Classic Hits

Robert Plant has long insisted he has no interest in reuniting with Led Zeppelin. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, he again addressed the issue when it was suggested fans of his old band would love to hear him sing with the group once more.

“Going back to the font to get some kind of massive applause — it doesn’t really satisfy my need to be stimulated,” said Robert, who currently is touring the U.S. as a duo with acclaimed folk/bluegrass artist Alison Krauss in support of their 2021 album Raise the Roof.

When the interviewer asked if his reluctance to revisit his past glories “make you feel like an outlier among your classic-rock peers,” Robert responded, “I know there are people from my generation who don’t want to stay home, and so they go out and play. If they’re enjoying it and doing what they need to do to pass the days, then that’s their business, really.”

Meanwhile, Plant celebrated his 74th birthday on Saturday, August 20. To mark the occasion, he got a surprise visit from his son Logan and Logan’s two children while performing with Krauss in Stateline, Nevada.

As seen in fan-shot video posted on YouTube, Logan and his kids wheeled out a birthday cake and some golden balloons as Robert chatted to the audience between songs during the show.

“This is my family,” Robert told the crowd. “They’ve come all the way from England to give me … a chocolate microphone.” He then blew out the candles, before Logan led the audience in a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

Plant and Krauss’ tour continues Tuesday in Napa, California, and is scheduled to wrap up on September 12 in New York City.

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Former Fleetwood Mac singer/guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has announced plans for a new fall U.S. solo tour, which features 17 dates at venues throughout the Eastern U.S., as well as some gigs in the Midwest.

The outing kicks off October 26 in Bristol, Tennessee, and runs through a November 19 show in Augusta, Georgia.

Earlier this year, Buckingham canceled a trio of concerts at the end of his spring U.S. tour leg — including an April 30 performance in Louisville, Kentucky — because he and members of his touring party contracted COVID-19. Lindsey now has lined up a new show in Louisville, on October 27, but at a different venue.

The new U.S. tour takes place after Buckingham’s fall European trek, which originally was scheduled for late spring, but was postponed because Lindsey was still recovering from COVID at the time.

The forthcoming European outing is mapped out from a September 19 concert in Paris through an October 6 show in Dublin.

Visit LindseyBuckingham.com to check out Buckingham’s full schedule and for information about how to purchase tickets to the concerts.

Lindsey’s shows are in support of his latest solo studio album, a self-titled effort that was released in September 2021.

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The third episode of the new four-part Rolling Stones docuseries My Life as a Rolling Stone premieres on EPIX this Sunday, August 21, at 9 p.m. ET.

The new installment focuses specifically on Ronnie Wood. It features the longtime Stones guitarist discussing the high and low points of his long career, and his life as a member of the the iconic band.

In a preview clip from the episode, Wood and founding Stones guitarist Keith Richards recall how Richards once got into a fight with Wood over Wood’s use of crack cocaine during the group’s 1981 tour.

Richards remembers that he angrily knocked on the door to Wood’s hotel room, and when Wood opened it, Richards could smell the drugs and he proceeded to punch his bandmate, who fought back.

“We all fought into Ronnie’s room,” Richards recalls. “He tries to land one on me. The couch goes over. Ronnie’s about to fall out the window, so I grab him and then everything stops. And laughter. And that was that.”

Wood adds, “We laughed it off, and I went into the next room. There’s Mick [Jagger] and Charlie [Watts] …They’re playing some game on the floor, and I went, ‘Look at me, I’m covered in blood.’ And they just sort of went [to each other], like, “OK, right, it’s your move.”

As previously reported, the series, which was produced to coincide with the British rock legends’ 60th anniversary, is made up of four hourlong episodes, each focusing on a different band member. The first episode profiled Jagger, the second looked at Richards, while the final installment will focus on the late Watts.

In addition to new conversations with Jagger, Richards and Wood, My Life as a Rolling Stone features new interviews with many other noteworthy music artists.

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Earlier this week, Rush‘s Alex Lifeson visited the Gibson Garage, the Gibson guitar company’s flagship store in Nashville, for a special event, during which he announced that he was making a significant donation to two local charities.

Teaming up with Gibson Gives, the guitar maker’s charitable arm, Lifeson revealed that he was donating current and future earnings from sales of his recently released signature Epiphone Les Paul Axcess guitar to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Room in the Inn organization.

Monroe Carell hospital employs music therapists who work with in-need children and their families, using music to aid young people with chronic pain, physical rehabilitation, psychiatric symptoms, terminal illnesses and other issues.

