Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 3rd, 2020

Eric Clapton has come out in support of Van Morrison's campaign to dispute the way the British government has handled the coronavirus pandemic and the impact on the music industry. In September, Morrison played three concerts at The London Palladium to show how they can proceed safely, and he also released the first of three new anti-lockdown songs, "Born To Be Free," to be followed by "As I Walked Out" on Oct. 9 and "No More Lockdown" on Oct. 23. Now Morrison has received the support of not only his fans but the 75-year-old "Layla" hitmaker, who is concerned that unless the UK government acts quickly enough and supports the industry, "live music might never recover." "It is deeply upsetting to see how few gigs are going ahead because of the lockdown restrictions," Clapton says. "There are many of us who support Van and his endeavours to save live music, he is an inspiration! We must stand up and be counted because we need to find a way out of this mess. The alternative is not worth thinking about. Live music might never recover." Live music was banned in the UK when lockdown was introduced in March, although it has been possible for indoor live music performances to take place with socially distanced audiences since Aug. 1. - Music-News.com, 9/30/20...... Fleetwood Mac's 1977 chart-topper "Dreams" has nearly doubled in streams and experienced another spike in sales and streams thanks to a viral video posted in the last week of September. The TikTok video posted by user @420doggface208 and soundtracked with "Dreams," which can also be viewed on YouTube, shows a middle-aged man in a hoodie seemingly being pulled on a skateboard, as he swigs from a bottle of Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry juice and occasionally sings along with Stevie Nicks' lead vocal. The clip's vibe of melancholy chill seemed to capture hearts across the Internet, and inspired a massive hike in "Dreams" consumption in the days following its spread. For the three-day period of Sept. 25 - Sept. 27, "Dreams" racked up 2.9 million on-demand U.S. streams and 3000 in digital download sales -- numbers up 88.7% and 374%, respectively, from their totals in the prior three-day periods, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. "Dreams," the band's only No. 1 US hit, previously enjoyed gains in 2018 when a meme of Alcorn State University's Golden Girls dance team grooving to "Dreams" took off on Twitter. "Dreams" has also been a regular presence on the Billboard charts in recent years and remains one of the most consumed rock songs in America on a regular basis. - Billboard, 9/30/20...... In other Fleetwood Mac-related news, Stevie Nicks has revealed she contacted her former bandmate and ex-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham after he suffered a heart attack in 2019. Nicks, who released a new solo song on Oct. 9 called "Show Them The Way," told the Los Angeles Times she urged Buckingham to look after himself with a message in the year following Buckingham's firing from the legendary folk/blues rock group. "You better take care of yourself. You better take it easy and you better do everything they tell you and get your voice back and feel the grace that you have made it through this," she recalled. Nicks added that she "never planned for Buckingham to leave the band and was disappointed when it happened." "Any time we re-formed to do a tour or a record, I always walked in with hope in my heart. And I just was so disappointed. I felt like all the wind had gone out of my sails," she said. "Show Them The Way," meanwhile, has arrived a few weeks before Nicks' previously announced 24 Karat Gold - Songs from the Vault live album and concert film, which drops on Oct. 9. The film is set to play in select cinemas on Oct. 21 and Oct. 25, and is to be followed by a recorded version on Oct. 30. Nicks says the new single was inspired by a dream she had about late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King. Meanwhile, Nicks has finally inked a deal to bring her long-awaited Rhiannon mini-series to screens, and she would like pop singer Harry Styles for a starring role. The mini-series, she says, will feature 10 unreleased songs written by her, with One Direction star Styles "definitely in the running" to star in the show. "I'm going, 'Harry, you cannot age one day. You have to stay exactly as you are. I've already sold him on it," she laughed. Nicks and Styles are close pals -- he invited the rocker and a group of her pals to his home for a playback of his second album Fine Line ahead of its release, and she later joined him onstage at The Forum in Los Angeles for his Fine Line album release show. Nicks has had hopes of making a movie about the Celtic deity Rhiannon ever since a fan sent her four novels on the folklore following the release of her 1975 classic hit, "Rhiannon." - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 9/30/20...... After many weeks of teasing a comeback with "PWR UP" teasers on their social media channels, in newspaper ads and on posters, AC/DC confirmed with an announcement on Twitter on Sept. 30 that they're officially reuniting. "ARE YOU READY? #PWRUP," the band tweeted, revealing its line-up consisting of lead guitarist Angus Young, vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd, bassist Cliff Williams and rhythm guitarist Stevie Young. Brian Johnson gave up touring with the veteran rock outfit back in 2016 due to hearing loss, and was replaced by Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose. Phil Rudd, meanwhile, exited the band's 2015 "Rock or Bust World Tour" after being found guilty of drug possession and threatening to kill in a New Zealand