Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on December 2nd, 2022

Ringo Starr confirmed on Nov. 27 he'll be selling statues of his iconic "peace" hand gesture, to raise money for the Lotus Foundation. Starr will sell 250 stainless steel versions of the "peace & love" statue for £4,200, while 250 bronze pieces will also be available, costing £1,600. According to Julien's Auctions (who are selling the statues) "each life-sized artwork features Ringo Starr's hand forming his iconic peace symbol, mounted upon a square black base that reads 'Peace & Love.' Each hand artwork is housed in a Ringo Peace & Love box and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity hand signed by Ringo Starr. The listing goes on to describe "Starr's iconic peace symbol" as his "signature greeting and enduring message to the world for the last five decades." The money raised will go towards lotus-foundation.org, which supports charitable projects aimed at helping people deal with substance abuse, domestic abuse, homelessness, cancer as well as animals in need. In November, Ringo was forced to cancel the last five dates of his current North American tour, after contracting Covid-19 for a second time in two weeks. - NME, 11/27/22...... Britain's Royal Mint is celebrating The Rolling Stones' 60th anniversary with a new collectible coin. The new £5 ($6.04) coin features a silhouette image of the iconic band performing -- frontman Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, and the late drummer Charlie Watts -- as well as the band's name in what is described as "their classic 1973 font." The Royal Mint notes in its Instagram announcement that the coin is one of the last of 2022 to be released bearing the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II. In a statement included in the Royal Mint's announcement, the Stones said they "are delighted to be honored by way of an official UK coin... Even more significant that the release coincides with our 60th anniversary." The new coin is the fifth in the Royal Mint's "Music Legends'" series, which celebrates legendary British artists including Queen, Elton John, David Bowie and The Who. Similar coins on the mint's website from the Music Legends series range from £15 ($18.12) to £465 pounds ($561.92). Meanwhile, the band announced on Nov. 30 that it's prepping a definitive collection of live music. The 24-track GRRR Live! is due Feb. 10 via Mercury Studios and features live performances of some of their biggest hits, including "Honky Tonk Women," "Start Me Up," "Get Off of My Cloud," "Paint it Black" and "Miss You," and feature duets with the likes of Lady Gaga, John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr., The Black Keys, Bruce Springsteen and former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor. GRRR Live! will be available in a variety of formats -- 3LP black, 3LP colored white, 3LP red, 2CD, DVD + 2CD, BluRay + 2CD -- with the BluRay and digital versions including Dolby Atmos. In still more Stones-related news, rising singer Dua Lipa is hinting at a possible collaboration with Mick Jagger. On Nov. 26, Lipa shared shared a photo on Instagram of her posing in the studio next to Jagger. "Sweeeet weeeek," the pop star captioned a carousel of pictures of her smiling with Mick, including one with a pair of Polaroids of the two sitting atop a music studio's soundboard controls. Lipa previously worked with Elton John for their "Cold Heart" collaboration, which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, and spent 36 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. - Billboard, 12/2/22...... Musicians and other luminaries including a past US president are reacting to the passing of Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie on Nov. 30 at age 79. McVie's former bandmate and longtime creative collaborator Lindsey Buckingham shared a touching, handwritten note on Instagram calling her death "profoundly heartbreaking." "Not only were she and I part of the magical family of Fleetwood Mac, to me Christine was a musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate and a sister," Buckingham wrote. "For over four decades, we helped each other create a beautiful body of work and a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today. I feel very lucky to have known her. Though she will be deeply missed, her spirit will live on through that body of work and that legacy." Fleetwood Mac founding drummer Mick Fleetwood tweeted that "Part of my heart has flown away today.. I will miss everything about you Christine McVie. Former US Pres. Bill Clinton, posted to Twitter that he was "saddened by the passing of Christine McVie. "'Don't Stop' was my '92 campaign theme song -- it perfectly captured the mood of a nation eager for better days," Pres. Clinton wrote. He included a short video with his message, in which the one of Mac's most beloved singles -- co-written by McVie, who also sang it alongside guitarist Lindsey Buckingham -- unspools amid footage of the Clinton family on the campaign trail. The video notes that the tradition of presidential campaign songs dates back to 1800, when Pres. John Adams supporters sang "Liberty and Adams." McVie was also mourned on Twitter by fellow musicians Sheryl Crow, Duran Duran, Susanna Hoffs and Diane Warren, among