Classic Hits

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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November 21 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Duran Duran’s third album, Seven and the Ragged Tiger, which became the band’s first U.K. #1 and peaked at #8 in the U.S.

The album went double Platinum, thanks to three top 10 singles: “Union of the Snake,” which peaked at #3 in the U.S.; “New Moon on Monday,” which went to #10; and “The Reflex,” which was remixed by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and became the band’s first U.S. #1.

But the album wasn’t an easy one to make, as there had reportedly been tension among band members regarding the direction of the record.

When asked about his fondest memory of making the album, bassist John Taylor told ABC Audio that he doesn’t have any. He noted that some of the problems stemmed from the band feeling the pressure to follow up their hugely successful sophomore album, Rio. 

“It was the first time in our careers that we had something to lose because Rio had been a huge success on every level. You know, it was just, everything about that album was right,” he shared. “I mean, I don’t think people think we’ve got to, like, match that. We’re thinking we’ve gotta beat that.”

And apparently original guitarist Andy Taylor had similar feelings, joking to ABC Audio that his fondest memory of the album was finishing it.

On a more serious note, Andy said that for him, one of the highlights of Seven and the Ragged Tiger was hearing Rodgers’ remix of “The Reflex.”

“I remember we were on tour, Paul Barrow, our manager, put it on and I just hit the roof,” he said. “When I got that mix back, I was like, ‘Wow.’” 

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Those who didn’t make it to the theaters to see Billy Idol’s concert film, Billy Idol: State Line, now have another shot to check it out. The film, which captures the rocker’s April concerts at the Hoover Dam, will stream on Veeps starting Saturday, November 25, at 12 p.m. PT.  

Idol and his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens will host a livestream debut chat at veeps.com. The stream will feature bonus, never-before-seen footage of Hoover Dam performances of “Rebel Yell” and “Bitter Taste.”

Billy Idol: State Line, which had a limited theater run earlier this month, features performances from both of Idol’s shows at the iconic site on the Nevada/Arizona state line. One was a full band show, which took place at sunset and featured guest appearances by Sex Pistol’s Steve Jones, No Doubt’s Tony Kanal and Alison Mosshart of The Dead Weather. The second was an acoustic performance with just Stevens on the roof of the Hoover Dam.

Veep All Access subscribers will be able to stream the film for free, while individual tickets are available at a cost of $19.99. Tickets are available at veeps.com.

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Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle has shared a new preview of his upcoming tribute album, Anthems – Honoring The Music Of Lynyrd Skynyrd, dropping February 2.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just released his take on the Skynyrd classic “Simple Man,” featuring special guest Sammy Hagar.

You can listen to “Simple Man” now via streaming services and on YouTube. 

Hagar is one of several guest stars joining Pyle on the album. Others include Dolly Parton and Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes, along with country stars Ronnie Dunn, Chris Janson, Billy Ray Cyrus and others.

In addition to “Simple Man,” the 13-track album features performances of such Skynyrd classics as “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “What’s Your Name” and “Free Bird.” 

Anthems – Honoring The Music Of Lynyrd Skynyrd is available for preorder now.

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