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Motown legend Smokey Robinson is among the artists who will be recognized at this year’s Songs of Hope virtual gala.
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will receive the Clive Davis Legend in Songwriting award in acknowledgement of his career achievements as a composer.
Jimmy Jam will co-host the event, which will stream on September 30 starting at 6:30 p.m. PT.
The Songs of Hope gala was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Previous Legend in Songwriting award honorees have included Burt Bacharach and Diane Warren.
The Songs of Hope gala raises money for the City of Hope charity’s mission to eliminate cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.
After teasing it on social media on Tuesday, Elton John has now confirmed plans to release a star-studded compilation called The Lockdown Sessions.
Due out on October 22, the album collects the many collaborations that Elton worked on after he was forced to put his Farewell tour on pause due to COVID-19. Among these are new songs that he recorded with Stevie Nicks and Stevie Wonder.
“The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one-off projects kept cropping up,” Elton explains. “Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens.”
He adds, “But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory.”
The Lockdown Sessions features Elton collaborating with more than 20 artists over 16 tracks, 10 of which are previously unreleased. The unreleased tracks include his collaborations with Nicks and Wonder, as well as with the late Glen Campbell, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, Nicki Minaj, Lil Nas X and Charlie Puth.
Also included is his new single with Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix),” and the all-star version of Metallica‘s “Nothing Else Matters” that he recorded with Miley Cyrus, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, guitarist/producer Andrew Watt, and famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
In an Instagram message, Elton adds that he’s also working on a regular album with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, which will be his next release.
Here’s The Lockdown Sessions track list:
Elton John & Dua Lipa — “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)”
Elton John, Young Thug & Nicki Minaj — “Always Love You”
Surfaces feat. Elton John — “Learn to Fly”
Elton John & Charlie Puth — “After All”
Rina Sawayama & Elton John — “Chosen Family”
Gorillaz feat. Elton John & 6LACK — “The Pink Phantom”
Elton John & Years & Years — “It’s a sin” (global reach mix)
Miley Cyrus feat. WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo & Chad Smith — “Nothing Else Matters”
Elton John & SG Lewis — “Orbit”
Elton John & Brandi Carlile — “Simple Things”
Jimmie Allen & Elton John — “Beauty in the Bones”
Lil Nas X feat. Elton John — “One Of Me”
Elton John & Eddie Vedder — “E-Ticket”
Elton John & Stevie Wonder — “Finish Line”
Elton John & Stevie Nicks — “Stolen Car”
Glen Campbell & Elton John — “I’m Not Gonna Miss You”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers announced that they were postponing for upcoming concerts “[o]ut of an abundance of caution — shows that had been scheduled for September 2 in Clarkson, Michigan; September 4 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania; September 5 in Toledo, Ohio; and September 8 in Cincinnati.
The tour features a reunion with former Doobie Brothers singer/keyboardist Michael McDonald, but it appears that McDonald may be the reason for the postponements. According to Minneapolis newspaper the Star Tribune, McDonald sat out the band’s most recent show, a performance Tuesday at the Minnesota State Fair, because had come down with COVID-19.
The paper reports that during the concert, Doobie Brothers member Patrick Simmons explained to the crowd that Michael was “recuperating and isolating,” adding, “We hope to have him back in a week or so.”
Simmons also noted that McDonald “had his vaccine…But the show must go on.”
According to The Doobie Brothers’ announcement, the tour is expected to get underway again on September 9 in in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Fans who have purchased tickets to the postponed concerts are being encouraged to hold on to them, as they will honored when the dates are rescheduled.
Prior to the Minnesota State Fair show, founding Doobies frontman Tom Johnston told the Star Tribune a COVID compliance officer is traveling with the group on the tour, and that all band members and crew personnel have been vaccinated.
The Doobie Brothers’ postponements come after KISS had to postpone a series of concerts because both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tested positive for COVID-19.
The Doors will release a deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of their classic 1971 album, L.A. Woman, on December 3.
L.A. Woman: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be available as a three-CD/one-LP set that features a newly remastered version of the album on one CD, two bonus CDs of unreleased studio outtakes, and the new stereo mix of the original album pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Released in April 1971, L.A. Woman was the last album The Doors recorded with their iconic frontman, Jim Morrison, who died on July 3, 1971, at age 27. The album reached #9 on the Billboard 200 chart, and yielded two hit singles, “Love Her Madly” and “Riders on the Storm,” which peaked at #11 and #14, respectively, on Billboard‘s Hot 100. Among the record’s other memorable songs is the title track, which remains a classic rock radio staple.
Among the unreleased tracks is the original demo of “Riders on the Storm,” which was recorded at Sunset Sound studio before The Doors relocated to their rehearsal space in Santa Monica, California, to make the album. The demo is available now as an advanced digital track, while an animated companion video has premiered on YouTube.
