Classic Hits

Bruce Springsteen just released his soul covers record Only The Strong Survive, which is billed as volume 1, so of course fans are wondering when they’ll get to hear volume 2. And it sounds like it’s not too far off. 

“Volume 2, I would say, is probably three-quarters recorded,” The Boss tells Rolling Stone, explaining the genre he’ll focus on is “very similar” to the first album. “I continued working in soul music because I was just having so much fun,” he says. “But I thought of doing a series of these records in a variety of different genres with songs that I love.” 

Bruce shares that he’s currently not writing anything new, noting, “I might not write in a while,” which is “very normal for me.” But with these cover albums, fans “don’t have to sit around and wait four years for me to make another record.” 

Bruce says he’s also interested in tackling covers of country and rock songs: “There’s just so many different things, and all focused around my voice … I’d really like to use this time when I’m not writing to really focus on my vocals.”

And this may not be the only music Bruce is going to release. He seemed to confirm the rumors of a Tracks 2 box set, saying he has “five unreleased albums that are basically post-1988” that he’ll eventually release. While he says some fans felt the ‘90s “wasn’t a great decade” for him, the Tracks set will “give people a chance to reassess what I was doing during that time period,” noting, “I can’t wait to see the response to some of it.”

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Ringo Star has dropped a new video for the Linda Perry-penned track “Everyone and Everything,” from his recent release EP3, which just came out on 10-inch vinyl and blue cassette. The colorful clip was directed by pop artist and owner of Los Angeles’ La-La Land Gallery, Kii Arens, who previously directed the video for Glen Campbell’s 2011 track “Ghost on the Canvas.”

“I had so much fun making this record, and I love that the vinyl and this video for it are coming out as we head into Thanksgiving,” Ringo shares. “As I’ve said before, every song on this EP relates to Peace and Love. And this track that Linda wrote for me has such a beautiful message, reminding us to be thankful, to be giving, to be more peace and loving.”

The video features clips of Ringo playing drums on the beach, cut with images of him walking in front of colorful backgrounds, as well as photos from the early days of his life and career.

“I feel we really captured the positive energy of the song in this video, it was so great working with Kii and I loved filming on the beach,” he says. “I hope this brings everyone joy, peace and love as we start heading into the holidays.”

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Fans of The Doors are finally getting to hear what’s being called their last known unreleased tune. The track, “Paris Blues,” has been released digitally for the very first time.

The track is part of The Doors’ contribution to Record Store Day Black Friday on November 25. That release, available at independent record stores, will be a limited-edition compilation of rare blues recordings, coming out on translucent blue vinyl. Only 10,000 numbered copies will be available, complete with an original painting by guitarist Robby Krieger.

Although it isn’t clear when “Paris Blues” was recorded, it is believed to be a product of The Doors’ sessions for either 1969’s The Soft Parade or 1971’s L.A. Woman. Keyboardist Ray Manzarek had the only copy of the song, although it was damaged by his son, Pablo, who, as a toddler, recorded over parts of it. It has now been reconstructed, with use of “creative editing.”

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Newly-inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Carly Simon is set to release her surprise 1995 concert, Live at Grand Central, on audio and Blu-ray for the first time, and she’s just given fans their first taste of what to expect. 

She’s just dropped a new version of “We Have No Secrets,” which will appear on the release, set to drop January 27 on Blu-ray, CD, vinyl and digital streaming platforms. There will also be a limited number of colored vinyl copies.  

Live at Grand Central was a surprise performance Carly and her band put on in the middle of the main terminal of New York’s Grand Central Station; it was her first concert in 14 years. It previously aired as a Lifetime television special and was later released on VHS. 

Live at Grand Central features 15 tracks, including such Simon classics as “Anticipation,” “Haven’t Got Time For The Pain,” “The Right Thing To Do,” “Coming Around Again,” “Let The River Run” and more. 

“We Have No Secrets” appears on Carly’s 1972 album No Secrets, which is celebrating its 50 anniversary this year.

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The Rolling Stones are sharing a newly restored version of the music video for “2000 Light Years From Home,” from their 1967 experimental/psychedelic album, Their Satanic Majesties Request. The clip, filmed and produced in 1967, has now been restored in 4K resolution and released digitally for the first time.

The “promotional film,” as it was known back then, was directed by the late Peter Whitehead and shot on 35 MM film. The performance clip opens with closeups of the band members bathed in various colors, with Mick Jagger’s face painted, something he would do again for the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” video, which was filmed the following year. 

The track, written by Mick and Keith Richards, was the B-side to the single “She’s A Rainbow.” It is believed Mick wrote the lyrics in prison during an incarceration from a drug bust.

