A joint interview with Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift in the new issue of Rolling Stone magazine reveals that the former Beatle had planned to jam with the pop sensation on her massive hit "Shake It Off" at the ill-fated 2020 Glastonbury Festival in the UK. The two were set to headline the Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage, before the festival was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. "Wow, it would've been so fun to play Glastonbury for the 50th anniversary together," Swift said, to which McCartney replied: "It would've been great, wouldn't it? And I was going to be asking you to play with me." "Were you going to invite me?" Swift said. "I was hoping that you would. I was going to ask you." "I would've done 'Shake It Off'," McCartney revealed, which Swift then said "would have been amazing." The interview took place in McCartney's London office in October, and opens with Swift describing the 78-year-old music legend dancing around and singing to Motown hits during the shoot and indulging her request that he hand-write her favorite lyric of his and sign it, which she promises to "cherish forever." The pair then fall into easy conversation about recording their recent albums, their shared love of numerology, performing under pseudonyms, and their reluctance to jump up and perform at celeb-packed parties. McCartney and Swift may get the chance to perform together at Glastobury 2021, which is currently set to go ahead. "The plan would be to rebook the 2020 bill, it will move everything, including our 50th-anniversary celebration to 2021," according to the festival's lawyer Ben Challis. - Billboard/New Musical Expess, 11/13/20...... 
A deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of the Grateful Dead's classic 1970 album American Beauty has debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's Album Sales Chart for the week ending Nov. 5, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The Grateful Dead/Warner/Rhino release sold 21,000 copies in the U.S. and marks the band's biggest sales week for any album in nearly 25 years. American Beauty also sold particularly well on vinyl, with 9,000 copies sold and debuted at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums Chart. The release is one rung ahead of another debuting Grateful Dead title, the live from-the-vaults album Dave's Picks Vol. 36: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford CT - 3/26 & 3/37/87, which bowed at No. 4 with 20,000 copies sold. The reissue of American Beauty is the second Dead album in 2020 to get a 50th anniversary reissue from Rhino, following Workingman's Dead. "We are incredibly proud of the Grateful Dead's chart success this week," says Rhino/Warner exec Mark Pinku. (American Beauty) remains my personal favorite and continues to serve as a perfect entry to the Dead's unparalleled catalog to many new fans as it did for me back in 1983." - Billboard, 11/12/20...... A 30-minute, 8 song soundboard recording of Van Halen in 1975 before they shot to fame three years later with their eponymous debut album has resurfaced and been shared on YouTube. Featuring founding members Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony, the gig saw Roth engaging in some of his patented stage patter in between VH covers of ZZ Top ("Chevrolet"), Deep Purple ("Maybe I'm a Leo"), the Edgar Winter Group ("And We All Had a Real Good Time"), the Rolling Stones ("Brown Sugar"), the James Gang ("Walk Away"), Johnny Winter ("Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo") and Sugarloaf ("Don't Call Us, We'll Call You"). The set also includes an early version of VH's Women and Children First album track "Fools," then called "I Live With Fools." - Billbaord, 11/13/20...... In related news, Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen recently told Howard Stern during an interview on his Sirius XM radio show that towards the end of 2017, his dad was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. "The doctors were like, 'You have six weeks'," Wolfgang told Stern, adding that his father went to Germany to receive treatment and "whatever the f--- they do over there, it's amazing, because I got three more years with him." He goes on to say that things took a turn for the worse for his father in early 2019, when Eddie was involved in a motorcycle accident. Eddie was later diagnosed with a brain tumour, and received gamma knife radiosurgery to treat the illness. "But as time went on, shit kept stacking up and stacking up. It just never let up," Wolfgang added. He also confirmed that his dad was serious about embarking on a Van Halen "classic line-up" reunion tour before he became too ill to perform. "That's important, to let people know, that yeah, that was real, and we were so excited about it," Van Halen told Stern. "It just didn't pan out." Wolfgang's interview with Stern can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 11/17/20...... The contemporary rock band Bleachers has shared a new collaboration with Bruce Springsteen on YouTube called "Chinatown" which sees Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff and The Boss taking turns to sing the song's chorus. Speaking about "Chinatown," Antonoff said: "It starts in NYC and travels to New Jersey. That pull back to the place I am from mixed with terror of falling in love again. Having to show your cards to someone and the shock when you see them for yourself. Thinking you know yourself and where you are from.... Having to see yourself through somebody who you want to stay..." Antonoff added that "it's the honour of a lifetime to be joined by him." "He is the artist who showed me that the sound of the place I am from has value and that there is a spirit here that needs to be taken all over the world," he said. - NME, 11/16/20...... A newly remastered video of alternative fave Morrisey and David Bowie performing T. Rex's "Cosmic Dancer" has been shared on YouTube. Filmed at the Inglewood Forum in Los Angeles on Feb. 6, 1991, the "Cosmic Dancer" cover was officially released on streaming services on Nov. 13. A 7" double A-side single featuring this version of "Cosmic Dancer," as well as Morrissey's 2020-recorded cover of The Jam's "That's Entertainment," will be released on Feb. 19, 2021. The front and back of the sleeve for the single features photographs of Bowie with Morrissey that were taken in New York City by Linder Sterling. Meanwhile, a new Bowie live album called called No Trendy Rchauff hits stores on Nov. 20. - NME, 11/16/20...... 
