Classic Hits

Legendary record executive Walter Yetnikoff, who died on Sunday, would have been 88 on Wednesday, August 11.  As the head of CBS Records from 1975 to 1990, Yetnikoff guided the careers of Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel, who posted a tribute to the late music-industry bigwig on his website Wednesday.

Billy recorded for Columbia Records, which at the time was owned by CBS. Billy writes, “Walter Yetnikoff was the man who changed everything at Columbia Records…Walter was a street fighter — a man who didn’t shy away from confrontation with other power players when it came to protecting his artist’s interests.”

Billy continues, “I will always be eternally grateful to him for ensuring that my song copyrights and publishing rights were returned to me — intact. I loved him as a dear friend and a mentor, in a business where real friendships don’t exist.”

The Piano Man adds, “I owe much of my good fortune to Walter’s stewardship at the Columbia label. I will miss him and the strong life force that he was.”

In other news, Billy returned to the stage for his first post-pandemic concert at Boston’s Fenway Park last week, and is currently set to perform at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium this Saturday.

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In the U.S., Norwegian pop group A-ha is best known for their groundbreaking 1985 video and hit song “Take On Me,” but apparently, there’s more to the story — so much more that an entire documentary on the group is on its way.

Variety reports that A-ha: The Movie has just closed a deal for U.S. distribution, following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.  According to Variety, the documentary examines the “creative clashes, ambitions and stormy relationships” of A-Ha’s three founding members.

“The band really deserves it; they need to be discovered by everybody who thinks they only had one hit,” director Thomas Robsahm tells Variety.

In the U.S., “Take On Me” reached number two, and then A-ha had only one additional top 20 hit: “The Sun Always Shines on TV.”  However, in the U.K., they continued to chart throughout the ’80s and ’90s, and even scored a top 10 in 2006, while in their home country of Norway, they’ve had nine number-one hits. Worldwide, they’ve sold more than 50 million records.

It’s also worth noting that A-ha were tapped to record the title song for the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights, which starred Timothy Dalton as 007.  While the tune didn’t chart in the U.S., it was a top-five hit in the U.K.

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Elton John and British pop singer Dua Lipa seem to have become BFFs, so maybe it’s no surprise that they’re now releasing a joint single.

The rock legend appeared on Lipa’s Studio 2054 livestream special in November of 2020, and then she performed at his Oscar party this past April.  Now, the two have teamed up for a song called “Cold Heart,” which will be out on Friday. You can pre-save the track now.

“Cold Heart” isn’t exactly a new song, though: It’s a dance remix created by the Australian dance act Pnau.  It features Dua singing lines from Elton’s 1972 classic “Rocket Man,” and Elton singing lines from his 1990 hit “Sacrifice.”

In a snippet posted online, we hear Elton sing, “Cold, cold heart/ Hard done by you/ Some things look better, baby/ Just passing through,” and then Dua comes in with, “And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time/ ’til touchdown brings me ’round again to find.”

Elton writes on Instagram, “Dua, I adore you, and it has been an incredible experience making this together. I can’t wait for you all to hear it!”

This isn’t the first time Pnau has remixed Elton: Back in 2012, they did an entire album called Good Morning to the Night, where all the songs were made up of samples of Elton’s past hits, mashed up into completely new songs.

It’s not clear if “Cold Heart” is a one-off, or part of a second collection of Elton remixes by Pnau.

I’m so excited to finally be able to tell you that I have a new single with @DUALIPA, ‘Cold Heart (@pnau Remix)’, coming out this Friday – I can’t wait for you all to hear it!

Pre-save link in bio #coldheart pic.twitter.com/kZjNreWzcM

— Elton John (@eltonofficial) August 11, 2021

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Billy Idol will release a new four-track EP titled The Roadside on September 17, and in advance of the record, the veteran pop-punk singer has made available one of the songs, “Bitter Taste,” as a digital single.

The bulk of The Roadside was written, recorded and mixed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It features contributions from Idol’s longtime lead guitarist and songwriter partner, Steve Stevens. The record, which was produced by Butch Walker, is Idol’s first collection of new original songs since his 2014 album Kings & Queens of the Underground.

