Classic Hits

A new photo exhibition focusing on pictures of The Rolling Stones taken by rock photographer Norman Seeff in 1972 to promote the band’s album Exile on Main St. will open at Modern Rocks Gallery in East Austin, Texas, on August 19.

The exhibit, titled “Norman Seeff: Fifty Years in Exile,” will feature rare, unseen and vintage photos of The Stones that Seeff took during a late night session in ’72, some of which were used for a set of postcards that were included with the original Exile on Main St. packaging.

In addition, the exhibit will include a collection of prints of other noteworthy photos taken by Seeff, who also created a number of new prints especially for the show.

“I’ve always wanted to use my photography as source material for creating art pieces,” says Seeff. “The photos serve as a jumping off point. I decided to use the exhibition as an opportunity to experiment. People have been very pleased with the results I think.”

Adds Modern Rocks Gallery owner Steven Walker, “We’re absolutely thrilled to be hosting ‘Fifty Years in Exile.’ These original darkroom prints are testament to Norman Seeff’s greatness as both a photographer and an artist.”

An opening reception will take place August 19 starting at 7 p.m. local time. The event will feature a special Rolling Stones-themed cocktail called “Soul Survivor,” while Tumblin’ Dice bourbon also will be poured.

The exhibit will run until September 20.

Exile on Main St. was released in May 1972. The double album spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 and yielded two hit singles, “Tumbling Dice” and the Keith Richards-sung “Happy.”

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As ZZ Top prepares to release its latest album, Raw, this Friday, the Texas trio has announced plans for a new Las Vegas residency at The Venetian Theatre.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ latest engagement at the venue inside The Venetian Las Resort is a five-show stand scheduled for December 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10.

Tickets for the new concerts will go on sale to the general public this Friday, July 22 at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.com, VenetianLasVegas.com, box offices at the resort or by calling 866-641-7469.

Pre-sale tickets will be available to ZZ Top fan club members starting Tuesday, July 19 at 10 a.m. PT; Ticketmaster customers and the resorts’ Grazie loyalty members will have access to the pre-sale beginning Wednesday, July 20 at 10 a.m. PT.

ZZ Top has played several residencies at The Venetian over the years, with the most recent taking place in October 2021.

Leading up to the Vegas performances, the band has over 30 other concerts lined up around the U.S., including a trio of shows in Texas this September that will feature Jeff Beck and Heart‘s Ann Wilson.

Visit ZZTop.com to check out their full itinerary.

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The Boss is a grandpa.

Bruce Springsteen‘s wife and band mate, Patti Scialfa, took to Instagram over the weekend to announce the arrival of the latest addition to the Springsteen clan: Lily Harper Springsteen, the daughter of their youngest son, Sam.

Scialfa posted a pair of photos: the first, a black-and-white shot of Sam, who’s a New Jersey firefighter, with his fiancée wheeling a baby carriage; the second, a color pic of Lily wearing a pink hat and pink mittens.

The photos, captioned “walking the baby” followed by a yellow flower emoji, drew congratulatory messages from Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Eddie Vedder‘s wife Jill and Sting‘s daughter Mickey Sumner, among others.

The baby is Bruce and Patti’s first grandchild.

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Chicago‘s 38th studio album, Born for This Moment, was released on Friday.

The 14-track collection features the lead single “If This Is Goodbye,” which recently broke into the top 20 of Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart.

“‘If This Is Goodbye’ was one of the first songs I heard as a possibility to be on the album, and immediately I knew that this definitely should be a contender,” founding Chicago trumpet player Lee Loughnane tells ABC Audio. “And I think 15, 20, maybe even 30 songs came in, [but when I heard that one, I thought,] ‘Yeah, this has got…some legs on it.’ And turns out it does.”

The song is a showcase for Chicago singer Neil Donell, who joined the group in 2018.