others. - Billboard, 11/30/22...... In a new interview with The New Yorker magazine, Neil Young says that he will only go on tour again in the future if it can be done in a completely sustainable environmental manner. Young said that he's "not sure I want to" mount a full tour again but if he were to change his mind it would have to be a with a completely environmentally sustainable plan. "I have a plan. I've been working on it with a couple of my friends for about seven or eight months. We're trying to figure out how to do a self-sustaining, renewable tour. Everything that moves our vehicles around, the stage, the lights, the sound, everything that powers it is clean. Nothing dirty with us. We set it up; we do this everywhere we go." Young added that "this is something that's very important to me, if I'm ever going to go out again... and I'm not sure I want to, I'm still feeling that out. But if I'm ever going to do it, I want to make sure that everything is clean." And once his own tour is sustainable, he says it "can keep on going with another headliner." "It's about sustainability and renewability in the future, loving Earth for what it is. We want to do the right thing. That's kind of the idea." Young has not performed in public since 2019. His latest comments echo ones made in December of last year, when he said he wouldn't be returning to touring until Covid-19 was "beat" and the pandemic was over. "I don't care if I'm the only one who doesn't do it," he said during an interview with Howard Stern. 2022 saw the world's first high-profile eco-friendly stadium tour in the form of Coldplay's world tour for its new album Music For The Spheres. The measures included cutting direct emissions by 50% compared to the band's last tour in 2016 and 2017, using 100% renewable energy and having solar installations at every venue. - New Musical Express, 11/30/22...... The B-52s announced on Nov. 30 that they'll cap off their "Farewell Tour" which kicked off last summer on May 5, 2023 with a residency at Las Vegas' Venetian Resort's Venetian Theatre. After that, the following dates are: May 6, May 10, May 12, May 13, Aug. 25, Aug. 26, Aug. 30, Sept. 2 and Sept. 3. In 2019 they played a summer farewell tour in the UK after celebrating their 40th anniversary the year prior by co-headlining a North American tour with Boy George & Culture Club and Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey. The US new wave band released their last studio album, Funplex, in 2008. - NME, 11/30/22...... Elton John has been confirmed as the first headliner for the UK's legendary Glastonbury Festival in 2023. The Rocket Man will play a headlining slot on the Pyramid Stage on June 25, 2023, it was announced by the festival on Twitter on Dec. 2. "We are incredibly excited to announce that the one and only @EltonOfficial will headline the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night at Glastonbury 2023, for what will be the final UK show of his last ever tour," organisers tweeted. "This will be the final UK show of Elton's last ever tour, so we will be closing the Festival and marking this huge moment in both of our histories with the mother of all send-offs. We are so very happy to finally bring the Rocket Man to Worthy Farm!," Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said in a separate statement. Posting on Instagram, John said that he "couldn't be more excited" to be headlining "the greatest festival in the world" next summer. "Every week I speak to new artists on my radio show and Glastonbury is often cited as a pivotal moment in launching their careers -- the festival's genuine, enthusiastic support for the best emerging talent is something I've long admired. Thank you for having me Emily Eavis for my final UK show -- it's going to be emotional." The Glasonbury announcement comes after John teased that he had "one final date" to announce for his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour, which he's vowed will be his last ever live concerts. The pop icon is due to embark on a run of UK and Ireland gigs next spring. No other acts have yet been confirmed for Glastonbury '23. Meanwhile, Elton commemorated World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 by looking at the road ahead in HIV/AIDS research in a new interview with E! News. "We need to keep up the energy, momentum and conversation around HIV so it doesn't feel like something in the past," he said. "At the Elton John AIDS Foundation, we're committed to advocating with local partners and governments and big campaigns to draw attention and end AIDS by 2030." John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 as a means of funding medical research into eradicating HIV and AIDS. In the 30 years since, the organization has grown to become one of the largest independent AIDS charity organizations in the world. In honor of World AIDS Day, luxury fashion brand Saks Fifth Avenue announced their new partnership with John's foundation. Along with producing live events and a merchandise collection for the new venture, Saks also donated $1 million to the Rocket Fund, one of the foundation's campaigns to spread resources and awareness around the globe. - NME/Billboard, 11/30/22...... An immersive experience celebrating '70s reggae legend Bob Marley is heading for its U.S. premiere