In the December issue of Britain's GQ magazine, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page says that the coronavirus pandemic made him think about making a return to performing live. Page said that being in lockdown inspired him to think about getting back out on the road. "When we first went into lockdown I thought, 'Right, now's the time to start thinking about coming back at some point and being able to perform'," adding that the cancellation of concerts all over the world in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 has strengthened his belief that "music means nothing" without live shows. Page added that he's "worried" about the future of the arts and the lack of opportunities for new artists on the rise to perform live. "It's such a very sad and desperate time and what this virus has done internationally to families, to the arts, and everything we love and hold dear and the whole concert situation, it does worry me," he said. "I will never be one of those people who'll record alone and send someone a file. I never went into music in the first place to do that, it was for playing together and this is what it means. We need to play with people, we need gigs and we need community. Because without that, music means nothing." - NME, 11/14/20...... Alice Cooper has shared a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Rock & Roll" from his upcoming album Detroit Stories on YouTube. In 1971, the band Detroit recorded their own version of "Rock & Roll," which was produced by Cooper's longtime producer Bob Ezrin. Cooper's bright, raw take on "Rock & Roll" was -- like the rest of Detroit Stories -- also produced by Ezrin and features Detroit's Steve Hunter on guitar and Johnny "Bee" Badanjek on drums. Cooper will release the 15-track Detroit Stories on Feb. 26, 2021, via earMUSIC. - NME, 11/13/20...... In a new interview with Eon Music, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler says there "definitely" won't be any more Sabbath shows, and that his Deadland Ritual "supergroup" may also be finished. "There will definitely be no more Sabbath -- it's done," he said. Butler added that Deadland Ritual "had an album worth of songs to record, then COVID struck, which put an end to recording, so I'm not sure if Deadland Ritual will ever carry on." Black Sabbath performed their farewell concert in 2017 with a string of arena concerts, which concluded with a two-night homecoming in Birmingham, however fans have hoped of a potential reunion ever since. - NME, 11/12/20...... Jack Furnish, the father of Elton John's husband David Furnish, has died at age 90. Elton and David Furnish announced the passing in an emotional post on Instagram on Nov. 15, alongside two old pictures of his dad when he was younger, and two of Jack holding his grandchildren -- Elton and David's sons Zachary, nine, and Elijah, seven -- when they were newborn babies. "My father passed away peacefully last night at the age of 90. Dad overcame the traumas of his own family being torn apart by both World Wars," David wrote in the accompanying caption. "He sought solace and comfort in the loving arms of my mother, and built a platform of solid and loving familial stability in which we could all flourish... Thank you for all that did for me Dad. You encouraged me to be independent and strong. To believe that I could achieve my goals in life through hard work and kindness. Lessons that I pass on to my own sons every day." - Music-News.com, 11/16/20...... 
Des O'Connor, a beloved British entertainer, TV presenter and singer died on Nov. 14 after a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire a few days prior. He was 88. Mr. O'Connor was known for his decades-long prime-time TV career, including shows such as Des O'Connor Tonight and Today With Des And Mel. He was also a successful pop singer, having recorded 36 albums and achieved four top 10 singles across a career spanning several decades. In 2008, Mr. O'Connor was made a CBE for his services to entertainment and broadcasting in the Queen's birthday honours. "Des, who was 88, was so well-loved by absolutely everyone. He was a joy to work with -- he was talented, fun, positive, enthusiastic, kind and a total professional," his longtime agent and family friend Pat Lake-Smith said in a statement. "He loved life, and considered enthusiasm almost as important as oxygen. He adored his family -- they were everything to him. He is survived by his wife, Jodie, their son, Adam, and his four daughters, Karin, TJ, Samantha and Kristina." Kim Wilde also paid tribute to Mr. O'Connor on Twitter, recalling "gorgeous memories of singing 'Something Stupid' with Des O'Connor" and an accompanying picture of the pair performing. "Thanks for the memories you lovely man," she added. - NME, 11/15/20.
Bruce Springsteen, his wife Pattie Scialfa, Sheryl Crow and country star Brad Paisley will be among the performers at the "Stand Up For Heroes" night to honor the nation's veterans and their families on Nov. 18. The annual event, which is going virtual for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic, will highlight inspiring moments, surprises and stories of resilience from those who have served in the United States military. Hosted by Jon Stewart, the 14th annual "Stand Up for Heroes" event airs on Nov. 18 at 9 p.m. EST on ABC News Live, TikTok, Facebook Watch, Cheddar, Twitch and Armed Forces Network. - Billboard, 11/10/20...... 
