Classic Hits

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Whitney Houston‘s death, and her estate is ensuring that we’ll be able to enjoy her music for many years to come, through the release of everything from new albums, to a Broadway show.  It’s all being planned by Whitney’s estate, which has quadrupled its earnings over the past three years, Variety reports.

Most exciting for fans may be the news that two new Whitney albums will arrive in 2023, as Variety also reports. One will be the singer’s first gospel collection, while the other is a live album.  The gospel collection will be a mix of unreleased tracks, some of which are live, plus songs recorded for her 1996 movie The Preacher’s Wife.

Meanwhile, the authorized biopic of Whitney, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, is due out this December, but its soundtrack will arrive a month before, reports Variety. Whitney’s mentor Clive Davis, who is co-producing the film, will also be involved in the soundtrack.

ALso, the estate is already working on a Broadway musical adaptation and is in talks to create a “Cirque-like” Whitney destination show in Las Vegas. A cosmetics line is expected to launch around the same time as the film.

Finally, starting today, you can purchase a Whitney Funko Pop Icon figure, exclusively at Target.

Pat Houston, the president of the Whitney Houston Estate, tells Variety, “Whitney would certainly be proud of the direction and momentum we have established for her brand: re-introducing her legacy to a new generation [by] capitalizing on the opportunities that continuously represent her gift in the best light.”

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Aerosmith‘s 1971: The Road Starts Here, a collection of seven recently rediscovered rare live performances that was first issued as a limited-edition vinyl disc and cassette for the 2021 Record Store Day Black Friday event, will get its official release on CD and digital formats on April 8.

The announcement of the release is the first in conjunction with the band’s 50th anniversary celebrations this year.

1971: The Road Starts Here features performances that were recorded in 1971 on guitarist Joe Perry‘s Wollensak reel-to-reel tape machine by early Aerosmith roadie Mark Lehman, either in the band’s Boston rehearsal room with a few friends in attendance or during a soundcheck for an early gig.

Among the songs Aerosmith performs on the recording are versions of five tunes that went on to appear on the band’s 1973 self-titled debut album — “Movin’ Out,” the classic anthem “Dream On,” “Mama Kin,” “Somebody,” and a cover of Rufus Thomas‘ 1963 hit “Walkin’ the Dog.”

1971: The Road Starts Here also includes a performance of “Reefer Head Woman,” which the band later recorded for the 1979 album Night in the Ruts, and a rendition of “Major Barbara,” a tune that appeared the group’s 1986 Classics Live collection.

The CD will feature previously unseen archival photos, images of the original tape box, and liner notes penned by Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke that includes new interviews and comments from the band members.

1971: The Road Starts Here can be pre-ordered on CD and vinyl and pre-saved now. Aerosmith’s early version of “Somebody” has been released as an advance digital single.

Aerosmith also has introduced a collection of special merch items inspired by the album that are available now at the band’s online store.

Here’s the full track list:

Intro/”Somebody”
“Reefer Head Woman”
“Walkin’ the Dog”
“Movin’ Out”
“Major Barbara”
“Dream On”
“Mama Kin”

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Bruce Springsteen is helping Eddie Vedder celebrate the release of the Pearl Jam frontman’s new solo album, Earthling.

The Boss and Vedder got together at Springsteen’s farm in New Jersey for a conversation about the album that was filmed for a special that will premiere today at 2 p.m. ET on Amazon Live. The interview also will be made available at Vedder’s official YouTube channel starting this Sunday, February 13.

In a preview clip from the special that’s been posted on YouTube, Springsteen asks Vedder about his musical influences, and Eddie reveals that as he was grwing up they they included The Jackson 5, The Beatles and The Who, as well as, of course, the “Born to Run” rocker himself.

“Ah, grazie,” Springsteen responds.

Vedder adds that he also got into The Band, Split Enz, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Fugazi and his grunge contemporaries Mudhoney.

Earthling, Vedder’s first solo album in 11 years, is out today. It was produced by Ozzy Osbourne collaborator Andrew Watt and was recorded with a core of backing musicians that included Watt on bass and guitar, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer.

In addition, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, Elton John and longtime Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench make guest appearances on the record.

Watt, Smith and Klinghoffer are also members of Vedder’s solo live band, The Earthlings, along with Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard. Their tour continues February 15 in San Diego and wraps up with February 21-22 stand in Seattle.

Here’s the Earthling track list:

“Invincible”
“Power of Right”
“Long Way”
“Brother the Cloud”
“Fallout Today”
“The Dark”
“The Haves”
“Good and Evil”
“Rose of Jericho”
“Try”
“Picture” — featuring Elton John
“Mrs. Mills”
“On My Way”

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It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since Whitney Houston‘s shocking and tragic death on February 11, 2012. But we will always love her: Her life story, and her music, are still captivating and entertaining fans around the world.