in early 2023, complete with photographs, lots of music and even a pair of the reggae giant's footwear. The multi-room exhibit "Bob Marley: One Love Experience" will open in Los Angeles on Jan. 27 at Ovation Hollywood, following runs in London and Toronto. The 15,000-square foot experience includes previously unseen photographs, concert videos, lyric sheets, rare memorabilia like guitars, a soccer jersey, sneakers and art that highlight Marley's influence. There are also a Marley-branded jukebox and a few foosball tables. One area celebrates the Marley family's legacy and philanthropy. Inside, a 2,000-square foot "One Love Forest "promises to take visitors on a trip to Jamaica in a multi-sensory environment, which also features a cannabis garden. Fans are greeted with headphones at the Soul Shakedown studio to groove out to the curated playlist in the silent disco. Tickets are available exclusively via Fever on Dec. 7. Born in rural Jamaica in 1945, Marley rose from the gritty Kingston slum of Trench Town to global stardom in the 1970s with hits like "No Woman, No Cry," "3 Get Up, Stand Up," and "I Shot the Sheriff." His lyrics promoting social justice and African unity made him an icon in Jamaica and other countries. He died from cancer in 1981 at age 36. - Billboard, 12/1/22...... Dolly Parton has achieved her 48th top 10 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart (dated Dec. 3) with the debut of her new hits collection, Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection. The album, released Nov. 18, earned 19,000 equivalent album units, with 15,000 in album sales, according to Luminate. The 23-track album includes songs released between 1971 and 2019, including 10 No. 1's on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1974-89, from "Jolene" to "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That." Among those leaders are her two No. 1's on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100: "9 to 5" (1981) and "Islands in the Stream," with Kenny Rogers (1983). Parton extends her record for the most Top Country Albums top 10s among women, pushing six ahead of Loretta Lynn's 42. She also remains the only woman with top 10's in every decade since the list began in Jan. 1964. Her top 10 totals by decade: 1960s -- four; '70s -- 18; '80s -- 11; '90s -- five; 2000s -- three; '10s -- four; and '20s -- three. Parton has netted eight Top Country Albums No. 1s, most recently A Holly Dolly Christmas, which bowed on top in Oct. 2020. In between that set and her latest, Run, Rose, Run debuted at its No. 4 best this March. Meanwhile, Dolly revealed during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Nov. 30 that she will title her new rock-themed album Rock Star and it will drop next autumn. After the country superstar was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November, she announced that she was working on her first-ever rock record. She promised covers of Prince's "Purple Rain," The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," and also noted that she is currently approaching artists regarding guest appearances. - Billboard, 11/29/22...... German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk have announced two shows in Ireland in the summer of 2023. The group will play Limerick's King John's Castle on June 28, followed by a show at Dublin's Trinity College on June 29 as part of the Trinity Summer Series. The newly-announced Ireland shows are just two of four dates Kraftwerk have scheduled for 2023, in addition to Italy shows in Firenze on July 7 and Genova July 8. The current tour dates fall shortly after Glastonbury Festival 2023, which runs from June 21-25, raising the possibility Kraftwerk featuring on the '23 line-up. Kraftwerk has performed at a number of festivals in 2022, including MEO Kalorama and Field Day 2022. - NME, 11/28/22...... Nov. 30, 2022 marked the exact 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson's 1982 landmark album Thriller. The LP helped usher in the music business' comeback from massive layoffs and a worldwide recession, along with the explosive growth of MTV and the adoption of the CD. Jackson's follow-up to 1979's Off the Wall took off instantly, beginning with the opening single, "The Girl Is Mine," a duet with Paul McCartney designed to cross the album over to a white radio audience. All seven of Thriller's singles would land in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and the album would spend 37 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Thriller coaxed fans back into record stores to buy multiple copies, thus providing labels with resources to market Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and, later, hair-metal bands. At the end of 1981, CBS Records, which owned Epic at the time, took in $1 billion in revenue, its worst earnings since 1971; by the end of 1983, its net income increased 26% to $187 million. Famously, Thriller's sales run kept going and going -- it spiked after every new single and video, and surged after Jackson did the moonwalk during NBC's Motown 25 anniversary special in May 1983. Today, Jackson's label, Sony, claims Thriller as the best-selling global album of all time; in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America, it is 34 times platinum, behind