murder plot case. The band's last studio LP, Rock or Bust, was released in Nov. 2014 and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 200. The Aussie rockers have also shared a new teaser of their comeback single, "Shot in the Dark" on Twitter. The 30-second clip is accompanied by images of each member of the band bathed in red light and is soundtracked by the new song, which contains the lyrics: "A shot in the dark / Make it feel alright." - Billboard/NME, 9/30/20...... The estate of Jimi Hendrix has released a new preview for the forthcoming Hendrix documentary Music, Money, Madness & Jimi Hendrix in Maui. The film is set to include footage of the late guitar god's outdoor concert at foot of the Haleakala volcano in Maui, including a performance of "Foxey Lady," which has been shared on YouTube. As seen in the clip, Hendrix forgets some of the words to the song, compensating with some of his signature tricks like playing with his teeth. Technical difficulties during the performance meant drummer Mitch Mitchell had to overdub his tracks in 1971 at Electric Lady Studios, the year after Hendrix death. Music, Money, Madness & Jimi Hendrix in Maui is a new insight into the making of Hendrix's semi-fictional Rainbow Bridge film and his 1970 show in Hawaii. Rainbow Bridge,, which was panned by most critics, focused on the travels of a model from New York to Hawaii. Clips from Hendrix's show at Haleakala appeared in the film, but most of the footage is previously unreleased. The film and a 3-disc soundtrack will be released on Nov. 20. - NME, 10/3/20...... Joni Mitchell has shared a second sample off her forthcoming archival album Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963 -- 1967), her first original demo, "Day After Day," on YouTube. Mitchell made the demo tape on Aug. 24, 1965 for Elektra Records co-founder Jac Holzman during a session that also produced "Let It Be Me," "Like the Lonely Swallow," "The Student Song" and "What Will You Give Me." "I didn't know whether it was a good song or a bad song. It was just the first one that came out," Mitchell said in a press release. "Day After Day" follows the release of Mitchell's earliest known recording, a cover of "House of the Rising Sun" recorded in 1963 at the Saskatoon radio station CFQC AM. Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963 -- 1967) will drop on Oct. 30. The compilation is comprised of recordings prior to the release of her 1968 debut album, Song to a Seagull. - NME, 10/2/20...... The British virtual cartoon band Gorillaz released the latest episode in their "Song Machine" series on Oct. 1, a collaboration with Elton John and 6lack. Ahead of releasing their Song Machine: Season One album on Oct. 23, Gorillaz have shared "The Pink Phantom" on YouTube, featuring a fetching cartoon version of Elton. John has said Gorillaz member Damon Albarn "reached out and asked me to do something and the way the song has turned out is just great. "I was in the studio in London and he was at the other end in Devon, but even remotely it was such an engaging and creative process... I've always been a Gorillaz fan anyway, so when he asked me to do a Gorillaz track, it was a no brainer. I'm so very, very happy that that's come about," he added. - NME, 10/1/20...... Streaming giant Netflix announced on Sept. 29 that they are planning a new holiday film starring Dolly Parton titled Christmas on the Square. Parton will contribute 14 original songs to the project, which will also star Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis, Treat Williams, Jeanine Mason and Josh Segarra. The film is set for a worldwide release on Nov. 22. The official synopsis for Christmas on the Square reads: "Regina Fuller (Baranski), a wealthy and unpleasant woman, returns to her small hometown in the wake of her father's death to evict everyone right before the holiday season. Following an encounter with an angel (Parton), a rekindling of an old romance and stories from the local community, she has a change of heart." The title song of the film has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 9/30/20...... A virtual reunion of the legendary heavy metal "mockumentary" band Spinal Tap will take place in October, with This Is Spinal Tap stars Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest reprising their roles and director Rob Reiner also participating. Hosted by comedian Patton Oswalt, the event will act as a fundraiser for Pennysylvania Democrats ahead of November's presidential election." Every dollar raised goes directly towards ending Trumpism by winning Pennsylvania," an official invite posted on Reiner's Twitter page states. Citing one of the film's most memorable scenes, Democratic Party operative Jason Henry told The Hollywood Reporter that "Democratic enthusiasm in Pennsylvania is already 'turned up to eleven' -- we're the Keystone State and the key to winning this election. We're excited to partner with the Spinal Tap team to bring even more energy to power Democratic wins from the State House to the White House." The virtual Spinal Tap Dem fundraiser will take place on Oct. 14. - NME, 10/2/20...... Yoko Ono filed a copyright infringement suit against her late husband John Lennon's former aide Fred Seaman on Oct. 1, alleging Seaman violated a court order by sitting down for a 23-minute interview on Sept. 10 to discuss topics which are legally prohibited, like his work with John and Yoko, the Beatles star's assassination, and Seaman's 1991 book, The Last Days of John Lennon. Yoko says that during the interview Seaman discussed his intention to revise the book and reissue an extended version of it, which she says would "willfully and intentionally violate" the injunction she got against him in 2002. Ono, 