Ironically, Whitney died on the weekend of the Grammy Awards — a show which had honored her six times in her career — and on the exact day of her mentor Clive Davis‘ legendary pre-Grammy party.  Unbelievably, the party went on as scheduled — at the Beverly Hilton, just downstairs from the hotel suite where Whitney was found dead in her bathtub.

That night, Davis told guests that Whitney would have wanted the party to go on, and that her family told him not to cancel, but he faced harsh criticism from others, including Sharon Osbourne and Chaka Khan.

At the Grammy Awards the following night, host LL Cool J opened the ceremony with a moving prayer, while Jennifer Hudson brought the audience to tears with a rendition of “I Will Always Love You.”

Three years later, Whitney’s family was once again touched by grief: In 2015, her only child, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was found unconscious in a bathtub, and after spending six months in a coma, she died at the age of 22. 

Whitney’s and her daughter’s lives have since inspired a number of movies and documentaries, both authorized and unauthorized. including Whitney: Can I Be Me, Whitney and Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn’t We Almost Have It All.

An authorized biopic, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, co-produced by Clive Davis and Whitney Houston Estate president Pat Houston, is expected to hit theaters on December 23, 2022. Meanwhile, an authorized concert production starring a hologram of Whitney is currently running at Harrah’s Las Vegas.

And Whitney’s music is still being discovered by new generations through a series of remixes, such as Kygo‘s 2019 chart-topping reworking of Whitney’s “Higher Love,” Clean Bandit‘s 2021 remix of “How Will I Know,” and the 2019 “duet” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” featuring Whitney and Pentatonix.

Whitney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 by Alicia Keys, who said, “Whitney Houston is one of one. There is no one like her, and there never will be.”

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Michael McDonald, the soulful singer and talented songwriter and keyboardist who found success with The Doobie Brothers, as a solo artist and as a collaborator with various other musicians and singers, celebrates his 70th birthday this Saturday, February 12.

In 1974, McDonald briefly was a member of Steely Dan‘s touring band. He would go on to contribute backing vocals to all of Steely Dan’s albums, from 1975’s Katy Lied through 1980’s Gaucho.

McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975. During his tenure with the group, Michael sang and wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “Real Love,” “Minute by Minute” and the chart-topping “What a Fool Believes.” The latter, which McDonald co-wrote with Kenny Loggins, also won multiple Grammy awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

After The Doobie Brothers’ 1982 breakup, Michael launched a successful solo career. Among his solo hits are 1982’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” and 1986’s “Sweet Freedom.”

McDonald also lent backing vocals to notable tunes by other artists, including Loggins’ 1979 hit “This Is It,” which he co-wrote, and Christopher Cross‘ 1981 #2 single “Ride Like the Wind.” In addition, he scored hit duets including the Grammy-winning “Yah Mo B There” with James Ingram in 1983, and the chart-topping “On My Own” with Patti LaBelle in 1986.

McDonald was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Doobie Brothers in 2020.

McDonald has reunited with The Doobies several times over the years after the band’s initial breakup. Starting last year, Michael rejoined the group to take part in their 50th anniversary tour, which gets underway again in June.

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Daryl Hall and John Oates will release their 1997 album Marigold Sky on vinyl for the first time on March 25 in honor of the record’s 25th anniversary.

In addition the vinyl version, which will be a two-LP set, an expanded version of the album with three bonus tracks will be released as a two-CD collection and on digital platforms. This also will mark the first time that Marigold Sky will be available as a digital download and via streaming services.

Marigold Sky, the duo’s 15th studio effort, was originally released in September 1997. It only reached #95 on the Billboard 200, although the singles “Promise Ain’t Enough” and “The Sky Is Falling” peaked at #6 and #26, respectively, on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart.

The reissue’s bonus tracks are a radio edit of “Romeo Is Bleeding,” a remix of “Hold On to Yourself,” and what’s described as a “hot mix” of “The Sky Is Falling.”

Coinciding with the announcement of the reissue, a restored version of the “Promise Ain’t Enough” music video has premiered at Hall & Oates’ YouTube channel, and the track is available now via digital formats.

“I look at Marigold Sky as the lost Hall and Oates album,” says Hall. “The fans have been asking me for years about it. I’m really proud of these songs and happy to see that it’s getting a global re-release.”

Adds Oates, “I am really pleased that Marigold Sky is finally becoming available around the world. It’s a very unique and cool album, and I hope old and new fans really enjoy it.”

You can pre-order the Marigold Sky reissue now. Here’s the expanded version’s track list:

“Romeo Is Bleeding”
“Marigold Sky”
“The Sky Is Falling”
“Out of the Blue”
“Want To”
“Love Out Loud”
“Throw the Roses Away”
“I Don’t Think So”
“Promise Ain’t Enough”
“Time Won’t Pass Me By”
“Hold On to Yourself”
“War of Words”
“Romeo Is Bleeding” (Radio Edit)*
“Hold On to Yourself” (Remix)*
“The Sky Is Falling” (Hot Mix)*

* = on CD and digital versions only.

