Classic Hits

Jimmy Page went to see The Black Crowes when they brought their Happiness Bastards tour to London on May 15, and the Led Zeppelin guitarist is giving the show rave reviews. 

In a post on social media, Page shared his thoughts on the Hammersmith Apollo concert, writing, “I must say, they were absolutely phenomenal. It was so good to see brothers Rich and Chris Robinson reunited and back beyond their best.”

The concert featured a guest appearance by Steven Tyler for a performance of Aerosmith‘s “Mama Kin,” which Page said “was a thrill to watch.”

“It was all such great fun and well done to Rich, Chris and the rest of the band for such an enjoyable and thrilling performance,” he shares.

Finally, Page offers, “I really enjoyed my time playing with the Robinsons in the late 90s and year 2000 on the ‘Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes’ project, including our terrific ‘Live At The Greek’ release,” noting, “I’d always thought the The Black Crowes were an exceptional band, I always thought brothers Rich and Chris are great performers and musicians – I still do but now even more so.”

The Black Crowes Happiness Bastards tour hits Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday. A complete list of dates can be found at theblackcrowes.com.

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When most people go to museums, they look at paintings by their favorite artists. When Madonna goes to a museum, she gets to wear her favorite artists’ clothes.

Madonna has long been a fan of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and shared photos of her recent visit to the Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City. Once her family’s home, the artist lived there as a child and then years later with her husband, fellow artist Diego Rivera. 

“A Beautiful Souvenir -visiting the family home of my Eternal Muse -Frida Kahlo. In Mexico City,” she captioned an Instagram post. “For me it was magical to try on her clothes and jewelry, to read her journals and letters and to look at photos I’d never seen before.”

Madonna is wearing a number of Kahlo’s outfits in the photos, including several dresses and a shawl. Some people weren’t happy about this: One person wrote in the comments, “You can be Madonna as much as you like, but trying her clothes?!” Another wrote in Spanish, “Did they really let her wear Frida’s clothes? Isn’t it cultural heritage?”

But another commented in Spanish, “The Frida Kahlo Museum and everything it contains is private. So owners can do whatever they want with their objects.”

During Madonna’s show in Mexico City, actress Salma Hayek, who portrayed Frida Kahlo on film, was the Queen of Pop’s special guest. She came onstage dressed as Kahlo, and Madonna documented the moment on Instagram.

“Frida Kahlo came to visit and made me the happiest girl in the world!” she wrote. “For she has always been my Eternal Muse Cheering me on through the good Times and the bad. Thank You @salmahayek for making it possible.”

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On This Day, May 21, 1983 …

David Bowie hit #1 with “Let’s Dance,” the title track from his 15th studio album.

The song was co-produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and featured a then-unknown Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar.

“Let’s Dance” became the first single of Bowie’s career to hit #1 in both the U.S. and the U.K., spending three weeks on top of the U.K. chart. It also went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco charts and hit #1 in Canada, Ireland, Sweden and more.

The track was the biggest single of Bowie’s career and his final #1 single in the U.S.

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Brian May wants everyone to know how he feels about the guitar talents of The Who’s Pete Townshend. 

A fan recently posted an old quote from May in which he called Townshend a hero and a “god of guitars,” and May reshared it on Instagram, reiterating his feelings toward The Who star.

“I’m glad I said this – I probably don’t say it enough,” May writes. “I can’t imagine Rock Guitar without Pete Townshend. Looking back, it seems to me he basically invented it ! I was lucky enough to be there watching. My playing owes so much to him.”

May goes on to explain, “Townshend brought to the scene a blistering clang of super-amplified but not over-saturated chords – razor-edged monoliths crashing angrily through our brains, biting rhythmic hammer blows which would change the likes of me forever.”

He then suggested fans listen to Who songs like “My Generation,” “I’m A Boy, “Substitute” and more “to feel what I’m talking about,” adding, “Good Morning folks !! You have your assignment for the day !”

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The Who’s Pete Townshend seems to keep changing his mind in interviews about the future of the band, recently saying they weren’t over and they’d likely tour again. But it sounds like his bandmate Roger Daltrey doesn’t seem so sure.

Roger tells ABC Audio that he doesn’t know whether a tour is in the cards, noting, “I don’t know what we would do.”

“The last time I had communication with (Pete) about touring, he was ambivalent about it,” Daltrey shares. “Now I just can’t do touring ambivalently. It’s all or nothing for me. The audience is too important.”

If they did try and tour again, Daltrey, 80, thinks going back to the “freeform” way in which they used to tour in the early days could be interesting. “That to me would be something that would be exciting and wonderful to at least attempt,” he explains. “Even if you got it completely wrong, it wouldn’t matter.” 

Daltrey feels The Who’s previous tour, backed by an orchestra, was the ultimate way of showing off Pete’s music and could be hard to top. “Where we can go from that last tour with the orchestra? I really don’t know,” he says.

While Pete says his relationship with Roger is better than ever, Roger doesn’t seem quite as enthusiastic. 

