Classic Hits

In celebration of The Beatles first landing in America on February 7, 1964, ANALOGr has launched a new auction, featuring unique items and memorabilia from the Fab Four.

The Beatles Experience features a collection of pieces spanning from the legendary band’s arrival at New York’s JFK Airport to their solo careers and more. Items up for auction include an official Pan Am photo of the band during their JFK press conference, signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and an official invitation to their first American press conference for their film A Hard Day’s Night.

Other items include shirts worn by the band during their 1964 tour, McCartney’s handwritten draft lyrics for “Goodbye,” Lennon’s 1965 tweed suit, a limited-edition McCartney 1965 Epiphone acoustic guitar and Ringo’s signed bongo drums from the mid-1990s. 

Preview bidding is currently open, with the live auction set to begin on February 29 at 10 a.m. PT. More info on the auction can be found at analogr.com.

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It looks like AC/DC fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out the big news the band started teasing earlier this week. 

On Tuesday, February 6, the Aussie rockers shared an Instagram post, with the tease, “Are You Ready,” leading fans to suspect a tour announcement is on the way. Now, they’re letting folks know exactly when their news will come.

After posting another Instagram tease on Wednesday, February 7, that featured the number five, a countdown clock appeared on the band’s website, counting down to 3 a.m. ET on Monday, February 12. 

If AC/DC do indeed announce a new tour, it will be their first trek since 2016. They did return to the stage in October, headlining the Power Trip festival in Indio, California, alongside Metallica, Judas Priest and more.

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Billy Joel attended the Grammy Awards on Sunday with Freddy Wexler, the songwriter and producer who convinced Billy to return to music and co-wrote his new single, “Turn the Lights Back On.” Freddy spent the night documenting everything and has posted a highlight Reel on Instagram.

In the behind-the-scenes video and photos, you see Billy getting dressed for the ceremony, playing the piano, getting stuck in traffic on the way to the ceremony, playing at dress rehearsal and walking the red carpet with his wife, Alexis, and their young daughters, Remy, 6, and Della, 8. 

But possibly the most interesting part of the post is the candid footage and photos of Billy down on the floor in the arena, hanging out with all the other stars. He chats and poses with Billie Eilish, shares a laugh with Meryl Streep, greets John Legend and Ed Sheeran, and hangs with Lionel Richie.

It was a bit of a reunion for Lionel and Billy: You can see them both in the new Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, about the making of the 1985 charity single “We Are the World.” They both sang on the song, and Lionel co-wrote it.

There’s also footage of Billy in the audience, singing along as Fantasia Barrino paid tribute to Tina Turner by singing “Proud Mary.” At the end of his video, Billy’s onstage closing the show by singing “You May Be Right” as Freddy and Alexis sing along in the crowd.

Backstage, Freddy asks Billy, “Now you can be honest. How do you feel?” 

Billy jokes, “Enough about me.”

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Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett has shared another track from his upcoming album, The Circus and the Nightwhale, which will be released February 16.

The latest is “Circo Inferno.” Hackett describes it as “the most frenzied point in this album’s narrative,” which includes “insistent sax, full on vocals and blistering guitar.” 

You can listen to “Circo Inferno” now via digital outlets and streaming on YouTube.

The Circus and the Nightwhale, Hackett’s first album of new material since 2021’s instrumental album Under A Mediterranean Sky, is described as an autobiographical concept album revolving around a character named Travla. It is available for preorder now.

Hackett is set to return to the U.S. for a new leg of his Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights tour on March 1 in Jacksonville, Florida, with dates confirmed through April 13 in Phoenix, Arizona. A complete list of tour dates can be found at hackettsongs.com.

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Several veteran artists profited from the so-called “Grammy Bump” following the awards show telecast on February 4.

According to Luminate, the company that collects music sales, streams and airplay data for Billboard, Joni Mitchell saw streams of her catalog increase by 133% following her touching performance of “Both Sides Now” on the telecast.

And Tracy Chapman’s duet of “Fast Car” with Luke Combs helped the song get a 205% streaming boost, while streams of Chapman’s entire catalog increased by 268%.

Both performances also prompted a boost on Billboard’s LyricFind U.S. and Global charts, which rank gains of lyric-searches. Chapman’s “Fast Car” tops both lists this week, thanks to a 6,171% increase in lyric searches in the U.S. and another 6,084% increase globally.

Meanwhile, Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” is at #2 in the U.S. and #3 globally, thanks to a 3,465% increase in searches.

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Jon Bon Jovi is the latest artist breaking into the Nashville nightlife scene. The rocker and his band have teamed with Big Plan Holdings for a new venue, JBJ’s Nashville, projected to open in the spring.  

“We’re looking forward to having a place in Nashville that we call home,” Jon shares, noting they are “a band with deep roots in Nashville.”

