Future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Peter Frampton has paid tribute to comedy and TV legend Bob Newhart, who passed away at the age of 94.
Frampton shared a photo of him, Newhart and Bill Murrayon Instagram, writing, “Heart broken to hear. I’ve known Bob since the 70s and he was a charmer. Yes, he made us all belly laugh with his many years of incredibly bright and unique sense of humour.”
Frampton continued, “I will miss our lunches. If I was paying it was The Four Seasons. If he was it wasn’t the Four Seasons! Forever the accountant but one of the most modest down to earth people I have known and called a friend. I will miss you Bob (heart emoji) rip.”
According to Newhart’s publicist, he died at his home in Los Angeles “after a series of short illnesses.”
Steely Dan appears to be to calling out Donald Trump and the Republican National Convention for using their music.
The Donald Fagen led band posted a message on their website to Sixwire, the house band at this weeks’ convention in Milwaukee, who played a series of classic rock covers, including Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Years.”
In the post they noted, “If you want to play our music how about playing The Man in the TIN FOIL HAT?”
“Tin Foil Hat” is an anti-Trump song released by Todd Rundgren in 2017 that features Fagen singing. He also co-wrote the tune. The accompanying video for the track appears to mock Trump, Fox News and Trump’s associates.
This isn’t the first time a band has been upset that one of their songs has been associated with the Trump campaign. Neil Young sued Trump’s campaign for using his songs at rallies. Plus, the estates of Isaac Hayes and Tom Petty‘s have called out Trump for using the artists’ music without permission.
Deep Purple‘s new studio album, =1 (equals one), is out now and longtime bassist Roger Glover tells ABC Audio the inspiration for the album’s title came from the “strange mind” of lead singer Ian Gillan.
Glover said Gillan once questioned how big of an equation someone could come up with where the answer would equal one, then had a mathematician friend come up with an example.
“And he showed it to me and I said, ‘You know, that could be a title,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, I think so, too,’” Glover shares. Gillan then wondered if the equation itself should be the title, but Glover notes, “I said no, just ‘equals one.’”
Deep Purple is now made up of Glover, Gillan, drummer Ian Paice, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Simon McBride. Glover says the title’s perfect for a band that he describes as having “a long soap opera history” with so many lineup changes, because despite it all, “we’re still one band.”
The album features singles like “Portable Door,” “Pictures of You” and “Lazy Sod,” which Glover says they didn’t actually write in the traditional sense.
“Songs evolve rather than are written,” he says of the band’s process. “And it starts with a sort of jam session for a week or so. We just have fun, play this and play that, and then pick out the ones that are most promising.”
Glover has been with Deep Purple on and off since 1969, and more than 50 years later he can’t believe he and his bandmates are still making music together.
“I’m totally amazed. Every day,” he says. “I can’t believe that I’ve had a history that I’ve had with this band,” adding, “There’s a destiny that we will survive … well, at least for a bit more.”
Music fans are getting their first look at an upcoming documentary about Jimi Hendrix’s famed music studio, Electric Lady Studios.
A trailer for the film, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, directed by John McDermott, has just been released, featuring archival footage and photos showing the building of the studio, Hendrix performing and more.
The film is filled with previously unseen footage and photos, and includes interviews from recording engineer Eddie Kramer, Experience bassist Billy Cox, original Electric Lady staff members and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Winwood, who took part in Hendrix’s first session at the studio.
Opened in 1970, Electric Lady Studios was the first commercial studio owned by an artist. It was constructed specifically for Hendrix, who died just weeks after its opening. The studio went on to be a go-to spot for musicians, with artists such as John Lennon, David Bowie, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and more recording there.
Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision will open in New York City on Aug. 9, with a wider release to follow.
Genesis fans will soon be able to stock their vinyl collection.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band will be reissuing 13 of their albums on 180g vinyl, all mixed and remastered by producer Nick Davis.
The reissue campaign begins Aug. 23 with 1972’s Foxtrot, 1974’s The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, which was Peter Gabriel’s last album with the band, 1980’s Duke, 1981’s Abacab and 1983’s Genesis. The second set, dropping on Sept. 6, will include 1971’s Nursery Cryme, 1973’s Selling England By The Pound, 1976’s Wind & Wuthering and 1991’s We Can’t Dance.
The final three reissues will drop on Sept. 27, made up of 1976’s A Trick Of The Tail, their first album with Phil Collins as vocalist, 1978’s …And Then There Were Three…, their first as a trio following Steve Hackett‘s departure, and 1986’s multi-Platinum hit Invisible Touch, which includes their first and only #1, the album’s title track.
New music from Rush doesn’t seem likely to happen, but the band’s fans will soon get another chance to enjoy the first-ever solo albums from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group’s surviving members, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee. The solo albums, Lifeson’s Victor and Lee’s My Favourite Headache, are set to be re-released on Aug 9.
Lifeson’s Victor, which came out in January 1996, features guest appearances by Primus‘ Les Claypool, Edwin from I Mother Earth and more. It will be released digitally and on CD, and will also be getting its first-ever vinyl release, completely remixed by Lifeson. The vinyl edition includes four instrumental tracks that fans could previously only get on the rocker’s website.
