Classic Rock News

John Lennon‘s widow, Yoko Ono, and their son, Sean, are inviting fans to join them on September 9 for a “Global Party” event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of Lennon’s enduring peace anthem “Imagine” and his album of the same name.

As part of the celebration, John and Yoko’s experimental 1971 film Imagine will be screened that day 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, on Amazon Prime’s music-themed streaming service The Coda Collection. A free seven-day trial is available for non-subscribers.

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 screenings. A variety of notable people associated with Lennon and the album are confirmed to take part in the event, including Yoko, Sean, bassist Klaus Voormann and drummer Alan White.

Subscribers of the AXS TV channel in the U.S. also will be available to watch the movie. The Imagine film can be rented or purchased via Apple TV, iTunes or Amazon Prime, or on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Prior to the September 9 celebrations, AXS TV will be airing an Imagine-related programming block on September 6 starting at 8 p.m. ET. The channel will screen the 1988 documentary Imagine: John Lennon, followed by the Imagine film.

Various well-known musicians also will appear on AXS TV to discuss how John and Yoko have impacted their lives, and the influence the “Imagine” song and album.

Also, a limited-edition, two-LP white-vinyl set featuring the 2018 “Ultimate Mix” of Imagine plus select outtakes will be released on September 10. Here’s the track list:

LP 1: Imagine — Ultimate Mixes

Side A
“Imagine”
“Crippled Inside”
“Jealous Guy”
“It’s So Hard”
“I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die

Side B
“Gimme Some Truth”
“Oh My Love”
“How Do You Sleep?”
“How?”
“Oh Yoko!”

LP 2: Imagine Outtakes

Side C
“Imagine” (Original demo recorded at Ascot Studios)
“Imagine” (Take 1)
“Crippled Inside” (Take 3)
“Crippled Inside” (Take 6 alternate guitar solo)
“Jealous Guy” (Take 9)
“It’s So Hard” (Take 6)

Side D
“I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die” (Take 25)
“Gimme Some Truth” (Take 4)
“Oh My Love” (Take 6)
“How Do You Sleep?” (Takes 1 & 2)
“Oh Yoko!” (From Bed Peace footage – Sheraton Hotel, Bahamas 1969)

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It’s a big week for the children of rock stars.

Myles and Layne Ulrich, the sons of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, have launched a band called Taipei Houston. From their Instagram page, the duo is a bass-and-drum two piece akin to Royal Blood.

Taipei Houston is set to perform next Thursday, September 9 in Long Beach, California.

Meanwhile, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and his son, Roman, took part in a “sweet improvisational jam” with viral child music sensation Nandi Bushell.

According to an Instagram post from Bushell, she and the Morello duo also wrote an “epic song together,” which will be released “soon.”

Bushell met up with Tom and Roman during her trip to the U.S. from her home in England, which also included performing “Everlong” live in Los Angeles with her drum battle opponent Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters.

 

 

 

 

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After teasing it on social media on Tuesday, Elton John has now confirmed plans to release a star-studded compilation called The Lockdown Sessions.

Due out on October 22, the album collects the many collaborations that Elton worked on after he was forced to put his Farewell tour on pause due to COVID-19. Among these are new songs that he recorded with Stevie Nicks and Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder.

“The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one-off projects kept cropping up,” Elton explains. “Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens.”

He adds, “But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory.”

The Lockdown Sessions features Elton collaborating with more than 20 artists over 16 tracks, 10 of which are previously unreleased. The unreleased tracks include his collaborations with Nicks and Vedder, as well as with Stevie Wonder, late Glen Campbell, Nicki Minaj, Lil Nas X and Charlie Puth.

Also included is his new single with Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix),” and the all-star version of Metallica‘s “Nothing Else Matters” that he recorded with Miley Cyrus, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, guitarist/producer Andrew Watt, and famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

In an Instagram message, Elton adds that he’s also working on a regular album with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, which will be his next release.