“I mean, I love the guy, you know. We’ve been through hell and high water together, but equally, when it comes to working, you know, he perplexes me because he says things and then changes his mind,” Daltrey says. “You know, he’s a great bunch of fellas.” 

As fans wait to see if The Who will tour again, they can still catch Roger performing live. His solo tour kicks off in Glenside, Pennsylvania, on June 10. A complete list of dates can be found at thewho.com.

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Lenny Kravitz has shared another preview of his upcoming album, Blue Electric Light. 

The rocker just dropped the new song “Paralyzed,” the third tune he’s released from the album, following “TK421” and “Human.” 

“All you gotta do is keep on loving me/ I’m under your spell I’m hypnotized,” he sings in the chorus. “All you gotta do is keep on loving/ Babe without your love I’m paralyzed.”

You can listen to “Paralyzed” now via digital outlets. 

Blue Electric Light, Lenny’s first new album since 2018’s Raise Vibration, is set to drop May 24, two days before the rocker’s 60th birthday. It is available for preorder now.

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Bruce Springsteen is getting another shot to land that “E” for the EGOT.

Variety reports that for the 12th and final season, Larry David’s HBO/Max comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm has submitted 35 names for Emmy consideration, including Springsteen, who played himself in several episodes.

The Boss is actually one of 15 actors submitted in the guest acting categories, along with Steve Buscemi, Conan O’Brien, Ted Danson, Vince Vaughn, Allison Janney and Jerry Seinfeld.

Should Springsteen get nominated and win, he will join the 19 other artists who have landed an EGOT — an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar.

Throughout his career, Springsteen has won 20 Grammys, nabbed an honorary Tony in 2018 for Springsteen on Broadway and won an Oscar in 1994 for Best Original Song for “Philadelphia.”

He had previously been nominated for three Emmys: in 2001 for the HBO concert special Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York City, in 2009 for his Super Bowl halftime show and in 2019 for his Springsteen on Broadway Netflix special. He lost all three times.

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Wang Chung‘s 1985 song “To Live and Die in L.A.” was used as the theme song for John Mulaney’s recent Netflix talk show Everybody’s in LA, and it turns out they had no idea it was gonna happen.

“It’s a total surprise that it’s blown up in the way that it has,” Wang Chung lead singer Jack Hues tells Variety, noting he found out the song was being used for the six-episode show from “the guy who does our merch.”

“It’s so nice to see it get used in such a cool way,” guitarist Nick Feldman adds. “The way it’s placed into the show — which I’ve watched a couple of episodes and I really liked — it really works well.” He notes, “That collage of images from Los Angeles, with our music it feels like they placed it exactly right. It’s extremely gratifying for us to see.”

Wang Chung is scheduled to play Los Angeles in August, and they tell Variety they hope to hook up with Mulaney in some way. 

“We’re going to have to reach out to him and set something up. I’d like to have a conversation with John. At least just to thank him,” Hues says, adding, “It’s been great for us. And it clearly kind of put a stamp on his show that gives it something strong.” 

Meanwhile, Mulaney is giving the band props for their song on social media, responding to the Variety interview with the comment, “There was no second choice for theme song. Thanks @WangChungMusic for the whole vibe.”

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Jon Bon Jovi is giving fans insight into the music he loves and listens to in an “honest playlist” interview with The Guardian.

Asked to name the song that changed his life, Jon gave props to his friend and fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen, citing his “Born to Run.” “I grew up in New Jersey, so the E Street Band was how you were indoctrinated to rock ’n’ roll – they were the local heroes,” he says.

Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer” is the song Jon wishes he’d written, sharing the lyrics and melody resonated with him. “I ran into Don last week, put my arm around him after he had just sung that song, and said: ‘I really wish I’d written that,’” he shares.

Of course, Jon had some things to say about some Bon Jovi tunes, including “Livin’ On A Prayer,” which he calls the best song to play at a party. He adds, “How do I feel when I hear it on the radio or a party? Amazed and amused!”

As for the song of his he can’t listen to anymore, it’s “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas” from Christmas in the Stars, the 1980 Star Wars-themed album.

“I was a gopher in a recording studio, running errands, and the producer needed a young voice,” he says. “People have only just recently rediscovered I was the singer. Now it gets played to me all the time.”

Jon also reveals that PSY’s “Gangnam Style” is the song he secretly likes, although he tells people he hates it, and picks “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham! as the song he wants played at his funeral.

Bon Jovi’s new album, FOREVER, comes out June 7.

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On This Day, May 20, 2013 …

Ray Manzarek, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors, passed away at the age of 74. Earlier in the year, the rocker had been diagnosed with a rare form of bile duct cancer.

Manzarek co-founded The Doors with Jim Morrison in July 1965. Drummer John Densmore joined in August of that year, followed by guitarist Robby Krieger.

The band released their self-titled debut in January 1967, containing future classics “Light My Fire” and “Break On Through (To The Other Side).” “Light My Fire” has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, with the album chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2015.

The Doors went on to sell over 34 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Manzarek released his memoir, Light My Fire: My Life with the Doors, in 1998.

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