Classic Rock News

Over his storied career, Bob Dylan has been inspired by many things — but who knew two of those things were coffee and Munchkins?

On the dedication page of the legendary singer/songwriter’s new book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, Dylan offers a “special thanks” to “all the crew at Dunkin’ Donuts.” The Boston Globe reports that Dylan’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, has confirmed images of the page that have been circulating are legit, telling the paper, “The line ‘all the crew at Dunkin’ Donuts’ appears on the dedication page. We can offer no further insight.”

According to The Globe, the book has been in the works since 2010. The paper speculates that’s why the 81-year-old artist referred to the chain as Dunkin’ Donuts and not as its current name, Dunkin’, which it adopted in 2018.

The Globe also notes that Dylan primarily lives in Malibu, California, when he’s not on the road, and there are a number of Dunkin’ locations nearby. And, The Globe notes, “Dylan spends much of the year on tour, where he has presumably sampled Dunkin’ brews around the globe (of which there are many).”

But like so many other facts about Bob Dylan, the details of his Dunkin’ order — black coffee? A dozen Munchkins? Pumpkin Spice cold brew? — will remain a mystery for now.

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It’s only country music, but they like it … and rock ‘n’ roll, too.

A tribute to The Rolling Stones will be part of this year’s Country Music Association Awards, airing on ABC November 9. During the three-hour show, award-winning country duo Brothers Osborne will team up with Americana husband-and-wife duo The War & Treaty to sing “It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It).”

The performance is in recognition of a new album called Stoned Cold Country, which features some of country’s biggest artists performing classic Stones songs, including “Wild Horses,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Dead Flowers.” 

The Brothers Osborne/War & Treaty duet is being released as a single November 4, with the album to follow next year. Other participating artists include Zac Brown Band, Elle King, Steve Earle, Eric Church, Maren Morris and Brooks & Dunn.

Other Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who’ll be saluted at the CMA Awards include the late Jerry Lee Lewis: King will perform “Great Balls of Fire” with The Black Keys in his memory.  

And finally, Linda Ronstadt will be honored as country stars Ashley McBryde, Caylee Hammack and Brandy Clark, joined by Joan Osborne, take the stage to sing the version of The Everly Brothers‘ “When Will I Be Loved” that was made famous by Ronstadt in 1975.

The CMA Awards air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 9 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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A new animated video for “I’m Only Sleeping,” one of the songs featured on The Beatles‘ new remastered edition of Revolver, just hit YouTube.

The trippy clip opens with an oil-painting image of John Lennon sleeping, which swirls into a series of dreamy, watery images, some featuring the other Beatles, their manager Brian Epstein, fighter planes dropping bombs, birds and more. The concept seems to be that everything we’re seeing is part of Lennon’s dream.

As the dream progresses, time seems to progress backwards: We see more swirly, oil-painting images of The Beatles running onto a stadium field for a concert, the band performing onstage, headlines trumpeting their success, the group playing at the Cavern Club in their early days, a quick glimpse of Liverpool’s Penny Lane and what looks like Lennon receiving his first guitar.

The clip ends with the final image being wiped away in real life by an artist, who’s apparently been painting the entire thing in his studio.

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Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew are reuniting next year for more installments of their popular show celebrating the music of Talking Heads.

The Talking Heads guitarist/keyboardist and the former King Crimson singer and guitarist started doing these gigs in 2021 after being inspired by a 1980 show that Talking Heads played in Rome to support their album Remain in Light. At the time, Belew was a touring member of the band. Harrison and Belew performed songs from Remain in Light at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theater last month.

The tour starts February 16 in Denver and wraps up in New Haven, CT on March 11. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 4 at 10 a.m. local time via remaininlight.net.

In a statement, Harrison says, “Remain In Light is a high point in my career. Adrian and I had often discussed the magic of the 1980 tour and the sheer joy it brought to audiences. It is such a delight to see that joy once again in the audiences on the current tour.”

Belew adds, “A joyful show of Talking Heads songs you know and love performed by a hot, eleven-piece ensemble including Jerry and me: You can’t help but dance and go home with a happy smile on your face.”

Belew is currently part of the Celebrating David Bowie tribute tour, which wraps up November 13.

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U2‘s Bono may have titled his new book Surrender, but he says that word is something he really doesn’t quite get…though he’s working on it.

Appearing on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, the Irish icon noted that “[‘Surrender’] is a word I haven’t yet fully grasped or fathomed, if I’m honest. I was born with my fists up, metaphorically — sometimes physically! — and putting them down is hard for me.  And I’m trying to. So the title is where I’m headed, rather than where I’m at.”

The full title of the book is Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. In his conversation with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Bono described it as “a love letter” to his wife, Ali Hewson.

“Writing the book was really frightening because I was going to have to let her read it!” he laughed. “And she came back with spelling [corrections], mostly — there were a couple of sections she wanted removed.”

Bono met Ali and the other three members of U2 during the same week at their high school in Ireland and has kept both his relationship and his band going for more than 40 years. Asked how he’s managed that feat, Bono joked, “Desperation.”

Turning serious, he then explained, “Friendship is at the heart of it, really. I mean, friendship is a lot less passionate as it looks at face value but I think it can outpace even romantic love. If you’ve got both — even better.” 

“I love my bandmates,” he added, laughing, “We don’t always love each other at the same time…but we get through it. We’re always breaking up!”

