Page 7106 – 105.7 WDNY

Ian McDonald, founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, dead at 75

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Ian McDonald, a multi-instrumentalist and founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, has died at the age of 75.

The rocker “passed away peacefully on February 9, 2022 in his home in New York City, surrounded by his family,” according to a press release. A cause of death was not given.

McDonald co-founded King Crimson in 1968, alongside Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake and lyricist Peter Sinfield. He contributed saxophone, flute, clarinet, Mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ, vibraphone, the band’s influential debut album In the Court of the Crimson King, as well as backing vocals and production. McDonald left the band after their first U.S. tour in 1969, although he later contributed sax to two songs from the group’s 1974 album, Red.

In 1976, Ian became a founding member of Foreigner, joining guitarist Mick Jones, singer Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Ed Gagliardi. McDonald played on the band’s first three albums: Foreigner, Double Vision and Head Games, all of which went platinum, and produced such classic songs as “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded” and “Double Vision.”

McDonald also took part in several Foreigner reunion concerts alongside the band’s other surviving original members in 2017 and 2018.

McDonald was also an in-demand session musician, playing on numerous recordings by the likes of T. Rex, Steve Hackett and Asia. Notably, he played saxophone of T. Rex’s signature tune “Bang a Gong (Get It On).”

Former Yes singer Jon Anderson to mount 2022 tour with Paul Green Rock Academy launching in April

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Last summer, Jon Anderson teamed up with the students of the Paul Green Rock Academy for an 11-date U.S. tour, and the now former Yes frontman is set to join forces again with the talented young musicians for a lengthier North American trek this year.

So far five concerts have been confirmed, starting with an April 6 show in Atlanta, and followed by stops in four Florida cities — on April 10 in Clearwater, April 12 in Melbourne, April 14 in Orlando, and April 16 in Sarasota.

A post on PaulGreenRock.com reports that the 2022 tour will eventually feature more than 30 dates.

Like last year’s tour, the new shows will feature Anderson performing with 25 Paul Green Rock Academy members. The concerts will feature renditions of Yes classics and deep cuts, songs from Anderson’s solo catalog, mash-ups and more, with lush arrangements including choral vocals, horns and other musical elements.

Anderson commented about the upcoming shows in a recent Facebook post.

“[G]etting ready to tour this April with the teenagers of Academy of Rock,” he wrote. “Ready to perform ‘Close to the Edge’…and many more Yes classics like ‘Heart of the Sunrise’, and some fun mash ups…like [Led Zeppelin‘s] ‘Kashmir’…[David Bowie‘s] ‘Let’s Dance’…[Eminem]’s first hit…things like that…I call the show Wonderful Chaos!!….so if by chance you see us advertised near you, please come along and have fun.”

Hall & Oates reissuing 1997 album ‘Marigold Sky’ in March, including first-ever vinyl version

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Daryl Hall and John Oates will release their 1997 album Marigold Sky on vinyl for the first time on March 25 in honor of the record’s 25th anniversary.

In addition the vinyl version, which will be a two-LP set, an expanded version of the album with three bonus tracks will be released as a two-CD collection and on digital platforms. This also will mark the first time that Marigold Sky will be available as a digital download and via streaming services.

Marigold Sky, the duo’s 15th studio effort, was originally released in September 1997. It only reached #95 on the Billboard 200, although the singles “Promise Ain’t Enough” and “The Sky Is Falling” peaked at #6 and #26, respectively, on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart.

The reissue’s bonus tracks are a radio edit of “Romeo Is Bleeding,” a remix of “Hold On to Yourself,” and what’s described as a “hot mix” of “The Sky Is Falling.”

Coinciding with the announcement of the reissue, a restored version of the “Promise Ain’t Enough” music video has premiered at Hall & Oates’ YouTube channel, and the track is available now via digital formats.

“I look at Marigold Sky as the lost Hall and Oates album,” says Hall. “The fans have been asking me for years about it. I’m really proud of these songs and happy to see that it’s getting a global re-release.”

Adds Oates, “I am really pleased that Marigold Sky is finally becoming available around the world. It’s a very unique and cool album, and I hope old and new fans really enjoy it.”

You can pre-order the Marigold Sky reissue now. Here’s the expanded version’s track list:

“Romeo Is Bleeding”
“Marigold Sky”
“The Sky Is Falling”
“Out of the Blue”
“Want To”
“Love Out Loud”
“Throw the Roses Away”
“I Don’t Think So”
“Promise Ain’t Enough”
“Time Won’t Pass Me By”
“Hold On to Yourself”
“War of Words”
“Romeo Is Bleeding” (Radio Edit)*
“Hold On to Yourself” (Remix)*
“The Sky Is Falling” (Hot Mix)*

* = on CD and digital versions only.

