Classic Hits

Blondie has released a rare demo of a song called “I Love You Honey, Give Me a Beer” that was recorded in 1980 and that will be featured on the band’s expansive forthcoming box set, Blondie: Against the Odds 1974-1982, which is due out August 26.

The track, which is available now via digital formats, is an early version of “Go Through It,” a country-flavored tune that appeared on the band’s hit 1980 album, Autoamerican.

As previously reported, Against the Odds focuses on the influential New Wave band’s original heyday and is fully authorized by the group.

The retrospective, which can be preordered now, will be available in multiple formats and configurations, including an eight-CD set and a super deluxe collectors’ edition that features 10 12-inch vinyl LPs, a 10-inch LP and a 7-inch vinyl single.

The vinyl box set features 124 tracks, 36 of which are previously unreleased. The collection contains remastered versions of Blondie’s first six studio albums — 1976’s Blondie, 1977’s Plastic Letters, 1978’s Parallel Lines, 1979’s Eat to the Beat, Autoamerican and 1982’s The Hunter — and four LPs of outtakes, demos, remixes, alternate versions, home recordings and other rarities.

The 10-inch disc features additional rarities from 1974 and ’75, while the vinyl single boasts a cover of The Doors‘ “Moonlight Drive” and a demo of the song “Mr. Sightseer.”

The box set also includes extensive liner notes and track-by-track commentary from Blondie’s Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke, and from former members Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante and Gary Valentine.

Blondie: Against the Odds also will be available as a four-LP package, a three-CD set and digitally.

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Heart singer Ann Wilson will take part in a special performance at an exhibition of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay‘s extensive collection of rock memorabilia and other historic artifacts, which will be held August 2 in Irsay’s hometown of Chicago.

Wilson will perform at the event with The Jim Irsay Band, which features Irsay backed by founding R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, longtime John Mellencamp guitarist Mike Wanchic, John Fogerty touring drummer Kenny Aronoff and other noteworthy musicians.

The exhibit of the Jim Irsay Collection and the performance will take place at the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier and will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT. The event is free, but tickets will be required to attend and can be reserved at Eventbrite.com.

Irsay’s collection includes guitars that were played and/or owned by Bob Dylan, members of The Beatles, Prince, Eric Clapton, The Grateful Dead‘s Jerry Garcia, Pink Floyd‘s David Gilmour and many other famous musicians.

The collection also features other instruments, as well as autographed photos, handwritten lyrics and more. The most recent additions to Irsay’s trove of memorabilia is the guitar that late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain played in his band’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, and the guitar on which the late Janis Joplin learned to play “Me and Bobby McGee.”

Some non-music-related items also are part of the collection: an original “Wanted” poster for John Wilkes Booth, a baseball bat used by Jackie Robinson and a robe worn by Muhammad Ali.

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Eric Clapton has quietly debuted a new song called “Pompous Fool” on his official YouTube channel and social media pages.

Clapton has offered no details about the tune, which was posted on July 7, but some fans and media outlets have speculated that it might be a commentary on U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned that same day amid allegations of political corruption.

“Don’t you worry, don’t be blue/ Let your woman, take care of you,” Clapton sings in the first verse of the upbeat pop-blues tune. “Live your life, by the golden rule/ Pay no mind, to the pompous fool.”

Back in July 2021, Clapton posted a message criticizing Johnson after the politician announced that COVID-19 vaccine passes would be required to attend events at nightclubs and other venues in the U.K.

In the message, which appeared on the Telegram page of Clapton’s friend Robin Monotti, who identifies as a pro-vaccine-safety advocate, Clapton declared, “I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”

“Pompous Fool” currently doesn’t appear to be available for purchase or via the major streaming platforms.

In May, Clapton postponed several shows on his 2022 European tour leg to October because he had contracted COVID-19. His next scheduled performances are a series of seven U.S. concerts running from a September 8 gig in Columbus, Ohio, to a September 18-19 stand in New York City. Jimmie Vaughan will be joining him at most of the shows.

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The Eagles will be flying north of the border with their Hotel California 2022 Tour this September.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ ongoing tour, which celebrates their classic 1976 album, has been extended to include six Canadian dates — September 9 in Toronto, September 13 in Ottawa, September 16 in Winnipeg, September 18 in Saskatoon, September 20 in Edmonton and September 22 in Vancouver.

Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public next Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m. local time; A limited number of VIP packages will also be available that day. Pre-sale tickets are currently on sale. Visit Eagles.com for more information.

