There is no more significant milestone in Rock Music than the 50th Anniversary. Alongside The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, THE WHO complete the holy trinity of British Rock bands that have the honor of celebrating that landmark. Through the decades, THE WHO redefined rock music as we know it and their influence continues in all areas of popular culture to this day.
WHO HITS 50! is a newly released, fully remastered definitive hits collection to coincide with the band’s 50th anniversary tour of the same name, which comes to the US this coming April. Tickets available HERE.
This new release features the band’s greatest tracks from their very first recordings as The High Numbers right up to the present day with the brand new track “BE LUCKY.” A classic WHO rocker, “BE LUCKY” is THE WHO’s first new material in eight years. The track was produced by Dave Eringa, best known for his work with the Manic Street Preachers and Wilko Johnson + Roger Daltrey.
Recorded at the end of the summer at British Grove and Yellowfish Studios, “BE LUCKY” features long time Who live players Zak Starkey (drums) and Pino Palladino (bass), with the keyboards being provided by ex-Style Council and Dexys sideman Mick Talbot. In keeping with their ongoing support for Teenage Cancer charities, the band have donated their royalties from the song to Teen Cancer America, a charity founded in 2011 by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend.
R.I.P. JACK BRUCE
Friends and fans of influential Cream bassist Jack Bruce mourned his death last Friday, October 25. Jack was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing, following a reported bout with liver disease. He was 71. “The world of music will be a poorer place without him,” said his family in a statement, “but he lives on in his music and forever in our hearts,” the Bruce family said in a statement. The many, many hard rock musicians that were heavily influenced by Jack’s playing took to social media to offer their condolences:
Black Sabbath’s reunion isn’t a long-term deal says frontman Ozzy Osbourne. The Times-Picayune quoted Oz as saying, “A lot of people are asking me, with the success of the reformation of Black Sabbath, am I going to do any solo stuff any more? The answer is yes. I am going to continue to do my solo stuff, but I can’t do the two at the same time. This [recently released DVD package] Memoirs Of A Madman is to let everybody know that I haven’t abandoned my solo career…I’m doing one more Black Sabbath tour, one more Black Sabbath album, and then we’re disbanding the name, I believe. And then after that, I’ll be doing my solo stuff.”
Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page recently sat down with Rolling Stone and answered the question of why the band didn’t keep going after the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980.
“Led Zeppelin wasn’t a corporate entity,” said Jimmy. “It was an affair of the heart. Each of the members was important to the sum total of what we were. I like to think that if it had been me that wasn’t there, the others would have made the same decision. And what were we going to do? Create a role for somebody, say, ‘You have to do this, this way?’ That wouldn’t be honest.”
Harry Potter is a headbanger! In a new interview with Gigwise.com, Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe admitted to listening to Metallica and Megadeth to prep for his new role in the supernatural thriller film, Horns. Regarding what Megadeth song really got him in the mood, he responded, “’Sweating Bullets’, specifically for the lines ‘Hello me, It’s me again / You can subdue but never tame me’ and ‘A dark black past is my / Most valued possession.’ It’s an insane song and it sounds like a psychopath talking to himself… and that was very helpful.”
What did Paul Stanley think of his future Kiss bandmate, Gene Simmons, when they met for the first time over 40 years ago? “I didn’t like him,” says Paul. “I thought he was full of himself, opinionated, brash, insulting.” Surprised? Nah! Check out what else Paul had to say on Oprah: Where Are They Now?.
Ex-Scorpions drummer Herman Rarebell is set to release his new solo effort, Herman’s Scorpions Songs, on November 7. The CD is made up of 14 new versions of Scorpions tunes sung by special guest vocalists including Don Dokken (Dokken), Jack Russell (Great White), Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), Paul Shortino (Quiet Riot), Doogie White (Michael Schenker, Rainbow) and more.