Classic Hits

Def Leppard is giving fans some insight into how they create their set list for each of their shows with a new video posted to social media.

In the clip, frontman Joe Elliott and guitarist Phil Collen discuss adding another Pyromania track to their concert in Cleveland, with Joe noting they are performing eight songs from the album, leaving out only “Stagefright” and “Action! Not Words.” At one point drummer Rick Allen chimes in, approving of the decision to add a song, noting, “I dig doing all those Pyromania songs.”

But the scene is way more chaotic than it seems, because the discussion is happening as guitarist Vivian Campbell is loudly warming up his vocals in the background, although it doesn’t seem to bother any of his bandmates.

Fans still have a chance to see Def Leppard perform that set list on their Summer Stadium tour with Journey. The tour hits Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday. A complete list of the remaining dates can be found at defleppard.com.

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Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! every single ABBA has ever released! Well, OK, but you’ll have to wait until October.

October will see the release of a box set called The Singles — The First Fifty Years, which includes every ABBA single A-side released on the band’s record label, Polar Music International, from 1972 to 1982. There will also be four songs that weren’t put out on Polar, but which were singles in some countries during that time. Bringing things up to 2022, it also includes all the singles from the group’s Grammy-nominated 2021 album, Voyage.

Available as a four-LP vinyl set or a double-CD set, the collection includes every ABBA song you know and love, including “SOS,” “Mamma Mia,” “Fernando,” “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Take A Chance On Me,” “Chiquitita,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” “The Winner Takes It All” and “Super Trouper.”

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s entry onto the world stage, when they won the Eurovision Song Contest with “Waterloo.” It became their first top 10 hit in the U.S. and a chart-topper in other countries around the world.

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Epiphone is giving Jimi Hendrix fans a chance to get their hands on a replica of one of his classic guitars.

The company has teamed with Gibson Custom for a new Jimi Hendrix “Love Drops” Flying V guitar, a recreation of the guitar Hendrix customized and played between 1967 and 1969. 

The guitar is part of the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection and features the psychedelic design originally hand painted by Hendrix, with high-quality electronics and design upgrades.

“Jimi’s artistic expression was all-encompassing. It went far beyond creating magical music and expanded into another dimension of art that allowed us to see the beauty of his music,” Janie Hendrix, sister of Jimi and president and CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC & Authentic Hendrix LLC, shares, noting that his hand painting of the guitar “was an expression of love for his instrument and his music.”

She adds, “With the Epiphone series, Gibson has recreated Jimi’s artwork beautifully! We are excited to partner with them! Seeing Jimi’s handiwork come alive in this spectacular collection is extremely gratifying.”

The Epiphone Jimi Hendrix “Love Drops” Flying V is available now. More info can be found at epiphone.com.

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Members of The Guess Who have settled their long dispute over the band’s name.

The band’s founding singer Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman sued fellow original members Jim Kale and Garry Peterson last October, accusing them of tricking fans into thinking Cummings and Bachman were still performing with the group, when they were actually getting a “cover band.”

Cummings and Bachman have now announced that the suit is settled, which has resulted in them acquiring the trademark for the name The Guess Who.

Cummings tells Rolling Stone he is relieved the suit is now behind them. 

“There’s been a fake band out there for a long time using the real records to promote their shows, and it handcuffed me in many ways,” he says. “We’re trying to preserve the history and the legacy of The Guess Who for our fans all over the place have who have followed the real band and the real songs.”

Bachman adds, “To be able to come back together as partners and shut down the bad reputation being formed by the false advertising and fraudulent band is really good, and I look forward to what’s ahead.”

Other than the fact they have now retained the Guess Who trademark, Cummings and Bachman didn’t offer any details about the settlement.

Peterson had been the only original member of The Guess Who still performing as part of the band, albeit infrequently. In an attempt to stop his incarnation of the group, Cummings — who wrote the band’s classic hits like “American Woman” and “These Eyes” and owns the publishing for them — canceled the performing rights agreements for the songs in April. That meant no band, including Peterson’s, was allowed to play those songs live, forcing The Guess Who to cancel shows.

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Neil Young and Stephen Stills are set to headline a new benefit concert in October.

Harvest Moon is a daytime concert that will take place Oct. 5 at The Painted Turtle camp in Lake Hughes, California. Proceeds will benefit both The Painted Turtle, which offers the camp experience to children with serious medical conditions, and The Bridge School, an educational institution for children with severe speech and physical disabilities.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the community to Harvest Moon at The Painted Turtle,” said April Tani, executive director of The Painted Turtle. “This event not only brings together amazing musicians and families but also raises vital funds for two organizations committed to changing lives. It’s a day of music, fun, and philanthropy—what could be better?”

