Classic Hits

Paul McCartney will celebrate the publication of his upcoming book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, by taking part in a special Q&A event on November 5 in London at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.

Tickets to attend the event, dubbed The Lyrics: Paul McCartney in Conversation, will go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 17, at 5 p.m. ET/10 a.m. local time and to Southbank Centre members starting Thursday, September 16, at 5 p.m. ET.

The event also will be livestreamed via Dice.fm, and tickets for the stream can be purchased for $14 beginning this Friday, September 17, at 5 p.m. ET. The stream will be available on demand for seven days after the event.

During the event, the former Beatles legend will discuss the book while sharing stories about his life, songs and creative process with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and poet Paul Muldoon, who edited it.

As previously reported, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present will be released on November 2 and can be pre-ordered now. The book offers a self-portrait of McCartney while profiling 154 songs he’s written throughout his long career.

The two-volume work also will feature handwritten lyric sheets, as well as rare personal photos, drawings and rough drafts of songs. Sir Paul has penned commentary about each tune to give fans a look inside his creative process.

The songs featured in the book appear alphabetically, spanning from “All My Loving” though “Your Mother Should Know.” Also included are recently discovered lyrics to an unrecorded Beatles song, titled “Tell Me Who He Is.”

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In 2019, Whitney Houston was back on the charts thanks to a remix by superstar DJ/Producer Kygo of a little-known track by the late legend, “Higher Love.”  Now, one of Whitney’s bona fide classics is getting the remix treatment.

Whitney’s 1985 number-one hit “How Will I Know” has been remixed by Clean Bandit, the British dance act best known for their global smash “Rather Be.”  The new track will be released September 24, but you can hear a preview now on Whitney’s website.

“We were surprised and honored to be asked to remix the legend @whitneyhouston’s How Will I Know,” Clean Bandit wrote on Instagram. “We’ve done it and it is coming out on September 24th!! You can pre-save it now so get ready to dance.”

In other Whitney news, her virtual concert event An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Concert, opens October 26 at Harrah’s in Las Vegas.

 

 

 

 

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Rolling Stone has published a brand-new list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time — it’s first since 2004 — and the top-ranked tune is Aretha Franklin‘s classic 1967 version of Otis Redding‘s “Respect,” moving up from #5 on the previous tally.

Explaining how the Queen of Soul’s version of the song differed from Otis’ original 1965 rendition, Rolling Stone notes, “In Redding’s reading, a brawny march, he called for equal favor with volcanic force. Franklin wasn’t asking for anything. She sang from higher ground: a woman calling for an end to the exhaustion and sacrifice of a raw deal with scorching sexual authority. In short: If you want some, you will earn it.”

Other songs by veteran acts in the list’s top 10 include Sam Cooke‘s “A Change Is Gonna Come” at #3, Bob Dylan‘s “Like a Rolling Stone” at #4 — it topped the 2004 tally — Marvin’s Gaye‘s “What’s Going On” at #6, The Beatles‘ “Strawberry Fields Forever” at #7, and Fleetwood Mac‘s “Dreams” at #9.

Also ranked high on the list are The Beach Boys‘ “God Only Knows” at #11, Stevie Wonder‘s “Superstition” at #12, The Rolling Stones‘ “Gimme Shelter” at #13, The Kinks‘ “Waterloo Sunset” at #14, The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” at #15, Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody” at #17, Prince‘s “Purple Rain” at #18, and John Lennon‘s “Imagine” at #19.

Rolling Stone‘s ranking was determined by more than 250 artists, musicians, producers, music industry figures, critics and journalists, who all submitted in their top 50 choices, which the magazine then tabulated. More than half of the songs on the new list weren’t present on the 2004 list.

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Last year, Dion DiMucci released a collaborative album titled Blues with Friends that featured contributions from a jaw-dropping cast of music legends.  Now the doo-wop and rock ‘n’ roll great has announced plans for a similarly star-studded follow-up project.

The album, titled Stomping Ground, will be released November 5, and features Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons, Boz Scaggs, Rickie Lee Jones and more. In addition, the record’s liner notes were penned by The Who‘s Pete Townshend.

In his own album notes, Dion writes, “To make music with friends, and to make friends through music: I can’t imagine a better life than this. I am grateful to my friends who made Stomping Ground with me — and my new friends who are listening.”

Stomping Ground features 14 tracks: 13 originals, plus a cover of Jimi Hendrix‘s “Red House” that Dion recorded with folk-blues artist Keb’ Mo’. You can pre-order the album now.

Last month, Dion released one of the new songs as an advance single — “I’ve Got to Get to You,” which features Scaggs and the father-son guitar duo Joe and Mike Menza.