87, also took issue with the fact that Seaman was "flanked by Lennon memorabilia" for the interview. In 2002, a court ordered Seaman to stop using John and Yoko's family photos to profit from his legacy and he even apologized to her in open court. Yoko is asking for at least $150,000 (£116,000) and other damages, as well as an order stopping Seaman from talking about her and her family. - Music-News.com, 10/2/20...... In other Lennon-related news, Elton John revealed to John and Yoko's son Sean Ono Lennon during Sean's new BBC Radio 2 series that his dad was "physically sick from nerves" before performing with him at a 1974 show in New York s Madison Square Garden after the Beatle lost a bet with John. "He was terrified," Elton told Sean. "I can tell you that he was physically sick before the show, absolutely physically sick." Elton, who provided backing vocals and piano on John's No. 1 1974 hit "Whatever Gets You Through The Night," convinced Lennon, who was not particularly fond of the song, to release the track and wagered that they would have to perform the number together if it topped the Billboard Hot 100. When the song did become a chart-topper in the US, the pair performed it during an Elton's Thanksgiving 1974 Madison Square Garden concert. But Elton noted that Lennon "wasn't nervous during the show [and] he just played the same brilliantly once he arrived on stage." In another episode of Sean's new radio show, Paul McCartney reflected on reconciling with his former bandmate Lennon shortly before John was shot dead in 1980. "I always say to people, one of the great things for me was that after all The Beatles rubbish and all the arguing and the business, you know, business differences really... that even after all of that, I'm so happy that I got it back together with your dad," McCartney told Sean. "It really, really would have been a heartache to me if we hadn't have reunited. It was so lovely too that we did, and it really gives me sort of strength to know that," he added. - NME, 9/30/20...... Queen + Adam Lambert released their first live album, Live Around the World, on Oct. 2 in CD, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray and vinyl formats. It is the first live offering from the legendary '70s prog-rock band to feature former American Idol contestant Lambert, who tours with the band as a replacement for flamboyant frontman Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991. Live Around The World includes their entire 22-minute set from the Fire Fight Australia charity concert in Sydney in February, where they performed Queen's original 1985 Live Aid set in full including "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We are the Champions" and the show-stopping "Radio Ga Ga." The band have played to 4 million people since Lambert came onboard. Although 2021 will mark 50 years since Queen played their first show with their classic line-up, founding guitarist Brian May says no "big noise" will be made about the anniversary. "We kind of came to the conclusion we didn't want to make a big noise about having been around for 50 years. It is more important that we are still here," said May in a recent interview. - WENN/Canoe.com, 10/1/20...... Speaking of 50th anniversaries, Black Sabbath have partnered with shoe manufacturer Dr. Martens for a new shoe collection to celebrate the golden anniversary of Sabbath's first two album. Two new pairs of shoes are being released for the first collection, with the "1460 Sabbath boot" depicting album cover designer Keith McMillan's artwork from the band's eponymous 1970 debut. Kitted out with purple popped eyelets, flat braided laces and core Docs markings, a "Henry badge" -- the flying devil/angel that's become synonymous with Black Sabbath over the years -- is also visible behind the laces. The "1461 Sabbath shoe," meanwhile, is built with the same eyelets, "Henry motif and heel loop, but pays tribute to Paranoid. The album artwork has been digitally printed on the ankle, and the three-eye shoe is finished with embossed Black Sabbath lettering on the vamp. The "Black Sabbath x Dr. Martens" collection went on sale on Oct. 1, and more info on the shoes can be found on Instagram. - NME, 9/29/20...... A new week-long YouTube festival has been announced to stream vintage performances by a host of the huge rock acts who have played shows for Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Royal Albert Hall over the years. Starting on Oct. 8, "Teenage Cancer Trust Unseen" will be broadcast nightly on YouTube and feature performances from Ed Sheeran (Oct. 8), Muse (Oct. 9), Paul McCartney (Oct. 11), Pulp (Oct. 14), Them Crooked Vultures (Oct. 16), The Who (Oct. 17), and The Cure (Oct. 18 & 31). Organised by The Who frontman Roger Daltrey, the week of concerts each March are an annual highlight in London's gig calendar. This year marks the event's 20th anniversary, with 2020's roster originally set to include performances by The Who, Paul Weller, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Mumford And Sons, Stereophonics and Groove Armada. The shows usually raise £1m a year, but Teenage Cancer Trust faces lost funds of £5 million in 2020 due to events cancelled by coronavirus. A trailer for this year's virtual Teenage Cancer Trust program can be viewed on YouTube. Daltrey says the Rolling Stones are still on his wishlist to perform at the annual TCT event. "They're a fabulous band, but they don't do charity shows, so it is just a dream," Daltrey says. "I don't know why, it's just not their bag to do charity shows. Although Mick [Jagger] did do Live Aid, and maybe after this pandemic they'll step up," he added. - NME, 9/28/20...... Cliff Richard will mark his upcoming milestone 80th birthday on