Friday, August 30, 2024

Deluxe Edition of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ 'Long After Dark' Out October 18

Over four decades after its debut, a deluxe edition of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ groundbreaking but often overlooked 1982 album, Long After Dark, will be released via Geffen/UMe on October 18. 

The Petty Legacy archives will share previously unseen newly remastered film and audio from 1982 to 1983 this year, beginning with a new video for the French TV version of “Straight Into Darkness” featuring footage of the band performing at the Record Plant by award-winning director Alan Bibby —watch below.


“There was some music recorded for Long After Dark that didn’t get on the record, that I thought would’ve made it a better album,” said Tom Petty. “I left off…four things that I liked quite a bit. And probably a few more written that never even got in the door.”

Looking back on their third and final album together, legendary rock music producer Jimmy Iovine reflects, “Long After Dark, we thought we had it. Sounded like Positively Fourth Street, sounded like one of those records, you know. By the way, I think it is!”

Despite it being a golden era of The Heartbreakers playing at the height of their powers, it is widely known as the band’s most misunderstood and underrated success. The album features an edgy collection of rock ballads and guitar anthems backed by the unmistakable sound of The Heartbreakers, including founding members Mike Campbell (lead guitar), Benmont Tench (keyboards), Stan Lynch (drums), plus the new addition of Howie Epstein on bass and backing vocals.

Long After Dark (Deluxe Edition) will feature the songs that were lost in the debate over the album’s original direction. Notable highlights include finding Petty’s version of “Never Be You” — which was a #1 country hit for Rosanne Cash — pop anomaly “Don’t Make Me Walk the Line,” and an up-tempo version of “Ways To Be Wicked,” which was previously covered by Lone Justice, recorded at Applewood Studios in Denver, Colorado.  

Many of the additional tracks are taken from the French TV sessions, including acoustic gems, “Turning Point” and the Everly Brothers influenced “Keeping Me Alive.”

Long After Dark was a smash by the usual standards — Top 10 in Billboard, certified gold — and spawned three fan favorites, “You Got Lucky,” “Change of Heart” and “Straight Into Darkness.” Though it remains an unsung gem amongst its predecessors, Damn the Torpedoes and Hard Promises. “It’s a good little rock & roll record” but also “a tough record because I never knew if we were making the right decisions about songs,” Petty shared in Paul Zollo’s interview anthology, Conversations With Tom Petty.

Long After Dark (Deluxe Edition) features the newly remastered original album from the original analog master tapes, plus 12 rediscovered bonus tracks newly mixed by Petty’s longtime engineer Ryan Ulyate and boasts packaging designed by Grammy Award-winning designer Jeri Heiden, liner notes by legendary rock journalist and Tom Petty Radio host David Fricke, with commentary from Jimmy Iovine and Cameron Crowe and iconic archival photographs by Dennis Callahan, Neal Preston and Aaron Rapoport. 

The set will be released in a variety of configurations, highlighted by a limited edition TomPetty.com double LP pressing on 180-gram red with black splatter color vinyl, housed in a numbered foil tip-on jacket with an exclusive lithograph; a 3-disc set featuring two CDs, and a Blu-ray audio disc with additional hi-res stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes of the album and bonus tracks, also mixed by Ulyate; a variety of additional vinyl options includes a 2LP on 180-gram black vinyl; a limited edition 1LP 180-gram turquoise color vinyl pressing (main album only) with double-sided lithograph of Blaze Brooks’ illustrations (available exclusively at indie record stores).

The album will also be available at all streaming, download and HD audio download partners.

For more info, complete track listing and to pre-order two LP versions and three-disc set visit the official Tom Petty store

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Dolby Atmos Remix of David Bowie's 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars' Out September 6

 

Parlophone Records is proud to announce the first-ever Dolby Atmos spatial audio version of David Bowie's The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. The new mix of the album will be available on Blu-Ray Audio on September 6. 

