Classic Hits

A new documentary about Paul Simon is getting its U.S. premiere next month. 

Variety reports that In Restless Dreams: The Music Of Paul Simon, from award winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney, is set to premiere at the Camden International Film Festival, taking place September 14-17 at venues throughout Camden and Rockland, Maine.

In the film, Gibney follows Simon’s career, from growing up in Queens to his partnership with Art Garfunkel and more. It also goes in the studio with the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer during the making of his most recent album, Seven Palms, which was released in May.

While the Camden Festival is the movie’s U.S. premiere, it won’t be the first time people will see it. It’s getting its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday, September 9.

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Guns N’ Roses continues to surprise fans on their current world tour. The latest instance came Monday, August 21, during their show at Fenway Park in Boston, when Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde came out to join them on the track “Bad Obsession.”

Fan-shot footage posted to YouTube shows Chrissie joining Axl Rose and the others on harmonica for the Use Your Illusion I track, which was the second song of the night.

Chrissie and the Pretenders are currently one of the opening acts on the Guns N’ Roses tour. The trek hits Chicago’s Wrigley Field on Thursday, August 24. A complete list of dates can be found at gunnroses.com.

Pretenders, who are dropping the new album Relentless on September 1, are also currently headlining a club tour. Their next club show is happening Saturday, August 26, in Nashville, Tennessee. A complete list of dates can be found at thepretenders.com.

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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith, often called the Godmother of Punk, continues to to be an inspiration to future generations of musicians, and the latest artist paying her respects to her is Dua Lipa.

The pop star has just picked Smith’s acclaimed memoir, Just Kids, as the September pick for her Service95 Book Club. 

The book documents Smith’s relationship with late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the late ’60s and early ’70s New York art scene. The book was a New York Times best seller, and in 2010, it won the National Book Award for Non-Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

“Patti is an absolute rock and roll icon and a personal hero of mine so I am beyond excited to dive into this book,” Dua writes on Instagram. “It’s hard to define Patti – she is a singer, a songwriter, a poet, a painter and, of course, an author. It’s safe to say that we get something of all of these personas through this beautiful book.”

Dua continues, “I’d have loved to be part of such a cool era. Patti gives us the next best thing – possibly the most spellbinding account of New York in the ’70s ever written. As we witness the ascent of two legendary artists – Robert and Patti – it’s clear that her respect and love for artistry never dims.”

Throughout September, Book Club followers will see Dua chatting with Smith about her life experiences and creative process. Smith will also share two exclusive readings, a playlist and a compilation of her own must-reads.

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On This Day, August 22, 1979…

Led Zeppelin released their eighth and final studio album, In Through the Out Door, in the United States.

The album went to #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, where it spent seven weeks, tying it with Led Zeppelin II for the Led Zeppelin album with the most weeks at #1. The album’s best known songs include “All of My Love” and “Fool in the Rain.”

In Through the Out Door wound up becoming the last studio album from the legendary rockers. Their drummer, John Bonham, died in September, 1980, and they disbanded that December.

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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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