the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, at 38 times platinum. Even as Jackson's legacy is tainted with allegations of child sexual abuse in HBO's 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, the album has generated 3.87 million U.S. album-equivalent units in the past 10 years, including 1.2 million in physical album sales, according to Luminate. - Billboard, 11/30/22...... Bob Dylan has apologized to his fans following the controversy over "hand-signed" copies of his latest book, The Philosophy Of Modern Song, which were inscribed using an "autopen" for a nearly $600 special edition. Dylan explained on his Facebook page on Nov. 25 that his "error in judgement" was partly due to a "bad case of vertigo" that made signing his new Simon & Schuster-published book difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic. "I've been made aware that there's some controversy about signatures on some of my recent artwork prints and on a limited-edition of Philosophy of Modern Song," Dylan wrote. "I've hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there's never been a problem. However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years. It takes a crew of five working in close quarters with me to help enable these signing sessions, and we could not find a safe and workable way to complete what I needed to do while the virus was raging. So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the vertigo didn't help. With contractual deadlines looming, the idea of using an auto-pen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done 'all the time' in the art and literary worlds. Using a machine was an error in judgment and I want to rectify it immediately. I'm working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that." Following the early November release of the book, fans who spent $599 on a limited-edition run of 900 copies -- which came with a letter of authenticity from Simon & Schuster -- began sharing images of their autographs through social media, only to find that they were exactly alike with no variation. Buyers quickly came to the conclusion that the special edition had been inscribed using an autopen, which prompted the publisher to issue an apology and offer refunds. On Nov. 20, Simon & Schuster announced it would provide each purchaser with an immediate refund. - Billboard, 11/27/22...... Motörhead have shared a previously-unreleased track called "Bullet In Your Brain" on YouTube. The stomping song was recorded during the sessions for the iconic rock band's 22nd and final studio album, Black Magic, which came out back in 2015. On Nov. 30, an expanded reissue of the album will be released on Feb. 24. Titled Seriously Bad Magic, the collection boasts two previously unreleased cuts: "Greedy Bastards" and "Bullet In Your Brain." The latter track is now available to stream as a preview. It arrived with an official music video featuring exclusive, never-before-seen footage of Motörhead recording Black Magic in the studio. - NME, 12/1/22...... Gene Cipriano, the always busy woodwind player who soloed on tenor sax for Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot and recorded with everyone from Miles Davis, Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra to Glen Campbell, Paul McCartney and Olivia Newton-John, died Nov. 12 of natural causes at his home in Studio City, Calif. He was 94. Perhaps the most recorded woodwind player in show business history, Mr. Cipriano played soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass saxophones, all the clarinets and flutes, the oboe and bass oboe, the piccolo and the English horn. Affectionally known as "Cip," the session musician performed as a member of the Academy Awards Orchestra in the neighborhood of 60 times since 1958. (At the 1977 show, he exchanged "yo's" with Barbra Streisand, who had just arrived at the podium after having won for "Evergreen.") Mr. Cipriano on oboe is heard at the start of Sinatra's melancholy "It Was a Very Good Year," and he performed on several of Campbell's early hits, including "Wichita Lineman" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." Like Campbell, he was an occasional member of The Wrecking Crew, the fabled set of studio musicians who recorded with the likes of The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, The Monkees, Nancy Sinatra and Sonny & Cher. After he relocated to California, composer Henry Mancini gave him his big break on "Peter Gunn." "That got me started because it became such a hot item and then all the other leaders said, 'Well, get me those guys who played with Henry Mancini,'" he noted in another 2019 interview. Mr. Cipriano also performed on Elvis Presley's NBC comeback special in 1968. Over the years, he recorded with Shorty Rogers, Harry Nilsson, Neil Diamond, Thelonious Monk, Elton John, Frank Zappa, Gerry Mulligan, Helen Reddy, Barry Manilow and Seth MacFarlane. He also played on many Emmy and Grammy telecasts. In 2006, he recorded his own CD, First Time Out, a collection of jazz tunes. In addition to his son Paul, survivors include his other children, Genie, Suzanne and Fred; grandchildren Grant and Alicia; great-grandchildren Natalie and Emily; and sister Marie. His wife of 43 years, Frances, died in 1996. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/27/22.

