Classic Rock News

In 2019, Sting won a Grammy for 44/876, an album he made with reggae/pop star Shaggy. Now the two have re-teamed for Come Fly wid Mi, a recently released album Sting produced of Shaggy doing reggae versions of Frank Sinatra tunes like “That’s Life.”

Sting first came up with the idea when he overheard Shaggy singing during a boat trip in Norway, but admits that the concept is definitely “insane.”

“He was singing along with the Frank Sinatra CD. I just heard something in it that appealed to me, because it doesn’t sound like Frank. He sounded like Shaggy, because he’s got an equally iconic voice. But there was some authenticity there,” Sting tells ABC Audio.

“And so the idea just kept coming back to me. And a year later I said, ‘We should do that crazy idea,'” Sting laughs. “It’s insane! But I’m so glad that it’s actually seen the light of day now and people are responding in the way I thought they would.”

The album includes well-known songs like “Fly Me to the Moon,” but Sting had Shaggy sing some lesser-known tunes, too. He claims he was “very strict” when it came to Shaggy “singing the correct melody,” but, Sting adds, “He’s a good pupil.”

Sting predicted that Come Fly wid Mi would bring people joy, and he was right. At the album launch in New York City, Sting says, “As soon as [Shaggy] started to sing…everyone in the club…had this wide grin…it just makes people smile. And what does the world need more than a smile at the moment? I don’t know! We need a smile!”

It’s unlikely Sting and Shaggy will be performing together in the near future, though, since Sting is currently doing his Las Vegas residency My Songs, followed by a European tour.

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This Thursday, June 9, founding Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and his current band, The Dirty Knobs, begin a stint opening for country star Chris Stapleton at various large U.S. venues that runs until late July.

Campbell and his group are supporting their sophomore album, External Combustion, which was released in March. A follow-up to the group’s 2020 debut, Wreckless Abandon, the new record is an 11-track collection that includes guest appearances from Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter, Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, and acclaimed alt-country artist Margo Price.

Campbell tells ABC Audio that he’s “a huge fan” of Hunter and Mott the Hoople, and explains that the collaboration came about after Ian had tapped him to add guitar to some of his new tracks, and, in return, he asked Hunter if he’d sing on one of his own new tunes.

“[W]e had this song called ‘It’s a Dirty Job,’ and he was gracious to do it,” Mike notes. “He puts some Mott the Hoople piano in it, and he sang a verse and some harmonies, and he really brought the song up with his presence.”

As for Tench, Campbell says he asked his longtime band mate to play piano on a tune called “Lightning Boogie,” which he figured Benmont would like.

“[H]e just killed it,” Mike notes. “He added his flavor to it, so it’s got a little Heartbreakers nuance to it.”

Campbell says Price’s contributions to External Combustion came about when he got together with her to do some songwriting. Mike wound up asking Margo to sing on two tracks — “State of Mind” and “Cheap Talk.”

“[S]he did a great job and really made the songs better,” Campell says.

Visit TheDirtyKnobs.com to check out the band’s full tour schedule.

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Queen + Adam Lambert, Rod Stewart, Elton John and Duran Duran were among the performers Saturday night at The Platinum Party at the Palace, a star-studded concert celebrating Queen Elizabeth II‘s 70-year reign that took place in front of London’s Buckingham Palace.

The event was viewed by a TV audience of 13.3 million, while thousands and thousands of flag-waving spectators crammed the Mall leading to the Palace to watch in person. The show was highlighted by a spectacular video display projected onto the palace.

The concert kicked off with an adorable video showing Queen Elizabeth having tea with a CGI version of Paddington Bear, in which both shared their love of marmalade sandwiches. Then, Her Majesty began striking her teacup in a familiar rhythm: the unmistakable drumbeat that starts Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Cut to Buckingham Palace, where Queen and Lambert got the crowd going with that song, followed by “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “We Are the Champions.”

Rod Stewart sang his chart-topping U.K. hit “Baby Jane” and then led a massive singalong as he belted out, of all things, Neil Diamond‘s “Sweet Caroline,” which is a soccer anthem in the U.K. Duran Duran performed “Notorious” and “Girls on Film,” joined by Nile Rodgers of Chic on guitar.

In a performance taped in the Red Drawing Room at Windsor Castle that was projected onto the Palace, Elton John sang “Your Song” and, addressing the Queen, said, “Long may you reign.”

Closed out the festivities was Motown legend Diana Ross, who performed a trio of songs, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

The event also featured speeches from Prince Charles and Prince William, as well as performances by Alicia Keys, Elbow, George Ezra and others.

