Born on this date:
1933, Willie Nelson
1943, Bobby Vee
1948, Wayne Kramer, MC5
1953, Merrill Osmond, The Osmonds
1962, Born on this day, Robert Reynolds, bass, The Mavericks
1960, The Everly Brothers started a seven-week run at #1 on the U.K. singles chart with “Cathy's Clown.”
1964, During a U.K. tour The Beatles played two shows at The Odeon Cinema in Glasgow. They were also interviewed by BBC Scotland and STV for the evening news programs.
1965, Manchester group Herman's Hermits began their first U.S. tour supported by The Zombies.
1967, Jimi Hendrix, The Walker Brothers, Engelbert Humperdink and Cat Stevens all appeared at the Granada Theatre, Tooting, London.
1968, BBC TV launched The Cilla Black Show making Cilla the first British female performer to have her own TV show. The theme song, “Step Inside Love,” was written by Paul McCartney.
1976, The Who's drummer Keith Moon paid nine cab drivers to block-off both ends of a New York street so he could throw the contents of his hotel room out of the window.
1977, Led Zeppelin broke a new world attendance record at a concert when they played to 76,229 people at a gig at the Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan. The Who held the previous record at the same venue with 75,962 people.
1982, American music journalist, author and musician Lester Bangs died of a heart attack aged 33. Bangs worked for Rolling Stone, Creem and The Village Voice.
1983, American Blues legend Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) died in his sleep. The full story here.
Bob Dylan will be given America’s highest honor for a civilian, the Medal of Freedom.
According to the BBC, the popular music legend will be honored alongside former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, astronaut John Glenn and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison. They will receive their medals form President Barack Obama at the White House.
The President said in a statement: “They’ve challenged us, they’ve inspired us and they’ve made the world a better place.”
Dylan joins a very elite club of Medal of Honor recipients that includes Mother Theresa, Stephen Hawking, Walt Disney, Duke Ellington and Aretha Franklin.
As previously reported, The Beatles: The Lost Concert will hit theaters in May. It features a remastered version of a film documenting the band’s first ever U.S. concert along with new contributions from some famous Beatles fans.
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has seen it, and has high praise indeed for the show movie, saying that “just watching that is a miracle. To me it would be like watching Jesus preaching on the hilltops. Same notes, same vocals, same drum fills, same perfection. It blows away every performance I’ve ever seen – including Elvis.”
The producers say: “The Beatles: The Lost Concert is a new documentary recounting the whole story of the birth of Beatlemania in America, from an initial phone call from U.S. promoter Sid Bernstein to the manager of a then-unknown band from the U.K, all the way thorough to their first-ever historic and triumphant US concert.”
The concert took place two days after The Beatles’ landmark Ed Sullivan Show appearance. They played 12 songs to an 8,000-strong audience, which was the biggest crowd they had played for at that time. The concert was professionally filmed and then broadcast shortly afterwards, but it hasn’t been seen in its entirety since. When released, it will be the only complete Beatles concert available to fans.
Blues legend Buddy Guy is preparing for the release of his autobiography, When I Left Home: My Story, due out on May 8. Written with David Ritz, the book recounts the 75-year-old guitarist’s journey from Louisiana to Chicago, as well as his years with Chess Records, and as a blues superstar and inspiration to the likes of Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Guy spoke to Rolling Stone about stoking the blues flame.
“Fifty-five years ago this September 25, I arrived here in Chicago [from Louisiana] and the greatest blues players in the world were all alive and well and playing here,” he said. “You go to sleep, wake up and 55 years have passed. After me and B.B. King, all the rest of them are gone. Every time I get interviewed, I say, ‘They’re no longer here. I’m looking up at that band in heaven. That’s the best blues band.’
“It seems like yesterday that I was called a little young punk, when Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter were all living. I went to sleep, woke up and now I’m the senior citizen! So the information and the street sense I learned from them, I guess I’m the only one left that can tell you about it.”
The Beach Boys have unveiled a clip of the first single from their forthcoming reunion album. Titled “That’s Why God Made the Radio,” the retro-sounding song harks back to the harmony-laden pop formula the band forged in the mid-’60s.
“It's a sentimental thing for me,” says Brian Wilson, speaking in the clip.” We’ve been together 50 years – that's a long time.” Mike Love adds: “Conceptually, the album is not going to be anything outlandish or silly, like Smiley Smile. It will be like the Beach Boys circa ’65. I’m trying to write lyrics that fit the music without making it sound like you’re writing from a hospice.”
The Beach Boys split acrimoniously in the ’90s, and went on to tour in separate configurations. Last year, they agreed to put aside their differences and stage a reunion tour. On Tuesday (April 24), the band’s Brian Johnston announced the band will release a new studio album on June 5. To watch a clip featuring the new single, click here.
The first full concert staged by The Beatles in the U.S. will be screened in movie theaters next month. As reported by Deadline Hollywood,The Beatles: The Lost Concert will be shown in select venues on May 17 and May 22. In addition, a special premiere, with two showings, will take place on May 6 at the historic Ziegfield Theater in Manhattan.
The concert, which lasted just over a half-hour, took place at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. The Beatles performed a 12-song set for an audience of 8,092. The show was filmed by an eight-man camera crew and broadcast a month later via closed-circuit to movie theaters across America.
The new presentation will be preceded by a 92-minute documentary charting the rise of Beatlemania. Among those offering commentary in the documentary are Chuck Berry and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. For more information, go to www.lostbeatlesconcert.com.
Fans who purchase Heart’s new Strange Euphoria box set via Amazon will get a special bonus. The classic rockers have included five of their infamous Led Zeppelin covers on an extra disc – in addition to the set’s three CDs and one DVD.
Ann and Nancy Wilson – who are famous Zep fans – cover “Going to California,” “Battle of Evermore,” “What is and What Should Never Be,” “Immigrant Song” and “Misty Mountain Hop” on the “Heart Zeppish” CD, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
The rest of the Strange Euphoria set (due June 5) contains demo and live versions of songs from Heart’s four-decade history, including many of their biggest hits, from “Crazy on You” to “Barracuda” to “These Dreams.” A DVD features the band’s 1976 Dreamboat Annie TV performance.
