Classic Hits

Rascals singer, keyboardist and songwriter Felix Cavaliere will release his autobiography, aptly titled Memoir of a Rascal, on March 22.

The book follows Cavaliere from his childhood in Pelham, New York, to his years with one of the world’s great blue-eyed soul groups, to the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and beyond.

Prior to co-founding The Rascals, which initially were known as The Young Rascals, Cavaliere played in the pop group Joey Dee and the Starliters along with future band mates Gene Cornish and Eddie Brigati.

In The Rascals, Cavaliere co-wrote — with Brigati — and sang many of the band’s biggest hits, including “You Better Run,” “Groovin’,” “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long,” “Beautiful Morning” and “People Got to Be Free.”

In addition to his highlights with The Rascals, Cavaliere writes in the book about his spiritual journey and the influence of guru Swami Satchidananda, as well as such achievements as induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Musicians Hall of Fame and the aforementioned Rock Hall.

“I know fans have been asking me for years to finish my autobiography,” Cavaliere says in a statement. “This is for the fans. It’s a blessing to revisit memories and hopefully my story can inspire the next generation of singers and songwriters.”

The book features a foreword penned by legendary radio DJ “Cousin Brucie” Morrow. You can pre-order it now at FelixCavaliereMusic.com.

In other news, Cavaliere is working on a new studio album titled Then and Now that’s expected to be released by the end of the summer. Felix also has over a dozen concerts lined up this year, including several joint “Legends Live” shows with The Monkees‘ Micky Dolenz.

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Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson has teamed with psychedelic blues-rock band Howlin Rain to record covers of two Mott the Hoople songs that have been released digitally and also are available to order as a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single.

The songs are “Sucker” and “Death May Be Your Santa Claus,” the original versions of which appeared, respectively, on Mott the the Hoople’s early 1970s albums All the Young Dudes and Brain Capers.

The single’s cover art features a cartoonish psychedelic “black light” painting of Robinson and Howlin Rain singer/guitarist Ethan Miller riding reindeer.

You can order the vinyl disc at Howlin Rain’s Bandcamp page.  The album, expected to ship this Friday, February 25, can also be streamed and downloaded at the site. A retail version will be available at independent record shops on April 23 as part of the 2022 Record Store Day event.

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Paul McCartney has contributed his 1970 acoustic song “Junk” to The Man/Kind Initiative for use in a video promoting the charity’s campaign to aid the homeless in the Los Angeles area.

The video features footage of various homeless people, and explains what The Man/Kind Initiative has been doing to help, providing food, shelter and personal care items and more to the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The clip notes that one of the ways that the charity is helping is providing homeless people with temporary mobile shelters called EDAR, which stands for Everyone Deserves a Roof. The The Man/Kind Initiative stocks the shelters with food and personal care items and distributes them to organizations that can provide safe locations, as well as offer on-site sanitation facilities, food services and counseling.

“We’ve all walked past them trying not to notice,” says The Man/Kind Initiative’s founder, Richard Stellar. “I had to find a way to make people see them, to wake them up. We needed to reach millions, and I had to think outside the box on how to make that happen. So, we turned to Paul McCartney, and he delivered. The use of his music may be one of the greatest gifts that a non-profit like ours could get. We now will be able to touch millions with our message, and in turn help tens of thousands of homeless, especially veterans and minorities.”

Visit MankindHomeless.com for more details about the charity.

The video features segments of “Junk” and the instrumental “Singalong Junk,” which both appeared on Paul’s debut solo album, McCartney.

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Elton John‘s private jet was forced to make an emergency landing Tuesday after experiencing technical failure at 10,000 feet, according to various reports.

The U.K. tabloid The Sun reported that Elton was flying from England to New York for a concert when the plane on which he was traveling suffered a hydraulic failure about an hour after takeoff.

The pilot made the decision to return to the U.K.’s Farnborough Airport and declare an emergency landing, it was reported.

Witnesses tell The Sun that the pilot made two unsuccessful attempts to land in winds that reportedly gusted to 80 mph before successfully touching down on the third try.

The legendary rocker, 74, was said to be shaken by the ordeal, but he boarded another flight to New York just hours later to make his gig at Madison Square Garden

Elton made it to New York City safely and confirmed that the show would go on as scheduled, tweeting, “Hello New York! See you @TheGarden tonight.” He also has a second concert scheduled at Madison Square Garden tonight.

