Classic Rock News

Sting has released an expanded, digital-only edition of his hit second solo album, 1987’s …Nothing Like the Sun, in honor of its 35th anniversary.

The updated version adds 14 bonus tracks to the album’s original 12 songs, including B-sides, remixes, alternate versions and instrumentals.

Originally released on October 5, 1987, the album peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 and yielded two top-20 singles, “We’ll Be Together” and “Be Still My Beating Heart,” which reached #7 and #15, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also featured the gem “Englishmen in New York,” which was a minor chart hit.

Recorded just a few months after the death of Sting’s mother, …Nothing Like the Sun featured mainly subdued and introspective tunes, with the exception of the exuberant “We’ll Be Together.”

As Sting explained in the original liner notes, “I look back on this album, and I realize that the record is about my mother, although I didn’t see it at the time. It’s about mothers and daughters, mistresses and wives, sisters… Every song has one of these themes. It surprised me.”

Several noteworthy guitarists contributed to various tracks on the record, including Sting’s Police bandmate Andy Summers on “The Lazarus Heart,” Hiram Bullock on a cover of Jimi Hendrix‘s “Little Wing,” and Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton on “They Dance Alone.”

Other contributors to the album included keyboardists Gil Evans and Kenny Kirkland, sax player Branford Marsalis and drummer Manu Katché.

Among the bonus tracks on the expanded edition of the album are multiple alternate versions and mixes of “Englishman in New York,” “Fragile” and “We’ll Be Together.”

Here’s the full track list:

“The Lazarus Heart”
“Be Still My Beating Heart”
“Englishman in New York”
“History Will Teach Us Nothing”
“They Dance Alone”
“Fragile”
“We’ll Be Together”
“Straight to My Heart”
“Rock Steady”
“Sister Moon”
“Little Wing”
“The Secret Marriage”
“Conversation with a Dog”*
“If You There”*
“Up from the Skies”*
“Someone to Watch Over Me”*
“Ghost in the Strand”*
“Englishman in New York” (Ben Liebrand Mix)*
“Englishman in New York” (Ben Liebrand Mix – Edit)*
“Fragile” (dj MONK’s Extended Vocal Remix Version)*
“Fragile” (dj MONK’s Radio Edit Version)*
“Fragile” (dj MONK’s Hard Rain Dub Version)*
“Fragile” (Bedroom Rockers Remix Version)*
“We’ll Be Together” (Extended Mix)*
“We’ll Be Together” (Alternate Version)*
“We’ll Be Together” (Instrumental)*

* = bonus tracks.

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This year marked the 50th anniversary of the release of Neil Young‘s landmark solo album, Harvest, and to commemorate the milestone, the folk-rock legend will release an expanded edition of the record on December 2.

The Harvest 50th Anniversary Edition box set, which can be preordered now, will be available in two physical versions offering the same content — a three-CD/two-DVD set and a collection featuring two vinyl LPs, a vinyl seven-inch disc and two DVDs.

The CD and vinyl box sets’ respective audio content includes the original Harvest album on one CD or LP, a recording of Young performing a solo acoustic set at the BBC in 1971 on a second CD or LP and three Harvest sessions outtakes on a third CD or the seven-inch vinyl disc.

The two DVDs feature a video of Young’s 1971 BBC performance and a previously unseen two-hour documentary filmed in 1971 that focuses on the making of Harvest. The box sets also include a hardbound book and fold-out poster, while the vinyl version comes with a lithograph print, as well.

Young’s rendition of his chart-topping Harvest hit “Heart of Gold” from the BBC performance has been released as an advance track from the box set and is available now via digital formats. A video of the performance has debuted on Young’s official YouTube channel.

A digital version of the Harvest 50th Anniversary Edition will also be released.

Released in February 1972, Harvest is Neil’s only solo album to top the Billboard 200. It features the aforementioned “Heart of Gold,” Neil’s only single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Old Man,” which peaked at #31.

