Classic Hits

Are The Rolling Stones dropping hints that a new album is on the way? Well, that’s the speculation on social media after fans caught wind of a cryptic newspaper ad in the British paper the Hackney Gazette for something called Hackney Diamonds. 

Billed as “specialists in glass repair,” the ad notes that Hackney Diamonds is “opening September 2023,” with the “I” in Diamonds dotted with the Stones’ signature lips logo. The ad also quotes several Rolling Stones song titles in its promotion.

“Our friendly team promises you satisfaction. When you say gimme shelter we’ll fix your shattered windows,” reads the ad, referring to Stones songs “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Gimme Shelter” and “Shattered.”

There’s also a Hackney Diamonds website, run by Universal Music, with the same ad, asking fans to “register your interest.”

So far, the Stones are staying mum regarding the speculation, but fans are convinced it’s all leading to a new album. Fans have been anxiously awaiting album news since Keith Richards said back in January that new Rolling Stones music was “on its way.”

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The award-winning graphic novel The Fifth Beatle was released 10 years ago. And to mark the milestone, a new anniversary edition is being released this fall. 

The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story (Anniversary Edition) will feature a new cover and a new intro from former Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis, as well as a musical playlist curated by the graphic novel’s author, Vivek Tiwary. There are also new introductions from British musician Billy J. Kramer and record producer Andrew Loog Oldham, along with an expanded sketchbook.

Released in November 2013, The Fifth Beatle was written by Tiwary, with illustrations by Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle Baker and lettering by Steve Dutro. It told the true story of Beatles manger Brian Epstein, delving into both his professional life and guiding the Beatles to superstardom, as well as his personal struggles. 

The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story (Anniversary Edition) will be released in bookstores on November 21 and comic stores on November 22. It is available for preorder now.

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Heart’s Ann Wilson is set to headline the sixth annual Women Who Rock benefit concert, taking place October 21 at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Wilson will perform with her new band Tripsitter, with the concert raising money for the Magee-Womens Research Institute, which is the largest research institute in the U.S. dedicated solely to lifesaving women’s health research.

The concert will feature an all-female-fronted lineup that also includes Youngstown, Ohio, band The Vindys, as well as a DJ set from Madame Trio.

Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday, August 25, at 10 a.m. ET.

More info can be found at womenwhorock.info.

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The B-52s are extending their time in Las Vegas. The band just announced five more dates for Loveshack: The Residency at The Venetian Resort.

The new shows are set for April 12, 13, 17, 19 and 20, with a presale happening August 22 at 10 a.m. local time and a public on-sale set for Friday, August 25, at 10 a.m. PT.

The B-52s still have five more Vegas shows in 2023. They’re back at the Venetian August 25, 26 and 30, followed by shows September 2 and 3.

Although The B-52s wrapped a farewell tour in January, they didn’t completely say goodbye to performing. In addition to the Vegas shows, they’re due to play festivals in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Huntington Beach, California, later this year. A complete list of dates can be found at theb52s.com.

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Bruce Springsteen will be the subject of a new exhibit opening in Boston in September.

Bruce Springsteen: Portraits of an American Music Icon is set to debut September 13 at the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame inside Boston’s Bosch Center Wang Theatre. The exhibit, curated by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, will give fans insight into The Boss through photos taken by close friends, photographers and family members, including Danny Clinch, Eric Meola and Bruce’s sister Pamela Springsteen. 

Also on September 13, the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame will be debuting another exhibit, Legends of Folk, Americana and Roots, featuring artifacts from legendary folk musicians like Woodie Guthrie and Pete Seger. 

Tickets for both exhibits are on sale at folkamericanarootshalloffame.org.

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Soul icon Al Green has made his return to music with the release of “Perfect Day,” his first single in five years. 

The new song is a soulful take on Lou Reed‘s 1972 hit of the same name, originally produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson.

In speaking about the track, Green said he wanted to add his personal flare to a beloved classic.

“I loved Lou’s original ‘Perfect Day.’ The song immediately puts you in a good mood. We wanted to preserve that spirit, while adding our own sauce and style,” Green said.

