Classic Hits

The Rolling Stones made some very sad and very happy news in 2021. The sad news was that the band lost its beloved drummer, Charlie Watts, who died in August at the age of 80 after playing with the group for over 58 years.

The happy news was that, after postponing a planned U.S. tour in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Stones returned to the road in the fall of this year for a stateside leg that became the highest-grossing tour in the world for 2021.

The Rolling Stones unveiled their plans for a new U.S. leg of their No Filter Tour in late July. Just a couple weeks later, however, it was announced that Watts would likely not be able to join the band on the trek because he was recuperating from a medical procedure, and that he had personally chosen acclaimed session drummer Steve Jordan to fill in for him.

The Stones reportedly had expected Watts to make a full recovery, but he passed away on August 24 in a hospital, surrounded by family members.

With Jordan behind the drum kit, The Rolling Stones officially launched their 2021 tour on September 26 in St. Louis. The band dedicated the trek to Watts, and at the start of every show, a video presentation paying tribute to Charlie was shown on the venue’s screens. The 14-date trek wound down with a November 23 concert in Hollywood, Florida. Pollstar announced in December that the first 12 dates of the tour brought in $115.5 million — the final two shows took place after the calculation cut-off date — making the trek easily the highest-grossing in the world this year.

In other noteworthy Rolling Stones-related news that happened in 2021, Mick Jagger released a new collaborative single in April called “Eazy Sleazy” that featured Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on guitar, bass and drums. Also, October saw the release of an expanded 40th anniversary reissue of The Stones’ classic 1981 album Tattoo You. The deluxe versions of the reissue included a bonus disc titled Lost & Found made up of previously unreleased tracks enhanced with newly added vocals and guitars.

Looking forward to seeing you at a show soon, keep safe! pic.twitter.com/sDPDsCvYjg

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) September 24, 2021

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Mariah Carey has set yet another record, as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” remains at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Because the new Billboard chart is technically dated January 1, 2022, that means the song is the first ever to be number one in four distinct years: 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.  It had just recently set the record for being the first song ever to top the chart in three different years.

Plus, the additional week on top has allowed Mariah to extend a bunch of records she already held. For example, she’s the artist who’s spent the most weeks at number one overall in her career: now a total of 86.  In second place is Rihanna, who’s racked up 60.

Mariah also holds the record for most weeks at number one for a holiday hit — now a total of seven — and the record for being the artist who’s reached number one in the most distinct years: now a total of 18.  Those years were 1990-2000, 2005-2006, 2008, and 2019-2022, if you’re keeping track.

Meanwhile, this week’s top 10 also includes, for the very first time, The Ronettes‘ “Sleigh Ride,” which was originally released in 1963.  It’s the legendary girl group’s second top 10, and its first in 58 years and two months, setting a new record for the longest gap between top-10 hits.

The Ronettes’ first top 10, “Be My Baby,” hit number two in October of 1963.

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Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason‘s current band, Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, has announced that its planned North American tour, scheduled to begin in January, has been postponed.

A message on the band’s official Twitter feed announced, “It is with great regret that due to the uncertainty surrounding the Covid pandemic, it has been decided to postpone the North American tour until later in the year. Apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment due to this.”

“We are working on rescheduling the dates and will announce them as soon as we can,” the message continued. “Ticket holders are advised to await further information from the venue and/or ticket company where they purchased their tickets.”

The trek, called the Echoes Tour, had already been postponed for over a year due to the pandemic.  This time, it was set to kick off January 18 in Toronto and wrap up February 23 in Vancouver, with 23 U.S. concerts in between.

Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets performs Pink Floyd music that predates the band’s classic 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. The group also features Spandau Ballet guitarist Gary Kemp, longtime Pink Floyd and David Gilmour touring bassist Guy Pratt, and veteran session musicians Lee Harris and Dom Beken on guitar and keyboards, respectively.

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The rapidly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 has forced some Broadway shows to temporarily close, or even shutter for good.  However, David Byrne is using the situation to take his show, American Utopia, in a different creative direction.

Several members of the show’s company tested positive and are isolating at home so, as Byrne says in a statement, “We’ve chosen to make some creative changes to enable us to put on a show.”

 “What we are doing could be called ‘Unplugged,’ or maybe ‘Unchained,’ he explains, referring to the fact that the show takes place on a bare stage surrounded by curtains made of chains.

 “We are adding some songs by Talking Heads as well as songs from my solo catalog, that will supplement songs already in American Utopia,” Byrne continues. “I know it’s going to be a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ experience, that will only be seen for a few performances. We are ready to have a good time!”

