Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 3rd, 2014

The Who announced on June 30 they'll kick off a "Hits 50" anniversary tour of the UK on Nov. 26 in Dublin, Ireland. "It's an 'Amazing Journey' through their entire career from the days of the 'High Numbers' to classic albums such as Who's Next, Tommy, Quadrophenia, My Generation, Live at Leeds up to the present day," reads the official announcement. "We cannot keep going on doing these month after month-long, extended tours," vocalist Roger Daltrey said in an interview with Billboard. "It's extremely hard, hard work," the 70-year-old Daltrey added. "When we take civilians, as I call them, on the road with us they usually last about 10 days and they're exhausted, just by the grind of it. So we have to be realistic. The band got better reviews on their last tour (2012-13's Quadrophenia & More) than we had for years. It was incredibly enjoyable. But it was incredibly exhausting, and we have to be realistic about our age." Guitarist Pete Townshend, who promised the trek will include hits, picks, mixes and misses" from the group's history, noted that he's also "under no illusions" about the Who's elder statesman status in rock: "We are what we are, and extremely good at it, but we're lucky to be alive and still touring. If I had enough hairs to split I would say that, for 13 years since 1964, the Who didn't really exist, so we are really only 37." And while Daltrey hints it may be the final Who tour, he says "it's not going to be the last things the Who will do." "We're going to be doing events. We're going to be doing shows. We've always been there for charity shows; when people are in trouble and need a band for a charity show, we can do it. That's not going to change. But it won't be those long, extended tours." The Who's Dublin date will be followed by shows in Belfast (11/28), Glasgow (11/30), Leeds (12/2), Nottingham (12/5), Birmingham (12/7), Newcastle (12/9), Liverpool (12/11), Manchester (12/13) and Cardiff (12/15), before wrapping in London's O2 Arena on Dec. 17. A North American tour is expected during 2015, and Townshend and Daltrey are reportedly working on new material, which could be finished and out even before this year's dates. - Billboard, 7/1/14.

After recently issuing a stamp honoring guitar god Jimi Hendrix, the United States Postal Service has unveiled details of a new stamp honoring Janis Joplin. According to the stamp news website Linns.com, the Joplin stamp will be released this August and will feature the iconic blues-rock singer smiling and wearing shades surrounded by a psychedelic background and lettering evoking the popular font of the 1960s. "Janis Joplin (1943-1970) was a groundbreaking singer whose powerful, bluesy voice propelled her to the pinnacle of rock stardom," a biographical description of the 16-stamp sheet says. "An icon of the 1960s, she was known for her uninhibited and soulful performances. Joplin is now recognized as one of the greatest rock singers of all time, as well as a pioneer who paved the way for other women in rock music." No information on the specific date in August and location of the stamp issue has been announced. Joplin, who was born in Port Arthur, Tex., and would have turned 71 this year, and Hendrix are the latest subjects to join the USPS's "Music Icons" series, which had previously honored Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and Tejano songstress Lydia Mendoza in 2012. The USPS has also revealed that it may issue stamps honoring such famous musicians as John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Bill Monroe, Sarah Vaughan and Tammy Wynette. A James Brown stamp and a re-release of the immensely popular 1993 Elvis Presley will be released in 2015. - Rolling Stone, 6/30/14.

As he plans to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin in November to discuss Russia's oppressive policies toward gay people, Elton John told Britain's Sky News on June 30 that "Jesus Christ would approve of gay marriage." "If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him -- as the Christian person that he was and the great person that he was -- saying this could not happen," said John. "He was all about love, compassion, forgiveness and trying to bring people together. That's what the church should be about." Discussing how organised religion had improved its attitudes to homosexuality, John said he saw "signs of hope" in the more tolerant views expressed by Pope Francis and Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. But he said the Church of England's refusal to allow gay clergy to marry was "old and stupid." Elton added that he isn't sure if his meeting with Pres. Putin will do any good, "but unless you build a bridge, it's no good putting up a wall and saying 'I'm not talking to these people.' The only thing that gets solved is by talking to people." John and his partner David Furnish had a civil rights ceremony in 2005, and Elton has announced they may get married in 2015. "It'll be very quiet and off the cuff," he said. "We had our big shebang when we had our civil union," said John, who kicks off a mainland European tour in Spain on July 4. - New Musical Express, 6/30/14.