Strange Euphoria Track Listing:
Disc 1:
1. “Through Eyes And Glass” (by Ann Wilson & The Daybreaks)
2. “Magic Man” (demo)
3. “How Deep It Goes” (demo)
4. “Crazy On You” (demo)
5. “Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child)” + “Dreamboat Annie Reprise (edit)”
6. “Love Alive”
7. “Sylvan Song”
8. “Dream Of The Archer”
9. “White Lightning And Wine” (live at the Aquarius)
10. “Barracuda” (live from BBC Radio Concert)
11. “Little Queen”
12. “Kick It Out”
13. “Here Song” (demo)
14. “Heartless” (demo)
15. “Dog & Butterfly” (acoustic demo)
16. “Straight On”
17. “Nada One”
Disc 2:
1. “Bebe le Strange”
2. “Silver Wheels II”
3. “Even It Up”
4. “Sweet Darlin”
5. “City”s Burning”
6. “Angels”
7. “Love Mistake”
8. “Lucky Day” (demo)
9. “Never” (live, with John Paul Jones)
10. “These Dreams”
11. “Nobody Home”
12. “Alone”
13. “Wait For An Answer”
14. “Unconditional Love” (demo)
15. “High Romance” (demo)
16. “Under The Sky” (demo)
17. “Desire Walks On” (“Beach demo” version)
Disc 3:
1. “Kiss” (by The Lovemongers)
2. “Sand” (live) (by The Lovemongers)
3. “Everything” (live) (by Nancy Wilson)
4. “She Still Believes” (live)
5. “Any Woman”s Blues” (demo) (with the Seattle Blues Revue Horns)
6. “Strange Euphoria”
7. “Boppy”s Back” (demo)
8. “Friend Meets Friend” (live) (by The Lovemongers)
9. “Love Or Madness” (live)
10. “Skin To Skin”
11. “Fallen Ones”
12. “Enough”
13. “Lost Angel” (live)
14. “Little Problems, Little Lies” (by Ann Wilson)
15. “Queen City”
16. “Hey You”
17. “Avalon” (Reprise)
“Heart Zeppish” Bonus Disc
1. “Going to California”
2. “Battle Of Evermore”
3. “What Is And What Should Never Be”
4. “Immigrant Song”
5. “Misty Mountain Hop”
Chris Ethridge, best known for his work with the Flying Burrito Brothers, has passed away. Billboard reported that Ethridge, the seminal country rock band’s bass player, died after a spell in a hospital. He was 65.
Ethridge was an original member of the Flying Burrito Brothers alongside Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman, and “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow. Hillman, who was in The Byrds before forming the Burrito Brothers said via e-mail: “Chris was multi-talented; a great bass player, and a great songwriter. His collaborations as co-writer, with Gram Parsons, on ‘Hot Burrito 1,’ ‘Hot Burrito 2’ and ‘She,’ are classics. He was a joy to work with and a joy to know.”
Not content with reuniting for their 50th anniversary tour, American pop icons The Beach Boys are also finishing off a brand-new album.
The Guardian reports that the pop veterans are planning on releasing an album of all new material in June, according band member Bruce Johnston.
Johnston told Billboard.com: “It's all brand new. There’s a lot of what you’d hope to hear from Brian [Wilson] on there. It’s not a quilt or a pot luck dinner, it’s not like, ‘OK, everybody show up with your songs.’ It’s not one of those kind of albums.
“There’s a lot of Brian in there, and Mike [Love]. It’s just nice to know there is a Mike Love and a Brian Wilson still around to write together.”
The on-stage reunion of some of the members of Guns N’ Roses at the recent induction at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was a “great experience” for guitar great Slash.
According to the Daily Express, Slash said at a press conference in Italy that “being at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame... turned out to be a really great experience. It was a mixed feeling... in the months leading up to the induction. It was not necessarily positive, but once I sort of decided, ‘OK, I’m gonna go,’ and Duff decided he was gonna go and Gilby and Steven and all that.
“Actually being there, being inducted was a really positive and pleasant experience. We recruited Myles Kennedy to sing at the very, very last minute – like the morning of the flight. It wasn’t my idea this time; it was Duff’s idea.”
For more than a year, the boys in Aerosmith have been hard at work on their first new album of original material since 2001. Reportedly, the plan was for the new record to be released this spring. Now, that timeline has changed.
Bassist Tom Hamilton told 97.5 K-Rock in St. John’s, Newfoundland, that the album has been “pushed back” until September, according to hennemusic. That means the as-yet-untitled release will come on the heels, and not in advance, of the band’s summer Global Warming tour, which begins June 16 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and wraps up in August.
Aerosmith – Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer – have been working on the sessions with producer Jack Douglas, who also helmed many of the band’s ’70s classics. Gibson recently spoke to Douglas about his work with another music legend, John Lennon, in this video interview.
For Grateful Dead fans, Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995 marked the end of the band’s special magic. The Dead’s legendary live shows with Garcia are consigned to history, but a new video game is said to capture something of what made those performances such momentous events.
Released on April 20, Grateful Dead Game: The Epic Tour is based on 10 especially memorable Dead shows staged between 1970 and 1990. Adam Blumenthal of Curious Sense, the digital media company that created The Epic Tour, spoke with Reuters about the game’s development.
“What we’re doing is creating an adventure by traveling through Grateful Dead history, Grateful Dead time and space …,” he said. “The objective is to keep having fun rather than get to the end.”
Blumenthal went on to stress the family-friendly nature of the video experience. “There’s nothing explicit,” he said. “The visuals are psychedelic, they’re fantastical, they’re colorful, and they’re whimsical – but no drug references.”
During his long career as a sound engineer and producer Jack Douglas has worked with some of rock’s most elite musicians – Alice Cooper, Miles Davis, The Who and Cheap Trick. He produced Aerosmith’s blockbuster ’70s albums and is again collaborating with the rock legends on their forthcoming record. Among his crowning achievements was his work helming John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy album – the last record to be released during Lennon’s life. Douglas stopped by Gibson’s New York City Showroom and spoke about his trip to Liverpool as a young man, discussed how he and Lennon became friends and told the story behind Double Fantasy.
The much-awaited autobiography of Pete Townshend is available for pre-order ahead of its October release.
The book, Who I Am, records the life of one of Britain’s most important rock voices. The memoir will cover all areas of his life from childhood, through his glory days with The Who to the present day.
For information on some of Pete Townshend’s signature Gibson guitars go here and here.
ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons says the delay in releasing the band’s new album is not the fault of him and his cohorts: producer Rick Rubin is behind the long gap between releases.
Speaking to Noise11’s Paul Cashmere, Gibbons said everything is still “buzzing” in ZZ Top land. “I guess the irony of the whole picture is that the band is wondering. Where is this thing?” Gibbons said. “When do we hear it? Rick’s funny. We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. Triple decades and this is the first time we have broken the mold as business pals.”
