Classic Rock News

As a record executive, Clive Davis was responsible for signing and/or nurturing the careers of some of music’s biggest stars, including such rock legends as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Rod Stewart. Now, he’s going to show off some great performances from those stars in a new docuseries premiering March 23 on Paramount+.

Clive Davis: Most Iconic Performances is a four-episode series that had its origin in the pre-Grammy virtual events Davis staged in 2021, when his famous Grammy party was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series includes full archival concert performances along with personalized introductions from Davis, and exclusive interviews with many of the featured artists. The fourth episode will include extended versions of those interviews.

Viewers will see concerts from Springsteen, Stewart, Queen, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, Prince, Aretha Franklin, The Bee Gees, Ray Charles and many more, as well as interviews with Bruce, Rod, Paul, Barry Gibb, Mitchell, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Carole King and others.

“These interviews stand out among my proudest achievements,” Davis says in a statement. “They’ve received phenomenal response, presenting these all-time artists in a light never seen before. The performances are truly iconic indeed, jaw-dropping in every way.”

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Here’s some news that likely will interest AC/DC fans in the U.S. who like to rock out while sipping a brewski or two: A new beer inspired by the legendary Australian band is now being shipped to 33 states.

AC/DC For Those About to Rock Ale was created by high-end collectible company KnuckleBonz in collaboration with the Bay Shore, New York-based Great South Bay Brewing company.

The new brew is a cold-fermented Australian lager made with native Aussie hops and cane sugar, with an alcohol by volume content of 5.9%. The ale, which is the latest offering in KnuckleBonz’s Limited Edition Beverage Series, is described as having “a clean citrusy hop profile, a subtle malty sweetness, and a bright straw color.”

The beer’s name, of course, is a reference to AC/DC’s 1981 album, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), and the can’s design features a cannon like the one that appears on the record’s cover. 

For Those About to Rock Ale can be ordered online via KnuckleBonz’s distribution partner Half Time Beverage.

Last year, KnuckleBonz teamed with the CaliCraft Brewing Company to introduce two other AC/DC-inspired beers: AC/DC PWR UP Juicy IPA and AC/DC TNT Double IPA.

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KISS, Alice Cooper and Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the many hard-rock acts that will perform at the 2022 Louder than Life festival, taking place September 22-25 in Louisville, Kentucky.

KISS and the Chili Peppers will headline the fest on September 24 and 25, respectively, while Cooper also will be hitting the stage on the 24th. Nine Inch Nails and Slipknot will serve as the headliners on September 22 and 23.

The festival’s bill also includes Alice in Chains, AIC guitarist/singer Jerry Cantrell solo, Rob Zombie, Incubus, Wolfgang Van Halen‘s band Mammoth WVH, Evanescence, Ministry, Tenacious D, Halestorm, Shinedown, Chevelle, Papa Roach, Sevendust, Helmet, Bad Religion, and Alice Cooper touring guitarist Nita Strauss, among many more.

For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit LouderthanLifeFestival.com.

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Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson‘s new band Envy of None has debuted a music video for “Look Inside,” the recently released second advance track from the group’s forthcoming self-titled debut album.

The slow-tempo, melodic tune, which is available via streaming services now, showcases Envy of None singer Maiah Wynne‘s ethereal, dreamy vocals, and is accompanied by ominous, atmospheric instrumentation.

You can watch the “Look Inside” video now at the Kscope label’s official YouTube channel. Much of the clip shows Wynne singing into the camera while sitting on a couch and a large leather chair, while other scenes capture her peering into a mirror, dropping medicinal capsules onto the ground, and swallowing one of the pills.

Discussing the meaning of “Look Inside,” Maiah explains, “Sometimes you have to shine a light on all the ugliest pieces of yourself in order to truly change, and you have to keep slaying that dragon over and over again. It is a continuous, slow and painful process.”

She adds about the music, “The guitars and bass really drive the grittiness and heaviness I felt when I wrote those lyrics. It feels like an all-encompassing sludge, and that is what I absolutely love about this song.”

