Rick Wakeman Makes 'Return To The Red Planet'

 

Following his acclaimed 2020 album The Red Planet, Rick Wakeman makes a triumphant and inevitable return to Mars with Return To The Red Planet, a sweeping new progressive work that fuses science, imagination and musical virtuosity into one of the most ambitious recordings of his career. Return To The Red Planet will be released on the Madfish label on October 16. Check out the trailer for the album below.

“Once I started looking at the new data and photographs, I realized there was an entirely new album waiting to be written," Wakeman said in a statement. "There was simply too much more to say about Mars - musically and spiritually - not to return.” 

At a time when space exploration has moved back to the forefront of human endeavor - with missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond once again capturing the world’s imagination - Return To The Red Planet feels both timely and visionary, rekindling the cosmic spirit that helped define progressive rock’s golden age.

Where its predecessor opened the story, this album explores the planet’s ancient lakes, vast canyon systems, shifting dust storms and geological epochs, drawing directly on the remarkable images and research that have transformed our understanding of Mars in recent years, Wakeman immersing himself in planetary research, data, and mission reports before a single note was written.

Return To The Red Planet will be available in the following configurations: 

- Crystal Clear Gatefold Vinyl LP

- Classic Black Gatefold Vinyl LP

- Digipack CD With 20-page booklet

- CD/Blu-ray edition - includes CD of the studio album + Blu-ray disc featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & Hi-Res Stereo Mixes and The Making Of The Return To The Red Planet Documentary + 20-page printed booklet

- Digital

Pre-order Return To The Red Planet

Recorded between August 2025 and January 2026, the project also marks a welcome return to full band recording, with all musicians working together at Decoy Studios - a creative approach Wakeman considers essential to capturing the spontaneity and energy of progressive rock at its best.

The album is performed by Wakeman’s English Rock Ensemble, featuring bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Adam Falkner and vocalist Mollie Marriott, daughter of legendary Steve Marriott. The album was mastered by renowned engineer Simon Heyworth.

Among the album’s centerpieces is Bowie’s Vision, a deeply personal homage to Wakeman’s friend David Bowie, whose fascination with Mars helped shape popular culture’s image of the planet. The connection is more than thematic: Wakeman performed the iconic piano on Bowie’s Life on Mars?, making this tribute both musical and autobiographical - a reflection on a shared history, a lasting friendship and one of rock’s most celebrated recordings.

The music was initially composed as keyboard “templates” at Nursery Studios, before being expanded collaboratively by the band at Decoy Studios and engineered by Toby Wood. Final overdubs and mixing with producer/engineer Erik Jordan bring the vision into sharp focus - from sweeping symphonic passages to intricate rhythmic sequences and haunting choral textures.

For more information. visit rickwakemansmusicemporium.com.

Todd Rundgren Announces Fall 2026 Tour Dates

 

Todd Rundgren is expanding his 2026 Damned If I Do Tour with a major slate of newly added dates. This final leg of the tour includes new locations in the western and southwestern United States. This tour promises to include plenty of fan favorite songs. 

"It’s always a challenge for me because my audience is so diverse, I never know what they’re in the mood for," Rundgren says. "I want to make sure we have all the musical ammunition we need to satisfy the spectrum."

This new leg commences October 21st at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, CA and ends November 21st at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City, UT! The fan presale for the new dates begins at 10 AM ET on July 8th [PW: VICTORY26]. Local presales begin at 10 AM local time on July 9th, and tickets go on sale for the public at 10 AM local time on July 11th. For more info and tickets, visit todd-rundgren.com/tr-tour.html.

Todd’s band for the Damned If I Do tour will feature Gil Assayas (keys), Bruce McDaniel (guitar), Prairie Prince (drums), Bobby Strickland (horns), and Kasim Sulton (bass).