As previously reported, the tour features the Eagles performing the Hotel California album in its entirety, as well as other memorable tunes by the group, accompanied by an orchestra and a choir. The band’s current lineup includes founding singer/drummer Don Henley, longtime guitarist Joe Walsh, bassist Timothy B. Schmit and country star Vince Gill on vocals and guitar.

The Eagles wrapped up a European leg of the trek in June and also toured the U.S. earlier this year.

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Three years after they first listed it, Paul Simon and wife Edie Brickell have finally sold their mansion in New Canaan, Connecticut. But the musical couple have taken a big loss on the property.

The real estate website Dirt reports that the 32-acre residence sold for $10.8 million, $5.7 million less than they paid for it about 20 years ago.

According to Dirt, Simon and Brickell initially asked for $13.9 million for the estate when they put it up for sale in 2019, but slashed the price to $11.9 million in 2020.

The 1938 mansion has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and three powder rooms, a paneled library, a large living room, a tiled sun room and a three-car garage. The three-story home sits on grounds that include “sweeping meadows,” “formal walled gardens,” a swimming pool and a private pond.

There’s also a 2,400-square-foot cottage on the property that Paul and Edie used as a recording studio.

According to Dirt, Simon and his wife still have three at least other residences, among them a duplex in New York City, a 30-acre oceanfront home in New York’s ritzy Hamptons and a 10-acre estate in Allen, Texas, outside of Dallas.

The couple celebrated their 30th anniversary last month.

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It’s hard to believe Dirty Dancing came out almost 35 years ago. To celebrate its milestone anniversary, fans of the romantic film will soon be able to get their hands on commemorative editions of its best-selling soundtrack.

The iconic album will be reissued next month as a collectible color cassette edition, while a two-LP colored-vinyl set will follow.

The cassette version will come with a new cover and will feature that original album’s 12-song track list.

If you need a refresher, the Dirty Dancing soundtrack was stuffed with hit songs, including the chart-topping “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, as well star Patrick Swayze‘s “She’s Like the Wind” and Eric Carmen‘s “Hungry Eyes,” which peaked at #3 and #4, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album also featured such classic vintage tunes as The Ronettes‘ “Be My Baby,” Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs‘ “Stay,” Mickey & Sylvia‘s “Love Is Strange” and The Five Satins‘ “(I’ll Remember) In the Still of the Night.”

The cassette will be released on August 19 and can be preordered on Amazon.

As for the vinyl collection, it will include the original soundtrack and its 1988 sequel, More Dirty Dancing. The two-LP set will be available to preorder on MondoShop.com starting August 24.

The Dirty Dancing soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 for 18 nonconsecutive weeks, spanning from November 1987 to May 1988. It was recently certified 14-times Platinum by the RIAA — meaning it’s sold over 14 million copies in the U.S. alone. On a global scale, over 32 million copies have flown off the shelves since its July 1987 release, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Here’s the full Dirty Dancing (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) track list:

Side A
“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” — Bill Medley, Jennifer Warnes
“Be My Baby” — The Ronettes
“She’s Like the Wind” — Patrick Swayze
“Hungry Eyes” — Eric Carmen
“Stay” — Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
“Yes” — Merry Clayton

Side B
“You Don’t Own Me” — The Blow Monkeys
“Hey! Baby” — Bruce Channel
“Overload” — Alfie Zappacosta
“Love Is Strange” — Mickey & Sylvia
“Where Are You Tonight?” — Tom Johnston
“(I’ll Remember) In the Still of the Night” — The Five Satins

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A high-def analog audio disc featuring a new version of Bob Dylan‘s classic folk song “Blowin’ in the Wind,” which Dylan recorded last year, sold Thursday at a Christie’s auction in London for about 1.5 million pounds, or almost $1.8 million.

Dylan recorded his new version of the famous tune with acclaimed producer T Bone Burnett using Burnett’s new ultra-high-definition Ionic Original audio format.

The one-of-a-kind acetate disc, which had been estimated to sell for between $752,000 and $1.2 million, was auctioned as part of Christie’s “Exceptional Sale” event. The sale took place two days before the 60th anniversary of the recording of the original “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

The 10-inch aluminum disc, which resembles and can be played like a vinyl LP, comes packaged in a specially created wooden cabinet and boasts the etched signatures of Dylan, Burnett and mastering engineer Jeff Powell.

The new track was recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville, with Dylan accompanied by Burnett on electric guitar, Greg Leisz on mandolin, Stuart Duncan on violin, and both Dennis Crouch and Don Was on bass.

