Classic Hits

Styx‘s Tommy Shaw is among the artists who have lent their talents to veteran British producer, composer and musician Alan Parsons‘ latest album, From the New World, which will be released on July 15.

Shaw is featured on a song titled “Uroboros.” The album also includes guest appearances by acclaimed blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, ex-Ambrosia singer David Pack and James Durbin, an American Idol alum and former Quiet Riot frontman.

Parsons has released a track titled “I Won’t Be Led Astray” as a new advance single that features Pack on vocals and Bonamassa on guitar. A music video for the song also has debuted on the Frontiers Music label’s YouTube channel.

The album can be preordered now and is available on CD, as a CD/DVD-audio set, as a colored-vinyl LP, digitally and as a Collector’s Box Set.

The box set includes the CD, the DVD audio disc, a blue-vinyl LP, a t-shirt, a poster, a digipak version of the Alan Parsons Live Project‘s Live in Madrid concert album and more.

Here’s the full track list of From the New World:

“Fare Thee Well”
“The Secret”
“Uroboros” — featuring Tommy Shaw of Styx
“Don’t Fade Now”
“Give ‘Em My Love” — featuring James Durbin and Joe Bonamassa
“Obstacles”
“I Won’t Be Led Astray” — featuring David Pack and Joe Bonamassa
“You Are the Light”
“Halo”
“Goin’ Home”
“Be My Baby”

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After The Zombies canceled two shows in Ontario, Canada, this week because founding singer Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent contracted COVID-19, the band launches the second leg of its 2022 Life Is a Merry-Go-Round Tour tonight in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

Interestingly, Blunstone also celebrates his 77th birthday today.

The North American summer trek features 26 shows, and is mapped out through a three-night stand, July 28-30, in Park City, Utah.

Fans who attend the shows can expect the British Invasion group to perform their classic hits, some deeper cuts from their 1960s heyday and a few brand-new tunes that will be featured on the band’s upcoming studio album, which is expected to be released in the coming months.

Argent tells ABC Audio that it’s very important for the band to continue to make new music and to include fresh material in their concerts. He also notes that in general, Zombies fans have been reacting very positively to the new songs that the group has been performing.

“Obviously, if we play ‘Time of the Season,’ the place erupts,” Argent explains. “But…[when we play a] new song after that, [while the reaction isn’t] quite as amazing as we get after ‘Time of the Season’…it’s a really, really significant reaction…So people embrace that as well.”

One of the new tunes The Zombies are playing is “Merry-Go-Round,” which is the song that the tour is named after. Argent says “Merry-Go-Round” was one of the first tracks that the band recorded for the upcoming album, and he feels that it could be chosen as a single.

You can check out The Zombies’ full schedule at TheZombiesMusic.com. No word yet if the canceled Ontario shows will be rescheduled.

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The 13th annual Global Beatles Day will be observed on Saturday, June 25.

The event, which was founded in 2009 by an Indianapolis-based Beatles fan named Faith Cohen, was established to honor the music and ideals of the Fab Four’s members and their many contributions to the world’s culture, including their promotion of peace and love.

June 25 was chosen as the date of the annual event because that was the day in 1967 that The Beatles’ performance of “All You Need Is Love” was part of Our World, a famous satellite broadcast that aired around the world.

This year, in addition to generally celebrating the band on June 25, Cohen is asking people to send a link to a video of the 1967 “All You Need Is Love” performance, which can be found at DailyMotion.com, to “10 people who matter” as a way to spread the message of peace and love around the world.

“This could be to family, friends and coworkers or elected officials,” Cohen says. “It could be kings, queens, princes, presidents, ambassadors, military leaders and law enforcement organizations.”

She adds, “We want them to send links to 10 people or organizations that matter in running our world and keeping it going. Then we want them to ask those 10 entities to send it on to 10 more and ask them to do the same. On and on … Send the link to those in power, from the local to global level, who keep the world running.”

You also can check out Cohen’s general suggestions for 10 ways you can celebrate Global Beatles Day at the event’s official site.

Interestingly, Paul McCartney‘s headlining set at England’s Glastonbury Festival coincides with the 2022 Global Beatles Day.

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Former White Stripes frontman Jack White has shared a preview of his contribution to the soundtrack for the upcoming Elvis Presley biopic, Elvis.

