Classic Hits

At the age of 73, former Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter will release his very first solo album, Speed of Heat, on June 18.

The 12-track collection features a mix of original tunes and select covers. Among the latter are renditions of the Steely Dan classics “My Old School” and “Do It Again,” and the 1960 instrumental “Apache” that was popularized by The Shadows.

The album features Baxter singing lead on some tracks, as well as some guests vocalists and musicians, including his one-time Doobie Brothers band mate Michael McDonald, country star Clint Black and blues rocker Jonny Lang.

Baxter’s main collaborator on Speed of Heat was veteran producer. composer and keyboardist CJ Vanston.

Baxter’s version of “My Old School,” which showcases his lead vocals, has been released as an advance digital single.

The guitarist reveals that after he’d laid down an initial scratch vocal on the track, he’d actually hoped to have Steven Tyler sing the lead, but when he played the Aerosmith frontman the recording, Tyler had a surprising reaction.

“He heard what I’d done and said, ‘Hey, who’s singing on this?'” Baxter recalls. “I told him it was me, and he said, ‘Well, it’s really great. You should do it yourself.’ I thought he was kidding, but he wasn’t. So I took a shot and the reaction has been very positive.”

The track also features Toto‘s David Paich on keyboards.

Speed of Heat also features a song called “My Place in the Sun” that Baxter co-wrote with Vanston and McDonald, and featuring Michael on vocals. You can pre-order the album now.

Meanwhile, Baxter has a series of U.S. concerts lined up on the East Coast in May 3.

Here’s the full Speed of Heat track list:

“Ladies from Hell”
“My Old School”
“Juliet”
“I Can Do Without”
“Do It Again”
“Apache”
“My Place in the Sun”
“The Rose”
“Bad Move”
“Giselle”
“Insecurity”
“Speed of Heat”

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After being forced off the road since 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aerosmith will be getting back in the saddle this year with a new series of their “Deuces Are Wild” Las Vegas residency shows at the Dolby Live at Park MGM theater.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have scheduled three eight-show engagements at the venue, running from June 17 to July 8, from September 14 to October 5, and from November 19 to December 11. According to a press statement, the shows will be the first concert experience presented in immersive Dolby Atmos audio technology.

For their “Deuces Are Wild” show, Aerosmith will deliver a 90-minute performance, accompanied by a 12-screen multimedia presentation that includes previously unseen visuals from the band’s archives.

“The only rust at Dolby Live is going to be on our van in the lobby!” says Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. “We are locked, cocked and loaded!”

Tickets to the new dates go on sale to the general public on Thursday, March 31, at 10 a.m. PT at Ticketmaster.com/Aerosmith. Members of the band’s Aero Force One fan club can purchase pre-sale tickets starting Thursday, March 24, at 9 a.m. PT.

Citi card holders will be able to access pre-sale tickets beginning Friday, Mach 25, at 10 a.m. PT; visit CitiEntertainment.com for more details.  Pre-sale opportunites for members of the MGM Rewards loyalty program, as well as Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers, also will be available.

The last shows Aerosmith played before the pandemic began were in February 2020 as part of their residency at the Park MGM resort.

The band’s only other confirmed concert on their 2022 schedule is a previously announced September 8 show at Boston’s Fenway Park with Extreme celebrating Aerosmith’s 50th anniversary.

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Hit songs “Ain’t Nobody” and “Sweet Thing” are just two of many iconic tracks that should be at the top of everyone’s playlist on Wednesday in honor of the legendary Chaka Khan‘s 69th birthday. 

Born Yvette Marie Stevens, the “Queen of Funk” will celebrate the milestone on Wednesday night alongside her only daughter, R&B singer Indira Khan, with a show at Los Angeles’ Catalina jazz club.

Chaka shared a throwback photo of a younger version of herself and Indira in an Instagram post, along with information about the performance. 

Khan rose to fame as the lead vocalist of ’70s funk band Rufus. With a very successful and even more impactful career that spans five decades, the 10-time Grammy winner is certainly considered an icon. 

Although she’s a proud and devoted activist, some may not know Chaka’s beginnings as a member of Chicago’s Black Panther Party. As a young girl, she sold Black Panther papers and even opened a “Free Breakfast for Children” program. Her activism easily translated into her artistry when she produced chart topping songs like “I’m Every Woman” and 1985’s “Through the Fire.”

Chaka paved the way for many contemporary funk and R&B artists. “I’m Every Woman” has been frequently sampled and covered, including Whitney Houston‘s 1992 chart-topping version. Also, rapper Kanye West‘s 2003 debut single was a re-imagined rendition of “Through the Fire,” which nabbed a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo performance.