This week, American Utopia has shows scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, plus Saturday and Sunday, January 1 and 2.  Tickets are on sale through April 3, 2022 at via AmericanUtopiaBroadway.com.

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Led Zeppelin‘s Robert Plant reunited with acclaimed country-bluegrass artist Alison Krauss in 2021 to record a new collaborative album titled Raise the Roof, a follow-up to their Grammy-winning 2007 duets collection, Raising Sand.

Like its predecessor, the 12-track Raise the Roof collection was produced by T Bone Burnett and features mostly cover songs.

The album includes renditions of tunes by Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, The Everly Brothers, British folk legend Bert Jansch and many others. Raise the Roof also features a new original tune called “High and Lonesome” that Plant co-wrote with Burnett.

Among the contributors to Raise the Roof were a few musicians who also appeared on Raising Sand — drummer Jay Bellerose, guitarist Marc Ribot and bassist Dennis Crouch. Other collaborators on the record included Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo, lauded jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, and Robert’s Band of Joy collaborator Buddy Miller.

Raise the Roof was released on November 19 and debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200. Plant and Krauss have promoted the album by appearing in pre-recorded in-studio performance segments that have been shown on a variety of television shows, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS Saturday Morning and PBS NewsHour. They also shot an episode of NPR’s popular online performance series Tiny Desk Concert.

The duo also announced that they’ll hit the road together next year, starting with a U.S. tour leg that kicks off June 1 in Canandaigua, New York, and runs through a June 16 show in Atlanta.

Raising Sand, Plant and Krauss’ first duets album, won five Grammys in 2009, including Album of the Year.

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KISS‘ Paul Stanley has contracted COVID-19 for a second time.

In an Instagram post, the Starchild shared a photo of his “Omicron face,” referring to the latest COVID variant driving a new surge of cases.

“My entire family has it,” Stanley wrote in the caption. “I’m tired and have sniffles. Most of my family have absolutely no symptoms.”

“Do as you choose,” he added. “I’m so glad I’m vaccinated.”

Stanley previously tested positive for COVID-19 this past August, as did his band mate, Gene Simmons. As a result, KISS postponed a number of dates on their ongoing End of the World farewell tour.

 

 

 

 

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Wanda Young, co-lead singer of Motown’s The Marvelettes, died December 15 at age 78, according to the New York Times. Her daughter, Meta Ventress, told the paper that she died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Young replaced original member Georgia Dobbins ahead of the group signing with Motown in 1961. Their debut single, “Please Mr. Postman,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December of that year. It was Motown’s first number-one record on the Hot 100.

Years later, “Please Mr. Postman” was famously covered by both The Beatles and The Carpenters.

While Young sang backing vocals on that song, she sang lead on many other Marvelettes hits, including “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game,” “Too Many Fish in the Sea” and “Don’t Mess with Bill.“

Young left Motown in 1972 and later recorded for Motorcity Records.  She and fellow Marvelettes member Gladys Horton also reunited for an album called The Marvelettes: Now! for that label in 1990.

Claudette Robinson, the first female artist signed to Motown, paid tribute to Young on Twitter, writing, “Wanda was a star on Earth and now she is a star in Heaven. Put on some #Marvelettes and turn it up.“

Young was married to The Miracles‘ Bobby Rogers for 12 years, until 1975. In addition to Ventress, Young’s two children with Rogers survive her; she’s also survived by seven grandchildren, a great-grandson, four sisters and four brothers. Her daughter, Miracle Rogers, was murdered in 2015.

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As promised, Eric Clapton debuted a brand-new song titled “Heart of a Child” over the holiday weekend.

The melodic acoustic ballad, which was released on Friday, Christmas Eve Day, is available now as a digital download and via streaming services. In addition, and an animated music video for the tune has premiered at Clapton’s official YouTube channel.

Clapton co-wrote “Heart of a Child” with Robin Monotti, an Italian film producer and architect who identifies as a pro-vaccine-safety advocate, and with whom Eric apparently shares similar anti-lockdown views.

The song’s lyrics seem to be directed toward a man who is feeling dejected because he’s being criticized by others, and has recently lost a close friend for some unclear reason.

“We lost of the love of a man, I was proud to know/ They locked you down, boy, made you grieve alone,” Clapton sings. “Turn off the TV, throw your phone away/ Don’t you remember what your daddy used to say?/ Don’t break the heart of your child/ Don’t let your fear drive you wild.”