TODD RUNDGREN “DAMNED IF I DO” TOUR

June 11 – Arcada Theatre – St. Charles, IL

June 12 – Des Plaines Theatre – Des Plaines, IL

June 14 – Vibrant Music Hall – Waukee, IA

June 16 – Majestic Theatre – Dallas, TX

June 17 – House of Blues – Houston, TX

June 19 – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts – San Antonio, TX

June 20 – Golden Nugget – Lake Charles, LA

June 22 – Buckhead Theatre – Atlanta, GA

June 23 – The Parker – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

June 25 – Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, FL

June 26 – Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, FL

June 28 – Circle Square Cultural Center – Ocala, FL

June 30 – Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC

July 01 – Carolina Theatre of Durham – Durham, NC

July 03 – The Caverns – Pelham, TN

July 05 – KEMBA Live! – Columbus, OH

July 06 – Riviera Theatre – North Tonawanda, NY

July 08 – Community Arts Center – Williamsport, PA

July 09 – Warner Theatre – Washington, DC

July 11 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA

July 12 – Keswick Theatre - Glenside, PA

July 15 – Patchogue Theatre – Patchogue, NY

July 16 – Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, NY

July 18 – Bally’s Twin River Casino – Lincoln, RI

July 19 – Cabot Theater – Beverly, MA

August 8 – Englewood, NJ – Bergen PAC

August 9 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse

August 11 – Ocean City, NJ – Ocean City Music Pier

August 12 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theater

August 14 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE

August 15 – Newport, KY – MCL Pavilion

August 17 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bells Beer Garden

August 18 – Saginaw, MI – Temple Theatre

August 20 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Theatre

August 21 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater

August 23 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Clyde Theater

August 25 – Minneapolis, MN – Uptown Theatre

August 26 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre

August 28 – Louisville, KY – Brown Theater

August 29 – St Louis, MO – The Pageant

September 6 – Lorica, IT – Campo Sportivo

September 9 – London, UK – Cadogan Hall

September 10 – Bristol, UK – Bristol Beacon

September 12 – Manchester, UK – Opera House Manchester

September 13 – Glasgow, SCT – Theatre Royal Glasgow

September 18 – Aalburg, DK – Skraaen

September 19 – Helsingor, DK – Kulturvaerftet - The Culture Yard

September 21 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso Main Hall

October 21 – San Francisco, CA – Castro Theater

October 22 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theater

October 24 – Sacramento, CA – Quarry Park Amphitheater

October 25 – Oxnard, CA – Oxnard PAC

October 27 – San Diego, CA – The Sound

October 29 – Temecula, CA – Rhythm On The Vine

October 30 – Newport Beach, CA – Back Bay Amphitheatre at the Hyatt Regency

November 2 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern

November 4 – Tucson, AZ – La Rosa

November 6 – Albuquerque, NM – Kimo

November 7 – El Paso, TX – Plaza Theatre

November 9 – Colorado Springs, CO – Pikes Peak Center

November 10 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre

November 12 – Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theatre

November 13 – Las Vegas, NV – ZOUK

November 15 – Boise, ID – Egyptian Theatre

November 16 – Spokane, WA – Bing Crosby Theater

November 18 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre

November 19 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater

November 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Capitol Theatre

Whitesnake's 'Slide It In,' 'Whitesnake' & 'Slip Of The Tongue' To Be Reissued On Vinyl

 

In the mid- to late 1980s, Whitesnake exploded from a popular British hard rock band into a worldwide phenomenon, becoming one of the decade's most successful rock acts. This fall, Craft Recordings revisits that landmark period with vinyl reissues of Slide It In (1984), Whitesnake (1987), and Slip of the Tongue (1989). Powered by hits including “Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” “Still of the Night,” and “Fool for Your Loving,” the David Coverdale-led group’s run of multi-platinum albums helped define the sound and spectacle of 80s hard rock.

