Classic Hits

Bruce Springsteen has been spending his time off the road in his old neighborhood.

New Jersey’s Daily Voice reports that last weekend The Boss was spotted not once but twice at Roberto’s Freehold Grill in his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey.

On Friday, November 17, Roberto’s owner, chef Roberto Diaz, shared a picture on Facebook of him and Springsteen, writing, “The boss is home for the holidays! Thanks Bruce for stopping by and spreading some holiday cheer!”

Then on Sunday, November 19, he posted a photo of the diner’s staff with Springsteen, writing, “Sunday crew with the boss. Great start to the holiday week!”

Springsteen has been off the road since September, when he postponed his tour with the E Street Band to recover from peptic ulcer disease. He is due to return to the road next year, with the tour relaunching on March 19 in Phoenix, Arizona. A complete list of dates can be found at brucespringsteen.net.

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Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler is getting rid of some of his guitars.

The BBC reports that Knopfler is putting more than 120 guitars and amps up for auction, including his 1983 Les Paul, which he played at Live Aid and used to record the hit “Money For Nothing” from the 1985 album Brothers in Arms. 

It will also include what is considered the “Holy Grail of electric guitars,” a 1959 Gibson Les Paul with a sunburst finish. It is expected to sell for between $375,000 and over $600,000.

“I hope they all get played,” Knopfler tells the BBC about the instruments being sold. “I don’t think they do too well living in a case all their lives.” He adds, “We’ve had great times together, so I am sad to see some of them go – but I’ve got enough left to play. More than enough.”

Fans will be able to check out the items up for auction when they go on display in New York and London ahead of the January 31 auction at Christie’s in London. A quarter of the proceeds will be donated to various charities, including the Red Cross, the wildlife conservation organization Tusk and the children’s charity Brave Hearts of the North East.

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A Crowded House classic is back on the charts.

The Australian band’s ’80s hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over” tops the Billboard Top TV Songs chart following its appearance on the October 25 episode of NBC’s Magnum P.I. Thanks to the show, the song was downloaded 1,000 times and earned 4.6 million on-demand streams.

“Don’t Dream It’s Over,” written by Neil Finn, was a single off Crowded House’s 1986 self-titled debut album. It became their biggest hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1987. It also went to #1 in Canada and New Zealand.

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R.E.M., The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan are among the contenders for the 2024 class of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The organization just announced the artists in the running for induction next year. All four members of R.E.M. earned a nod in the performing songwriters category, along with Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald, and Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.

Others nominated in that category include: Bryan Adams, Blondie’s Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke, Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, George Clinton, Tracy Chapman, Kenny Loggins, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, founding members of The Guess Who, David Gates of Bread and the members of rap group Public Enemy.

Among the nonperforming songwriters who are nominated for induction are Timbaland, known for his work with Justin Timberlake on “Sexy Back” and Missy Elliott on “Get Ur Freak On”; Hillary Lindsey, writer of such songs as “Girl Crush” and “Jesus Take the Wheel”; and Maurice Starr, who wrote New Edition tracks like “Candy Girl” and “Is This the End.”

Some of this year’s nominees have already been in the running for the Hall of Fame. Adams, R.E.M., Blondie, Doobie Brothers and Heart were all nominated last year but failed to make the cut.

Voting is open from now until December 27. The eventual inductees will be honored at a gala in New York City next year.

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Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour recently released Metallic Spheres in Colour, a reimagined and remixed version of Metallic Spheres, a 2010 collaborative album with the British ambient techno act The Orb. Well, now they want fans to have some fun with it.

The artists are asking fans to go to metallicspheres.io to experience the Metallic Spheres In Colour AI project in partnership with Vermillio, which will allow them to reimagine the album’s music and cover art using AI.

Once on the site, users will have the opportunity to listen to a selection of music from the release, and AI will ask them to select how they feel, which will then generate new artwork based on those emotions. They will also be asked to reimagine the audio based on the mood and tempo they want to express.

Fans will be given the opportunity to share the results on social media. In the coming weeks, remixes will be available to purchase. Plus, the reimagined cover art may be used in a video for the album. 

