Classic Hits

The Gap Band has dropped their lawsuit against BMG.

Back in January, the family of band members Ronnie J. Wilson and Robert Lynn Wilson sued the label, claiming they were owed back royalties from the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars hit “Uptown Funk.” The band is credited as co-writers on the song because it samples their 1979 single “Oops Upside Your Head,” and a 2015 deal gave them a 3.4 percent stake in its profits.

The suit claimed that BMG “failed and refused” to pay them royalties, accusing the label of keeping the money “for its own benefit and enjoyment” or “wrongfully” diverting the money elsewhere. BMG has always maintained the allegations were without merit, and now the families have dropped their suit against the label.

BMG says they paid no settlement or money to get them to drop the suit, adding they take “seriously its commitment to treat artists fairly and transparently and its reputation for doing so.” 

Regarding The Gap Band, the label says they “are proud to represent many of their music publishing and recording rights.”  

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Looks like Roger Waters’ concert in Frankfurt will go on as planned.

As previously reported, the local city council canceled his May show in the city due to the Pink Floyd member’s political beliefs, accusing him of being “one of the world’s most well-known antisemites.” Waters threatened to sue, and he has come out victorious.

According to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, a Frankfurt administrative court has ruled that Waters’ free speech was violated when the show was canceled and that the concert’s organizer, Messe Frankfurt, the state and the city had an obligation to stick to their contract and “make it possible for Waters to stage the concert.”

While the court acknowledged that Waters’ show features symbolism associated with National Socialism, it doesn’t believe he is promoting any Nazi propaganda. It did note that it was in “especially poor taste” for the concert to happen at Frankfurt Festhalle, a location where over 3,000 Jews were detained and abused in November 1938 before being sent to concentration camps, but they ruled the show would “not be injurious to the human dignity of those people.”

The Frankfurt stop on Waters’ This Is Not A Drill tour is scheduled to take place May 28. The tour hits Zurich, Switzerland, on April 25. A complete list of dates can be found at rogerwaters.com.

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On This Day, April 25, 1987…

Three weeks after its release, U2’s The Joshua Tree hit number one on the Billboard 200 album chart.

The album, the band’s fifth studio release, was U2’s first U.S. chart-topper, and it remained at number one for nine weeks.

The record included future U2 classics “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” which remain U2’s only number-one singles in the U.S., as well as “Where the Streets Have No Name.”

The Irish rockers went on to have seven more number one albums: 1988’s Rattle and Hum, 1991’s Achtung Baby, 1993’s Zooropa, 1997’s Pop, 2004’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, 2009’s No Line on the Horizon, and 2017’s Songs of Experience.

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U2 just confirmed dates for their Las Vegas shows, U2: UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, which will kick off in September. The shows will be without drummer Larry Mullen Jr., which has upset some fans, but The Edge doesn’t seem concerned about fans accepting fill-in Bram van den Berg behind the drum kit.

The Edge tells Variety rehearsals for the show have “been fun” and says so far Bram has been “doing an incredible job.”

The Edge admits Bram has “some serious shoes to fill,” noting, “Larry is one of the greatest drummers of his era, so that’s in no doubt.” But, he says, “I think everyone will be very happy when they get to see us live,” adding, “The songs are sounding incredible, and it’s just so much fun to play them again. We just had a real blast in the rehearsal room.”

Since this will be the first show ever at the Sphere at The Venetian, The Edge expects there may be some bumps in the road they have to deal with, and he’s ready for the challenge.

“Inevitably, you know, when you’re doing something for the very first time, as this is on multiple levels, there’s going to be surprises along the way. And I think we’re OK with that,” he says. “You know, this is rock ‘n’ roll. It should feel a little dangerous. It should feel a little like there’s some jeopardy in the air.”

So far, the U2 Sphere shows will consist of five dates: September 29 and 30, and October 5, 7 and 8. Verified fan registration is open until Wednesday, April 26, at 10 a.m. ET, with the presale happening Thursday, April 27. 

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Looks like Aerosmith fans have something to look forward to. The band is amping up anticipation for some big news with a countdown clock on their website, which is counting down to May 1 at 10 a.m. ET.

Although there’s no official word yet on what’s coming, it sounds like it may be some tour dates. Especially since last week the Boston Globe reported that the band is expected to announce a 40-city U.S. tour. 

If it is indeed a tour, it will be Aerosmith’s first full North American tour since 2015, although they have been performing their Deuces Wild residency in Las Vegas since 2019. In addition, last September they played two shows, one in Maine and one at Boston’s Fenway Park.

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Willie Nelson, who turns 90 on April 29, has announced a fall leg of his annual Outlaw Music Festival Tour, where he’ll be joined by Bobby Weir & Wolf Brothers featuring The Wolf Pack, Gov’t Mule, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs and more.

The new leg kicks off September 8 in Raleigh, North Carolina, wrapping October 15 in Pelham, Alabama. Lineups will vary per show, but other artists on the bill include Tedeschi Trucks Band, The String Cheese Incident, Los Lobos and The Avett Brothers.