The Roadside can be pre-ordered now on CD, on vinyl and as a limited-edition blue-vinyl LP, as well as digitally.

“Bitter Taste,” which was co-written by Idol, Stevens and two other collaborators, was inspired by Billy’s 1990 motorcycle accident that left him with a seriously injured leg.

“I think everyone has been feeling more reflective [during the pandemic]. So, it seemed quite logical and natural to write something about my motorcycle accident,” Idol explains about the new song. “Certainly, the motorcycle accident was the catharsis, the wake-up moment. A little bit of me got left on that roadside. But it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in the end; it was a wake-up call. Maybe on that roadside I left behind the irreverent youthful Billy and opened the door for a more attentive father and a more sensitive musician.”

You can watch a dramatic companion music video for “Bitter Taste” at Idol’s official YouTube channel.

Here’s The Roadside EP’s full track list:

Rita Hayworth”
“Bitter Taste”
“U Don’t Have to Kiss Me Like That”
“Baby Put Your Clothes Back On”

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The 2021 edition of the annual Elvis Week celebration kicks off today, marking the anniversary of Elvis Presley‘s death and held at the late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Graceland mansion in Memphis.  Coinciding with the extravaganza, some new collectible Elvis-themed toys have been released.

The first is an Elvis Presley Barbie that features the famous female doll dressed in a replica of Elvis’ “American Eagle” jumpsuit.  It’s emblazoned with sparkling red, gold and blue sparkling eagle designs and gold stars, and includes such accessories as a red scarf and a white cape. The doll also sports a pompadour hairstyle and a long ponytail.

The second collectible is the Little People Collector Elvis Presley figure set, which features three Little People characters reflecting different iconic looks of the legendary performer from the 1950s, the 1960s and the 1970s.

Both the Elvis Barbie and the Little People collector set will be available at major retailers including Walmart, Amazon and Target.

Meanwhile, this year’s Elvis Week runs from today through Tuesday, August 17. Among the many Presley-themed events and activities scheduled to take place during this year’s celebration are various concerts, Q&A sessions and discussions, fan parties and gatherings, movie screenings and much more.

Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, will make guest appearances at select events, including at a special concert on August 16 at the Soundstage at Graceland, featuring on-screen performances by Elvis accompanied by a live group that includes guitarist James Burton and piano player Glen Hardin of Presley’s TCB Band.

Elvis Week also will feature the traditional candlelight vigil held annually on the eve of the anniversary of Elvis’ 1977 death and running until the morning hours of August 16.

Visit Graceland.com for a full Elvis Week schedule.

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How’s this for a smooth move! Carlos Santana has teamed up a again with his “Smooth” collaborator, Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas, to record a new song titled “Move” that will be the first single from Santana‘s star-studded upcoming album, Blessings and Miracles.

The track, which also features guest vocals by American Authors, will be released to radio on Wednesday, August 18, while the album in scheduled to arrive on October 15.

“‘Move’ came about was very much like how ‘Smooth’ happened,” explains Carlos. “It was like divine intelligence behind the scenes, and I just knew I had to record it with Rob. The song is about awakening your molecules. Ignite and activate yourself — you know, move. When Rob and I work together, we have a sound that’s splendiferous.”

In a press statement, the new song is described as “a grinding, grooving, swaggering, swaying and altogether breathtaking mix of pop and Latin rock with sure-fire hooks for days.”

“Smooth” was featured on the hugely successful 1999 Santana album Supernatural, and spent a whopping 12 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late ’99 and early 2000. The tune also won three individual Grammy Awards — Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals — and is ranked second among the most successful Billboard singles of all time.

As previously reported, Carlos and Rob both are part of the lineup of the star-packed “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” event taking place August 21 in New York City’s Central Park, although it hasn’t been officially announced if they will perform together. Meanwhile, the Santana band is slated to kick off a new series of Las Vegas residency dates at the House of Blues on August 25.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

How’s this for a smooth move…Carlos Santana has teamed up again with his “Smooth” collaborator, Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas, to record a new song titled “Move” that will be the first single from Santana‘s star-studded upcoming album, Blessings and Miracles.

