Classic Hits

America‘s self-titled debut album was released 50 years ago this month in the U.S.

The trio of Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek, whose fathers were U.S. Air Force personnel stationed in the U.K., formed America after graduating from the same London high school.

All three were talented singer-songwriters who contributed multiple songs to the America album. The album was released in the U.K. in December 1971, initially without the lead single, the Bunnell-penned folk-rock classic “A Horse with No Name.”

When “A Horse with No Name” began enjoying some chart success, it was added to the U.S. version of the album. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in the spring of 1972, while the album spent five straight weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 around the same time.

Reflecting on the band’s immediate success, Beckley tells ABC Audio, “It doesn’t happen too often. We had a number-one single and album with our very first release. We’d barely been together a year. It was a rocket ship that basically burned pretty solid for almost 10 years.”

The album’s follow-up single, the Beckley-written ballad “I Need You,” also was a hit, reaching #9 on the Hot 100.

America was co-produced by Warner Bros. staff producer Ian Samwell, whom Beckley says was tasked with recording the songs simply, without much studio embellishment. Beckley also recalls that the album was recorded quickly and inexpensively, and he credits engineer Ken Scott — known for his work with David Bowie and The Beatles — for keeping the sessions going smoothly.

America was the group’s only album to top the Billboard 200, and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of one million in the U.S.

Here’s the America track list:

Side One
“Riverside”
“Sandman”
“Three Roses”
“Children”
“A Horse with No Name”
“Here”

Side Two
“I Need You”
“Rainy Day”
“Never Found the Time”
“Clarice”
“Donkey Jaw”
“Pigeon Song”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Veteran Canadian rocker Aldo Nova, best known for his 1982 hit “Fantasy,” has unveiled plans for two album projects that will be released in April.

The first is a 10-track EP titled The Life and Times of Eddie Gage that’s due out April 1 and will serve as the first chapter of a planned rock opera.

The Life and Times of Eddie Gage tells the fictional story of a talented young rocker who is tempted and exploited by various characters as he tries to break into the music business. He initially succumbs to drugs, alcohol and other excesses before finding redemption when he delves into spirituality.

One of the EP’s tracks, “Free Your Mind,” has been released as an advance digital single.

Nova began working on the rock opera in 2008, and the final project will encompass 25 songs. Aldo wrote, produced, arranged, engineered and mixed all of the EP’s tracks, and the recording includes a 40-piece orchestra and a full gospel choir.

“The record was done from pure inspiration,” Nova says. “I was truly channeling some place away from myself. It was almost as if something above connected to me and gave me these songs.”

The second project is a three-disc set titled Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded that will be released on April 19.

The collection features updated versions of nine tunes from Nova’s back catalog on the first disc, and those same tracks mixed without vocals and without guitar, respectively, on the second and third discs.

“Nobody’s ever done this,” Aldo says of Reloaded. “You can basically sing with me as your backing band or play along as a backing track…I want to encourage kids to improvise and learn.”

Here’s the EP’s track list:

“Hey Ladi Dadi”
“Free Your Mind”
“Follow the Road”
“King of Deceit”
“The Bitch in Black”
“On the Way to the Psycho Ward”
“When All Is Said and Done”
“Say a Little Prayer”
“Burn Like the Sun”

Bonus Track:
“Les Anges”

And here’s the track list for Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded:

Disc One:
“Blood on the Bricks”
“Monkey on Your Back”
“Under the Gun – War Suite”
“Foolin’ Yourself”
“Ball and Chain”
“Paradise”
“Modern World”
“Fantasy”
“I’m a Survivor”

Disc Two (No Lead Vocal):

“Blood on the Bricks”
“Monkey on Your Back”
“Under the Gun – War Suite”
“Foolin’ Yourself”
“Ball and Chain”
“Modern World”
“Fantasy”
“I’m a Survivor”

Disc Three (No Lead Guitar):
Same as Disc One

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Spotify has announced that it’s officially removed Neil Young‘s music from the streaming service as per the folk-rock legend’s request because he didn’t want share the platform with Joe Rogan‘s popular podcast, which Neil accuses of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and the pandemic.

“We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users,” the company says in a statement. “With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators. We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.”

