Classic Hits

The Black Crowes brought their Happiness Bastards tour to London’s Eventim Apollo on Wednesday, May 15, where they were joined by a very special guest: Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

Tyler came out for the final song of the night, joining The Crowes for a cover of the Aerosmith classic “Mama Kin.” It was Tyler’s first public performance since fracturing his larynx in September, which forced the postponement of Aerosmith’s Peace Out final tour.

“If it is alright with y’all, we wanna play one more song. We wanna dedicate it to somebody who is a dear friend, and a hero, and a legend, Mr. Steven Tyler,” Chris Robinson shared. “We will be touring with Aerosmith soon, so we wanna play one of his songs.” 

The Crowes were special guests on the Peace Out tour and will join Aerosmith again when the tour resumes September 20 in Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Tyler wasn’t the only rock superstar to take in The Crowes’ London show. The band shared a picture on Instagram revealing that Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page was also backstage. They captioned the clip, “Rock Royalty Reigned last night at the #HappinessBastardsTour at the @eventimapollo in London.”

Next up, The Black Crowes bring their Happiness Bastards tour to Newcastle on May 17. A complete list of date can be found at theblackcrowes.com.

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David Bowie‘s classic The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the latest album to get the Dolby Atmos treatment. 

The first-ever Dolby Atmos mix of Ziggy Stardust will be released September 6 to streaming services and on Blu-Ray Audio, featuring four iterations of the album: the 2024 Dolby Atmos mix, 2024 Stereo and two different versions of the original 1972 Stereo Mix – 2012 remaster.

“You’re in there with the act, with David. He was so theatrical I think being able to put him into an immersive place makes this a really good choice for an Atmos mix,” Ken Scott, who co-produced the Dolby Atmos mix with Emre Ramazanoglu, shares. “My whole philosophy with this has been to make it more like a live experience.”

He adds, “Hopefully, it just feels as if you’re in the theatre with this amazing show going on.”

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in Dolby Atmos is available for preorder now.

The news of the new Ziggy Stardust release comes as the album is set to be explored in the new box set Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, due out June 14. It features 29 unreleased tracks that show Bowie’s journey from February 1971 to the release of Ziggy Stardust in 1972.

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On This Day, May 16, 1966…

The Beach Boys released their 11th studio album, Pet Sounds, a critical hit that’s often considered one of the best albums of all time. 

The album was recorded a year after Brian Wilson quit touring and suffered a breakdown in 1964; he’s said that he considers Pet Sounds “probably the best album I ever did.”

Pet Sounds featured such classic Beach Boys songs as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B” and more. The album peaked at #10 on the Billboard Album chart, has been certified Platinum by the RIAA, and in 2004, it was chosen by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.

In June, Pet Sounds was released with a new mix in Dolby Atmos, courtesy of music producer Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin.

A whole lot more about The Beach Boys will be learned, as a new documentary, The Beach Boys, directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, is set to debut May 24 on Disney +.

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Audio sound waves of Queen’s 1986 song “A Kind of Magic” have been turned into a piece of art that’s now being sold for a good cause.

Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who wrote the song, has teamed up with the Soundwaves Art Foundation for a limited-edition art collection, with each piece featuring a handwritten lyric by Roger that has been digitally added to the artwork. “I’m hearing secret harmonies, It’s a kind of magic!” reads the lyric.

The collection features four originals and 100 numbered prints autographed by Taylor and the sound waves artist Tim Wakefield. There are also autographed prints, which come in both mini and standard sizes. 

Proceeds from the sale benefit Teenage Cancer Trust, which is dedicated to providing specialist treatment and support for young people with cancer. 

More info can be found at soundwavesartfoundation.com.

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Crowded House is set to celebrate their upcoming new album, Gravity Stairs, with a special intimate show in New York City.

The band is set to headline the 575-capacity Bowery Ballroom on May 31, the same day the album will be released. 

Tickets for the show go on sale Friday, May 17, at 10 a.m.

Gravity Stairs is the eighth studio album from Crowded House, which is now made up of frontman Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mitchell Froom, and Neil’s sons Elroy Finn and Liam Finn. It’s their first album since 2021’s Dreamers Are Waiting.

And for those who can’t make it to the New York show, there will be plenty of other chances to see the band live this year. They will launch the North American Gravity Stairs tour on August 29 in St. Augustine, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at crowdedhouse.com.

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Luther: Never Too Much, a documentary about late singer/songwriter Luther Vandross, will premiere next year on CNN, OWN and Max, it was announced Wednesday.

The film, directed by Dawn Porter, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in January. It tells the musician’s story through interviews with his friends and musical collaborators, such as Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson and Roberta Flack.