“He is the latest tenor voice in the band. And he sings as well or better than [former member Peter] Cetera ever did…and Cetera was at the top of his game when he ended up leaving us,” Loughnane maintains. “So…it’s really good to have him in, and he’s enjoying it, we’re enjoying having him…The band is smokin’ right now.”

Lougnane says recording Born for This Moment was challenging, since most of the project was done remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We couldn’t even get into the same rooms together to speak with each other,” notes Lee. “[W]e missed being able to have that camaraderie, but I think it came out pretty good, despite not seeing each other all that much.”

Loughnane reveals that the entire band did record one song on the album together, a tune he co-wrote called “If This Isn’t Love.”

“We were on tour and I had us set up before the show,” Lee explains, “and we ran the song down…three or four times.”

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A new animated video for the classic 1980 Bob Marley & the Wailers song “Could You Be Loved” premiered Friday on the late reggae legend’s official YouTube channel.

The video was inspired by Marley’s daughter Cedella, who recently launched an initiative called Football Is Freedom, which works toward supporting and promoting women’s soccer in the Caribbean and Latin America. Cedella also serves as a global ambassador for Jamaica’s women’s soccer program.

The clip follows a young Jamaican girl as she pursues her dream of becoming a successful soccer player. Throughout the video, a larger-than-life Bob Marley helps guide her. By the end of the clip, the girl has grown into a young woman who scores the championship-winning goal for her team. The animation is reminiscent of the cover art for Bob Marley & the Wailers’ 1980 album, Uprising, which featured “Could You Be Loved.”

“Could You Be Loved” reached #6 on Billboard‘s Dance Club Songs chart in 1980.

The video is part of the “Summer of Marley” campaign launched by Marley’s family to celebrate his music.

In other news, a new album called Bob Marley & The Chineke! Orchestra will be released next Friday, July 22. The album offers reimagined versions of some of Marley’s most famous songs featuring his original vocals accompanied by new orchestral arrangements.

The orchestrations were recorded at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios and produced by Nick Patrick, who worked on similar albums featuring the songs of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, The Beach Boys and others.

You can preorder Bob Marley & The Chineke! Orchestra now.

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Guitar legend Jeff Beck‘s recently announced collaborative album with actor/musician Johnny Depp, 18, was released Friday on CD and digital formats.

The 13-track collection features two Depp originals alongside an eclectic selection of 11 covers, including songs by The Beach Boys, late Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Velvet Underground and The Everly Brothers.

In an exclusive interview to promote 18, Beck says he really enjoyed working with Depp and appreciated his contributions to the project.

“He was a major force on this record,” Beck notes. “I haven’t had another partner for ages.”

Among the covers on 18 are two Motown classics — Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and The Miracles’ “Ooo Baby Baby.”

Beck says he knew he was taking a risk covering “What’s Going On,” admitting, “I fully expect the full force of criticism because of that song being so precious,” while adding with a laugh, “but I was going through the Motown appreciation time.”

Beck recalls that “Ooo Baby Baby” came about while working on the album at Depp’s home in France. While waiting for Johnny to wake up one day, he laid down the track as a way to get a good audio balance. By the time Depp joined the session, Beck says he started feeling under the weather and went lie down for a bit.

Beck says that when he woke up, “I heard [Johnny] singing ‘Ooo Baby’… He was doing the three-part harmonies, and I crept into the studio without him seeing me. And it was just amazing watching him put these parts together.”

Beck also praised Depp’s songwriting skills, particularly how in “This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr” he expressed “respect for that actress and what she achieved.”

