Classic Hits

The late Minnie Riperton‘s timeless song, “Lovin’ You,” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on April 5, 1975. Penned by Riperton, the beautiful love ballad is from the singer’s second studio album, Perfect Angel, and was produced by her husband, Richard Rudolph, along with Stevie Wonder. The tune is still considered an R&B classic, and boasts the most famous high note of the 70s.  

Here are a few facts you might not know about the track: 

— According to the liner notes on Riperton’s album, “Lovin’ You” is said to have been created as a distraction for Riperton’s daughter, actress and SNL star Maya Rudolph, so that Riperton and Rudolph could have some alone time. 

— Speaking of her daughter, Riperton can be heard singing Maya’s name at the end of the track, but only on the unedited version. 

— “Lovin’ You” has been featured in numerous commercials, including a 1998 Burger King spot and a Visa ad. 

— The song was also sang by stars on-screen a few times, like in the 2004 film Johnson Family Vacation, the 1997 movie Vegas Vacation and the 1996 film The Nutty Professor.

— “Lovin’ You” was sampled many times over the years by artists like R&B singers Shanice and Sparkle and pop singer Olivia Newton-John. Grammy-nominated singer Chloe Bailey gained lots of recognition after covering the hit song earlier this year.

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Artists including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Carole King and Julian Lennon have joined the Stand Up for Ukraine social media campaign.

As previously reported, the Global Citizen-organized initiative will feature musicians coming together on social media this Friday, April 8, to show support for Ukraine as it continues to fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Stand Up for Ukraine is designed to mobilize people across the globe to call on world leaders to commit billions of dollars to help refugees. It takes place ahead of a global humanitarian pledging summit taking place on April 9.

Among the other artists that have newly signed on to take part in the initiative are Metallica, Third Eye Blind, Dave Matthews, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Hozier and Panic! at the Disco.

Previously announced participants include are Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Madonna, U2, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morissette, Chris Isaak, Celine Dion and many more.

More than 12 million people need assistance due to the war in Ukraine, and more than 6.5 million have been displaced internally; in addition, more than 3.5 million have left the country for neighboring countries. Nearly two million are women and children. Since the conflict began, one child from Ukraine becomes a refugee every second.

For more info, visit GlobalCitizen.org.

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Paul McCartney‘s childhood home in Liverpool at 20 Forthlin Road will be opened to unsigned music artists for them to record and perform there as part of a new initiative launched by the U.K.’s National Trust organization, which focuses on heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As part of the campaign, dubbed “The Forthlin Sessions,” the National Trust will team up with Sir Paul’s younger brother, Mike McCartney, and U.K. journalist and broadcaster Pete Paphides to choose artists who will have the opportunity to record and/or perform at the historic residence and have those sessions publicized.

To find out how to apply for the chance to perform at the home, and other details about the initiative, visit NationalTrust.org.uk. Those who apply must be based in the U.K. and at least 18 years old.

The McCartney family moved to 20 Forthlin Road in 1955. A few years later, the residence became the site where Paul wrote and rehearsed many Beatles songs with John Lennon, including “Love Me Do,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “I’ll Follow the Sun” and “When I’m 64.”

The initiative is being launched to mark a few Beatles-related milestones taking place in 2022, including Paul’s 80th birthday in June and the 60th anniversary of “Love Me Do” in October. The goal of “The Forthlin Sessions” is to help inspire creativity in young musicians and increase interest in McCartney’s childhood home as a tourist destination.

In conjunction with the launch of the talent search, a new poem titled “Ordinary House, An Ordinary Street,” which tells the story of the residence, has debuted as part of a short film available for viewing at NationalTrust.org.uk.

The clip features a number people associated with the house, including Mike McCartney and Quarry Men drummer Colin Hanton.

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Van Morrison has announced plans to release his 43rd studio album, What’s It Gonna Take?, which will arrive on May 13.

The 15-track collection is a follow-up to Morrison’s 2021 double album Latest Record Project, Vol. 1, and will be the eighth studio effort the 76-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has revealed in the past six years. What’s It Gonna Take? will be issued 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 the new album reflect Morrison’s “indefatigable drive to record and perform live in front of audiences.”

Morrison has released an advance track from the record titled “Pretending,” which is available now via digital formats. The introspective soul tune was recorded at several studios and music venues around the U.K.

Meanwhile, Van will launch a series of 2022 spring U.S. dates with an April 20-21 stand in Clearwater, Florida. Visit VanMorrison.com to check out his full tour schedule.

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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Allan Clarke, founding lead singer of The Hollies, turns 80 today, April 5.

Clarke co-founded the popular British Invasion band in 1962 with his childhood friend Graham Nash. The group scored several top-10 hits in the U.K. before enjoying their first top-40 success in the U.S in 1965 with “Look Through Any Window,” which reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1966, The Hollies’ single “Bus Stop” became the band’s first top-10 U.S. hit, peaking at #5 on the Hot 100.

Around this time, The Hollies began finding success with original songs co-written by Clarke, Nash and guitarist Tony Hicks, including “Stop Stop Stop,” “On a Carousel,” “Pay You Back with Interest” and “Carrie Anne,” which reached #7, #11, #28 and #9, respectively, on the Hot 100.

Nash left the group in 1968, but The Hollies continued their chart success during the next few years.

A cover of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” peaked at #7 in 1969, and in ’72, the band released its highest-charting U.S. single, “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress,” which was co-written by Clarke and ascended to #2 on the Hot 100.

