Classic Rock News – Page 908 – Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John and Dua Lipa lend support to the UK’s efforts to win the Eurovision song contest

October 21, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John and his “Cold Heart” duet partner, Dua Lipa, are throwing their weight behind the U.K.’s efforts to win the Eurovision Song Contest.

The two artists, in conjunction with Tap Management, were selected to announce the search for who will represent Britain in the annual competition, which in the past two years has made global stars of “Arcade” singer Duncan Laurence and “Beggin'” rockers Måneskin.

Tap, which manages Dua, is taking over the selection of entries for the competition in an effort to have their country perform better in the contest. The U.K. hasn’t won in 25 years, and last year, its contestant came in dead last.

Elton said about the competition, according to The Sun, “There aren’t many televised events that are as big and global as Eurovision, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to remind the world yet again of the depth and diversity of our talent. I can’t wait to see what gems our friends at Tap Music will unearth.”

Arguably the most famous artists ever to have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest, which has been running since 1956, are ABBA, who won for Sweden in 1974 with “Waterloo,” and Céline Dion, who competed and won for Switzerland in 1988.

The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in May and will take place in Turin, Italy.

Black Sabbath launches apparel collaboration with DC Shoes

October 21, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Black Sabbath is launching a new apparel collaboration with DC Shoes.

The collection, which includes various footwear, t-shirts and long-sleeve shirts, is inspired by Sabbath’s 1971 metal opus Master of Reality in honor of its 50th anniversary.

Along with the clothes and shoes, DC is also releasing an exclusive Master of Reality tribute album titled Shadow of Reality, which includes contributions from Pearl Jam‘s Jeff Ament, The Melvins, and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.

Fittingly, the DC X Black Sabbath collaboration will be available starting on Halloween, October 31. For more info, stay tuned to DCShoes.com.

Legendary Stax guitarist, songwriter and producer Steve Cropper turns 80 today

October 21, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Steve Cropper, guitarist with legendary Stax Records house bands The Mar-Keys and Booker T. & the MG’s, and later The Blues Brothers, celebrates his 80th birthday today.

Formed in 1958, The Mar-Keys were the Memphis-based Stax label’s first house band. Besides backing other artists, The Mar-Keys made their own records, and in 1961, they scored a #3 hit with the instrumental single “Last Night,” which, interestingly, featured Cropper on keyboards.

In 1962, Cropper co-founded Booker T. & the MG’s with keyboardist Booker T. Jones, drummer Al Jackson Jr. and bassist Lewie Steinberg, who was replaced in ’65 by Donald “Duck” Dunn.

Like The Mar-Keys, Booker T. & the MG’s backed Stax artists and also made their own records. The group’s debut single, the classic 1962 soul instrumental “Green Onions,” peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B chart.

Cropper also wrote songs with various Stax artists, including all-time classic soul hits like Otis Redding‘s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Wilson Pickett‘s “In the Midnight Hour” and Eddie Floyd‘s “Knock on Wood.”

Starting in the 1970s, Cropper began playing on and producing records for artists outside of Stax.

Among the many other artists Steve has worked with over the years are John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Orbison and Etta James.

Cropper also played with The Blues Brothers, the blues/R&B tribute band led by Saturday Night Live stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, which released a chart-topping live album in 1978. Steve was featured in the hit 1980 comedy film focusing on the group as well.

Cropper was welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T. & the MG’s in 1992, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.

Steve’s most recent solo album, Fire It Up, was released in April of this year.

Last month, Cropper’s 80th birthday was celebrated with a special concert at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium that featured performances by ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons, James Burton, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Eddie Floyd, R.E.M.‘s Mike Mills and more.

Rob Halford says Judas Priest’s massive new ’50 Heavy Metal Years’ box set is “a treasure trove”

October 21, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Last week, Judas Priest released an expansive 42-disc box set called 50 Heavy Metal Years, which features all of the band’s official studio and live albums, plus 13 discs of unreleased material and some cool memorabilia.

The huge collection, which celebrates the band’s 50th anniversary, was supposed to arrive during Judas Priest’s 50 Heavy Metal Years tour, but unfortunately the trek was postponed after guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered an aortic aneurysm at a September 26 show in Kentucky.

The good news is that Faulkner is now recovering from the health scare…and that the box set is available for fans to enjoy in all its glory.