“I am so thrilled to announce these additional dates for our 2023 Outlaw Music Festival Tour,” says Willie. “I can’t wait to keep the celebration of my 90th birthday going into the fall with this great lineup of artists, my friends and family, and of course, the amazing fans.”

A presale for the new shows begins Wednesday, April 26, at 10 a.m. local time, with a general sale set for Friday, April 28, at 10 a.m. local time.

The first leg of the 2023 Outlaw Music Festival kicks off June 23 in Somerset, Wisconsin, with a lineup that includes Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, John Fogerty and more. A complete list of Outlaw Music Festival dates, and lineups, can be found at willienelson.com.

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Scottish duo The Proclaimers have been dropped from King Charles‘ official coronation playlist — because of their “anti-royal” views.

Their worldwide 1993 hit “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, was one of 27 songs selected for the playlist, which includes music by artists from all over the U.K. and the Commonwealth. It no longer appears on the playlist, however, and the BBC reports it’s been removed by the British government.

The reason? According to the BBC, during an event for the king last year, a man was arrested for shouting, “Who elected him?” Following the arrest, Proclaimers member Charlie Reid said, “I thought that guy spoke for me, and he speaks for loads of other people. Not just in Scotland, but right around the UK.”

In addition, the band released a song called “In Recognition” in 2007, which they said was about “our overwhelming contempt for people on the left in this country who snipe against the royal family and then end up taking honors [like knighthoods].”

They continued, “For people who believe in the monarchy (we’re don’t, we’re republicans) then that’s fair enough, we don’t have a problem with that. But we feel total contempt for people who … declare that they’re against the monarchy but then think it’s ok to take an honor in later life.”

Artists remaining on the playlist include The Beatles, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, David Bowie, Coldplay, Spice Girls, Harry Styles, Kate Bush and Michael Bublé.

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With one week left to go in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Fan Vote, two icons of ’80s music, George Michael and Cyndi Lauper, are the leading the ballot. Another ’80s music icon who was inducted in 2021, tells ABC Audio that she’d love to see Cyndi get the honor.

Go-Go‘s singer Belinda Carlisle has known Cyndi for a while and worked with her a few years ago. Early in 2023, Belinda and Cyndi were two of five famous female singers who teamed up to sing on “Gonna Be You,” a Diane Warren song from the soundtrack of the movie 80 for Brady.

For her part, Belinda says Cyndi definitely deserves a spot in the Rock Hall.

“Oh, absolutely. I think she’s a one of a kind,” Belinda tells ABC Audio.

“And she has an amazing voice, and she’s done a lot of really good work outside of music,” Belinda adds, referring to Cyndi’s many charitable initiatives. “So I think that she definitely deserves that. And so does Cher, by the way.”

While we wait to find out whether or not Cyndi’s made the cut, Belinda says she hopes that she, Cyndi and the rest of the “Gonna Be You” singers — Gloria Estefan, Blondie‘s Debbie Harry and Dolly Parton — will one day be able to team up for a join performance of the track.

“I did my vocals in Mexico City. That’s where I live,” explains Belinda. “Everybody did their part separately in the video and the track. But I’m really hoping that something comes along where we can all sing the song together in the same room.”

Meanwhile, Diane Warren also penned all the songs on Belinda’s upcoming EP Kismet, which is coming out May 5. The first single, “Big Big Love,” is out now.

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After announcing the news in February, U2 has finally revealed dates for their much-anticipated Las Vegas residency U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere.

Taking place at the new venue Sphere at The Venetian, the residency will consist of five dates: September 29 and 30, and October 5, 7 and 8.

“Over playing a theater, most music venues are sports venues … they’re built for sport, they’re not built for music, they’re not built for art,” Bono tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about the venue. “So this building was built for immersive experiences in cinema and performance … you can’t come here and see an ice hockey game.” The Edge adds, “The sound has been designed as a priority from the beginning. Best sound I’m sure we’ll ever hear.”

Tickets for the residency will be sold using Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan, with registration open until Wednesday, April 26, at 10 a.m. ET. The Verified Fan presale will then begin April 27. As for pricing, tickets start at $140, all in, with 60% of the house guaranteed to be under $300.

U2 first teased the residency with a commercial during February’s Super Bowl. When it was officially announced they revealed the shows will be happening without drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who is sitting out the shows as he recuperates from surgery. Drummer Bram van den Berg will be filling in behind the drum kit.

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On This Day, April 24, 1989…

Tom Petty released his first solo album Full Moon Fever.

Although it wasn’t billed as a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers record, most of the Heartbreakers were on the album, as was Petty’s Traveling Wilburys bandmates Jeff Lynne, George Harrison and Roy Orbison. 

The album featured a trio of hit songs, including “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down,” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”

Full Moon Fever went on to be a huge success for Petty, peaking at three on the Billboard Album chart. It was also certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA and in 2019 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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