Ringo Starr inducted his late friend and fellow musician Marc Bolan of T. Rex into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a virtual ceremony on Nov. 7. "People knew him as a great musician, a songwriter, a guitarist, but he was also a poet," Starr said of his glam rock friend, who died in a car crash in 1977. "And he was really proud of that. He was always telling me that he was the Number One selling poet in Britain. In fact, his poetry was as important to him as his music. He had great style and was really unlike anyone else I have ever met." Ringo added: "He was a great performer, just incredible. And that's why I called the film we did together Born to Boogie, because he really was. I told Marc, I'll bring the camera and everything else, you just bring yourself. We had a lot of fun together. I remember lots of laughter. We lost him way too young, but in his short life, he made over 12 albums that are as far out and ahead of their time as he was. With the help of [producer] Tony Visconti and his band T. Rex, Marc's style started a lot of trends. They called it glam rock with singles such as 'Get It On', 'Children of the Revolution', and, of course, 'Born to Boogie'." Starr's speech concluded: "But it was always just great music to me. And that's why people are still listening to T. Rex today. There's no doubt they believe in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- finally. And I'm very proud to welcome them in right now. Peace and love to [T. Rex members] Marc, Mickey, Steve, and Bill, and peace and love to all the fans from me and T. Rex. Peace and Love." Alongside Bolan, Nine Inch Nails were also inducted, with Iggy Pop giving a speech to welcome Trent Reznor and co., while Depeche Mode also joined the revered list. The Doobie Brothers and Whitney Houston were also among the 2020 inductees. - New Musical Express, 11/8/20...... In other Rock and Roll Hall of Fame news, president and CEO Joel Peresman has announced the annual event is permanently changing its ceremony schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. The news comes after it was announced earlier in 2019 that the 2020 ceremony, which was originally set to take place in May, would move to November and take place in virtual form following the global crisis. For years, the people behind the Hall Of Fame would announce in the autumn the nominations for the next year's inclusions. At the beginning of the year they would then unveil the list of artists being inducted before the grand all-star induction ceremony. However, Peresman has now announced that the Hall Of Fame's whole schedule has permanently changed. "We moved the timing of the ceremony," he said of this year's event. "We're going to move the ceremony permanently so it's in the fall of each year because of COVID." He continued: "We're also moving the nomination process. Normally, the nomination process starts in September, we announce the nominees in October, and then we announce the inductees in January. This time the nomination meetings will happen in January, so we'll announce the nominees in February and start that voting process then." While it's not clear whether next year's ceremony will be held in person, Peresman said it is "hopeful by next fall in some form that we'll be able to get together again." - NME, 11/3/20...... 
On Nov. 11 Alice Cooper announced that his next album will spotlight his early roots in his hometown of Detroit. Cooper says Detroit Stories will drop in Feb. 2021 and explore how the Motor City helped to popularize "angry hard rock" in the US. "Los Angeles had its sound with The Doors, Love and Buffalo Springfield," said Cooper. "San Francisco had the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. New York had The Rascals and The Velvet Underground. But Detroit was the epicentre for angry hard rock. After not fitting in anywhere in the US (musically or image-wise) Detroit was the only place that recognized the Alice Cooper guitar-driven, hard rock sound." Produced by his longtime producer Bob Ezrin, Detroit Stories will also be available in vinyl and digital formats and feature a number of veteran musicians from the Detroit scene, including MC5's Wayne Kramer, Detroit Wheels drummer Johnny 'Bee' Badanjek and bassist Paul Randolph. Cooper will release the first single from his 21st solo LP, a cover of Velvet Underground's "Rock and Roll," on Nov. 13. - NME, 11/11/20...... AC/DC shared the raucous track "Realize," the second single from their upcoming 17th studio album Power Up, on Spotify.com on Nov. 11. Written by guitarist Angus Young and late brother rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, "Realize" features singer Brian Johnson singing typically unsubtle AC/DC lyrics "Those moments just pass you by/ Gonna take you to paradise/ Move it/ Make you prove it, yeah/ Breakin' out/ Break it down/ Feel the chill, feel the chill/ Movin' down your spine." Due out on Nov. 13, the Brendan O'Brien-produced Power Up is the veteran Aussie rockers' first new music since 2014. Brian Johnson recently teased that they have more than enough new material in their archives to record another album after Power Up. "Most of Power Up came from ideas before [2008's] Black Ice, when Malcolm and Angus would sit together for five days a week and run through ideas," Johnson explained. "Malcolm was meticulous, he'd write down everything and when exactly they'd done it; categorise it. There's more than enough for another album, probably two." In other AC/DC-related news, a YouTuber named Lars von Retriever has shared a clip that mashes up the band's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" with various speeches by US Pres. Donald Trump. The upload fuses the title track of AC/DC's 1976 album with some of Trump's recent rants -- including his recent accusations of "voter fraud" in regards to Pres. Elect Joe Biden's election victory. Earlier in 2020, Lars von Retriever shared a video in which Trump delivered the lyrics to Iron Maiden's "Run To The Hills." His latest video has registered over 22,600 views and almost 3,000 "likes" on the site so far. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 11/11/20...... In a new interview with the UK music mag Uncut, Paul McCartney shared his admiration for fellow legendary rock veteran Bob Dylan, and says that he "wishes he could be a bit more like him." When asked about his reaction to Dylan's latest acclaimed LP Rough and Rowdy Ways, Sir Paul said: "I always like what he does. Sometimes I wish I was a bit more like Bob. He's legendary... and doesn't give a shit! But I'm not like that. His new album? I thought it was really good. He writes really well. I love his singing -- he came through the standards albums like a total crooner. But, yeah, I like his new stuff. People ask me who I'm a fan of and Bob Dylan and Neil Young always make the list." McCartney is currently giving interviews promoting his upcoming album McCartney III, which drops on Dec. 11. - NME, 11/11/20...... In other Beatles-related news, crowds of New Yorkers came together to sing John Lennon's "Imagine" to celebrate former Vice President Joe Biden being formally called the winner of the 2020 US Presidential election on Nov. 7. In videos posted to social media, crowds at the city's Washington Square Park are seen singing "Imagine" in the park to toast Biden's victory. The footage was then retweeted by Lennon's official Twitter account, along with the hashtag: "#IMAGINE". The song also became an unofficial anthem in the global struggle against the coronavirus earlier in 2020. - NME, 11/7/20...... In related news, the relatives of late rocker Tom Petty say they were "touched" after Petty's "I Won't Back Down" was featured during a celebration of the Biden victory at a rally held at his home base of Wilmington, Del., on Nov. 8. During the event, Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris walked out to "Work That" by Mary J. Bliges, while Biden chose Bruce Springsteens track "We Take Care Of Our Own" as his entry song. Then, together, they marked the historic occasion by joining hands as Petty's "I Won't Back Down" was blasted through the speakers and confetti released into the air. A representative for Petty's family has since taken to Twitter to share their elation at the politicians' choice of music for the victory event. "We were all so touched to see Tom included on such an important night in America," they posted. "Congratulations @joebiden and @kamalaharris." In June, Petty's estate issued a cease and desist order to the Trump campaign after the same song was played at a Trump rally in Oklahoma. "Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind," Petty's loved ones wrote. - Music-News.com, 11/8/20...... Meanwhile, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger celebrated the Joe Biden victory with a post on his Twitter account on Nov. 7. "I'm so looking forward to coming back to an America free of harsh words and name calling and be amongst people who I know have common ground and harmony," Jagger wrote to his 2.2 million followers. "It's a challenge but it can be done!" Like the Tom Petty estate, Jagger has previously objected to the Trump campaign playing his band's songs at their rallies, specifially "You Can't Always Get What You Want." - Billboard, 11/7/20...... 
In other Rolling Stones news, guitarist Keith Richards has spoken about the band's upcoming 60th anniversary in 2022, saying that "the plans are to still actually all be alive" by the time the milestone comes around. In an interview with GQ magazine, the 76-year-old Richards said "Well, the plans are to still actually all be alive" when asked about their 60th anniversary. Apart from that, at our age, I don't know. I haven't heard of any plans, but I'm sure there are things being made. First off, I'm going to get through this year and see how we handle next year. Because I think at the moment, there are more problems than a Rolling Stones celebration. Although I'm very glad that we're all here, but I'll leave it at that if I can." Richards further confirmed that the Stones have been working on a new album, which he says was "halfway in the works before [the] shit hit the fan" -- a reference to the coronavirus pandemic. "I was trying to progress a few things along, but there's not a lot one can really do except wait for the vaccine," the guitarist said. Richards also reflected on his own mortality in the interview, saying that "every day is a pleasure." "I mean, I don't wish to defy anybody's predictions and I'm really not interested in them," he added in reference to the interviewer's observation that "people have been wondering in interviews when you're going to die for the last 50 years." "But I'll croak when I croak and everybody will know," Richards added. - NME, 11/10/20...... In an interview with the website TalkRADIO.co.uk on Nov. 10, Queen guitarist Brian May revealed how Queen initially thought their Live Aid performance was "kind of ok," failing to realize that they had delivered one of the most iconic performances of all time. "It was so strange kind of reliving it for the movie," May said, referring to the smash 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. "They recreated it so incredibly faithfully, and to be there on that set was really spine chilling; it brought it all back. And at the time, we weren't aware of what an epoch-making thing it was, really. We came off [thinking], 'Well, that went kind of OK.' But we didn't realise that it had made such a lasting impression on the ether... It sort of lives on, doesn't it?" Hailing the talents of the late Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury, he added: "He had a great spatial awareness, and that's something very important. "If you're working with people on a stage, you need to have musical contact, but you also need the kind of physical chemistry going on -- the awareness of where you are and where you're aiming your energy. Freddie was wonderful for that, and we just clicked from the very beginning." - NME, 11/11/20...... Genesis member Phil Collins is disputing his ex-wife Orianne Cevey's "scurrilous" and "grossly exaggerated" claims that he refused to shower and lived in squalor after becoming a recluse after the former couple split for the second time earlier in 2020. In the latest development in a court battle over Cevey and her new husband Thomas Bates being evicted by Collins from a beachfront Miami compoind she once shared with Collins, Cevey claimed Collins became a recluse in 2019, refusing to socialize, turning his back on music and reportedly abusing painkillers, all while also failing to take care of his personal hygiene for months as he allegedly started living in squalor. "Philip's stench became so pervasive that he became a hermit, refusing to interact personally with any people," Cevey declared in the legal documents. However, Collins has disputed his ex's version of events in a response filed to court by his lawyers, calling her allegations "immaterial and impertinent" to the case and even going as far as likening her claims to a means of "extortion." "They are scandalous, scurrilous, unethical and, for the