Classic Hits

Cyndi Lauper‘s videos in the ’80s were tons of fun, but they were also a family affair: Her mom, Catrine Lauper, co-starred in several of them.  Now, Cyndi has taken to social media to announce some sad news: Her mom has passed away.

On Instagram and Twitter, Cyndi wrote, “My beautiful Mom has passed. She rocked and wrestled with us and was in a lot of my videos. It was an honor to work with her. I feel so lucky that I got to play with my mom throughout my life, both as a girl and as a woman.”

“She may have left this world, but not without leaving her mark,” Cyndi added. “Thank you, Mom. I love you.”

Cyndi illustrated her post with a photo of herself and her mom co-starring in her “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” video, and a post of her mom and some famous WWF wrestlers on the set of the video for 1985’s “Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough.”

In addition to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” and “Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough,” Catrine also appeared in Cyndi’s video for “Time After Time.”

No cause of death was given but in 2016, Cyndi revealed her mom had dementia.

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Last November, Graham Nash revealed that he was working on a new album with his childhood friend and fellow Hollies co-founder Allan Clarke, and now the folk-rock legend has shared more details about the project.

Nash tells ABC Audio that the record actually is a new Clarke solo album that’s due out in late July, and that he is singing on “maybe seven or eight tracks.”

Graham says he’s also written one tune for the album.

“[It’s] a song I had written very quickly. It’s a very simple song…about The Hollies’ love for Buddy Holly, and it’s called ‘Buddy’s Back,'” he explains. “And I think it’s a lovely recording. And…it might be his first single off the record.”

Nash, who like Clarke turned 80 earlier this year, says the remainder of the album is made up of new songs written by Allan.

“[H]e’s been writing incredibly well,” Graham raves. “And in a way, more importantly, he has been singing the s*** out of [the songs].”

Nash says he’s particularly happy that Clarke has been singing well, because he’d lost his voice about two decades ago, “which is why he left The Hollies.”

Graham adds, “I probably wouldn’t have done [the album] with such emotion and pleasure if he wasn’t singing quite right…But he’s singing his a** off.”

Nash also says he’ll be glad to perform some shows with Clarke to help promote the project.

“I told him I will do any press that he wants,” Graham notes. “Any way to point the fingers back to Allan Clarke is what I’ll do.”

Meanwhile, Nash continues to promote his recently released album Graham Nash: Live — Songs for Beginners/Wild Tales, and he’ll launch a U.S. solo tour on July 13 in Red Bank, New Jersey.

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The company that controls Elvis Presley‘s image has Elvis impersonators and wedding chapel owners in Las Vegas all shook up after recently sending a cease-and-desist letter to a number of businesses warning them to stop the unauthorized use of the late King of Rock and Roll’s name and likeness.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Authentic Brands Group, which oversees the licensing of Elvis-related merchandise, issued the letter to several Sin City chapels on May 19, warning that if they didn’t comply to the specified terms within a week, the company might move forward with legal action. The newspaper reports that as of Monday, no chapels reported having received further communication from ABG.

Among ABG’s protected trademarks are “Elvis,” “Elvis Presley” and “The King of Rock and Roll.”

“This couldn’t hit at a worse time. It’s not a good thing,” Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya, who has managed Vegas’ wedding marketing campaign, said on Monday. “It might destroy a portion of our wedding industry. A number of people might lose their livelihood.”

Of course, Elvis-themed weddings are big business in Las Vegas, with thousands of ceremonies performed annually.

Authentic Brands Group shared a statement with ABC regarding the situation.

“As the guardians of the Elvis Presley estate, it is our responsibility to safeguard his legacy,” the message begins. “This includes ensuring that all products, services and advertisements utilizing Elvis’ name, image or likeness are officially licensed by Elvis Presley Enterprises.”

The statement adds, “There is no intention to shut down chapels that offer Elvis packages in Las Vegas. We are seeking to partner with each of these small businesses to ensure that their use of Elvis’ name, image and likeness are officially licensed and authorized by the estate, so they can continue their operations.”

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With Journey set to release its latest studio album, Freedom, in a little over a month, the band has debuted an official music video for one of the tracks, “You Got the Best of Me,” a melodic rock tune that was made available as an advance single in April.

The clip, which you can watch now on Journey’s YouTube channel, features color and black-and-white performance footage of the band’s current touring lineup — founding guitarist Neal Schon, longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain, lead singer Arnel Pineda, keyboardist/backing vocalist Jason Derlatka, drummer/singer Deen Castronovo and bassist Todd Jensen.

“You Got the Best of Me” showcases Schon’s fluid guitar riffs and Pineda’s soaring vocals.

As previously reported, Freedom will be released on July 8 and can be preordered now.

Two other advance tracks have also been released from Freedom, “The Way We Used to Be” and “Let It Rain,” which debuted in June 2021 and last month, respectively.

