Classic Hits

Elton John‘s new album, Who Believes in Angels?, is a collaborative project with his pal Brandi Carlile, because he says the last thing he wanted to do was make a solo album.

Speaking to Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, Elton says that when his farewell tour was over and he decided to start recording, “I knew that I didn’t want to make the same album again.” He notes, “I wanted the album to move forward, because I’m always trying to look forward. If I had just made another Elton John record, I would’ve killed myself.”

Elton says that’s why he “needed” Brandi for the project, which is due out Friday. “I needed her talent, her energy, her humor, and her brilliant lyrics,” he tells Zane. “I’ve got two of the greatest lyric writers in the world, Bernie Taupin and Brandi Carlile. The lyrics in front of me, if you can’t write great songs for those … that’s my great talent, to be able to interpret those beautiful lyrics quickly. When we got going, it was like, whoosh, like an express train.”

Elton reveals, “I needed her to push me. I needed Bernie to push me. … I was scared. I was very scared. I wanted to make this album, and I knew what I wanted it to sound like, but that’s all very well. You’ve got to actually do it. I had a lot of fear, which is great. But I took it out on other people, which is not so great.”

You’ll be able to see Elton taking it out on other people in Who Believes In Angels? Stories From the Edge of Creation, a short film that documents making the record. It’ll stream on Elton’s YouTube channel starting Saturday, which is also the day Elton and Brandi will appear on Saturday Night Live.  

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Neil Young is giving fans a preview of his upcoming tour documentary, Coastal, which was directed by his wife, Daryl Hannah.

The rocker just shared a short clip from the film, featuring a performance of “When I Hold You in My Arms.” It’s a track that originally appeared on Young’s 2002 album Are You Passionate? and was then later reimagined for his 2023 acoustic album, Before and After.

Coastal follows Young on his 2023 Coastal tour, which marked his return to the stage following the COVID-19 pandemic. It hits theaters for one night only on April 17. Tickets are on sale now.

To coincide with the movie’s theatrical release, Coastal: The Soundtrack will be released on April 18, featuring 11 songs that were recorded in several cities. Young recently released a track from the album, a live performance of the song “Throw Your Hatred Down.” It originally appeared on the 1995 album Mirror Ball, which Young recorded with Pearl Jam.

Coastal: The Soundtrack is available for preorder now.

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Little Feat is giving fans another preview of their upcoming album, Strike Up the Band, which will be released on May 9.

The latest is the track “Midnight Flight,” which Little Feat’s Scott Sharrard says he wrote shortly after joining the band in 2020.

“Looking back on it, I feel like this song blends the sonic palate [sic] of Freddie King’s albums with Leon Russell and the sound we all love so much, which we heard on Little Feat’s ‘comeback’ album, Let It Roll,” Sharrard says. “It’s got that boogie feel that gets people up.”

“Midnight Flight” is available now via digital outlets.

In addition to the song, Little Feat just announced a three-night festival in upstate New York. Feat Fest 2025 will be held Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at the Bearsville Theatre in Woodstock and will be recorded for a possible live album.

Tickets for Feat Fest go on sale Friday.

Next up, Little Feat will hit the road for a new tour that kicks off May 5 in Rutland, Vermont. A complete list of dates can be found at LittleFeat.net.
 

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Richie Sambora is opening up about his participation in last year’s Bon Jovi docuseries on Hulu, Thank You Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story, and it doesn’t sound like he had the best experience.

During an appearance on Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s The Magnificent Others podcast, Richie said he was asked to sit down for an interview that lasted 30 minutes to an hour, noting the questions he was asked were “unintelligent” and “did not demand any depth of answer.”

He also shared that of the things he did say, “none of it really got in the documentary.”

As for what he had hoped the docuseries would show, Sambora says, “So it’s the band’s 40th anniversary, we did some unbelievable things — mention those things, show … what that feeling was like.”

Sambora also discussed his love life during the interview, revealing that he’s been in a “wonderful relationship” for over two years, although he did not identify his partner.

“To fall in love at 63, with the wisdom … and she’s also smart. And she’s also healthy and beautiful and 60,” Sambora shares. “It’s a different way, it invigorates you very much. It’s a different way to fall in love.”

Sambora was married to actress Heather Locklear from 1994 to 2007. They share a daughter, Ava.

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren is giving fans a chance to own some of his personal equipment. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is now selling signed guitars, amps, foot peddles and other items on Reverb.

Lofgren revealed on Instagram that the Official Nils Lofgren Reverb Shop now has 50 new items available. He’s used all the gear on tour and in the studio, not only with the E Street Band, but also when backing Neil Young in Crazy Horse and in his solo work.

