Classic Hits

Five years after his death on Christmas Day 2016 at age 53, George Michael‘s grave is now officially marked.

The British tabloid The Sun reports that the superstar’s headstone has finally been unveiled in London’s Highgate Ceremony. It’s inscribed with his birth name, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, and reads “Beloved Son, Brother, Friend.”

George lies next to his mother Lesley, who died in 1997 and his sister Melanie, who died at age 59 in 2019, three years to the day after George died.

As for why it took five years for the grave to be marked, a source tells The Sun there were “fears it would become a morbid tourist attraction.”

In other George Michael news, during his lifetime, the singer anonymously funded the annual Christmas lights display in the Highgate neighborhood of London, and it’s now been revealed that his estate still contributes to the annual display, according to the local paper.

“George Michael was our secret benefactor form many years and he loved the Christmas Lights,” a local realtor told the paper. “Luckily, his estate also know how much he loved the lights and continue to support us even after his death.”

Finally, a tribute show called The Life and Music of George Michael is scheduled to begin a U.S. tour on January 19 in California.

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Elton John and ABBA are among the artists who received nominations for the 2022 BRIT Awards, the U.K. equivalent of the Grammys.

Elton’s collaborative hit with British pop star Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart,” which appears on his new album The Lockdown Sessions, received a nod for Song of the Year.

ABBA, which released its first new studio album in 40 years, Voyage, in November, is among the nominees for the International Group of the Year prize.

Receiving the most 2022 BRIT nominations are Adele and Ed Sheeran who both scored four, including nods for Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.

Notably, gender-based categories have been removed.

Check out all the nominees at BRITS.co.uk.

The 2022 BRIT Awards will be handed out February 8, 2022, at London’s O2 Arena and livestreamed globally on YouTube.

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The Who‘s Pete Townshend has produced and plays guitar on a new single by the contemporary British rock band The Wild Things called “Only Attraction” that was released on Friday.

The song is available now as via streaming services. According to a post on The Wild Things’ official website, the band has been working with Townshend on a number of tracks for its forthcoming second studio album. The group is led by actress/singer Sydney Rae White, who has appeared in the BBC comedy series Uncle and the 2017 action film American Assassin.

In other Who-related news, Townshend recent posted a series of video clips on his Instagram page in which he discusses plans for a 50th anniversary reissue focusing on his band’s classic 1971 album Who’s Next and on the expansive abandoned Lifehouse sci-fi rock opera for which the songs from Who’s Next originally had been intended.

In one of the videos, which were shot at his studio, Townshend reveals that he’d been checking out some old demos for the “Who’s Next/Lifehouse reissue,” which will be released in 2022.

Pete also says he’s trying to recover a rare outtake from the project titled “Ambition.”

In the final clip, Townshend explains, “So you see, it’s not just Who’s Next were talking about here, but Lifehouse,” then notes that the 50th anniversary reissue should have been released this year because Who’s Next came out in 1971.

He adds, “We missed the boat, and you can blame COVID.”

 

 

 

 

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Queen‘s Brian May is the latest musician to test positive for COVID-19.

Displaying a positive result on a home COVID test, the 74-year-old guitarist wrote on Instagram, “Yep. The shocking day finally came for me. The dreaded double red line. And yes – definitely NO sympathy please – it has been a truly horrible few days, but I’m OK. And I will tell the tale.”

“PLEASE take extra care out there, good folks,” he added. “This thing is incredibly transmissible. You really do NOT want it messing up YOUR Christmas.”

Over the past few weeks, various pop and rock musicians, from Bryan Adams to singer/rapper Lil Nas X, have revealed positive COVID tests.  May’s test comes as the omicron variant sweeps through his native U.K.: In London alone, there have been 65,525 new confirmed cases in the past week, and more than 26,000 in the past 24 hours alone.

Earlier in the year, May spoke out against anti-vaxxers, saying, “There’s plenty of evidence to show that vaccination helps. On the whole they’ve been very safe. There’s always going to be some side effect in any drug you take, but to go around saying vaccines are a plot to kill you, I’m sorry, that goes in the fruitcake jar for me.”

 

 

 

 

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When Stevie Nicks canceled all of her scheduled 2021 performances a few months back over concerns about COVID-19, one of the shows was a headlining appearance at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass festival. Well, the Fleetwood Mac singer has now been announced as one of the headliners for next year’s edition of the Colorado fest, making it her first confirmed concert of 2022.

Nicks is one of three headliners announced for Jazz Aspen Snowmass’ 2022 Labor Day Experience, set for September 2-4 in Snowmass, Colorado.  The other two headliners are country star Chris Stapleton and R&B singer Leon Bridges.

Early bird three-day passes will go on sale starting Monday, December 20, at 10 a.m. MT. In addition to general admission passes, you can buy Deck Passes, which entitle you to complimentary grille food, as well as access to a private bar and restrooms.

The Labor Day Experience was reinstated last year following a COVID-19 pandemic-related cancellation in 2020. As of now, Jazz Aspen Snowmass plans to require attendees show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, or a negative test result taken within 72 hours.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 that aims to “present and preserve jazz and related forms of music through world-class events, performances and education programs,” according to its website.

Meanwhile, Nicks is featured on a track called “Stolen Car” on Elton John‘s new collaborative album, The Lockdown Sessions, which debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 chart.

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The recently announced archival Chuck Berry album Live from Blueberry Hill was released today on CD and digital formats.

The album features 10 performances recorded between July 2005 and January 2006 at the shows that the legendary rock ‘n’ roll pioneer and his backing band played regularly at the Blueberry Hill restaurant and club near his hometown of St. Louis.