Oct. 14 with a new album, Music... The Air That I Breathe featuring two new songs he's recorded, "Falling For You" and "PS Please." Set for release on Oct. 30, Music... The Air That I Breathe will also feature his duets with Bonnie Tyler, The Bellamy Brothers, Sheila Walsh, The Piano Guys and Albert Hammond, as well as covers including the Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun." "Looking back, I remember thinking that I wouldn't make it to 50 and here I am at 80, and what's even better than that is I have a new album!," Sir Cliff says. "It features not just me, but friends I admire who duetted with me on some of the tracks. I loved recording it and hope you will enjoy listening to it," he adds. Richard had announced a UK tour to celebrate his 80th, dubbed "The Great 80 Tour," which was due to kick off in Gateshead on Sept. 23. However, it's been postponed due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19. Although Richard, who has been making records since the 1950s, has slowed down and reduced his touring schedule in recent times, he vows to never retire from the music industry. "The word 'retire'... I don't think that's in my vocabulary," he has said in past interviews. - Music-News.com, 9/30/20...... Benjamin Keogh, the grandson of Elvis Presley and son of Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley, was laid to rest in Meditation Garden at Presley's Graceland mansion on Oct. 1. "Benjamin Storm Presley Keough was laid to rest in the Meditation Garden at Graceland with his family including his grandfather, Elvis Presley, great-grandmother, Gladys Presley, great-grandfather, Vernon Presley and great-great-grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley," a statement on the Graceland website reads. Keogh died at age 27 in mid-July, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office ruled on July 14 that his official cause of death was a shotgun wound and the manner of death was ruled suicide. A rep for Lisa Marie told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, "She is completely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11-year-old twins and her oldest daughter, Riley. She adored that boy. He was the love of her life." - Billboard, 10/2/20.

Grammy-winning singer Helen Reddy, who scored three No. 1 singles in the US during the 1970s including "Delta Dawn", "Angie Baby", and the iconic feminist anthem "I Am Woman", died in Los Angeles on Sept. 29, according to a statement on her Facebook fan page. Reddy, who suffered from Addison's disease and dementia in her later years, was 78. Born in Melbourne, Australia on Oct. 25, 1941, Reddy started her entertainment career at age four at the Tivoli Theatre in Perth, and toured much of the country with her show business parents. After leaving boarding school at age 15 to tour with a road show where she sang as well as acted, Reddy eventually landed her own Aussie TV show, Helen Reddy Sings. At age 20, Reddy married Kenneth Claude Weate, an older musician and family friend whom she says she wed to defy her parents, who wished her to follow them into show business. The couple separated not long after the birth of their daughter, Traci. In 1966, Reddy won a trip to New York City in an Australian American Bandstand contest, sponsored by Philips-Mercury Records. Although she found little success there, she met her future second husband, Jeff Wald, an agent with the William Morris agency. She married the Bronx native a year later, and in 1972 they had a son, Jordan. In 1970, Wald arranged for her to perform on NBC's The Tonight Show, and within a year she had her first hit, "I Don't Know How to Love Him" (#13, 1971) from the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar. She followed up with a string of Top 40 singles from 1972-77, including "I Am Woman," which was released in 1971, but didn't make it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 until December of the next year. The song earned the singer her first Grammy the following year ("I would like to thank God, because She makes everything possible," she said in her short acceptance speech). Further hits include "Peaceful" (#12), "Delta Dawn" (#1), "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)" (#3), "You and Me Against the World" (#9), "Angie Baby" (#1), and "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" (#8). In 1973, Reddy's popularity earned her a summer-replacement TV variety show on NBC, and for most of the rest of the decade she was a hostess on NBC's Friday night rock-variety show, The Midnight Special. Reddy also served as commissioner of parks and recreation for her adapted home state of California during that period. Her singing career on the wane, Reddy turned to acting, appearing in Airport 1975 (1974), the Disney children's film Pete's Dragon (1977), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (1978), Disorderlies (1987), and The Perfect Host (2010). Reddy's relationship with Wald, who had developed a cocaine addiction, became increasingly volatile by the mid-'70s, and after divorcing him in the early Eighties, she married Milton Ruth, a drummer in her band, in 1983. They divorced in 1995. In 1983, she released what would become her final LP, Imagination. A biopic of Reddy's rise from single mother in New York City to hit artist -- titled I Am Woman -- premiered in August. The film stars Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Reddy and features a new song by Reddy's granddaughter, Lily Donat. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of September 29th 2020 in Los Angeles," her children Traci and Jordan said in a statement. "She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman." - CNN/Rolling Stone/Wikipedia.com, 9/30/20.