Here’s the full 18 track list:

“Midnight Walker” (Davy Spillane cover)
“Death and Resurrection Show” (Killing Joke cover)
“Time” (Dennis Wilson cover)
“Sad Motherf***in’ Parade” (Johnny Depp original)
“Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” (Beach Boys cover)
“This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr” (Johnny Depp original)
“Caroline, No” (Beach Boys cover)
“Ooo Baby Baby” (The Miracles cover)
“What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye cover)
“Venus in Furs” (The Velvet Underground cover)
“Let It Be Me” (The Everly Brothers cover)
“Stars” (Janis Ian cover)
“Isolation” (John Lennon cover)

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Over the years, Richard Marx has written songs that have become hits on the pop, rock, R&B and country charts. That’s why his new album is an attempt to show off the full range of his songwriting talent.

Called Songwriter, the album, due out September 30, features a slew of songs that Richard either wrote or co-wrote, divided by genre: pop, rock, country and ballads. He wrote many of them with his famous friends and collaborators, including Burt Bacharach, Chris Daughtry, Lifehouse‘s Jason Wade, Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon and Mr. Mister‘s Richard Page.

“I’ve had such an amazing opportunity in my songwriting career to write all kinds of songs with, and for, all kinds of artists,” says Richard. “It finally occurred to me that there was no reason not to record an album of my own that touches on multiple genres I love.”

Richard also kept the album all in the family: A handful of the songs were co-written with his sons Lucas Marx and Jesse Marx. The first single, “Same Heartbreak, Different Day,” is a co-write with Lucas.

Richard has four U.S. concerts later this month — three in California and one in Nevada — before he heads to Europe, but he’ll return to the U.S. for another round of dates starting October 20 in St. Charles, IL. Visit richardmarx.com/tour/ for the full list of dates.

Here’s the track listing for Songwriter:

POP
“Same Heartbreak Different Day” (Richard Marx/Lucas Marx, Michael Jade)
“Believe In Me” (Richard Marx/Lucas Marx)
“Anything” (Richard Marx/Bruce Weigner)
“Moscow Calling” (Richard Marx)
“Only A Memory” (Richard Marx/Adam Messinger)

ROCK
“Shame On You” (Richard Marx/Jesse Marx)
“Just Go” (Richard Marx)
“My Love, My Enemy” (Richard Marx/Matt Scannell)
“One More Yesterday” (Richard Marx/Chris Daughtry/Jason Wade)
“We Are Not Alone” (Richard Marx/Jesse Marx)

COUNTRY
“Everything I’ve Got” (Richard Marx)
“One Day Longer” (Richard Marx/Keith Urban)
“Breaking My Heart” (Richard Marx/Darius Rucker/David Hodges)
“Misery Loves Company” (Richard Marx/Lucas Marx/Bruce Weigner)
“We Had It All” (Richard Marx/Randy Hauser/Brice Long)

BALLADS
“Always” (Richard Marx/Burt Bacharach)
“Still In My Heart” (Richard Marx/Richard Page)
“As If We’ll Never Love Again” (Richard Marx/Gary Burr)
“Never After” (Richard Marx/Topher Brown)
“Maybe” (Richard Marx)

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Chicago‘s new studio album, Born for This Moment, arrived on Friday.

The 14-track collection is the band’s 38th official album and was mostly recorded remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, although the horns were laid down live at founding trumpet player Lee Loughnane‘s studio in Arizona.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees are enjoying some chart success with the album’s lead single, “If This Is Goodbye,” which currently sits at #19 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary tally.

You can check out an official music video for the upbeat pop tune on Chicago’s YouTube channel.

Born for This Moment features three songs that founding singer/keyboardist Robert Lamm co-wrote with Ides of March frontman and ex-Survivor member Jim Peterik — the title track, “Crazy Idea,” and “Our New York Time.”

Chicago fans will likely pick up on the fact that the intro to “Our New York Time” recreates the start of the band’s classic 1969 song “Beginnings.”

“That was [producer] Joe Thomas‘s idea to do that there,” Lamm notes. “Initially, I had a little trepidation about it because I always want to hear something new, but the guys felt really positive about it, so I was cool with it.”

Born for This Moment is Chicago’s first album of original material to feature singer Neil Donnell, who joined the group in 2018.

