Woodstock - The Musical - On Broadway Next Season
September 10, 2009
Original festival producer Michael Lang announced that he will be producing an as-yet untitled play about Woodstock next year … and it’s going to be a musical. This is especially good news for fans who had hoped Ang Lee’s recent Taking Woodstock film had been a bit more music-intensive. Read the New York Times story HERE.
Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman Talks About His Concerns With Games Like “Rock Band”
September 10, 2009
Bill spoke to the BBC just before Beatles: Rock Band hit the streets from - where else? - Abbey Road Studios. Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason also puts his two cents in about Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Get the story from the BBC here.
The Jimi Hendrix Story - On Film
September 2, 2009
Finally. Well, probably. At least it’s “in development’ - and that’s a big step forward after decades of waiting for someone to nail the official rights to film a biopic about Jimi Hendrix. Legendary Pictures plans to develop the project first and then get the OK from the Jimi’s estate. Here’s what Janie Hendrix, President & CEO of Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. has to say about it: ”Just like the many discussions we have had over the years with other producers who have expressed an interest in developing a feature biography that will bring the true story of the amazing life of my brother, Jimi Hendrix, to the silver screen, we have had similar discussions with Legendary Pictures. However, our talks with Legendary and others are in the preliminary stages so there is nothing substantive to report at this time.”*
* http://jimihendrix.com/
Use It Or Lose It: It’s Time To “Jolly Up”
August 11, 2009
Roger Daltrey will kick off his “Use It Or Lose It” tour in October with a solid combination of Who tunes, solo material and covers. Roger says he wants to “give people a good night out. The economic situation being what it is these days, I think that’s what they want: to go out and feel they’ve had a good jolly-up.” Read all about the tour, dates and official information here.
Eddie Van Halen To Make Guest Appearance On “Two and A Half Men”
August 6, 2009
Entertainment Weekly reports that Eddie Van Halen will be stopping by the set of “Two and A Half Men” to tape a segment that will air this fall. According to executive producer Chuck Lorre, Eddie will be bringing his axe to work. Read the EW story HERE.
McCain Settles Lawsuit With Jackson Browne
July 22, 2009
“We got country and western on the bus and R&B, we got disco on eight track and cassettes in stereo”* - but, no Jackson Browne. That just might be the tune you’ll hear from the Republican National Committee now that John McCain has apologized for using a clip from Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty” in a campaign video. The case has been settled for a confidential sum.
Looking back at 2008, it sure seems like more people heard about the lawsuit than actually saw the campaign video in the first place… including John McCain himself.
* From Jackson Browne’’s “The Load-Out”
Jimi Hendrix Murdered?
July 20, 2009
The ER doctor who tried to save to Jimi Hendrix thinks it’s “plausible” that he was murdered - a theory that would support claims made in Rock Roadie - a new memoir by Jimi’s former road manager.
Highway Stars Without A License: Deep Purple Fined - For Playing Deep Purple Music
July 9, 2009
A Russian Court has fined Deep Purple for illegally performing their own tunes in the town of Rostov-on-Don. Turns out that band members Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover didn’t have a license from the “Russian Authors’ Society” and were fined at the rate of about 30,000 Rubles per unlicensed song. These license fees are used to to make payments to Authors. In this particular case, it looks like the Author fees would be payable to - you guessed it - Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover.
Read the entire story here in RUSSIA TODAY.
Jimmy Page & Jack White Don’t Have A Whole Lotta Love For “Guitar Hero”
June 24, 2009
“You think of the drum part that John Bonham did on Led Zeppelin’s first track on the first album …how many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?” That’s the word from Jimmy Page himself at a press conference for the upcoming documentary ‘It Might Get Loud.”
Jack White notes that “It’s depressing to have a label come and tell you that (Guitar Hero) is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music…”Not that anyone from asked us but ClassicRockForever is always ready to throw its two cents in by tossing part of the blame for kids not showing up at music lessons on the “The Electric Slide”, “The Macarena” and the original culprit “YMCA”. Our theory dates back to the “post-disco” era when people started hiring DJ’s instead of live bands at weddings. Maybe there weren’t enough local bands that could segue smoothly from “Candida” to “Last Dance.” Then again, it was always cheaper to hire a DJ. The trend quickly spread to high school dances. Suddenly in the nineties, we woke up one morning with an entire generation of kids who had never seen a live “cover” band - or, for that matter, any live music. Most of them completely oblivious to fact that learning to play Mustang Sally and Good Lovin’ could get them lots of dates. Well, maybe something more 21st century – like a Jack White/White Stripes tune?
Oh, kids these days. Some think that the route to Carnegie Hall is via the TV screen but, plastic guitars don’t necessarily make rock stars.
Read more entire Jimmy Page/Jack White/Guitar Hero story HERE.
Today’s White House Press Briefing: Iran, Health Insurance, Mr. Roboto
June 24, 2009
The jig is up, the news is out, they finally found them. Those renegades, Styx, showed up behind the podium in the White House press briefing room. Sounds like the press loved it. Word has it that some of media’s finest were actually singing a few lyrics from some of the band’s tunes. We’re hoping that Fox News and MSNBC got to harmonize on “Fooling Yourself”.