The Blu-Ray audio disc of The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars features four iterations of this timeless album: 2024 Dolby Atmos mix, 2024 Stereo Mix (96 KHz / 24-bit PCM), original 1972 Stereo Mix – 2012 remaster (192 KHz / 24-bit PCM), and original 1972 Stereo Mix – 2012 remaster (48 KHz / 24-bit PCM). The Atmos version of the album was mixed by Emre Ramazanoglu and Ken Scott at RAK Studios, London. 

Ahead of the release, spectacular previously unseen footage from the Ziggy Stardust tour shot in the UK during 1972 and 1973 by late Bowie collaborator and photographer Mick Rock has been revealed, featuring the album version of “Starman” as its soundtrack. Check it out below.

Of this new Dolby Atmos mix, the album’s co-producer, Ken Scott, says, “ He was so theatrical I think being able to put him into an immersive place makes this a really good choice for an Atmos mix. My whole philosophy with this has been to make it more like a live experience. And I’ve even got him moving about the stage a little towards the end, the way he would have in real life. Hopefully it just feels as if you’re in the theatre with this amazing show going on.”

The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is the breakthrough album that catapulted David Bowie into the international spotlight. Over the past 50 years, it has remained a touchstone record, growing in stature with each passing year. It is now ingrained in popular culture, its undeniable influence spanning musicians from Arcade Fire to Lady Gaga, to Harry Styles’s androgynous fashion sense to Noel Fielding’s shirts on The Great British Bake-Off to Ziggy make-up challenges on Tik-Tok. Bowie laid to rest the Ziggy Stardust persona in July 1973 at his infamous last show with the Spiders From Mars at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, but Ziggy’s impact reverberates to this day.

Pre-order The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars





Friday, August 23, 2024

Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks Release Anticipated Album, 'True'


After months of anticipation, True, the debut album from Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks is out. The nine-song album, produced by Anderson and Richie Castellano, is the album Yes fans worldwide have been waiting for since the singer’s departure in 2008.  

The album’s centerpieces are two epic tracks — “Once Upon a Dream” and “Counties and Countries.”  

Check out the video for “Counties and Countries” below.


The video was created by Jon's co-producer and Band Geek member Richie Castellano and Jon’s long-time videographer Michael Byrne.

Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks commence the third leg of their summer tour in September. All remaining dates are below:

9/11/2024 - Beverly MA- Cabot Theatre
9/13/2024 - Glenside PA- Keswick Theatre
9/15/2024 - Glenside PA- Keswick Theatre
9/19/2024 - Port Chester NY- Capitol Theatre *
9/21/2024 - Montclair NJ- Wellmont Theatre *
9/25/2024 - New London CT- Garde Arts Center
9/27/2024 - Staten Island NY- St George Theatre *

*w/Special Guests The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

For more information, visit the official websites of Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks.



Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Foreigner Announces Career-Spanning Set and New Song

Foreigner will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on October 19. In celebration of this honor, the band will release a career-spanning collection that includes “Turning Back The Time,” a previously unreleased track originally recorded in 1996 featuring Mick Jones and Lou Gramm.
 
On October 4, Rhino will release Turning Back The Time in double LP and CD configurations. The music will also be available from digital and streaming platforms on the same day. Check out the single “Turning Back The Time” below.


“Foreigner’s membership in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a priceless highlight of my career. I hope that this collection of the songs that brought us here, along with some later recordings that light our way forward, will mean as much to all who listen to them as they do to me,” says Mick Jones. 
 
“There are a number of songs that Lou Gramm and I wrote together that have never seen the light of day. One of them, “Turning Back The Time,” was co-written with Marti Frederiksen. Marti and I recently revisited and reworked the song. Because of the time that had passed, we were able to go back to it with a fresh perspective. The sentiment of the song spoke to us now more than ever and with the upcoming Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, we thought it an ideal time to let the world hear it.”
 
Starting with its self-titled debut in 1977, Foreigner delivered some of rock’s most enduring anthems. Turning Back The Time includes the Top 10 hits “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” and “Urgent.” The set also features the ballads “Waiting For A Girl Like You” and “I Want To Know What Love Is,” which reached No. 2 and No. 1 respectively. 
 