Gibbons admits that fellow beard icon Rubin has an unorthodox approach to working but, “has a sense of intuition that can’t be beat. …The only real directive was ‘don’t change much’ and I said ‘okay’ and he said ‘listen, if we stumble into something that’s really insane and it works I’m going to keep it’ and I said ‘that’s good.’”
TV legend and former American Bandstand host Dick Clark has died. According to TMZ, Clark suffered a heart attack today (April 18) after undergoing an outpatient procedure in Los Angeles. He was 82.
Clark first became a household name as the host of American Bandstand, which ran as a national series from 1957 to 1989. His name became synonymous with rock and roll, just as it was becoming a giant, mainstream force. Clark helped introduce many of rock, pop and R&B’s greatest stars – from Elvis Presley and The Doors to Madonna and Pink Floyd – to a mass audience.
Clark also served as a television producer during his long career, helming The American Music Awards and The Golden Globes telecasts, as well as the game show, the $10,000 Pyramid (which he also hosted). For many Americans, their New Year’s Eve traditions included ringing in the new year with the host on his Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve program, which began airing live from New York City’s Times Square in 1972.
Dick Clark was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award Emmy in 1994.
For more on Clark’s groundbreaking history with American Bandstand, click here.
Eddie Van Halen has given a rare, open interview about his life to Esquire magazine. The band Van Halen, now reunited with original vocalist David Lee Roth, recently released A Different Kind of Truth, which hit #2 on the Billboard charts.
On Roth, Eddie tells Esquire: “We never really hated each other. I think the press blew that out of proportion. He did kind of blindside us by leaving – we certainly weren’t ready for that. But we always, if we argued – you know, now it’s always about, about the structure of a song. It’s never personal. We’ve never on a personal level not gotten along.”
On recording A Different Kind of Truth, EVH says:
“Before we decided to actually make a full record, we said, ‘Hey, let’s do some old demos.’ And we actually recorded three of them already. And I engineered ‘She’s the Woman,’ ‘Out of Space’ and ‘Bullethead,’ and it ended up turning into a whole record. But we figured: Why not give fans the era that they liked, you know?”
And on being in a band with his son Wolfgang (bass) and brother Alex (drums), EVH says:
“I can’t think of anyone more blessed than me. For one, you know all the bull---t I’ve been through in my life. To have a brother that I’ve been playing with since day one, and now my son. I don’t think anyone else in music can actually say that. I don’t know anyone who has a son and brother that they play together.”
Five vintage guitars stolen from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, including a 1965 Gibson SG TV Junior, have been recovered by the police.
Petty and his band had offered a $7,500 reward for the safe return of the instruments and said on their website that there would be “no questions asked” to anyone with information on the whereabouts of the guitars.
According to the Huffington Post, police have now arrested a man. He is Daryl Emmette Washington, 51, of Los Angeles, a private security guard at The Culver Studios lot. Police Chief Don Pedersen said the break in the case came when the suspect pawned one of the guitars at a Hollywood pawnshop for $250.
“Mr. Petty would have joined us, but he’s preparing for a concert in Denver,” said Pedersen, who described the stolen guitars as collectively worth $100,000.
It's been a busy morning of Rush news. First, we get the new single which is smokin' called "Headlong Flight." Now comes a leak on Rush tour dates. Rush is a Band Blog got a hold of cities and dates without venues a day before they are supposed to be announced. They have Rush playing November 15th at HP Pavilion in San Jose. No Sacramento date is mentioned.
One thing that jumps out on the new Rush track "Headlong Flight." It rocks. It packs a certain amount of muscle that the band hasn't packed in awhile.
Frontman Geddy Lee told Rolling Stone, "it was one of those songs that was a joy to record from beginning to end." It sounds like it. A great preview from the forthcoming album Clockwork Angels due June 12th. Hear it here.
1940, Billy Fury, U.K. singer
1948, Jan Hammer, composer
1955, Pete Shelley, guitar, vocals, Buzzcocks
1964, Maynard James Keenan, vocals, Tool, A Perfect Circle
1967, Liz Phair, singer-songwriter, guitarist
1970, Redman (Reginald Noble), rapper
1974, Victoria Beckham, vocals, The Spice Girls
1974, Mikael Akerfeldt, guitar, vocals, Opeth
1960, Touring in the U.K., 21-year-old singer Eddie Cochran was killed when the taxi he was traveling in crashed into a lamppost on Rowden Hill, Chippenham, Wiltshire (where a plaque now commemorates the event). Songwriter Sharon Sheeley and singer Gene Vincent survived the crash. Cochran’s current hit at the time was “Three Steps to Heaven.” For more on this story, see This Day in Music Spotlight.
1965, Bob Dylan’s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was at #1 on the U.K. chart.
1970, Johnny Cash played at the White House for President Nixon, who requested that he played “A Boy Named Sue.”
1971, All four Beatles had solo singles in the U.K. charts: Paul McCartney with “Another Day,” John Lennon with “Power to the People,” George Harrison with “My Sweet Lord” and Ringo Starr with “It Don’t Come Easy.”
1973, Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon went gold in the U.S. The LP went on to stay in the U.S. chart for more than 10 years and become the longest charting rock record of all time.
1975, Elvis Presley bought a Convair 880 Jet formally owned by Delta Airlines for $250,000, which he re-christened Lisa Marie. Presley spent a further $600,000 refurbishing the jet to include personal quarters, a meeting area and a dance floor.
1983, Felix Pappalardi, producer and bass player with Mountain, was shot dead by his wife Gail Collins during a jealous rage. Collins was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to four years in prison.
1987, Reggae drummer and percussion player Carlton Barrett of The Wailers was shot dead outside his house in Kingston, Jamaica. He joined Bob Marley and The Wailers in 1970 and wrote the Marley song “War.” Barrett was the originator of the one-drop rhythm, a percussive drumming style.
1991, Nirvana appeared at the OK Hotel in Seattle, Washington, where they played a new song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” live for the first time.
1998, Linda McCartney died after a long battle against cancer. She married Paul McCartney in 1969 when she was working as a photographer. As well as being a member of Wings, she became an animal rights campaigner and launched her own brand of vegetarian food.
2008, Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen and a member of the E Street Band, died of cancer at the age of 58. Federici had worked with Springsteen for more than 40 years, starting with Steel Mill and Child with Springsteen.
In an interview with NME, Paul McCartney has talked about the making of the recently re-issued Ram album. “I was in the middle of this horrendous Beatles break-up. It was like being in quicksand, ” he said. But then “the lightbulb went off one day and we realized that we could run off and go to Scotland where we loved. Just to keep myself amused, I’d just make up stuff on the guitar. I thought ‘Maybe this is the way to go, just have fun with it.’”