As previously reported, the Envy of None album is an 11-track collection that will be released on April 8, though  it can be pre-ordered now. In addition to Lifeson and Wynne, the band features bassist Andy Curran of the veteran Canadian rock group Coney Hatch, and guitarist/keyboardist Alfio Annibalini.

The first track Envy of None debuted from the album is titled “Liar.” You can watch a lyric video for that song on YouTube.

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MC5 is back to kick out the jams once more.

The seminal proto-punk outfit, led by original guitarist Wayne Kramer, has announced a U.S. tour for this spring. Not only that, but the band plans to release a new album this fall, marking the first MC5 record in over 50 years.

The tour begins May 5 with a hometown show in Detroit, and will wrap up May 15 in San Diego. Joining Kramer onstage for the run will be vocalist Brad Brooks, guitarist Stevie Salas, bassist Vicki Randle and Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 11. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Kramer’s Facebook page.

Before the tour launches, Kramer plans to release two new MC5 songs ahead of the album’s arrival in October. One, titled “Heavy Lifting,” features Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello, while the other, a reworking of Kramer’s 1995 solo track “Edge of the Switchblade,” features William DuVall of Alice in Chains.

You can check out a preview of “Heavy Lifting” streaming now on YouTube.

MC5 is once again nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. The band has been on the ballot five times previously, but has yet to be inducted.

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The five concerts that were just postponed on the recently launched “It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: A Tribute to The Beatles” tour because someone associated with the participating musicians tested positive for COVID-19, have now all been rescheduled.

According to posts on the Facebook pages of Todd Rundgren and ex-Wings member Denny Laine, two of the artists taking part in the trek, the new dates are June 16 in Derry, New Hampshire; June 17 in Medford, Massachusetts; June 18 in Westbury, New York; June 20 in Red Bank, New Jersey; and June 21 in Annapolis, Maryland.

As previously reported, the trek features Rundgren, Laine, Christopher Cross, Badfinger‘s Joey Molland and former Chicago singer/bassist Jason Scheff performing songs from The Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Revolver albums, as well as select well-known tunes from their own careers.

The message on Laine’s Facebook page notes that tickets purchased for the shows original dates will be honored for the rescheduled concerts. Those seeking a refund should contact their original point of purchase.

The message also reported, “Everyone is well and looking forward to heading back on the road.” The next stop on the current tour will be St. George’s Theater in Staten Island, New York, this Friday, March 11.

Meanwhile, Cross, who survived a serious case of COVID-19 early in the pandemic, has posted his own note regarding the situation on his Facebook page.

“This is a good time to remind ourselves that we are not out of the woods with COVID, especially omicron,” writes Christopher. “Please get vaccinated and boosted, and wear your mask in public gatherings. We need to protect not only ourselves but those around us.”

He adds, “We are all fine. Everyone is vaccinated which has protected us from severe illness.”

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Moody Blues singer/bassist John Lodge returned to touring Tuesday night in Norfolk, Connecticut, almost exactly two years after he was forced off the road because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lodge has a three-week U.S. trek lined up through a March 26 show in Dania Beach, Florida, leading up to his appearance on the 2022 edition of the Flower Power Cruise.

“I’ve never had two years off [from being on stage] since I was like 14,” the 76-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer tells ABC Audio. “So, yeah, I’m really looking forward to it.”

In January, Lodge released a new live album titled The Royal Affair and After featuring performances from John’s stint on the Yes-headlined 2019 Royal Affair Tour and from his subsequent U.S. headlining trek.

The album is mainly made up of renditions of classic Moody Blues songs, and includes guest appearances by current Yes frontman Jon Davison on two songs, with a set list that reflects the one Lodge showcased on his 2019 and 2020 headlining treks.

Davison, who is friends with Lodge, joined John as a special guest throughout his previous tour, and Lodge says the Yes singer also is taking part in the new trek.

“I said to Jon, ‘You’ve go to go on the road with me,’ and he is,” Lodge tells ABC Audio. “[W]e’re gonna go have a great time.”

Meanwhile, Lodge says the set for this year’s tour, while similar to the one he played before the pandemic, will feature a few changes.

“I’ve been rehearsing some deeper cuts from The Moody Blues…for this tour, so it will be different,” he reveals.

