Classic Rock News

The 2004 compilation The Animals Retrospective, featuring classic songs that famed British Invasion band The Animals and its lead singer, Eric Burdon, recorded from 1964 to 1970, will be released on vinyl for the first time on November 18.

The album, which can be preordered now, will be issued as a two-LP set on standard black vinyl, while Target also will offer an exclusive, limited-edition orange-vinyl version.

Retrospective is a 22-track collection that includes classic tunes by The Animals’ original lineup and by the group’s late-1960s Eric Burdon & The Animals incarnation, as well as “Spill the Wine,” the 1970 smash that Burdon recorded with the band War.

Hailing from Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K., The Animals started as a blues-influenced rock ‘n’ roll act. The band quickly found fame in 1964 thanks to their chart-topping version of the traditional folk song “The House of the Rising Sun,” and followed that with such hits as “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” “It’s My Life” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.”

In 1966, Burdon reformed the band with a new lineup and the group, rechristened Eric Burdon & The Animals, relocated to California and began exploring a more psychedelic-influenced sound. Among this version of the band’s hits were “When I Was Young,” “San Franciscan Nights,” “Monterey” and “Sky Pilot.”

After the group’s 1968 breakup, Burdon began collaborating with the San Francisco-based funk-rock band War, scoring a #3 hit in ’70 with “Spill the Wine.”

Reflecting on the original Animals in Retrospective‘s liner notes, Burdon said, “We were the ultimate club band. We had our differences and sometimes came to blows, but we all stood together when anybody attacked us from the outside.”

Here’s the compilation’s full track list:

Side 1
“House of the Rising Sun”
“I’m Crying”
“Baby Let Me Take You Home”
“Gonna Send You Back to Walker”
“Boom Boom”
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”

Side 2
“Bring It On Home to Me”
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” (U.S. single version)
“It’s My Life”
“Don’t Bring Me Down”
“See See Rider”
“Inside-Looking Out”

Side 3
“Hey Gyp”
“Help Me Girl”*
“When I Was Young”*
“A Girl Named Sandoz”*
“San Franciscan Nights”*
“Monterey”*

Side 4
“Anything”*
“Sky Pilot”*
“White Houses”*
“Spill the Wine”**

* = Eric Burdon & The Animals
** = Eric Burdon & War

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“Carolina Shag,” a previously unreleased John Mellencamp song from the sessions for his classic 1985 album Scarecrow, has just been made available as an advance track from the upcoming deluxe reissue of the record.

The song is one of 11 bonus tracks featured on the deluxe versions of the Scarecrow reissue, which is due out November 4. As previously reported, the expanded reissue will boast a remixed and remastered version of the original album, as well as demos, outtakes and rough mixes of tracks.

“Carolina Shag” is an upbeat rock tune that tells the story of a guy who takes a trip to the Carolina coast and meets a free-spirited woman on the beach. The track is available now via digital formats, and a companion lyric video has premiered at Mellencamp’s official YouTube channel.

The Scarecrow reissue can be preordered now, and will be available in multiple configurations and formats.

Scarecrow, Mellencamp’s eighth studio album, was released in August 1985, and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200. The album yielded five top-40 hits — “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to ’60s Rock),” “Lonely Ol’ Night,” “Small Town,” “Rain on the Scarecrow” and “Rumbleseat,” which reached #2, #6, #6, #21 and #28, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Meanwhile, Mellencamp recently announced plans for an extensive North American trek dubbed the Live and In Person 2023 tour. The outing, which features 76 dates, is slated to run from a February 5-6 engagement in Bloomington, Indiana through a June 23-24 stand in South Bend, Indiana.

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A new documentary about longtime Rolling Stones touring bassist Darryl Jones, titled Darryl Jones: In the Blood, premiered Friday, October 7, in select theaters, and also is now available to rent digitally via Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

The film includes interviews with Jones and Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and the late Charlie Watts, as well as with some of the other musicians who have toured with the band for many years, including keyboardist Chuck Leavell and singer Bernard Fowler.

Watts appears in one of the final interviews he gave before his death in August 2021.

In the Blood tells Jones’ life story, including a look at his childhood growing up on the South Side of Chicago, and his early music career, which included a five-year stint performing and recording with jazz legend Miles Davis, and working with Sting, Peter Gabriel, Eric Clapton, Madonna and many others.

Jones began playing with The Rolling Stones in 1993, after longtime bassist Bill Wyman retired from the band. He went on to play with the group on all of their ensuing albums and tours.