The Hollies final top-10 hit in the U.S. was “The Air That I Breathe,” which peaked at #6 in 1974.

Nash reunited with The Hollies for the 1983 album What Goes Around…, which included a top-30 cover of The Supremes‘ “Stop! In the Name of Love.”

Clarke retired from the music business in 1999. In 2010, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Hollies.

In 2019, Allan came out of retirement and released the solo album Resurgence. Last year, Nash revealed to ABC Audio that he and Clarke were working on a new collaborative album.

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Every year, people complain about the stars who were either left off of or given short shrift during the “In Memoriam” segment of The Grammys, and Sunday night’s segment was no different: There were complaints that neither The Moody Blues’ Graeme Edge nor Slipknot‘s Joey Jordison were included. But now, we have some clarity about a part of last year’s “In Memoriam” segment that people complained about.

Eddie Van Halen, who died in October of 2020, was saluted in the 2021 Grammys “In Memoriam” segment with a clip of him playing his signature instrumental “Eruption” while his iconic “Frankenstein” guitar sat alone on the stage.  Many felt the Grammys could’ve done more to honor the guitarist who single-handedly changed rock music, but now it’s been revealed that it wasn’t up to them.

David Wild, a writer and producer of The Grammys, who was a friend of the late guitarist, tells The Mitch Lafon and Jeremy White Show podcast that they went to the Van Halen family and offered a number of tribute ideas, including various artists performing Eddie’s songs, or Eddie’s son Wolfgang performing.

But according to Wild, “They said no one should perform…they didn’t want anyone, so we had to find video, and there is very little video of Van Halen.”  What’s more, Wild claims the family didn’t want a clip of a song with any of Van Halen’s vocalists singing on it: They only wanted Eddie.

Wild, who decided to put the “Frankenstein” guitar onstage, tells the podcast it was “frustrating” when the segment drew criticism, including from Wolfgang Van Halen, who wrote that he had declined to play “Eruption,” but complained, “I didn’t realize that they would only show Pop for 15 seconds in the middle of [four] full performances for others we had lost.”

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“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is going under the hammer.

Paul McCartney‘s original handwritten lyrics for The Beatles‘ Abbey Road track are up for auction on the Moments in Time website for the low, low price of $450,000.

According to TMZ, the lot includes three pages in all: One written by Paul and the others by Beatles road manager Mal Evans, who you probably saw in the Disney + Get Back documentary scribbling down lyrics as the Beatles wrote them. Contact MomentsInTime.com to bid.

TMZ reports that the last time the lyrics were sold was 2006, when they went for $192,000.

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A new Jimi Hendrix line of merchandise will have female fans yelling, “You got to be all mine!”  Yes, The Limited-Edition Jimi Hendrix Beauty Collection has arrived.

The new line is available at RockandRollBeauty.com and Ulta.com and includes a guitar-shaped “Voodoo Child” eyeshadow palette featuring colors like “Experience,” “Psychedelic” and “Groovy,” as well as “Purple Haze” and “Hey Baby” palettes. You can also buy a “Bold As Love” blush and highligher palette, as well as “Foxy Lady” matte lip duos.

Accessories include “Angel,” “Fire” and “Purple Haze” candles, “Purple Haze” makeup brushes, a “Foxy Lady” mirror and cosmetic bags, nail kits and more.

And if you prefer your makeup with an ’80s metal flair, Twisted Sister and Def Leppard makeup lines are apparently “coming soon.”

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Steven Tyler‘s Grammy viewing party raised millions for charity, and featured a performance by the Aerosmith frontman himself.

The fourth annual event raised $4.6 million for Janie’s Fund, Tyler’s charity that helps girls who’ve been abused or neglected. It’s named after Aerosmith’s 1989 hit “Janie’s Got a Gun.”  Some of the money raised came from a silent auction, where one of the items sold included the grand piano that Aerosmith has been using onstage since 2011, signed by Tyler.

Miley Cyrus was supposed to be the night’s entertainment, but she dropped out after testing positive for COVID-19, so British pop star Jessie J filled in, and duetted with Tyler on “Walk This Way.”  Tyler himself also performed “Dream On.”

A grateful Tyler told the crowd, “Even in the absence of our 2021 GRAMMY party, so many of you stepped up and made generous contributions which meant we kept them safe and met their needs and ultimately more ‘After Care’ for more girls, in more states than ever before — and that takes my breath away.”

Among the attendees: ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons, Twisted Sister‘s Dee Snider, Matt Sorum, and Metallica’s Robert Trujillo.

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The Doobie Brothers will be takin’ it to even more streets on their current 50th Anniversary Tour — they’ve just added 11 new dates to the trek’s second leg.

Tickets for the new dates, which start September 2 in Bridgeport, CT and run through October 12 in Nashville, TN, go on sale April 8 at 10 a.m. local time via Live Nation.  The new dates also include shows in Chicago, LA, Phoenix, Dallas and Sacramento.  The Nashville date is the trek’s final stop.

The 50th Anniversary Tour features Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons and John McFee performing together for the first time in more than 25 years.  Johnston says in a statement, “We are excited to play more shows in 2022 and will be coming back around to Nashville to wrap things up which is fitting as that’s where we first announced our 50th Anniversary Tour back in 2019.”

As previously reported, the Doobies will do an eight-show Las Vegas limited engagement at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino from May 13 through May 28. Tickets to those shows are available via Ticketmaster.com/DoobieBrothersVegas.

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