Classic Hits

The Beatles are among the most-covered artists of all time, but there’s one cover that has yet to see the light of day — though Paul McCartney really wants it to be released.

While appearing on the BBC Radio 2 segment The Tracks of My Years, where artists pick their favorites songs, McCartney chose Prince’s “Kiss” and revealed that he was told awhile back that Prince had covered one of his songs.

“I was with some guy a couple of years ago, it was after Prince had died, and this guy said, ‘Have you heard Prince do “Long and Winding Road”?'” McCartney recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t think he ever did it.'”

McCartney said the man, who he believes was Prince’s photographer, told him that Prince had done the song in rehearsal, and offered to send it to him.

“It’s really great,” McCartney said. “And so I’m gonna sorta ask them if they — ’cause I could make it into something really good.”

“It’s kinda rocky. He plays some really good guitar on it,” Sir Paul added. “No, he was a special guy, you know. It’s so sad, these people, you know, they’re like — suddenly, he’s not here. And it always makes me wish that I’d known him better. … It’s such a shame ’cause they’re such talents.”

He referred to Prince as “a wizard.”

Other songs that McCartney chose included The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me,” Elvis Presley’s “All Shook Up,” The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Despite the fact that Paul is one of the world’s most famous and successful musicians, he admitted that he’s always “a little bit nervous” to approach Dylan.

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Yes has announced a new live album called Live at Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, 17 June 1976.

The record is due out July 17. It showcases the lineup of vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White and pianist Patrick Moraz, which played together on the 1974 Yes album, Relayer.

Live at Roosevelt Stadium includes renditions of songs including “Roundabout,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Long Distance Runaround” and “Heart of the Sunrise,” as well as a cover of the Beatles song “I’m Down.”

You can listen to the Live at Roosevelt Stadium version of “Roundabout” now.

The current incarnation of Yes will release a new album called Aurora on June 12. 

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Belinda Carlisle and Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s, Cherie Currie of The Runaways and Kate Pierson of The B-52’s are taking part in the upcoming fourth edition of the Women’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp.

The camp, which is only open to women, takes place Nov. 5-8 in Los Angeles. Campers will have the opportunity to jam with the all-star guests, culminating in performances at the famed Whisky a Go Go and Viper Room venues in LA.

“I am so looking forward to spending time with the Campers, making some music and sharing stories of my experiences in the industry,” Carlisle says in a statement.

“I’m really looking forward to collaborating and getting creative with the campers!” Pierson adds. “Also I’d love to share any of my experiences in the music business that might be helpful to you all! See you there, happy campers.”

The camp will also feature Grammy-nominated songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman and music manager Susan Silver, who’s known for her role in the Seattle grunge scene.

For more info, visit RockCamp.com.

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The Black Crowes recently launched their new Southern Hospitality tour with Whiskey Myers. It’s their first tour since releasing their new album, A Pound of Feathers, and guitarist Rich Robinson tells ABC Audio that fans can expect them to play a mix of old and new songs.

“We change our set list every night,” he says. “You know, we have 10, 12 albums’ worth of stuff to pull from, some released and some unreleased albums.”

“It’s something I’m looking really forward to is to get in and flush these songs out and see where they fit within the set list,” he adds.

Rich says over the years they’ve adopted a different approach to creating their set list. “When we were younger, we were a little more militant about not playing a song twice in a row.”

“We kind of refused to play some of the songs that some of the people really wanted to hear every night,” he says, noting now that they’re older they get that people want to hear songs like “She Talks to Angels,” “Hard to Handle” and “Jealous Again” at every show.

“And we do that now,” he says, “but then we also have these moments in our set list where we can bring in these new things and bring in covers and stuff like that.”

And while incorporating new material may not always be easy, Rich says he’s up for it.

“To me, it’s not even a challenge,” he says. “It’s just like, I can’t wait to play these songs.” 

The Southern Hospitality tour hits Orange Beach, Alabama, on Wednesday, and runs through Aug. 20 in Mountain View, California. A complete list of dates can be found at TheBlackCrowes.com.

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In a new video for Amazon Live and Amazon Music, Paul McCartney sits down with another famous Paul, Paul Mescal, who’s playing him in the upcoming quartet of Beatles films from Sam Mendes. During their 11-minute chat, McCartney discusses writing about his old Beatles bandmates on his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

“On this record, I might even refer to him in my mind, you know, as if we’re still writing together,” McCartney tells Mescal about John Lennon. “I’ll write something and go, ‘What’s that? Is that any good?'”

“And you’re talking to him?” asks Mescal.

“Kind of,” says McCartney. “You know, sometimes I get away with it. And sometimes you say, ‘No, it’s s***!'”

“That’s mad,” replies Mescal. “You know, his spirit’s still in me,” McCartney says. “And I’m very glad of that.”

Mescal also asks McCartney how it feels to have written songs on the album specifically about Lennon and George Harrison. “It’s like seeing old snapshots,” he says. “It’s nice because you’re kinda revisiting them.”

But when Mescal asks McCartney how he managed to write songs about the old days and still make them sound as though they’re in the “present tense,” he has no answer.

“I mean, I don’t know how I do it,” McCartney replies. “I haven’t got a formula.”

In other McCartney news, he’ll be going live on TikTok Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ET. He’ll be answering questions submitted by fans ahead of time, and ones that come in live during the stream. You can now register for the upcoming event.

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In February, Neil Young canceled his planned 2026 tour dates, but he returned to the stage on May 22 at a benefit concert in his home country of Canada.