The clip features a series of enigmatic images appearing as spray-painted graffiti on walls, billboards and other public places. The images include a pair of hands reaching toward each other, musical notes, a rock band, a bride and groom, a boy with a heart with a crack in it, ominous giant hands reaching to grab a man from behind, a man chained to a TV set and a mobile phone, a young man with a gun in one hand and sadly holding his head with his other hand, and an eye with a tear dripping from it.

For more information about “Heart of a Child,” visit WheresEric.com.

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As we prepare to say goodbye to 2021, a number of well-known music artists will be celebrating milestone birthdays this week.

Two founding Moody Blues members were born 80 years ago this week — keyboardist/singer Mike Pinder and late flute player/vocalist Ray Thomas.

Pinder, whose 80th birthday is today, December 27, contributed his keyboard, songwriting and vocal talents to all of the band’s recordings from its 1965 debut album, The Magnificent Moodies, through 1978’s Octave.

The deep-voiced Pinder is perhaps best known for reciting the spoken-word piece “Late Lament,” written by drummer Graeme Edge, featured at the end of The Moodies’ classic 1967 concept album Days of Future Passed.

Thomas, who was born on December 29, 1941, contributed vocals, songwriting and flute to all of the band’s albums through 1999’s Strange Times, retiring from the group in 2002.

He died in January 2018 at age 76. Both he and Pinder were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as members of The Moody Blues in April 2018.

On Tuesday, December 28, Edgar Winter celebrates his 75th birthday. The multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter had his greatest success with his band the Edgar Winter Group‘s 1972 album They Only Come Out at Night, which featured the chart-topping instrumental “Frankenstein” and the top 20 hit “Free Ride.”

On Thursday, December 30, Patti Smith turns 75. The influential punk-rock singer, songwriter, poet and author is known for such memorable songs as her Bruce Springsteen collaboration “Because the Night,” her interpretation of Van Morrison‘s “Gloria,” as well as “Dancing Barefoot,” “People Have the Power” and many more. Smith was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2007.

On December 31, founding Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton celebrates his 70th birthday. In addition to playing bass on all of the band’s albums, Hamilton co-wrote the hits “Sweet Emotion” and “Janie’s Got a Gun,” as well as several other songs by the group. Hamilton entered the Rock Hall as a member of Aerosmith in 2001.

Rounding out the week, and ringing in 2022, Country Joe McDonald will celebrate his 80th birthday on New Year’s Day. McDonald was the frontman of Bay Area psychedelic rock band Country Joe and the Fish, and showcased his classic anti-war anthem “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” at the 1969 Woodstock festival.

(Country Joe McDonald video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Joe Walsh has extended the availability of the online stream of his recent fifth annual VetsAid benefit concert — dubbed “The Basement Show” — from December 25 through New Year’s Day.

The ticketed event, which premiered on December 18, is available now at Veeps.com, with all proceeds going to organizations that provide veterans services.

“I’d like to give a big thank you to everyone who has streamed our 5th Annual VetsAid show!” Walsh says. “With many holiday plans being altered, adjusted or canceled due to the pandemic, many fans have asked us to extend the viewing period so their families can enjoy the show over the holidays, so let’s keep the party going and raise money for our veterans!”

Walsh will also be taking part in a special “watch along” event on December 27 — he’ll be in the Veeps.com chat room starting at 8 p.m. ET that day.

As previously reported, this year’s VetsAid event was streamed live from the longtime Eagles guitarist’s basement studio and featured Joe performing with a backing group that included Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench and three legendary session musicians: guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist Lee Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel. Special guests included Walsh’s brother-in-law, Ringo Starr.

Unaired footage from the four previous VetsAid events was included in this year’s presentation, as well as recently shot footage of Walsh’s visit to the US VETS facility in Long Beach, California. During his visit, Joe treated veterans to a performance of his hit “Life’s Been Good.”

The VetsAid show also featured a tour of Walsh’s studio and part of his personal guitar collection, as well as a Q&A session during which he answered fan-submitted questions.

The Basement Show has been EXTENDED through 12/31 and is STREAMING NOW WORLDWIDE. Every $ goes to vets services. 5 hours of rock and roll for you to watch as many times as you like. If you’ve already signed up, your pass is now good through 12/31! Tickets: https://t.co/aBv7XIMLnT pic.twitter.com/SEMa1VwVsl

— Joe Walsh (@JoeWalsh) December 23, 2021

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