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Before there was a Ticketmaster uproar over Taylor Swift tickets, Bruce Springsteen fans were angered over the ticket sales for his 2023 tour with the E Street Band, particularly the site’s dynamic pricing, which shot up ticket prices. Well, now Bruce is commenting on the whole mess. 

Bruce tells Rolling Stone when he usually tours, he has his people see what other artists are charging and says “let’s charge a little less.” He insists that throughout his career he’s “been under market value,” sharing, “I’ve enjoyed that. It’s been great for the fans.”  But, he says, “This time I told them, ‘Hey, we’re 73 years old. The guys are there. I want to do what everybody else is doing, my peers.’ So that’s what happened. That’s what they did.”

Bruce acknowledges these days ticket buying “has gotten very confusing,” but says, “most of our tickets are totally affordable.” Regarding dynamic pricing, he notes there’s always going to be brokers who sell the tickets for more, so his thought is “why shouldn’t that money go to the guys that are going to be up there sweating three hours a night for it?” He adds, “I know it was unpopular with some fans. But if there’s any complaints on the way out, you can have your money back.”

As for the backlash, The Boss says, “Well, I’m old. I take a lot of things in stride. You don’t like to be criticized. You certainly don’t like to be the poster boy for high ticket prices,” adding, “…You have to own the decisions you have made and go out and just continue to do your best.” He notes, “I think if folks come to the show, they’re going to have a good time.”

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Queen’s new The Miracle Collector’s Edition box set is out now and to coincide with the release, the band has dropped a brand-new video for “Was It All Worth It,” the six-minute closing track of the their 13th album.

The video is made up of archival footage, still photos and animation, which, according to the video’s director Simon Lupton, takes fans “on a whistlestop tour through Queen’s incredible journey,” adding, “We hope viewers enjoy spotting all the nods and references we’ve included.” 

The Miracle Collector’s Edition is out now in a variety of formats, including eight-disc vinyl, five-CD, DVD and Blu-ray. In addition to the original album, it contains original takes, early demos and unfinished cuts, along with six previously unreleased tracks and audio of the band in the studio.

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Elvis Costello & The Imposters just earned a Best Rock Album Grammy nomination for The Boy Named If, and now, fans are about to be treated to a new version of the record.

Costello just announced he’s dropping the companion album, The Boy Named If (Alive at Memphis Magnetic), on November 25. The record features live-in-the-studio takes on the album’s songs, recorded during tour rehearsals at Memphis Magnetic Recording in October 2021 and May 2022. 

The album also includes a version of the Costello classic “Every Day I Write The book,” along with covers of The Rolling Stones’ “Out of Time”; Nick Lowe’s “Truth Drug”; The Byrds’ “So You Want Be A Rock and Roll Star”; The Beatles’ “Here There and Everywhere”; and Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Let Me Roll It.” Plus, there is a remix of Costello’s “Magnificent Hurt” by the Japanese duo chelmico, which has just been released.

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Roger Waters has released a new version of a Pink Floyd classic. The track, “Comfortably Numb 2022,” was recorded during the rocker’s This Is Not A Drill North American tour and is now available on streaming services. 

“During Lockdown I made a demo of a new version of ‘Comfortably Numb‘ as an opener for our new show This  Is Not A Drill,” Roger shares. “I pitched it a whole step down, in A Minor, to make it darker and arranged it with no solos, except over the outro chord sequence, where there is a heartrendingly beautiful female vocal solo from Shanay Johnson, one of our new singers.” 

The original “Comfortably Numb” was released in 1980 and appeared on Pink Floyd’s classic album The Wall.

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Donald Trump isn’t the only politician upsetting musicians by using their music without permission. The latest politician being called out is Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

The estate of the late Tom Petty is upset that Lake included the rocker’s 1989 track “I Won’t Back Down” in a recently dropped video, which features images of her posing with Trump, hunting with a rifle, and even destroying TVs that air CNN. 

“The Tom Petty estate and our partners were shocked to find out that Tom’s song ‘I Won’t Back Down’ was stolen and used without permission or a license to promote Kari Lake’s failed campaign. This is illegal,” reads a tweet by the estate, referring to the fact that Lake lost to her Democratic opponent Katie Hobbs, although she refuses to concede. The Petty estate adds, “We are exploring all of our legal options to stop this unauthorized use and to prohibit future misappropriations of Tom’s beloved anthem. “

Finally, they thanked fans “who brought this to our attention and who help us protect his legacy every day.”

The Petty response comes just days after Isaac Hayes’ estate called out Trump for using the Sam and Dave song “Hold On I’m Coming,” which Hayes wrote with David Porter, at the event announcing the former president’s 2024 election bid.

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