Here’s the Harvest 50th Anniversary Edition track list:

CD 1/LP 1: Harvest
“Out on the Weekend”
“Harvest”
“A Man Needs a Maid”
“Heart of Gold”
“Are You Ready for the Country?”
“Old Man”
“There’s a World”
“Alabama”
“The Needle and the Damage Done”
“Words (Between the Lines of Age)”

CD 2/LP 2: Neil Young Live In Concert at the BBC, February 1971
“Out on the Weekend”
“Old Man”
“Journey Through the Past”
“Heart of Gold”
“Don’t Let It Bring You Down”
“A Man Needs a Maid”
“Love in Mind”
“Dance Dance Dance”

CD 3/7-inch Vinyl: Harvest outtakes
“Bad Fog of Loneliness”
“Journey Through the Past”
“Dance Dance Dance”

DVD 1
Harvest Time (Two-hour film)

DVD 2
Neil Young Live in Concert at the BBC

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Red Hot Chili Peppers have premiered the video for “The Drummer,” a track off the band’s new album, Return of the Dream Canteen.

The clip finds the “Californication” outfit performing in a club of well-choreographed dancers. The song itself doesn’t identify the titular “Drummer,” only that they are “Leaning without any meaning/ Outside of the Club Troubadour,” which refers to the famed venue in — you guessed it — California.

You can watch “The Drummer” video streaming now on YouTube.

Return of the Dream Canteen, which also features the single “Tippa My Tongue” and the Eddie Van Halen tribute “Eddie,” is out now. It’s the second Chili Peppers album of 2022, following April’s Unlimited Love.

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Jefferson Airplane was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, and the three surviving members of the influential San Francisco band’s classic lineup — singer Grace Slick, guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady — attended the ceremony.

Before Slick, Kaukonen and Casady hit the podium to accept the honor, Doors drummer John Densmore gave a speech acknowledging the group’s main members, including late singer/guitarist Paul Kantner, vocalist Marty Balin and drummer Spencer Dryden.

Hollywood Chamber of Commerce chair Lupita Sanchez Cornejo, who emceed the event, then read a proclamation declaring it Jefferson Airplane Day in Hollywood.

Slick, who hasn’t appeared in public very often in recent years, began by declaring, “I am one lucky b****. I’ll tell you why. Jack and Jorma are … real musicians. I’m a screw-off who got lucky.” She then explained how, with little experience, she decided to be a rock singer after seeing Jefferson Airplane play in a small club and soon formed her own band, referring to her pre-Airplane group The Great Society.

“It turns out I did have the right voice for rock ‘n’ roll,” Slick noted. “It’s very loud, and I didn’t have any trouble singing over people.”

Also during her speech, she thanked a close female friend who she said saved her life a couple of months ago, revealing the friend got her to a hospital after she’d gone into septic shock.

In addition, Slick pointed out the hat she was wearing belonged to Kantner, who was the father of her only child, daughter China Kantner. “At least his DNA is here today,” she quipped.

You can watch the whole ceremony on the Walk of Fame’s official YouTube channel.

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers‘ 1993 Greatest Hits compilation was released on the high-res Dolby Atmos format on Friday and is also available for streaming via Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and Tidal.

The 18-track collection was mixed for Dolby Atmos by the late Tom Petty‘s frequent studio collaborator Ryan Ulyate.

Greatest Hits is Petty and the Heartbreakers’ bestselling release, having been certified 12-times Platinum by the RIAA for album-equivalent sales of over 12 million copies in the U.S.

The album included many of the most popular and enduring tunes that Petty recorded with his band and as a solo artist.

These include the top-20 hits “Don’t Do Me Like That,” “Refugee,” “The Waiting,” “You Got Lucky,” “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “I Won’t Back Down” and “Free Fallin’.”

