ROGER WATERS: Bashes Ozzy
Roger Waters had some unflattering things to say about Ozzy Osbourne in an appearance on The Independent Ink podcast. When the conversation turned to pop icons and whether or not they are involved in politics, Waters was all over the place and then suddenly he brought poor Ozzy into it, saying he was "all over the TV for hundreds of years with his idiocy and nonsense." And from there he talked about Ozzy's music. "I don't care about Black Sabbath, I never did, I have no interest in.... 'wahhhh!!!' and biting the heads off chickens or whatever they do. I couldn't care less."
Ozzy's son Jack heard what Waters said and fired back, saying, "Hey Roger Waters - [screw] you. How pathetic and out of touch you've become. The only way you seem to get attention these days is by vomiting out [crap] in the press. My father always thought you were a [wuss] - thanks for proving him right." Ozzy was 76 when he died of a heart attack at his Buckinghamshire estate on July 22nd.
ZZ TOP: Bearded Again
ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard will return to the band again this Friday following another medical issue. Earlier this year he was sidelined for two-and-a-half months due to foot and ankle issues but returned in June. However, he's been off the road the past few weeks to address a medical issue that necessitated his return to Texas. This latest undisclosed issue has been resolved, and his medical team has OK’d his return to the tour, which will be this Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Commenting on his return, Beard says, "The doctors did what they did so now I’m able to do what I do. Happy that It’s back to band business as usual.” ZZ's longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer John Douglas has been filling in. The 76-year old Beard and Billy Gibbons are the only two members of ZZ left following the death of bassist
Dusty Hill in 2021.
THE WHO: Here Is Who They Are
The Who are releasing a deluxe edition of their eighth album, Who Are You. Released in 1978, their final studio album with Keith Moon has been bolstered with more than 70 unreleased tracks including never-before-heard versions of the title track, newly mixed live tracks from their first tour with Kenney Jones in place of Moon, and recordings from their rehearsals in 1977 and 1978. It will be released on October 31st in numerous configurations, including a seven-CD/one Blu-ray set that includes Atmos & Stereo mixes. Who Are You was released on August 18th, 1978, three weeks before Moon's death on September 7th at age 32. It peaked at number-two on the Billboard 200.
Among the unreleased material:
·Keith Moon singing covers of The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" and The Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann"
·An early live version of "Who Are You" from 1976 in Toronto
·Who Are You album mixed by Glyn Johns, which was rejected
·Early run-throughs, sessions and out-takes plus several demos by John Entwistle
·Six tracks from the live concert at Shepperton Studios for the filming of The Kids Are Alright documentary, plus rehearsals with new drummer Kenney Jones for The Who’s 1979 U.S. tour.
·Recordings from the 1979 U.S. tour, including tracks recorded at the Pontiac Silverdome, the Spectrum in Philadelphia and the Masonic Temple, Detroit
A trailer for this collection can be viewed on YouTube. The Who's The Song Is Over -- The North American Farewell Tour played Toronto last night (Tuesday).
Eric Clapton, 80, Teases Announcement Coming September 5: 'Be the First to Know'
Eric Clapton sparked excitement among fans with a cryptic social media post hinting at a big announcement this Friday, September 5. Speculation is rife that the guitar legend may be planning a deluxe reissue of his acclaimed 1989 album "Journeyman." Fans are awaiting the news, hoping for unreleased tracks and expanded versions of the classic album.
Bruce Springsteen Film Opening To Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews
The Bruce Springsteen film “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” won’t be hitting theaters until October 24th, but those who’ve seen it are raving about it. Currently, Rotten Tomatoes has thirteen reviews of the film posted, all of which are positive…giving it a 100% fresh rating. One critic calls it a “soulful and meditative character study of a depressed artist laid bare” and another calls Jeremy Allen White’s performance as The Boss “steeped in a truth so natural and unforced that…you almost forget that he’s playing someone else.