Arriving September 18, the titles return to vinyl in their original U.S. single LP configurations. Alongside the wide release on standard black vinyl, exclusive color pressings include the self-titled Whitesnake on “Tan Smoke” (via Walmart) and “Stone Marble” (Revolver). Fans can also find Whitesnake on limited-edition “Gold Black Ice,” alongside Slide It In on “Onyx” and Slip of the Tongue on “Crimson Moon,” exclusively via CraftRecordings.com. All three albums are available to pre-order and stream today.

Founded in 1978 by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee David Coverdale, Whitesnake was the next chapter in a career that had already brought him international acclaim as the frontman of Deep Purple. After appearing on the influential Deep Purple albums Burn, Stormbringer, and Come Taste the Band, Coverdale formed Whitesnake to pursue his own songwriting vision. While the band's earliest work was rooted in blues, soul, and classic British rock, later Whitesnake albums paired those influences with bigger hooks, a heavier guitar-driven sound, and arena-rock scale, propelling the band to worldwide success.

That evolution comes into sharp focus with 1984’s Slide It In, the album that pushed Whitesnake’s blues-rock foundation toward a leaner, more radio-ready hard rock sound. Powered by “Love Ain’t No Stranger,” “Slow an’ Easy,” and the swaggering title track, the album retained the grit and swing of the band’s earlier work while pointing clearly toward the bigger hooks and heightened production that would soon define the band’s international breakthrough. It became Whitesnake’s first U.S. Top 40 release and later achieved double-platinum certification in the U.S.

If Slide It In opened the door, 1987’s self-titled Whitesnake kicked it off its hinges. Often referred to simply as 1987, the album transformed the band into international superstars with “Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” and “Still of the Night.” A reimagined version of a song first released in 1982, “Here I Go Again” became the band’s signature hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100. The album peaked at No.2 on the Billboard 200, was certified 8x Platinum in the U.S., and yielded the No.2 Hot 100 hit “Is This Love.”

For the MTV generation, Whitesnake’s cinematic videos were central to the band’s rise, giving the songs a visual language as bold and polished as the records themselves. Among the most iconic was the video for “Here I Go Again,” featuring model and actress Tawny Kitaen, whose memorable appearance helped make it one of the defining music videos of the MTV era. Heavy rotation on the network helped introduce the band to millions of new fans worldwide, further elevating Whitesnake’s status as one of hard rock’s defining acts. Decades later, tracks like “Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” and “Still of the Night” remain staples of classic rock radio, streaming playlists, and concert stages around the world.

By 1989’s Slip of the Tongue, Whitesnake was firmly established on the world stage. Co-written by Coverdale and Adrian Vandenberg, the album took on a new dimension when Vandenberg was sidelined by a wrist injury and Steve Vai stepped in to record much of the guitar work. Featuring “Fool for Your Loving,” “The Deeper the Love,” and “Now You’re Gone,” Slip of the Tongue reached No.10 in both the U.S. and UK and earned platinum certification in the States.

 

Together, Slide It In, Whitesnake, and Slip of the Tongue capture a pivotal chapter in rock history, when blues-rock roots, stadium-sized spectacle, MTV-era image-making, and pop crossover instinct converged to create some of the era’s most enduring anthems. Collectively, the albums document David Coverdale’s evolution from respected British rock vocalist to international superstar and remain cornerstones of the hard rock canon.

Deep Purple Share Third Song From Forthcoming Album

 

Deep Purple have released a third single called “Guilt Trippin’”— just days ahead of the worldwide release of their new studio album SPLAT! out July 3 on earMUSIC. You can watch the video below.

“Guilt Trippin’” begins with a deceptively gentle piano intro and soon bursts into one of SPLAT!’s most unpredictable and exhilarating moments — featuring one of Ian Gillan’s most memorable vocal performances on the album. Behind the music lies another one of SPLAT!’s wonderfully bizarre stories: “Guilt Trippin’” imagines God and Charles Darwin sharing a drink in a pub, reflecting on how things on earth have not exactly worked out according to plan. The accompanying video follows a fly and a sycamore-seed spaceship on a wild ride through the increasingly absurd and dreamlike world of SPLAT!.

