Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 3rd, 2021

Former Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth told a Las Vegas newspaper on Oct. 1 that he plans to retire from performing after the completion of five concerts at Las Vegas' House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in early January 2022. "I am throwing in the shoes. I'm retiring," the 66-year-old singer told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "This is the first, and only, official announcement. You've got the news. Share it with the world." Roth added that he wasn't "going to explain the statement" and that "the explanation is safe... these are my last five shows." Reflecting on the Oct. 2020 passing of his former bandmate Eddie Van Halen, Roth said, "I thought he might have been first, frankly. I might have thought the Marlboro Man would've got me. Hey Ed, objects in the rear-view mirror are probably me. And my doctors, my handlers, compelled me to really address that every time I go on stage, I endanger that future." He concluded the interview by saying, "I've given you all I've got to give. It's been an amazing, great run, no regrets, nothing to say about anybody. I'll miss you all. Stay frosty." Roth is scheduled to perform at House of Blues in Las Vegas between Dec. 31 and Jan. 8, 2022. Tickets are currently on sale. - Billboard, 10/2/21...... Queen drummer Roger Taylor says his new solo album Outsider comes from a somewhat different vantage point than his first solo effort 40 years ago, Fun In Space. "Maybe I'm older, wiser," Taylor says. "I actually think maybe I'm just growing up, that the whole atmosphere of the album is more adult than maybe what I've done before, maybe a little more sophisticated than before. And let's face it -- I am a lot older and maybe a little wiser, although I would hope some of it is nicely irresponsible and rock n' roll," he added. Released on Oct. 1, the 12-song Outsider is a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, born when Taylor and his wife were "locked away" by the seaside in Cornwall, a planned three-day visit turning into four months of quarantine. The situation spawned a song called, appropriately, "Isolation," and before long Taylor was off and running, compiling material that he took back to his home studio in Surrey. He added a few older tracks such as "Absolutely Anything," which he created for the 2015 romantic comedy of the same name, a new mix of his "Foreign Sand" collaboration with Yoshiki (a top 30 U.K. hit during 1994), and a cover of Shirley Ellis' "The Clapping Song," which was also recorded by the Belle Stars in 1982. Taylor begins a 14-date U.K. tour behind the new album on Oct. 2, and with Queen's touring plans temporarily on hold (the 2021 European leg of its Rhapsody World Tour has been moved to 2022), he and Brian May have been spending the year celebrating the 50th anniversary of its foundation, primarily via weekly episodes of Queen The Greatest on YouTube, each one touching on a key moment in the group's career. - Billboard, 9/29/21...... A newly unearthed interview with John Lennon reportedly reveals the Beatles were considering replacing George Harrison with Harrison's close friend and fellow musician Eric Clapton. The revelation comes from more than 120 hours of unheard audio and 50 hours of unseen footage made during director Michael Lindsay-Hogg's "fly-on-the-wall" film of the recording of the band's Let It Be album. The tape hears Lennon threaten to replace Harrison with Clapton after Harrison temporarily quit the band in Jan. 1969 during the recording of Let It Be, which would become the Beatles' final LP release. The sudden departure of Harrison -- who felt that his songs weren't getting as much attention as those of Lennon and Paul McCartney -- worried McCartney and Ringo Starr. Lennon, however, while sympathetic, was also practical about the situation, and suggested that Clapton could be a possible replacement. Lennon said that Harrison's attitude had been "a festering wound and we allowed it to go deeper and we didn't even give him any bandages." "I think if George doesn't come back by (next week) we ask Eric Clapton to play," Lennon said. Harrison, who had been to see his mother in Liverpool, returned to the studio with the band six days later. Peter Jackson's upcoming new Disney+ documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, will focus on the making of Let It Be and will showcase their final concert as a band, on London's Savile Row rooftop, in its entirety. Disney+ has confirmed the documentary will arrive in three separate parts on November 25, 26 and 27. Each episode is approximately two hours in length. Ahead of the documentary's release a The Beatles: Get Back book will arrive on Oct. 12, featuring transcriptions of the band's recorded conversations and hundreds of exclusive, never before published photos from the three weeks of sessions. - New Musical Express, 10/2/21...