Saweetie and H.E.R. team for new song “Closer”

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Saweetie has dropped a new collaboration with H.E.R. called “Closer.”

Over a retro-flavored dance beat, Sweetie raps, “I wanna fall in love for the weekend/ Three boyfriends I don’t know where I’m sleeping/ We be thuggin’, clubbin’…Order room service when we done/ That’s the sequence.”

H.E.R. chimes in on the hook, cooing, “Hold me closer/ It’s the freak in me, I wanna show ya/ It feels so good don’t want it to be over/ And I like it/ I know that you like it.”

The video for the track, directed by Hannah Lux Davis, drops soon, and based on the single’s artwork, it seems that the two women will be portraying either flight attendants or pilots in the clip.

Saweetie’s long-awaited debut album Pretty B***h Music is due to arrive soon. She’s nominated for Best New Artist at next month’s Grammys and also scored a nod for Best Rap Song for “Best Friend,” her collaboration with Doja Cat.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Kanye West demands that Billie Eilish apologize to Travis Scott before he performs at Coachella

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Ye — otherwise known as Kanye West — is demanding that Billie Eilish apologize to Travis Scott before West performs his headlining set at this year’s Coachella.

As for why Eilish would need to apologize, the “Stronger” rapper seemingly thinks that the “bad guy” singer insulted Scott when she stopped in the middle of a recent concert to get a fan in the crowd an inhaler.

In footage obtained by TMZ, Eilish can be heard saying, “We’re taking care of our people, hold on. I wait for people to be OK until I keep going.”

While she didn’t mention Scott specifically, some thought that Eilish’s comments were a veiled shot at Travis and the tragedy that occurred at his Astroworld festival last year, when 10 people died in a crowd surge during his performance.

In an Instagram post Thursday, West shared a screenshot of one such article, which has the headline “Billie Eilish dissed Travis Scott at her concert.”

In the all-caps caption, West wrote, “Come on Billie we love you please apologize to trav and to the families of the people who lost their lives. No one intended this to happen. Trav didn’t have any idea of what was happening when he was on stage and was very hurt by what happened.”

West added that Scott is set to join him at Coachella, before declaring, “Now I need Billie to apologize before I perform.”

Eilish is also set to headline Coachella this year, which is making its return after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott was set to headline the originally scheduled 2020 festival, but was reportedly dropped from this year’s bill due to the events of Astroworld.

Lionel Richie says daughter Nicole Richie was a “godsend” when he adopted her

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

In a cover story for this week’s People magazine, Lionel Richie says his daughter Nicole, whom he adopted when she was nine years old, changed his life.

Lionel and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey, adopted Nicole because her parents, friends of Lionel’s, were struggling financially. “Nicole was actually a godsend. She was a little girl who needed a shot,” he tells People. “She was used to people coming and going. She looked at me and I’d say, ‘I’m not going anywhere.'”

Nicole even helped Lionel after he and Harvey divorced in 1993. “Brenda and I went through a very interesting time,” says the American Idol judge, adding, “We didn’t agree on a lot of things, but we did agree on [Nicole].”

Nicole, who’s married to Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden, has given Lionel two grandchildren: daughter Harlow, 14, and son Sparrow, 12.

“I’ll say something and she goes, ‘Dad, we don’t use those kind of words around the kids.’ And I go, ‘Excuse me?'” Lionel says with a laugh. “She turned into a fantastic young lady.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee is also the father of Miles, 27, and Sofia 23, whom he shares with his second wife, Diane Alexander. Lionel and Diane divorced in 2004.

Oscar-nominated Summer of Soul doc to air on ABC this month; expanded soundtrack LP coming in June

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Want to watch the Oscar-nominated documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), but don’t have Hulu or Disney+? You’re in luck.

The acclaimed film, which documents the six-week-long, star-studded 1969 New York City event The Harlem Cultural Festival, will have its broadcast television premiere on Sunday, February 20, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

The festival, the tapes of which sat on a shelf for decades, featured a huge lineup of soul, blues, Latin, jazz, gospel and R&B stars. Among the artists you’ll see performing in the film are Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Sly and the Family Stone, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, B.B. King and The Temptations‘ David Ruffin and more.

