Classic Rock News

In celebration of today’s 50th anniversary of the release of John Lennon‘s classic solo album, Imagine, and his enduring peace anthem of the same name, a segment of the song’s lyrics has been projected digitally on buildings and structures in select cities around the world.

The lyrical phrase “IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE LIVING LIFE IN PEACE” has appeared as a digital projection in London on the Houses of Parliament and St. Paul’s Cathedral; in Lennon’s hometown of Liverpool, U.K., on the Liver Building and the Museum of Liverpool; and on remnants of the Berlin Wall in Germany.

The lyrics also have been posted on billboards in New York City’s Times Square, and in Tokyo near the historic Nihonbashi bridge.

Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, whom John credited with co-writing the song’s lyrics, said about the projections, “John would have loved this. ‘Imagine’ embodied what we believed together at the time. We are still together now and we still believe this. The sentiment is just as important now as when it was written and released 50 years ago.”

As previously reported, a number of events and activities have been planned today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Imagine album and song. As part of the celebration, John and Yoko’s experimental 1971 film Imagine will be screened today at 2:30 p.m. ET at select theaters or online for free. Fans also will be able to check out the movie, which was restored and re-released in 2018, at Amazon Prime’s music-themed streaming service The Coda Collection.

Also, U.K. radio presenter Tim Burgess will host a special edition of his popular Tim’s Twitter Listening Party at the same time as the Imagine film screenings.

Visit JohnLennon.com to find out more details about the various planned commemorations.

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Eric Clapton will release a new live album and video called The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions on November 12 that features the guitar legend playing a mostly acoustic set with select members of his touring band.

The intimate performance was recorded at the Cowdray House country mansion in West Sussex, U.K., with no audience except for Clapton’s wife, Melia. The show featured Eric performing some of his best-known original songs, several blues classics and covers of two memorable Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac tunes: “Black Magic Woman” and “Man of the World.”

Slowhand was joined for the performance by bassist Nathan East, drummer Steve Gadd and keyboardist Chris Stainton.

Lady in the Balcony, which you can pre-order now, will be available as a DVD/CD or Blu-ray/CD set, a 4K UHD/Blu-ray collection, a two-LP set pressed on yellow vinyl, as digital video and audio versions, and as a Deluxe Edition package featuring the DVD, Blu-ray and CD housed in a 40-page hardback photo book. In addition, a standalone CD version will be sold exclusively at Target.

Among the classic songs from Clapton’s back catalog featured on Lady in the Balcony are “After Midnight,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Layla” and “Tears in Heaven.”

The performance was organized after Clapton’s May 2021 concerts at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s the full track list of Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions:

“Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”
“Golden Ring”
“Black Magic Woman”
“Man of the World”
“Kerry”
“After Midnight”
“Bell Bottom Blues”
“Key to the Highway”
“River of Tears”
“Rock Me Baby”
“Believe in Life”
“Going Down Slow”
“Layla”
“Tears in Heaven”
“Long Distance Call”
“Bad Boy”
“Got My Mojo Working”

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The Who frontman Roger Daltrey has announced plans for a solo tour of his U.K. homeland this fall.

The 12-date “Who Was I” trek is mapped out from a November 7 show in Birmingham through a December 2 concert in Bournemouth, and will feature Daltrey performing well-known and rare songs from his various solo projects and by The Who, as well as sharing stories about the tunes.

According to a message on TheWho.com, Daltrey’s concerts will offer “a unique mix of music and conversation,” and will encompass “nearly every style imaginable — including blues, rock, country, soul and metal.”

“Throughout my life I have sung with so many great musicians, from the heavy rock of The Who and Wilko Johnson, to the Irish lilt of The Chieftains,” Roger says in a statement. “On this tour I want to take the audience on a musical journey through my career as a singer, with a show of songs and sounds that explores and surprises. I look forward to having closer contact with my audience than festivals and arenas allow. Leaving time to chat.”

He also notes, “It’s important to get our road crew working again, without these guys the halls would go silent.”

Daltrey adds, “It’s also clear that live music is an important part of all our lives, something to free us from the groundhog days that life has become. This pandemic has brought home to me what an important part of me singing is and it’s made me determined to get back onstage asap.”

Earlier this year, Daltrey scheduled a series of solo concerts in the Western U.S. in August and September, but he canceled them in June because of ongoing travel issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Check out Daltrey’s full schedule at TheWho.com. Tickets go on sale Friday.

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Fifty years ago today, on September 9, 1971, the late John Lennon released his classic second solo album, Imagine, which featured his enduring peace anthem of the same name.