most part, patently false or grossly exaggerated," Collins' attorneys wrote. "These false and scandalous allegations are again included only so that they can be delivered by defendants to the media to try to damage Phil Collins' reputation in an effort to extort money." - Music-News.com, 11/10/20...... On Nov. 10 a new David Bowie album called No Trendy Rchauff was announced on the Bowie Instagram page. The album will arrive via Parlophone on Nov. 20 as part of the rock icon's posthumous "Brilliant Live Adventures" series, which comprises six previously unreleased live Bowie recordings from between 1995 and 1999. No Trendy Rchauff, the second release in the series, was recorded at the Birmingham NEC in Dec. 1995, and follows Ouvrez Le Chien, which dropped on Oct. 30. The 15-track No Trendy Rchauff features rare live performances of "Jump They Say" and "Strangers When We Meet" as well as two versions of "Hallo Spaceboy." The third installment in the "Brilliant Live Adventures"' series is due to arrive by the end of 2020, with the remaining three records set for release at some point in early 2021. Meanwhile, distributors of the new Bowie biopic Stardust have confirmed it will be released in UK theaters by the end of 2020. British distributor Vertigo Releasing has secured the rights to the film in the UK, which is set for release in the US on Nov. 25. The first screening recently took place at a socially-distanced opening night gala in London, with the film's director Gabriel Range in attendance. Stardust stars actor/musician Johnny Flynn as Bowie as he travels across the US in 1971, shortly before he saw widespread acclaim by reinventing himself as Ziggy Stardust. - NME, 11/10/20...... 
Alex Trebek, the beloved longtime host of the TV game show Jeopardy!, died at home on Nov. 8 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80. Mr. Trebek, who started out in radio and on shows in his native Canada before becoming a fixture of American TV for 36 years as the steady hand of the juggernaut Jeopardy!, reportedly passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Born George Alexander Trebek on July 22, 1940 and growing up in Sudbury, Ontario, Mr. Trebek's father immigrated from Ukraine; his mother was French Canadian. Mr. Trebek grew up working class with his sister Barbara in the nickel-mining town, and after working his way through college and graduating with a degree in philosophy, he worked in radio and TV for 12 years in his native Canada. He made the move to Los Angeles in 1973 for The Wizard of Odds, and hosted many game shows, including High Rollers and Double Dare, before landing Jeopardy! in 1984. For 36 years, Mr. Trebek, with his wit, pronunciation panache and steady hand, and the quiz show became "part of the fabric of American life," with him hosting nearly 8,000 episodes and the show winning 35 Emmys. Mr. Trebek announced that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2019 and fans showered him with support. Mr. Trebek is survived by his wife of 30 years, Jean Currivan, and their two children, Matthew and Emily, and Nicky, his first wife Elaine Callei's daughter. Among those paying tribute to Mr. Trebek after learning of his passing was "American Pie" hitmaker Don McLean, who was requested to attend a 2019 Christmas party hosted by Mr. Trebek. "There was not the slightest hint of self-pity or weakness in this man. He was elegant and dignified as you saw him on television," said McClean of Trebek's demeanor at the Dec. 18 party for 150 in Studio City, Calif., where Trebek said having the singer perform would be the realization of a "longtime dream" of his. "Old school for sure and someone who we all can learn from," McLean added. "I thought of him often afterward and I'll think of him in the future and maybe try to be a little more like him." - DailyMail.co.uk/Billboard, 11/8/20.
James Taylor shared a special performance of "America the Beautiful" on Election Day (Nov. 3) on 
Hall & Oates principal Daryl Hall has shared his thoughts on the 1980 H&O hit "You Make My Dreams" recemt;u passing the landmark of one billion total streams. "The song is certainly an antidote to the uncertainty of the world we live in now," Hall told the UK paper The Sun. "It still feels very current to me because I've been playing the song for all these years. Time really doesn't play a big factor in the way I look at anything really, but especially music," says Hall, who adds the song "wrote itself." "I remember writing the song, sitting in my apartment in New York City. I had a Yamaha CP 30 piano, which is a very distinctive sounding electric piano. And I started playing that riff, it just spoke to me... I wondered if it was too happy? Could I think of something a little more complicated? And I tried but it is what it is. It really just wrote itself." - Music-News.com, 11/6/20...... In an episode of Oprah Winfrey's new Apple TV+ series The Oprah Conversation, Stevie Wonder said he thinks America is "so close" to not being "the land of the free." Winfrey asked the Motown legend if he thought America was in a "fragile decade" right now. "Without question," Wonder replied. "Most importantly, we are so close to not being the nation that people talk about. We can talk about being the land of the free and the home of the brave, 'give me your tired' and all of that. And then there are people who hate." He continued: "I don't care what ethnicity you are, what color you are. The great thing about being blind, for me, is that I don't see color but I do see the spirit. If your spirit's not right, I can just feel it." - NME, 11/6/20...... Jimmy Page confirmed on his 