As stated so accurately on her official website, Chaka has “the rare ability to sing in seven music genres, including R&B, pop, rock, gospel, country, world music and classical,” and is “revered by millions of fans as well as her peers for her timeless, classic and unmatched signature music style and ability.”

Happy 69th birthday, Chaka Khan!

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A new book titled Why Patti Smith Matters that examines punk-era legend Patti Smith‘s music and literary work and its continued cultural and artistic influence will be published on May 31.

The book was written by veteran music journalist Caryn Rose, whose comprehensive research for the project included an exclusive interview with Bruce Springsteen that focused on his collaboration with Smith on the classic song “Because the Night.”

Why Patti Smith Matters looks at Smith’s life and artistic work, from her immersion in the New York City art scene beginning in the late 1960s, at first mainly as a poet, to her emergence as an influential singer and songwriter as part of the punk movement in the mid 1970s, to her acclaimed prose writing, including her award-winning 2010 memoir Just Kids.

Explaining what inspired her to write the book, Rose says, “I was eager to take on the formidable task of chronicling Patti Smith’s career because aside from Smith’s own work, the existing scholarship didn’t possess the kind of informed, careful perspective of her life and art that it deserves.”

You can pre-order Why Patti Smith Matters now at UTPress.UTexas.edu. The book is available as a paperback and via digital formats.

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The lineup has been unveiled for the 2023 edition of the star-studded annual Ultimate Disco Cruise, which will take place from February 25 to March 2.

Among the many artists set to perform on the nautical dance-music extravaganza are Kool & The Gang, Billy Ocean, Taylor Dayne, Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge, Tavares, Evelyn “Champagne” King, France Joli, Maxine Nightingale, ex-Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay, and former Chic vocalists Norma Jean Wright and Luci Martin, among others.

The cruise will set sail from Miami and visit Cozumel, Mexico, and Key West, Florida, before returning to port.

In addition to the more than 40 scheduled music performances, the cruise will feature artist Q&A sessions, panel discussions, theme nights and costume parties, dance lessons and parties, talent competitions, game shows, karaoke and more.

“Dance music is always happy, fun and filled with great memories, and the Ultimate Disco Cruise is all about creating wonderful new memories while also celebrating the music,” says the event’s executive producer, Alan Rubens. “For longtime disco and dance music fans, this is a great way to revisit special moments in your life and in music while sharing that experience with like-minded fans. It’s a great way to experience the music, the fun and meet the icons themselves who made this unforgettable music.”

Cabin prices start at $1,549. Visit UltimateDiscoCruise.com or call 844-296-3472 for more information.

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All-star hard-rock band The Dead Daisies currently are working on their sixth studio album, which they’re planning to release in August, but first up for the group is a lengthy European tour.

The band has just revealed an extended itinerary for the trek, which now kicks off June 3 in Hamburg, Germany, and is plotted out through an August 5 performance at the Time to Rock Festival in Knislinge, Sweden. The tour will see The Dead Daisies serve as opening for Foreigner, Judas Priest and Whitesnake, as well as feature headlining shows. Visit TheDeadDaisies.com for a full list of dates.

The European outing will mark the band’s first tour with its current lineup. Former Billy Idol, Whitesnake and Foreigner drummer Brian Tichy rejoined the group in January after previously playing with The Dead Daisies in 2013 and from 2015 to 2017. The band also features founding rhythm guitarist David Lowy; lead guitarist Doug Aldrich, a member since 2016 who previously played with Whitesnake, Dio and several other notable groups; and singer/bassist Glenn Hughes, best known for his mid-’70s stint with Deep Purple, who joined the Daisies in 2019.

The Dead Daisies began recording their upcoming album earlier this month, and have been posting updates about the project on their official website. An advance single is planned for late May, coinciding with the start of the tour.

“Hey loved ones, we cannot wait to come to Europe this summer and play for you all once again,” says Hughes in a statement. “There are so many beautiful cities to visit along the way. We are currently making a new record, so who knows hopefully we can bring a couple of new songs to you too!”

The band’s most recent studio album, Holy Ground, was released in January 2021.

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Two legendary British synth-pop duos, Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys, have teamed up for a new collaborative single called “Purple Zone” that’s available now as a digital single.

The track also will appear on Soft Cell’s upcoming studio album, *Happiness Not Included, the duo’s first collection of new songs in 20 years, which is due out on May 6.

Pet Shop Boys initially planned to just create a remix of “Purple Zone” for Soft Cell after seeing the latter act perform the song at a 2021 concert, but as they worked on the track it wound up becoming a full-on collaboration.

In addition to releasing “Purple Zone” digitally today, a music video for the tune has premiered at Soft Cell’s official YouTube channel.