ABC has not been able to reach Elton’s reps for comment.

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A variety of noteworthy musicians from the rock and pop world, including Ringo Starr, Billy Joel and KISS‘ Paul Stanley, have paid homage to Procol Harum lead singer and pianist Gary Brooker, who died Saturday at age 76 after a battle with cancer.

Brooker, who was most famous for singing and co-writing the classic Procol Harum song “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” led the group for its entire 50-plus-year history, and he also was a member of Ringo’s All Starr Band from 1997 to 1999. The former Beatles drummer posted a tribute note on his Twitter page that reads, “God bless Gary Brooker peace and love to the family,” along with a photo of him and Gary together.

Joel also took to Twitter, where he wrote, “Sorry to hear about the passing of Gary Brooker. Rest in Peace.”

Stanley meanwhile, saluted Brooker with a tweet that reads, “RIP Gary Brooker. You could identify that voice as soon as you heard him sing. Procol Harum…Who can forget ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’? The man sang with a captivating, grand authority and soul.”

Here are more tributes to Brooker from various other well-known music artists:

Queen‘s Brian May: “SAD NEWS: Procol Harem singer Gary Brooker dies at 76 – RIP.”

Faces and ex-Who drummer Kenney Jones: Very sad to hear the news that Gary Brooker has passed away. My thoughts are with Gary’s wife Franky at this sad time. He was a wonderful man who will be sorely missed. Rest in peace.”

Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens: “Safe travels to Gary Brooker of Procol Harum. A truly incredible talent that redefined what rock and roll could be. Big influence on me.”

Former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden: “So sorry to hear of the passing of Gary Brooker. One of the highlights of my career is playing ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ with him. I was very proud to know him. My condolences to his family and fans.”

E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt: “RIP Gary Brooker. I’m too p***ed off to speak right now.”

Bonnie Tyler: “So sad to hear about Gary Brooker. He was a lovely guy and made incredible music that will live on forever.”

The Alan Parsons Project: “RIP Gary Brooker, who sang lead vocal on the APP track ‘Limelight.'”

Beatles reissue producer (and son of George Martin) Giles Martin: “Rest in peace #GaryBrooker — incredible singer, writer and musician — more than that he was a lovely, lovely man. He and his wife…looked after me and my sis when my parents were away. They gave so much love and warmth to us as kids, I wish I’d thanked him before he passed.”

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Veteran U.K. synthpop star Howard Jones is preparing a new studio album titled Dialogue, the third in a trilogy of electronic releases following the 2015 multimedia project Engage and the 2019 album Transform.

More information will be unveiled about Dialogue soon. Jones will support the album with a tour later this year running from a June 17 show in Tulalip, Washington, through a July 27 concert in Dallas.  He’ll be accompanied by a four-piece band that includes bassist and Chapman stick player Nick Beggs, formerly of Kajagoogoo.

Howard will be joined on the trek by special guest Midge Ure, former frontman of Ultravox and co-writer of the classic 1980s Live Aid charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas.”

“I am beyond excited to be touring the U.S. this summer with my great friend Midge Ure,” Jones says in a statement. “As we take safe steps to put the pandemic behind us, the tour will be a celebration of being together, enjoying the power of live music again. Expect plenty of hit songs as well as cuts from my new album Dialogue.”

Ure adds, “What a joy to be touring North America with my friend Howard Jones again. With the emphasis on technology, quality and performance I am looking forward to dusting off the synthesizers, cranking up the guitar and playing with the brilliant musicians who will be sharing the stage with me.”

Meanwhile, Jones is wrapping up a U.S. winter trek tonight in Richmond, Virginia, with his acoustic trio, which also features Beggs. Visit HowardJones.com for his full tour schedule.

Howard is best known for his string of synth-driven 1980s hits, which included “New Song,” “What Is Love?,” “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life in One Day,” “No One Is to Blame” and “Everlasting Love.”

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Aldo Nova has released a new single called “Burn Like the Sun” that will appear on his recently announced forthcoming EP, The Life and Times of Eddie Gage, which is due out April 1.

The veteran Canadian rocker also has debuted a performance video for the song, which you can check out at his official YouTube channel.