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney's pal and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has revealed that Paul gave his daughter her very first piano lesson in his upcoming memoir, The Storyteller. "We have wine and pizza and we were hanging out, and it was time for Paul to go," Grohl told The Graham Norton Show in an interview which has been shared on YouTube. "Paul and [his wife] Nancy were leaving and there was a piano in the corner of the room, and he just can't help himself. So he sits down at the piano and starts playing 'Lady Madonna'... My daughter Harper, who I think was five at the time, is watching Paul McCartney on the piano and she goes to the kitchen and gets a coffee cup, puts some change in it and puts it on top of the piano like it's a tip jar. She'd never taken a lesson to play any instrument at that point and she sat down and watched his hands. They sat down together, and he was showing her what to play, and they wrote a song together." Grohl's book is due out Oct. 5 via Dey Street Books. Meanwhile, McCartney has been revealed as the person behind a set of "Grandude" ads which have recently appeared in local newspapers across the UK. The advertisements have run in the classified section of papers such as the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo and Scotland's Daily Record over the last week of September. "Grandude and chillers seek information leading to the whereabouts of Nandude," the ad begins. The "Grandude" in question refers to the main character in McCartney's range of children's books, which began with the picture book Hey Grandude! in Sept. 2019. - NME, 10/2/21...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, a recording of John Lennon playing an unreleased song in Denmark in 1970 has sold for £43,000 at auction in Copenhagen. The audio, which was recorded after a press conference as John and wife Yoko Ono were spending time with his wife Yoko Ono's daughter Kyoko who was living with her father in Jutland, includes a conversation between the four teenagers, Lennon and some local journalists. After their chat, Lennon played a number of songs for them, including a track called "Radio Peace," which remains unreleased. The artefact went under the hammer in Copenhagen on Sept. 28, and while it was expected to fetch between 27,000-40,000 (£23,000-£34,000), the final figure it sold for was £43,000 (370,000 Danish kroner). Meanwhile, Ringo Starr says he's unsure about his touring plans for 2022 because the Covid-19 situation is still "dodgy." Starr, 81, says he had no choice but to call off all his All-Starr Band shows in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and that he is still wary about risking his health. "I'm not going out this year. They've sent me the itinerary over for next year but it's impossible to say if it's on. I'm saying in my heart it's on, but let's see where we are," said Ringo, who recently released a new EP called Change the World. - NME, 9/29/21...... A trailer for the new movie The Matrix Resurrections featuring the Jefferson Airplane's classic 1967 psychedelic rock hit "White Rabbit" has been shared on YouTube. "White Rabbit," written by JA member Grace Slick, has provided cosmic context for numerous movies and TV shows, from the spooky Platoon scene with Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe smoking from opposite ends of a rifle to a paranoid and jittery moment in the Hunter S. Thompson biopic Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. But few have been as literal as the trailer for the new Matrix, whose labyrinthine plot matches Slick's opening lyric: "One pill makes you larger/and one pill makes you small." Slick and her fellow surviving JA members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady gave permission for the song's use as long as they could approve the final cut, and Casady said, "I was really surprised how much I liked it and I had absolutely nothing to complain about... That song has always had an atmosphere. They give you a visual to that atmosphere. It works out great." "White Rabbit," which peaked at No. 8 on the Billlboard charts when it was released in 1967, has experienced a resurgence in downloads and lyrics searches after the new Matrix trailer was released, with more than 158 million Spotify plays and 64 million YouTube views. - Billboard, 9/29/21...... The long-awaited collaboration between Elton John and Stevie Wonder arrived on Sept. 30 as the Rocket Man released his new single "Finish Line," one of the new songs on Elton's upcoming star-studded album The Lockdown Sessions. John and Wonder both deliver a soulful performance on the track, which speaks of overcoming times of darkness with the help of a friend. The song also contains heavy gospel influences and features The Sunday Service Choir, the group that Kanye West has famously used for his Sunday church services. In an interview with Apple Music 1, John said that he has "always loved collaborating with Stevie, and I'm delighted that after 50 years of friendship we finally get to do a full-blown duet." Wonder, who also participated, said that "it is both a joy and honor to sing, play piano and harmonica for Elton." "He has truly been one of the great spirits of music, life, friendship and love, who I've met on this journey! True artistry and music like love equals a forever commitment lasting many lifetimes," Wonder added. Fans can watch the interview and listen to "Finish Line" on YouTube. - Billboard, 9/30/21...... Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner is reportedly "stable and resting" after having emergency heart surgery during the last week of September. "Richie underwent major emergency heart surgery. He is stable & resting," Faulkner's partner Mariah Lynch posted on Instagram on Sept. 28, captioning the post after thanking her followers for their well wishes. "If you know him, you know how tough & strong he is. So tough that he finished the show & kept the hair flips coming. There's no one like him. We'd be lost without him #HotDad." Judas Preist's lead vocalist Rob Halford echoed her sentiments on his own Instagram page, writing, "'good news metal maniacs as you may have seen via Ritchies beautiful @mariahklynch our Falcon is stable and resting after undergoing extensive heart surgery.'" According to the band's official website, Judas Priest's North American Tour would have concluded in November with a three-show run in Canada. The European leg of the tour was set to resume on Jan. 26, 2022, at Berlin's Mercedes Benz Arena. It remains unclear if their European dates are impacted by Faulker's hospitalization and recovery. - Billboard, 9/29/21...... One of the holy grails of David Bowie fandom, his legendary unreleased 2001 album Toy, is finally set for release this fall. "Depending where you are on the planet, if it's 29th September you might be streaming the radio edit of "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving" from the forthcoming Toy album, via your favourite streaming service. More details regarding that and the rest of the Era Five box, later today," Bowie's official Twitter page announced. A version of Toy leaked in 2011 featuring the new songs "Uncle Floyd," "Afraid" and the title track, as well as new takes on "Baby Loves That Way," "I Dig Everything," "Conversation Piece," "Let Me Sleep Beside You" and "Silly Boy Blue." The collection was shelved and instead Bowie released the anxious collection Heathen in 2002. According to a release from Parlophone Records/ISO announcing the project, David Bowie 5: Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001) will drop on Nov. 26, followed on Jan 7, 2022 by a separate release of Toy only. The collection will be available in 3-CD or 6x10" vinyl formats, with a 16-page, full-color book featuring previously unseen photographs by Frank Ockenfels. - Billboard, 9/29/21...... Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp have teamed up for some new recordings, including a brand new single called "Wasted Days." The first of three songs recorded by Mellencamp for his upcoming album featuring Springsteen, "Wasted Days," dropped on Sept. 29. The acoustic ramble featuring two of the nation's most beloved chroniclers of the American dream/nightmare sounds like a pair of old friends sitting around a fire, strumming their acoustics and wondering "how many more times they'll be able to do this thing." "How many summers still remain?/ How many days are lost in vain?/ Who's counting out these last remaining years?/ How many minutes do we have here?," Mellencamp, 69, sings on the first verse of the ballad. The song, written and produced by Mellencamp, features Springsteen on vocals and electric guitar, with the pair teaming up to weave their world-weary voices together on the chorus: "Wasted days/ Wasted days/ We watch our lives just fade away to/ More wasted Days." After a violin break, The Boss, 72, leans into the second verse with an urgent series of questions about what it's all about. "How much sorrow is there left to climb?/ How many promises are worth the time?/ And who on Earth is worth our time?/ Is there a heart here that I can call mine?" he sings. Though the two American singer-songwriter icons have shared stages before, this is the first time they've hit the studio together. The video for the new single, which was directed by Springsteen long-time collaborator Thom Zimny and filmed in New Jersey in early September, has been shared on YouTube. In other Springsteen-related news, "the Boss" has been confirmed to be among the headliners at the 15th Annual Stand Up for Heroes benefit concert. The event, which will also feature Jon Stewart, Nate Bargatze, Jim Gaffigan, Grace Gaustad, Nikki Glaser, Sing Harlem and Donnell Rawlings, is set for Nov. 8 and will take place at Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts instead of its usual Madison Square Garden location. - Billboard, 