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Founding Bon Jovi bassist Alec John Such has died, according to a message posted Sunday on the band’s social media sites. He was 70.

“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such,” reads the note, apparently from frontman Jon Bon Jovi. “He was an original. As a founding member of Bon Jovi, Alec was integral to the formation of the band. To be honest, we found our way to each other thru him — he was a childhood friend of [drummer] Tico [Torres] and brought [longtime guitarist] Richie [Sambora] to see us perform.”

The message concludes, “Alec was always wild and full of life. Today those special memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. We’ll miss him dearly.”

Such was a member of Bon Jovi from the group’s 1983 formation until 1994, when he was replaced by Hugh McDonald. Alec played on the band’s first five studio albums, including the hugely successful Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, which topped the Billboard 200 in 1986 and 1988, respectively.

Among the many major Bon Jovi hits on which he appears are “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Bad Medicine,” “Born to Be My Baby,” “I’ll Be There for You,” “Lay Your Hands on Me” and “Bed of Roses.”

Such was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi in 2018, and he performed with his old band mates at the ceremony.

During his speech, Alec said, “These guys are the best. We had so many great times together…Love them to death and always will.”

Meanwhile, Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, who recruited Such for the band, posted his own tribute to Alec that reads, “RIP my soul brother…It was an honor and pleasure to share the stage and to share life with you.”

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Former Blue Öyster Cult member Joe Bouchard‘s latest studio album, American Rocker, was released Friday.

The 11-track collection, which Bouchard describes as “a musical journey of my life as a rock star,” is available now via digital formats and on CD. In addition, special bundles pairing the CD with a T-shirt and an autographed booklet can be purchased at MerchBucket.com.

The album features guest contributions from longtime Bryan Adams drummer Mickey Curry and founding Blue Öyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard, Joe’s brother and frequent collaborator.

Coinciding with American Rocker‘s arrival, Bouchard has debuted a lyric video for one of the album’s tracks, a haunting, melodic tune titled “Deadly Kisses.”

“‘Deadly Kisses’ is a song of young love and how it traps you,” Joe explains. “I sat down in a music room at a private boarding school and played a few odd chords. The opening lines and melody just came out.”

As previously reported, Joe has a series of five North American shows lined up in July with his band Blue Coupe — which also features Albert and original Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway. He and Albert also will be playing a series of U.K. concerts in August, performing as The Bouchard Brothers.

Here’s American Rocker‘s full track list:

“My Way Is the Highway”
“In the Golden Age”
“Deadly Kisses”
“Love Out of Thin Air”
“Off Season Hotel”
“Hounds of Hell”
“Conspiracy”
“Rocket to Fame”
“The Devil’s in the Details”
“Katherine”
“Hey There Suzi Dear”

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British New Wave veterans The Fixx released their first new studio album in a decade, Every Five Seconds, today.

The album features 10 new original songs from the band. Commenting on the themes of the record, Fixx frontman Cy Curnin says, “Life can either be a series of broken obsessive thoughts or it can be a wonderful mosaic of moments. Every Five Seconds reflects this human paradox. The constant struggle between bewilderment and betterment.”

Four tracks from Every Five Seconds were released in advance of the album — “Wake Up,” “Closer,” “Woman of Flesh and Blood” and “Take What You Want.” In addition, an animated music video for the latter tune, featuring enigmatic images of disembodied hands, debuted in April on The Fixx’s official YouTube
channel.

The band will support Every Five Seconds with a U.S. tour that gets underway on June 10 in Las Vegas and runs through a June 30 performance at Milwaukee’s Summerfest.

The Fixx scored a string of hits during the 1980s that included four songs that reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 — “Saved by Zero,” “One Thing Leads to Another,” “Are We Ourselves?” and “Secret Separation.”

The group’s most recent previous album, Beautiful Friction, was released in 2012.

Here’s the full track list of Every Five Seconds:

“A Life Survived”
“Closer”
“Take What You Want”
“Wake Up”
“Suspended in Make Believe”
“Lonely as a Lighthouse”
“Cold”
“Spell”
“Woman of Flesh and Blood”
“Neverending”

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Rod Stewart has met Queen Elizabeth II seven times in his career, and as he prepares to perform for her Platinum Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, he says he almost feels as though the queen is part of his family.

Appearing on BBC Breakfast ahead of the concert, Rod, who was knighted by the queen in 2016, said, “She’s been so much part of my life, almost like a sister, you know? She’s always been in the background of my life.”