The compilation also featured two then-new tracks — “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and a cover of Thunderclap Newman‘s 1969 classic “Something in the Air.” “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” went on to reach #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“It was a joy listening to the tapes and discovering all the sonic elements that went into each song, and then presenting them in a new, compelling and immersive way,” says Ulyate about remixing Greatest Hits. “The goal with this Atmos mix is simple: get people closer to the music they love by putting them inside it!”

He adds, “Greatest Hits has so many iconic recordings that fans have lived with and loved over the years. Several great producers and engineers contributed to these classic tracks. I did my best with the Atmos mix to give the music the respect it deserves.”

Here’s the full Greatest Hits track list:

“American Girl”
“Breakdown”
“Listen to Her Heart”
“I Need to Know”
“Refugee”
“Don’t Do Me Like That”
“Even the Losers”
“Here Comes My Girl”
“The Waiting”
“You Got Lucky”
“Don’t Come Around Here No More”
“I Won’t Back Down”
“Runnin’ Down a Dream”
“Free Fallin'”
“Learning to Fly”
“Into the Great Wide Open”
“Mary Jane’s Last Dance”
“Something in the Air”

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As previously teased, Green Day has announced a Nimrod reissue in honor of the album’s 25th anniversary.

The package will be available as a three-disc CD and five-LP vinyl collection on January 27. In addition to the original album, the reissue includes a host of previously unreleased demos, as well as a full live recording from a 1997 concert in Philadelphia.

Among the demos is a recording of an unreleased Green Day song called “You Irritate Me,” which you can listen to now via digital outlets, and a cover of Elvis Costello‘s “Alison.”

Nimrod, Green Day’s fifth album, was originally released October 14, 1997 — 25 years ago today. The record has been certified double Platinum by the RIAA, and spawned the singles “Hitchin’ a Ride” and “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).”

(Video contains uncensored profanity) 

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We’ve got another taste of Bruce Springsteen‘s upcoming album of soul covers, Only the Strong Survive, which is due out November 11.

The Boss has released his take on The Commodores‘ “Nightshift,” a 1985 hit on which the group paid tribute to late soul music legends Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson.  The track inspired Bruce, his producer Ron Aniello and engineer Rob Lebret to dub themselves “The Nightshift” while working on the album. A video of Bruce performing the song in studio with string and horn sections, a small crowd in front, and dancers in the background, is also available now.

“Nightshift” follows the previously released track “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do),” originally recorded by Frank Wilson in 1965.

As previously reported, Only the Strong Survive features Sam Moore of Sam & Dave on backing vocals, along with E Street Band touring member Soozie Tyrell and others.  The covers range from songs by The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Walker Brothers, Jerry Butler and more.

Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Only the Strong Survive”
“Soul Days” — featuring Sam Moore
“Nightshift”
“Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)”
“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”
“Turn Back the Hands of Time”
“When She Was My Girl”
“Hey, Western Union Man”
“I Wish It Would Rain”
“Don’t Play That Song”
“Any Other Way”
“I Forgot to Be Your Lover” — featuring Sam Moore
“7 Rooms of Gloom”
“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”
“Someday We’ll Be Together”

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This Sunday, October 16, marks the 40th anniversary of the release of INXS‘ breakout third studio album, Shabooh Shoobah.

Shabooh Shoobah was the Australian band’s first album to be released worldwide, and its first to garner major attention in the U.S., thanks in large part to popular videos for the singles “The One Thing” and “Don’t Change” that went into heavy rotation on the then-fledgling MTV.

Founding INXS keyboardist Andrew Farriss, who co-wrote most of the band’s songs with late frontman Michael Hutchence, tells ABC Audio, “Shabooh Shoobah, was a very important part of our career.”

Farriss recalls that when the band first toured the U.S. in 1983, in support of Shabooh Shoobah, they were surprised to find that many people were already familiar with their music, and he says he realized that it was because of the “national television exposure” INXS was getting thanks to MTV.

“The One Thing” became INXS’ first top-40 hit in the U.S., peaking at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album reached #46 on the Billboard 200, and wound up being certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 in the States.