The collection mainly draws from Foreigner’s first six albums, all of which earned platinum status or higher: Foreigner (5x platinum), Double Vision (7x platinum), Head Games (5x platinum), 4 (6x platinum), Agent Provocateur (3x platinum), and Inside Information (platinum). Mick Jones started work on reforming Foreigner in 2004 and that band, led by Kelly Hansen on vocals, is featured with songs from Feels Like The First Time (platinum). To date, Foreigner has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide, cementing its status as one of the top-selling bands of all time.

Friday, August 16, 2024

Don Henley's 'Building The Perfect Beast' Celebrates 40th Anniversary With Double LP Edition

As the Eagles’ gear up for their highly anticipated Sphere residency in Las Vegas, Nevada, Universal Music Enterprises announced today that it will release a 40th Anniversary vinyl edition of Don Henley’s triple-platinum Building The Perfect Beast album on October 4th.  

Pre-order Building The Perfect Beast

Building The Perfect Beast will be available as a double-LP set for the first time, remastered from the original analog tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. The album features the hit singles "The Boys of Summer,” “All She Wants to Do Is Dance," “Sunset Grill,” and “Not Enough Love in the World." The new 2-LP release will also feature the vinyl debut of the album’s complete track list, as “A Month Of Sundays” was only available previously on the CD, cassette, and digital versions. A newly remastered digital version of the album will be available on the same date for streaming and download.

In addition to featuring four hit singles, Building The Perfect Beast garnered five GRAMMY nominations and won the award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male for "The Boys Of Summer." Don Henley was the biggest winner of the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home four Moonmen, including Video of the Year for “The Boys of Summer,” which was also the year's most nominated video.

Best known as co-founder of the legendary rock band, the Eagles, as well as an influential solo artist, Don Henley has maintained an extraordinary commitment to music and various philanthropic efforts throughout his career, including a dedication to environmental issues and artists’ rights.

Raised in a small East Texas town, Henley was drawn to the sounds of exotic music broadcast from distant radio stations in New Orleans, Nashville, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. These stations introduced him to the blues, bluegrass, gospel, jazz, and rock and roll, paving the way for his future as an artist.

As a solo artist and member of the Eagles, Don Henley has received countless accolades, numerous gold and platinum records, and performed sold-out concert tours worldwide. A highly-respected musical artist, Henley launched his solo career in 1982 with his debut album, I Can't Stand Still, featuring the hit single "Dirty Laundry." 1984's Building The Perfect Beast followed, and the artist's track record continued unabated with 1989's The End Of The Innocence, which yielded three more hits, including the title track, and brought Henley another Best Rock Vocal GRAMMY Award. Henley is a founding member, drummer, vocalist, and songwriter of the Eagles.  The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and continues to perform sold-out concerts all over the world.

Formed in 1971, the Eagles pioneered a uniquely American musical style, blending elements of country, folk, R&B, rock, and pop. Since then, it has become one of the most creatively and commercially successful bands of all time. Despite today’s fractured rock ’n’ roll landscape, the Eagles retain a timeless appeal that transcends both generations and genres, solidifying the band’s status as a musical icon.




Monday, August 12, 2024

Joni Mitchell's 'Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)' Arrives October 4

Throughout the latter half of the seventies, Joni Mitchell continued to creatively break ground with her fearless and fluid exploration of jazz. Rather than tread the same path, she challenged and reinvented her style with a folk fusion like no other. Ascending to an unrivaled sonic peak, this innovative sound took shape across the gold-certified Hejira [1976], the gold-certified double-LP Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter [1977], her collaboration with Charles Mingus entitled Mingus [1979], and live album Shadows and Light [1980]. Channeling the thrill and excitement of these records, she delves even further into this season on Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980), releasing on October 4, 2024 via Rhino Records. 

Pre-order Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)


Listen to “Intro To Coyote / Coyote” from The Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada, Dec. 4, 1975 below

It stands out as the 12th release by the Joni Mitchell Archives and extends Rhino’s ongoing, Grammy-winning series exploring the vast untapped archives of rare Joni Mitchell recordings — a project guided intimately by Mitchell’s own vision and personal touch. Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) arrives in multiple configurations. It will be available as either a six-CD / digital version or a four-LP version, Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 4 Highlights: The Asylum Years (1976-1980). The 4LP set also specifically consists of Joni’s personal favorites from the 6CD version. Each version includes a book with never-before-seen photos and liner notes comprising a deep dive discussion between Mitchell and longtime friend Cameron Crowe. As part of their candid conversation, she shares intimate anecdotes, memories, and stories from that five-year creative run.

