Classic Hits

In September 2020, Todd Rundgren announced that he would be releasing a new album titled Space Force in early 2021 featuring collaborations with an eclectic variety of artists, similar to his most recent studio effort, 2017’s White Knight.

However, Space Force has yet to be released, and Rundgren recently admitted to ABC Audio that there was no “hard date” for the album’s arrival, even though the project has “been done for a year.”

The 73-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer explained that the delay was due to supply chain issues involving vinyl, noting that his label, Cleopatra Records, “insists on putting out all formats at once.”

Rundgren added with a laugh, “[T]hey’re just waiting for Adele to stop hogging up all the vinyl [for her hit album 30], and then maybe we’ll have a release date.”

Todd has already released four advance tracks from Space Force — “Espionage,” featuring Iraqi-Canadian hip-hop artist Narcy; “Down with the Ship” with Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo; “Your Fandango” with eclectic sibling duo Sparks; and “Godiva Girl” with The Roots.

Rundgren revealed that other guest artists on Space Force include Cheap Trick‘s Rick Nielsen, Steve Vai, Thomas Dolby, Crowded House frontman Neil Finn, former King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew, and indie-rock group The Lemon Twigs.

Meanwhile, Todd has a busy upcoming U.S. tour schedule. From May 12 to May 22, he’ll be opening for Daryl Hall on a run of six concert. From May 24 to June 26, he’ll be taking part in a new series of dates on the “It Was Fifty Years Ago Today” Beatles tribute trek that also features Joey Molland, Denny Laine, Christopher Cross and Jason Scheff. Then, from June 30 to July 30, Rundgren will be hafining his own Unpredictable Tour.

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A previously unreleased soundtrack album that Peter Gabriel recorded in 1981 for a short film called Undecurrents, by renowned British painter Graham Dean, will be included in a multimedia box set focusing on Dean’s work titled Strange Beauty that’s due out on June 30.

The Deluxe Edition of the Strange Beauty collection features a book of Dean’s artwork, a DVD boasting films and music videos that Graham directed, and cassette of the Undercurrents soundtrack, marking the recording’s first official release.

Limited to only 50 copies and priced at $600, the deluxe box set also comes with a certificate signed by Dean and two pieces of his artwork.

The Undercurrents is a 14-minute instrumental piece that Peter composed and recorded to accompany a short film Dean made for an exhibition of his work. The flick, which combines images and film footage that Dean then manipulated, also was shown at the time on a BBC arts television program called Riverside.

Graham recalls that Peter agreed to take part in the project in exchange for a painting, and the recording was done over the course of an all-night session.

The original multi-track tapes of the soundtrack were recently rediscovered by Gabriel’s Real World record label and the recording was newly remixed last year.

The DVD featured in the Strange Beauty box set includes the Undercurrents film, as well as music videos Dean shot in 1993 for two of Gabriel’s classic songs: “Solsbury Hill” and “In Your Eyes.” The disc also includes two other short films by Dean that feature music by Gabriel’s longtime guitarist David Rhodes.

Strange Beauty also is available as a signed hardback edition and an unsigned soft-cover version, both of which feature just the book and the DVD.

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Stevie Wonder will be presented with an honorary doctorate degree by Detroit’s Wayne State University on May 7 during the school’s spring 2022 commencement festivities.

The Motown legend, who was born in Saginaw, Michigan, will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters in acknowledgement of his musical achievements and contributions, and in honor of his work as an advocate for civil rights and for the disabled.

In recognizing Wonder with the doctorate, the school notes that he’s sold over 100 million records worldwide; that he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Civil Rights Museum and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom; and that he led the successful efforts to have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s birthday declared a national holiday.

The ceremony honoring Stevie will begin at 1 p.m. ET on May 7. Former Saturday Night Live cast member — and Detroit native — Tim Meadows also will receive an honorary degree from Wayne State that day.

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Van Morrison has debuted a third advance track from his forthcoming 43rd studio effort, What’s It Gonna Take? — a soulful, violin-driven tune titled “Dangerous.”

“Dangerous,” which is the new album’s lead track, is available now via digital formats. The song features Morrison apparently addressing the negative reaction he’s received after voicing his views criticizing the U.K.’s COVID-19 response, particularly the effect that closing music venues has had on musicians’ ability to support themselves financially.

“Somebody said I was dangerous/ I said something bad, it had to be good,” Morrison sings. “Well there must be somebody looking, seeing I’m close to it/ Maybe I’m getting close to the truth.”

