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New episode of ‘Queen The Greatest’ YouTube series profiles classic David Bowie collaboration “Under Pressure”

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Annie Lennox and David Bowie at Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, April 20, 1992; Neal Preston/© Queen Productions Ltd.

The latest episode of Queen‘s weekly YouTube video series Queen The Greatest premiered today, and it features profile a profile of the band’s memorable hit 1981 duet with David Bowie, “Under Pressure.”

The installment tells the story of how the track came together using interview footage with Bowie; Queen members Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor; and producer Reinhold Mack.

The episode begins by explaining how after Queen had purchased Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, the band was working on new music there in 1981 when engineer David Richards made an impromptu phone call to Bowie.

Bowie notes in an archival interview clip, “[Richards] knew that I was in town, and phoned me up and asked me if I’d…like to go down and see what was happening. So I went down and…suddenly you’re writing something together and it was totally spontaneous. It certainly wasn’t planned.”

Taylor remembers that the band and Bowie were drunk and jamming on “all sorts of old songs,” and then David said, “Look, hang on a minute, why don’t we write one of our own?”

A separate interview clips, Taylor, May and Mack recalled how Queen bassist John Deacon came up with the catchy bass riff that really got the track going.

Roger added that it was Bowie idea to put in various clicks and claps, and the track just grew from there.

“Under Pressure” was released in October of 1981 and became Queen’s second #1 hit in the U.K., after “Bohemian Rhapsody,” while peaking at #22 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100.

After Mercury’s death in 1991, Bowie famously teamed up with Eurythmics‘ Annie Lennox and Queen’s surviving members to perform “Under Pressure” at the historic 1992 tribute concert for Freddie at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Nelly’s Heartland is his first full country project, but it was a decade-and-a-half in the making

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

On Friday, rapper Nelly did something he’s been hoping to do for about 16 or 17 years: He released a country-flavored album.

That’s his new project Heartland, a collaborations-packed collection of songs that the singer says he’s been wanting to make ever since he first dabbled in the country genre, releasing his 2004 duet with Tim McGraw.

“The idea of the project has been ever since ‘Over and Over’ — so since 2004, 2005, after seeing that success,” Nelly tells Billboard. “But the only reason I even thought that I could have success with ‘Over and Over’ was because, even when we dropped Country Grammar, we were getting so much love from this community.”

Released in 2000, Country Grammar is Nelly’s full-length studio debut. Though it was a hip hop album, the singer realized from the very start that his music was resonating with a country fan base, too.

But it took him a while to get around to formally venturing into country music, in part because he was “doing my homework,” Nelly explains. “To get more familiar with Nashville and everything. It became a lot easier to know how to navigate and create this project, to bring it to fruition.”

Heartland features duets with the likes of Kane Brown, Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker and Jimmie Allen. It’s leading single is Nelly’s FGL duet, “Lil Bit.”

Weezer shares live “All My Favorite Songs” video from Hella Mega tour

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Weezer has premiered a new live video for for “All My Favorite Songs,” filmed on the band’s ongoing Hella Mega tour with Green Day and Fall Out Boy.

The clip begins with a shot of Rivers Cuomo strumming a Flying V guitar and sporting a Billy-in-Stranger-Things mullet, suggesting that the live version is a bit different from the original, which appears on Weezer’s new, orchestral-driven album, OK Human. Indeed, the onstage rendition is much more guitar heavy than the studio recording, and would probably fit right in on Weezer’s other new album, the shredding Van Weezer.

You can watch the live “All My Favorite Songs” video streaming now on YouTube.

The Hella Mega tour continues Friday in San Francisco.

H.E.R. announces ‘Back of My Mind’ tour

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

H.E.R. is hitting the road this fall with her eight-city ‘Back of My Mind’ tour.

‘”Shows are back and better than ever,” she posted on Instagram with the tour dates and a photo of her performing in concert. “You coming to see me?”

The Oscar and Grammy winner will kick off the tour October 10 in Franklin, TN, and wrap up October 28 in Detroit. Tone Stith will be her opening act. This will be the “Come Through” singer’s third headlining tour, following the “Lights on Tour” in 2017, and the “I Used to Know Her Tour” in 2018.

H.E.R is also hosting her annual “Lights On Festival” with two-day events in Concord, California and Brooklyn, New York. The Concord festival on September 18-19 features Erykah Badu, Bryson Tiller, Ari Lennox, Keyshia Cole and more. Maxwell, SWV and Skip Marley are among the artists performing at the festival on October 21-22 in Brooklyn.

Tickets for all the show are now available on Ticketmaster.com.

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Ashley McBryde brings Eric Church to the stage for an unforgettable surprise at her sold-out show in Nashville

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Ashley McBryde is currently one night into her three-night headlining stand at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and on Thursday night, she kicked those shows off with a bang, inviting none other than Eric Church to join her onstage.

To a country audience, the Heart & Soul hitmaker needs no introduction, and Ashley simply introduced him to her sold-out crowd as “Eric f***ing Church.” The two performers then jammed out on a rendition of the Allman Brothers’ 1971 classic, “Midnight Rider.”

Longtime followers of Ashley’s career will recognize that the special surprise appearance was a full-circle moment. Back in 2017, when Ashley was just starting to gain traction in the music business, Eric invited her onstage for a performance of her “Bible and a .44.”