The album’s lead track, “Take It Back,” which features blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, has just debuted, along with a companion video. A third advance song, “Angel in the Alleyway,” featuring Springsteen on guitar and harmonica and Scialfa on vocals, is due out October 13.

Townshend writes about Stomping Ground, “This one will blow those little white things in our ears right into your brain.”

In other news, a stage musical based on Dion’s life and music, titled The Wanderer, will premiere next March at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey.

Here’s Stomping Ground‘s full track list:

“Take It Back” — with Joe Bonamassa
“Hey Diddle Diddle ” — with G.E. Smith
“Dancing Girl ” — with Mark Knopfler
“If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll ” — with Eric Clapton
“There Was a Time ” — with Peter Frampton
“Cryin’ Shame ” — with Sonny Landreth
“The Night Is Young ” — with Joe Menza and Wayne Hood
“That’s What The Doctor Said ” — with Steve Conn
“My Stomping Ground ” — with Billy F Gibbons
“Angel in the Alleyways ” — with Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen
“I’ve Got to Get to You ” — with Boz Scaggs, Joe Menza and Mike Menza
“Red House ” — with Keb’ Mo’
“I Got My Eyes on You Baby ” — with Marcia Ball and Jimmy Vivino
“I’ve Been Watching ” — with Rickie Lee Jones and Wayne Hood

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This Saturday, The Zombies will return to London’s famed Abbey Road Studios, where the British Invasion legends recorded their classic 1968 album Odessey and Oracle, to play a special concert that will be streamed live worldwide.

The show, which will begin at 3 p.m. ET, will be viewable at the Veeps.com streaming platform.

Zombies frontman Colin Blunstone tells ABC Audio that the band will be playing in Abbey Road’s historic Studio Two, where The Beatles did most of their recording.

Regarding the set The Zombies have planned, Blunstone says, “We’re gonna be playing many hits, but lots of deep cuts too, and five new songs. And three of those songs, we’ll have strings with us.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer adds, “[I]t’s gonna to be really exciting. Obviously, we’ve never done anything like this before.”

The new tunes are part of an upcoming album that the group is recording. Colin also notes that the band will be playing about four songs from Odessey and Oracle, which was recorded mostly in Abbey Road’s Studio Three.

Odessey and Oracle was the last album made by The Zombies’ original lineup, and the band actually broke up before its release. The album includes the group’s signature tune “Time of the Season.”

Following the streaming concert, Blunstone and Zombies co-founder, keyboardist Rod Argent, will take part in a remote Q&A with acclaimed rock journalist David Fricke. The band mates also will take questions from members of the virtual audience, including some surprise celebrity guests.

Tickets to watch the concert cost $20, while tickets offering both the show and the Q&A are priced at $35. More expensive bundles that include a T-shirt and/or a poster also are available. Tickets and bundles can be purchased at Veeps.com.

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An official music video has debuted for “She’s Fire,” Carlos Santana‘s new collaboration with acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren and hit-making rapper G-Eazy.

In the clip, G-Eazy meets an alluring women in a bar and she proceeds to do a sexy dance for him that sets the rapper and the entire watering hole on fire.

Carlos also appears in separate scenes, playing his guitar on a tropical beach. As he delivers an incendiary solo, Santana to is engulfed in flames. In addition, Warren makes a cameo in the clip as one of the bar’s patrons. You can watch the video at Santana’s official YouTube channel.

“She’s Fire” is featured on Warren’s debut album, The Cave Sessions Vol. 1, which was released in August. The track also will appear on Santana’s forthcoming studio effort, Blessings and Miracles, which is due out on October 15. The latter album also includes Carlos’ recently released new collaborative single with Matchbox Twenty‘s Rob Thomas, “Move.”

You can pre-order Blessings and Miracles now.

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Record Store Day has announced the list of exclusive vinyl discs that will be released this year for its annual Black Friday event, scheduled for November 26.

Among the limited-edition pieces that will be available are releases from Daryl Hall & John Oates, Aerosmith, U2, Fleetwood Mac and Carole King.

Hall & Oates’ release is Fall in Philadelphia: The Definitive Demos 1968-71, a collection of early recordings the duo made before their debut album came out. The LP is pressed on orange vinyl.

Aerosmith’s Black Friday offering is 1971: The Road Starts Here, featuring previously unheard early recordings of the band playing several songs in their rehearsal room, including “Dream On.” It’s available on vinyl and cassette.

U2 is issuing a four-track EP celebrating the 40th anniversary of its popular tune, “Gloria.” The disc, which is pressed on yellow vinyl, features the studio version of the song, plus three live renditions recorded in three different decades.

Fleetwood Mac is offering a two-LP set titled Alternate Live, a 14-track collection featuring performances of various songs taken from the band’s deluxe reissues of Rumours, Tusk and Mirage.