He adds, “We have had wonderful times in Nashville recording several albums and working with some of the finest people in all the music business. I can’t wait to toast all of Broadway and get to know our neighbors!”

JBJ’s will be located on Nashville’s Lower Broadway and will be the tallest and second largest bar in the area, boasting five stories and 37,000 square feet, including two rooftop spaces with panoramic views of Music City.

The news comes as Bon Jovi is celebrating their 40th anniversary. They launched the celebration with a new archival website and the release of a deluxe edition of their self-titled debut album.

Jon was celebrated this past weekend as the Recording Academy’s MusiCares Person of the Year, and at the gala, the band gave a preview of their yet-to-be announced upcoming album, performing the new song “Legendary.”

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The Eagles are looking back at their career with a new box set.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will release To The Limit: The Essential Collection on April 12. It features 51 tunes, including some of the Eagles’ greatest hits, like “Hotel California,” “New Kid in Town” and “Heartache Tonight,” and fan favorite album tracks like “Desperado” and “Victim of Love.”

It also features live tracks released between 1972 and 2020, including performances from their 1980 live album, Eagles Live, as well as 1994’s Hell Freezes Over and 2000’s The Millennium Concert.

As a preview of what to expect, the Eagles have released a live performance of “Take it to the Limit,” recorded at The Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, in 1977.

To The Limit: The Essential Collection will be released digitally and as a three-CD or deluxe six LP set on 180-gram vinyl. Physical editions purchased on the Eagles website come with a limited edition embossed lithograph. The set is available for preorder now.

Eagles are currently on the road with their The Long Goodbye tour, which they say will be their last tour. They hit Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday, February 10. A complete list of dates can be found at eagles.com.

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Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder and Chic’s Nile Rodgers are among the artists set to perform at the eighth annual Love Rocks NYC concert, taking place Thursday, March 7, at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

The concert, a benefit for the nonprofit God’s Love We Deliver, which delivers meals to people who are too sick to prepare them themselves, will also feature Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, The Black Keys, Joss Stone, Trombone Shorty, Marcus King, Bernie Williams and more, with comedians Conan O’Brien, Tracy Morgan and Jim Gaffigan acting as hosts. 

All artists will be backed by a house band, led by bassist Will Lee, best known for being a member of The Late Show with David Letterman band.

A ticket presale kicks off Thursday, February 8, at 10 a.m., with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday, February 9, at 10 a.m.

The Love Rocks concerts first launched in 2017 and have gone on to raise $30 million, enough to fund 3 million meals for New Yorkers in need.

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On This Day, February 7, 1970…

Led Zeppelin scored their first U.K. #1 with their second studio album, Led Zeppelin II.

The album, produced by guitarist Jimmy Page, featured such Zeppelin classics as “Whole Lotta Love,” “Thank You” and “Ramble On.”

The album spent one week in the top spot, but remained in the Top 10 for 54 weeks and in the Top 100 for 129 weeks. In the U.S. it also hit #1, spending seven weeks on top. 

Led Zeppelin II went on to be certified 12-times Platinum, and has been ranked on several critics lists of the best albums of all time.

In 2014 the album was reissued, with the deluxe and super deluxe edition coming with bonus material, including alternative takes, backing tracks and a previously unreleased instrumental track, “La La.”

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The Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 4, featured some standout performances, but if producers had their way there would have been another huge act in the lineup.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Grammy executive producer Ben Winston reveals that while Dua Lipa opened the show, they initially wanted The Rolling Stones to kick off the festivities.

“It was either going to be The Rolling Stones doing ‘Angry’ or Dua Lipa,” he says. “That’s what I was thinking. I tried — I had a conversation with the Stones. It didn’t work out this time.”

The Stones’ “Angry,” from their recent album Hackney Diamonds, was nominated for Best Rock Song, but wound up losing to boygenius‘ “Not Strong Enough.”

As for one of the other iconic moments in the show, Joni Mitchell‘s performance of “Both Sides Now,” Winston says it was almost a year in the making.

“Brandi Carlile said to me, about six months before the last Grammys, ‘Joni’s performing again a little bit; she’s gonna do a few festivals with me. Do you think maybe we could get her to sing at the Grammys?’” he said. “And I was like, ‘Wow, that would be amazing.’” 

Nothing really came of it until he saw Joni perform at the Hollywood Bowl in October and decided he needed to make it happen. And in the end, Winston says Joni had a great experience. 

“She enjoyed the adulation she got,” he says. “She sat there on this throne in her dressing room. People came to greet her — Olivia Rodrigo came and paid her respects.”

In addition to her performance, Joni won a Grammy for Best Folk Album for Joni Mitchell at Newport Live. It was her 11th Grammy win.

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