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Last summer, Jon Anderson teamed up with the students of the Paul Green Rock Academy for an 11-date U.S. tour, and the now former Yes frontman is set to join forces again with the talented young musicians for a lengthier North American trek this year.

So far five concerts have been confirmed, starting with an April 6 show in Atlanta, and followed by stops in four Florida cities — on April 10 in Clearwater, April 12 in Melbourne, April 14 in Orlando, and April 16 in Sarasota.

A post on PaulGreenRock.com reports that the 2022 tour will eventually feature more than 30 dates.

Like last year’s tour, the new shows will feature Anderson performing with 25 Paul Green Rock Academy members. The concerts will feature renditions of Yes classics and deep cuts, songs from Anderson’s solo catalog, mash-ups and more, with lush arrangements including choral vocals, horns and other musical elements.

Anderson commented about the upcoming shows in a recent Facebook post.

“[G]etting ready to tour this April with the teenagers of Academy of Rock,” he wrote. “Ready to perform ‘Close to the Edge’…and many more Yes classics like ‘Heart of the Sunrise’, and some fun mash ups…like [Led Zeppelin‘s] ‘Kashmir’…[David Bowie‘s] ‘Let’s Dance’…[Eminem]’s first hit…things like that…I call the show Wonderful Chaos!!….so if by chance you see us advertised near you, please come along and have fun.”

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Want to watch the Oscar-nominated documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), but don’t have Hulu or Disney+? You’re in luck.

The acclaimed film, which documents the six-week-long, star-studded 1969 New York City event The Harlem Cultural Festival, will have its broadcast television premiere on Sunday, February 20, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

The festival, the tapes of which sat on a shelf for decades, featured a huge lineup of soul, blues, Latin, jazz, gospel and R&B stars. Among the artists you’ll see performing in the film are Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Sly and the Family Stone, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, B.B. King and The Temptations‘ David Ruffin and more.

In related news, while a digital and CD version of the movie’s soundtrack is out now, an expanded two-LP version of the album will be released on June 17. It includes 17 songs selected by the documentary’s director, drummer Questlove of The Roots. Target will offer a single-LP version pressed on red vinyl. You can pre-order both now.

The album’s track listing gives you an idea of how varied the lineup was at the festival, an event that was all but forgotten because it was overshadowed by Woodstock, which took place around the same time:

The Chambers Brothers — “Uptown”
B.B. King — “Why I Sing the Blues”
The 5th Dimension — “Don’t Cha Hear Me Callin’ to Ya”
The 5th Dimension — “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)”
David Ruffin — “My Girl”
The Edwin Hawkins Singers — “Oh Happy Day”
The Staple Singers — “It’s Been a Change”
The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir featuring Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples — “Precious Lord Take My Hand”
Gladys Knight & The Pips — “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
Mongo Santamaria — “Watermelon Man”
Ray Barretto — “Together”
Herbie Mann — “Hold On, I’m Comin'”
Sly & The Family Stone — “Sing a Simple Song”
Sly & The Family Stone — “Everyday People”
Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach — “Africa”
Nina Simone — “Backlash Blues”
Nina Simone — “Are You Ready”

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The lineup for the 2022 edition of the Allman Brothers Band-founded Peach Music Festival has been unveiled, and The Black Crowes and Phish singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio‘s solo band are among the acts that have been confirmed as headliners.

The 10th anniversary event will take place over four days, June 30-July 3, at its usual location, Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

More than 50 artists will be performing at this year’s festival, with the bill also including founding Allman Brothers Band drummer Jaimoe, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, reggae legends The Wailers and Steel Pulse, G. Love, and Duane Betts — son of original Allman Brothers singer/guitarist Dickey Betts.

Jaimoe will be playing with a collective dubbed Jaimoe and Friends, while The Wailers will perform the late Bob Marley‘s classic hits compilation Legend in its entirety. In addition, a group called Trouble No More will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Allman Brothers’ 1972 album Eat a Peach. Trouble No More’s lead singer is Lamar Williams Jr., whose late father played bass with the Allmans from 1972 to 1976.

With the festival scheduled just before July 4, the four-day bash will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display on Sunday, July 3.

To purchase tickets and packages, and to check out the latest information about the fest, visit ThePeachMusicFestival.com.

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In case you missed it, U.S. figure skater Nathan Chen won the gold medal Wednesday night at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in the men’s singles competition, delivering a thrilling free skate program set to a medley of cover versions of Elton John songs, including “Rocket Man” and “Bennie and the Jets.”

Now, the “Rocket Man” himself has extended congratulations to the 22-year-old athlete via his social media pages.

“Congratulations Nathan Chen for winning Gold skating to ‘Rocket Man’ in the free skate finals in Beijing,” Elton writes.

The British pop-rock legend also points out that Chen is featured in new episodes of the Olympic Channel series From the Top, which Elton executive-produced for his Rocket Sports production company.

Nathan appears with singer/actress Hayley Kiyoko in three segments of the program, which pairs Olympic athletes and music artists together and features them discussing their journeys to success. You can check out the episodes at Olympics.com.

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