Meanwhile, Young posted a lengthy message on his official website regarding his decision, noting that he believes that Spotify has “recently become a very damaging force via its public misinformation and lies about COVID.”

Neil noted, “Most of the listeners hearing the unfactual, misleading and false COVID information on SPOTIFY are 24 years old, impressionable and easy to swing to the wrong side of the truth. These young people believe SPOTIFY would never present grossly unfactual information. They unfortunately are wrong. I knew I had to try to point that out.”

Young also thanked his label, Warner Brothers/Reprise Records, for supporting him in his decision, noting that the company will take a sizable financial loss because “Spotify represents 60% of the streaming of my music to listeners around the world.”

Neil points out that fans will still be able to stream his music on other platforms, and that some of those services offer higher-quality audio than Spotify does.

Young ends his message by saying he hopes “other artists and record companies will move off the SPOTIFY platform and stop supporting SPOTIFY’s deadly misinformation about COVID.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Today would have been the late Eddie Van Halen‘s 67th birthday, and to mark the occasion, his son, Wolfgang, has posted a touching tribute on his Instagram page.

The homage features a photo of Eddie with his son when Wolf was a young child and shows the two sitting next to each other on some steps, with both looking back over their shoulders at the camera.

The photo is accompanied by a note from Wolf that reads, “Happy Birthday, Pop. I love and miss you more than you could ever know.”

Eddie died of lung cancer at age 65 on October 6, 2020.

Wolfgang, who is now 30, played bass with his dad in Van Halen from 2006 until Eddie death. He also fronts his own solo group, Mammoth WVH, which released its self-titled debut last June. The band is teaming up with Dirty Honey for a trek dubbed the Young Guns Tour, whose kickoff date recently was moved from January 18 to February 20.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Joan Jett has teamed up with Epiphone to introduce the Joan Jett Olympic Special, based on her favorite stage guitar.

In a video promoting the new instrument, Joan says, “What attracted me to guitar was just being able to make that kind of noise and have control over it. So when we were talking about releasing my new Epiphone signature guitar, it had to have my sound.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer notes that she wanted the guitar to be made in white, so it would be a “clean slate.”

“You’re able to make it your own, paint on it, write on it, beat it up or polish it daily…the point is to make it your vision and voice,” she explains. “Being true to the music is really all about owning who you are. My guitars have become an extension of who I am. I want girls and guys everywhere to be fearless about picking up a guitar.”

The Olympic special has a reproduction of Joan’s autograph on the rear of the headstock, and comes with a specially requested detail: a “kill switch” toggle that mutes and un-mutes.  Each guitar comes with a set of Joan Jett stickers and a Custom Premium Gig Bag.

The guitar is available now for $550.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

U2‘s latest song, “Your Song Saved My Life,” from the soundtrack of the animated film Sing 2, has inspired a new Spotify playlist featuring tunes chosen by the band’s four members that have made a major impact on their own lives.

The Irish rockers’ “Songs That Saved Our lives” playlist appropriately kicks off with “Your Song Saved My Life,” followed by 10 tunes each picked by frontman Bono, guitarist The Edge, drummer Larry Mullin Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton.

Among Bono’s choices are Joy Division‘s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Bob Dylan‘s “Most of the Time,” Johnny Cash‘s cover of Nine Inch Nails‘ “Hurt,” the JAY-Z and Alicia Keys duet “Empire State of Mind,” The Verve‘s “Bittersweet Symphony” and David Bowie‘s “Life on Mars?” The singer also included Kendrick Lamar‘s “XXX,” featuring a guest appearance by U2.

The Edge also chose “Life on Mars?,” as well as a classic tune by his own band, “One.” The guitarist’s other picks included The Beatles‘ “Strawberry Fields Forever,” Stevie Wonder‘s “Superstition,” Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue,” Lou Reed‘s “Walk on the Wild Side” and The Clash‘s “London Calling.”

Standout choices by Mullin include Sweet‘s “Ballroom Blitz,” Diana Ross‘ “Upside Down,” Led Zeppelin‘s “Black Dog,” Van Morrison‘s “Moondance,” Bruce Springsteen‘s “Nebraska” and, believe it or not, Britney Spears‘ “…Baby One More Time.”