McCartney also has released three self-directed videos for his new single “My Valentine” featuring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp. The song is one of two new McCartney songs from his Kisses on the Bottom album that reached the top spot on Billboard Jazz chart.
Five members of Guns N’ Roses took to the stage to perform at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, but vocalist Axl Rose wasn’t one of them.
Keeping true to his word, Rose skipped the induction, but his place on stage was taken by Slash/Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy, who led original members Slash, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler (as well as Use Your Illusion-era members Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke) in performances of “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Mr. Brownstone” and “Paradise City.”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were also inducted, with former drummers Jack Irons and Cliff Martinez joining their old bandmates. Noticeably absent was longtime guitarist John Frusciante. Meanwhile The Roots, Kid Rock and Travie McCoy paid tribute to the Beastie Boys.
Rod Stewart was unable to reunite with the Faces for their induction, having succumbed to flu, and his place for the performance was taken by Mick Hucknall.
The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air May 5 on HBO.
A new book spanning the career of Cooper will be published in 2012. It’s out on June 13 in the U.K., and September 1 in the U.S. via Omnibus Press. Titled Welcome to My Nightmare: The Story of Alice Cooper, it is written by Dave Thompson, author of numerous rock biographies.
The book’s official description is this: “Drawing from exclusive and unpublished interviews with a variety of names and faces from throughout Alice’s career, the book follows Cooper’s tale from his life growing up as a preacher’s son in Arizona, through the early years of struggle in Phoenix and then Los Angeles, and then onto the roller coaster ride that has been the years since then. Includes interviews with original bandmates Michael Bruce and the late Glenn Buxton, drummer Neal Smith, the late Frank Zappa, manager Shep Gordon and producer Bob Ezrin.
“It includes tributes and recollections from many of the artists who call Alice an influence – from The Damned and The Cramps, to White Zombie and GWAR.
“Session players and songwriters who have made their own contributions to the Alice story recall their days spent with this Prince of Hell-raisers. The result is a story that alternately thrills, shocks, surprises and delights. Includes full discography and bibliography.”
Whether or not Guns N’ Roses do strike a chord together at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction this coming weekend, GN’R bass player Duff McKagan has some definite thoughts on the honor and what the band has meant to himself and to the fans since the mid-’80s.
He wrote the following on for ESPNMusic: “The one reason that I am going to Cleveland this weekend is not to savor in some polite accolade or because an award show is that important to me. I am going because I have realized how important this is all to those many, many fans that supported us and believed in us, and showed up for us in droves.
“Music is not like sports, and hence, a Hall of Fame in music is almost a false pedestal to sit upon. There are no statistics in music and art. No band or artist is ‘better’ than another. Music comes from a primal place. Thin air. Dreams. And a lot of really hard damn work.
“No one worked harder than us back then, and we were very fortunate to have met each other in those dirty back alleys of Hollywood sometime in 1984. We meshed and wrote, created thunder and beauty, and parlayed our real-life experience into an album that somehow related to a whole angsty world that felt just like us right then and there. It was a brilliant time.
“I, too, now hope that we can just play a couple of songs there, and just sort of throw the microphone down on the stage and walk off. The rock-and-roll world would be set ablaze once again ... and we could make a bunch of fans happy and sated to some degree.
“But alas, I am only responsible for me, and can only speak for me. I have forgiven and forgotten. I have grown up and manned up. Part of me growing has been to realize I am powerless over others.
“This whole deal, I hope, goes off without a hitch. I do hope we can achieve some grace in our acceptance. And I hope this grace, is enough, in the end, for the best rock and roll fans in the world. The Guns N’ (f---ing) Roses fans.”
This Tuesday (April 17th) is tax day. It's also a day for you to pick up Janis Joplin's new album based on her Pearl album called The Pearl Sessions. The album will feature previously unreleased demos and music from that period, including this one-"Move Over (Take 13)." Hear it here.
You may have seen the controversal and very long letter to fans from Axl Rose yesterday regaring Guns N' Roses. He said not only would he not be joining the old mates at the Rock and Roll Hall of ame this weekend, but he wants hisname withdrawn from the nomination.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has responded with a basic, "We don't care what you think, we're putting you in anyway." Also they stated, "we are sorry Axl won't be able to accept his nomination in person."
Rose has been pretty much ripped for his selfish stance by bloggers, writers and musicians for his decision. What are your thoughts?
Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Eddie Van Halen, Tommy Lee and Ringo Starr – these are among the legendary artists whose images Rob Shanahan has captured in striking fashion during two decades as one of America’s most esteemed rock photographers. A musician himself – he plays drums in The Hollywood Stones, a Rolling Stones tribute band – Shanahan saw his photography career take off after he moved from Minnesota to Los Angeles in the late ’80s. Following an introduction by Sheila E. in 2005, he became Ringo Starr’s personal photographer, and he’s since worked closely with the former Beatle on a variety of projects.
Volume 1, Shanahan’s first book of collected photography, features 224 pages of his extraordinary work, culled from 15 years of archives. Accompanying the images is a forward written by Starr, along with artists’ quotes and personal anecdotes from Shanahan himself. All the images from the book – as well as the book itself – are available as signed gallery prints at www.robshanahan.com. “I’ve never worked harder on a project,” Shanahan says, describing the effort he put into the book. “For nine months I spent every free moment on it, sometimes working 16 hours a day.”
From his studio in Los Angeles, Shanahan spoke with us about his unique approach to photography, his friendship with Ringo and what he considers to have been the glory years for rock photography.
How did you get into rock photography?
It was something I fell in love with as a kid. I’ve been a drummer since I was 10, and started shooting pictures when I was 14. The two have always gone hand-in-hand for me. Growing up, I studied album covers – reading all the liner notes and examining the photos as I listened to the music. I’ve always associated imagery with music, all my life. When I’m shooting photographs, I’m hearing the music, and when I play drums, I’m thinking about images.
Does being a musician give you an edge in your photography work?
It gives me a rapport. It takes one to know one. Photographing some of the greatest musicians in the world is a tremendous thrill. I always ask questions. I love talking about drums, and of course that’s a great icebreaker with drummers. I remember the first time chatting with Ringo, and asking him about certain drum fills from my favorite Beatles songs. He explained that he plays the way he does partly because he’s left-handed, but he plays on a right-handed drum kit. When I said that I too was left-handed and play drums right handed, it was an instant mutual appreciation for the other and a great way to start our relationship. That was in 2005 and I’ve been working with him ever since.
What’s distinctive about your work?