“The song starts, and I’m in the studio. I don’t have any words for it yet,” Ian Gillan explains. “So I just start screaming. It was the pure joy of yelling it. I vowed when I was 40 that I’d stop screaming by the time I was 60. Now I’m looking back and thinking, ‘Whatever happened to that?’ So we’ll give it a go.”

Gillan and bandmates Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey, and Simon McBride are currently on a major run of European summer dates before the SPLAT! World Tour heads to North America. 

For more info on the new album and tour dates, head over to deeppurple.com.

Jethro Tull's ‘J-Tull Dot Com: Another Cast Of The Net’ Set For August Release

Shining a new light on Jethro Tull’s 1999 album. J-Tull Dot Com: Another Cast Of The Net is triple CD and single Blu-ray package newly remixed by Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief) in stereo and surround sound, including Dolby Atmos. Along with the new mixes is a disc of bonus material, including six previously unreleased studio tracks and three live recordings taken from the band's tour in 2000. Listen below to the newly remixed version of album opener "Spiral."

The package is completed by extensive liner notes by Martin Webb & archival photo material across 36-pages. The set comes out on August 14.

Pre-order J-Tull Dot Com: Another Cast Of The Net

This will also mark the first time the album has been available on vinyl, with a Gatefold 180g double LP + LP-booklet edition featuring the 2026 remix, plus studio bonus material. Watch a trailer for the release below.

Cruise To The Edge 2027 Announced

Cruise to the Edge (CTTE) will return for its eleventh voyage in 2027 with the six-day / six-night full-ship charter cruise set to sail April 2-8, 2027, out of Miami, Florida, aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Jewel. The cruise will visit three ports: Cozumel, Mexico; Harvest Caye, Belize; and Costa Maya, Mexico.

As for the entertainment, CTTE ‘27 will be headlined by Kansas, Steve Hackett, Big Big Train, and Asia. Also returning to the cruise are favorites Haken, Pendragon, Neal Morse & The Resonance, Von Herzten Brothers, Caligula's Horse, Temic, Crown Lands, Spock's Beard, and Moon Safari, as well as, Jane Getter Premonition, Thank You Scientist, Rendezvous Point, Lari Basilio, Gazpacho,  Dave Cureton, Dave Kerzner and Friends, Marbin, and Gabriel Agudo. Joining the cruise for the first time are The Dear Hunter, Lunatic Soul, Voyage 35, Ozric Tentacles, Cheeto's Magazine, Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins, Haunt the Woods, Spafford, and Dim Gray. Plus, official cruise hosts Jon Kirkman, Roie Avin, and Mike Dawson will be returning to moderate Q&A’s and activities.

General on-sale in now underway, with cabins starting at $1,499.00 per person (double occupancy). Government fees, taxes, and merchant fees, are additional and mandatory for all passengers, regardless of age. For booking and more info, visit CruisetotheEdge.com.

On The Blue Cruise 2027 Announced

 

Details around the On the Blue cruise for 2027 have been been announced. Sailing April 8-15, 2027 out of Miami, Florida, aboard Norwegian Jewel, the seven-day excursion will feature performances by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artist Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues and singer, songwriter, and actor Rick Springfield.

The lineup is filled out by Asia, Don Felder formerly of the Eagles, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, The Orchestra, Al Stewart, Leonid & Friends the music of Chicago, Ricky Nelson Remembered starring Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, Firefall, Pure Prairie League, Ambrosia with special guests: Peter Beckett the voice of Player, John Ford Coley, Elliot Lurie of Looking Glass, Randy Hansen the music of Jimi Hendrix, Young Dubliners, Mellow Yellow, Marbin, Fernando Perdomo, The Bottom Feeders, The Empty Pockets, All Hat No Cattle, and Dueling Pianos. 

The music charter will visit four beautiful ports: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

Cabins start at $1,499.00 per person (double occupancy, not including mandatory taxes and fee supplement). For booking and more info, visit OntheBlueCruise.com.