Soft Cell frontman Marc Almond says of the collaboration, “Working with the Pet Shop Boys was a pleasure, and this track is the perfect combination of us and them,” while his band mate, Dave Ball, notes, “‘Purple Zone’ is probably our finest pop moment since the early 1980s.”

Pet Shop Boys add, “We are thrilled to collaborate with such an inspirational duo as Soft Cell on this gorgeous song.”

“Purple Zone” also is available for pre-order as a CD single and a 12-inch vinyl single at Soft Cell’s online store and at LexerMusic.com, with each version featuring bonus tracks.

The “Purple Zone” CD features the single version of the track, an extended mix by Pet Shop Boys, a remix created by Manhattan Clique and a cover of the 1978 X-Ray Spex tune “The Day the World Turned Day-Glo.” The vinyl disc also features the single version and Pet Shop Boys’ extended mix, along with remix and remix dub version by Pet Shop Boys.

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Van Morrison has just announced a new series of U.S. concerts, most of which will take place this September.

The new shows are scheduled for September 1 in Bridgeport, Connecticut; September 3 in Boston; September 4 in Lenox, Massachusetts; September 7 in Vienna, Virginia; September 8 in Philadelphia; September 10 in Forest Hills, New York; October 12 in Phoenix, Arizona; and October 15 in Saratoga, California.

Tom Jones will be opening for Van at the New York concert, while Curtis Stigers will be the support act in Philadelphia.

Tickets for most of the concerts will go on sale to the general public this Friday, March 25, at 10 a.m. local time. The shows in Lenox, Massachusetts, and Vienna, Virginia, will be available starting April 1, while tickets for the California event will go on sale on April 8. Pre-sale tickets also will be available
for select dates; visit VanMorrison.com for more details.

Van also has a variety of previously announced spring U.S. shows scheduled for April and May, as well as a three-show Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace taking place on October 7, 8 and 9 that was postponed from February.

As previously reported, Morrison’s song “Down to Joy,” from the film Belfast, will be competing for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category this Sunday, March 27. The 2022 Academy Awards will air live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET.

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German hard rockers the Scorpions kick off their nine-date “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency this Saturday, March 26, at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

The shows, which will feature Skid Row as the opening act, will mark the launch of the Scorpions’ 2022 tour in support of their new studio album, Rock Believer, and their first trek since the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020.

Frontman Klaus Meine tells ABC Audio that the Vegas residency not only will give the Scorpions the chance to debut some new songs, but also will feature “a whole new production,” including a “new stage set” and an LED screen that will display “some cool scenes.”

Meine adds that the production will offer “so much creativity and so many great ideas, and we can wait to see it…ourselves.”

The powerhouse singer also says playing a Vegas residency is a great experience because “the casinos…treat their artists like royalty,” and “it’s nice for a change not to travel, where…every other day…you wake up in a different city.”

In addition, Klaus notes that fans from around the world can come to Las Vegas and “see a couple of shows, go gambling [and] just have fun.” He adds, “We can understand why so many great entertainers, they love to be in Vegas and play there for weeks and weeks.”

The Scorpions’ Las Vegas shows are scheduled for March 26, March 30 and April 1, 3, 7, 9, 12, 14 and 16. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com. After the residency, the band will launch a lengthy European tour leg that begins May 10 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Meine also reports that the Scorpions are planning to mount a “real” North American trek during the “second half [of] this year.”

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A previously unseen performance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be part of the “MusiCares: Music on a Mission” virtual benefit event that will be livestreamed on Wednesday, March 30, at 8 p.m. ET the Mandolin platform.

The fundraiser, which is being presented by the MusiCares organization in partnership with the Gibson guitar company, will feature various never-before-seen performances by artists including k.d. lang, Brandi Carlile, Shawn Colvin, Jason Isbell, Fitz of Fitz and the Tantrums, and Fantastic Negrito, as well as the aforementioned Petty and his group, and many more.

The event will celebrate both the power of music and legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, who is being honored as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year at a star-studded gala scheduled for April 1 in Las Vegas. All proceeds from ticket sales for the “Music on a Mission” show will go to in-need members of the music community. General admission tickets cost $25; visit Mandolin.com to buy tickets and for more info.

Petty’s performance with The Heartbreakers comes from the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year gala, which honored Tom. Petty died in October 2017 at age 66.

The first “Music on a Mission” virtual event was held last year in place of the MusiCares Person of the Year gala, which was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Music on a Mission started as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and we were blown away by the support from the music community, industry professionals and of course music fans,” says MusiCares executive Laura Segura. “We’re so thankful that Gibson recognizes the importance of this event to both fans and professional musicians and that they’ve signed on to help us make Music on a Mission a reality again this year.”

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