Classic Hits

It was a busy year for Paul McCartney, including a long-awaited headlining set at the United Kingdom’s Glastonbury Music Festival. Now he’s reflecting on the experience in a new essay for the BBC, in which he also shares some personal behind-the-scenes photo from the big day.

“Festivals are special, but Glastonbury is particularly so and it’s a big event in lots of people’s year,” he shares. “Because it had been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, it became more important to pull it off.”

Sir Paul writes that Bruce Springsteen agreed to join him all the way back in 2020 and “he kept his promise two years later,” adding that it was “very exciting” having both The Boss and Dave Grohl as his special guests.

“It’s a pretty impressive scene for people in the audience,” he writes. “But we get the whole view up on the stage with the flags and the hills going back forever, so it was quite a big deal that they said yes to joining me in that experience.”

McCartney says it’s “a magical thing” seeing the emotions music can bring out in people. “Then you’ve got the spirituality of the place,” he shares. “When you have an event like Glastonbury and everyone comes together with good vibes and energy, I’m very happy to be part of that.” Check out the behind-the-scenes photos here.

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t’s not surprising to hear that Bob Dylan has some definite thoughts on how we should listen to music, but you may be surprised by some of the artists he’s enjoying these days.

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Dylan shares that he listens to music on CDs, satellite radio and streaming, although he mentions the latter has made music “too smooth and painless.” 

“I do love the sound of old vinyl though, especially on a tube record player from back in the day,” he shares, noting, “the tone quality is so powerful and miraculous, has so much depth, it always takes me back to the days when life was different and unpredictable.”

Dylan says these days he discovers new music “mostly by accident, by chance,” or thanks to recommendations from others. When it comes to live music he says he’s seen gone to two Metallica concerts and “made special efforts to see Jack White and Alex Turner.”

As for which contemporary artists he listens to he says he likes  Oasis’ Liam and Noel Gallagher, as well as Julian Casablancas, Grace Potter, Royal Blood, Celeste, Rag and Bone Man, Wu-Tang, Eminem, Nick Cave, and Leonard Cohen, sharing that he enjoys “anybody with a feeling for words and language, anybody whose vision parallels mine.”

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Terry Hall, lead singer of the influential British band The Specials, has died, the band announced on social media. He was 63. In addition to his work with that band, he also co-wrote The Go-Go‘s debut single, “Our Lips Are Sealed,” with his then-girlfriend, Jane Wiedlin.

The band writes that Hall, “our beautiful friend, brother and one of the most brilliant singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has ever produced,” has passed away “following a brief illness.”

The statement described Terry as “one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls,” adding, “His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life … the joy, the pain, the humour, the fight for justice, but mostly the love.”

The Specials were part of the United Kingdom’s two-tone movement, which blended Jamaican ska — an early form of reggae — with punk and new wave. They’re best known for songs like “Gangsters,” “A Message to You, Rudy,” “Free Nelson Mandela” and, most famously, “Ghost Town,” which captured the mood of the civil unrest and riots experienced in the U.K. in the summer of 1981.

Hall was also a member of Fun Boy Three, which he formed with two other Specials members after they’d left the group. During that time, Hall and Wiedlin had a brief affair and co-wrote “Our Lips Are Sealed,” which was first recorded by the Go-Go’s in 1981 on their debut album, Beauty and the Beat. It was then recorded by Fun Boy Three in 1983. 

On Twitter, Wiedlin writes, “Gutted to hear of the passing of #terryhall. He was a lovely, sensitive, talented and unique person. Our extremely brief romance resulted in the song Our Lips Are Sealed, which will forever tie us together in music history. Terrible news to hear this.”

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Dionne Warwick has made a splash on Twitter in recent years, and she’s not ready to give up on it like some others have following Elon Musk‘s purchase of the platform. In fact, in a new interview, she tells People she wants to have a word with Musk to understand his true intentions with the social media site. 

“I have to meet him,” she says. “I know a lot of people have walked away from Twitter. That’s prior to knowing exactly what he’s going to do. He’s new to the game.”

She says that while she is all for freedom of speech, “There is away to do it.” If she does, in fact, get to meet him, she says, “That’s one of the conversations I’m going to have with him. What is your true intent? I understand your freedom of speech attitude but how are you going to contain it, so it does not get out of hand?”