In the documentary, the various Stones members discuss working with Darryl and enthuse his talent.

In a trailer for the film, Richards notes, “Darryl is one of the best bass players in the world … I mean, obviously, playing with Miles Davies for five years, no mean resumé, you know?”

For more info about the movie, visit GreenwichEntertainment.com.

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Iggy Pop has shared a cover of the Leonard Cohen song “You Want It Darker.”

The Godfather of Punk’s rendition of the 2016 track stretches out to over five minutes, and features his slow-burning, gravelly vocals over jazz instrumentation.

“There’s nobody like Leonard, not in the whole world,” Pop says.

Pop’s cover is available now via digital outlets, and will appear on the upcoming Cohen tribute album Here It Is, due out October 14. The compilation also includes contributions from Peter Gabriel, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones, James Taylor and Mavis Staples.

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Heart‘s Ann and Nancy Wilson, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Todd Rundgren, and ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora are among the many music stars lending their support to the Keep Music Alive organization’s seventh annual Kids Music Day, which is being celebrated Friday, October 7.

The Wilson sisters, Benatar, Giraldo, Rundgren and Sambora are all serving as Kids Music Day Ambassadors, along with such other performers and musicians as Julie Andrews, Kenny Loggins, Sarah McLachlan, Jack Black, Michael Feinstein and Vanessa Williams.

During the annual event, music schools, music shops, instrument stores and other participating locations offer free music lessons, concerts, community and family jams, instrument donation drives and other activities meant to encourage young people to get involved with music.

For this year’s Kids Music Day, Keep Music Alive is again partnering with the Music & Arts retail chain, which offers lessons for a wide variety of musical instruments.

The Music & Arts chain will host special events at its more than 250 locations across the U.S. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday will feature a student showcase where visitors can enjoy performances by students and instructors, and meet local instructors. On Saturday and Sunday, free group guitar classes and instructor performances are being offered, and participants also will have the opportunity to sign up for a free trial lesson.

Anyone attending the events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday who signs up to become a lessons student will receive a free guitar, while supplies last.

For more information, visit KeepMusicAlive.org.

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Former Yes frontman Jon Anderson recently revealed to ABC Audio that plans were in the works for him to tour with a talented cover group called The Band Geeks, and now official details have been announced about a spring 2023 U.S. trek with the collective.

The tour, dubbed “Yes Epics & Classics featuring Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks,” kicks off April 14 in Westbury, New York, and runs through a May 16 show in North Tonawanda, New York. Twelve dates have been confirmed, with more concerts expected.

The shows will feature performances of an eclectic selections of Yes songs, including epic pieces like “Close to the Edge,” “waken” and “Gates of Delirium,” and popular tunes “And You and I,” “Roundabout” and “Your Move/All Good People.”

The Band Geeks came together as the house band of Blue Öyster Cult bassist Richie Castellano‘s Band Geek podcast internet show. The group gained attention thanks to the YouTube videos they posted of their detailed performances of songs by Queen, Toto, Black Sabbath and, of course, Yes.

Anderson says, “The first time I heard the BAND GEEKS I truly freaked out — they sound just like the classic YES of the seventies, the YES that I know and love … AND THAT’S WHAT I’M WANTING TO BRING TO YOU ON THIS TOUR … YES MUSIC IS FOREVER!!!!!!”

In addition to Castellano, who plays bass and guitar in The Band Geeks, the group features former John Entwistle Band keyboardist Chris Clark, drummer Andy Ascolese, guitarist/keyboardist Robert Kipp and guitarist/bassist Andy Graziano.

For more details about the tour, visit JonAndersonYesEpicsandClassics.com.

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A new interactive exhibition celebrating the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who graced the Ryman Auditorium stage over the years is set to open at the historic Nashville venue on November 2.

The Rock Hall at the Ryman exhibit is part of a multiyear partnership between the Ryman and Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

While the Ryman is one of the world’s most famous country-music venues, it’s also been the site of performances by over 100 Rock Hall inductees. The non-country artists who are acknowledged in the exhibit include Eric Clapton, Foo Fighters, Joan Jett, James Brown, The Byrds, The Who‘s Roger Daltrey, James Brown and Joni Mitchell.

The exhibit includes a display featuring Clapton’s famous “Blackie” model Fender Stratocaster guitar, which he played on tour during the 1990s; an outfit that late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins wore during the 2013 Rock Hall ceremony while helping to induct Rush; a red latex halter bra top Jett wore during the 2006 Vans Warped Tour; and a belted suede coat Elvis Presley wore around 1970.