Here’s The Lockdown Sessions track list:

Elton John & Dua Lipa — “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)”
Elton John, Young Thug & Nicki Minaj — “Always Love You”
Surfaces feat. Elton John — “Learn to Fly”
Elton John & Charlie Puth — “After All”
Rina Sawayama & Elton John — “Chosen Family”
Gorillaz feat. Elton John & 6LACK — “The Pink Phantom”
Elton John & Years & Years — “It’s a sin” (global reach mix)
Miley Cyrus feat. WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo & Chad Smith — “Nothing Else Matters”
Elton John & SG Lewis — “Orbit”
Elton John & Brandi Carlile — “Simple Things”
Jimmie Allen & Elton John — “Beauty in the Bones”
Lil Nas X feat. Elton John — “One Of Me”
Elton John & Eddie Vedder — “E-Ticket”
Elton John & Stevie Wonder — “Finish Line”
Elton John & Stevie Nicks — “Stolen Car”
Glen Campbell & Elton John — “I’m Not Gonna Miss You”

 

 

 

 

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The Doobie Brothers kicked off their long-delayed 50th anniversary tour on August 22, but the band unfortunately has had to postpone a series of shows because “a member of the touring personnel has tested positive for COVID-19.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers announced that they were postponing for upcoming concerts “[o]ut of an abundance of caution — shows that had been scheduled for September 2 in Clarkson, Michigan; September 4 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania; September 5 in Toledo, Ohio; and September 8 in Cincinnati.

The tour features a reunion with former Doobie Brothers singer/keyboardist Michael McDonald, but it appears that McDonald may be the reason for the postponements. According to Minneapolis newspaper the Star Tribune, McDonald sat out the band’s most recent show, a performance Tuesday at the Minnesota State Fair, because had come down with COVID-19.

The paper reports that during the concert, Doobie Brothers member Patrick Simmons explained to the crowd that Michael was “recuperating and isolating,” adding, “We hope to have him back in a week or so.”

Simmons also noted that McDonald “had his vaccine…But the show must go on.”

According to The Doobie Brothers’ announcement, the tour is expected to get underway again on September 9 in in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Fans who have purchased tickets to the postponed concerts are being encouraged to hold on to them, as they will honored when the dates are rescheduled.

Prior to the Minnesota State Fair show, founding Doobies frontman Tom Johnston told the Star Tribune a COVID compliance officer is traveling with the group on the tour, and that all band members and crew personnel have been vaccinated.

The Doobie Brothers’ postponements come after KISS had to postpone a series of concerts because both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tested positive for COVID-19.

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The Doors will release a deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of their classic 1971 album, L.A. Woman, on December 3.

L.A. Woman: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be available as a three-CD/one-LP set that features a newly remastered version of the album on one CD, two bonus CDs of unreleased studio outtakes, and the new stereo mix of the original album pressed on 180-gram vinyl.

Released in April 1971, L.A. Woman was the last album The Doors recorded with their iconic frontman, Jim Morrison, who died on July 3, 1971, at age 27. The album reached #9 on the Billboard 200 chart, and yielded two hit singles, “Love Her Madly” and “Riders on the Storm,” which peaked at #11 and #14, respectively, on Billboard‘s Hot 100. Among the record’s other memorable songs is the title track, which remains a classic rock radio staple.

Among the unreleased tracks is the original demo of “Riders on the Storm,” which was recorded at Sunset Sound studio before The Doors relocated to their rehearsal space in Santa Monica, California, to make the album. The demo is available now as an advanced digital track, while an animated companion video has premiered on YouTube.

Other unreleased recordings on the reissue include covers of Junior Parker‘s “Mystery Train,” John Lee Hooker‘s “Crawling King Snake,” Big Joe Williams‘ “Baby Please Don’t Go” and Lee Dorsey‘s “Get Out of My Life Woman.” Also among the bonus tracks are multiple consecutive takes of “The Changeling,” “Love Her Madly,” “Riders on the Storm” and “L.A. Woman.”

Longtime Doors engineer Bruce Botnick, who originally produced L.A. Woman, also created the album’s new stereo mix. The reissue features liner notes penned by acclaimed rock journalist David Fricke.