“The One Thing” video featured the band at a decadent dinner party, and included scenes of the charismatic Hutchence singing the tune in an outfit reminiscent of something The Doors‘ Jim Morrison might have worn.

Interestingly, Farriss says that when INXS played a music-themed TV show in Los Angeles during that early tour, Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek visited them backstage and asked to speak with Hutchence.

Andrew recalls that Manzarek told Hutchence that he’d seen the band on TV and “was overwhelmed,” adding, “You’re the first person I’ve ever seen that reminded me that much of Jim.”

Here’s Shabooh Shoobah‘s full track list:

“The One Thing”
“To Look at You”
“Spy of Love”
“Soul Mistake”
“Here Comes”
“Black and White”
“Golden Playpen”
“Jan’s Song”
“Old World New World”
“Don’t Change”

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A new compilation from the NOW That’s What I Call Music! folks focusing specifically on well-known classic rock songs spanning from 1971 to 1980 will be released on October 28.

NOW That’s What I Call Classic Rock is a 17-track collection that will be available everywhere on CD and digital formats, and as a two-LP vinyl set sold exclusively via Target.com and at Target stores.

The album includes such memorable rock anthems and classics as Queen‘s “Another One Bites the Dust,” The Who‘s “Baba O’Riley,” Aerosmith‘s “Walk This Way,” Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s “Free Bird,” Rod Stewart‘s “Maggie May” and Cheap Trick‘s “I Want You to Want Me.”

The compilation also features enduring hits from Elton John, Thin Lizzy, Free, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Alice Cooper, Foreigner and The Allman Brothers Band.

NOW That’s What I Call Classic Rock can be preordered now.

Here’s the complete track list:

“Another One Bites the Dust” — Queen
“Baba O’Riley” — The Who
“Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” — Elton John
“The Boys Are Back in Town” — Thin Lizzy
“Walk This Way” — Aerosmith
“All Right Now” — Free
“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” — Bachman-Turner Overdrive
“School’s Out” — Alice Cooper
“Bang a Gong (Get It On)” — T. Rex
“Feels Like the First Time” — Foreigner
“Free Bird” — Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Ramblin’ Man” — The Allman Brothers Band
“Fooled Around and Fell in Love” — Elvin Bishop
“Maggie May” — Rod Stewart
“Paradise by the Dashboard Light” — Meat Loaf with Ellen Foley
“I Want You to Want Me” (Live at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, JPN – April 1978) — Cheap Trick
“Don’t Bring Me Down” — Electric Light Orchestra

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Humble Pie will release an expansive, eight-CD collection — The A&M CD Box Set (1970-1975) — featuring remastered versions of the seven albums the legendary English blues-boogie band issued on the A&M label, on December 2.

The A&M CD Box Set will be similar to Humble Pie’s nine-LP A&M Vinyl Box Set (1970-1975), which was released in 2017, although the new collection will offer an extra disc featuring 14 bonus tracks, including B sides, rarities and more, five of which are unreleased.

The albums featured in the package are 1970’s Humble Pie, 1971’s Rock On and the Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore live album, 1972’s Smokin’, 1973’s Eat It, 1974’s Thunderbox and 1975’s Street Rats.

Humble Pie was formed in 1969 by Small Faces singer/guitarist Steve Marriott; Peter Frampton, lead singer and guitarist of The Herd; Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley; and drummer Jerry Shirley. Frampton left the group to pursue a solo career in 1971. He was replaced by Clem Clempson, of the band Colosseum, who played with Humble Pie until its 1975 breakup.

Humble Pie’s most successful album was Smokin’, which peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold for sales of 500,000 in the U.S. The album included the song “Hot n’ Nasty,” which reached #52 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song “Big Black Dog,” a non-album track from 1970 that was Humble Pie’s first single released on A&M, has been made available as an advance track from The A&M CD Box Set. The tune also appears on the collection’s disc of bonus tunes.

You can preorder the CD box set now.

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