“Over the last decades, in the studios and on stage, these are great pieces that have served me well,” he shared.

More info can be found at reverb.com.

Lofgren is getting ready to break out his equipment once again. Bruce and the E Street Band are set to kick off a U.K. and European tour on May 14 in Manchester, England. A complete list of dates can be found at BruceSpringsteen.com.

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The Doors drummer John Densmore has paid tribute to actor Val Kilmer, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 65.

Kilmer starred as The Doors frontman Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s film The Doors, and Densmore shared a photo of himself with the actor on social media.

“The gifted actor, Val Kilmer, who miraculously played Jim (Morrison) in The Doors movie, has broke on thru to the other side,” he wrote, quoting the band’s famous song “Break on Through (To the Other Side).” “RIP.”

Released in 1991, The Doors grossed $34 million in the U.S. In addition to Kilmer, it starred Meg Ryan as Morrison’s girlfriend Pamela Courson, Kevin Dillon as Densmore, Kyle MacLachlan as keyboardist Ray Manzarek and Frank Whaley as guitarist Robby Krieger.

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Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Cheap Trick are set to headline the main stage at the upcoming Taste of Minnesota festival, July 5 and July 6 in downtown Minneapolis.

The rockers will play opening day of the festival, with rapper Ludacris playing day two.

Taste of Minnesota, an outdoor music and food festival, is free and open to the public. More info can be found at taste-of-minnesota.square.site.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ next show is April 12 in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. They are also set to join Billy Idol on his It’s A Nice Day To …Tour Again tour, starting April 30 in Phoenix, Arizona. A complete list of dates can be found at JoanJett.com.

Cheap Trick is currently on Heart’s Royal Flush tour, which hits Montreal on Wednesday. They also have several other dates on the schedule, including an appearance at New Orleans’ Jazz Fest on April 25. A complete list of dates can be found at CheapTrick.com.

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Cher has taken to social media to pay tribute to her former boyfriend, Batman Forever star Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday at the age of 65.

“VALUS Will miss u,” she wrote on social platform X. “U Were Funny,crazy,pain in the a**,” noting he was “BRILLIANT as Mark Twain,” a role he played in the one-man play Mark Twain: Citizen Twain.

Cher also called Kilmer a great friend, sharing that her kids loved him, and wrote that he was “BRAVE” during his “sickness,” likely referring to his battle with throat cancer.

Cher and Kilmer dated in the ’80s and remained friends after they broke up. According to People, Kilmer revealed in his memoir that he stayed at Cher’s guest house following his cancer diagnosis.

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Bruce Springsteen has confirmed that the cryptic tease he posted on Tuesday had to do with the release of the long-awaited Tracks II.

Although he didn’t share full details, The Boss’ latest Instagram post reveals he will be sharing news of what he’s calling Tracks II: The Lost Albums on Thursday.

Springsteen first teased fans with news of an announcement by posting a recording session log from his Thrill Hill Recording company, with the date April 3 written on the top. Written on the document was the statement, “What was lost has now been found.” The name “Springsteen” is stamped at the bottom.

The original Tracks, released in 1998, was a four-disc set that contained 66 songs, comprised of single B-sides, demos and alternate versions of already-released material. Many of the songs on the set had never been released before.

A possible follow-up is something Springsteen has talked about in the past. When asked about it in 2022, he told Rolling Stone, “Yes. I have a box set of five unreleased albums that are basically post-1988.”

The project was also teased in a December press release from his publicist, which noted, “Upcoming releases in 2025 will include a look back at Springsteen’s storied recording career, featuring never-before-heard material.”

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Chicago is set to revisit their 1970 album, Chicago II, with a new Dolby Atmos mix from famed producer Steven Wilson.
 

Chicago II (Steven Wilson Remix) will drop April 25 on Blu-ray through Rhino.com, with a two-LP black vinyl set dropping May 23.

The new release marks the first Dolby Atmos mix of Chicago II, which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Albums chart and featured three top-10 hits: “25 or 6 to 4,” which went to #4, “Colour My World,” which hit #7, and “Make Me Smile,” which hit #9.

“When I first heard it as a teenager, I was captivated by the mixture of jazz, blues, pop, classical, progressive and heavy rock styles, including both improvisational elements and intricate arrangements, and by songs written and sung by several different members, all with their own unique personality,” Wilson says of the album. “How could that possibly hang together?! But it does, and brilliantly so.”

Chicago II (Steven Wilson Remix) is available for preorder now.

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