Classic Hits

Steve Perry‘s first Christmas album, The Season, arrives today, and finds the ex-Journey frontman putting his own stamp on holiday classics like “Winter Wonderland,” “Silver Bells” and “The Christmas Song”…gently.

“I’ve always loved these songs since I was a child, and I was really…careful to make sure that the original emotional reverence that meant so much to me when I was young stays intact,” Perry tells ABC Audio. “And so I wanted to do them a little bit different. I wanted to make them mine, but I didn’t want to walk too far away from the melodic structure…that I loved about them.”

Perry says The Season is his way of bringing holiday cheer to everyone who’s struggled through the pandemic.

“The last year and eight months or two years have been so difficult for so many, including myself,” Perry admits. “And given me such a different respect for so many things.”

He continues, “Honestly, I’m not in the music business to make money. At this point, these records I’ve been making, solo-wise, are almost like just giving back to what I’ve been given so much [of].”

To that end, Steve thinks that one particular song really sums up with the project is all about.

“For this particular period, this Christmas…it has to be ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas,'” Perry notes. “Because it’s something everybody in their heart wishes they could have done [last year]. And perhaps now, what we’ve all been through has refreshed our reverence for how important it is to go home for Christmas.”

And does Perry see more holiday music in his future?

He laughs, “If I can pull it off — if Uncle Steve is still here — I might do that, yes!”

Here’s The Season‘s full track list:

“The Christmas Song”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“Auld Lang Syne”
“Winter Wonderland”
“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
“Silver Bells”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

If you’ve been searching for a new, upbeat track to soundtrack your weekend, look no further than Green Day‘s infectious new single, “Holy Toledo!,” which they released Friday… just don’t listen too closely to the lyrics.

The rockers once again invoke their clever happy song/dark lyrics format for their latest offering.  “Holy Toledo!” rides a whimsical yet nostalgic ska-like beat and, while the music presents itself as the perfect tune to sway your shoulders to, the lyrics paint a completely different picture.

“We’re hell raisers, death wish cravers/ We’re running with razor blades/ Party favors, sex with strangers/ We don’t care what the neighbors say,” the Grammy winners celebrate in the chorus, as they sing about “crawling out of the dead man’s bed” all to catch the high of getting “sick again.”

The single was created for the rom-com Mark, Mary & Some Other People, which follows a newlywed couple exploring the world of ethical non-monogamy in an attempt to spice up their love life.  The movie is in theaters and streaming on-demand now.

“Holy Toledo!” follows Green Day’s previously released singles “Pollyanna” and “Here Comes the Shock.”  The punk trio also released a cover of the KISS classic “Rock and Roll All Nite,” which was recorded during their Hella Mega tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer.

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Elton John‘s memorable fourth studio album, Madman Across the Water, was released 50 years ago today, on November 5, 1971.

The album, which peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200, yielded two singles — “Levon” and “Tiny Dancer.” Levon was the bigger chart hit, reaching #24 on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Tiny Dancer” just missed the top 40, stalling at #41 n the tally.

However, “Tiny Dancer” has gone on to become one of Elton’s most popular and recognized songs. John’s songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, wrote the lyrics about his first wife, Maxine Feibelman, who was working as a seamstress for Elton’s band around the time he met her.

In 2000, the prominent appearance of “Tiny Dancer” in a scene in the 2000 Cameron Crowe film Almost Famous gave the tune a big boost in popularity. In 2011, it was certified triple platinum for notching 3 million sales equivalent units in the U.S.

As with most of Elton’s earlier albums, Madman Across the Water featured majestic orchestral arrangements by Paul Buckmaster. Other standout tunes include the enigmatic title track, the breezy, mandolin-driven “Holiday Inn” and the dramatic “Indian Sunset.”

Interestingly, Madman Across the Water was the third album Elton released in 1971, following the soundtrack to the film Friends and the live album 11-17-70.

Madman has gone on to sell over 2 million copies in the U.S.

Heart‘s Ann Wilson has been a fan of Elton since his first album, and her band went on to collaborate on multiple projects with Buckmaster, who passed away in 2017.

“Madman, with the strings by Paul Buckmaster and everything, [is] Elton at…maybe his most creative,” Ann tells ABC Audio. “Pushing the envelope. He and Bernie just at their peak. Great record.”

Here’s Madman Across the Water’s full track list:

“Tiny Dancer”
“Levon”
“Razor Face”
“Madman Across the Water”
“Indian Sunset”
“Holiday Inn”
“Rotten Peaches”
“All the Nasties”
“Goodbye”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

High-quality audiophile versions of the late Janis Joplin‘s classic final studio album, 1971’s Pearl, will be released on Tuesday, November 9.  The versions include two-LP box sets mastered at 45 rpm, as well as on the SACD format.

The vinyl box sets, which are pressed on 180-gram vinyl, will be available with LPs created using Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step lacquering process for $125, or with discs made with the industry-standard three-step process for $59.99. The LPs come housed in a deluxe box that features special foil-stamped jackets.