In related news, while a digital and CD version of the movie’s soundtrack is out now, an expanded two-LP version of the album will be released on June 17. It includes 17 songs selected by the documentary’s director, drummer Questlove of The Roots. Target will offer a single-LP version pressed on red vinyl. You can pre-order both now.

The album’s track listing gives you an idea of how varied the lineup was at the festival, an event that was all but forgotten because it was overshadowed by Woodstock, which took place around the same time:

The Chambers Brothers — “Uptown”
B.B. King — “Why I Sing the Blues”
The 5th Dimension — “Don’t Cha Hear Me Callin’ to Ya”
The 5th Dimension — “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)”
David Ruffin — “My Girl”
The Edwin Hawkins Singers — “Oh Happy Day”
The Staple Singers — “It’s Been a Change”
The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir featuring Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples — “Precious Lord Take My Hand”
Gladys Knight & The Pips — “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
Mongo Santamaria — “Watermelon Man”
Ray Barretto — “Together”
Herbie Mann — “Hold On, I’m Comin'”
Sly & The Family Stone — “Sing a Simple Song”
Sly & The Family Stone — “Everyday People”
Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach — “Africa”
Nina Simone — “Backlash Blues”
Nina Simone — “Are You Ready”

Issa Rae to be honored, Nick Cannon has “baby mama drama” and more

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Issa Rae will be honored with the Producer’s Guild of America’s 2022 Visionary Award next month. The award is given to producers who “share inspiring, uplifting stories that add unique value to society and culture.” The Insecure creator will get her award March 19 at the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards.

Earlier this week, Nick Cannon received a surprise Valentine’s Day gift: a vending machine full of condoms. It was later revealed that Kevin Hart sent Cannon, who’s expecting his eighth child, the prank present. Now, Cannon tells Entertainment Tonight, “One thing that was brilliant about [the prank], it was the mystery of it, because I had some baby mama drama: ‘Who sent you that? Who sent you that?'” But, he added, “When [Hart] came out and said it was him, everybody relaxed.”

The fifth season of Raven-Symoné‘s show Raven’s Home will premiere March 11 on Disney Channel and Disney Now. The season finds Raven and her son Booker moving back to San Francisco after her dad suffers a mild heart attack. Rondell Sheridan will reprise his role as Raven’s dad Victor, while Adrienne Bailon-Houghton will return as Alana, Raven’s arch-nemesis.

Poet Amanda Gorman is the cover star of ELLE’s March issue. She tells the magazine, “As a Black female poet, I think so many people expected my poems to be angry…I’m like, yes, I have the right to be angry. But I wanted to really have freedom to speak with hope in the same way that white male poets get to do. Why can’t that voice of a people, a generation, come from someone who looks like me?”

The new issue of People features a 21-page special tribute to late Black icons by the family members who knew them best. Among those participating: Martin Luther King Jr.’s son, Whitney Houston‘s cousin Dionne Warwick, and more.

Fans not exactly feeling euphoria after unveiling of Zendaya’s latest wax statue

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

A proud posting of the latest star re-created by the artists of Madame Tussauds in London has some Zendaya fans crying foul.

The wax figure is dressed and posed in a hot pink Stella McCartney suit Zendaya wore at a 2016 red carpet Humane Society of the United States event. However, some critics are saying no way to the representation of the Spider-Man: No Way Home star’s likeness.

“Zendaya deserved better,” opined one fan.

“How does this both look like her and look nothing like her at the same time???” griped another.

“[W]hat in the kylie jenner?” another snarked.

“Lmao that’s not zendaya, it’s more like stormi in future,” said yet another fan, referencing Kylie Jenner‘s 4-year-old daughter with Travis Scott.

“The wax version of Zendaya looks like she wants to speak to the manager,” another offered of the replica’s nonplussed expression.

In 2020, Zendaya herself visited Toussads in London and posed with a pair of her wax stand-ins, calling them “pretty fabulous.”

New Kanye West song on the way; 2006 live album ‘Late Orchestration’ now streaming

February 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

New Kanye West music is on the way.

Tonight, Ye is apparently releasing a new track called “City of Gods” with Alicia Keys and Fivio Foreign, according to a post on Fivio’s Instagram account. Fivio also shared a photo of the three of them, seemingly from the music video shoot.

Meanwhile, Kanye’s 2006 live album, Late Orchestration, is now available on streaming platforms for the first time. The album features a medley from Kanye’s first two albums, 2004’s The College Dropout and 2005’s Late Registration, backed by an all-female orchestra. It was recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios in September 2005.

Ye’s next album, Donda 2, is set for a February 22 release.

+ More