The track, which also features guest vocals by American Authors, will be released to radio on Wednesday, August 18, while the album in scheduled to arrive on October 15.

“‘Move’ came about was very much like how ‘Smooth’ happened,” explains Carlos. “It was like divine intelligence behind the scenes, and I just knew I had to record it with Rob. The song is about awakening your molecules. Ignite and activate yourself — you know, move. When Rob and I work together, we have a sound that’s splendiferous.”

In a press statement, the new song is described as “a grinding, grooving, swaggering, swaying and altogether breathtaking mix of pop and Latin rock with sure-fire hooks for days.”

“Smooth” was featured on the hugely successful 1999 Santana album Supernatural, and spent a whopping 12 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late ’99 and early 2000. The tune also won three individual Grammy Awards — Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals — and is ranked second among the most successful Billboard singles of all time.

As previously reported, Carlos and Rob both are part of the lineup of the star-packed “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” event taking place August 21 in New York City’s Central Park, although it hasn’t been officially announced if they will perform together. Meanwhile, the Santana band is slated to kick off a new series of Las Vegas residency dates at the House of Blues on August 25.

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Ringo Starr has announced that he’ll be paying a visit to the TalkShopLive social-networking site’s Rock n Roll Channel this Thursday, August 12, at 7 p.m. ET to share some exciting news with fans.

In a video message promoting his appearance, the famed ex-Beatles drummer says, “Peace and love, everyone. Peace and love. Everyone, it’s Ringo, I’m here and I’m coming to TalkShopLive with some news for you on August the 12th at 4 p.m. [PT]…See you there!” Visit TalkShop.live for full details.

While it’s unclear what Starr will be announcing, Peter Frampton revealed in a post on his Twitter feed in early July that he’d visited Ringo and got to hear an upcoming EP Starr has recorded. Frampton also posted photos on his Instagram that appear to show him possibly laying down guitar parts for a new Ringo project.

Starr’s most recent release was the Zoom In EP, which hit stores in March.

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Doors guitarist Robby Krieger has lined up a solo concert at one of his old band’s famous haunts in the Los Angeles area, the Whisky a Go Go club, on December 8.

The show, which currently is Krieger’s only confirmed upcoming gig, coincides with what would’ve been late Doors frontman Jim Morrison‘s 78th birthday. Tickets are available now at WhiskyaGoGo.com.

Meanwhile, Krieger and The Doors’ other surviving band member, drummer John Densmore, were interviewed together for a segment about Morrison that aired on CBS Sunday Morning over the weekend.

The segment celebrates the recently published book The Collected Works of Jim Morrison: Poetry, Journals, Transcripts and Lyrics, which Jim’s sister, Anne Morrison Chewning, helped compile and which features most of Morrison’s previously published work, as well as a bounty of unpublished writing.

Asked what kind of musician Jim was, Krieger says, “He wasn’t really a musician, he was more of a word musician…magician.”

Robby goes on to explain, “Those first songs he came up with, he actually heard them in his head. It was like a concert being played in his head.”

Densmore adds, “He said to me he thought of melodies to remember the words. So that’s really a gift.”

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Though she only had five concerts planned for 2021, Stevie Nicks is calling them all off.

The singer, who spent much of last year isolated and asked fans to respect social distancing and wear masks, has now announced that out of an abundance of caution, she won’t be performing this year.

In an Instagram post, she writes, “These are challenging times with challenging decisions that have to be made. I want everyone to be safe and healthy and the rising COVID cases should be of concern to all of us.”

The longtime Fleetwood Mac member continues, “While I’m vaccinated, at my age, I’m still being extremely cautious and for that reason have decided to skip the [five] performances I had planned for 2021.”

She concludes, “Because singing and performing have been my whole life, my primary goal is to keep healthy so I can continue singing for the next decade or longer. I’m devastated and I know the fans are disappointed, but we will look towards a brighter 2022.”

Stevie was to have performed at the 2021 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, but that event was called off a few days ago anyway. She had also been scheduled to perform at the Jazz Aspen Festival in Snowmass, Colorado, and California’s BottleRock Napa Valley, both over Labor Day weekend, as well as twice during Texas’ Austin City Limits Music Festival in October.

 

 

 

 

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