9/29/21...... Pink Floyd's David Gilmour has shared a demo version of the song "Yet Another Movie" ahead of the "Remixed and Updated" reissue of the band's 1987 album A Momentary Lapse of Reason. The album, which was the band's first following the departure of Roger Waters, will be reissued on Oct. 29 via Sony on vinyl, CD, DVD and more. Discussing "Yet Another Movie," which can be heard on YouTube, in a statement, Gilmour said: "Pat Leonard and I met up at Astoria in September 1986 a couple of days after I had played on a Bryan Ferry track that he was producing. We had a glass or two of wine and jammed for hours. For some reason that I can no longer remember I had chosen the fretless bass as my instrument of the day. It turned into a beautiful song." - New Musical Express, 9/28/21...... Bob Dylan, who turned 80 on May 24, seems confident about his future by billing his upcoming tour the "Dylan World Wide Tour 2021-24." Dylan has announced he plans to return to live performing Nov. 2 in Milwaukee, Wis. He has 21 concerts scheduled through Dec. 2, hitting cities like Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington, as well as Moon Township, Pa., and Knoxville, Tenn. The concert business is slowly ramping up after the pandemic pause, which grounded Dylan's so-called "Never Ending Tour." He toured every year from 1988 until 2019. - AP, 10/1/21...... Musician George Frayne, who as leader of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen enjoyed a cult following in the 1970s with such party and concert favorites as "Hot Rod Lincoln" and "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)," died on Sept. 26 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., according to his wife Sua Casanova, who did not immediately provide further details. Frayne was 77 and had been diagnosed with cancer several years ago. Formed in 1967, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen drew upon influences ranging from Western swing to jump blues. They became a popular touring and recording act during the first half of the 1970s, getting around the country in a converted Greyhound bus. They specialized in uptempo remakes, notably the top 10 hit "Hot Rod Lincoln"; "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)," a novelty song from the 1940s; "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and "Diggy Liggy Lo." The sound was country-rock boogie and the mood lighthearted and ready to get wild, as defined by Frayne's witty talking-blues vocals. Frayne was a native of Boise, Idaho, who grew up in New York City and Long Island and had an early interest in piano and art and design. He attended the University of Michigan as an undergraduate and graduate student and was still living in Ann Arbor when he helped form Commander Cody, lifting the name from old movie serials, along with Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen and others he would call "neo-radicals who specialized in a form of quasi-social mayhem." The band broke up in the mid-1970s, but Frayne (still calling himself Commander Cody) continued to tour and record, performing with the likes of Jerry Garcia, Elvis Costello and Sammy Hagar among others and releasing such albums as Dopers, Drunks and Everyday Losers and Worst Case Scenario. He also painted, made films, and taught at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. In 2009, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen was voted into Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. - AP, 9/30/21...... Dr. Lonnie Smith, a Hammond organist virtuoso who pushed musical boundaries and was recognized by fans and peers as one of the finest to ever play the instrument, died on Sept. 28 at home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He was 79. Born in Buffalo, New York on July 3, 1942, Smith was turned on to gospel, blues and jazz, thanks to the guidance of his mom. As a teen, he tried his hand at the Hammond organ, an instrument he would soon master. Smith would make an immediate impression with the Blue Note label, initially with Lou Donaldson's band, on the saxophonist's album Alligator Boogaloo from 1967. Over time, Smith would record for many labels including Kudu, Groove Merchant, T.K., Scufflin', Criss Cross, Palmetto, and his own label Pilgrimage, and he'd stage a return to Blue Note in 2016. Earlier in 2021, Smith released what turned out be his final studio album, Breathe. Don Was produced the collection, Smith's third since his return to Blue Note. The cause of Smith's death was attributed to pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred. - Billboard, 9/29/21.