King is issuing In Concert — Live at The BBC 1971, which features the lauded singer/songwriter performing songs from her landmark album Tapestry, including a guest appearance by James Taylor.

Other artists issuing 2021 Black Friday releases include Bee Gees, Ray Charles, Leonard Cohen, Sam Cooke, Alice Cooper, David Crosby & Graham Nash, The Kinks‘ Dave Davies, Dire Straits, ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Jackson 5, Modern English, Night Ranger, Poison, Lou Reed, Todd Rundgren, The Shangri-Las, Dusty Springfield, The Staple Singers, Stray Cats, The Clash‘s Joe Strummer, Tammi Terrell and Heart‘s Nancy Wilson.

For the full list of releases and participating stores, visit RecordStoreDay.com.

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An updated version of the Doors concert film Live at the Bowl ’68, along with bonus content, will be screened in select theaters on November 4 to celebrate the 50th anniversary this year of the band’s classic album, L.A. Woman.

The screening event, dubbed The Doors: Live at the Bowl ’68 Special Edition, will feature the full movie, as well as footage of a new performance by surviving Doors drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger joined by various guest musicians, plus a conversation with Densmore, Krieger and the group’s manager, Jeff Jampol.

Tickets for the screenings go on sale starting September 21 at TheDoorsFilm.com.

Live at the Bowl ’68, which originally was released in 2012, features restored footage of a July 5, 1968, show that The Doors played at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles that’s widely considered to be one of the band’s best performances caught on film. An album featuring select songs from the same concert was released in 1987 under the title Live at the Hollywood Bowl.

The “Special Edition” of Live at the Bowl ’68 boasts a remastered audio mix in Dolby ATMOS and 5.1 surround sound created by longtime Doors engineer Bruce Botnick, who recorded the original Hollywood Bowl show and co-produced L.A. Woman.

“The magic that has been done to enhance the picture and sound quality of this show will make everyone feel as though they have a front-row seat at the Hollywood Bowl,” says Krieger.

As previously reported, an expanded 50th anniversary reissue of L.A. Woman will be released on December 3.

Here’s the full Live at the Bowl ’68 song list:

Show Start/Intro
“When the Music’s Over”
“Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)”
“Back Door Man”
“Five to One”
“Back Door Man” (Reprise)
“The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”
“Hello, I Love You”
“Moonlight Drive”
“Horse Latitudes”
“A Little Game”
“The Hill Dwellers”
“Spanish Caravan”
“Hey, What Would You Guys Like to Hear?”
“Wake Up!”
“Light My Fire”
“Light My Fire” (Segue)
“The Unkown Soldier”
“The End” (Segue)
“The End”

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Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts was laid to rest last week but, according to U.K. newspaper The Sun, his band mates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood were not able to attend the funeral because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The paper reports that small private ceremony for Watts was held in Devon, U.K., but because the band was in Boston rehearsing for The Stones’ upcoming U.S. tour, they weren’t allowed to travel back to their home country for the services.

The Sun also reports that it was the wishes of Watts’ family that the funeral took place secretly, without much attention.

According to the newspaper, an inside source said that The Rolling Stones plan to pay tribute to Watts at their upcoming concerts, and also are organizing a celebration of his life that will be held in the U.K. later in 2021.

Watts died on August 24 at the age 80. As previously reported, before his death, Charlie had handpicked lauded session drummer Steve Jordan to step in for him on the band’s forthcoming trek.

The Stones’ 2021 No Filter Tour of the U.S. kicks off September 26 in St. Louis and is mapped out through a November 20 show in Austin, Texas.

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David Lee Roth helped bring the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards to a close on Sunday when he hit the stage to present the Video of the Year honor.

Backstage at the event, the Van Halen frontman was interviewed by Us Weekly, and he shared some words of tribute to his late band mate Eddie Van Halen and also revealed that he has plans for a special performance at the end of the year.

Asked if he had any new music plans, Diamond Dave revealed that he was going to be playing “Las Vegas on New Year’s,” and then said a few words about Eddie.

“You know, my guitar player passed away, Eddie Van Halen,” Roth said. “He’s either in heaven raising hell or he’s in hell, consequently in heaven. Read into that as you wish, and he would have me say it just like that.”

Eddie died on October 6, 2020, after a long battle with cancer. He was 65.

Roth also offered a brief quip about one of his other Van Halen band mates, drummer Alex Van Halen.

“I just spoke to Alex,” Dave told Us Weekly. “We’re about to celebrate our 50th year of ragging on each other.”

While no official announcement has been made about Roth performing in Las Vegas later this year, he had been about to play a second series of 2020 shows in Sin City at the House of Blues in March of last year when he was forced to postpone the engagement because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He played his first run of House of Blues gigs in January 2020.

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