Some long-lost Todd Rundgren recordings are finally set to see the light of day in a new box set. Lost Masters and Demos, being released December 2 by Purple Pyramid Records, features music from Rundgren’s ‘60s power-pop/psych project Nazz.
The set features music from the original master acetates of Nazz’s sophomore album, Nazz Nazz, which Rundgren originally conceived as a 26-song double LP. These early recordings never made it on the album, and most of the songs wound up on the band’s third release, III.
Lost Masters & Demos will be released in both a three-CD and four-LP set and will include alternate mixes of Nazz’s debut single, “Open My Eyes,” along with Rundgren’s future hit “Hello, It’s Me.” The first single from the set, “Forget All About Now,” is out now on all digital platforms.
The set also contains a full-color booklet of liner notes written by music historian Michael Armes, along with lots of rare photos.
Many people were surprised to learn that Ric Ocasek didn’t leave anything in his will to estranged wife Paulina Porizkova — and that includes Paulina.
The supermodel appears on the latest episode of the Facebook series Red Table Talk, and in a preview, she opens up about the moment she found out the late Cars frontman had written her out of his will.
Following Ocasek’s death on September 15, 2019, Porizkova says she was picking out something to dress him in for his coffin when she discovered an envelope labeled “this is the will and testament.” She said the document specifically said, “I will not provide for my wife because she’s abandoned me.”
She says her first thought was, “That’s a lie. … Somebody made a mistake.” Despite their separation in 2017, Paulina had been living with the rocker while he recovered from surgery.
In another clip, Porizkova discusses finding Ocasek dead, sharing he had been recovering well after surgery for lung cancer and was feeling much better. She says he had been “feeling kinda tired” the night of his death; the next morning she didn’t think anything of him still being asleep because he “tended to sleep late” thanks to his “rockstar hours.” When he wasn’t up by 11 a.m. she went to bring him coffee; while he looked like he was sleeping, she says, “I saw his face. I saw his eyes. And they didn’t look like eyes anymore.”
The full episode of Porizkova’s Red Table Talk, co-hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, WillowSmith and Adrienne Banfield Norris, premieres Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET.
Last year, ABBA released Voyage, their first album in 40 years, and now, they are getting some Grammy love for it.
Nominees for the 65th annual Grammy Awards are out, with ABBA earning four nods, including two in the major categories: “Don’t Shut Me Down” is nominated for Record of the Year, and Voyage for Album of the Year. They also earned nods for Best Pop Vocal Album for Voyage and Best Pop/Duo Group performance for “Don’t Shut Me Down.”
Should they pick up a win in any category, it will be the Swedish band’s first-ever Grammy award. They received their first-ever nomination in 2021 for Record of the Year for the Voyage track “I Still Have Faith In You.”
Also receiving a Grammy nod this year is Diana Ross.Thank You, her first album of original material since 1999, was nominated for the Best Pop Traditional Vocal Album.
The 65th annual Grammy Awards air February 5 on CBS, live from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
Record of the Year
“Don’t Shut Me Down,” ABBA
“Easy on Me,” Adele
“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé
“You and Me on the Rock,” Brandi Carlile ft. Lucius
“Woman,” Doja Cat
“Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy
“The Heart, Pt. 5,” Kendrick Lamar
“Good Morning Gorgeous,” Mary J. Blige
“About Damn Time,” Lizzo
“As It Was,” Harry Styles
Album of the Year Voyage, ABBA 30,Adele Un Verano Si Tì,Bad Bunny Renaissance, Beyoncé Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe), Mary J. Blige In These Silent Days,Brandi Carlile Music of the Spheres, Coldplay Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar Special, Lizzo Harry’s House,Harry Styles
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Higher, Michael Bublé When Christmas Comes Around…, Kelly Clarkson I Dream of Christmas (Extended), Norah Jones Evergreen, Pentatonix Thank You, Diana Ross
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Don’t Shut Me Down,” ABBA
“Bam Bam,” Camila Cabello Featuring Ed Sheeran
“My Universe,” Coldplay & BTS
“I Like You (A Happier Song),” Post Malone & Doja Cat
“Unholy,” Sam Smith & Kim Petras
Best Pop Vocal Album Voyage, ABBA 30, Adele Music Of The Spheres, Coldplay Special, Lizzo Harry’s House, Harry Styles
A new documentary about England’s famed Abbey Road Studios is premiering next month on Disney +, and now, fans are getting their first look at it. A new trailer for the film has been released, featuring appearances by Paul McCartney, Elton John, Ringo Starr and more.
If These Walls Could Sing is directed by Paul’s daughter Mary McCartney, who has a personal connection with the famed studios.
“I have grown up visiting Abbey Road, it feels like family to me,” she tells Rolling Stone. “In directing this feature-length documentary, it felt natural to explore the wealth of stories, and unearth so many unheard gems that I had not known about.”
The trailer features a mix of archival footage, including that of the Beatles, along with snippets of a new interview with McCartney and shots of him playing the piano. Elton is also featured sharing, “When you enter a place with so much history around it, it’s kind of sacred in a way.” He adds, “People want to come here. They want the sound of Abbey Road.”