The yearly tradition of Earth, Wind & Fire's 1979 classic "September" having a streaming surge on the 21st day and night of September (the day mentioned in the song's opening line) held strong in 2021, with the tune streaming 322% more than on Sept. 20, as well as 18% more than on the same famed day in 2020. On Sept. 21, "September" drew 1.5 million on-demand U.S. streams, according to MRC Data. That's a 322% surge over Sept. 20, when the song racked up 352,000 streams. Further, 1.4 million of the song's streams on the 21st were via on-demand audio streaming services. That's an 18% year-over-year gain on its big day: On Sept. 21, 2020, the track garnered 1.2 million clicks on-demand audio platforms. "September" also sold 2,500 downloads on Sept. 21, 2021, a 733% spike from the day before. Meanwhile, the song earned 2.5 million global on-demand streams Sept. 21, up 147% from Sept. 20. Removing the U.S. from the equation, "September" was streamed 974,000 times in non-U.S. territories, a 50% spike from the previous day. "September" was originally a Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 over four decades ago, hitting No. 8 in Feb. 1979, becoming EWF's fourth of seven career Top 10's. - Billboard, 9/24/21...... Bob Dylan announced on Instagram on Sept. 28 that he'll kick off his first tour since 2019 on Nov. 2 at Milwaukee's Riverside Theatre. The 21-date North American tour will then visit such markets as Chicago (11/3), Cleveland (11/5), Columbus, Oh. (11/6) and Cincinnati (11/9) in an itinerary that will included three shows at the Beacon Theatre in NYC (11/20,21,23) and two concerts at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. (11/23,24) and two-dates in Philadelphia's The Met (11/29,30) before wrapping in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 2. The shows were announced as the first leg of a world tour in support of Dylan's 39th studio album, Rough And Rowdy Ways, and set to run until 2024. It'll be the first time the musician has played to a live audience since Dec. 2019, with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic forcing him to pause his decades-long "Never Ending Tour." Dylan released the critically acclaimed Rough and Rowdy Ways last June which featured the singles "Murder Most Foul" (which earned Dylan his first-ever No. 1 on a US Billboard chart), "I Contain Multitudes" and "False Prophet." Dylan followed its release earlier in September with the 16th installment in his ongoing bootleg series, Springtime In New York. - New Musical Express, 9/28/21...... Judas Priest announced on Sept. 27 they've been forced to postpone the remainder of their 2021 U.S. tour after lead guitarist Richie Faulkner was hospitalized due to his "major medical heart condition." The band said in a statement that Faulkner "has major medical heart condition issues which have landed him in the hospital where he is being treated" and that "in the meantime, we are all sending love to our Falcon to wish him a speedy recovery... As soon as we have any updates from the doctors on when we can reschedule the dates, we will of course announce them - Tickets will be valid." Judas Priest's "50 Heavy Metal Years North American Tour" was set to wrap in November with a three-show stand in Canada, before the European leg would resume Jan. 26, 2022, in Berlin's Mercedes Benz Arena. It remains unclear if their European dates are impacted by Faulker's hospitalization. Meanwhile, Priest fans can occupy themselves with a new deluxe limited-edition box set from the band, Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music, which is due from Sony Legacy on Oct. 15. - Billboard, 9/27/21...... The Rolling Stones honored their late co-founding drummer Charlie Watts on Sept. 26 as they kicked off the latest U.S. leg of their "No Filter" tour at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Mo. A video montage of Watts, who passed away on Aug. 24 at the age of 80, at the start of the set, and frontman Mick Jagger told the audience that he felt emotional watching it as he addressed Watts' death while holding hands with Richards at the front of the stage. "I just want to say that it's quite emotional seeing those images of Charlie up on the screen," Jagger said. "This is our first tour that we've ever done without him. The reaction from you guys, everything you've said and we've heard from you, has been really touching... And I want to thank you very much for all your appreciation. We all miss Charlie so much, on the stage and off the stage, and we'd love to dedicate this tour to Charlie. Here's to you, Charlie!" The Stones' hits-heavy 19-song set kicked off with "Street Fighting Man" and encored with "Gimme Shelter" and "Satisfaction." Other than a private warm-up gig in the fourth week of September, the show was the first concert the band has done without Watts since he joined the group in 1963. The Stones, with Steve Jordan handling drumming duties, now head to Charlotte, N.C. to play Bank Of America Stadium on Sept. 30, followed by Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Oct. 4. Other cities on the tour itinerary include Nashville, Atlanta, Detroit and Tampa, as well as Los Angeles where the band will play SoFi Stadium. Meanwhile, the band has dedicated a new music video for a rare track called "Living in the Heart of Love" to Watts. The song, which has been shared on YouTube, was recorded during the session for 1981's Tattoo You but not included on its official tracklist. The accompanying clip features actresses Marguerite Thiam and Nailia Harzoune enjoying a night of debauchery in Paris: skipping out on a bar tab, dancing in clubs and sharing a passionate kiss. - Music-News.com, 9/27/21...