The list winds down with Clayton’s picks, which include Marvin Gaye‘s “What’s Goin’ On,” Sam Cooke‘s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” The Righteous Brothers‘ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” Simon & Garfunkel‘s “The Sound of Silence,” James Brown‘s “Super Bad – Parts 1 & 2,” The Clash’s “The Magnificent Seven and two Bob Marley & the Wailers songs.

Meanwhile, “Your Song Saved My Life” recently was shortlisted for an Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category.

Here’s the full playlist:

U2, “Your Song Saved My Life”

Bono’s list:
Kris Kristofferson, “Help Me Make It Through the Night”
Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
Sinead O’Connor, “You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart”
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Into My Arms”
Kendrick Lamar featuring U2, “XXX”
Bob Dylan, “Most of the Time”
Johnny Cash, “Hurt”
JAY-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
The Verve, “Bittersweet Symphony”
David Bowie, “Life on Mars?”

The Edge’s list:
The Beatles, “Strawberry Fields Forever”
David Bowie, “Life on Mars?”
U2, “One”
Stevie Wonder, “Superstition”
Bob Dylan, “Tangled Up in Blue”
Aretha Franklin, “Say a Little Prayer”
Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side”
Elvis Costello & the Attractions, “Shipbuilding”
New Radicals, “You Get What You Give”
The Clash, “London Calling”

Larry Mullin Jr.’s list:
Sweet, “Ballroom Blitz”
Sandy Nelson, “Let There Be Dreams”
Diana Ross, “Upside Down”
Led Zeppelin, “Black Dog”
Van Morrison, “Moondance”
Magazine, “The Light Pours In”
Black Uhuru, “Sponji Reggae”
Bruce Springsteen, “Nebraska”
Stiff Little Fingers, “Suspect Device”
Britney Spears, “…Baby One More Time”

Adam Clayton’s list:
Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On”
Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Exodus”
Sam Cooke, “A Change Is Gonna Come”
The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”
Simon & Garfunkel, “The Sound of Silence”
James Brown, “Super Bad – Parts 1 & 2”
Sly & the Family Stone, “I Want to Take You Higher”
The Stranglers, “Nice ‘n’ Sleazy”
The Clash, “The Magnificent Seven”
Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Waiting in Vain”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Earlier this month, plans for an art exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art inspired by music from dozens of acts, including U2 and No Doubt, was announced. Now you’ll be able to buy your own version of those artworks — for a hefty price.

The exhibit, “Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined,” marks the 30th anniversary of Interscope Records and features over 50 original works by visual artists relating to a particular album or song from the Interscope catalog.

As previously reported, the U2-themed art was based on the band’s 2000 hit “Beautiful Day,” and was created by John Currin, while two No Doubt songs from the band’s 1995 breakthrough album Tragic Kingdom served as inspiration for two separate pieces of art that will be featured in the exhibit — “Just a Girl” by Julie Curtiss and “Spiderwebs” by Lucy Bull.

Starting January 27, you’ll be able to buy limited-edition vinyl albums featuring the artwork from the exhibit. There will be 100 copies of each album available, and each will come with a numbered archival quality print of the artwork on the cover. On top of that, each album will be delivered in a custom Gucci box. The price? $2,500 each.

The albums will be released in groups, with the first group being available to purchase from January 27 through January 31, exclusively via the app for the livestream shopping platform NTWRK. All profits will go to a charity foundation which is building a school in L.A.

The “Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined” exhibit will be on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from January 30 to February 13. For more info, visit LACMA.org.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in October, The Go-Go’s had planned to ring in the New Year with a series of five West Coast shows in late December and early January, but those concerts were postponed after someone associated with the band tested positive for COVID-19.

Now, the veteran all-female group has announced new dates for the postponed run of gigs, most of which will take place at different venues than those lined up for the originally scheduled shows.

The new trek kicks off with a March 24 show in San Francisco at The Masonic, where the original series of concerts was supposed to have launched on December 28. The Go-Go’s then will play on March 25 in Reno, Nevada, at the Grand Theatre; March 27 in Temecula, California, at the Pechanga Theatre; March 28 in Anaheim, California, at the House of Blues; and March 31 in San Diego at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay.