Shortly after Freedom arrives, Journey will play a series of four special symphonic concerts in Las Vegas — on July 15, 16, 22 and 23. The band has several other concerts lined up around the U.S. this summer. Visit JourneyMusic.com to check out their full schedule.

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This spring, The Monkees‘ Micky Dolenz and The Rascals‘ Felix Cavaliere have teamed up for several joint U.S. concerts dubbed “Legends Live!,” and the famous singers have two more co-headlining shows scheduled this week — on Friday in New York City and Saturday in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Dolenz tells ABC Audio that the shows with Cavaliere have been a great experience for him, as well as being a treat for music fans.

“Felix and I go back a while. He’s an incredible guy. His band is great. Everybody is so much fun,” Micky notes. “[H]e has so many huge hits. I am blessed to have had a number of big hits. And so it’s like two headliners. You’re kind of getting two shows for the price of one, if you will.”

Dolenz says he’s “a huge fan” of The Rascals, and loves all of the group’s big hits, including “Groovin’,” “Good Lovin'” and “Beautiful Morning.”

“You know, I sit in the wings…and watch part of his set every night, ’cause there’s so many great songs,” Micky reveals.

As for his own set, Dolenz tells ABC Audio he always performs all of The Monkees’ biggest hits.

“I know that the vast majority of fans and people that maybe don’t come to every single show, they want to hear those hits,” Micky notes.

This year marks the first time Dolenz has hit the road as the only surviving member of The Monkees, as Michael Nesmith sadly passed away last December just a few weeks after he and Micky finished a farewell tour together.

Asked how he feels about being the last Monkee, Dolenz says, “It’s strange…I don’t think I’ve probably completely processed it yet, ’cause it is quite recent.”

Check out Micky’s full upcoming schedule at MickyDolenz.com.

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The Rolling Stones launch their SIXTY tour June 1 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

The first leg of the trek, which celebrates the British rock legends’ 60th anniversary, will feature 14 concerts in 13 European cities, including a pair of concerts in London’s Hyde Park on June 25 and July 3. The tour winds down on July 31 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Stones will also visit France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands, and will play their first show in Liverpool, England, in over 50 years.

According to a press release that announced the outing, the SIXTY tour will feature “a spectacular new … production, including a massive stage, cutting edge lighting and state of the art video design.”

Steve Jordan, who stepped in for longtime Stones drummer Charlie Watts on the band’s 2021 No Filter tour of the U.S. after Watts’ death last August, will once again will be behind the kit for this trek.

The launch of the SIXTY tour also coincides with Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood‘s 75th birthday. The band posted a message on its social media sites that reads, “Happy birthday Ronnie Wood!! We’ll see you on stage tonight in Madrid to celebrate!”

The opening acts for tonight’s show are Sidonie and Vargas Blues Band. The latter act features John Byron Jagger, who is Stones frontman Mick Jagger‘s nephew.

As they have done for the last several years, The Stones are offering fans the chance to choose one song that they play prior to each show on their tour via an online vote.

Yesterday, Mick posted a series of photos on his Facebook page capturing him visiting various sites around Madrid.

Visit RollingStones.com to check out the band’s full tour schedule.

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Fifty years ago today, June 1, 1972, the Eagles soared into the music world with the release of their self-titled debut album.

The band’s country-rock sound, multiple-part harmonies and accomplished musicianship immediately were embraced by pop and rock fans.

The Eagles were formed in 1971 by a quartet of singing musicians — guitarist Glenn Frey, drummer Don Henley, guitarist Bernie Leadon and bassist Randy Meisner — all of whom were playing in Linda Ronstadt‘s backing band when the group came together.

Eagles yielded three hit singles — “Take It Easy,” “Witchy Woman” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” which peaked at #12, #9 and #22, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. The album reached #22 on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 1 million copies in the U.S.

“Take It Easy” was co-written by Frey and his friend Jackson Browne, “Witchy Woman” was co-written by Henley and Leadon, and “Peaceful Easy Feeling” was composed by Glenn’s friend Jack Tempchin.

The album was produced by Glyn Johns, whom Frey wanted to record with because Johns had previously worked with The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin. Johns initially turned the band down, but changed his mind after hearing the members performing the Meisner-penned song “Take the Devil” acoustically while singing harmonies together.

While the Eagles eventually were dominated by Frey and Henley, Johns told Uncut magazine in 2021 that at the time of the band’s debut album, all four members were “equally important.”

“Henley’s strongest contribution was his voice. The same with Frey,” Glyn said. “Bernie Leadon was great on banjo and guitar, and Randy Meisner was a fine bass player, with a voice of extraordinary range … Without any one of them, it wouldn’t have been the same.”

Here’s the Eagles album’s full track list:

“Take It Easy”
“Witchy Woman”
“Chug All Night”
“Most of Us Are Sad”
“Nightingale”
“Train Leaves Here This Morning”
“Take the Devil”
“Earlybird”
“Peaceful Easy Feeling”
“Tryin'”

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Volume one of the soundtrack to the fourth season of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things is available now via digital formats.