There will even be a special limited-edition two-LP ruby translucent vinyl, limited to 1,000 copies, featuring an autographed lithograph by Lifeson. It is available only as a Rush Backstage exclusive.
Lee’s My Favourite Headache, originally released in November 2000, features guest appearances by Soundgarden/Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron and Our Lady Peace‘s Jeremy Taggart. It will also be released on CD, as well as on two-LP blue/green vinyl, marking the first time it’s been available on vinyl since a 2019 limited-edition Record Store Day release. The vinyl edition also includes two instrumental tracks.
The soundtrack for the new movie Deadpool & Wolverine features several classic tunes.
The much-hyped film includes hits from nearly every decade of pop music, including The Platters‘ “Only You (And You Alone),” which came out in 1955, ’70s classics like “Angel of the Morning” by Merrilee Rush,and the iconic Grease tune “You’re the One that I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
The ’80s are also represented with smashes like “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & the News, Chris de Burgh‘s “The Lady In Red” and Eric Carmen‘s “Make Me Lose Control.”
Other songs on the album include Green Day‘s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” Goo Goo Dolls‘ “Iris,” Fergie‘s “Glamorous,” Avril Lavigne‘s “I’m With You” and *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye,” along with “The Greatest Show,” performed by Deadpool star Hugh Jackman and the cast of The Greatest Showman.
The time-hopping soundtrack is apparently a reflection of the movie’s plot, which involves time travel. It’s out digitally on July 24, with physical copies dropping July 26.
Deadpool & Wolverine, produced by Marvel Studios, hits theaters July 26. Disney is the parent company of Marvel Studios and ABC News.
Lionel Richie, who’s won an Oscar and several Grammys, was nominated for an Emmy Wednesday in connection with the Netflix documentary he helped produce, The Greatest Night In Pop. Now, he’s responding to the honor.
The documentary details the creation of the all-star 1985 charity single “We Are the World,” which featured everyone from Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder to Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Bob Dylan. It was nominated for three Emmys, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
Lionel wrote on Instagram, “I am still amazed by what we accomplished in 1985 and I’m even more amazed after receiving an Emmy nomination for The Greatest Night In Pop. It has been an absolute joy to be able to bring this moment in history to life alongside @netflix.”
“A big thank you and congratulations to all of the artists and participants for making ‘We Are The World’ happen, and thank you to the @televisionacad for recognizing our documentary,” he added.
Other Emmy nominees this year include Billy Joel, for his CBS SpecialThe 100th – Live at Madison Garden, and Sara Bareilles, nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for “The Medium Time,” which she wrote for her Netflix series Girls5Eva. Her Instagram reaction was “Omg.” next to the “shocked face” emoji.
Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Grateful Dead and Bonnie Raitt are among the artists who’ll be celebrated at the 47th edition of the Kennedy Center Honors, recognizing their lifetime artistic achievement.
This year’s other honorees include director Francis Ford Coppola and jazz musician Arturo Sandoval,as well as the iconic Harlem venue The Apollo, which will receive a special Honors recognition as an American institution.
“Our Honorees this year have each played an invaluable, pioneering role in developing American culture—not with one act of art but with their decades-long devotion to pushing creative boundaries,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter shares.
“It goes without saying that the Kennedy Center Honors represents the highest of reaches for artistic achievement,” Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bobby Weir said in a statement. “The Grateful Dead has always been about community, creativity, and exploration in music and presentation … it also must be said that our music belongs as much to our fans, the Dead Heads, as it does to us. This honor, then, is as much theirs as ours.”
Raitt shared that she was “deeply honored and thrilled to have been chosen” as one of this year’s honorees, noting, “There is no higher level of esteem nor as delightful a celebration and I want to extend my sincere thanks to all who have chosen me to receive this honor.”
She added, “I look forward to the upcoming ceremony and festivities, which I know will be one of my life’s peak experiences.”
The Kennedy Center Honors will be handed out on Dec. 8, ahead of a CBS broadcast of the event on Dec. 23.
HELLE ARENSBAK/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images
Lenny Kravitz is teasing his next music video.
The rocker shared a snippet of the video for the Blue Electric Light track “Paralyzed,” with images of three hooded figures walking toward the camera, which then cuts to an image of Kravitz from behind, bathed in light with his guitar strapped to his back and his hands reaching above him.
The video for “Paralyzed,” the third single from Blue Electric Light following “TK421” and “Human,” is set to drop July 24 at 12 p.m. ET, with what Kravitz is calling an “exclusive After Party” to follow for YouTube Premium subscribers.
Blue Electric Light, Lenny’s first new album since 2018’s Raise Vibration, was released in May.
Kravitz is currently on tour in Europe, where over the weekend he interrupted a show to take a call from his “brother” actor Denzel Washington. His next show is happening in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Sunday.
He brings his show to the U.S. for a five-night stand at Dolby Live in Las Vegas starting Oct. 18. A complete list of dates can be found at lennykravitz.com.