Other unreleased recordings on the reissue include covers of Junior Parker‘s “Mystery Train,” John Lee Hooker‘s “Crawling King Snake,” Big Joe Williams‘ “Baby Please Don’t Go” and Lee Dorsey‘s “Get Out of My Life Woman.” Also among the bonus tracks are multiple consecutive takes of “The Changeling,” “Love Her Madly,” “Riders on the Storm” and “L.A. Woman.”
Longtime Doors engineer Bruce Botnick, who originally produced L.A. Woman, also created the album’s new stereo mix. The reissue features liner notes penned by acclaimed rock journalist David Fricke.
Here’s the full track list of the L.A. Woman deluxe reissue’s CDs:
Disc One: L.A. Woman – Original Stereo Mix Remastered
“The Changeling”
“Love Her Madly”
“Been Down So Long”
“Cars Hiss by My Window”
“L.A. Woman”
“L’America”
“Hyacinth House”
“Crawling King Snake”
“The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”
“Riders on the Storm”
Bonus Tracks
“Hyacinth House” (Demo)
“Riders on the Storm” (Sunset Sound Version – Original Demo)*
Disc Two: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 1
“The Changeling”*
“Love Her Madly”*
“Riders on the Storm”*
“L.A. Woman” (Part 1)*
Disc Three: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 2
“L.A. Woman” (Part 2)*
“She Smells So Nice”*
“Rock Me Baby”*
“Mr. Mojo Risin'”*
“Baby Please Don’t Go”*
“L.A. Woman” (Part 3)*
“Been Down So Long”*
“Get Out of My Life Woman”*
“Crawling King Snake”*
“The Bastard Son of Jimmy & Mama Reed (Cars Hiss by My Window)”*
“Been Down So Long”*
“Mystery Train”*
“The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”*
Eric Ryan Anderson/A&M/Interscope/Cherrytree Records
Sting has announced plans for a new album, The Bridge, which will be released on November 19. The upbeat first single, “If It’s Love,” which describes being in love as some kind of symptom, is out now on all digital platforms.
Speaking about the song, Sting says in a statement, “I’m certainly not the first songwriter to equate falling in or out of love with an incurable sickness, nor will I be the last. ‘If It’s Love’ is my addition to that canon where the tropes of metaphorical symptoms, diagnosis, and downright incapacity are all familiar enough to make each of us smile ruefully.”
Sting wrote and recorded The Bridge over the past year in lockdown, with the musicians contributing their parts remotely.As for the title, he explains, “These songs are between one place and another, between one state of mind and another, between life and death, between relationships. Between pandemics, and between eras — politically, socially and psychologically, all of us are stuck in the middle of something. We need a bridge.”
The Bridge, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available in various formats, including standard and deluxe CD and vinyl, and on cassette. The deluxe CD and vinyl versions will feature bonus tracks, including a cover of Otis Redding‘s “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.”
The Bridge is Sting’s first solo album of original material since 2016’s 57th & 9th.
Sting will return to performing live later this month with a September 27 gig in Sicily, Italy, followed by two shows in Greece. His Las Vegas residency, My Songs, kicks off October 29.
Here’s The Bridge‘s full track list:
“Rushing Water”
“If It’s Love”
“The Book of Numbers”
“Loving You”
“Harmony Road”
“For Her Love”
“The Hills on the Border”
“Captain Bateman”
“The Bells of St. Thomas”
“The Bridge”
“Waters of Tyne”*
“Captain Bateman’s Basement”*
“(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”*
“I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City”**
Here’s wishing a Happy 75th Birthday to Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of The Bee Gees.
Barry formed The Bee Gees with younger brothers Robin and Maurice, and the group’s first success came in Australia in the early 1960s after the Gibb family moved there from the U.K.
The Bee Gees’ career took off internationally after the Gibbs moved back to the U.K. in 1967.
The group’s first U.S. hit was “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” which peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in ’67. Over the next several years, the group scored such other hits as “To Love Somebody,” “Massachusetts,” “Words,” “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” “Lonely Days” and the chart-topping “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.”
In the mid-’70s, The Bee Gees began exploring a more danceable, R&B-influenced sound that featured Barry’s signature falsetto vocals, leading to hits like “Jive Talkin’,” “Nights on Broadway,” and “You Should Be Dancing.”
In 1977, The Bee Gees were catapulted to super-stardom with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which helped launch the disco craze. The album ultimately went 16-times platinum on the strength of the #1 hits “Night Fever,” “How Deep Is Your Love” and “Stayin’ Alive.”
The Bee Gees’ popularity began waning by 1980 thanks partly to a backlash against disco, but Barry and his brothers continued to have success writing songs for other artists, including their youngest brother, Andy, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton, Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross.
The Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Sadly, Maurice and Robin died in 2003 and 2012, respectively.
In recent years, Barry has focused on a solo career. His latest album, a star-studded duets collection Greenfields, was released in January.
Former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum counts himself among the many musicians who were influenced and inspired by late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who died a week ago today at age 80.
Sorum is known for his powerful, hard-hitting style, while Watts’ drumming had more of a jazz swing to it, but Matt tells ABC Audio that he aspired to the way Charlie and The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr played so well with their respective band mates.