But while he’s performed for the queen on numerous occasions, Rod said he’ll be nervous on Saturday night, because, he revealed, he’ll be singing a song he’s “never, ever sang before.” He called that prospect nerve-wracking.

Asked which member of the royal family is most likely to get up and dance during his performance, Rod immediately said, “Charles, ’cause I love him and my wife absolutely adores him.” When asked why, Rod responded cheekily, “I think they’ve got a thing going on! No, they’re very, very friendly.”

When the interviewer asked Rod what he thought wife Penny‘s response would be to his joke, Rod predicted, “She’s going to absolutely die of embarrassment. I wish I was dead right now! I’m going home!”

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Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — this weekend.  Throughout her reign, the queen has conferred knighthoods and other honors on many musicians, from Ed Sheeran, Elton John and Paul McCartney to Mick Jagger, Annie Lennox and Bono. Sting, who was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, says he admires the queen’s dedication.

“I think she’s had a very difficult job and she’s done it with a great deal of grace and detachment,” Sting told ABC Audio on Friday. “In many ways, she’s … y’know, she has no political power. She’s just a symbol. And I think she’s been a pretty good example.”

Sting, however, is aware that the British Empire’s past sins have made some countries in the Commonwealth want independence. Most recently, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the country wants to remove the queen as the head of state.

“I know there’s some controversy in Jamaica for good reason. You know, the British Empire was not the most salubrious of things. So [my feelings about it are] a mixture of both. I’m not really a monarchist, but I respect the queen.”

He laughs, “She gave me a medal, so I’m grateful!”

Sting’s friend and musical collaborator Shaggy, who was born in Jamaica, says he has no problem with the queen.

“I’m about hard work,” he tells ABC Audio. “And when I look at her age and she’s still making these appearances and still owning up to her duties. I mean, I tip my hat off to her. That is amazing!”

Sting and Shaggy recently teamed up to make an album called Come Fly Wid Mi, featuring Shaggy singing Frank Sinatra classics, with Sting producing and contributing vocals.

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Jackson Browne has debuted an official video for “Minutes to Downtown,” an introspective track from his latest studio album, 2021’s Downhill from Everywhere.

The clip, which you can watch at Browne’s YouTube channel, features the 73-year-old singer/songwriter driving around Los Angeles during the day and evening while wearing mirrored sunglasses. The video was directed by Jackson’s son Ryan Browne.

“The song is about wanting to be somewhere else, but for whatever reasons, you’re tied to the place where you live and the things you do,” Jackson says about the tune. “So I wanted it to be me driving around. To me, the video has a distinctive feature, which is that nothing happens. You don’t arrive anywhere, right?”

Coinciding with the clip’s premiere, Jackson will kick off a new U.S. leg of his “An Evening With” tour Friday night with a show in Maryland Heights, Missouri. The summer trek, which features the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer performing with his full backing band, is plotted out through a four-show stand — July 26, 27, 29 and 30 — at New York City’s Beacon Theatre.

Jackson also has another leg of the tour lined up for later this year, which runs from an August 31 performance in San Diego through a September 25 concert at the famed Red Rock Park & Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.

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Jeff Beck has been joined by a very famous special guest on his current U.K. tour — guitarist Johnny Depp. At the British blues-rock guitarist’s latest concert, in Gateshead on Tuesday, he revealed that he and the Pirates of the Caribbean star will be releasing a collaborative album soon.

Stereogum reports that during the concert, Beck said to the audience, “I met this guy five years ago, and we’ve never stopped laughing since. We actually made an album. I don’t know how it happened. It will be out in July.”

According to Setlist.fm, Depp joined Beck at his last four U.K. concerts to perform several songs, including an original called “Hedy Lamarr.” They also covered John Lennon‘s “Isolation,” late Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson‘s “Time,” Marvin Gaye‘s “What’s Going On,” Jimi Hendrix‘s “Little Wing,” Killing Joke‘s “The Death and Resurrection Show” and The Beatles‘ “A Day in the Life.”

Beck and Depp actually released a collaborative studio version of “Isolation” as a digital single in 2020.

Depp’s latest performance with Beck came a day after Johnny scored a major legal victory against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, as jurors agreed that she defamed him with an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018.

Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in the defamation suit, although the judge clarified that Virginia law caps the latter at $350,000. 

Depp, 58, sued Heard, 36, for $50 million, claiming the article obliquely — and falsely — accused him of abuse, which, he maintained, devastated his film career.

Beck has four concerts left on his U.K. trek, but it’s not known if Depp will perform at the upcoming shows.

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