“Midnight Rider” wasn’t the only cover song on Ashley’s set list, nor was it the only duet on her agenda. She also brought opening act Lainey Wilson back out onstage during her set, and the pair sang “When Will I Be Loved,” an Everly Brothers classic that’s also been a hit for Linda Ronstadt, and Vince Gillhas covered it, too.

Ashley’s three nights at the Ryman are part of her This Town Talks Tour, which is slated to run through January 2022.

Listen to Chad Gray cover Beck’s “Loser” with Violent Idols

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Chad Gray is channeling his inner perdedor with a cover of Beck‘s “Loser.”

The Mudvayne and HELLYEAH vocalist sings on a version of the ’90s slacker classic recorded by the band Violent Idols.

“This thing was so much fun,” Gray says of the cover. “We have a little tempo and a little teeth and I’m super happy with it.”

“Don’t take this too seriously as I didn’t,” he adds. “Just having some fun with good friends for good people!”

You can listen to the “Loser” cover now via digital outlets.

Gray, meanwhile, is preparing to return to the stage for Mudvayne’s reunion tour, kicking off in September at the Inkcarceration festival in Mansfield, Ohio.

Diane Warren reveals Cher “hated” “If I Could Turn Back Time” at first

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

“If I Could Turn Back Time” has become one of Cher‘s signature songs — but not without some convincing from songwriter Diane Warren.

Looking back on one of the many timeless hits she’s written, Diane recalls how she had to beg the icon to record the song, which became a worldwide hit and marked a resurgence in Cher’s career.

“She hated it,” Diane shares with People. “I went to the studio and literally got on my knees and said, ‘I’ll pay for it. If you don’t like it, don’t use it.’ She agreed. I remember looking at her in the booth and the look on her face when she sang the opening line like, ‘You b****, you were right.'”

The multi-hit songwriter adds that she had a similar experience with Toni Braxton, who was initially hesitant to record “Un-Break My Heart.” The song turned into a multi-platinum hit and won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards.

“She didn’t want to do the song. I told her, ‘You’re going to win a Grammy for this vocal,’ and she did. People should listen. I know what I’m talking about!” Diane expresses.

After spending nearly four decades penning a multitude of hits, Diane is stepping into the spotlight with her debut album, The Cave Session Vol. 1, available now, featuring collaborations with Celine Dion, Carlos Santana, John Legend, Maren Morris and more.

Jimmie Allen is “Big in a Small Town” with his theme song for Netflix’s ‘Titletown High’

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jimmie Allen is savoring the simple life in his new song, “Big in a Small Town,” a laid-back and easygoing track that arrived on Friday.

In its lyrics, the singer sings the praises of small-town life. “It’s a little dream, but it’s the little things / That are big in a small town,” he points out in the first verse. “My kinda living ain’t made for the city / No, it don’t slow down one bit / All we got is a mom and pop / Smoking ribs in the tin roof pit…”

“Big in a Small Town” is also the theme song for new Netflix reality series Titletown High, which follows the high stakes and ups and downs of a small-town varsity football team. Jimmie is an executive music producer for the show, a new title that he says marks exciting, uncharted territory for him.

“Having an executive role behind the camera has always been a dream of mine, so I’m thrilled to be the Executive Music Producer on Titletown High,” the singer notes. “I loved using music to enhance the show’s already compelling nature and can’t wait for viewers to hear incredible songs from many amazing artists. Having ‘Big in a Small Town’ serve as the show’s theme song was the cherry on top!”

Titletown High premiered globally this week. You can watch the show on Netflix.

Pearl Jam celebrates milestone ‘Ten’ & ‘No Code’ anniversaries with new digital mixes

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Pearl Jam celebrates two milestone anniversaries on August 27. Not only does their massive 1991 debut Ten turn 30 today, but their 1996 effort, No Code, also turns 25.

To mark both anniversaries, Pearl Jam has released new digital mixes of both Ten and No Code. Producer and engineer Josh Evans, who produced PJ’s 2020 album Gigaton, gave the original records an audio revamp using Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio.

“These two albums sound amazing in the immersive format,” Evans says.

“For Ten, the goal was to create the best version of the record, bigger, wider and higher fidelity; now, it actually sounds as great coming out of your speakers as it does in your memory of hearing it the first time,” he explains. “[Twenty-five] years ahead of its time, No Code almost sounds like it was intended to be an immersive album; experimental layers, nuance and raw aggression are all amplified and expanded in a simultaneously bigger and more intimate experience.”

Ten, of course, put Pearl Jam on the map as one the most prominent bands in the rising grunge scene of the early ’90s. It spawned singles in “Even Flow,” “Jeremy” and “Alive,” and has been certified Diamond by the RIAA.

No Code, meanwhile, was a more of a polarizing record. With a more experimental sound, it didn’t reach the commercial heights of its predecessors, though it was still certified Platinum and featured singles including “Hail, Hail” and “Who You Are.”

New Aaliyah merchandise celebrates 25th anniversary of ‘One in a Million’ album

August 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Aaliyah‘s second album, One in a Million, a new merchandise line was released Thursday in honor of the late singer.

The collection features a baseball jersey, T-shirts with her photo, hoodies, sweatpants, a sports bra and more items.

One in a Million, which was released August 27, 1996, made its debut on streaming services on August 20. The RIAA-certified double-Platinum effort features the number-one R&B hit “If Your Girl Only Knew,” written by Missy Elliott and Timbaland.

The merchandise collection is available on the Blackground Records website.

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