That’s something I can’t describe. I just shoot from the heart and not always the eyes. People tell me my images pop off the page. When I was at Beatlefest, a few people told me my photos look like paintings. That’s a huge compliment. I’m a big fan of Rembrandt. I’ve studied his work a lot, and maybe he has influenced me. I love his lighting and the way he captured people.
Do you have a favorite circumstance in which you like to shoot – live or in the studio or candid shots?
My favorite circumstance is when I can go in and do my thing without limitations. That’s when I get the best shots. The shot of Eddie Van Halen “fist-pumping” his brother Alex is a good example. Van Halen gave me unfettered access on stage. It’s great when I’m asked to “just do my thing,” whether it be live or in the studio.
What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had with Ringo?
A few come to mind. I’d have to say when I went to Liverpool with him in 2008. Traveling the streets of Liverpool in a van with Ringo, as he was pointing out places that held special memories for him, was pretty incredible. We toured his old high school, his old neighborhoods and found the flat where he was born and lived until he was five. It doesn’t get better than getting a tour of Liverpool with Ringo Starr. He also did four concerts during that trip. He played on top of St. George’s Cathedral, across the street from the Empire Theatre, overlooking the town square with 30,000 people watching from below. That was incredibly memorable. There was also a show at the Liverpool Arena. I have lots of great memories and photographs of that trip.
Are there a couple of shoots you’ve done that hold special meaning for you?
I keep going back to Ringo, but photographing him and Paul together for The Beatles: Rock Band promotional photos was really cool. I had photographed them together before, but this particular day was magical. Every time I see Paul he has a funny story for me, and that day he told me a story about Clint Eastwood. I had set up a studio in the backstage area of the Galen Center at USC for this shoot. Paul and Ringo were in great spirits, and that’s when I got the photo of Paul kissing Ringo.
Can you sense something special between the two of them that remains deeply rooted in their early years?
I see their friendship up close. When Paul came to Radio City Music Hall in 2010 to surprise Ringo, on Ringo’s birthday, it was really touching. Paul performed “Birthday” as the last song, and Ringo was genuinely surprised. The band and I knew about it ahead of time because we were at sound check that afternoon with Paul, but it was a total secret from Ringo. I was in the dressing room with them after the show, and you could see the deep affection between the two. Ringo kept saying, “Paul, I can’t believe you surprised me. I love you brother.” They still have an incredible bond, and a unique relationship, because of their shared history – something that no one else except John and George could understand. Now it’s just the two of them, and they are happy to have each other. It’s sad to think that one day we will be down to one remaining Beatle. I think that may well be a lonely place.
Will you be going out on the upcoming All-Starr tour?
Yes. We’re in the middle of work on the All-Starr tour book right now. My wife is actually the graphic designer. She and I did the last one together, and it was a really big hit. That was the first time the two of us had done the tour book as a team. The first week of June, I’m off to Niagara Falls for rehearsals. I believe the first show is June 13.
Is there a period you consider the heyday for rock photography?
Definitely the ’60s and ’70s. Photographers worked one-on-one with the band and got to travel and live like one of the band members. I prefer that close one on one contact and working with bands from the inside. Traveling with the Stones on one of their early U.S. tours, jumping into a station wagon with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and heading across the country would have been cool. I’m sure touring back then was a lot rougher than I can imagine. But still, I would love to have done that.
Slash was the musical guest on Tuesday night’s edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live. The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist – along with singer Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators – debuted his new single, “You’re a Lie.” Check out video of the performance below, along with a bonus performance of “Back from Cali” from Slash’s 2010 solo debut.
“You’re a Lie” is the lead single from Slash’s new album, Apocalyptic Love, due out in North American on May 22. In between, Slash will be making an appearance at this weekend’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, during which he’ll be inducted as a member of Guns N’ Roses by the guys in Green Day.
Rush have revealed details about their forthcoming new album, Clockwork Angels. The new album – the trio’s first studio effort since 2007 – will be released on June 12 on Anthem/Roadrunner Records.
In addition, a “fanpack edition” titled Classic Rock Presents Rush – Clockwork Angels will be available beginning June 11. Included with the fanpack version will be a 132-page magazine featuring new and exclusive interviews with band members Neal Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, as well as other bonuses.
Recorded in Nashville and Toronto, Clockwork Angels has been described as a conceptual disc set in a world of “steampunk, alchemy and an exotic carnival.” Peart is currently working with science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson on a novelistic treatment of the story.
New information has surfaced on the passing of guitar great Ronnie Montrose, who died earlier this year. The coroners report states that the rock legend died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His family have posted the following message on his website.
“By now, the devastating truth of Ronnie’s death is public knowledge. We hope you can understand why we wanted to keep this news a private family matter for as long as possible. We can only hope that you will choose to celebrate Ronnie’s life, and what his music meant to you, rather than mourn his passing. Ronnie would have wanted it that way. He loved being a guitarist, a composer, a producer, and a creator of magic. He fully understood his gifts, and yet he constantly pushed himself to evolve, improve, and make better music. He did this for himself, and he did this for you, because he adored and appreciated his fans. Please keep his energy, his joy, and his love in your hearts.
“Please note that there will be no more statements from the Montrose family at this time. We ask that you respect the family’s privacy.”
Beatle Ringo Starr suffers stage fright to such a degree that he sometimes vomits before a show.
According to the Daily Express, the world’s best-known drummer still gets stage fright before a gig. Starr told Billboard: “I have actually puked before I went on as all my nerves come to the fore.
“It is part of what I am and it happens before every show. There have been times that I just wanted to go back to bed as I just get so nervous.
“Every night I just hope that tonight is the night when I am going to feel like Frank Sinatra. I hope, ‘You are just going to stroll on,’ but I haven’t made it yet – I always run.
“That’s why I always run on to it. I would love to coolly stroll on stage but I cannot.”
In a special TV program on BBC 2 in England, veteran DJ Tony Blackburn presented a rundown of the biggest-selling U.K. albums of all time.
Blackburn said that the chart, “is a real mixed bag and I think listeners will be quite surprised. There are artists in there you would expect to see in a countdown of this nature but not necessarily at the positions that they are. I was really surprised to see who hadn’t made it in. No sign of the massively successful acts like The Rolling Stones, Elvis, Diana Ross or Marvin Gaye.”