Room in the Inn offers a variety of services for people experiencing homelessness, including meal programs, recovery from addiction and mental health issues, showers, telephone and computer access, transportation, laundry, legal help, health care and work skills training.

“I feel very fortunate that I am able to partner with Gibson Gives to support the important and never-ending work that both the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital and Room in the Inn supply for the needs of those who are less fortunate,” says Lifeson.

He adds, “It is heartbreaking to witness the struggles of a brave child battling an illness that shows no mercy or the destitute soul struggling with both homelessness and hopelessness. If we can lend a helping hand through our support to provide a reprieve for even a moment, then we have done our duty to the community.”

Also at the event, Gibson announced that it was donating guitars to both the hospital and the Room in the Inn.

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Creedence Clearwater Revival has made available the band’s performance of its classic 1969 hit “Fortunate Son” at the Royal Albert Hall as an advanced track from the upcoming archival live album featuring an April 14, 1970, show by the group at the famous London venue.

As previously reported, the album, titled Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, will be released on September 16 and features the band’s full 12-song set from the concert, including such classics as “Travelin’ Band,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Proud Mary” and the aforementioned “Fortunate Son.”

In addition, a video of CCR playing “Fortunate Son” at the April 1970 show has debuted on the band’s official YouTube channel.

The footage will appear in the recently announced upcoming documentary and concert movie Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, which includes unseen film of CCR’s entire performance.

Travelin’ Band, which is narrated by Jeff Bridges, also features rare behind-the-scenes clips of the band and archival interviews. The film will premiere internationally on September 16.

The album, which can be preordered now, will be available on CD, cassette, 180-gram vinyl and via various digital formats. Select retailers, including Walmart and Target, are offering limited-edition colored-vinyl variants of the record.

Meanwhile, a super deluxe box set will be released on November 14 that features a Blu-ray of the Travelin’ Band film, two-LP 45-rpm versions of the live album and a bonus CD containing music that’s featured in the movie.

Here’s the Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall album’s full track list:

“Born on the Bayou”
“Green River”
“Tombstone Shadow”
“Travelin’ Band”
“Fortunate Son”
“Commotion”
“Midnight Special”
“Bad Moon Rising”
“Proud Mary”
“The Night Time Is the Right Time”
“Good Golly Miss Molly”
“Keep On Chooglin'”

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We finally have a release date for Elton John‘s collaboration with Britney Spears, “Hold Me Closer.”

The song, thought to be an interpolation, remix or reimagining of Elton’s classic 1971 tune “Tiny Dancer,” will be released on August 26. The single’s artwork features a famous picture of Elton as a child sitting at a piano, as well as a photo of Britney as a little girl wearing a pink dance costume. Spears’ pic certainly fits the theme of a “tiny dancer.” You can presave the song now.

“Hold Me Closer” will be the first new music from Elton since 2021. Of course, Elton recently scored a major chart hit with “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix),” his collaboration with British pop star Dua Lipa, which was released last year and went on to reach #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 this past January.

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The fourth installment of Aerosmith‘s five-week archival streaming concert series, 50 Years Live!: From the Aerosmith Vaults, premieres Friday at 3 p.m. ET on the band’s official YouTube channel.

The flick captures the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers performing in September 2003 at Detroit’s Comerica Park during the Rocksimus Maximus Tour, a co-headlining trek with KISS.

The show features a rendition of Aerosmith’s 2001 hit “Jaded,” as well as such classics as “Walk This Way,” “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Mama Kin,” “Love in an Elevator” and “Cryin’.” The band also played some select covers, including Aretha Franklin‘s “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” and the early Fleetwood Mac gem “Stop Messin’ Around.”

The film, which has been remastered in HD from the original master tapes, will be viewable for one week after its premiere.

As previously reported, the five-part series is offering new archival “official bootleg” concert films featuring never-before-seen footage debuting weekly. Each flick captures Aerosmith during a different decade.

One day after each film premieres, highlight clips from the respective movies will be added to Aerosmith’s YouTube channel.

The 50 Years Live! series concludes next Friday with a 2016 concert that Aerosmith played in Mexico City. The band is then scheduled to begin its 50th anniversary tour plans, which include a September 4 concert in Bangor, Maine, a September 8 show at Boston’s Fenway Park and two eight-date Las Vegas residencies at the Dolby Live at Park MGM venue. The Vegas engagements run from September 14 to October 5 and November 19 to December 11.