Live from Blueberry Hill boasts renditions of many of Chuck’s most famous tunes, including “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Rock and Roll Music,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Around and Around” and, of course, “Johnny B. Goode.”

Berry’s backing group at the Blueberry Hill shows included his daughter Ingrid on harmonica and his son Charles Berry Jr. on guitar.

In a new interview with the St.Louis Post-Dispatch, Charles says the album is “a serious bonus prize for us and for any fan of my father,” adding, “My whole family is very excited for there to be a non-bootleg release of the Blueberry Hill recordings.”

Chuck’s son notes that his father and the band were in great form at the concerts and that the recordings are “real deal, high quality.”

During his later years, Berry performed 209 times at Blueberry Hill’s The Duck Room, named after Chuck’s famous “duck walk” stage move.

“Out of all the places Dad liked to play, Blueberry Hill was his favorite,” Charles tells the newspaper. “He loved it. We all loved it. It’s an intimate venue, and he could just relax and do what he wanted.”

Regarding whether there are plans for more archival releases, Charles says, “I can’t reveal. But there’s always the possibility of something new and exciting.”

Vinyl versions of Live from Blueberry Hill will be released on April 15, 2022, and can be pre-ordered now.

Berry died in 2017 at age 90.

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Legendary British Invasion band The Dave Clark Five‘s 1964 debut U.S. album Glad All Over was reissued today as a limited-edition white vinyl LP.

This marks the first time Glad All Over has been available on vinyl since 1964.

The album reached #3 on the Billboard 200 chart, and yielded three hit singles — the title track, “Bits and Pieces” and “Do You Love Me,” which peaked at #6, #4 and #11, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. The song “Glad All Over” also was a #1 hit in the U.K.

In 1965, the Glad All Over album was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies in the U.S.

The reissue was remastered at London’s Abbey Road Studios by band leader and drummer Dave Clark himself.

The Dave Clark Five went on to score six more top-10 hits during the 1960s — “Can’t You See That She’s Mine,” “Because,” “I Like It Like That, “Catch Us If You Can,” “You Got What It Takes” and the chart-topping “Over and Over. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

Here’s the full Glad All Over track list:

Side A
“Glad All Over”
“All of the Time”
“Crying Over You”
“Stay”
“Chaquita”
“Do You Love Me”

Side B
“Bits and Pieces”
“I Know You”
“3406”
“Time”
“Who Do You Think You’re Talking To”

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Eric Clapton is planning a little holiday gift for fans, announcing plans to release a new song called “Heart of a Child” next Friday…Christmas Eve.

The digital track can be pre-saved and pre-added now.

Interestingly, Clapton co-wrote the song with Robin Monotti, an Italian film producer and architect who identifies as a pro-vaccine-safety advocate, and who apparently espouses similar anti-lockdown views to Eric.

“Heart of a Child” was co-produced by Clapton and his longtime studio collaborator Simon Climie. Musicians joining Eric on the track include Sonny Emory on drums, Nathan East on bass, Dirk Powell on mandolin, Daniel Santiago and Pedro Martins on guitar, Climie on keyboards and percussion, and Sharon White and Katie Kissoon on backing vocals.

Strings on the track were arranged and conducted by Nick Ingman, and the strings were led by violinist Everton Nelson. Ingman also arranged and conducted strings on Clapton’s recent single “This Has Gotta Stop.”

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Performances by Rod Stewart, Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham and a variety of other artists will be featured on the 2021 edition of Nordoff Robbins charity’s The Stars Come Out to Sing at Christmas concert special that will stream online for free this Sunday, December 19, at 2 p.m. ET.

The event will be hosted by Nile Rodgers of Chic, and also will feature performances by Rodgers and his band, Eurythmics member Dave Stewart, Tony Bennett, Shakira, Robbie Williams and many more.

Plant will be featured singing with his current band project Saving Grace, while Daltrey will team up with former Jam front man Paul Weller. Some of the performers also appeared on last year’s inaugural edition of The Stars Come Out to Sing at Christmas.

The 2021 presentation also will include footage of the Nordoff Robbins benefit holiday concert that took place Tuesday at St. Luke’s Church in London. The show was headlined by Rod Stewart, and featured a variety of other performers, as well as readings from actors Alice Eve and Clarke Peters.

The free program will be viewable at carols.nordoff-robbins.org.uk. Viewers are encouraged to make a donation to Nordoff Robbins, a U.K. music-therapy charity that focuses on helping people with physical disabilities and mental-health issues.

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Phil Chen, a Jamaican-born session bassist whose long list of credits include recordings with Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck and members of The Doors, died on Tuesday, December 14, after “a long battle with cancer” at age 75.

Chen’s passing was announced on his official Facebook page in a message that reads, “He spent his final days surrounded by family and close friends and cherished time with his grandchildren who always brightened his day. He will be missed greatly and his contagious passion for music and positive energy on and off the stage will be remembered always.”

Phil played on Beck’s acclaimed 1975 album Blow by Blow, and on three albums by Stewart during the late 1970s and 1980. He also was a member of Robby Krieger and John Densmore‘s post-Doors project The Butts Band, and later joined Krieger and Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek in some of their post-Doors groups.

Krieger recently told ABC Audio that he’d been working with Chen on a new reggae-flavored instrumental album featuring various cover tunes.

Regarding the project, Robby said, “[Phil’s] been down with mesothelioma lately, so we wanted to do something that would make him happy.”

Krieger posted a tribute message about Chen on his Facebook page that reads, “Aside from his extraordinary musical talent, Phil was an incredible human being who would do anything for a friend and always brought a smile to whatever situation he was in.”

Among the many other artists with whom Chen collaborated are Donovan, Pete Townshend, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Eurythmics and Queen‘s Roger Taylor.

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