The Rock Hall at the Ryman exhibit will be located at the Ryman’s recently transformed 5th Avenue vestibule.

Entry into the exhibition will be included in all of Ryman’s daytime tour tickets. For more information, visit Ryman.com.

Earlier in 2022, the Ryman Auditorium was named an official Rock Hall landmark, joining 11 other famous rock-related sites around the U.S., including Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas, and the Whisky a Go Go club in West Hollywood, California.

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Wolfgang Van Halen has opened up about his decision to play Van Halen songs at the two tribute concerts to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

The son of late Eddie Van Halen previously said he wasn’t interested in performing Van Halen tunes, but he made an exception in honor of Hawkins. However, as Wolf tells Guitar World, the decision wasn’t an easy one though he did get some help from Dave Grohl.

“I didn’t even know if I could do it,” Wolf shares. “I had a lot of conversations with Dave. What a kind sweetheart of a man he is. We talked a lot about [it].”

“Initially [Grohl] was like, ‘What do you think? Would you be comfortable doing this?'” Wolf recalls. “Initially, I didn’t wanna disappoint Dave Grohl. And I was like, ‘Sure.'”  

As Wolf continued to consider Grohl’s proposal, he realized he could do it if the Foo frontman was onstage with him.

“I was like, ‘I don’t know if I could do this, but if I do I need your support. I need you up there with me,'” Wolf recalls telling Grohl. “I was like, ‘Whatever the incarnation of what it becomes, I need you there with me,’ and he was like, ‘Absolutely.'”

For both concerts, which took place in London and Los Angeles, Wolf was joined by Grohl on bass, acclaimed session drummer Josh Freese and The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. They played “On Fire” in London, “Panama” in Los Angeles and “Hot for Teacher” at both shows.

“It was really special, man,” Wolf says. “I’m super happy and proud with how everything came to be.”

Today, October 6, marks the two-year anniversary of Eddie’s death.

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Last month, Dead & Company announced that they were planning to launch a 2023 tour that would be their last trek ever, and now, the Grateful Dead spinoff group has unveiled the dates for the outing.

The 27-date U.S. outing, appropriately dubbed The Final Tour, will kick off with a May 19-20 stand at the Kia Forum near Los Angeles and is plotted out through a July 14-15 engagement at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. The band also will play multiple shows in several other cities, including Saratoga Springs, New York; New York City; Boulder, Colorado; and George, Washington.

Each concert will feature Dead & Company performing two sets of music from the Grateful Dead’s expansive catalog.

Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public Friday, October 14 at 10 a.m. local time via DeadandCompany.com. A fan presale will begin Wednesday, October 12 at 12 p.m. local time. Advanced presale registration is available now at Seated.com.

Special VIP and travel packages will also go on sale on October 12 and can be purchased at DeadandCompany.100xhospitality.com.

While on the farewell trek, the band will continue its sustainability partnership with the nonprofit organization REVERB. They’ve committed to a comprehensive carbon offset program while also encouraging fans to take action to help the environment.

Formed in 2015, Dead & Company features Grateful Dead alums Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, along with popular singer/guitarist John Mayer, ex-Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. Their most recent tour was last year.

A 2023 edition of the band’s Playing in the Sand destination festival is set to take place in Riviera Cancún, Mexico from January 14 to January 17.

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Sir Elton John has filed suit against Associated Newspapers — publishers of the U.K. papers Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and the Mail Online — under accusations of breach of privacy.

The legendary singer isn’t the only person bringing forth the suit, which was filed October 6, per a press release.  Among those who have brought forth the lawsuit include Elton’s husband David Furnish, Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley. They are not just accusing the publishers of gross breaches of privacy, they also claim they are victims of abhorrent criminal activity.

They allege that Associated Newspapers hired private investigators to place surveillance equipment in their cars and homes so they could unknowingly eavesdrop and also record their private phone calls and conversations. 

Sir Elton and company also claim the publishers bribed police officials to grant their private investigators access to sensitive information. Furthermore, they claim Associated Newspapers had their employees impersonate officials to obtain private medical information from the institutions that either saw or treated them.

Associated Newspaper were also accused of illegally accessing their private banking information and credit history.

Sir Elton and his group claim they have more alleged evidence of more wrongdoing and that there are more unknowing victims of these alleged crimes. They aim not only to hold those who allegedly wronged them accountable, but to help dissuade journalists from further engaging in such tactics to procure sensitive and private information.

It is unknown how much they are seeking in damages at this time.

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