THE POLICE: Every Dollar You Took
More details have emerged in the lawsuit filed by Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland
against their Police bandmate Sting. In the civil case filed in London's High Court, they claim that despite having not co-written songs such as "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take," that they've been underpaid for their contributions. This all stems from an "oral agreement" the three of them entered into in 1977 in which they agreed that, when any one member received publishing income for a song they'd written, they would share a percentage of that money, usually 15%, with the other two members, in what was termed an arrangers' fee. Sting's lawyers argue that their claims are "illegitimate," and he contends that there was no "oral agreement." Regardless, they formalized the agreement in 1981 with revisions in 1995 and 2016. The suit focuses on which categories of publishing income Summers and Copeland should receive compensation. They are divided into two categories:
·Performance royalties — which are paid when a song is played in public, on the radio or streaming.
·Mechanical royalties — paid when a song is pressed to CD or vinyl, but also when it's streamed on demand.
Summers and Copeland argue that they should be paid for both, but Sting says their agreement only covers mechanical royalties. And his lawyers argue that under the terms of the 2016 agreement, all three members agreed not to pursue any historic or future claims over royalties. They are seeking $ 2 million, but Sting's lawyers counter that they may owe him money that has been overpaid to them.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD: Taylor's Her Name
Last September 24th, Taylor Van Zant, the 23-year-old daughter of Lynyrd Skynyrd singer
Johnny Van Zant, had her right side go completely numb and was rushed to the hospital where tests revealed a rare disease known as a Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM), also called a Cavernoma, in the left thalamus of her brain. She has started a fund raising campaign to help fund research to find a cure. She says, "Cavernous Malformations are non-cancerous masses of malformed blood vessels that can leak, typically in the brain, brain stem, or spinal cord... The only treatment option is surgery, which is not possible for everyone. Even then, the Cavernous Malformation has the potential to grow back or not be removed entirely. The location of my Cavernous Malformation is deep in my brain, and it is pushing on my corticospinal tract, which controls voluntary movements. Since mine has already bled twice, the risk of another brain hemorrhage has increased significantly. Currently, no medication can cure a CCM; there are medications only to manage symptoms. Living with this disease can be incredibly debilitating and can feel like living with a ticking time bomb inside your body. The constant worry of another brain bleed, and possible neurological deficits that can follow, is indescribable. I worry not only for my future but also for my loved ones. This disease has completely changed my life and the lives of those around me."
Taylor has set a goal of $500,000 with $91,000 raised for Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization started in 2002 by a mother whose baby daughter was diagnosed with CCM. Their mission is to drive a cure and improve lives for all with CCM. As part of their research work, they have begun a CureDriver Lab to test dozens of medications that could potentially treat Cavernous Malformations. If these drugs are proven effective, they can become candidates for testing in clinical trials. Depending on the number of candidates tested, the price can range annually from $200,000 to $300,000. Without the help of donors, the CureDriver Lab is limited in the number of drugs it can test. The Alliance also awards funds to researchers with promising CCM treatment options. If you'd like to help, you will find details at Angioma.NetworkForGood.com.
R.E.M.: Stipe Gives Insight to "World"
Michael Stipe decided to clear up two key lines in R.E.M.'s classic "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." Stipe first posted a Simpsons meme about the lyrics on BlueSky where Homer tells someone that he can sing all the words to the song and the person replies, "No you can't Mr. Simpson, no one can." Stipe commented on the meme by writing "I can."
He followed that up with "It’s ‘Left of west and coming in a hurry with the Furies breathing down your neck/Team by team reporters, baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped, Look at that low playing, fine, then." All the main lyric websites like Genius and Songfacts have the lines as "Left her and wasn't coming in a hurry with the Furies breathing down your neck/Team by team, reporters baffled, trump, tethered, crop, Look at that low plane, fine, then." There's a reason that most sites have those two lines wrong -- the officially licensed sheet music published in 1989 by Hal Leonard uses those lines! So, either Stipe gave the wrong lyrics to the band's publisher back then, or he's tweaked them over the years.
DAVID BYRNE: Releasing Album And Getting Hitched
David Byrne is releasing a new solo album, Who is the Sky?, on Friday and prepping for a tour that starts September 14th in Providence, Rhode Island. Yet he's found time in his schedule to get married later this week. The Talking Heads frontman revealed he was engaged to financier Mala Gaonkar in a couple of interviews last month, and he posted on his Instagram story that the couple are having the ceremony this week. Byrne wrote, “I’m getting married this week and made an almost entirely instrumental playlist while our guests eat an amazing and spicy dinner.” He shared a link to the 42 song playlist on Apple Music. “My sense is that words and lyrics can be distracting – the ear goes to them, especially if it’s a song one knows. So, I opted for buoyant instrumentals that will create a hopeful and joyous atmosphere… and that folks can also ignore at the same time." This is Byrne's second marriage. He was married to Adelle Lutz from 1987 to 2004.
