Classic Hits

The Beatles‘ Let It Be will be among the albums profiled during the second season of the Amazon Original weekly podcast Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums, which premieres at Amazon Music on November 16.

As its name suggest, the episodic podcast delves into records that were chosen for Rolling Stone magazine’s latest list of the 500 greatest albums. Each episode takes a behind-the-scenes look at how one specific album on the list was made, featuring interviews with people associated with the record, and sometimes including the artists themselves.

The Let It Be episode will kick off season two of the podcast. Interviews with surviving Beatles members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are featured in the presentation, discussing details about how the band’s final studio album came together, and the whether the common perception that the band members were angry with each other throughout the project is accurate.

Also appearing in the podcast are Giles Martin, son of late Beatles producer George Martin, and filmmaker Peter Jackson, director of Get Back: The Beatles, the upcoming Disney+ docuseries focusing on the Let It Be sessions.

Other upcoming episodes of the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums podcast include shows focusing on Britney Spears‘ Blackout, jazz artist Alice Coltrane‘s Journey in Satchidananda, Dolly Parton‘s Coat of Many Colors, and Weezer‘s self-titled 1989 studio effort, a.k.a. The Blue Album.

Season two of the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums podcast will be available exclusively at Amazon Music and Wondery+.

You can check out a trailer for the new season, and episodes from the podcast’s first season, at Amazon.com.

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Arizona’s baseball-themed Innings Festival is coming to the East Coast next year.

The inaugural Innings Festival Florida will take place March 19-20 in Tampa, and Green Day will headline the bill on the first day. The lineup also includes Goo Goo Dolls, second-day headliners The Lumineers, Incubus, 311, Jimmy Eat World, O.A.R., Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Skip Marley, X-Files star and singer David Duchovny, among others.

As with the Arizona fest, Innings Florida coincides with the MLB spring training season, and will feature guest appearances by baseball greats including Ozzie Smith, Gary Sheffield, John Kruk, Lou Piniella, Bucky Dent, Andruw Jones and Tino Martinez.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 5, at 10 a.m. ET. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit InningsFestival.com/Florida.

If you still prefer your baseball music festival with a side of dry heat instead of humidity, Innings Arizona takes place next year on February 26 and 27 in Tempe. The lineup includes headliners Foo Fighters and Tame Impala, as well as Fitz and the Tantrums, St. Vincent, My Morning Jacket, Dashboard Confessional and others.

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Paul McCartney‘s new book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, was released today.

As previously reported, the two-volume book profiles 154 songs McCartney wrote throughout his career, and features his commentary about each tune, as well as handwritten lyric sheets, rare personal photos, drawings and rough drafts of songs.

To celebrate The Lyrics‘ publication, Sir Paul has answered several fan-submitted questions about his songwriting as part of a new installment of his website’s “You Gave Me the Answer” feature.

One fan asked if, while putting the book together, “lyrics or memories…came back to you and reminded you of a time you’d forgotten,” to which McCartney responded that reviewing some of his tunes wound up being like visiting a psychiatrist for him.

“[R]evisiting the first song I ever wrote ‘I Lost My Little Girl’…kind of turned into a therapy session, because I thought I was happily writing a little pop song when I was fourteen,” he noted, “but if you look at the timing of it I had just lost my mother.” Paul added that it made him realize he may have subliminally written the tune about his mom.

He also pointed out that “Yesterday” may have been partly inspired by losing his mother. McCartney said thinking about the writing of other songs brought back “surprising memories,” such as hitchhiking trips he took with John Lennon and George Harrison.

Asked if he had rules or a formula for writing a song, McCartney said definitely not. “[I]t’s not like building a car or fixing a television, it’s something that is very different each time you do it,” he noted. “In fact, you don’t want to learn a set of rules because that’s what keeps it interesting!”

Check out the full Q&A at PaulMcCartney.com.

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Midas Man, an upcoming biopic about late Beatles manager Brian Epstein, will continue production although its director, Jonas Akerlund, apparently will be dropping off the project, Variety reports.

According to Variety, sources have revealed that Akerlund currently is “taking a break” from filming and likely will not return.

The movie began shooting two weeks ago in Liverpool, U.K., but the production was put on hold this week. A source close to the production confirmed to Variety that the shoot may start up again as soon as next week, and if Akerlund doesn’t return, a new director will be announced soon.