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne was honored at the 74th Annual Tony Awards at New York City's Winter Garden Theatre on Sept. 26 for his acclaimed Broadway production "American Utopia." Byrne was presented with a Special Tony Award for the production, based off his 2018 album of the same name, which was also adapted into a concert film directed by Spike Lee that premiered in late 2020 on HBO. Byrne also performed the Talking Heads' 1982 favorite "Burning Down the House" during the ceremony, and a clip of the performance has been shared on the CBS Twitter page. "American Utopia" began its Broadway run at the Hudson Theatre in Oct. 2019 before closing in Feb. 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The unique concert utilised cutting edge technology to free its dozen performers from being tethered to any cables, allowing Byrne and his live band members to move about the stage without restrain. Earlier in September, "American Utopia" returned to the stage for a six-month run, having relocated to the St. James Theatre. - NME, 9/27/21...... Parliament-Funkadelic mastermind George Clinton announced on Sept. 26 that his final U.K. tour will launch on May 22, 2022 in Nottingham. The funk-rock legend will also visit London (5/23), Glasgow (5/24), Bristol (5/26), Manchester (5/27) and Margate (5/28) before wrapping in Scarborough on May 29. Clinton, 80, had announced his retirement from the road almost two years ago, but due to the coronavirus pandemic his U.K. farewell tour was put on hold. "This has been coming a long time," Clinton said in a statement at the time. "Anyone who has been to the shows over the past couple of years has noticed that I've been out front less and less. Truth be told, it's never really been about me. It's always been about the music and the band. That's the real P-Funk legacy. They'll still be funkin' long after I stop," he added. - NME, 9/26/21...... On Sept. 25 Elton John participated in the virtual worldwide Global Citizen live event by performing a string of hits and delivering a strong message on Covid vaccinations. In Paris, Sir Elton treated his audience to a rendition of "Tiny Dancer" at the base of the Eiffel Tower, before sharing some heartfelt words about the coronavirus pandemic and how it's affecting those in poor areas of the world. "I have spent most of my life fighting the AIDS pandemic, and we made great progress for two reasons: one, we've always followed the science, two, we've put our arms around everyone to make sure no one gets left behind," John said. "These same lessons apply equally to the COVID pandemic. While most here today have been vaccinated against COVID, only four percent in Africa are. We must not leave anyone behind," he added. Elton went on to urge people to donate to the Go Give One vaccine equity campaign by the WHO Foundation, as donations up to $1 million would be matched. "Showing this love and solidarity for others during COVID, like we've done with AIDS, is how we'll make a better future," he added. Elton's Paris performance of "Tiny Dancer" can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 9/26/21...... The Tom Petty documentary Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers will be given a worldwide cinema release with surround sound for the first time on Oct. 20, which is the late singer's birthday. The uplifting documentary, which is focused on his classic 1994 solo set Wildflowers, looks at the "mastery and turbulent personal life" of the music icon, and is focused on the period of 1993-1995. During this time, Tom worked with revered producer Rick Rubin for the first time, making the project an exciting one for fans. Somewhere You Feel Free also features never before seen footage and new interviews with the likes of members of his band the Heartbreakers, including Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, and many more. The documentary was first aired in March at SXSW 2021, where it won the festival's Audience Award. Tickets for Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers are on sale now at TomPettyFilm.com. - Music-News.com, 9/25/21...... A trailer for the Beatles documentary The Beatles and India has been shared on YouTube. The award-winning film explores the lasting legacy from the Fab Four's ground-breaking 1968 visit to Rishikesh, India. It sheds light on how India shaped the development of the greatest ever rock band and their pioneering role in bringing together two vastly different cultures. The film is set for its U.K. digital release on Oct. 4, courtesy of 101 Films. The documentary