The reissues celebrate Pearl‘s 50th anniversary. The album was released on January 11, 1971, about three months after Joplin’s October 1970 death at age 27 from a heroin overdose, and spent nine consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200. Pearl features Janis’ chart-topping cover of Kris Kristofferson‘s “Me and Bobby McGee,” as well as such other classic tunes as “Mercedes Benz,” “Move Over” and “Cry Baby.”

“Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab is honored to be a part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Janis Joplin’s landmark recording,” says the company’s president, Jim Davis. “Our limited-edition, audiophile-grade vinyl box set brings out the explosive dynamics and delicate intricacies of Ms. Joplin’s powerhouse performances, allowing listeners to get closer to the singer’s music, passion, and emotions. Most importantly, this definitive version helps ensure Pearl will forever be regarded as one of the most important rock albums of all time.”

You can pre-order the Pearl vinyl box sets and SACD now at MoFi.com, and the ulra-hi-fi version also can be purchased at JanisJoplin.com and MusicDirect.com.

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The latest installment of ABC’s Family Singalong franchise airs tonight. The Queen Family Singalong pays tribute to the iconic British rock group via songs belted out by a variety of music stars, including the band’s current lead singer, Adam Lambert.

Sharing some details about the special, Lambert says, “[Y]ou’re going to hear Queen songs in new and different ways that you’ve not heard them before, sung by some of your favorites and I think there’s a lotta surprises in there as well. I’m really happy to be a part of it and I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Lambert will be featured singing “Show Must Go On” on the special, which is hosted by former Glee star Darren Criss. Other artists who will perform on the show include Fall Out Boy, former Alice Cooper guitarist Orianthi, Alessia Cara, Jimmie Allen, Miss Piggy, JoJo Siwa, OneRepublic and Pentatonix.

Previous installments of ABC’s Singalong specials have focused on Disney music, so perhaps it’s not surprising that the Queen-themed show also will feature the casts of the Broadway productions of Disney’s The Lion King and Aladdin.

The Queen Family Singalong airs tonight at 8 p.m ET on ABC.

Here’s a select list of performances from the special:

Adam Lambert –- “The Show Must Go On”
Derek Hough featuring Alexander Jean -– “Another One Bites the Dust”
Fall Out Boy -– “Under Pressure”
Jimmie Allen featuring Miss Piggy -– “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
JoJo Siwa and Orianthi -– “We Will Rock You”
OneRepublic -– “We Are the Champions”
Pentatonix –- “Somebody to Love”
The casts of Disney’s The Lion King and Aladdin — “Don’t Stop Me Now”
Alessia Cara — “We Are the Champions”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have shared a third advance track from their upcoming collaborative album, Raise the Roof, an atmospheric rendition of a 1965 song by late British folk guitar legend Bert Jansch titled “It Don’t Bother Me.”

The tune, which is available now via digital outlets, is the final advance song the duo plans to debut before the album’s November 19 release.

The track showcases Krauss’ lead vocals, some eclectic instrumentation, and guitar interplay from Marc Ribot and Los Lobos‘ David Hidalgo.

The Led Zeppelin singer says of recording “It Don’t Bother Me” for the new album, “I’ve been a big follower of Bert Jansch’s work since I was a teenager, and of that whole Irish, Scottish, English folk style that has a different lilt and different lyrical perspective. I was very keen to bring some of that into the picture.”

Adds Krauss, “One of my favorite parts of this is the songs and songwriters that I had never heard of. Working with Robert, and with [producer] T Bone [Burnett], is always a great education in music history.”

As previously reported, Raise the Roof features covers of “legends and unsung heroes of folk, blues, country and soul music,” as well as one original tune co-written by Plant and Burnett titled “High and Lonesome.”

“High and Lonesome” was one of the previously released tracks from Raise the Roof, along with the album’s lead single “Can’t Let Go,” a song written by Randy Weeks that previously was recorded by popular alt-country artist Lucinda Williams.

Raise the Roof can be pre-ordered now. It’s a follow-up to Plant and Krauss’ 2007 collaborative album Raising Sand, which won a total of five Grammys in 2009, including Album of the Year.

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The recently reported special screenings of an updated version of the Doors concert film Live at the Bowl ’68 take place in select theaters around the world tonight, November 4, to celebrate the 50th anniversary this year of the release of the band’s classic album L.A. Woman.

The event, dubbed The Doors: Live at the Bowl ’68 Special Edition, will feature the full movie, as well as footage of a new performance by surviving Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore, plus a conversation with Densmore, Krieger and the group’s manager, Jeff Jampol.

Krieger recently shared some details about the new performance with ABC Audio. Robby revealed that the performance was filmed a few weeks ago at his recording studio, and featured him and Densmore playing a couple songs with former Chicago singer/bassist Jason Scheff.

As Krieger explained, Jason has an interesting familial connection to The Doors.