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Elton John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin says he "continually encourages" Sir Elton to work on a new album. Taupin says John was planning on working on some of the songs he had sent him during his downtime in Australia when he was due to be touring there. "I did send him probably close to 16 or 18 things when he was in Australia. The original plan was that he was going to write when he was in Australia because he had so much free time down there because he was going to stay there for the duration of the Australian and New Zealand tour." However, Taupin added that: "(Elton) felt that he wanted to write... (but) that didn't happen." Taupin says that when Elton finally does "put digits to piano" he believes the tunes he sent him will turn out to be "very special": "I think we might come up with something very special. Being that he's not going to hit the road potentially until the end of next year, that gives him plenty of time. I would love to see him start to do some work. As I say, I continually encourage him to do so. How we would do it, I'm not sure. I've got some ideas in my head that he might be interested in. But I really, really would love to get back on track and back in the game." John's last studio LP was 2016's Wonderful Crazy Night. - Music-News.com, 11/5/20...... The new David Byrne film American Utopia, which is based on Byrne's smash Broadway hit of the same name and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September before screening at the London Film Festival in October, has been given a UK release date. Universal announced it will be releasing the Spike Lee-directed American Utopia on VOD services and on DVD from Dec.14, in light of the coronavirus restrictions facing UK cinemas at the moment. The Broadway show played at New York City's Hudson Theatre from Oct. 2019 to Feb. 2020, and also toured the UK between Oct. and Nov. 2018. Byrne is joined by 11 musicians from around the world onstage, while Lee films the production with 11 camera operators. The show performs a number of songs from Byrne's album of the same name, but also features a number of hits by Byrne's former band Talking Heads including "Burning Down The House" and "This Must Be The Place." - NME, 11/5/20...... A new 2021 charity calendar being marketed to fans of The Clash will help raise funds for The Joe Strummer Foundation, an organization set up in the singer's memory to develop new music talent in the U.K. and overseas. The calendar allows Clash fans to delve into iconic imagery from Strummer's solo career, and features around 123 record sleeves from Strummer's solo career. Fans looking to spread a bit of holiday cheer can also purchase a set of Joe Strummer Christmas cards too, with a new design created for 2021. Both items can be purchased on the 
In an emotional post on 
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ken Hensley, a former member of the '70s hard rock band Uriah Heep, died on Nov. 5. He was 75. "I received devastating news this morning from Ken's manager Steve Weltman that Ken Hensley has passed away," Hensley's former bandmate Mick Box posted to 
The Eagles have soared to their best Billboard chart sales week in over a decade with their new concert LP, 
A live cover of the T. Rex classic "Cosmic Dancer" by David Bowie and alternative rocker Morrissey is set to be released as a digital download and streaming on Nov. 13. A vinyl version of the single will then be released on Feb.19, 2021. On the other side of the single will be a cover of The Jam's "That's Entertainment," though as Morrissey's official website points out, it is not the same version of the track as the 1993 version available on the internet. Bowie and Morrissey paired up for the cover during a Morrissey concert at The Forum in Los Angeles in 1991, and it has been widely circulated online in the two decades since. A clip of the "Cosmic Dancer" collaboration has been shared on 
Neil Young has shared details of the upcoming 50th anniversary reissue of his classic 1970 set After the Goldrush, which was originally released on Sept. 19, 1970. Due on Dec. 11 via Reprise Records, 
A U.K. release date for the upcoming Bee Gees documentary How Can You Mend A Broken Heart has been announced. The first feature-length documentary about the band is set to screen in UK cinemas for one night only on Dec. 3. Directed by Frank Marshall (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), the rockdoc promises an intimate look at the lives and careers of Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb. "Like so many people around the world, I've loved the Bee Gees' music all my life," Marshall said in a statement. "But it wasn't until I did my first interview with Barry, almost 3 years ago, that I began to discover their uncanny creative instincts, their musical gifts, their humor, and the brotherhood and family that made them so unique." He added: "It's been such an honor to be involved in this movie and celebrate the massive impact The Bee Gee's have had on popular music." Meanwhile, it was recently announced a narrative biopic based on the life and career of the Bee Gees is also in the works, courtesy of Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King and screenwriter Anthony McCarten. - NME, 10/29/20...... Appearing on her chat show The Talk, Ozzy Osbourne wife Sharon Osbourne revealed that her and Ozzy's credit cards were recently "maxed out" by a fraudster. Sharon said she was first made aware of the crime when attempting to buy a birthday present for daughter Kelly Osbourne. "I give my credit card and they come back and say, 'Do you have another credit card? It didn't go through.' I say, 'Just try it again'... still didn't go through.... I hand them Ozzy's." She added: "Then, they come back and go, 'Do you have another one? It didn't go through.' Someone rang up charges and maxed out Ozzy's card and my card. I called through to the credit card company and they go, 'No, no, no, you're maxed out, so is Ozzy.' I'm like, 'I don't go to that store, or to that store.'" When asked if it was fraud, Sharon confirmed the crime, before adding that all of the fraudulent transactions on her card are currently being processed. - NME, 10/29/20...... Phil Collins will take back control of his beachfront Miami mansion from ex-wife Orianne Cevey in January, 2021, according to his attorney. The former Genesis frontman has been fighting for the property which Cevey is allegedly occupying with her new husband, according to a Miami newspaper. According to attorney Collins' attorney Jeffrey D. Fisher, Cevey and her new husband have now agreed to leave by mid-January 2021, claiming in a statement to the New York Post's gossip column "Page Six" that: "Mr. and Mrs. Bates' plan to hold Phil Collins' house as hostage to leverage a settlement during a protracted court case was upended by the new judge's bold decision to complete the injunction hearing next week." Fisher also said Collins' memorabilia, such as Collins' extensive The Alamo artefacts and music collection, will be removed from the residence, and she will maintain a 50% interest in the mansion, according to the Post. The warring ex-couple, who have two teenage sons, were married for nine years before splitting in 2008, a divorce that cost the rocker more than $46 million (£35 million). However, they reconciled in 2016 before separating again earlier this year, after which Cevey married businessman Bates in August. - Music-News.com, 11/1/20...... 