Imagine was Lennon’s first solo effort to top the Billboard 200 chart, and it’s gone on to sell more than 2 million copies in the U.S.

Imagine‘s centerpiece, of course, was the title track, which was the only single released from the album. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Imagine” includes lyrics urging people to envision a peaceful world without possessions, without countries that separate us and without religion. Before his death in 1980, Lennon credited his wife, Yoko Ono, with much of song’s lyrical ideas and content.

Other memorable songs featured on the album include “Jealous Guy,” “Gimme Some Truth,” “How Do You Sleep?” and “Oh Yoko!” Lennon wrote “How Do You Sleep?” as a vitriolic response to Paul McCartney‘s then-recent musical and media digs at John and Yoko.

Among the well-known musicians who contributed to Imagine were George Harrison; lauded session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins; bassist Klaus Voormann; drummers Alan White, Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon; and Badfinger members Tom Evans and Joey Molland. Lennon and Ono co-produced the record with Phil Spector.

Of course, hundreds of artists have recorded and performed “Imagine” over the years. Just a few examples: The song was performed as part of the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and at the opening ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, and this year’s 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Visit JohnLennon.com to find out about the various events planned to commemorate the anniversary.

Meanwhile, in the lead-up to the milestone anniversary, a few famous artists discussed their admiration for Imagine and its title track:

John Fogerty: “[Lennon] stated a philosophy in ‘Imagine’ that’s one of those wonderful times where…it’s a really great song, but it’s also got a really great message, you know…The concept of having no borders and everybody is one and that there are many dreamers. And just a completely compelling melody…Yeah, that was a wonderful record, certainly.”

Heart‘s Ann Wilson: “‘Imagine’ [turned] out to be one of the most beloved standards of our culture…I mean, it’s just been done and redone and believed in. What an amazing mantra. And actually, it turns out that…those were Yoko’s words…I think that song probably was the real fruit of [John and Yoko’s] union, creatively.”

Heart’s Nancy Wilson: “The Imagine album was so intimate, more intimate than any Beatles album…would have been able to be, ’cause you would have had a George song, and maybe Ringo song, and Paul and John trading and…doing their Paul and John thing together. But, I think John…was going through a catharsis, like as a human, having been let out of the Beatle pen…and being able to do his own thing with the new love of his life.”

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A new documentary about the Canadian power trio Triumph, titled Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine, will get its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival this Friday, September 10.

The movie profiles the Toronto-based rockers’ rise to popularity during the 1970s and early ’80s, the fallout from frontman Rik Emmett‘s unexpected split with the group in the late 1980s, and the band’s 2019 reunion.

Formed in 1975 by singer/guitarist Emmett, drummer/singer Gil Moore and bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine, Triumph scored a run of five consecutive top-40 studio albums on the Billboard 200 during the 1980s, including 1981’s platinum-selling Allied Forces. Among the band’s best-known songs are “Lay It on the Line,” “Magic Power” and “Hold On,” the latter of which peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979.

Besides interviews with all three band members, the documentary also includes commentary from ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach, comic actor and metal aficionado Brian Posehn and Canadian comedy team The Trailer Park Boys.

Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine was co-directed by Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli of the Banger Films production company.

“Sam and Marc did an outstanding job documenting what it has been like to have been aboard the Triumph train for the past near-50 years,” says Levine. “For fans old, new, and those to come in the future, this is all they’ll need to know about the band.”

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A brief video clip from what appears to be an ad for UberEats starring Elton John and popular singer/rapper Lil Nas X — which apparently is going to arrive in full tomorrow — has been posted on Elton’s Twitter account.

In the clip, Elton is sitting behind a white piano, while dressed in a pink cowboy outfit similar to something Lil Nas X would’ve worn in 2019 when he was promoting his record-setting number-one hit “Old Town Road.”

Then Lil Nas X walks into the frame wearing one of Elton’s most over-the-top outfits: He’s dressed head to toe in multicolored feathers, with sparkly silver sunglasses and a mirrored leather headpiece. Elton famously wore that outfit while appearing on The Muppet Show in 1978.

As the clip proceeds, Elton looks up from the piano, sees Lil Nas X and says, “B**** stole my look!” Nas starts laughing, and says, “That wasn’t it!,” meaning that Elton delivered the wrong line. But as both he, Elton and the crew off camera crack up, Nas adds, “You know what? Let’s keep it!”

Elton and Lil Nas X have teamed up on a song called “One of Me” that will appear on both Nas’ debut album, Montero, due out September 17, and Elton’s forthcoming collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions, which will be released on October 22.