Here’s the remaining schedule of the 50 Years Live!: From the Aerosmith Vaults series:

8/19 — Live from Comerica Park, Detroit, MI, 2003 (Rocksimus Maximus Tour)
8/26 — Live from Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City, 2016 (Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble Tour)

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Sammy Hagar & The Circle have released a raucous, hard-rocking version of Elvis Costello and the Attractions‘ classic 1978 song “Pump It Up” as the second advance track from their forthcoming studio album, Crazy Times, which is due out September 30.

The song is available now as a digital download and via streaming platforms, while a companion music video has debuted at Hagar’s official YouTube channel.

Explaining how he and his band wound up recording the tune, Hagar notes, “‘Pump It Up’ has been a Circle go-to backstage jam before shows. When we went in the studio with [producer] Dave Cobb, we were jamming it, getting the levels on all the instruments, headphones, mixes, etc. After an hour or so, Cobb said come on in and have a listen. We all looked at each other and said, ‘Wow sounds pretty f***ing good’ and it became our first track we recorded for the album.”

As previously reported, Crazy Times is a 10-song collection that features nine songs either written or co-written by Hagar, plus “Pump It Up.”

The album, which can be preordered now, will be released on CD and via digital formats on September 30, while standard black-vinyl and limited-edition red-vinyl LP versions will follow on October 28.

The album’s title track was previously released as an advance track, along with a companion music video.

Meanwhile, after about a month break from touring, Hagar and the band will return to the road this Sunday with a performance at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. A new leg of the group’s Crazy Times! Tour with support act George Thorogood and the Destroyers will kick off August 23 in Clarkston, Michigan.

Visit RedRocker.com to check out Hagar’s full schedule.

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This Sunday, August 21, would’ve been the 70th birthday of the late Joe Strummer, frontman of the hugely influential British punk band The Clash.

Strummer, who was born John Mellor, joined the group that became The Clash in 1976 after playing in a pub rock band The 101’ers.

Known for his gruff vocals and intense performance style, Strummer co-wrote nearly all The Clash’s original songs, usually with the group’s lead guitarist and second singer Mick Jones. The band was initially best known for their fast, hard-charging songs that featured left-leaning political and social themes, although the group also embraced reggae.

The Clash later experimented with hip hop, funk, and other musical genres.

The band enjoyed immediate commercial success in the U.K., but it wasn’t until their third album, the 1979 double-LP London Calling, that the group began garnering major attention in the U.S.

The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200 and featured the memorable title track, as well as the Jones-sung “Train in Vain,” which reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Clash’s fifth album, 1982’s Combat Rock, was their commercial high point, peaking at #7 on the Billboard 200 and featuring the #8 Hot 100 hit “Rock the Casbah.”

After The Clash broke up in 1986, Strummer released various of solo projects. He also contributed songs to a number of movie soundtracks, and composed the score to the 1987 film Walker. Joe also acted in several films, including 1989’s Mystery Train.

Strummer’s recorded his last few albums with The Mescaleros, a group that combined various musical influences.

Strummer died in December 2002 of a heart attack cause by an undiagnosed heart defect. He was 50.

Joe was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with The Clash in 2003.

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Madonna released Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones, a massive compilation of all 50 of her #1 hits on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, today. But the Queen of Pop says she finds today’s dance hits “confusing.”

In the new issue of Paper magazine, Madonna is asked to compare today’s dance music to her pioneering work in the genre in the ’80s. “I think what’s changed the most is just the songs. Songs have changed. The concept of songwriting,” she replies.

“I’m just, ‘Give me a song. I need a beginning, a middle and an end.’ You know what I mean? I get confused by people’s music,” she adds. “And also, there are just too many artists on songs. I feel chaotic when I listen to them.”

Madonna also points out that with her songs — from “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl” to “Express Yourself” and “Papa Don’t Preach” —  she was “very much invested in empowering women too and that was a very big part of the storytelling.”

“While women were making great dance records, I feel like in the early days, while the songs and melodies are really strong and the singers are really good, they weren’t really invested in making women think, ‘Wow, I don’t have to live in a man’s world … I can have my own voice and my own vision,'” she continues. “So that was an important element.”

And while Madonna admits she hates “repeating herself,” she tells Paper she wouldn’t mind reteaming with Nile Rodgers, who produced her breakthrough album, Like a Virgin.

“It would be fun,” she says. “I would love to work with Nile again.” She adds she’d like for them to team up to create “a pop hit with a twist … a new sound.”

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