The film, which debuts December 16, also features interviews with such artists as Roger Waters, Liam Gallagher, Nile Rodgers, John Williams and more.
Elvis Costello is bringing his The Boy Named If & Other Favourites tour to the U.S. next year. For the tour, Elvis will reunite with his band The Imposters, made up of Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher, along with guitarist Charlie Sexton.
The tour will consist of 11 East Coast shows, kicking off February 23 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and wrapping March 10 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
The new spring dates launch just one day after Elvis completes his 100 Songs and More residency at the Gramercy Theater in New York. The residency will have him performing a completely new set every night, which will result in him playing more than 200 different songs over the course of the 10 shows.
KISS‘ Gene Simmons says he’s “fine” after undergoing a medical procedure this week to remove excess kidney stones.
In a tweet Monday afternoon, Gene’s wife, Shannon Tweed-Simmons, shared a photo of the rocker in the hospital alongside the caption, “@genesimmons getting #kidneystones blasted again! #poorbaby.”
Gene later posted his own hospital video thanking everyone for checking in on him.
“Honestly I’m fine,” Gene wrote. “Shannon took the video…Just cleaning the tubes for excess kidney stones. Looks awful, but really no big deal.”
“Took an hour, then drove to have a hot dog,” he added. “I appreciate your good wishes.”
Simmons was previously treated for kidney stones in 2019, which forced KISS to postpone several shows.
Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Bonnie Raitt is extending her time on the road. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced her Just Like That tour will continue through 2023, adding more U.S. shows as well as dates in the U.K. and Ireland. The U.S. dates, which kick off March 10 in Indio, California, include a three-night stand at The Venetian Theater inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
The Sin City gigs will go down March 15, 17 and 18, with Bonnie backed by her longtime band. Not only that, she’s promising fans she’ll be joined by some “special guests.”
As for the rest of the tour, the U.S. shows run through May 23, and then, the U.K. and Ireland legs kick off June 1. Tickets are set to go on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. local time.
The new dates follow a successful year of touring for Bonnie thus far; the legendary performer’s currently headlining a 75-date U.S. tour. She next hits the stage Tuesday night in Melbourne, Florida.
A never-before-released song by TheDoors has gotten the music video treatment and fans won’t have to wait too long to see it. In fact, it’s being released this week.
AXS TV will premiere the all-new music video for “Paris Blues” Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. It will then be available exclusively on their website and on the AXS TV Now Fast Channel for 24 hours.
The track is the last known unreleased tune by the legendary rockers and will be released digitally on Friday. It will also be 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.
Although it isn’t known exactly 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.”
Bruce Springsteen took a moment during night one of his Tonight Show takeover on Monday to clear up some popular myths surrounding the legendary rocker.
As to whether he really sleeps with a guitar next to him, so that in case he dreams up a song he can immediately wake up and record it, Springsteen admitted, “I have done that.”
Noting that both he and Taylor Swift are mounting U.S. tours in 2023, and both are friends with frequent Swift collaborator Jack Antonoff, host Jimmy Fallon asked if either Bruce or Taylor would “pop into each other’s shows from time to time.”
“Well, I will be, because my daughter is gonna make sure. I will be at the Taylor Swift show,” Bruce confirmed, adding, “And she’s welcome on E Street anytime.”
Finally, Springsteen was asked if he could solve an argument on Twitter regarding a line from the song “Thunder Road,” from Bruce’s 1975 album Born to Run — Is it “A screen door slams, Mary’s dress sways,” or “A screen door slams, Mary’s dress waves?”
Pulling out a copy of the album, Bruce explained that he was “insane about every little detail” regarding the album. “The lyrics for ‘Thunder Road,” are in this album — the correct lyrics. “Now I’ve been singing ‘Sways’ for almost 50 years,” he told the audience, before revealing the lyrics included with the album — “The screen door slams, Mary’s dress waves.”
“This is wrong,” he finally revealed, pointing to the album.
Springsteen, who’s promoting his new album Only the Strong Survive, will appear on the NBC show two more times this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and on November 24 during the show’s Thanksgiving episode.
Artists like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan have sold the rights to their catalogs in recent years, and the latest catalog that’s been snapped up is that of the late HarryNilsson.
The Grammy Award winner’s song publishing catalog has been acquired by BMG in a deal with his estate that also includes artist and writer revenue streams of his classic tunes. The company also plans to team up with Nilsson’s family on possible future projects in areas of film, television, books and more.
Nilsson, who passed away in 1994, had a two-decade-long career and is best known for such songs as “Without You”; “Everybody’s Talkin’” from the soundtrack to 1969’s Midnight Cowboy; and “One,” which was recorded by Three Dog Night, as well as such albums as Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson. He also collaborated with several big names, including co-writing “Mucho Mungo/Mt. Elga” and “Old Dirt Road” with John Lennon and “How Long Can Disco On” with Ringo Starr.
“We are delighted to have found a partner that shares our love and reverence for Harry’s legacy,” Nilsson’s family shares in a statement. “We look forward to a long relationship with BMG, working together to celebrate this true genius of pop music.”