Lodge also says he’s “really looking forward to” the star-studded Flower Power Cruise, which sets sail from Miami on March 28.

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Things have not gone so fab for the recently launched “It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: A Tribute to The Beatles” tour: Five consecutive shows have been postponed after someone associated with the participating musicians tested positive for COVID-19.

As previously reported, the trek features Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, founding Moody Blues and Wings member Denny Laine, Badfinger‘s Joey Molland, and former Chicago singer/bassist Jason Scheff performing songs from The Beatles‘ Rubber Soul and Revolver albums, as well as select tunes from their own careers.

According to a post on Rundgren’s Facebook page, the concerts were postponed “out of an abundance of caution…due to an individual on the band’s team having tested positive for COVID.”

The affected shows had been scheduled for March 5 in Westbury, New York; March 7 in Red Bank, New Jersey; March 8 in Annapolis, Maryland; March 9 in Medford, Massachusetts; and March 10 in Derry, New Hampshire.

The concerts will be rescheduled and tickets that have been already purchased will be honored for the new dates. More details will be announced soon.

The next scheduled date on the tour is a March 11 show in Staten Island, New York. The trek currently is slated to wrap up on March 27 in Kansas, City, Missouri.

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Many fans know that Stevie Nicks is very close with pop star Harry Styles, but now Harry has tapped one of Stevie’s Fleetwood Mac‘s band mates to star in the new campaign for his beauty and lifestyle brand, Pleasing.

Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood, 74, is starring in the campaign for Pleasing’s new Shroom Bloom line of products, out on March 15. According to Vogue, the line features face and nail products, including four new shades of polish, as well as limited-edition apparel. The campaign was shot at Fleetwood’s home in Maui, Hawaii, and even includes a guest appearance from his pet pig, Tilly.

Mick and Harry first met eight years ago when the drummer took his twin daughters, who were 12 at the time, to see One Direction and then backstage for a meet-and-greet. But since Mick is six-foot-five, he wasn’t exactly fading into the background, and Harry, a huge Fleetwood Mac, noticed him. That’s how their friendship started.

In the photos, Fleetwood is wearing theatrical, colorful outfits and different colors of nail polish. “Oh, I loved that. I kept the varnish on for two weeks!” Mick tells Vogue. “Back in the day in London, I used to wear nail polish and all sorts of stuff, and the attitude was, ‘so what?’ It didn’t have anything to do with sexuality. It’s not about that. It’s about having fun.”

As for why Styles chose Fleetwood for the campaign, he tells Vogue that the drummer “is a magical man,” adding, “Mick is someone who brings me — and countless others — great joy.” He continues, “I felt there couldn’t be a better embodiment of Pleasing, or a person who could so naturally capture the wizardry that we love.”

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Bob Dylan undoubtedly knows a thing or two about writing songs, having composed hundreds during his 60-plus-year career. Now the folk-rock legend will publish a new book later this year in which he examines what he’s learned about the craft.

The Philosophy of Modern Song, which will be released on November 8, will feature Dylan’s musings about various aspects of writing tunes, reflections on various musical genres, and more than 60 essays about songs written by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello.

Topics Dylan touches on in the book include the use of easy rhymes, how adding a syllable can affect an entire tune and much more. The Philosophy of Modern Song also will include more than 150 photos.

The book, which Dylan began writing in 2010, is a follow-up to his best-selling 2004 memoir, Chronicles, Volume One, and is his first book since he became the first songwriter to be honored with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.

“The publication of Bob Dylan’s kaleidoscopically brilliant work will be an international celebration of songs by one of the greatest artists of our time,” says Simon & Schuster president and CEO Jonathan Karp. “The Philosophy of Modern Song could only have been written by Bob Dylan. His voice is unique, and his work conveys his deep appreciation and understanding of songs, the people who bring those songs to life, and what songs mean to all of us.”

An audiobook version of the publication will be partly narrated by Dylan, along with a mix of other readers.

The Philosophy of Modern Song can be pre-ordered now. For more information, visit SimonandSchuster.com.

Meanwhile,  Dylan recently launched a spring U.S. tour that runs through an April 14 show in Oklahoma City.

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