The original album came from a musical project Gilmour was involved in that was designed to raise money to support the case of Gary McKinnon, a British hacker who was facing extradition to the U.S. The proceeds from Metallic Spheres, the album that grew out of that project, were donated to that effort; the extradition was later overturned, and McKinnon escaped prosecution in the U.K.

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Robert Plant has opened up about Led Zeppelin‘s decision to call it quits in 1980 following the death of their drummer John Bonham.

Although there were rumors that his bandmates Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones wanted to continue, Plant doesn’t have any regrets about the split.

“You have to keep on developing. Probably for everybody and everything it was the right thing, it was right for me,” he shares in a new interview with the Irish Examiner. “I think Jimmy and John Paul, for a while, wanted to keep it going but we all change.” 

He adds, “You have to go from the writing of youth, you’re talking about ‘Bron-Yr-Aur’ and ‘Battle of Evermore’, from writing in that fashion and those visions of a life and an eternal rub between people to the maturity you find along the way; I’m doing the right thing.”

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Mars Williams, longtime saxophonist for The Psychedelic Furs, has died. He was 68.

The “Pretty in Pink” outfit shared the news in a Facebook post on Monday, November 20, which featured a photo of a lone saxophone spotlit on a stage.

“We’re heartbroken,” the post’s caption reads. “Goodbye to the great Mars Williams. Rest well. 1955 – 2023.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Williams passed away after a yearlong battle with a rare type of cancer.

Williams joined The Psychedelic Furs in 1983. He played in the group until 1989 and reunited with them in 2005.

Prior to his gig with the Furs, William was a member of the new wave band The Waitresses, known for the songs “Christmas Wrapping” and “I Know What Boys Like.”

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KISS is gearing up to say goodbye to the road with two shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 1 and 2, and the momentous occasion will be felt throughout the Big Apple.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced a five-day New York City takeover with a variety of activations, including a merch pop up, Metro Cards and a Rangers game night. 

“We’re thrilled to be performing our final shows at MSG since the band originated in New York City over 50 years ago,” KISS shares. “We are thankful for our long legacy of fans, the KISS Army, and excited to be celebrating through these activations.” 

The KISS takeover kicks off November 29 with New York Rangers “KISS” Game night at MSG, where fans can enjoy KISS-themed activities and limited-edition KISS x Rangers merchandise. There will also be a KISStore pop-up on West 37th Street, which will be open from November 30 to December 3.

Other activations include: KISS Metro Cards, sold at Penn Station and Herald Square Station; a commemorative edition of The New York Post; a KISS taxi fleet; taxies with KISS digital ads and TV content; complimentary KISS flash tattoos at Inked NYC on December 1 and 2; and KISS-themed pizza and pizza boxes from Prince Street Pizza. 

KISS will also help fans get in shape for their final two shows. On November 30, they’ll be part of Peloton’s Artist Series, with their music incorporated into Bike, Tread, Row and App classes.

KISS’ End of the Road tour hits Kanata, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday, November 21. A complete list of the remaining dates can be found at kissonline.com.

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On This Day, November 21, 1991…

Aerosmith made their debut on The Simpsons, becoming the first rock band to appear on the Fox animated series. 

The episode, Flaming Moe’s, revolves around Homer creating a new drink, the Flaming Homer, which Bar owner Moe then steals and renames the Flaming Moe. The drink is so popular that Moe’s Tavern becomes a hotspot, and a hangout for Aerosmith.

While Aerosmith was the first band to appear on The Simpsons, they weren’t the last. Other bands to turn up on the show include U2, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, and White Stripes.

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The wait is over for fans of The Rolling Stones. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced they’ll be hitting the road next year.

The Stones Tour ’24 Hackney Diamonds will see the band playing stadiums in 16 cities, kicking off Sunday, April 28, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, followed by a May 2 appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The tour — sponsored by AARP, the organization for the over-50 crowd — will hit cities including Las Vegas, Seattle, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles before wrapping Wednesday, July 17, at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Tickets go on sale Friday, December 1, at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of dates can be found at therollingstones.com.

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