In addition, a special hometown show in Los Angeles will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for the new concerts will go on sale to the general public this Friday, January 28, at 10 a.m. PT, while Go-Go’s fan club and local pre-sales will be available starting on Thursday, January 27, at 10 a.m. PT. Visit GoGos.com/shows for more details.

“We are very pleased to be starting our west coast tour in just a few short weeks,” the group says in a statement. “Because every other band is also looking for venues, we’ve had to alter our routing a little, but we hope our fans will be as happy and excited to see us as we are to see them! Lots of love from The Go-Go’s!”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

John Lennon‘s older son Julian is auctioning off a series of one-of-a-kind NFTs focusing on Beatles-related items from Julian’s personal collection and memorabilia that his late dad gave him.

The “Lennon Connection: The NFT Collection” auction will take place on Monday, February 7, and is being presented by the NFT marketplace YellowHeart in partnership with Julien’s Auctions. The sale will be held live at Julien’s Auction’s Beverly Hills location and online at JuliensAuctions.com.

The NFTs being auctioned, which will be offered as audio/visual collectibles, include images of an Afghan coat that John Lennon wore during the filming of the Magical Mystery Tour special, a black cape that John wore in the Beatles film Help!, three different electric guitars that Julian received as gifts from his father, and a sheet of notes for the recording of “Hey Jude” handwritten by Paul McCartney and featuring some doodles and drawings by Paul.

“As an artist, I have great respect for all that my father accomplished in his career. As a son, I hold dear the good memories I have of my time with him,” Julian says in a statement. “I feel incredibly lucky to live in a day and age where innovation allows me to share such personal pieces of my Lennon family history. Through this NFT collection, I’m able to grant exclusive access to special items that I cherish and carry on the legacy of my father in a new way.”

Some proceeds from the sale will benefit Julian’s White Feather Foundation, and will be used to support the charity’s efforts to help reduce global carbon emissions.

Online bidding on the NFTs began Monday. The auction will end with a live-bidding session that starts at 10 a.m. PT on February 7. Visit JuliensLive.com for more information.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will release a 30th anniversary edition of his second solo album, 1992’s Main Offender, on March 18.

The reissue, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available in multiple formats and configurations, including a limited-edition super-deluxe box set featuring remastered CD and vinyl versions of the album and a bonus live album on CD and two LPs.

A follow-up to Richards’ 1988 solo debut, Talk Is Cheap, Main Offender was released in October 1992. It  features 10 songs that Keith co-wrote with acclaimed drummer/producer Steve Jordan — who became The Stones’ touring drummer in 2021. Guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist/keyboardist Charley Drayton and backing singer Sarah Dash also contributed to the songwriting.

Jordan, Wachtel, Drayton and Dash, along with keyboardist Ivan Neville, all were members of Richards’ side group X-Pensive Winos.

While the album didn’t make much of a chart impact, the songs “Wicked as It Seems” and “Eileen” reached #3 and #17, respectively, on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks tally.

The live album featured in the box set, titled Winos Live in London ’92, features Keith and his band playing select songs from both Talk Is Cheap and Main Offender, as well as renditions of The Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” “Before They Make Me Run” and “Happy.”

The super-deluxe collection also features an LP version Main Offender pressed on smoke-colored vinyl; an 88-page, leather-bound book offering rare photos and Keith’s handwritten lyrics; and collectibles including a guitar pick, a bumper sticker and posters.

A video for one of the deluxe set’s live tracks, a rendition of the Talk Is Cheap cut “How I Wish,” has been posted at Richard’s YouTube channel. The track is available as a digital single now.

Here’s the Main Offender track list:

“999”
“Wicked as It Seems”
“Eileen”
“Words of Wonder”
“Yap Yap”
“Bodytalks”
“Hate It When You Leave”
“Runnin’ Too Deep”
“Will but You Won’t”
“Demon”

And here’s the Winos Live in London ’92 track list:

“Take It So Hard”
“999”
“Wicked as It Seems”
“How I Wish”
“Gimme Shelter”
“Hate It When You Leave”
“Before They Make Me Run”
“Eileen”
“Will But You Won’t”
“Bodytalks”
“Happy”
“Whip It Up”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.