In addition to the former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates, the marimba ensemble Masanga will perform, with more artists to be announced.

A limited number of tickets will go on sale Friday at harvestmoongathering.com.

The performance is one of only two shows Young has confirmed since canceling his tour with Crazy Horse due to health issues. The other is Farm Aid, which is happening Sept. 21 in Saratoga, New York. 

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The Who released It’s Hard, their last album to feature bassist John Entwistle and drummer Kenney Jones. Entwistle passed away in 2002.

The release, their 10th studio album, featured the classic “Eminence Front,” as well as the single “Athena,” a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1994, The Who’s Roger Daltrey said It’s Hard “never should have been released,” and revealed that he and Pete Townshend argued over doing so.

The Who have only released two albums since then: 2006’s Endless Wire and 2019’s WHO.

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Queen guitarist Brian May revealed in a post on social media that he recently suffered a minor stroke that left his ability to play guitar in doubt. 

“I’m here to bring you first of all some good news, I think,” May said in a video. “The good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days and I say this because it was in some doubt because that little health hiccup that I mentioned happened about a week ago and what they called it was a minor stroke and all of a sudden — out of the blue – I didn’t have any control over [my left arm].”

May said the health incident was “a little scary” but noted, “I had the most fantastic care and attention from Frimley Hospital, where I went. Blue lights flashing, the lot.”

May explained that he didn’t post anything when it happened because he wasn’t looking for sympathy, adding, “good news is I’m okay.”

As for what he needs to do to get better, he says doctors have advised him to do “basically nothing.”

“I’m grounded. I’m not allowed to go out. I’m not allowed to drive, not allowed to get on a plane, not allowed to raise the heart rate too high,” he explained.

This isn’t May’s first health scare in recent years. In May of 2020 he revealed he suffered a heart attack that required three stents to clear blocked arteries.

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Fans of The Who now have a chance to own a pretty unique piece of band memorabilia.

The Vespa GS Scooter that was featured during the band’s 1996 Quadrophenia tour is being auctioned off by Sotheby’s a part of the auction house’s first ever Popular Culture auction in London.

The scooter, a Piaggio 1964 Vespa, was ridden onstage during the performance of “Bell Boy” by Billy Idol, who was portraying the character of Ace Face. Following the tour it was stored in frontman Roger Daltrey’s garage, and then was restored and exhibited at the Royal Albert Hall during The Who’s March 2023 Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows. 

Bidding is open until Sept. 12. The Vespa is expected to sell for between $26,000 and $40,000. Proceeds will benefit Teenage Cancer Trust.

“The funds raised will support our mission to ensure no young person faces cancer alone,” Jamie Johnson, head of Music & Entertainment at Teenage Cancer Trust, shares. “We are deeply grateful to Sotheby’s and The Who for their incredible generosity.”

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A new portrait of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury is helping to raise money for an important cause.

The portrait, “The Mercury,” was painted by Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and is described as “a homage to one of the greatest singers in the history of Rock music.” It features Freddie with a fist in the air and has him dressed in what is described as his “iconic yellow jacket worn at the legendary 1986 Wembley concert.”

Only 250 numbered, unframed prints are available for purchase for $999, with each hand signed by Wood.  A portion of the profits from the sale will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity established by the surviving members of Queen following Mercury’s 1991 death to fight AIDs worldwide.

“The Mercury” is available to order now.

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The new documentary One to One: John & Yoko reportedly features an eerie declaration from John Lennon regarding whether he felt his political activism put his safety at risk.

The film covers Lennon’s planned Free The People Tour in the early ’70s, which aimed to raise money for people who were jailed but unable to afford bail. It wound up being called off.

But People reports that one scene in the film includes archival footage of the Beatles legend talking on the phone with drummer Jim Keltner about the risks of the tour. Keltner asks whether Lennon has “any paranoia” about people ahead of the tour launch.

“What people? … You mean people trying to kill us or something like that? I’m not about to get myself shot,” Lennon replies. “It’ll cause excitement in its own way. But, er, you know, I’m still an artist, but a revolutionary artist, right?”

In another clip Lennon talks to a journalist about concerns he and wife Yoko Ono have for their safety, noting, “We started noticing people hanging outside the apartment. And I have a driver, he’s an ex-cop. But we’re getting followed by this car, all the time. So we’re all very nervous.”

Both of those comments from Lennon were made almost eight years before his death. Lennon was shot and killed in 1980 outside his New York apartment, The Dakota. He was only 40.

One to One: John & Yoko focuses on the couple’s move to New York City in the ’70s and culminates with their 1972 One to One concerts, which were Lennon’s only post-Beatles full-length performances.

The film recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival and so far does not have an official release date.

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