In a statement posted by Variety following the auction, Burnett says, “With Bob Dylan’s new version of ‘Blowin’ in the Wind,’ our first Ionic Original archival analogue disc, we have entered and aim to help develop a music space in the fine arts market. I trust and hope it will mean as much to whomever acquired it today…as it does to all of us who made it, and that they will consider it and care for it as a painting or any other singular work of art.”

The Ionic Original technology was developed by Burnett’s recently launched company NeoFidelity Inc.

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Journey was forced to postpone the last four concerts of their spring North American tour because an unspecified member of the group tested positive for COVID-19, and now those dates have been rescheduled for March 2023.

The concerts, which were to have taken place on May 10 in Washington, D.C.; May 11 in Hartford, Connecticut; May 13 in Toronto; and May 16, in Quebec City, Canada, are now scheduled for next year on March 1, March 4, March 12 and March 9, respectively.

Toto, who served as Journey’s support act for the band’s entire spring 2022 tour leg, will also open those four 2023 shows. Heart‘s Ann Wilson had been announced as the opening act for the Toronto and Quebec City concerts before they were postponed.

As previously reported, Journey will release a new studio album titled Freedom on Friday, July 8.

The band also has a dozen upcoming 2022 concerts scheduled, including four special symphonic shows in Las Vegas — on July 15, 16, 22 and 23. Visit JourneyMusic.com for more info on the group’s tour schedule.

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Former Pink Floyd singer/bassist Roger Waters kicked off his long-delayed This Is Not a Drill Tour of North America last night at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

As seen in fan-posted videos and photos, Waters and his band performed in the round on a rectangular stage that featured massive video walls.

In pre-tour announcements, Waters hinted that the shows would feature plenty of the pointed social and political commentary he’s known for, and that was the case. As the concert began, a message ran across the screen notifying the crowd, “If you’re one of those ‘I love Pink Floyd but I can’t stand Roger’s politics’ people, you might do well to f*** off to the bar right now.”

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also reports the video screens bombarded the audience with provocative messages, film clips and images that focused on issues, including the evils of war, racial injustice, corporate greed, political corruption, gun violence and reproductive, trans and Palestinian rights. At one point, Waters fired a fake automatic rifle at the crowd.

Waters’ two-set show featured over 20 songs and included multiple-song segments from Pink Floyd’s classic 1970s albums The Wall, Wish You Were Here and The Dark Side of the Moon. In the middle of his first set, Roger introduced a brand-new tune called “The Bar,” which he reprised later in the concert.

Waters also played two songs from his most recent solo album, 2017’s Is This the Life We Really Want?: the title track and “Déjà Vu.”

Roger’s backing band features guitarists Jonathan Wilson and Dave Kilminster, keyboardist/guitarist Jon Carin, bassist Gus Seyffert, keyboardist Robert Walter, drummer Joey Waronker, sax player Seamus Blake, and backing vocalists Shanay Johnson and Amanda Belair.

Here’s the show’s full set list:

Set 1
“Comfortably Numb” (Acoustic)
“The Happiest Days of Our Lives”
“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”
“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3”
“The Powers That Be”
“The Bravery of Being Out of Range”
“The Bar” (New song)
“Have a Cigar”
“Wish You Were Here”
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)”
“Sheep”

Set 2
“In the Flesh”
“Run Like Hell”
“Déjà Vu”
“Is This the Life We Really Want?”
“Money”
“Us and Them”
“Any Colour You Like”
“Brain Damage”
“Eclipse”
“Two Suns in the Sunset”
“The Bar” (Reprise)
“Outside the Wall”

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After Carlos Santana collapsed on stage Tuesday during his band’s concert in Clarkston, Michigan, the group immediately postponed the show scheduled for the next night in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

Now, the new date for the Burgettstown concert, which will be held at Star Lake Pavilion, has been confirmed for Friday, August 4.

While the original show was supposed to have featured Santana performing with Earth, Wind & Fire as part of their Miraculous Supernatural joint tour, the new date will just be a Santana concert. All tickets purchased for the June 6 date will be honored at the August 4 show.

On Wednesday, Carlos’ wife, Santana band drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, shared an update on her husband’s health via Facebook.

“Hi Everyone! Carlos & I thank you so much for your prayers, love, care & concern for him!” she wrote. “Please know that he’s resting and doing very well! He was diagnosed with heat exhaustion & dehydration…it was 100 degrees on stage and 114 under the lights so that coupled with not enough water is what caused the issue. He’ll be as good as new soon! Thank you again and we love you!”

The next Santana concert is scheduled for Friday, July 8 in Noblesville, Indiana and is slated to feature Earth, Wind & Fire.

Visit Santana.com to check out the group’s full itinerary.

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