In addition to the previously announced Bryce Miller/Alloy Tracks remix of Journey‘s 1983 hit “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” the album features songs by such other veteran rock artists as The Beach Boys, Talking Heads, Dead or Alive and KISS.

The track list includes The Beach Boys’ “California Dreamin’,” Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” Dead or Alive‘s “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” and KISS’ “Detroit Rock City,” as well as songs by Extreme, Baltimora, Kate Bush, Musical Youth, The Surfaris, Falco and Ricky Nelson.

The release of Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4, Volume I coincided with the premiere of the latest season of the series, which is split into two parts.

As previously reported, Volume II of theStranger Things‘ season 4 soundtrack will be released digitally on July 1, the day that the second part of the series’ current season premieres.

The digital version of Volume II will feature all of the songs that appear on Volume I, as well as additional music heard in the second run of episodes of Stranger Things‘ fourth season.

The full Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4, including both volumes, will be released on CD and cassette on September 9, while a two-LP vinyl edition will be made available later in 2022.

Here’s the full track list of Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4, Volume I:

“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” (Bryce Miller/Alloy Tracks Remix) — Journey
“California Dreamin'” — The Beach Boys
“Psycho Killer” — Talking Heads
“Running Up That Hill” — Kate Bush
“You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” — Dead or Alive
“Chica Mejicanita” — Mae Arnette
“Play with Me” — Extreme
“Detroit Rock City” — KISS
“I Was a Teenage Werewolf” — The Cramps
“Pass the Dutchie” — Musical Youth
“Wipeout” — The Surfaris
“Object of My Desire” — Starpoint
“Rock Me Amadeus (The Gold Mix)” — Falco
“Travelin’ Man” — Ricky Nelson
“Tarzan Boy” — Baltimora
“Dream a Little Dream of Me” — Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

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Earlier this year, Jon Anderson teamed up with the students of the Paul Green Rock Academy for a five-date U.S. tour, and now the former Yes frontman is set to head out on the road with the talented young musicians for more shows this summer.

The new tour will feature Anderson and the students performing Yes’ 1972 album Close to the Edge in its entirety in honor of its 50th anniversary, plus other classic tunes and deep cuts by the prog-rock legends, as well as tunes from Anderson’s solo catalog, mashups and more.

The performances will showcase lush arrangements of the songs, including choral vocals, horns and other musical elements.

The trek currently features 13 dates and is mapped out from a July 7 concert in Plymouth, New Hampshire, through an August 6 show in Albany, New York.

Anderson says about performing with the Paul Green Rock Academy, “There are so many wonderful moments in my musical life, and being on stage with these young teenagers performing Classic Yes songs makes me so happy and proud … It’s a marvel and a tremendous pleasure for me.”

He adds, “They are a joy to be with and so much fun!!! I am grateful, thankful and feel very blessed to be able to sing along with them. [My wife] Janee and I love them all.”

Paul Green, meanwhile, explains that he was impressed with Anderson and the students’ performances of two songs from Close to the Edge — the title track and “And You and I” — at concerts last April. He adds, “Then when I heard it was the 50th anniversary of the album I just knew we had to do the whole thing. Jon agreed.”

Check out the full list of dates at Anderson’s Facebook page.

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Elvis Costello has reunited with an early musical collaborator, singer/guitarist Allan Mayes, to record an EP celebrating the 50th anniversary of Rusty, the band they played in together in 1972 and ’73.

The six-song collection, Rusty: The Resurrection of Rust, will be available via digital formats on June 10, while a CD version will be released in the U.S. on July 1. In England, Costello began selling CD copies of Rusty at a series of in-person events that began Sunday, May 29. A vinyl LP will be issued at a later date.

The EP features versions of songs that were originally part of Rusty’s live repertoire, including two tunes Nick Lowe wrote for his 1970s pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz — “Surrender to the Rhythm” and “Don’t Lose Your Grip on Love” — and an arrangement that incorporates Neil Young‘s “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” and “Dance, Dance, Dance.” The latter track features Costello’s debut performance on electric violin.

The Rusty EP also includes two original compositions — “Warm House,” which Costello penned in 1971, and “Maureen and Sam,” which Costello and Mayes co-wrote.

Costello and Mayes recorded the EP with backing from Costello’s band, The Imposters.

Costello — then known as D.P. McManus — joined Rusty on New Year’s Day 1972. The group played dozens of venues in and around their hometown of Liverpool, England, during the next year, but split up without ever recording.

Costello says the EP came about after Mayes — who now lives in Austin, Texas — contacted him to remind him that the 50th anniversary of him joining Rusty was approaching.

Costello notes that when Mayes suggested they get together to play some old songs, Costello responded, “Absolutely not! Let’s make the record we would have cut when we were 18, if anyone had let us.”

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