As Billboard reports, Young performed a solo acoustic set at the show in Vancouver, which was held in honor of the 90th birthday of Canadian environment activist David Suzuki. During the surprise set, he treated the crowd to renditions of “Heart of Gold” and “After the Gold Rush.”

The show, which raised money for the David Suzuki Foundation, also featured fellow Canadians Sarah McLachlan and Bruce Cockburn, as well as Jane Fonda and Al Gore.

The performance marked Young’s first live appearance since a benefit concert in October of 2025.

When he canceled his U.K. and Europe tour dates in February, Young explained in a message on his website, “I’m sorry to let you down, but this is not the time.” 

Young’s most recent album is 2025’s Talkin to the Trees, which he recorded with his band the Chrome Hearts. A live album recorded with the Chrome Hearts, As Time Explodes, is due May 29.

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Billy Idol had the honor of closing Sunday night’s American Music Awards, as he accepted the AMA Lifetime Achievement Award and then took the stage to perform two of his classic hits.

Idol was presented the award by Grammy-winning R&B star Leon Thomas, who said he became a fan of the newly minted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer via his late stepdad, musician Jon Kevin Jones. Accepting his award, Idol, rocking a purple shirt and black leather blazer, thanked the fans, saying, “I’ve been able to live my dream. It’s really because of all of you.”

Idol, who started his career 50 years ago as part of the U.K.’s burgeoning punk rock scene, said, “We believed in what we were doing. And we thought that if we just dreamed into this life and gave it everything we had, it would give it back to us in spades. And that’s exactly what happened.”

He concluded by offering a message to “any kid out there” who is interested in music and is “inspired to create that feeling of freedom and pursue a life of art.”

“All I can say is, pick up an instrument, find out who you are, and be it!” he advised. He then took the stage with his longtime musical partner, guitarist Steve Stevens, to perform “Eyes Without a Face” and “Dancing with Myself.”

Idol and Stevens will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame together November 14 in LA; the ceremony will air in December on ABC and Disney+.

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Rush has a lot of emotional baggage associated with the Forum in Los Angeles. The band wrapped their R40 Live tour at the venue in 2015, which marked their final show with drummer Neil Peart before his death in 2020. Then in 2022, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson reunited at the Forum to play a tribute concert to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Now, Rush is preparing to return to the Forum again to launch their highly anticipated Fifty Something tour, which will mark their first since Peart’s passing. Speaking with Classic Rock magazine, Lee calls beginning the tour at the Forum a “supremely stupid idea.”

“It’s a massively stupid idea, because we’re going to be so emotional already, that first show without Neil, and then to be in that building,” Lee says. “What the f*** was I thinking?”

As emotional as that first night back might be, Lee and Lifeson are looking forward to the tour, which will feature Anika Nilles on drums.

“Well there’s only one thing you look forward to, and that’s playing,” Lifeson says. “I’m looking forward to that feeling of being on stage and playing and getting lost in the song and hitting every note correctly.”

“I’ve got one goal, and that’s to be better than I was ten years ago,” Lee adds. “Which is tough. It’s a real challenge.”

“But that’s the goal,” Lifeson continues. “And honestly, that’s what is driving me in this whole thing. We’re at this stage now where I’ve committed to it. And all I want at the end of the day is for us to be Rush and to be amazing.”

The Rush Fifty Something tour kicks off June 7 with the first of four shows at the Forum and is currently scheduled into 2027.

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You may not know saxophonist Dick Parry’s name, but if you’re a Pink Floyd fan, you’ve heard his work on some of the band’s best-known tracks. Guitarist David Gilmour has paid tribute to Parry, who he says passed away on May 22 at 83 years old.

“My dear friend Dick Parry died this morning. Since I was seventeen, I have played in bands with Dick on saxophone, including Pink Floyd,” Gilmour wrote on Instagram. “His feel and tone make his saxophone playing unmistakable, a signature of enormous beauty that is known to millions and is such a big part of songs such as Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Wish You Were Here, Us and Them and Money.”

Gilmour continued, “He played in the last band I had that included Rick Wright for the On An Island Tour and at Live 8 with Pink Floyd.” 

Gilmour also shared several photos of him playing with Parry throughout the years, including one of a performance in Cambridge, England in 1963, years before they’d experienced any success.

In addition to the songs that Gilmour named, Parry also played on the 1994 Pink Floyd album, The Division Bell, and joined the band for every live performance from 1973 to 1977, and again in 1994.

Floyd wasn’t the only legendary band Parry played with: He toured as part of The Who’s brass section in 1979 and 1980, and played on Who bassist John Entwistle’s 1975 solo album, Mad Dog.

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Paul Mescal is portraying Paul McCartney in the upcoming quartet of Beatles films being made by Sam Mendes, so Amazon Music has tapped Mescal to interview McCartney about his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

The Boys of Dungeon Lane: In Conversation with Paul McCartney & Paul Mescal premieres Monday on Amazon Music and Amazon Live, and there’s a sneak peek of it on Instagram. In it, McCartney and Mescal sit in the “Dungeon Lane Cafe,” have tea and chat.

“There’s this actor, Peter Ustinov,” McCartney says. “And he said he liked doing interviews, because it allowed him to know what he was thinking.”

“About a project?” Mescal replies. “About anything,” McCartney answers.

“How do you feel about being interviewed?” Mescal asks McCartney. “You know what? It depends if I like the person,” smiles McCartney. 

“OK, bro,” laughs Mescal, as McCartney continues, jokingly, “Which is where we’re running into a problem.”

And yes, Mescal really called Sir Paul McCartney “bro.”

The Boys of Dungeon Lane is out May 29.

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