“I looked up to Charlie and Ringo as band guys, song drummers, and I always wanted to place myself in there,” Sorum explains. “I just want to play what’s right for the song. You know, I got some chops and stuff, and I could do stuff, but the most important thing is figuring out what’s gonna make the song sound great. So, Charlie was a really huge influence in that.”
Reflecting on what Watts brought to The Stones, Matt notes, “[He was] such a pivotal guy, like a guy that’s so important in the foundation and the heartbeat.”
Sorum says fans can get an idea of what Watts contributed to The Stones by watching the 1968 film Sympathy for the Devil, which documents how the band’s famous song of the same name came together in the studio.
“[I]t takes him nine days to find the groove,” Matt points out. “And you watch that and you understand why The Stones’ groove and sound is so great.”
As previously reported, Sorum is preparing to release a candid memoir titled Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘n’ Roll Stories in the coming weeks. You can pre-order the book now at RareBirdLit.com.
KISS recently postponed a few tour dates after singer/guitarist Paul Stanley tested positive for COVID-19 last week, and now the band has announced that four additional shows have been postponed because Stanley’s co-founding band mate Gene Simmons also has contracted the virus.
A message on KISS’ official website reads, “While Paul Stanley recently tweeted that he has recovered from COVID, Gene Simmons has now tested positive and is experiencing mild symptoms. The band and crew will remain at home and isolate for the next 10 days.”
The note reports that “doctors have indicated the tour should be able to resume on September 9th at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.”
The newly postponed concerts were scheduled for September 1 in Clarkston, Michigan; September 2 in Dayton, Ohio; September 4 in Tinley Park, Illinois; and September 5 in Milwaukee. The last show was to have been part of Milwaukee’s Summerfest.
Tickets that were purchased for the postponed concerts will be honored for the rescheduled dates when they are announced. Additional details will be emailed to ticketholders.
These four postponed shows follow three other dates that were delayed when Stanley revealed his diagnosis last week. The earlier concerts had been scheduled for August 26 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania; August 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina; and August 29 in Atlanta.
Yesterday, Stanley tweeted, “My COVID symptoms were MILD compared to many others and let me tell you…It kicked my a**. It’s over now.”
In other news, KISS also has postponed the 2021 Australian leg of its End of the Road Tour because of ongoing COVID restrictions. The trek, which had been scheduled for November and December of this year has been moved to March and April of 2022. Visit KISSOnline.com for full details.
On social media, Rob Thomas has been teasing the fact that he’s recording his first Christmas album, but getting in that Yuletide spirit in the middle of summer is hard. Thank goodness for the Hallmark Channel.
“They have this thing called ‘Christmas in July,’ so in the studio I have this big-screen TV with no sound on and Christmas lights everywhere,” Rob tellsRolling Stone, explaining how he set a holiday mood as he recorded the project. “My whole bubble of people would know what I was doing. Whenever I was talking to someone on the phone, before they got off they’d say, ‘Merry Christmas, Rob.'”
The album features original songs, as well as covers of songs by Bryan Adams and Ray Charles, plus guest appearances by Ingrid Michaelson, gospel star Bebe Winans and country star Brad Paisley.
“It’s something I’ve always kind of wanted to do,” the Matchbox Twenty frontman tells Rolling Stone. “But I didn’t think anybody needs to hear me sing ‘Jingle Bells.’ You know, nobody needs to hear anybody honestly sing ‘Jingle Bells’ again. But I think I managed to pick some really cool covers, so I think it’s got its own original sound.”
So far, the album doesn’t have a title or a release date. Rob tells Rolling Stone he’s also working on a solo album, and of course, he just released a new single, “Move,” with his pal Carlos Santana.
A recent book about The Rolling Stones‘ Charlie Watts has received a big sales boost following the passing of the legendary rock drummer, Billboard reports.
Sympathy for the Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters, which originally was published in hardcover and digital editions in November 2019 and was released this past August 1 in paperback, has bounded into the top 10 of Amazon’s latest “Best Sellers in Music History & Criticism” list.
The hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions of the book, which was written by veteran author, editor and musician Mike Edison, currently are at #2, #4 and #8, respectively on the list. The hardback version of the biography also sits at #8 Amazon’s “Best Sellers in Rock Band Biographies” list.
Sympathy for the Drummer follows Watts’ life from his early days playing in London’s jazz and R&B scene to joining The Rolling Stones and accompanying the group as they became the biggest rock band on the planet. The book also examines Charlie’s swinging drum style, his work as a composer and producer, his close camaraderie and long relationship with his Stones band mates.
A description of the biography at BackbeatBooks.com characterizes Watts as “the anti-rock star — an urbane jazz fan with a dry wit and little taste for the limelight — [who] was witness to the most savage years in rock history, and emerged a hero, a warrior poet.”
In addition to the hardcover, paperback and Kindle versions, Sympathy for the Drummer is available as an audio book read by Edison. You can check out a NSFW video featuring the author reading a section of the book on YouTube.
Watts died at a London hospital on August 24 at the age of 80.