Priest frontman Rob Halford tells ABC Audio that the collection is “a treasure trove.”

“[I]t really is heavy metal. It weighs about 50 pounds,” he notes. “But then, when you look at all of the CDs, and then you look at the list of the songs, it’s just remarkable. The team of people that worked with us to put this together did an outstanding job. It’s superb.”

He adds, “It’s a really beautifully crafted, curated piece of work. It’s got like almost like a metal museum-esque type of attitude to it, when you look at it and you listen to it.”

The unreleased material in the set includes eight newly restored, full-length concerts, and two discs of demos and various live tracks recorded over the years.

Halford says one of his favorite highlights is a 1975 live version of the rarity “Mother Sun,” a song that Judas Priest never recorded in the studio.

“It’s a real treat, ’cause it’s an extraordinary piece of work musically,” Halford notes.

You can order 50 Heavy Metal Years now at JudasPriestStore.com. Reflections, a collection of highlights from the box set, also is available.

Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock launching book tour next week promoting upcoming book, ‘Made in Hollywood’

October 20, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock‘s recently announced photo book Made in Hollywood: All Access with the Go-Go’s will be released on Tuesday, October 26, and coinciding with its publication, the veteran rocker will launch a promotional tour that will include in-person and virtual events.

Schock will be joined at some of the events by celebrities, including all of her band mates. The Go-Go’s will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on October 30, four days after the book arrives.

The first event, on October 26, is hosted by Greenlight Books in Brooklyn, New York, and will feature a virtual conversation between Gina and The B-52s‘ Kate Pierson.

Next up is an in-person event in Cleveland at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame October 29, a day before the Induction Ceremony. All five Go-Go’s will take part in an interview outside at the Rock Hall’s Union Home Mortgage Plaza, and Gina will sign copies of the book following the Q&A.

Other in-person book events will take place on November 5 in Laguna Beach, California; November 6 in Los Angeles; November 13 in San Francisco; November 16 in New York City; and November 18 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Additional virtual events are scheduled for November 8 and November 17, and will be hosted, respectively, by the Book Soup store in West Hollywood, California, and LiveSigning.com.

Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine also will be taking part in the November 6 event, while the band’s singer, Belinda Carlisle, will join Schock on November 8.

As previously reported, in Made in Hollywood, Schock takes fans on a photographic journey through her band’s history, using a treasure trove of personal pics and many other images.

Check out more details about the book tour at HachetteBookGroup.com.

Lars Ulrich & Miley Cyrus interview each other about “Nothing Else Matters,” rock music & more

October 20, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Metallica and Miley Cyrus are taking their collaboration from the studio to the page.

Drummer Lars Ulrich and the “Wrecking Ball” star have interviewed each other for a piece in Interview magazine. In the conversation, Cyrus shares what originally inspired her to cover Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” which she performed at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival ahead of recording it for this year’s Metallica Blacklist tribute album.

“When I think about the sentiment behind ‘Nothing Else Matters,’ it aligns completely with my morals and my values,” Cyrus explains. “When I listened to ‘Nothing Else Matters,’ and I knew that I was confirmed for Glastonbury — I actually have chills talking about this — it was the only song that I could imagine playing.”

Cyrus’ experience of recording “Nothing Else Matters” for the Blacklist album, though, felt like the “polar opposite” of playing it at Glastonbury.

“I recorded it at home, in the middle of a f***ing global pandemic, because I couldn’t leave my house,” she says of the track, which also includes contributions from Elton John, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and lauded classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma. “It was no less poignant than playing it at Glastonbury — if anything, it was more powerful. The lyrics truly f***ing resonated.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Cyrus speaks on her sound becoming more rock-driven. In addition to covering songs including Temple of the Dog‘s “Say Hello 2 Heaven” and The Cranberries‘ “Zombie,” her new album Paper Hearts features Stevie Nicks, Billy Idol and Joan Jett. Her live band also includes Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney.

“I love having these authentic, real rock dudes in my band,” Cyrus says.

Elton John scores first-ever #1 hit on ‘Billboard’ Dance/Electronic chart

October 20, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

It’s nice to know that after more than 50 years in the music business, there are still some things that Elton John hasn’t done…until now.

The 74-year-old legend’s latest achievement is topping Billboard‘s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix),” his collaboration with U.K. pop star Dua Lipa.