Now this will surprise you 👀🚀 @lilnasx

More to come tomorrow @ubereats #ad pic.twitter.com/MJ2oL87UK3

— Elton John (@eltonofficial) September 8, 2021

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Elton John has just scored his second #1 hit of 2021 on the U.K.’s biggest chart countdown show, and he couldn’t be happier.

Elton’s collaboration with U.K. pop star Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart,” topped The Official Big Top 40 countdown radio show, which measures downloads, streaming and radio airplay, and is most similar to America’s Billboard Hot 100.

Reflecting on his achievement, 74-year-old Elton told the show, “Well, at my age, having one number-one song in the singles chart is an incredible surprise and for me, an achievement. So, two is ridiculous. I mean, this is a dream come true.”

Earlier this year, Elton’s collaboration with British act Years & Years on a cover of the Pet Shop Boys‘ “It’s a Sin” topped the same chart.

“‘Cold Heart,” created by Australian dance duo PNAU, is a mashup of three Elton songs: “Sacrifice,” “Rocket Man” and “Where’s the Shoorah?” On Instagram, Elton wrote, “Thank you for streaming and listening to ‘Cold Heart.’ Even after all this time making music and putting it out there, a number 1 still means so much and I couldn’t be prouder of the song, Dua and PNAU for what we’ve produced.”

Elton also teased, “Big things coming and I’m so excited to share them all with you.”

 

 

 

 

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Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has formed a new band.

The group is called The Lucid, and it also features Sponge vocalist Vinnie Dombroski, guitarist Drew Fortier and Fear Factory drummer Mike Heller. They’ll release their self-titled debut album on October 15; you can listen to lead single “Maggot Wind,” now via digital outlets.

“It’s been a real blast making a record with these guys and I must say that it’s refreshing to explore some new musical avenues…to step out a bit from what each of us have done stylistically in our own careers,” Ellefson says.

“There was an effortless synergy that came with creating these songs together which is always amazing when working with new people,” he adds. “I’m looking forward to everyone checking it out!”

The Lucid is Ellefson’s first project since he was dismissed from Megadeth last May after sexually explicit video of him interacting with a woman leaked online. 2000s era Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo replaced Ellefson on tour, and Dsvid’s bass parts for the band’s upcoming new album were re-recorded.

Here’s the track list for The Lucid:

“Maggot Wind”
“Deaths of Despair”
“Spoiler Head”
“Hair”
“Maskronaut”
“Damned”
“Breech Boy”
“Pigs and Sons”
“Parade of Spit”

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Sammy Hagar has announced plans to relocate his annual birthday bash — traditionally held at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico — to two sites in Southern California.

The Red Rocker’s 2021 birthday celebration will kick off with the inaugural Afterburner Music Festival, taking place October 1-2 at Huntington Beach, California. Sammy and his current band, The Circle, will headline the festival’s first day, while the second day will include performances by Sam Hunt, X Ambassadors and Cassadee Pope. Tickets for the fest are on sale now.

Hagar and The Circle will then head to the Catalina Casino on Catalina Island for the 2021 Birthday Bash, scheduled for October 7, 8 and 9.

The October 7 show is a VIP event that will feature an acoustic performance, and Sammy and the band also will share stories and take questions from the audience. Attendees also will receive special merch, memorabilia and more.

A limited number of VIP tickets for the October 7 event and three-day passes are on sale now, as are single-day tickets for the October 8 and 9 events. Fans attending the Catalina Island shows will be required to show proof that they’re fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

During the pandemic last year, Hagar was unable to hold his birthday bash at his Cabo Wabo Cantina. Instead, Sammy and The Circle played a socially distanced concert on October 8 on Catalina Island. About his decision to hold this year’s bash on Catalina, Sammy explains, “I fell in love with the island and when we toured the…iconic Catalina Casino with its massive circular ballroom that opens on three sides to the bluest water I’ve seen in California, I got chills and knew we’d be back.”

Hagar’s actual birthday is October 13. He’ll be 74.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has premiered a new solo song called “Long Way.”

The track was produced by Ozzy Osbourne‘s Ordinary Man collaborator Andrew Watt, who’s also worked with artists including Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and Dua Lipa.

You can download “Long Way” now via digital outlets. It will also be available as seven-inch vinyl single including another new Vedder solo tune, “The Haves.” A lyric video for “Long Way” has debuted at Vedder’s official YouTube channel.

Along with the new song, Vedder has also announced the title of his next solo record: Earthling. The album is Vedder’s first full-length solo effort since 2011’s Ukulele Songs.

More recently, Vedder contributed new music to the film Flag Day, which premiered in August. The soundtrack also includes the debut songs from Vedder’s daughter, Olivia.

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