The song is a combination of Presley’s 1969 recording of “Power of My Love” and White’s new vocals.

“It is an incredible honor to be a part of this ‘duet’ with the king of rock n’ roll,” White writes in a message posted on his social media sites, along with a video playing a clip of the track.

Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann, stars Austin Butler in the title role and Tom Hanks as his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Both the film and its soundtrack, which also features Stevie Nicks, Chris Isaak, Rufus Thomas, Gary Clark Jr., Eminem, CeeLo Green and many others, will be released this Friday, June 24.

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Paul McCartney turned 80 on Saturday, June 18, but the former Beatles star has even more to celebrate: He recently surpassed the $1 billion mark in total grosses over the last 30-plus years as a solo touring act, according to Billboard.

In addition, Sir Paul landed at #1 on Billboard‘s Top Tours chart for May, according to data reported to Billboard Boxscore from nine concerts that McCartney played last month as part of his Got Back Tour. His tour brought in $52.4 million and sold 206,000 tickets.

Macca’s full U.S. trek featured 15 dates, running from an April 28 show in Spokane, Washington, through a June 16 performance in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The outing grossed $101.7 million with 416,000 tickets sold.

After his May 31 concert in Knoxville, Tennessee, McCartney’s reported total career grosses increased to more than $1 billion. Paul becomes just the 11th artist to reach the $1 billion mark in the 30-plus-year history of the Billboard Boxscore.

Meanwhile, McCartney’s May 13 show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, brought in over $12 million alone, making it the second-highest-grossing concert event last month, according to Billboard‘s Top Boxscores. In addition, the rock legend’s May 28 show in Orlando, Florida, landed at #6 on the list, while his May 2-3 stand in Seattle was at #8; his May 6 and 8 engagement in Oakland, California, was at #9; and his May 21 show in Charlotte, North Carolina, was at #10.

In other news, McCartney just announced that he’ll be playing an intimate show on Friday, June 24, at the Cheese & Grain venue in Frome, England, as a warm-up gig for his headlining performance Saturday at England’s famed Glastonbury Festival.

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Details have been unveiled for the second annual Monsters on the Mountain festival, a three-day hard-rock extravaganza that will take place August 19-21 at The Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Set in the scenic Great Smoky Mountains, the event will feature over 30 performers, including Night Ranger, Quiet Riot, Extreme, Nelson, Cinderella‘s Tom Keifer, Ratt‘s Stephen Pearcy, Kip Winger, ex-Mötley Crüe frontman John Corabi, Autograph, Queensrÿche and Firehouse.

In addition to the performances, Monsters on the Mountain will offer a variety of interactive events and activities, including photo opportunities with the performers, a rock ‘n’ roll merchandise vendor market and a rock-themed art gallery.

Tickets for the festival are available now, with three-day packages starting at $349 per person, and single-day tickets starting at $175 for August 19 and 20, and at $155 for August 21.

For more information, visit MonstersontheMountain.com.

The Monsters on the Mountain festival is organized by the same people who bring you the Monsters of Rock Cruise, the next installment of which is scheduled to set sail in April 2023.

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Jeff Beck has released a new instrumental version of the 1966 Beach Boys gem “Caroline, No” as the latest advance track from 18, his upcoming collaborative album with actor/rocker Johnny Depp, which is due out digitally and on CD July 15.

The track is available now via digital formats, while a companion music video featuring footage of Beck playing the song live in concert has debuted on his official YouTube channel.

“Caroline, No” was the final song that appeared on The Beach Boys’ lauded 1966 album, Pet Sounds.

“That entire album was great support for me in horrible times,” Beck notes. “I’d left the Yardbirds and regretted it because I had nothing. I was back living with my mum and dad. I thought, right, I’m not going sit around doing nothing. So, I bought a stereo and Pet Sounds, and I was just riveted to the spot. I remember it was a great big cure from losing the Yardbirds, having Jimi Hendrix stomp all over things, and losing my girlfriend. All that happened in what seemed like the same day.”

“Caroline, No” is the fourth track released in advance from 18 following a cover of John Lennon‘s “Isolation,” the Depp original “This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr” and a rendition of The Velvet Underground‘s “Venus in Furs.”

As previously reported, 18, which can be preordered now, is a 13-track collection that features two songs written by Depp alongside 11 covers, including tunes by The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Everly Brothers and the aforementioned Lennon, Beach Boys and Velvet Underground.