Ozzy Osbourne is currently at the center of a campaign to get him knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and the Black Sabbath singer says that he "can't imagine anything better" than receiving the honor. "I've heard about that. Getting knighted? I can't imagine anything better," the 65-year-old Osbourne told London's Time Out magazine. "And my wife [Sharon Osbourne] would become a Lady, which would be pretty cool. But I'm not gonna get upset if it doesn't happen. I never thought I'd get further than Aston [in Birmingham, England, where he was born]." Ozzy fan Helen Maidiotis, who created the The Knighthood of Ozz' campaign, argues a knighthood is "well deserved and long overdue" for Osbourne. Osbourne also revealed to the mag that he's shocked his career has managed to last almost half a century, admitting he believed it would only go on for a "couple of years" at best: "I don't [look back], but I guess I should a bit more. Because I know when I had my first successful album with Sabbath I thought, 'Oh this is great, this will last a couple of years. I'll just get drunk every night and have a few chicks in my room'. And here I am, 45 years down the road and I'm doing better than ever. I haven't always been on top of the world " there have been bad times as well " but you don't just give up at the first sign of choppy waters: you carry on rowing." In June, Osbourne said during a press conference that there is a possibility of a new Black Sabbath album, saying that the band "just wanna finish this tour and then we'll see." - New Musical Express, 6/29/14.

The Beatles' acclaimed 1964 movie A Hard Day's Night is returning to American theaters on the first weekend in July, starting July 4 and continuing throughout the summer. In June, a Criterion Collection version of the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray, featuring a new digital restoration of the film approved by director Richard Lester, audio commentary, several documentaries about the movie and "The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film," an Academy Award-nominated short directed by Lester and starring Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. Conceived to capitalize on the Beatlemania sweeping the globe at the time, A Hard Day's Night offered a day-in-the-life view of the group at the time, culminating in a concert in London. Its madcap, fast-paced and dry-witted flavor made it a fresh kind of cinematic experience, cited as an influence on subsequent spy films, music videos and, three years later, The Monkees TV series. Premiering July 6, 1964 in London and Aug. 11 worldwide, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards -- Best Screenplay for Alun Owen and Best Score (Adaptation) for Beatles producer George Martin, while the accompanying album hit No. 1 in the U.S., U.K. and Australia and the title track won a Grammy Award for Best Performance By a Vocal Group. Ringo Starr tells Billboard that 50 years later, making the film remains a surreal experience for him. "It was a really exciting thing to do," Starr says. "We were making records and, wow, the records were taking off and then we're playing to bigger and bigger audiences and that's taking off, and now we're doing a movie. It was mad... but it was incredible." The theatrical return of A Hard Day's Night is only one part of a number of Beatles' 50th anniversary celebrations this year, which include honors at the Grammy Awards and a subsequent Record Academy CBS special saluting Starr, Paul McCartney and their late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison. The Beatles in Mono, a 14-LP vinyl collection, will be released Sept. 8, with the individual albums also available separately. - Billboard, 7/3/14.

Two boxes of rare Bob Dylan acetates from around 1969-70 have been discovered in a New York City apartment building at 124 W. Houston St. in Greenwich Village that was once used by the rock 'n' roll legend. Jeff Gold, proprietor of Recordmecca and a longtime collector/dealer/historian, took to his website on July 1 to detail this once-in-a-lifetime find -- two boxes containing 149 acetates from Dylan's Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait and New Morning albums, all produced by Bob Johnston between 1969-1970 for Columbia Records. Gold says he purchased the trove of unreleased mixes, recordings and sequences (some with Dylan-written notes on them) from the executor of the estate of the late owner of a NYC building being prepared for sale. While doing a final scan of the building, the man found boxes labeled "Old Records" in a closet in a semi-hidden loft above the bedroom. A source close to Dylan's camp says that, "While it's unknown how those actetates came to be in the hands of others, everything that is on them definitely also exists in original form on reel-to-reel tape and is securely held in the vaults. Most of that material in fact, was released on Another Self-Portrait last year." Gold says he has provided transfers of all the discovered music to Dylan's representatives. He has also made a few of the acetates, including an alternate version of Skyline, available for sale on recordmecca.com. - Billboard, 7/2/14.

Jeff Beck has been forced to cancel his European tour in order to receive "emergency medical attention." The legendary rock guitarist was scheduled to begin the second leg of his tour in Austria on June 27, but now says he has been advised by his doctors not to perform for the next six weeks. "It is with the greatest regret that Jeff Beck has been forced to cancel the forthcoming European dates of his worldwide tour, set to begin in Austria on 27 June," reads the statement on Beck's official website. "Following many months of international touring and after seeking emergency medical attention, Jeff will now undertake a short hospital procedure and his doctors have instructed a complete break from performance for a total of six weeks. Following the treatment, Jeff will fulfil his US tour commitments beginning in Missoula MT on 8 August. He sends his profound apologies to those fans who had bought tickets for the European concerts and very much looks forward to playing for his American audiences after he has completed his treatment." The musician will begin his month-long co-headlining US tour with ZZ Top in Missoula, Montana, on August 8, where the band will perform a collaboration at the end of each night's show. In related news, Neil Young and Crazy Horse bassist Billy Talbot suffered a mild stroke in late June and will not be able to perform with the band on their upcoming European tour. "Talbot's doctors expect him to make a full recovery," the group said in a statement. "They have advised Talbot to sit this tour out and recover his strength." Neil Young's longtime bassist Rick Rosas will play in his place. Talbot is a founding member of Crazy Horse and hasn't missed a single gig with the group since their formation in 1968. Young and Crazy Horse begin their European tour July 7th in Reykjavik, Iceland. They currently have no North American dates scheduled. - New Musical Express/Rolling Stone, 6/29/14.