The film covers Luther’s career, which included sales of 40 million records worldwide and eight Grammy Awards, as well as his health struggles and his personal life. “Luther’s music is timeless, his legacy is unsurpassed, and we can’t wait for all of his fans new and old to experience his brilliance,” Porter says in a statement.

Luther’s biggest hits include “Here and Now,” “Power of Love/Love Power,” “Never Too Much,” his “Endless Love” duet with Mariah, the Janet Jackson duet “The Best Things In Life Are Free” and “Dance with My Father,” co-written by Richard Marx.

Prior to becoming a solo star, Luther was a backing vocalist and appeared on albums by everyone from David Bowie and Bette Midler to Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Donna Summer.

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Elton John is showing his gratitude after one of his records was named to Apple Music’s list of the 100 Best Albums. 

“THANK YOU @APPLEMUSIC FOR NAMING GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD ONE OF THE #100BESTALBUMS!” he wrote on his Instagram story, after the 1973 release landed at #78.

Apple Music has been slowly revealing their 100 Best Albums list, so far sharing those that have placed from 70 to 100.  

Other albums making the list include Steely Dan’s Aja at 73, Neil Young‘s After The Gold Rush at 81, Patti Smith‘s Horses at 83, AC/DC‘s Back in Black at 90 and Eagles‘ Hotel California at 99.

Released October 5, 1973, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road featured such future Elton classics as “Candle in the Wind,” “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Bennie and the Jets” and the title track.

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Yes’ fourth studio album, Fragile, which featured the hit song “Roundabout,” is set to be reissued this summer. 

Fragile (Super Deluxe Edition) will be released June 28, featuring a remastered version of the original album on both CD and vinyl, along with bonus material including rarities and previously unreleased live recordings. There will also be a Blu-ray featuring a new Dolby Atmos mix from music producer Steven Wilson. 

One of those unreleased recordings, “Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus),” is out now on all digital outlets. 

Fragile (Super Deluxe Edition) will feature four CDs, one LP and one Blu-ray, with the music also getting released digitally and on streaming platforms. It is available for preorder now.

Fragile, released in February 1972, was the first Yes album to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, with a Yes lineup that also included Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford and Steve Howe. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard Album chart, with the single “Roundabout” reaching #13 on the Hot 100. It has been certified double Platinum by the RIAA.

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John Lennon’s 1973 solo album, Mind Games, is getting a brand new reissue with lots of extra goodies for fans. 

The newly expanded Mind Games – Ultimate Collection is set to drop July 12, produced by Sean Ono Lennon, who oversaw the project, and with the blessing of Yoko Ono Lennon.

According to the press release, the Ultimate Collection “puts listeners in the center of the studio and explores the album’s 1973 recording sessions at the Record Plant in New York City.” It will include six different listening experiences, featuring unreleased outtakes, stripped down mixes, instrumentals, demos, rehearsals and even what’s described as “studio chatter.” 

And fans are getting a preview of what to expect with the release of “Mind Games” (Evolution Documentary),” an audio documentary that gives listeners insight into the evolution of the album’s title track. It includes an early piano demo of song, which at the time was called “Make Love Not War,” along with studio rehearsals and various takes on the tune. There’s also never-before-seen footage of John and Yoko in their bedroom at their Ascot home in February 1970.

Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection will be released as two-CD and two-LP versions, as well as a deluxe box set with six CDs and two Blu-rays and a super deluxe edition, which is limited to only 1,100 copies and includes two limited-edition reproduction artworks by John and Yoko, nine LPs, six CDs and two Blu-rays.

Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection is available for preorder now.

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A long-awaited documentary about legendary rockers Led Zeppelin is now one step closer to being released. 

Sony Pictures Classics just acquired the rights to the film, Becoming Led Zeppelin, which first premiered as a work-in-progress at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.

Now completed, the documentary, described as a “hybrid docu-concert film,” is the first officially sanctioned film about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group. It features never-before-seen footage newly unearthed from the band’s archives, including home movies and family photos. There’s also previously unseen performance footage from The Filmore West in January 1969, The Atlanta Pop Festival in July 1969 and The Texas Pop Festival in August 1969.  

Directed by Bernard MacMahon, the doc also includes exclusive interviews with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, as well as previously unheard interviews with their late drummer, John Bonham. 

According to the press release, the film is “a visceral musical experience that will transport audiences into the concert halls of Led Zeppelin’s earliest tours, accompanied by intimate commentary from the famously private band.”

“When I saw the early cut of the film premiered, at the Venice Film Festival, it was amazing,” Page shares. “The energy of the story, and the power of the music, is phenomenal.”

Sony Pictures Classics is planning for a theatrical release of the film, but so far there’s no word on when it will hit theaters.

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