This comprehensive and essential set spans one of the most prolific periods of her storied career. It boasts powerful live tracks from her time in Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue during 1975 and 1976 Tour of the United States. It pulls back the curtain on the music by showcasing early recordings and alternate takes from the respective sessions for Hejira, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, and Mingus. It covers the Bread & Roses Festival as well as the Anti-Nuclear Rally. Finally, Vol. 4 chronicles her 1979 tour, even showcasing two tracks from that year’s Tour Rehearsals. Not to mention, it showcases her versatility and adaptability, housing collaborations with everyone from Herbie Hancock and Jaco Pastorious to Wayne Shorter and Pat Metheny.

Vol. 4 culls the previously-unissued material from original stereo reels, cassette tapes, CD-Rs, and even a radio broadcast. Newly mixed tracks came from multi-track tapes, while a handful of hi-res digital tracks have been sourced from the Bob Dylan Archives.

Last fall, Mitchell appeared at the Hollywood Bowl to perform three songs with Brandi Carlile. Earlier this year, she impressively made her debut on the Grammy Awards stage with a historic rendition of “Both Sides Now” alongside Carlile, Allison Russell, Lucius, Jacob Collier, Blake Mills, and SistaStrings. She also accepted a Grammy in the category of “Best Folk Album” for Joni Mitchell At Newport [Live] during the ceremony.

This October 19 and 20, Mitchell will be headlining her own ‘Joni Jam’ at the Hollywood Bowl featuring special ‘Joni Jam’ guests. 

Friday, August 9, 2024

George Harrison & Friends' 'The Concert For Bangladesh' Now Streaming

For the first time, The Concert For Bangladesh, the Grammy- Award-winning album from George Harrison, Ravi Shankar & friends, is now available for streaming across all major digital music providers worldwide.

Stream / purchase The Concert For Bangladesh album 

The Concert For Bangladesh was the first major music benefit of its kind. Two sold out concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden brought together an extraordinary assemblage of major artists collaborating for a common humanitarian goal – setting the precedent that music could be used to serve a higher cause.

With its triple album box set and feature film, The Concert For Bangladesh has generated millions of dollars for UNICEF and raised awareness for the organization around the world. To quote the former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, “George and his friends were pioneers.”

By August 1971, when George Harrison, Ravi Shankar & friends took the stage to play The Concert For Bangladesh, 10 million East Pakistani refugees had fled over the border into India, facing significant challenges, including the threat of hunger and disease. Up to that point, little public attention had been drawn to the crisis in East Pakistan/Bangladesh. Few people outside the region were aware of what was happening to these refugees or how to help those affected.

Harrison organized the two groundbreaking concerts to direct global attention to the unfolding humanitarian crisis and raise funds for UNICEF’s work with the refugees. He assembled an all-star line-up of fellow artists including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, and, of course, Ravi Shankar:

“The musicians were great. I mean they completely put down their own egos to play together and to do something because the whole vibe of that concert was that it was something bigger than the lot of us.” – George Harrison

Now, over 50 years later, children in Bangladesh continue to face risks from ongoing violence and unrest. But UNICEF's presence remains – ensuring every child is healthy and protected – and The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF continues the concert's legacy by providing support for critical UNICEF programs not only in Bangladesh, but anywhere children are in need.

The album is packed with astonishing performances and makes for a rousing listening experience. The historic collection, now celebrating over 50 years, also contains a bonus track – the original studio version of George’s song “Bangla Desh”, released as a single in July 1971.

All net proceeds (after taxes), will be donated to the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. For more information visit www.georgeharrisonfundforunicef.org. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF does not endorse any brand or product. 

Sir Cliff Richard Announces 48th Studio Album

    Today, 67 years after scoring his very first number one with The Drifters with "Living Doll," Sir Cliff Richard has announced ...