Founding Chicago trombonist James Pankow says of Donell’s contributions, “Not only is Neil a technically gifted performer, he is an amazing, multirange singer … Without a doubt, he is a big asset to the band.”

Chicago currently is on the road with founding Beach Boys member Brian Wilson‘s solo band. The trek continues Friday night in Wantagh, New York, and runs through a July 26 show in Clarkston, Michigan.

Here’s the full Born for This Moment track list:

“Born for This Moment”
“If This Is Goodbye”
“Firecracker”
“Someone Needed Me the Most”
“Our New York Time”
“Safer Harbours”
“Crazy Idea”
“Make a Man Outta Me”
“She’s Right”
“The Mermaid” (“Sereia Do Mar”)
“You’ve Got to Believe”
“For the Love”
“If This Isn’t Love”
“House on the Hill”

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William “Poogie” Hart, the lead singer of legendary Philadelphia soul group The Delfonics, died Thursday at age 77.

TMZ reports that, according to Hart’s son Hadi, William died of complications from surgery after he was recently brought to a Philadelphia hospital with breathing difficulties.

Hart co-founded The Delfonics with his brother Wilbert around the mid-1960s under the name The Orphonics, and the group began to take off after working with famed Philadelphia-based producer Thom Bell.

The Delfonics then went on to become one of the early purveyors of the classic Philly soul sound.

In January 1968, The Delfonics released “La-La (Means I Love You)” — co-written by William and Bell — which became the group’s biggest hit, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #2 on Billboard‘s R&B singles chart.

William continued to co-write most of the group’s original songs with Bell. Over the next few years, The Delfonics would score several other top-40 hits, including “Break Your Promise,” “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love),” “You Got Yours and I’ll Get Mine” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time).”

“Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” reached #10 on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

The original Delfonics broke up in 1975, and in the ensuing years, William and his brother both led various spinoff lineups of the group.

“Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” was featured prominently in Quentin Tarantino‘s 1997 film Jackie Brown.

Meanwhile, the chorus of “Ready or Not Here I Come” served as the basis of the popular 1996 Fugees song “Ready or Not.”

In 2014, The Delfonics were inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

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Stewart Copeland, the arrestingly kinetic drummer of The Police, celebrates his 70th birthday this Saturday, July 16.

Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Copeland grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, where his CIA agent father was stationed. He later moved to England, and in 1974 he became the drummer of the prog-rock band Curved Air.

After Curved Air broke up in 1976, Copeland formed The Police the following year with singer/bassist Gordon Sumner, a.k.a. Sting, and guitarist Henry Padovani. Guitarist Andy Summers joined as a fourth member later in ’77, and Padovani exited the group soon after.

Offering up a captivating mix of punk, reggae, pop, rock, jazz and world music influences, The Police soon became one of the most popular bands on the planet.

While Sting was the group’s main songwriter, Copeland wrote or co-wrote at least one song on every Police album. His most significant contributions came on 1979’s Regatta de Blanc, which featured six tracks that he wrote or co-wrote.

While with The Police, Copeland released some solo singles and an album under the pseudonym Klark Kent. In 1982, he composed the soundtrack to the Francis Ford Coppola-directed film Rumble Fish.

After The Police broke up in 1986, Copeland worked on many film soundtracks, including Talk Radio and Wall Street.

Stewart also has played in such collaborative projects as Animal Logic, with jazz bassist Stanley Clarke and singer/songwriter Deborah Holland; Oysterhead, with Primus‘ Les Claypool and Phish‘s Trey Anastasio; and Gizmodrome, with ex-King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew and Level 42‘s Mark King.

In 2003, Copeland was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Police. In 2007-2008, the band reunited for a massively successful world tour.

In recent years, Copeland has composed several operas. In 2021, he won a Best New Age album Grammy for Divine Tides, a collaboration with Indian-music composer Ricky Kej.

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