The official trailer for the forthcoming Frank Zappa documentary Zappa has been shared on 
Sean Connery, the Scottish-born actor who rocketed to fame as James Bond and became one of the franchise's most popular and enduring international stars, died in his sleep while in the Bahamas on Oct. 31. He was 90 years old. Born of Irish ancestry in the slums of Edinburgh on Aug. 25, 1930, Thomas Sean Connery was robbed of an education by poverty, and and by his teens he'd left school and was working as an unskilled laborer. At 17, he was drafted into the Royal Navy, but he was discharged three years later due to a serious case of ulcers. He returned to Edinburgh and worked a variety of jobs, including as a lifeguard. He took up bodybuilding and placed third in the 1950 Mr. Universe competition. After moving to London, Mr. Connery learned of an opening in the chorus of "South Pacific." He took a crash dancing and singing course and, surprisingly, landed the role, in which he stayed for 18 months. He was "hooked," he said, but spent several years paying his dues in small repertory companies in and around London before anyone else became hooked on him .In his early career, his physique was his main asset as he modeled and picked up acting jobs where he could. In 1956, he landed the role of a battered prizefighter in the BBC production of Requiem for a Heavyweight. Mr. Connery was a bodybuilder, model, and milkman before he found fame as an actor, making his movie debut in 1954's Lilacs in the Spring. He went on to appear in a series of British TV roles and films until his big break in the Disney musical Darby O' Gill & the Little People in 1959. Good notices brought him to the attention of the entertainment community, and his first film was No Road Back, a B crime movie in 1956. He seemed doomed to play the hunk to ageing leading ladies, as he did opposite Lana Turner in Another Time, Another Place, or roles that stressed his looks such as Tarzan's Great Adventure in 1959. 
In 1962, Mr. Connery made his debut in the first Bond film, Dr. No. His stature grew with the ever more popular Bond sequels From Russia With Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball, which arrived over the next four years. Bond gave Mr. Connery a license to earn; he was paid only $30,000 for Dr. No but $400,000 for Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie and was soon getting $750,000 a film. His initial efforts to break out of the Bond mold, however, proved fruitless. Films like A Fine Madness, Shalako and The Molly Maguires were well-intentioned attempts that did nothing to shake Mr. Connery as Bond from the public consciousness. After 1967's You Only Live Twice, he left the Bond franchise, but he was coaxed back for 1971's 
Eddie Van Halen's hometown of Pasadena, Calif., has announced plans to memorialize the late guitar legend, but the City Council hasn't yet decided what form the tribute would take. On Oct. 26, the council directed officials to come up with ideas and report back on how to best remember Van Halen, who died of cancer Oct. 6 at age 65. According to a local paper, one idea could be renaming a street or alley near one of Van Halen's 1970s rehearsal spaces, while building a statue, installing a plaque or rechristening a city building also could be considered. Meanwhile, a memorial has grown outside Eddie and brother Alex Van Halen's boyhood home northeast of Los Angeles, where some fans are lobbying to make the house designated as a historic landmark. The Van Halen family moved to Pasadena after emigrating to the U.S. from the Netherlands in 1962. Eddie and Alex formed Van Halen about a decade later with singer David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony, who all grew up in the Pasadena area. - AP,...... In other Van Halen-related news, Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen is pushing back on rumours that he's replacing his father as the guitarist in a new incarnation of Van Halen, calling the speculation "a shitty lie." Wolfgang took to social media on Oct. 26 to refute claims being made in a Wolfgang Van Halen Fan Page on Facebook, which were shared to Twitter by user @MetalSludge. The Facebook post claimed that "there is a good strong possibility" that Wolfgang would be swapping his current role as Van Halen's bassist for his late father's position of lead guitarist, with "Van Hagar" era vocalist Sammy Hagar handling vocals and former VH bassist Michael Anthony handling duties on bass. Drummer Alex Van Halen would continue his position as drummer in the imagined lineup. The post claimed that the information came from "the VH camp", with Eddie Van Halen allegedly telling "his son and his brother, I give you my blessing." But Wolfgang says the rumour just isn't true. "This is just a shitty lie attempting to capitalize on these awful times," he tweeted in response to @MetalSludge sharing the post. "Please stop with this. Anyone peddling this shit is not only hurting the fans, but hurting me and my family." - NME, 10/26/20...... In related news, KISS bassist Gene Simmons said that he was "scared to death" one time after getting a lift with Eddie after a Metallica gig in Long Beach in the 1980s. Talking with Dennis Miller on his 
On Oct. 20 Jimmy Page released his new book 