While recording the song in a Memphis studio in February, Green reunited with members of ’70s band Hi Rhythm Section; many of the band members contributed to some of his greatest songs of the decade. 

“Perfect Day” arrives ahead of Green’s two Thanksgiving shows — one in Detroit, Michigan, on November 24 and the other in St. Charles, Missouri, on November 25 — where he’ll perform beloved hits like “Love and Happiness” and “Let’s Stay Together.”

After a 10-year hiatus, Green last released music in 2018 with his cover of Freddy Fender‘s “Before The Next Teardrop Falls.” 

In announcing “Perfect Day” on his Instagram, Green said, “I hope this song accompanies you through your perfect days.”

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Devo is set to launch a new U.S. tour in November, so fans may want to make sure they see them because it will likely be their last chance. The band has confirmed they’ll be retiring from the road after the trek, and in a new interview with The Guardian, they open up about their decision.

As for why they have are hanging it up, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh says, “Are you married? Imagine you had four wives and you worked together. It’s tricky being in a band.”

Gerald Casale added, “You’ve got a body of work informed by a whole manifesto and philosophy. Do you let go and move on to the next thing? You want change, otherwise you’re stale, but you don’t want to be contrived.”

However, it does sound like Casale is going to miss being on the road with the band. “I’m in denial,” he says. “Because I love performing and I’ll hate to see it go. It was part of Devo’s DNA. But we did as well as we could, for as long as we could.”

Even though they’ll be off the road, Devo fans still have some things to look forward to. A new box set of rarities is coming in September, and a documentary, directed by Chris Smith, is in the works.

Devo’s Celebrating 50 Years of De-evolution tour kicks off November 3 in Paso Robles, California, wrapping November 18 in Huntington Beach, California. So far there’s no word on whether any other U.S. dates will be added to the trek. A complete list of Devo dates can be found at clubdevo.com.

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Queen’s Greatest Hits album is short one hit on the audio platform Yoto, which is aimed at children. 

While 16 tracks from the album are available, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites The Dust” and “We Will Rock You,” the band’s 1978 classic “Fat Bottomed Girls” is nowhere on the site.  

“Fat Bottomed Girls” does contain some raunchy lyrics, which some parents may not want kids to hear, including, “Left alone with big fat Fanny/ She was such a naughty nanny/ Hey, big woman, you made a bad boy out of me.”

In addition to the removal of “Fat Bottomed Girls,” the album comes with a warning for parents, which reads, “Please note that the lyrics in some of these songs contain adult themes, including occasional references to violence and drugs.” It suggests parental discretion before playing them for young children.

So far, Queen has not directly commented on the song’s removal, although a rep did tell Entertainment Weekly that the band did OK the song’s removal. 

And apparently parents seem to be eager to let their kids appreciate the music of Queen. Yoto tells the mag the album is its “biggest ever music launch and one of our fastest ever selling cards.”

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Bob Dylan may be 82, but it certainly doesn’t look like he’s slowing down anytime soon.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced a new North American leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. The trek kicks off with two nights in Kansas City, Missouri, October 1 and 2. It hits such cities as St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Toronto and more, before wrapping October 30 in Schenectady, New York. 

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, August 25. A complete list of dates can be found at bobdylan.com.

Dylan launched his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour in 2021, and his website says it will run until 2024. He wrapped a European leg of the tour on July 9 in Rome, Italy.

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Mick Fleetwood is doing what he can to help the victims of the Maui wildfires, and that includes using his musical connections to put together a benefit concert to raise money and awareness of the devastation in the area.

“I’ve already got a lovely sort of catalog of people that are concerned. I will remain mute on who they are, but I will either become part of something that we can do on a grand scale, which is great,” the Fleetwood Mac star told Entertainment Tonight about the concert. “Not to jump too far ahead, but the intention would be absolutely to be part of, or to be right shaking the flag, to rally around and put on a great incredibly beautiful show. Which I know can be done.” 

He adds, “So, all of this is unfolding is something I feel I can be apart, or really be spearheading,” noting, “And it’s not now, but music heals, and music does its version of what I’m doing now.”

Fleetwood has lived on Maui for the past 30 years and owns a restaurant, Fleetwoods on Front Street, which was destroyed in the fires.

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