What’s It Gonna Take? will be released on May 20, and can be pre-ordered now. The 15-track collection will be the eighth studio effort that the 76-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has issued in the past six years. The album will be available on CD, as a two-LP set pressed on either black vinyl or colored vinyl, as a digital download and via streaming services.

According to a press statement, the songs on What’s It Gonna Take? reflect Morrison’s “indefatigable drive to record and perform live in front of audiences.”

Prior to “Dangerous,” Morrison released the advance tracks “Pretending” and “Nervous Breakdown.”

Van currently on tour in the U.S., with his next performance is scheduled for Friday night at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee. Visit VanMorrison.com to check out his full tour itinerary.

Here’s the full track list of What’s It Gonna Take?:

“Dangerous”
“What’s It Gonna Take?”
“Fighting Back Is the New Normal”
“Fodder for the Masses”
“Can’t Go On This Way”
“Sometimes It’s Just Blah Blah Blah”
“Money from America”
“Not Seeking Approval”
“Damage and Recovery”
“Nervous Breakdown”
“Absolutely Positively the Most”
“I Ain’t No Celebrity”
“Stage Name”
“Fear and Self-Loathing in Las Vegas”
“Pretending”

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Following the recent release of the deluxe reissue of his second solo album, 1998’s Another World, Queen guitarist Brian May has debuted a new music video for the record’s title track at his official YouTube channel.

The clip was shot recently at various locations in the Canary Islands, where Brian says he feels “closest to Heaven.”

May originally wrote “Another World” for the Gwyneth Paltrow film Sliding Doors, but the song wasn’t used in the movie because of contractual issues. The tune was inspired by the film’s plot, which looks at how someone’s life might change if one small incident happens differently.

Brian explains that “Another World” “is all about how things might be in a parallel universe.” He admits that he “was kind of heartbroken” about the song not being used in the movie, but notes that “it became the pivot around which my album revolved.”

May says among the sites he visited for the “Another World” video were “the IAC observatories of Tenerife, and La Palma, where the biggest telescope in the world sits… [and] the beautiful small island of El Hierro, where lives the tree that adorns the front cover of this album.”

The Canary Islands hold great sentimental value to Brian, because, prior to joining Queen, he studied astronomy at the Observatorio El Teide in Tenerife. He later completed his PhD degree and was awarded a doctorate in astrophysics in 2007.

Reflecting on his Canary Islands visit, May says, “This beautiful place above the clouds is where I did the observing work for my PhD. And this is where I used to steal outside under the stars, with a small acoustic guitar, and strum away and sing, and, I guess, commune with the Cosmos!”

The Another World reissue is available now in multiple formats.

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Dolly Parton is currently on the ballot for potential inclusion in this year’s class of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, despite a statement she made last month requesting that her nomination be withdrawn.  Now, she’s changed her mind.

In her bid to remove herself from the running, Dolly explained that she didn’t feel she’d earned the right to be considered, despite being “extremely flattered and grateful.” She did say that the nomination had inspired her to release a rock album one day, and she hoped the Hall would be open to considering her again in the future, after she’d created more of a body of work in the rock genre.

But the Hall soon countered to say that Dolly would stay on the ballot, despite her wishes.

“From its inception, Rock and Roll has had deep roots in Rhythm & Blues and Country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture,” read a statement released by the institution.

In a new interview with NPR’s Morning Edition, Dolly now says that she misunderstood the scope of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, underscoring that she didn’t want to take votes away from any other nominees who are more firmly rooted in the rock genre.

“I just felt like I would be taking away from someone that maybe deserved it, certainly more than me, because I never considered myself a rock artist. But obviously, there’s more to it than that,” she noted.

In the light of the Hall’s response, though, Dolly says she’ll “accept gracefully” if inducted. “I would just say thanks and I’ll accept it because the fans vote,” she went on to say.

Dolly is one of 17 nominees up for possible induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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A new archival Creedence Clearwater Revival documentary focusing on a historic April 1970 concert that the band played at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall us currently in production.

The movie, titled Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, is narrated by Oscar-winning actor and CCR fan Jeff Bridges, and directed by Grammy-winning filmmaker Bob Smeaton, whose credits include The Beatles Anthology series and Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies.

Travelin’ Band will be the first movie ever to feature footage of a full concert by Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s classic lineup of John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford.

The film follows the band from their early years in their hometown of El Cerrito, California, to their emergence as one of the most popular rock groups in the world, performing at Woodstock and selling out the Oakland Coliseum before heading overseas for a European trek that included the Royal Albert Hall show.