Dave Grohl, Gene Simmons and More Guest With Late Taylor Hawkins' Chevy Metal Band
Dave Grohl recently made a guest appearance with Chevy Metal, the rock covers band co-founded by his late bandmate Taylor Hawkins. The performance took place in California, with Hawkins' son Shane now taking his place in the band. Grohl, along with other special guests, joined Chevy Metal on stage for a set filled with rock classics, including songs by Rush, Talking Heads, Fear, and more. The show also featured appearances by Gene Simmons, Elliot Easton, Scott Ian, and Sebastian Bach. Foo Fighters, currently on a break from live shows, have upcoming tour dates in Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and Singapore. Grohl recently celebrated the band's 30th anniversary with a new single release and a heartfelt tribute to Hawkins in a reflective letter to fans.
JOHN MAYER: Helps Hurt Guitar Pedal Tester
John Mayer has helped out a friend that happens to design guitar pedals. JHS Pedals founder Josh Scott had a major cycling accident last month which left him with a broken vertebra, so he's unable to do videos introducing his company's new gear. Scott posted a video of Mayer testing out the new JHS 424 Gain Stage pedal with the caption, "John Mayer sent me this video and told me it was a gift since he knew I wasn’t able. It’s an honor to call John a friend and to receive such a beautiful surprise. There’s nobody better to demonstrate a product I’m so proud of." Check out Mayer putting the pedal through its paces on Instagram.
JIMMY BUFFETT: Tribute and Honor
This Labor Day, September 1st, marked the second anniversary of the death of Jimmy Buffett. He was 76. Mac McAnally, Buffett's guitarist and right-hand man in the Coral Reefer Band, remembered his boss and wrote about continuing the band in an online post. Late last month. Buffett was posthumously honored by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with the Governor’s Medal of Freedom, one of the highest honors in the state, awarded to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the state of Florida and its citizens, and today’s recipients have done that.
Classic Rock Supergroup Featuring Tesla/WASP/Saliva Members Formed
Original Tesla members Brian Wheat and Tommy Skeoch are working on a new band called Terminal with former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes and original Saliva singer Josey Scott. Wheat announced the project on social media, saying he's excited to reconnect with his old bandmate and present fans with their "new brand of music." He made it clear he's not leaving Tesla, just starting another band with his old friend. This marks the first time Wheat and Skeoch have worked together since Skeoch left Tesla in 2006 due to substance abuse issues. They recently performed together for the first time in nearly 20 years at a show in New York. Skeoch, who was fired from Tesla and admits he was "getting messed up" and "kept messing up," had reconnected with Wheat in 2022 on a cruise ship.
IN OTHER NEWS
David Gilmour recently sat for a two-hour interview with musician and YouTube host Rick Beato. Conducted in Gilmour's studio in England, it’s up now on YouTube.
John Fogerty was on CBS Sunday Morning this past weekend talking about his new album, Legacy: the Creedence Clearwater Revival Years (John’s Version). You can watch it on YouTube, as well as the 20-minute extended version.
Brian May joins The Struts on a re-recording of their 2014 song “Could Have Been Me.” He says, “Working with Luke Spiller and the Struts has been a joyous journey for me. I became obsessed with this great song ever since I was inspired by the original version and felt an uncontrollable urge to mess with it! It carries a great positive message for rebellious kids of all ages. And, together, WE ROCK!!” This new version will be out this Wednesday.
Elton John posted photos and videos on Instagram from his summer vacation. While he doesn’t say where they were, he usually vacations in August at his house in the South of France.
Billy Preston would have turned 79 yesterday (Tuesday), and Eric Clapton, who Preston toured with in 2001, marked the occasion by posting a video of Preston performing his 1972 song on that tour, “Will It Go Round in Circles.”
The Sex Pistols canceled their North and South American tour due to guitarist Steve Jones breaking his wrist. Jones turns 70 today (Wednesday).