Mick Jagger's son James Jagger is set to star in a new HBO drama series co-produced by his famous rocker dad and acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese. The as-yet-untitled series will focus on the New York music scene of the 1970s, showcasing the development of punk and disco through the eyes of fictional record company executive Richie. The cocaine-addicted exec will be played by Bobby Cannavale, who portrayed gangster Gyp Rosetti in the Scorsese-produced HBO series Boardwalk Empire. James Jagger will play the singer of fictional punk band Nasty Bits. Jagger attended the same high-school drama class in New York as Twilight actor Robert Pattinson. His previous acting roles include parts in Ian Dury biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll and Howard Marks biopic Mr Nice. In other Stones-related news, Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts have filmed a sketch mocking the Rolling Stones as part of Monty Python's press conference ahead of their "Monty Python Live (Mostly)" shows. The surviving members of Monty Python started their 10 shows at London's O2 on July 1. They announced at the press conference in central London that astrophysicists Stephen Hawking and Brian Cox will appear in filmed new sketches as part of the show. - New Musical Express, 6/30/14.

Former Mork & Mindy star Robin Williams, who has struggled with substance abuse since the early 1980s, has checked into rehab for continued sobriety. "After working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud," his representative said on July 1. Williams, 62, is currently at Hazelden Addiction Treatment Center in Minnesota in a program aimed at maintaining long-term sobriety, the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com first reported. He will remain there for several weeks. Williams admitted he once thought he could handle addiction on his own. "But you can't. That's the bottom line," he said. "You really think you can, then you realize, I need help, and that's the word ... It's hard admitting it, then once you've done that, it's real easy." Williams has been busy working on Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, due out later in 2014. - The Huffington Post, 7/1/14.

Innovative and versatile director Paul Mazursky, known for such films as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Harry & Tonto and An Unmarried Woman, died on July 1 of pulmonary cardiac arrest Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 84. A talented writer, actor and producer as well as director whose films showed the absurdity of modern life, Mr. Mazursky racked up five Oscar nominations, and also created memorable roles for the likes of Art Carney, Jill Clayburgh and Natalie Wood. Later in life, Mr. Mazursky acted in in such TV series as The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Once and Again. He and his writing partner Larry Tucker first triumphed in 1969 with the script for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, a clever takeoff on the emerging sexual freedom of the late 1960s. Warner Bros. turned it down for fear of its racy subject, but Columbia scooped it up and accepted Mr. Mazursky's proviso that he would direct the film. Over the years, he was nominated four times for screenplay Oscars: Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, 1974's Harry and Tonto, 1978's An Unmarried Woman and 1989's Enemies, A Love Story. As a co-producer, he also shared in the best picture nomination for An Unmarried Woman....... In related news, actor Bob Hastings, best known from the 1960s sitcom McHale's Navy, died on June 30 in his Burbank, Calif., home after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. He was 89. Mr. Hastings won fans on McHale's Navy as Lt. Carpenter, a bumbling yes-man. Other memorable roles were on All in the Family and General Hospital. Later TV appearances included Ironside, The Dukes of Hazzard, Major Dad and Murder, She Wrote. His voiceover work continued as recently as the 2010 video game Mafia II...... Comedian and singer Steve Rossi, half of the comedy duo Allen & Rossi -- staples on The Ed Sullivan Show -- died in Las Vagas on June 22 after battling cancer. He was 82...... "Psychic to the Stars" Kenny Kingston, who boasted Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo, Lucille Ball, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and John Wayne among his celebrity clients, passed away on June 30 after a long battle with a cardiovascular disease. He was 87. Mr. Kingston was the first psychic to appear on primetime television in the U.S., on programs such as The Flip Wilson Show, and he was a regular on variety shows hosted by Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin and Steve Allen. He also penned five books on the spiritual world and was often approached by media outlets for insights from dead stars, like Monroe, who became one of his spirit companions from beyond the grave. - AP, 7/1/14.