Music

Bruce Springsteen paid a visit to CBS’ The Late Show on Wednesday, where he discussed, among other things, Renegades: Born in the USA, the book Bruce co-authored with former president Barack Obama coming out on Tuesday; and The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts, a film and album documenting Springsteen’s performances with the E Street Band at the historic MUSE benefit concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden, being released in various formats in November.

When asked how how he came to write the book with Obama, Springsteen told host Stephen Colbert, “It was the president’s idea. He called me. I thought he had the wrong number, because he’s a Columbia graduate, teacher of constitutional law, University of Chicago Law School, first African-American president of the United States,”

On the other hand, joked Springsteen, “I am a guitar player, I am a Freehold High school graduate.”

After playing a throwback clip of Bruce’s high energy performance from 1979, the Boss recalled it took place on his 30th birthday. When asked to compare that 30-year-old guy with the now 72-year-old version, he offered, “Well, it’s funny, on stage I don’t know if there’s a lot of difference… we still come out, and we take it all the way every night that we’re on stage. So, I mean, that’s a completely different person.”

Added Springsteen, “At 30, I was still a kid, and that was my entire life, what you’re viewing right there, you know…So that was different. But basically, I still feel about it the way that kid would have. That hasn’t changed at all.”

Springsteen closed out the show with a live acoustic performance of the title track from his 1979 album, The River.

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With The Go-Go’s being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this Saturday, drummer Gina Schock has just released a new autobiographical photo book focusing on her long career with the famous all-female group.

Made in Hollywood: All Access with the Go-Go’s is highlighted by a bevy of personal photos that Schock took during the group’s 1980s heyday, as well as a variety archival images.

“I am very, very excited about my book, because it’s my life, and it’s from a band member’s perspective,” Schock tells ABC Audio. “[I]t’s taken me years to put it together. [O]ver 40 years of photographs and tales to tell are in this book.”

Gina notes that during the band’s early years, “I was carrying a camera around with me all the time and snapping shots…everywhere, on the tour bus, in hotel rooms, backstage.”

Schock also wrote commentary to accompany many of the pics in the book.

“I think I recapped things pretty evenly and pretty honestly,” she says. “And people will get an inside look at the band in a way they never have, because it’s being shown to them visually, and I’m writing text to it.”

Made in Hollywood also features essays from the other Go-Go’s, as well as from some of the group’s famous fans and friends, including as The B-52s‘ Kate Pierson, Jodie Foster, Eurythmics‘ Dave Stewart and Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Reubens.

“Everybody was pretty honest and was telling…when they first met the band, what happened, how we first came together,” Schock explains. “It’s great to relive all that.”

Gina says she thinks fans will love the book.

“[T]hey’re gonna look at this and they’re going to remember what they were doing [then],” she maintains. “It’s gonna make people smile.”

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Journey has been preparing a new studio album, and now comes word that the forthcoming release will be supersized.

Narada Michael Walden, who replaced longtime Journey member Steve Smith as the band’s new drummer last year, and also is producing the new record, posted a message Friday on his Facebook page revealing that he was in the studio with Neal Schon “wrapping up the exciting new Journey double album.” He added, “Stay tuned.”

On the same day, Schon posted a video on his Facebook page showing him laying down a guitar track, along with the message, “We had some fun today as I replayed all Guitar’s [sic] on this 1st track we cut over a year ago when we began the new Journey album. It’s a [wrap]!”

Journey gave fans the first taste from the upcoming album in June with the release of their latest single, “The Way We Used to Be.”

In addition to Walden, the new album marks the return of bassist Randy Jackson, who previously played with Journey in the mid-1980s, and of drummer Deen Castronovo, who was a member of the group from 1998 to 2015.

While no release date has been announced for the album, Schon told ABC Audio in July that he expected it to come out either at the end of this year or in early 2022.

Meanwhile, Journey is preparing to kick off a six-show Las Vegas residency at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in December. The dates are scheduled for December 1, 2, 7, 8, 10 and 11. The band also will be playing a special symphonic concert on December 18 in Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

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During a recent interview on a Dutch radio station, U.K. pop star Ed Sheeran randomly announced that he and Elton John were planning to release a joint Christmas single this year. But Elton wasn’t very amused, since the news was supposed to be kept on the down low — and besides, the record isn’t even complete.

Speaking to the British music publication NME, Elton laughs, “Yeah, he let the cat out of the bag didn’t he? I was sworn to secrecy and then big mouth f***ing Sheeran goes to the Netherlands!”  Elton adds, “It’s supposed to come out — we haven’t finished it yet, so there’s still work to be done.”

Elton added, “I can’t say any more than that because it’s in his hands.”

If the record does come out, it’ll likely be Elton’s second big hit of 2021, following the U.K. number-one chart success of his Dua Lipa collaboration, “Cold Heart,” from his new album The Lockdown Sessions.

“Everything’s been a bonus with this record. Whether it sells one copy or a million copies, it doesn’t matter to me,” Elton says of the album. “I had so much fun and I learnt so much from doing it.”

Elton plans to resume his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour next year, and he confirms that yes, this really is it.

“At the moment, I finish supposedly in 2023, in the summer, by which time I’ll be 76,” Elton tells NME. “And that’s it, baby. I can’t wait to do it and have a great time, and I can’t wait to finish and say, ‘No more — I’ve had enough.'”

Elton confirms that he’ll continue to make records but as far as live shows, he admits, “I’ve had enough applause. I wanna be with my family. I wanna be with my boys.”

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Bruce Springsteen will pay a visit this evening to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where the Boss will be interviewed and will deliver a solo performance.

Springsteen has at least two upcoming releases that he can promote on the show. On Tuesday, October 26, Renegades: Born in the USA, the book Bruce co-authored with former president Barack Obama, will be published; and in November, The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts, a film and album documenting Springsteen’s performances with the E Street Band at the historic MUSE benefit concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden, will be released in various formats.

This will mark the third time that Springsteen has been a guest on The Late Show, having previously appeared on the program on October 2020 and September 2016.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

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