“The director of Midas Man Jonas Akerlund is taking a break from the film,” says StudioPOW co-founder Perry Trevers, whose company is co-producing the movie. “Until some matters become clearer we are not able to add any further comment to this statement. In the meantime we can confirm that filming of Midas Man will continue in London in November before breaking for Christmas. Filming will restart in early January in Los Angeles.”

Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, whose credits include The Queen’s Gambit and Wolf Hall, has been cast as Epstein in the film, while Outlander actress Rosie Day is portraying pop star Cilla Black.

Akerlund’s credits include directing videos for Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and many others. He won Grammys for McCartney’s Live Kisses film, as well as for Madonna’s The Confessions Tour concert video and “Ray of Light” music video.

Epstein discovered The Beatles in 1961 and officially became their manager the following year, helping to guide the group to superstardom. He also managed such other Liverpool acts as Black and Gerry and the Pacemakers. Brian died in 1967 of an apparent accidental sleeping-pill overdose. He was 32.

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Now that Mariah Carey has officially declared it to be the start of the Christmas season, what better time for her to announce her latest holiday project?

For the second year in a row, the Queen of Christmas will have her own Apple TV+ special.  Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues will debut in December and will feature R&B/pop star Khalid and gospel music legend Kirk Franklin. All three artists will perform their new single, “Fall In Love at Christmas,” which is available for pre-order now. 

The single officially drops on Friday but you can hear a snippet now on Instagram.

You can also stream last year’s presentation, Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, which featured Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Tiffany Haddish, Billy Eichner, Snoop Dogg and ballerina Misty Copeland.

In other Mariah news, her best-selling memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, is out today in paperback.

 

 

 

 

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ZZ Top has partnered with the Waco, Texas-based Balcones Distilling company to create the band’s own unique brand of whiskey, Tres Hombres, named after the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame trios 1973 studio album.

In celebration of ZZ Top’s legacy, the liquor is made using three different grains — roasted blue corn, barley and rye.

Tres Hombres whiskey is available for pre-order now at BalconesDistilling.com and can be ordered soon at KegNBottle.com. The spirits will be available at liquor stores throughout Texas and in select other states starting in mid-November.

“ZZ Top’s love of Texas runs deep and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate that than by creating something together with Balcones — The Original Texas Whisky,” says the band’s manager, Carl Stubner, about the new collaboration. “Tres Hombres exemplifies what can be achieved when brands care deeply about their respective products and legacy.”

Adds Balcones Distilling’s head distiller, Jared Himstedt, “It was incredible to collaborate with the ZZ Top team to develop an exclusive whisky that celebrates ZZ Top’s and Balcones’ shared Texas roots. To actually get to taste through the blending process with ZZ Top and make a whisky that synthesizes our joint vision for Tres Hombres was an honor.”

In other news, ZZ Top’s 2021 U.S. tour continues this Saturday, November 6, in Key West, Florida. The trek winds down December 12 in Midland, Texas.

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Alice Cooper has announced plans for his first series of U.S. shows in 2022.

The shock rocker has lined up eight concerts in the Midwest and Southeast prior to his previously headlining appearance on next year’s Monsters of Rock Cruise in February.

The performances kick off on January 28 in Cincinnati and run through a February 8 show in Orlando, Florida.

Tickets for the concerts go on sale to the general public this Friday, November 5, at 10 a.m. local time, while a VIP pre-sale tickets will be available starting today, November 2, at 10 a.m. local time.

As previously reported, the 2022 Monsters of Rock Cruise sets sail from Miami on February 9 and visits the Haitian island of CocoCay and Labadee in the Bahamas before returning to port on February 14.

Besides Alice, the cruise will feature more than 30 other acts, including Queensryche, Winger, Cinderella‘s Tom Keifer, Skid Row, Great White, LA Guns, Kix, Pat Travers, Lit, Vixen, Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks, Loudness, Y&T, Faster Pussycat, current Whitesnake guitarist Joel Hoekstra, ex-Motley Crue singer John Corabi, former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes and many more.

Cooper also is scheduled to mount a major European tour that kicks off in May of next year.

Alice continues to promote his latest studio album, Detroit Stories, which was released in February. The record is an homage to the hard-edged rock music of Cooper’s childhood hometown.

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Longtime Moody Blues singer/bassist John Lodge has released a live performance of his band’s classic 1968 song “Ride My See-Saw” as an advance track from his forthcoming concert album, The Royal Affair and After, which is due out December 3 on CD and digital formats.