won Best Film Audience Choice and Best Music in Tongues On Fire at the 2021 UK Asian Film Festival, where it premiered earlier in 2021. The DVD and Blu-ray release from Cherry Red and an album Songs Inspired By The Film The Beatles And India will drop via Silva Screen Records on Oct. 29. - Music-News.com, 9/24/21...... Elvis Costello & The Attractions have scored their first entry on a Billboard Latin Albums chart with the Top 10 success of Spanish Model, which was released on Sept. 10. The album is a rework of Costello's 1978 This Year's Model LP and first with The Attractions which peaked at No. 30 high on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart in 1978. Spanish Model was recorded completely in Spanish and produced by Argentinean producer Sebastian Krys. The 19-track set features a roster of Spanish-speaking artists from all corners of the world: Fito Pez, Draco Rosa, Juanes, Jorge Drexler, Francisca Valenzuela, La Marisoul, Jesse & Joy, to name a few, each deliver their vocal performances set to the band's original instrumentation. In the U.S., Spanish Model launched with 2,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 16, according to MRC Data. Album sales makes up nearly all of the album's debut total, with one unit equal to one album sale. - Billboard, 9/23/21...... Willie Nelson has announced he'll release a new album, The Willie Nelson Family, on Nov. 19, his second LP release of 2021. The new album will feature members of the Nelson family, including Willie's sister Bobbie Lee, sons Lukas and Micah, and daughters Amy and Paula. Recordings on the album will also include contributions from Nelson's late longtime drummer Paul English, who died in February 2020. For the album, Nelson will revisit songs from his back catalog and cover songs written by the likes of George Harrison ("All Things Must Pas"), Hank Williams ("I Saw The Light") and Kris Kristofferson (Why Me). Coinciding with the album's announcement, Nelson has released a reworking of his song "Family Bible," which he wrote in the '50s but sold to Paul Buskirk. He later recorded it for his 1971 album, Yesterday's Wine. The new "Family Bible" version can be streamed on YouTube. Earlier in 2021, Nelson released That's Life, his second album of Frank Sinatra covers. - NME, 9/24/21...... Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's legendary 1979 "No Nukes" concerts film will be released worldwide on Nov. 19 for the very first time. Held on Sept. 21 and 22 of 1979 at Madison Square Garden in New York, the film features 10 performances and full footage of The Boss's entire setlist on those evenings. Both nights open with a trio of songs from the former and feature then-unreleased songs from the latter, like "Sherry Darling" and "The River," which got its live debut at "No Nukes." The film will be distributed globally in HD for digital download on Nov. 16, and it'll arrive Nov. 19 in physical formats, with bundles available on CD and DVD, CD with Blu-Ray, and vinyl. A project of Sony Music Entertainment's Premium Content Division, in partnership with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, the No Nukes Concerts will roll out for digital rental on Nov. 23. - Billboard, 9/23/21...... A guitar used extensively by the late The Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone is currently up for auction. Ramone, who died in 2004 following a five-year battle with prostate cancer, used the guitar from 1977 to 1996, playing it in all live performances, an estimated 1,985 shows in total. The 1965 Mosrite Ventures II electric guitar also features on all 15 live and studio albums by The Ramones during this period, including Rocket to Russia, End of the Century and Adios Amigos!, the iconic punk band's final album before breaking up in 1996. Currently, more than 20 bids have been placed for the guitar, the highest so far for $275,000. Bidding ends on Sept. 25, and a video showcasing the guitar by RR Auction has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 9/23/21...... Bassist Bob Moore, a member of Nashville's revered "A Team" group of session musicians, has died at age 88. Mr. Moore was known for the contribution of his signature bass style to enduring country hits including Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," Marty Robbins's "El Paso," Conway Twitty's "Hello, Darlin'," and numerous other songs. Mr. Moore also played on several records for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson and others. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he played on Presley songs including "I Need Your Love Tonight," "It's Now or Never," "Little Sister," "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and more. In the early 1960s, Mr. Moore helped establish Monument Records, including leading sessions for Monument artists such as Roy Orbison. In 1961, Mr. Moore earned his own pop hit with a recording of Boudleaux Bryant's instrumental "Mexico," released via Monument. In 2007, Mr. Moore was celebrated by the Country Music Hall of Fame as part of its "Nashville Cats" series. At that time, Mr. Moore estimated that he had played on more than 17,000 songs. - Billboard, 9/23/21...... Pee Wee Ellis, a veteran jazz saxophonist and bandleader for the likes of James Brown, Van Morrison and more, has died at the age of 80. The news was revealed on the musician's official Facebook page, where a message read: "With great sadness we have to announce that Pee Wee passed away last night following complications with his heart. We are working on plans to celebrate his wonderful life and hope you will all take time to listen to his music and continue his legacy." Leading tributes to Ellis was Bootsy Collins, who kposted on Twitter: "We just lost another bandmate & legend, Mr. Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis. He was a member of James Brown's band in the 60s, recording many of Brown's recordings "Cold Sweat", "Say It Loud ". He also worked with Van Morrison. A silent genius & brilliant arrangements. Prayers to Family!" The Bradenton, Fla. native is credited with helping James Brown write some of his most famous songs, including "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" and "Cold Sweat." In 1979, he was part of the band that recorded Van Morrison's Into The Musicalbum, and also appeared on the iconic track "Summertime In England." Later in his career, he started his own group, called the Pee Wee Ellis Assembly, and was a member of Ginger Baker's Jazz Confusion from 2012. - NME, 9/26/21...... Alan Lancaster, the founding bassist of the U.K. hard rock band Status Quo, has died in Sydney, Australia, after a bout with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for some time. He was 72. Lancaster's death was announced by his close friend Craig Bennett, an Australian entertainment reporter who noted on his Facebook page that "Despite having MS and issues with his mobility, Alan participated in hugely successful reunion tours... He bravely played to thousands of adoring fans..and loved being back with the band and his loyal Quo army." Lancaster performed with Status Quo until 1985, appearing on 15 albums. Though never breaking through in America, Status Quo enjoyed more than 60 Top 40 hits in the U.K., had 25 U.K. Top 10 albums and released over 100 singles there, including hit songs such as "Down Down" and "Whatever You Want." Lancaster's last album with the band was 1983's Back To Back. He reunited with Status Quo for a U.K. tour in 2013, and his last ever show with the band was in Dublin in 2014. Lancaster had been living in Australia for 45 years, having migrated in the 1980s, and is survived by his wife, Dayle, whom he met on tour with Status Quo in Australia in 1973, their children, Alan Jr., Toni and David, and five grandchildren. - NME, 9/26/21...... Melvin Van Peebles, a groundbreaking filmmaker, playwright and musician whose work ushered in the "blaxploitation" wave of the 1970s and influenced filmmakers long after, died on Sept. 21 at his home in Manhattan. He was 89. Sometimes called the "godfather of modern Black cinema," the multi-talented Mr. Van Peebles wrote numerous books and plays, and recorded several albums -- playing multiple instruments and delivering rap-style lyrics. He later became a successful options trader on the stock market. He was best known for Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, one of the most influential movies of its time. The low-budget, art-house film, which he wrote, produced, directed, starred in and scored, was the frenzied, hyper-sexual and violent tale of a Black street hustler on the run from police after killing white officers who were beating a Black revolutionary. Made for around $500,000 (including $50,000 provided by Bill Cosby), the film grossed $14 million at the box office despite an X-rating, limited distribution and mixed critical reviews. The New York Times, for example, accused Van Peebles of merchandizing injustice and called the film "an outrage." Mr. Van Peebles, who complained fiercely to the Motion Picture Association over the X-rating, gave the film the tagline: "Rated X by an all-white jury." But in the wake of the its success, Hollywood realized an untapped audience and began churning out such box office hits as Shaft and Superfly that were also known for bringing in such top musicians as Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and Isaac Hayes to work on the soundtracks. In 1968, he was hired to direct and write the score for Watermelon Man, the tale of a white bigot (played by comic Godfrey Cambridge in white face) who wakes up one day as a Black man. His death came just days before the New York Film Festival is to celebrate him with a 50th anniversary of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. A box set of his films, Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films, was released by the Criterion Collection on Sept. 28. - AP, 9/22/21.