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When Robert Plant and Alison Krauss first collaborated on their 2007 album, Raising Sand, it resulted in them winning the 2009 Grammy for Album of the Year. It took 14 years for them to come together again for 2021’s Raising the Roof. So, why did it take so long to reunite? 

In an interview with Billboard, Plant insists it was really just a matter of scheduling.

“I’m not in control of my own time, I just find the momentum in a project and go with it,” Plant shares, noting “if I’d finish something and I was really looking forward to doing something fresh, maybe Alison was in the middle of one of her projects, and that’s how it was.” He adds, “It was no negotiation except for with the calendar and with time.”

Of course, coming together did prove to be a success once again, with their latest up for three Grammy Awards. So, with the huge amount of success they’ve had working together, is it possible we’ll see another album from the pair? 

“I can’t see any reason why not,” he says. “I suppose if we wait another 14 years it could be a bit dicey for me, to be honest. I might find it a little bit difficult hitting a top C.” He adds, “But we can say it really works well, and we enjoy each other and that’s a great thing — so it seems like a great idea.”

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The Killers fans were transported to the ’70s for a bit during the band’s concert at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Monday.

The band is known for throwing in covers during their sets. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, this show was no exception, although this time The Killers brought out America’s Gerry Beckley for a performance of his band’s classic track “Sister Golden Hair.”

“Sister Golden Hair,” written by Beckley, was featured on America’s 1975 album, Hearts, and went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It was their second single to reach number one, following “A Horse with No Name.”

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Just 16 months after Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts passed away, his wife, Shirley Watts, has died at the age of 84.

“It is with great sadness that Seraphina, Charlotte and Barry announce the death of their much-loved mother, grandmother and mother-in law Shirley Watts,” reads a statement from her family, according to Variety. “Shirley died peacefully on Friday December 16 in Devon after a short illness surrounded by her family.” It added, “Reunited now forever with her beloved Charlie.”

Charlie and Shirley wed in 1964, before the Rolling Stones took off, and were together until his death on August 24, 2021. She met the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer when they were both students at the Royal College of Art, where Charlie was studying graphic design. He was only a part-time jazz musician at the time.

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Van Halen and Melissa Etheridge are among the artists to be featured in a new MTV music docuseries that will give fans a different look at their favorite artists.

MTV’s Family Legacy, debuting in 2023, will give some new insight into a host of famous musicians using exclusive footage and new interviews from their children, giving a fresh perspective on the artists.

In addition to Van Halen and Etheridge, other artists set for season 1 include Linkin Park, Backstreet Boys, *NYSNC, Boyz II Men, TLC, Biggie Smalls, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Brandy.

And while the series doesn’t premiere until next year, fans are getting a preview of what to expect starting Monday with an MTV’s Family Legacy special airing as part of their “We Speak Music” programming.

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Although he was born Paul Hewson, most people know him as U2’s Bono thanks to the nickname Bonovox, given to him by a friend when he was very young — although that wasn’t the first nickname he was given. Bono confirms to Virgin Radio UK that his good friend once gave him a much longer name, but apparently it didn’t stick.

“I’ve been called a lot of things over the years,” he shares. “I was 3 years old, [my friend] was 4, and we had a sort of street gang into our teens and I had many nicknames. I’m very pleased that I qualified to Bono, though even that is tricky in some quarters.”

As for why he and The Edge decided to stick with their nicknames when they became famous, Bono explains, “The really significant thing is, I suppose, that we decided to be called by those names when we went out into the public because it implies a kind of intimacy with your audience, which is nice.” 

He adds, “Some people will occasionally come up to me and say, ‘Hey, Paul, how are you doing, Paul?’ as if that’s getting close. The last person to call me Paul was my dad, and he’s dead. So don’t call me Paul.”

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Rick Anderson, bassist and co-founding member of the band The Tubes, passed away Friday, according to a post on the band’s social media pages. He was 75.

“We lost our brother on 12/16/22,” reads the post. “Rick brought a steady and kind presence to the band for 50 years. His love came through his bass.”

The Tubes formed in San Francisco in 1972. They released their eponymous debut album in 1975, which featured the song “White Punks on Dope,” which was later covered by Mötley Crüe. They are probably best known for their hit track “She’s A Beauty” from their album Outside Inside. The song peaked at 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1983.

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