Clyro‘s cover of “Holier Than Thou,” which will appear on the upcoming all-star tribute compilation The Metallica Blacklist, celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Black Album.

Along with the Scottish trio’s version, you can also listen to the punk group OFF! put their spin on “Holier Than Thou.” Both covers are available now for digital download.

The 53-track Metallica Blacklist will be released September 10.

Meanwhile, Metallica has also dug up a “Pre-Production Rehearsal” version of “Holier Than Thou,” one of the many bonus tracks included on the 30th anniversary Black Album reissue, also due out September 10.

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Happy Birthday to Ringo Starr, who marks his 81st trip around the sun today.

As has become tradition, the legendary Beatles drummer is asking fans across the world to celebrate his big day by pausing at noon local time, wherever they are, and saying his catchphrase “peace and love,” or by sharing the #peaceandlove hashtag on social media.

Unfortunately, Ringo has decided not to have a public celebration this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, although virtual parties have been scheduled in many cities around the world. Visit Starr’s Facebook page for more details.

As previously reported, Ringo posted a video message on his YouTube channel in which he encouraged people to take part in the “peace and love” festivities today.

“[Y]ou can post it, you can say it, you can even think it, but it’d be cool if you go ‘peace and love’ at noon on my birthday,” Starr declared. “So let’s spread peace and love around the world on my birthday. Come on, everybody!”

In other news, Peter Frampton has posted a couple of messages on his social media pages revealing that Starr has been working on a new EP to which the guitar whiz apparently is lending his talents.

In a Twitter message, Frampton posted a photo of him with Starr and songwriter/producer Linda Perry at Ringo’s home studio, along with a note that reads, “So great to be able to fly and see friends again. Lovely afternoon listening to Ringo’s great upcoming EP.”

Peter also posted a couple of photos on his Instagram page that show him playing guitar at Starr’s studio while goofing around with Ringo.

The new release apparently will be a follow-up to Starr’s Zoom In EP, which came out May.

So great to be able to fly and see friends again. Lovely afternoon listening to Ringo’s great upcoming ep. Bonus: Linda Perry came by. Always great to see #barbarabach too. Much love guys ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HOnAigPbgV

— Peter Frampton (@peterframpton) July 3, 2021

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The Beatles and Us, an award-winning short documentary about the relationship that the city of Liverpool, England, had and continues to have with its most famous native sons, The Beatles, is now available as a digital download and via streaming platforms.

The film offers a profile of Liverpool and looks at how its history, traditions and culture helped shaped the members of The Beatles. The movie also examines the band’s influence on the city, its music scene, tourism industry and more.

The Beatles and Us features interviews with various Liverpool residents reflecting on the Fab Four’s impact on the northern U.K. port city and recalling their experiences meeting or seeing the group’s members.

“I suppose I’m biased, given my family are from Liverpool, but I do think it’s a special city,” says the film’s director, Chris Purcell. “Quite different to anywhere else in the U.K., it’s a quirky, off-kilter kind of place that has its own singular character. Coming from a town like that gave The Beatles, who were already magically blessed with the right combination of talents, just the edge they needed to conquer all before them.”

The flick won the Best International Documentary prize at the Venice Shorts film festival, and was selected as a finalist at the New York International Film Awards.

Visit Beacons.page/LiverpoolWest to check out options to rent and view the film.

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Like so many musicians, Men at Work frontman Colin Hay had his 2020 touring plans sidelined because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the singer/songwriter has now unveiled a new series of U.S. solo concerts scheduled for late summer.

The trek is plotted out from an August 4 show in Hyannis, Massachusetts, through a September 11 performance at the Beachlife Festival in Redondo Beach, California.

Hay will be promoting a brand-new studio album on the tour, a 10-track collection of covers titled I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself that’s due out on August 6.

Colin was inspired to make the album during the COVID lockdown, after he recorded a version of the Gerry and the Pacemakers hit “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” following the death of that group’s lead singer, Gerry Marsden, in January 2021.

Hay’s frequent collaborator and producer Chad Fischer suggested Colin record more cover tunes, and Hay decided to make a full album of tunes he loved when he was younger.

I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself also features the title track, which was penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and was a big U.K. hit for Dusty Springfield in 1964, as well as songs by The Beatles, The Kinks, Faces, Blind Faith, Glen Campbell and Jimmy Cliff.

The album can be pre-ordered now, and is available on CD, vinyl and in various digital formats.

“I recorded an album of songs written by other people that have meant a lot to me ever since I was a young fellow,” Hay notes. “I can’t wait to play them for you on this upcoming jaunt across the land.”

Here’s the full I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself track list:

“I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself” (Dusty Springfield)
“Waterloo Sunset” (The Kinks)
“Wichita Lineman” (Glen Campbell)
“Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” (The Beatles)
“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” (Gerry and the Pacemakers)
“Ooh La La” (Faces)
“Driving with the Brakes On” (Del Amitri)
“Across the Universe” (The Beatles)
“Can’t Find My Way Home” (Blind Faith)
“Many Rivers to Cross” (Jimmy Cliff)

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