Check out the full Top 40 below:
1. Greatest Hits - Queen
2. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Beatles
3. Gold - ABBA
4. (What's the Story) Morning Glory - Oasis
5. Thriller - Michael Jackson
6. 21 - Adele
7. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
8. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
9. Bad - Michael Jackson
10. Greatest Hits II - Queen
11. The Immaculate Collection - Madonna
12. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
13. Stars - Simply Red
14. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
15. Come On Over - Shania Twain
16. Back to Bedlam - James Blunt
17. Urban Hymns - Verve
18. Bridge Over Troubled Waters - Simon & Garfunkel
19. No Angel - Dido
20. Spirit - Leona Lewis
21. Legend - Bob Marley & the Wailers
22. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf
23. Dirty Dancing - Soundtrack
24. 1 - Beatles
25. Talk on Corners - Corrs
26. White Ladder - David Gray
27. Spice - Spice Girls
28. Crazy Love - Michael Buble
29. Life For Rent - Dido
30. Beautiful World - Take That
31. The Fame - Lady Gaga
32. A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
33. Hopes and Fears - Keane
34. The Joshua Tree - U2
35. But Seriously - Phil Collins
36. Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
37. Only By the Night - Kings of Leon
38. The War of the Worlds - Jeff Wayne
39. The Man Who - Travis
40. x&y - Coldplay
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has told the Daily Mirror that the veteran British rock and roll band will be entering a recording studio next month to“throw some ideas around.”
Wood explained that the band needs to get back into the groove. “It’s like working out for the Olympics or something,” Wood said. “You’ve got to go into training. So we’re going to go into training.”
This week Wood will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Faces. While he’s in the U.S., he will play a solo gig in Atlantic City. He also told the Mirror he might record another solo album.
“Lots of people don’t know I’ve made seven, ’cause most of my albums escape; they’re not released. Keith [Richards] says they all skyrocket to oblivion.”
By Jim Marshall-During the mid 1960s, a lot of well-known and also up-and-coming rock guitarists used to come and visit me at my music shop in Hanwell, West London. But there’s one chap in particular that I’ll definitely never forget. On a Saturday afternoon in the autumn of ‘66, a tall, lanky American walked in with Johnny Mitchell—or “Mitch,” as most people knew him. Mitch used to work in my shop as a “Saturday boy,” and he was also one of my top drum students. The fellow who came in with him that day was James Marshall Hendrix, and he quickly became the greatest ambassador Marshall Amplifiers ever had. When Jimi first came over to England in the summer of 1966 with his manager, Chas Chandler, he quickly put together a three-piece band with Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass guitar. James “Tappy” Wright, who was a part of Hendrix’s management team, recalls that when the group started rehearsing, Jimi tried various amplifier setups but wasn’t happy with any of them. Apparently, Chandler asked Pete Townsend of the Who for some advice, so Pete sent over his roadie, Neville Chester—who later went on to roadie for Hendrix—with a Marshall Super 100 head. I’m delighted to say that Jimi fell in love with the Marshall sound straight away. Knowing that Mitch knew me, Jimi said to him, “I’ve just got to have this Marshall stuff because it sounds so good. I also wouldn’t mind meeting up with this character who has got my name—James Marshall.” I must admit, when Mitch introduced me to Jimi, I immediately thought, “Christ, here we go again—another American wanting something for nothing.” Thankfully, I was dead wrong. The very first thing Jimi said to me was, “I’ve got to use your stuff, but I don’t want anything given to me. I want to pay the full asking price.” That impressed me greatly, but then he added, “I am going to need service wherever I am in the world, though.” My initial reaction was, “Blimey, he’s going to expect me to put an engineer on a plane every time a valve needs replacing. It’s going to cost me a bloody fortune!” Instead, I suggested our staff teach Hendrix’s tech, Gerry Stickells, basic amp-servicing skills, such as changing and biaising the valves. He must have been a very good learner, because we were never called on to sort out any problems. Despite his appearance—which was pretty wild for that time—and his fantastic onstage showmanship, Jimi was a surprisingly soft-spoken and polite young man with a marvelous sense of humor. We remained friends right up to his tragic and untimely death. Sadly, because we both had such hectic schedules, I only got to see him perform a few times. Jimi was a fantastic character, and I always had a great time on those rare occasions we managed to get together. In my book, Jimi’s playing is still the best ever, and goodness knows what he’d be doing if he was still with us today. I can still remember him scaring the living daylights out of all the big English guitarists when he first came over here, because they’d never heard or seen anything like Jimi. No one had. His talent was extraordinary. via Guitar Player Magazine
Slash has issued a statement on the death of Jim Marshall, the founder of Marshall amps who died last week. Slash said: "I consider myself very fortunate to have known the late Jim Marshall. He was such a fantastic individual.
“Not only did he create the loudest, most effective, brilliant-sounding Rock & Roll amplifier ever designed, but he was a caring, hardworking family man who remained true to his integrity to the very end. His work ethic was unequaled and his passion unrivaled.
"He took great care of me personally, as one of his loyal fans and Marshall Amp enthusiasts, ever since we first met in the early ‘90s.
"At that time, he did the unprecedented; he had the first-ever Artist Model Marshall series designed for me when my Marshall amps were destroyed in a Guns N Roses concert riot in St. Louis in 1991. We had been friends ever since.
"Jim cared for all his customers like they were his family. He would do whatever it took to make sure an artist was completely satisfied and he made sure his staff did likewise. It was very important to him that Marshall quality and customer care was paramount.
"Jim's passing marks the end of a very loud and colorful era. From Pete Townshend to Kerry King, Marshall Amplifiers have been behind every great Rock & Roll guitarist since the beginning. Marshall Amplification is one of the most enduring, iconic brands of contemporary music history."
This industry will likely never see the likes of Jim again. But his legacy will live on forever."
Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler has released "The One You Hated," the first single from his new self-titled band Alder, on iTunes tomorrow, but Bravewords.com is featuring an exclusive stream of the song ahead of its release date.
The band, which features singer Jacob Bunton (Lynam, Mars Electric) and guitarist Lonny Paul (Adler's Appetite), are currently recording their debut studio album with producers Jeff Pilson (Dokken, Foreigner) and Jay Ruston (Steel Panther, Anthrax). It will feature guest appearances by Adler's old G'n'R bandmate Slash as well as Rob Zombie/ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5.
"I love the music that we're creating," Adler says. "I haven't been this excited about my band since the GN'R days. Jacob is exactly the singer I have been searching for. He has an amazing range and is a great writer and frontman. Lonny is an amazing guitarist and songwriter and the vibe is amazing!"
A star-studded show celebrating the 50th anniversary of the advent of the Marshall amplifier takes on greater resonance in the wake of Jim Marshall’s passing on Thursday (April 5). Titled “50 Years of Loud … Live,” the event is set to take place September 22 at London’s Wembley Arena. Appearing will be a who’s who of guitar greats, including Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen and Corey Taylor, among others.