Beck is currently on tour in Europe, and Depp has been joining him as a special guest at each stop of the trek.

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)*

* = on digital and CD version only.

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Pink Floyd has announced plans to release a physical version of their new song “Hey Hey Rise Up,” which the band recorded with singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk [AHN-dree KLIV-nik] of the Ukrainian band Boombox and first made available as a digital single in April.

“Hey Hey Rise Up” now will be released on CD and as a seven-inch vinyl single on July 15 in the U.K. and most other countries, while it won’t be available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australia in those formats until October 21, and in Japan until August 3.

The CD and vinyl single will also include a second track, a newly reworked version of the 1994 Pink Floyd song “A Great Day for Freedom,” which originally appeared on the band’s 1994 album, The Division Bell.

As previously reported, “Hey Hey Rise Up” was recorded in late March and uses vocals taken from an Instagram post showing Andriy singing the Ukrainian protest song “The Red Viburnum in the Meadow” while standing in Kyiv’s Sofiyskaya Square. The song, which was written during World War I, has become an anthem in Ukraine protesting Russia’s invasion of the country.

The track also features Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason, along with keyboardist Nitin Sawhney and longtime Floyd touring bassist Guy Pratt. A music video for the song accompanied its release in April.

For the updated version of “A Great Day for Freedom,” Gilmour reworked the track using the original tapes, which also feature Mason and late Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright, along with backing vocalists Sam Brown, Claudia Fontaine and Durga McBroom.

You can preorder the CD and vinyl single now. Proceeds raised by the discs and the digital version of “Hey Hey Rise Up” will benefit Ukraine humanitarian relief efforts.

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A new four-part docuseries called Women Who Rock that focuses on female singers and musicians who have made a significant impact on the music world since the 1950s will premiere July 10 on EPIX.

The show will feature new interviews with Pat Benatar, Heart‘s Nancy Wilson, Joan Jett, The B-52s‘ Kate Pierson, Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, Sheila E., Mavis Staples and many more reflecting on the musical contributions they and other female artists have made.

The series will showcase the artists sharing insights and stories behind their music, as well as discussing such topics as power, fame, truth and the struggle to achieve success.

The premiere episode, titled “Truth,” will look at the roots of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s and ’60s with profiles of Staples, Khan and the late Janis Joplin,plus commentary from Weymouth, Pierson, Norah Jones, Rickie Lee Jones, Merry Clayton and others.

Episode two, titled “Defiance,” which premieres on July 17, will focus on the 1970s and such artists as Wilson, Jett, Blondie‘s Debbie Harry, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks and Carole King.

The third episode, dubbed “Power,” debuts on July 24, and delves into the artists who emerged during the 1980s and ’90s, among them Benatar, Sheila E., Natalie Merchant, Crow, Missy Elliott, Courtney Love, Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette.

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Bad Company and Free singer Paul Rodgers has lent his vocal talents to a new song called “Red Harvest” by veteran singer/keyboardist Richard T. Bear, aka T Bear.

A music video for the melancholy tune, which T Bear was inspired to write while watching footage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has premiered on the Quarto Valley Records’ official YouTube channel.

The clip features live performance footage, along with images of Ukraine, a brief cameo by Rodgers, and scenes of T Bear singing on a beach dressed in blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Money raised from the song and video will be donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross’ humanitarian relief efforts.

“I watched as the missiles and bombs rained down upon the civilians; people trying to flee the death and destruction,” explains T Bear. “I walked over to my piano and in less than 30 minutes I had the idea of ‘Red Harvest.'”

The track also features former Wings guitarist Laurence Juber, acclaimed session bassist Lee Sklar and veteran session drummer Tony Braunagel, who produced the song with help from Juber.

All of the artists who participated in the recording did so free of charge.

“T Bear was truly inspired when he wrote ‘Red Harvest,'” Rodgers says. “I think we are all shocked at what is happening in Ukraine. Such a feeling of helplessness. We all do what we can.”

T Bear has posted a video on his Facebook page in which he reveals he’s working on a new studio album he expects to release in January.

During his career, T Bear has recorded with many well-known artists, including Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Blues Brothers, Billy Squier and Cher, as well as for KISS members Gene Simmons‘ and Peter Criss‘ solo projects.

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