As previously reported, “Cold Heart” is a mashup of four previously released Elton songs from the ’70s and ’80s: “Rocket Man” from 1972, “Sacrifice” from 1989, “Kiss the Bride” from 1983 and “Where’s the Shoorah?” from his 1976 album, Blue Moves.

“Cold Heart” has also been #1 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart for nine weeks, and has ascended to #25 on the Hot 100, which is the highest Elton has been on that chart since March of 1998.

“Cold Heart” has already become Elton’s first #1 hit in the U.K. in 16 years.

Ex-Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman reveals new dates for postponed US solo concerts

October 20, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman launched the 2021 U.S. leg of his Even Grumpier Old Rock Star Tour earlier this month, but many of the originally announced dates wound up being postponed because of issues regarding COVID-19 restrictions.

As he continues playing a portion of his 2021 stateside outing, Wakeman has now revealed new dates for most of the postponed concerts, which will take place in early 2022. The run of rescheduled shows begins with a February 22 performance in Seattle and is mapped out through a March 11 concert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The 72-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s next show is scheduled for this Friday, October 22, in Huntington, New York, and his final 2021 U.S. date will take place on November 1 in Woodstock, New York.

A concert scheduled for November 6 in Wichita, Kansas, has been canceled, and refunds will be available at the point of purchase. Wakeman notes that news will be announced soon about postponed shows that haven’t been rescheduled yet in Albany, New York; Chicago; Kent, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York. You can check out Rick’s full schedule at RWCC.com.

As previously reported, Wakeman’s Even Grumpier Old Rock Star Tour shows feature him playing solo piano versions of Yes classics, material from his solo albums, and well-known songs by other artists to which he contributed, including hits by David Bowie and Cat Stevens. Rick also presents his arrangements of a few Beatles tunes at the concerts, as well as telling bawdy jokes and humorous anecdotes.

‘Modern Drummer’ to present first annual Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship this year

October 20, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

In honor of late Rush drummer Neil Peart, Modern Drummer magazine has announced the launch of an annual scholarship in his name that’s geared toward inspiring a young drummer to pursue a career as a musician.

The “Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship” will provide the chosen recipient with 52 weeks of free drum lessons from respected drum instructor Dom Famularo, as well as a one-year subscription to the Modern Drummer All Access service, and a selection of classic Rush albums.

Entrants must be between 14 and 21 years old, not a professional musician, and not under any entertainment contract or sponsorship that Modern Drummer would consider a conflict with scholarship’s spirit.

To be considered for the scholarship, potential recipients must submit a video displaying their drumming skills running two minutes or less, as well as a brief essay explaining why the scholarship will make a significant positive impact on their life and playing, and how they’ve been inspired by Peart and his legacy.

Submissions, which can be made at ModernDrummer.com, must be received before November 26 of this year.

The scholarship originally was announced during the 2020 Modern Drummer Festival by Neil’s widow, Carrie Nutall-Peart. The first recipient of the scholarship will be revealed at this year’s festival, and the honoree will be featured in an upcoming issue of Modern Drummer.

Peart, widely considered one of the greatest rock drummers of all time, died in January 2020 of brain cancer. He was 67.

Dave Grohl reacts to pop star Olivia Rodrigo singing along to “Everlong”: “It’s very flattering”

October 20, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

When Foo Fighters performed on the MTV Video Music Awards last month, the cameras caught Olivia Rodrigo singing along to “Everlong.” Speaking with Rolling Stone, Grohl shares his reaction to learning the breakout star of 2021 is a Foos fan.

“My daughter told me,” Grohl says. “She was like, ‘Oh, my God. Olivia Rodrigo was singing your song!'”

He adds, “It’s very cool and it’s very flattering, for sure.”

With songs like “Brutal” and “Good 4 U,” Rodrigo is one of a few younger artists bringing guitars and pop-punk elements back into popular music. In fact, Grohl thinks that “the dial is starting to turn back to guitar-based music,” and points to viral drumming sensation Nandi Bushell as evidence that rock is still very much alive.

“If you want to see the true meaning of rock & roll, watch Nandi play the drums,” Grohl says. “That is as inspiring as any Beatles record, any Zeppelin record, any AC/DC record, any Stones record.”

Grohl and Bushell, of course, competed in an online drum battle last year. They finally got to jam in person at a Foo Fighters show over the summer.

“To watch [Bushell] play the drums and see her passion and belief in this music…if that doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will,” Grohl says.

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