A recently reunited Genesis have begun rehearsals in London for their massive 2021 UK reunion tour. Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks will head out on "The Last Domino? Tour" in April 2021, with dates having been pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. The trio, playing together for the first time since 2017, are set to be joined on the tour by Collins' son Nic Collins on drums, and guitarist/bassist Daryl Stuermer. Genesis recently announced the 19-date UK tour will kick off on Apr. 1 in Glasgow and wrap over three nights at London's O2 arena on Apr. 27, 29 and 30. Meanwhile, Phil Collins has issued a second cease and desist letter to Pres. Donald Trump's re-election campaign over the use of his hit "In the Air Tonight" at Trump rallies. Trump's campaign apparently ignored a previous legal letter over the use of the song, and again blasted the 1981 hit over the speakers at a gathering in Des Moines, Iowa on Oct. 14. At the time, Collins' representatives noted that Trump's aides had already been warned against violating the musician's copyright, and now his lawyers at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP are demanding an assurance it won't happen again, because Collins, 69, says he doesn't support Trump at all. Collins' lawyers state in the letter than their client takes particular offense that the song "was apparently intended as a satirical reference to COVID-19." "That reference was made at a time when Iowa was suffering from an acceleration of COVID-19 infection. Mr. Collins does not condone the apparent trivialization of COVID-19," the missive states. In other Phil Collins news, the singer may have to wait up to three years to have his ex-wife Orianne Cevey evicted from his mansion because of a backlog of trials due to COVID-19. Collins recently sought an injunction to have Cevey and her husband kicked out of his palatial waterfront home in Miami Beach, Fla., but suffered a major setback when Cevey made a counterclaim for $20 million. A county judge decided the explosive case should be heard in circuit court because of the huge sums at stake. It puts Collins' filling at the back of a long line of pending cases with court closures and pandemic restrictions expected to delay trials by a year or longer. Collins -- worth an estimated $300 million -- will now have to choose between paying his ex-wife off for the second time or facing off in court. - NME/WENN/DailyMail.co.uk, 10/27/20...... Music publishers Primary Wave announced on Oct. 23 that they've struck a 10-year strategic partnership with The Four Seasons. The marketing and administration deal is with the band's lead singer Frankie Valli and keyboardist Bob Gaudio, the two surviving members of the band's founding four; which also included bassist Nick Massi, who died of cancer in 2000, and guitarist Tommy DeVito, who died in Sept. 2020 from the coronavirus. Under the agreement, Primary Wave will work Valli and Gaudio to market the band's name and likeness, manage all daily digital marketing activities and administer their iconic catalog, which includes hits like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," 
Speaking to the UK paper The Guardian, Joni Mitchell says she's "still struggling to walk" following her 2015 brain aneurysm in a rare new interview. "I haven't been writing recently. I haven't been playing my guitar or the piano or anything," said Mitchell. Instead, she's "just concentrating on getting my health back... You know what? I came back from polio, so here I am again, and struggling back." Mitchell was hospitalised in Los Angeles in March 2015, after being found unconscious at her home. Later that year she was said to be "making good progress." Mitchell also described to the paper that the five years since her aneurysm as "inching my way along," adding: "I'm showing slow improvement but moving forward." "Once again I couldn't walk. I had to learn how again. I couldn't talk," she added. "Polio didn't grab me like that, but the aneurysm took away a lot more, really. Took away my speech and my ability to walk. And, you know, I got my speech back quickly, but the walking I'm still struggling with. But I mean, I'm a fighter. I've got Irish blood! So you know, I knew, 'Here I go again, another battle.'" Mitchell is set to release a new archival album, 
Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry is labelling Van Morrison "insane" for his stance on the COVID-19 crisis. While Harry says she thinks Morrison, who has recently slammed safety measures designed to stop the spread of the virus at concerts and other venues, is a "creative genius," but also noted he is "completely mad." "I mean, he has a history of very strange behaviour so it doesn't really surprise me. And after all, everyone's entitled to their own opinion," Harry recently told New Musical Express. "As far as conspiracy goes... huh! If this is a conspiracy, then the biggest f---ing genius in the world has created it! I mean, that is insane. Totally insane!," Harry exclaimed. She then went on to attack Pres. Donald Trump, insisting: "When it comes to our president, white supremacists respect him not necessarily for himself but because he's achieved the presidency. There's a lot of kudos that hangs on the word 'president'... A lot of people fall for him, but this is not a good guy." - Music-News.com, 10/25/20...... Paul McCartney recently told the BBC that his new album 
In a new interview with the Irish Times, Don McLean branded his ex-wife of 30 years Patrisha McLean "the worst person I ever know" despite pleading guilty to domestic violence against his spouse. The 75-year-old 
Country singer/songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, best known for penning the 1971 hit