Christine McVie, the beloved Fleetwood Mac singer, songwriter and keyboardist who contributed some of the band's biggest hits including "You Make Loving Fun," "Don't Stop" and "Everywhere," died on the morning of Nov. 30. She was 79. According to a statement from her family posted to Facebook, McVie "passed away peacefully at hospital this morning" with family around her after a "short illness." "She was in the company of her family," the statement continued. "We kindly ask that you respect the family's privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally." The British-born McVie was a steady presence and personality in a band known for its frequent lineup changes and volatile personalities -- notably fellow singer-songwriters Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Christine's death is the first among the most famous incarnation of the veteran band, which also included her ex-husband John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. In recent years, the band had toured without Buckingham, who was kicked out in 2018 and replaced on stage by Mike Campbell and Neil Finn. Fleetwood Mac started out as a London blues band in the 1960s, and evolved into one of the defining makers of 1970s California pop-rock, with the talents of McVie, Nicks and Buckingham anchored by the rhythm section of Fleetwood and John McVie. During its peak commercial years, from 1975-80, the band sold tens of millions of records and fascinated fans as it transformed personal battles into melodic, compelling songs. The McVies' breakup -- along with the split of Nicks and Buckingham -- was famously documented on the 1977 release Rumours, among the bestselling albums of all time. McVie, born Christine Anne Perfect in Bouth, Lancashire, on July 12, 1943, came from a musical family. Her father was a violinist and music teacher and her grandfather played organ at Westminster Abbey. She had been playing piano since childhood, but set aside her classical training once she heard early rock records by Fats Domino and others. While studying at the Moseley School of Art, she befriended various members of Britain's emerging blues scene and, in her 20s, joined the band Chicken Shack as a singer and piano player. Among the rival bands she admired was Fleetwood Mac, which then featured the talents of blues guitarist Peter Green along with the rhythm section of Fleetwood and John McVie. By 1970, she had joined the group and married John McVie. Few bands succeeded so well as Fleetwood Mac, which has sold well over 100 million records, against such long odds. Green was among the many musicians who left the group, and at various times Fleetwood Mac seemed on the verge of ending, or fading away. It was rescued by unexpected returns and interventions and one of rock's most fortuitous and lucrative hunches. While spending time in Los Angeles, drummer Fleetwood learned of a young duo from California, Buckingham and Nicks, that had recorded the little known album Buckingham Nicks. Impressed by their sound, he initially planned to ask just Buckingham to join, but the guitarist insisted the band also include Nicks, his girlfriend at the time. The new lineup proved almost instantly magical. Nicks and Christine McVie formed a lasting friendship, agreeing that as two of the rare women in rock they would always stand up for each other. And the harmonies and music making of Nicks, Buckingham and Christine McVie insured that such albums as Fleetwood Mac, Rumours and Tusk had an enviable quality and variety of songwriting and vocal styles. But the group's overwhelming success also led to inevitable conflicts and the desire for solo work. Over the following decades, Nicks became a star in her own right. McVie released solo albums, including Christine McVie and Christine Perfect, as well as a 2017 collaboration with Buckingham, Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie. Fleetwood and John McVie were there at the founding of Fleetwood Mac and were the only ones to remain all the way through. McVie departed in the 1990s, when she was seemingly done forever with the rock star life. By 2014, she had changed her mind. "I just wanted to embrace being in the English countryside and not have to troop around on the road. I moved to Kent, and I loved being able to walk around the streets, nobody knowing who I was," she said of her hiatus during a 2022 interview with the UK's The Guardian. "Then of course I started to miss it. I called Mick and asked: 'How would you feel about me coming back to the band?"' she said. "He got in touch with everybody and we had a band meeting over the phone and they all went: 'Come baaaack!!' I felt regenerated and I felt like writing again." Following the sad news, McVie's bandmates shared a joint statement to the official Fleetwood Mac Twitter page. "There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie," the message read. "She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her." The statement concluded, "Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed." Nicks also mourned her "best friend in the whole world" with Haim lyrics on Twitter. "A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away," she shared in a handwritten letter, alongside a tender photo of the duo. "I didn't even know she was ill... until late Saturday night. I wanted to be in London; I wanted to get to London - but we were told to wait. So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around me in my head, over and over and over. I thought I might possibly get to sing it to her, and so, I'm singing it to her now. I always know I would need these words one day." Nicks then wrote out the lyrics to a verse and the chorus from Haim's "Women in Music" Pt. III track, "Hallelujah," in which Alana Haim details the feeling of finding out that her own best friend had died. "I had a best friend but she has come to pass / One I wish I could see now / You always remind me that memories will last / These arms reach out / You were there to protect me like a shield / Long hair, running with me through the field / Everywhere, you've been with me all along / Why me? How'd I get this hallelujah?" Nicks signed off her poignant note by writing, "See you on the other side, my love. Don't forget me." - Billboard/AP, 11/30/22.