Travelin’ Band offers a treasure trove of rare and unseen footage, including recently rediscovered 16-mm film of the concert, behind-the-scenes clip of the band members, and interviews from the archives of the Fantasy Records label. The movie also includes what is thought to be the earliest known footage of the group playing live.

Audio of the concert has been mixed and restored using the original multi-track tapes by Beatles reissue producer Giles Martin and his studio collaborator Sam Okell.

Smeaton says that while working on the film, “I was able to see and hear why [CCR] are worthy of their status as one of the greatest bands of all time. I knew they were good, I never knew they were that good.”

Adds Bridges, “What a band! Love listening to ’em, love playin’ Fogerty’s tunes.”

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The Who‘s Pete Townshend, Carlos Santana and Mariah Carey are part of the lineup of the Audible audio service’s next Words + Music series, a program that combines music and storytelling.

The new series of programs kicks off on May 6 with Pete Townshend: Somebody Saved Me, a two-hour presentation that features the legendary Who guitarist/songwriter discussing the period between the 1978 of Who drummer Keith Moon and the 2002 passing of bassist John Entwistle.

In the episode, the 76-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer reflects on the music he made with The Who and as a solo artist, his various other creative projects and endeavors, his personal relationships and more. The program also features newly recorded versions of several tunes from Pete’s catalog, including “Let My Love Open the Door,” “Slit Skirts,” “You Better You Bet” and “Eminence Front.”

A one-minute preview clip from Somebody Saved Me has been posted on Audible’s SoundCloud page. In the segment, Townshend notes that his episode will look at a time “when The Who was at its most popular, and when The Who broke up…a time when I made solo records and worked on projects of all kinds outside rock ‘n’ roll.”

He adds, “It was a time that The Who suffered great loss, and then came together again. You could say that in this Words + Music project I’m going to focus on my ‘Middle Ages.'”

Word + Music episodes are available for free at Audible.com. The premiere dates for Santana’s and Carey’s Words + Music episodes haven’t been announced yet.

Other artists featured in upcoming Word + Music presentations include Aimee Mann, Beck and comedy rock duo Tenacious D.

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Over 200 artists, including Foreigner, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith and The Who, are taking part in Live Nation’s 2022 Concert Week promotion, which will offer $25 tickets to shows across North American throughout the summer.

Among the many, many other participating tours are Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, Barenaked Ladies, The Beach Boys, The Black Crowes, Bonnie Raitt, Chicago & Brian Wilson, Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe, Devo, The Doobie Brothers, Duran Duran, Elvis Costello, Goo Goo Dolls, James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, KISS, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pet Shop Boys, REO Speedwagon & Styx with Loverboy, Roxy Music, Sammy Hagar, Santana & Earth, Wind, & Fire, Sheryl Crow, Steely Dan, Sting, Tears for Fears, Third Eye Blind, UB40 and ZZ Top.

In total, over 3,700 shows will be discounted as part of the promotion.

The $25 Concert Week tickets will be on sale beginning Wednesday, May 4 at 10 a.m. ET, through Tuesday, May 10. For the full list of participating artists and all other info, visit LiveNation.com.

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David Bowie‘s landmark 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was released 50 years ago this June, and to commemorate the milestone, two special vinyl collections will be issued that month.

The first is a limited-edition half-speed-mastered Ziggy Stardust LP, while the second is a picture disc featuring the same master and packaged with a replica promotional poster. Both discs are due out on June 17, one day after the 50th anniversary of the Ziggy Stardust album’s original U.K. release.

The new master for LPs was created using restored masters of the original master tapes from Bowie’s sessions at London’s Trident Studios.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was Bowie’s fifth album and his first to break into the top 40 of the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at #21. While the record yielded no hit singles in the U.S., it features many of classic Bowie songs, including “Moonage Daydream,” “Starman,” “Ziggy Stardust” and “Suffragette City.” The record is a loose concept album focusing on the Bowie-created Ziggy Stardust character, a bisexual alien rock star, and his mythical backing group, The Spiders from Mars.

During that time, Bowie and his real band took on the personas of Ziggy and The Spiders from Mars in concert, until David dramatically declared onstage at the end of a July 1973 show at London’s Hammersmith Odeon that the group had played its last gig.

Today’s announcement of the upcoming vinyl discs coincides with the 50th anniversary of release of the album’s first single, “Starman,” which reached at #10 in the U.K.

Here’s the full Ziggy Stardust track list:

Side One
“Five Years”
“Soul Love”
“Moonage Daydream”
“Starman”
“It Ain’t Easy”

Side Two
“Lady Stardust”
“Star”
“Hang On to Yourself”
“Ziggy Stardust”
“Suffragette City”
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide”

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