As previously reported, the album features performances from a 2019 Las Vegas show that Lodge and his 10,000 Light Years Band played while serving as an opening act on the Yes-headlined Royal Affair Tour, as well as select songs recorded during John’s subsequent U.S. solo trek.

For the live rendition of “Ride My See-Saw,” Lodge and the group were joined on backing vocals by current Yes frontman Jon Davison.

The performance is available now as a digital download and via streaming services. A companion video has premiered on Lodge’s official YouTube channel that features footage of Lodge, his band and Davison combined with some animated celestial images.

Reflecting on the meaning behind “Ride My See-Saw,” John notes that the song “is really about how life is full of highs and lows, you can’t ride the wave forever…and the secret to me is to find a balance to keep the glass half full…something I’ve thought about a lot over the last 18 months.”

The Royal Affair and After also will be released as a limited-edition blue-vinyl LP on January 28, 2022.

In other news, Lodge has confirmed a series of 2022 U.S. concerts that will run from a March 8 show in Norfolk, Connecticut, through a March 26 gig in Dania Beach, Florida. After that trek, John will take part in the 2022 Flower Power Cruise, which sets sail from Miami on March 28. Visit JohnLodge.com for his full itinerary.

Here’s the live album’s complete track list:

“Steppin’ in a Slide Zone”
“Saved by the Music”
“Legend of a Mind”
“Sunset”
“Late Lament” (with Graeme Edge)
“Nights in White Satin” (with Jon Davison)
“Gemini Dream”
“Isn’t Life Strange”
“I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)”
“Ride My See-Saw” (with Jon Davison)

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U2 has joined the growing ranks of famous rock bands that have launched their own official account on TikTok.

In conjunction with the debut of their TikTok site, @U2, the Irish rockers premiered a 25-second clip of a brand-new song called “Your Song Saved My Life” that will get its official release this Wednesday, November 3.

“Your Song Saved My Life” will appear on the soundtrack album for the upcoming movie Sing 2, which, as previously reported, features Bono making his animated film debut as the voice of a rock-star lion character named Clay Calloway. The flick is scheduled to premiere on December 21.

Among the classic U2 songs that are currently available in the TikTok library include “Beautiful Day,” “With or Without You,” “Vertigo,” “Sweetest Thing,” “One” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.”

Besides the “Your Song Saved My Life” preview, U2’s TikTok also highlights a clip featuring a montage of the band’s songs and music videos.

In addition, because this November marks the 30th anniversary of the release of U2’s memorable 1991 album Achtung Baby, archival footage of the band performing songs from the record live will be posted on the group’s TikTok account throughout the month.

TikTok users can discover the available U2 songs at the platform’s Sounds Page, while you also can check out a selection of the group’s newly arrived tracks in the Greatest Hits Guest Playlist.

New track ‘Your Song Saved My Life’ from @singmovie is out Wednesday!
Check out @tiktok_us for an exclusive preview + all U2 songs now available. #ClayCalloway pic.twitter.com/LzbcTmz7b9

— U2 (@U2) November 1, 2021

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Foreigner and Rob Thomas will help bring some holiday cheer to the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will air live on NBC from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 25.

The veteran rockers will be featured on “The House of Marvelous Milestones” float, sponsored by New York Life, while the Matchbox Twenty frontman will appear on the Hallmark Channel’s “Heartwarming Holiday Countdown” float. 

Among the other music artists scheduled to appear or perform during the parade are rapper Nelly, R&B singer Kelly Rowland, pop singer-songwriter Andy Grammer, Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, The Late Show band leader Jon Batiste, and country stars Carrie Underwood, Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Chris Lane.

The annual New York City event will be hosted by Today show co-hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker.

In other news, Foreigner has a series of upcoming 2021 U.S. shows, scheduled from a concert this Thursday, November 4, in Corbin, Kentucky, through a November 21 performance in Estero, Florida. The latter gig is a previously reported benefit show headlined by John Fogerty that will raise money for The Charity Pro’s organization.

In addition, Foreigner will play a special livestream concert on November 11 exclusively for Barclays Bank US Mastercard members who have AARP Credits Cards. You can visit AARPcreditcard.com to find out how to become a member.

Thomas, meanwhile, recently released a holiday album titled Something About Christmas Time.

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