Paul Marshall, the firm’s Head of Artist Liaison, spoke with Total Guitar about the event when it was announced in March. “Artists play a massive role in the company, and are very much part of the Marshall family,” he said. “Over the five decades of Marshall’s history, practically every guitar hero has used Marshall: Richie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Slash, the list goes on…. This event is a celebration of the Marshall family and we are honored so many artists want to get involved.”
Eric Clapton has famously sold his most famous guitars, with proceeds going to his Crossroads charity. But the U.K. rock-blues legend obviously still has money to burn. He recently ordered a bespoke Ferrari sports car that reportedly cost $4.6 million. Clapton worked with the car company’s Special Projects division to re-body a Ferrari 458 Italia – itself worth $275,000 in standard issue.
Prototype drawings of Clapton’s own model have now been posted – see them here.
And there is also footage of the wonder-car being driven to delivery from London to Clapton. Note the “EPC” plates – “Eric Patrick Clapton.” Clapton, like Billy F. Gibbons and others, is a renowned car-head. But he will have to be careful with this ridiculously expensive beast.
They called E.C. “Slowhand” in the 1970s. Let’s hope he doesn’t get caught for speeding in this 4.5 liter V8 machine.
Joe Bonamassa has posted the first of 10 behind-the-scenes videos from session for his new album.
The first episode in the series, called Countdown to Daylight, features clips from the forthcoming album – Driving Towards the Daylight – and interviews with Joe, producer Kevin Shirley and Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, who plays on the record.
In addition to Whitford, the album includes guest spots from Blondie Chaplan (guitar), Anton Fig (drums and percussion), Arlan Schierbaum (keyboard), Michael Rhodes (bass), Carmine Rojas (bass), Jeff Bova and The Bovaland Brass, Pat Thrall (guitar) and Brad’s son Harrison Whitford (guitar).
Whitford, speaking from the studio in Vegas, recently said, “This is definitely more influenced by the stuff that the guys and musicians in this room love, early ’60s English and American rock and blues. I guess we’ll never get that out of our system and it’s fun to come in here and find our own path down that highway.”
An official music video and free download for title track “Driving Towards the Daylight” will be unveiled on May 1.
Producer Kevin Shirley says: “We’ve taken some really traditional old blues songs – the Howlin’ Wolf song ‘Who’s Been Talkin’?’ and the Robert Johnson song ‘Stones in My Passway,’ and we’ve tried to imagine how they would do them in a rock context. It’s a very exciting return to the blues in a very visceral way. It’s vibrant and it’s gutsy and it’s really, really rugged.”
The album also features four Bonamassa-penned originals, including “Dislocated Boy,” the title track, “Heavenly Soul” and “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go.”
Bonamassa plays a double-neck Gibson, like Jimmy Page, in video, which you can see here.
Loudwire reports that Ozzy Osbourne is paying tribute to the late Randy Rhoads with a newly available live recording album, only on vinyl. Ozzy plans to release Live – a 180-gram audiophile vinyl two-LP set – which is a limited, numbered collector’s edition recorded live on the 1981 Blizzard of Ozz tour. “Believer,” a live seven-inch single, also will be issued. It is a limited and numbered collector’s edition on polka-dot vinyl featuring “Believer” (live) and “Goodbye to Romance.”
For Record Store Day, Iggy and the Stooges’ album Raw Power will again be available on 12-inch vinyl – as will Paul Simon’s Graceland, Lou Reed’s Rock N Roll Animal and Transformer and Janis Joplin’s Pearl.
Record Store Day takes place on April 21 in independent record stores around the world.
Legendary guitarist Neil Young appears to working on new audio formats. Young is a vocal critic of MP3 quality – he doesn’t even like CD audio, particularly – and has designs on something better.
Rolling Stone reports that Young applied for six trademarks in June 2011: “Ivanhoe,” “21st Century Record Player,” “Earth Storage,” “Storage Shed,” “Thanks for Listening” and “SQS (Studio Quality Sound).” Included in the filing is a description of the trademarks: “Online and retail store services featuring music and artistic performances; high resolution music downloadable from the Internet; high resolutions discs featuring music and video; audio and video recording storage and playback.”
The trademark process could take a year, providing that there are no challenges to Young’s application.
What will it mean? Well, tech experts have variously suggested this could pave the way for high quality audio to be provided to users via a “cloud”-based system. And that the quality of the audio will be closer to the original studio recordings, rather than the hugely compressed files that are sold on sites such as iTunes or Amazon.
Neil Young: digital guru? We never saw that coming.
Following the passing of Paul McCartney‘s first wife and fellow Wings band member Linda in 1998, Sir Paul had hundreds of larch trees planted to pay homage to her life and legacy near a spot coined Linda’s Wood.
While the foliage has stayed alive and healthy for years, unfortunately, many of the memorial trees have now caught a deadly tree disease and are being cut down to stop the spread of a sickness, reports U.K. newspaper the Telegraph.
According to the Telegraph, the trees are being floored to prevent the takeover of a tree disease called “sudden oak death,” which is quickly spreading among a variety of species of trees and infecting the larch and other foliage in the vicinity. “Some of them were diseased and it was decided that the larch would be chopped down as a preventative measure,” explained Joe Duckworth of the League Against Cruel Sports, a charity supported by McCartney.
Linda’s Wood edges the 100-acre nature sanctuary St. John’s Wood, which the two purchased in Somerset in 1990.
Check out a video of McCartney offering his thoughts on the historic Gibson Les Paul, here.
Rock legend John Fogerty is prepping a new album on which he’ll perform some of his best-known Creedence Clearwater Revival songs with an array of special guests. According to Billboard, Wrote a Song for Everyone (due this fall) will include collaborations with Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, Bob Seger and country stars such as Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.
No tracklist is available yet, although some of the album’s selections have been revealed: “Fortunate Son” will feature the Foos and “Who’ll Stop the Rain” will be a duet with Bob Seger.
Earlier this year, he spoke about his experience recording with Lambert, whom he called “a great voice and a great, soulful presence in music, and really a delightful person.”
Although the Eagles are scheduled to rock dates in North America and overseas over the next month, Joe Walsh isn’t letting that jam-packed tour itinerary get in the way of his solo career. After the Eagles’ current trek wraps, Walsh has announced a run of U.S. tour dates in support of his new full-length, Analog Man, which will arrive on June 6. Walsh has booked 11 solo shows at the moment, setting off in late May and then sporadically running through the end of August.