Here’s the full track list of the L.A. Woman deluxe reissue’s CDs:

Disc One: L.A. Woman – Original Stereo Mix Remastered
“The Changeling”
“Love Her Madly”
“Been Down So Long”
“Cars Hiss by My Window”
“L.A. Woman”
“L’America”
“Hyacinth House”
“Crawling King Snake”
“The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”
“Riders on the Storm”

Bonus Tracks
“Hyacinth House” (Demo)
“Riders on the Storm” (Sunset Sound Version – Original Demo)*

Disc Two: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 1
“The Changeling”*
“Love Her Madly”*
“Riders on the Storm”*
“L.A. Woman” (Part 1)*

Disc Three: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 2
“L.A. Woman” (Part 2)*
“She Smells So Nice”*
“Rock Me Baby”*
“Mr. Mojo Risin'”*
“Baby Please Don’t Go”*
“L.A. Woman” (Part 3)*
“Been Down So Long”*
“Get Out of My Life Woman”*
“Crawling King Snake”*
“The Bastard Son of Jimmy & Mama Reed (Cars Hiss by My Window)”*
“Been Down So Long”*
“Mystery Train”*
“The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”*

* = previously unreleased.

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A rare electric guitar that The Ramones‘ Johnny Ramone played and recorded with from 1977 to 1996 is slated to be auctioned later this month.

Johnny used the 1965 Mosrite Ventures II model guitar at every Ramones gig from November 1977 through the band’s final concert in August of ’96, a total of 1,985 shows. The late rocker, who died of prostate cancer at age 55 in 2004, also played the instrument on most of The Ramones’ albums.

The instrument is part of a Ramones memorabilia sale being hosted by RR Auction that will take place September 25 at the Newbury Boston hotel in Boston.  Bidding on the items began last week, and as of Wednesday morning, the highest bid for the guitar stood at over $73,200, although it’s expected to fetch over $500,000.

The guitar is has a white body and a black pickguard, and is signed on the back in black marker, “Johnny Ramone, My Main Guitar, 1977-1996.” The original strap is affixed to the instrument with gaffer’s tape, along with three Ramones picks.

Johnny purchased the guitar after his original blue Mosrite was stolen in 1977 from the band’s van after a show in Chicago.

Another interesting item being sold as part of the auction Johnny’s Electro-Harmonix Mike Matthews Freedom Amp, which he often used at early Ramones shows at New York’s legendary punk club CBGB. The amplifier is expected to sell for more than $50,000, while the latest bid stands at $8,000.

The memorabilia being sold is part of a collection belonging to veteran producer and musician Daniel Rey, a longtime associate of The Ramones. You can check out full details about the auction at RRAuction.com.

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Sting has announced plans for a new album, The Bridge, which will be released on November 19.  The upbeat first single, “If It’s Love,” which describes being in love as some kind of symptom, is out now on all digital platforms.

Speaking about the song, Sting says in a statement, “I’m certainly not the first songwriter to equate falling in or out of love with an incurable sickness, nor will I be the last. ‘If It’s Love’ is my addition to that canon where the tropes of metaphorical symptoms, diagnosis, and downright incapacity are all familiar enough to make each of us smile ruefully.”

Sting wrote and recorded The Bridge over the past year in lockdown, with the musicians contributing their parts remotely.  As for the title, he explains, “These songs are between one place and another, between one state of mind and another, between life and death, between relationships. Between pandemics, and between eras — politically, socially and psychologically, all of us are stuck in the middle of something. We need a bridge.”

The Bridge, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available in various formats, including standard and deluxe CD and vinyl, and on cassette. The deluxe CD and vinyl versions will feature bonus tracks, including a cover of Otis Redding‘s “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.”

The Bridge is Sting’s first solo album of original material since 2016’s 57th & 9th.

Sting will return to performing live later this month with a September 27 gig in Sicily, Italy, followed by two shows in Greece. His Las Vegas residency, My Songs, kicks off October 29.

Here’s The Bridge‘s full track list:

“Rushing Water”
“If It’s Love”
“The Book of Numbers”
“Loving You”
“Harmony Road”
“For Her Love”
“The Hills on the Border”
“Captain Bateman”
“The Bells of St. Thomas”
“The Bridge”
“Waters of Tyne”*
“Captain Bateman’s Basement”*
“(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”*
“I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City”**

* = Deluxe bonus track
** = Japanese exclusive bonus track

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Former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum counts himself among the many musicians who were influenced and inspired by late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who died a week ago today at age 80.

Sorum is known for his powerful, hard-hitting style, while Watts’ drumming had more of a jazz swing to it, but Matt tells ABC Audio that he aspired to the way Charlie and The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr played so well with their respective band mates.