On Wednesday, Bono starts his 14-date book tour, described as “an evening of words, music and some mischief,” in New York City.

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Bono‘s memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, gets released on Tuesday, November 1, and to celebrate its arrival, the U2 frontman will make an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America, which airs starting at 7 a.m. ET.

As previously reported, Surrender follows Irish rocker, born Paul Hewson, from his childhood in Dublin to the loss of his mother when he was 14, to the founding of U2 and their rise to global stardom. It also covers Bono’s activism, including his work to fight AIDS and extreme poverty.

The book’s subtitle refers to the fact that as each of its 40 chapters is named after a U2 song. Bono also contributed 40 original drawing to the publication.

To promote Surrender, Bono has lined up a 14-date book tour dubbed Stories of Surrender beginning Wednesday, November 2, in New York City. The trek, which is completely sold out, features stops in seven North American cities followed by stops in seven European cities. It runs through a November 28 event in Madrid.

The tour is described as “an evening of words, music and some mischief,” which means Bono won’t only be talking about his life, he’ll be singing about it too.

In other news, Bono also marked the impending arrival of his book with a humorous animated video posted Monday on U2’s YouTube channel and set during this year’s edition of the Halloween Parade in New York City’s Soho section.

The clip, which Bono narrates, features the singer excitedly watching as copies of Surrender are put on display in the window of a local bookstore. As the cartoon progresses, Bono is approached by people dressed as Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga, who are revealed to be his three bandmates — Larry Mullen Jr., The Edge and Adam Clayton.

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Coinciding with Halloween, an eerie new lyric video for “Bogey Man,” an archival solo song by late Who bassist John Entwistle, has premiered on the Deko Entertainment label’s official YouTube channel.

“Bogey Man” is the lead track of the recently released Entwistle solo compilation, Rarities Oxhumed – Volume One. The track features drums by late Who legend Keith Moon, whose part was recorded for an early demo version of the song dating back to the 1970s.

Entwistle and his solo band originally contributed “Bogey Man” to the soundtrack of a late-’90s computer-animated kids show called Van-Pires that was about vehicles that were turned into gasoline-sucking villains after a meteor struck the Earth.

The “Bogey Man” video features footage of Entwistle and his bandmates performing the tune along with scenes from Van-Pires. Fans who watch the clip can sing along to the lyrics by following a bouncing spider, a nod to John’s classic Who tune “Boris the Spider.”

Rarities Oxhumed – Volume One is a 13-track collection featuring previously unheard studio tracks, demos, remastered live performances and other unreleased Entwistle gems.

The compilation is available now via digital formats and on CD. The CD version can be ordered at Merchbucket.com. Exclusive special bundles are available at the site, including an expanded 12-page booklet with photos and recording information and either a necklace or a keychain featuring a specially designed Entwistle crest.

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Def Leppard recently announced plans for a massive 2023 trek with Mötley Crüe dubbed The World Tour, but the British hard rockers aren’t quite finished performing in 2022 yet.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have joined the lineup of the Yasalam After-Race Concerts, which are held November 17 to November 20 in conjunction with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race, the final event of the Formula 1 season.

Def Leppard will perform on the final night of the event, Sunday, November 20. The concert series, which will also feature electronic music group Swedish House Mafia and rapper Kendrick Lamar, will be held at Etihad Park in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Earlier this year, Def Leppard teamed up with Mötley Crüe, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts for the expansive North American trek, The Stadium Tour. The Abu Dhabi concert is the band’s final show scheduled for 2022.

The World Tour kicks off February 18, 2023 in Mexico City and includes shows throughout Latin America and Europe.

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Iggy Pop and Red Hot Chili Peppers members Flea and Chad Smith will guest on the next album from Morrissey.

According to a post from The Smiths‘ former frontman’s Morrissey Central website, the upcoming record is titled Bonfire of Teenagers and will arrive in February 2023. Flea and Smith are among those who play on the album along with ex-RHCP guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. Pop will provide guest vocals, as will pop star Miley Cyrus. Andrew Watt will produce.

Morrissey’s most recent album is 2020’s I Am Not a Dog on a Chain.

Meanwhile, you can also hear Smith, Klinghoffer, Watt and Iggy together on the Godfather of Punk’s upcoming album, which Watt produced.

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Bob Dylan ended his show in Nottingham, U.K. on Friday night by paying homage to rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, who died earlier that day at age 87.

According to a recap posted at MaximumVolumeMusic.com and shared by Dylan’s Facebook page, the legendary singer/songwriter announced to the audience at the near of the gig, “Jerry Lee is gone, but he’s in all our hearts, so we are going to play one of his songs.”

Dylan and his band then proceeded to play “I Can’t Seem to Say Goodbye,” a song written by Don Robertson and first recorded by Lewis in 1969. Jerry Lee’s version appeared on his 1970 album A Taste of Country and was released as a single that peaked at #7 on the Billboard country chart.

As Variety points out, Lewis previously recorded a Dylan song called “Rita May” and released it on his self-titled 1979 album. “Rita May” was a rarity that Bob co-wrote with lyricist Jacques Levy during the sessions for his 1976 album Desire.

Dylan continues his U.K. tour with a show Monday night in Glasgow, Scotland.

Meanwhile, Bob is set to release his new book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, on Tuesday. The book, which can be preordered now, features essays about over 60 different tunes by various artists and songwriters that have impacted Dylan over the years.

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