“[H]is dad [Jerry] played bass on L.A. Woman,” Robby noted. “[A]nd he had his dad’s old Sunn amp that he actually used to play [on the] album.”

Jerry Scheff also played bass on a few other Doors albums, although he’s best known for being a longtime member of Elvis Presley‘s TCB Band.

Live at the Bowl ’68, which originally was released in 2012, features restored footage of a historic July 1968 show that The Doors played at Los Angeles’ famed Hollywood Bowl that’s widely considered one of the band’s best filmed performances.

The screenings feature a remastered audio mix in Dolby ATMOS and 5.1 surround sound created by longtime Doors engineer Bruce Botnick, who recorded the original Hollywood Bowl show.

You can buy tickets for the screenings now at TheDoorsFilm.com.

Meanwhile, as previously reported, an expanded 50th anniversary L.A. Woman reissue is due out December 3.

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The United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place in Glasgow, Scotland through November 12, and some of the world’s top musical artists are using their social platforms to help spread the word about the importance of taking action against the global threat.

Cyndi Lauper, Cher, Melissa Etheridge and Quincy Jones are among the music stars that have teamed up with the Right Here, Right Now Climate Alliance; throughout the end of the conference, they are posting messages aimed not just at world leaders, but at their millions of followers.

The goal is to mobilize half a billion people to urge the leaders to accelerate action against climate change, which can cause flooding, fires, extreme weather and destruction of species, not to mention its impact on poor and marginalized populations.

“We’re grateful for all of the celebrities who are helping promote climate change as a human rights crisis,” says David Clark, founder of Right Here, Right Now. “It is critically important that we humanize the issue through a human rights lens, as people need to understand the choices they make, have real impact on the lives of others.”

Other artists participating in the initiative include Jason Mraz, Pentatonix, Natasha Bedingfield and Camila Cabello.

Join the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and global partner @UNHumanRights in calling for the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow @COP26 to treat #ClimateChange as the #HumanRights crisis it is! Learn more about #RHRN to get involved now! https://t.co/ghpf06wngX pic.twitter.com/A6Pdhv6tW5

— Cyndi Lauper (@cyndilauper) November 2, 2021

 

 

 

 

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After being off the road since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carl Palmer and his current band ELP Legacy launches a new U.S. tour tonight in Warrendale, Pennsylvania.

The trek, which currently features 14 dates on the East Coast and Midwest, is mapped out through a November 21 concert in Wayne, New Jersey. More shows will be added to the schedule soon.

The tour will feature Palmer’s ELP Legacy marking the 50th anniversary of Carl’s old band, the legendary prog-rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

“Finally! The band and I are very eager to get back on stages in America, and around the rest of world, where possible,” says Palmer in a statement. “The show will have some material we have not played in years, as well as ELP’s best loved material. Visually, we will include footage in the show that reflects the highlights of ELP’s career.”

ELP Legacy is a power trio that also features guitarist/singer Paul Bielatowicz and bassist/Chapman stick player Simon Fitzpatrick.

Palmer is the sole surviving member of ELP, as keyboardist Keith Emerson and singer/bassist Greg Lake both died in 2016.

Meanwhile, Carl notes that the ELP Legacy tour marks the launch of a three-year series of events and releases celebrating the music and history of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Future plans include a limited-edition biography about the group, a new Palmer art collection focusing on ELP’s five main studio albums, a documentary, a film based on the band’s classic song “Karn Evil 9,” and a special trek that will feature Carl performing alongside archival footage of his late band mates.

Visit CarlPalmer.com to check out ELP Legacy’s full list of upcoming tour dates.

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Patti LaBelle, who has suffered from diabetes for over 25 years, is speaking to Congress on Thursday in conjunction with National Diabetes Awareness Month to advocate for better access to care for people with Type 2 diabetes.

“Diabetes is often invisible to everyone except those living with it, so we need to make it visible and help people access the care and technology they deserve,” the “On My Own” singer says in a statement.

LaBelle is joining the Diabetes Leadership Council for a virtual event that will convene policymakers, advocates and healthcare professionals to explore how disparities in diabetes caregiving and technology access impact vulnerable communities, especially in communities of color.

In an Instagram video, the 77-year-old icon revealed she discovered she had diabetes after falling during a concert in the 1990s in Albany, New York. “The stage was moving around, so I passed out, but I thought was I dizzy,” Patti recalls. “I was rushed to the hospital and the doctor came and said you’re type 2 diabetic.”

For those who try to hide the illness, the two-time Grammy winner says, “My advice to those who are shamed of saying they’re diabetic is that you’re crazy. Say it and live with it and smile. I have diabetes, but diabetes does not have me.”

The “Diabetes Technology: Disparities, Access, Equity” event with Congress, featuring Patti, can be viewed this Thursday, November 4, at 12 p.m ET/ 90 a.m. PT, on The Hill website.

 

 

 

 

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