“I looked up to Charlie and Ringo as band guys, song drummers, and I always wanted to place myself in there,” Sorum explains. “I just want to play what’s right for the song. You know, I got some chops and stuff, and I could do stuff, but the most important thing is figuring out what’s gonna make the song sound great. So, Charlie was a really huge influence in that.”

Reflecting on what Watts brought to The Stones, Matt notes, “[He was] such a pivotal guy, like a guy that’s so important in the foundation and the heartbeat.”

Sorum says fans can get an idea of what Watts contributed to The Stones by watching the 1968 film Sympathy for the Devil, which documents how the band’s famous song of the same name came together in the studio.

“[I]t takes him nine days to find the groove,” Matt points out. “And you watch that and you understand why The Stones’ groove and sound is so great.”

As previously reported, Sorum is preparing to release a candid memoir titled Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘n’ Roll Stories in the coming weeks. You can pre-order the book now at RareBirdLit.com.

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A new concert album and video focusing on a 2019 show by veteran studio whiz, composer and musician Alan Parsons‘ current band, the Alan Parsons Live Project, will be released on November 5 in various formats and configurations.

The NeverEnding Show: Live in the Netherlands captures a May 2019 concert by the group at the Tivoli theater in Utrecht, Netherlands.

The concert featured performances of many of the Alan Parsons Live Project’s best-known songs from the 1970s and ’80s, including “Games People Play,” “Time” and “Don’t Answer Me,” as well as a medley combining the group’s oft-heard 1982 instrumental “Sirius” with its ’82 hit “Eye in the Sky.”

The NeverEnding Show can be pre-ordered now and is available as a two-CD/DVD set, a Blu-ray disc and a three-LP vinyl collection. Two limited-edition colored-vinyl versions of the release — pressed on crystal and on blue vinyl — can be purchased exclusively at the Frontiers Music’s online store.

The audio versions of The NeverEnding Show also will include a new studio recording of a song called “The Never Ending Show” as a bonus track.

You can check out a video of the Alan Parsons Live Project performing “Games People Play” from The NeverEnding Show film now at Frontiers Music’s YouTube channel.

The band recently postponed a U.S. tour because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trek had been scheduled to run from an August 27 show in Burbank, California, through a September 22 show in Minneapolis. New dates haven’t been announced.

Here’s the track list of The NeverEnding Show‘s CDs:

CD 1
“One Note Symphony”
“Damned If I Do”
“Don’t Answer Me”
“Time”
“Breakdown”/”The Raven” (Medley)
“I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You”
“Psychobabble”
“Luciferama”

CD 2
“Don’t Let It Show”
“I Robot”
“Limelight”
“Standing on Higher Ground”
“As Lights Fall”
“I Can’t Get There from Here”
“Prime Time”
“Sirius”/”Eye in the Sky” (Medley)
“Old and Wise”
“(The System of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether”
“Games People Play”
“The Never Ending Show” (New Studio Audio Track)

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Elton John has announced that he’s, well, making an announcement tomorrow. And from some of the hints he’s posted on social media, it seems like it could be some kind of all-star duets project.

On his Instagram Stories, Elton has posted a sparkling rhinestone star graphic over which a series of names are displayed, including Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, alt-rockers Gorillaz, Stevie Wonder, late country legend Glen Campbell, Miley Cyrus, singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, rappers Nicki Minaj, Lil Nas X and Young Thug, Dua Lipa, Australian dance duo Pnau, country star Jimmie Allen, pop singer Charlie Puth, British act Years & Years, British singer/songwriter Rina Sawayama and American pop duo Surfaces.

Of course, Elton and Dua Lipa just released a new single titled “Cold Heart” that was mixed by Pnau. In the past year and a half, Elton also has released singles with Years & Years, Rina Sawayama, Gorillaz and Surfaces. He’s very friendly with Carlile, and he’s just worked on a Metallica cover song with Cyrus. In addition, in the past, he and Puth have both referred to some sort of collaboration that they did.

As for Nicks, Vedder, Wonder, Campbell and the other artists mentioned, well, Elton pretty much knows everyone, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s worked with those folks too.

Based on the artists involved, it’s likely that the project will collect all the collaborations Elton has done since the pandemic, along with some newly recorded tracks.

In 1993, Elton released an album called Duets that featured him collaborating with the likes of Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Wonder, George Michael, the late Little Richard and Leonard Cohen, and others.

 

 

 

 

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