Walsh’s solo roster begins May 17 in Catoosa, Oklahoma, and runs through August 30 in Tulalip, Washington. The rocker hits several festivals on the run, including Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Ribfest in Naperville, Illinois. Only time will tell if Walsh’s solo shows will include any random Eagles tunes. Find a complete list of his solo, North American tour dates, below.
For the scoop on the title track off Walsh’s “Analog Man,” plus details on how to hear it before the album drops, go here.
Joe Walsh’s 2012 Solo Tour Dates:
May 17 - Catoosa, OK, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
May 18 - Winnie, TX, Nutty Jerry's, Winnie Arena
May 19 - Richardson, TX, Wildflower Festival
June 30 - Naperville, IL, Ribfest
July 3 - Milwaukee, WI, Summerfest
July 14 - Riverside, IA, Riverside Casino and Golf Resort
August 1 - Hyannis, MA, Cape Cod Melody Tent
August 3 - Cohasset, MA, South Shore Music Circus
August 10 - Hampton, NH, Hampton Beach Casino
August 19 - Littleton, CO, The Hudson Gardens Events Center
August 30 - Tulalip, WA, Tulalip Resort Casino Amphitheatre
Arena rockers Journey have started to plot out their summer tour schedule, and they’re taking fellow ’80s rockers Pat Benatar and Loverboy with them. Journey have scheduled six U.S. dates at this point, kicking off with a July 22 show in Stateline, California, and running through August 18 in Des Moines, Iowa. Loverboy will appear on all of the shows, while Benatar will perform at five of the six stops. Find a list of current tour dates, below.
In other Journey news, Neal Schon and Steve Smith will appear at the upcoming tribute show for Ronnie Montrose, “A Concert for Ronnie Montrose – A Celebration of His Life in Music,” which is scheduled for April 27 at the Regency in San Francisco. The concert also will feature the surviving members of Montrose – Sammy Hagar, Denny Carmassi and Bill Church – with special guest Joe Satriani. Schon and Smith will perform as members of the Ronnie Montrose All-Star Band, along with Styx’s Ricky Phillps, KISS’s Eric Singer and members of Y&T, Tesla and Mr. Big.
Check out Gibson.com‘s recent feature in honor of Schon’s 58th birthday, here.
Initial Journey 2012 Tour Dates with Pat Benatar and Loverboy:
July 22 - Stateline, CA, Harvey’s Outdoor Arena
July 24 - Paso Robles, CA, Main Grandstand, California Mid-State Fair
July 26 - Cheyenne, WY, Frontier Days
August 6 - Sturgis, SD, Buffalo Chip Campground Amphitheatre (without Benatar)
August 17 - Louisville, KY, Freedom Hall
August 18 - Des Moines, IA, Grandstand Iowa State Fair
To celebrate his 80th birthday, Sir Peter Blake is producing a new version of the iconic album cover for The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which he came up with in 1967.
According to the Daily Express, the new collage-style artwork features current figures like Paul Weller, Danny Boyle, Elvis Costello, John Hurt, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dame Helen Mirren and Kate Moss. Sir Paul McCartney also makes an appearance.
Blake said, “I chose people I admire, great people and some who are dear friends.”
Sir Paul McCartney says being hailed as the next Beatles is a “kiss of death” for a band. McCartney was asked about the stellar rise of U.K. boy band One Direction on U.K. TV show Daybreak. One Direction hit #1 on the Billboard album chart with their debut album – The Beatles did not achieve that.
But McCartney said of any “new Beatles” tag: “That is the kiss of death. So many bands have been called the next Beatles. It puts an awful lot of pressure on them to be the next Beatles. Oasis were the next Beatles once if you remember, you know, and it’s a pressure and suddenly you have to live up to all the things we did. It was a different time, you know, so let’s just call them the next terrific band.
“But [One Direction] are doing well in America, so that is good. Good luck lads!”
Paul performed at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday, March 29, in a concert to raise money for the U.K.’s Teenage Cancer Trust. “I always wanted to do it because it is such a great cause,” he explained. “When you are playing for some sort of added benefit for someone else it makes that bit extra special.”
After becoming a rock sensation in the late ’60s and reinvigorating his career with some high-profile collaborations in recent years, Carlos Santana is going back to basics. On his upcoming album, Shape Shifter, the guitar great will be focusing on his six-string skills, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. In fact, only one of the album’s 13 songs features vocals.
Earlier this year, Santana spoke to Guitar World about Shape Shifter: “The record is basically directed to honor the American Indians. As you know, the people in New Zealand collectively agreed to give an apology to the Aborigines in Australia, and for me, whatever we do here in America to honor the American Indians, the Chinese, African-Americans and everybody else is a big step.”
Shape Shifter is due out on May 15, a few weeks after Santana begins a Las Vegas residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.
Santana, Shape Shifter tracklist:
1. “Shape Shifter”
2. “Dom”
3. “Nomad”
4. “Metatron”
5. “Angelica Faith”
6. “Never the Same Again”
7. “In the Light of a New Day”
8. “Spark of the Divine”
9. “Macumba in Budapest”
10. “Mr. Szabo”
11. “Erez La Luz”
12. “Canula”
13. “Ah, Sweet Dancer”
"
One thing that jumps out on the new 
This Tuesday (April 17th) is tax day. It's also a day for you to pick up 
You may have seen the controversal and 
The first episode in the series, called Countdown to Daylight, features clips from the forthcoming album – Driving Towards the Daylight – and interviews with Joe, producer Kevin Shirley and Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, who plays on the record.
limited, numbered collector’s edition recorded live on the 1981 Blizzard of Ozz tour. “Believer,” a live seven-inch single, also will be issued. It is a limited and numbered collector’s edition on polka-dot vinyl featuring “Believer” (live) and “Goodbye to Romance.”
Rolling Stone reports that Young applied for six trademarks in June 2011: “Ivanhoe,” “21st Century Record Player,” “Earth Storage,” “Storage Shed,” “Thanks for Listening” and “SQS (Studio Quality Sound).” Included in the filing is a description of the trademarks: “Online and retail store services featuring music and artistic performances; high resolution music downloadable from the Internet; high resolutions discs featuring music and video; audio and video recording storage and playback.”
will include collaborations with Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, Bob Seger and country stars such as Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.
through the end of August..jpg)
According to the 
Earlier this year, Santana spoke to Guitar World about Shape Shifter: “The record is basically directed to honor the American Indians. As you know, the people in New Zealand collectively agreed to give an apology to the Aborigines in Australia, and for me, whatever we do here in America to honor the American Indians, the Chinese, African-Americans and everybody else is a big step.”