As previously reported, the 10-track EP will serve as the first chapter of a planned 25-song rock opera, also titled The Life and Times of Eddie Gage, which 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.

“The song describes Eddie’s life’s ups and downs and rebirth,” Nova explains of the new tune. “In the opera, ‘Burn Like the Sun’ is the last song that Eddie sings and it sums up his life perfectly with everything coming full circle because it was the only song he had ever written that wasn’t owned by any publishing company or record company, so it’s fitting that the beginning becomes the same song that makes him reborn.”

“Burn Like the Sun” is the second advance track released from The Life and Times of Eddie Gage, following “Free Your Mind.”

After the EP arrives, Nova will release a three-disc set titled Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded on April 19 that 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.

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We now have an on-sale date for tickets for the new musical based on Neil Diamond’s life.

Tickets for The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise will go on sale to the general public March 4 at 10 a.m. ET; a presale is available starting March 1 at 10 a.m. ET.  To sign up to buy those presale tickets, visit ABeautifulNoisetheMusical.com.

As previously reported, A Beautiful Noise, featuring hits from Diamond’s legendary song catalog, will have its pre-Broadway premiere at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre. The six-week limited engagement starts June 21 and runs through July 31.

In his 50-plus years of performing, Diamond has played Boston and the surrounding area nearly 40 times; his signature song “Sweet Caroline” is famously played during the eighth inning of all Red Sox games at Fenway Park.

There’s no word on when A Beautiful Noise –– titled after Diamond’s 1976 album of the same name, which was produced by The Band‘s Robbie Robertson — will arrive on Broadway.

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After it was postponed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Black Crowes hit the road last year on a major tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker.  The veteran rockers have now announced a new 2022 North American leg of the trek.

The outing, dubbed The Black Crowes Present: Shake Your Money Maker, features more than 30 dates. It kicks off June 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and runs though an August 27 concert in Miami, Oklahoma.

Tickets for most dates go on sale to the general public this Friday, February 25, at 10 a.m. local time, while a pre-sale offer from the band begins Wednesday, February 23, at 10 a.m. local time. For more details, visit TheBlackCrowes.com.

For each ticket purchased via Ticketmaster in North America, the buyer will receive an exclusive free collectible NFT of the tour poster. This marks the first time that Ticketmaster has teamed up with an artists to offer these unique digital tokens.

The Shake Your Money Maker trek features The Black Crowes playing their 1990 debut album in its entirety, as well as hits and select other songs from their catalog. The group’s current lineup features co-founding siblings Chris and Rich Robinson on lead vocals and lead guitar, respectively, plus longtime bassist Sven Pippien and three other newer members.

The Black Crowes also have some previously announced festival appearances on their 2022 itinerary, including May 1 at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio California; May 6 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; May 28 at the BottleRock Napa fest in Napa, California; and June 3 at The Peach Music Festival in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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The Rolling Stones haven’t announced any official plans for 2022, but in a new post on his social media pages, Mick Jagger hinted that the band might be getting back to work soon, we assume either touring or recording new music.

Jagger posted a series of photos of him vacationing in Jamaica, along with a note that reads, “A little downtime before things get busy!” The pics show Mick holding an acoustic guitar with the ocean behind him, looking at some fresh produce at an outdoor market, standing in front of a wall painting, and playfully knocking on the door of the Roof Night Club in Port Antonio, Jamaica.

The Rolling Stones wrapped up a U.S. leg of their No Filter Tour in November of last year, and the band is widely expected to continue touring this year at some point. The Stones also have been working on songs for a new studio album over the last couple of years, although no official release details for the project have been announced.

In other Stones news, guitarist Keith Richards has posted a video of him “unboxing” the upcoming deluxe 30th anniversary reissue of his 1992 sophomore solo album, Main Offender, on his social media pages.

The minute-long clip shows Richards flipping through the pages of the booklet included in the box set, which he calls “incredible.”

“What am I seeing? I’m seeing some of the greatest friends I’ve ever had, you know,” Keith comments as he checks out photos of his collaborators on the album. “Waddy Wachtel, Steve Jordan, Ivan Neville, Charley Drayton, Sarah Dash, Babi Floyd…Bobby Keys…It don’t get no better than that.”

He adds, “I love to work with these guys. Always have. It’s all love.”

The Main Offender reissue is due out March 18.

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