When The Beatles were in Hamburg, George Harrison found himself in a highly uncomfortable situation with a friend. Fellow musician Gene Vincent believed his tour manager was having an affair with his girlfriend and wanted to confront him. Harrison, who was still a teenager at the time, tagged along. Suddenly, he found himself in far deeper than he’d been expecting.
George Harrison found himself in a frightening situation with a friend
The Beatles met Vincent in Hamburg. While they liked the other musician, they found him a bit intimidating. John Lennon described him as a “wild guy,” and Paul McCartney said Vincent was always offering to knock him out.
“Gene had been a marine, and he was always offering to knock me out; he knew two pressure points,” McCartney said in The Beatles Anthology. “I said, ‘Get out of it. Sod off!’ He’d say, ‘Oh come on, you...
George Harrison found himself in a frightening situation with a friend
The Beatles met Vincent in Hamburg. While they liked the other musician, they found him a bit intimidating. John Lennon described him as a “wild guy,” and Paul McCartney said Vincent was always offering to knock him out.
“Gene had been a marine, and he was always offering to knock me out; he knew two pressure points,” McCartney said in The Beatles Anthology. “I said, ‘Get out of it. Sod off!’ He’d say, ‘Oh come on, you...
- 11/21/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In honor of the late Robbie Robertson, whose “Killers of the Flower Moon” score was his final work, Martin Scorsese hosted a private tribute concert Wednesday in Los Angeles that had guests including Joni Mitchell, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone watching Jackson Browne and other musicians perform Robertson’s songs as well as score excerpts.
The tribute to Robertson — who died on Aug. 9 at age 80 — took place before 200 invited guests at the composer’s longtime recording-studio home, the Village Studios in West L.A. Among those joining Browne as performers were Rocco DeLuca, Citizen Cope, Angela McCluskey, Blake Mills, Jim Keltner and, briefly, Jason Isbell, who has a small role in “Killers.”
Jackson Browne and Jason Isbell at the Robbie Robertson Memorial Concert at The Village Studios on November 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Robertson was being doubly celebrated Wednesday night. Simultaneous with the tribute concert, he was being posthumously awarded...
The tribute to Robertson — who died on Aug. 9 at age 80 — took place before 200 invited guests at the composer’s longtime recording-studio home, the Village Studios in West L.A. Among those joining Browne as performers were Rocco DeLuca, Citizen Cope, Angela McCluskey, Blake Mills, Jim Keltner and, briefly, Jason Isbell, who has a small role in “Killers.”
Jackson Browne and Jason Isbell at the Robbie Robertson Memorial Concert at The Village Studios on November 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Robertson was being doubly celebrated Wednesday night. Simultaneous with the tribute concert, he was being posthumously awarded...
- 11/16/2023
- by Pamela Chelin
- Variety Film + TV
Ringo Starr became a world-famous drummer after joining The Beatles in 1962. While he didn’t often play solos for the band, he shined in heavy songs like “Helter Skelter” and “Rain.” He has been playing drums since he was a kid, but he never practices. However, he always got better the more he consistently played.
Ringo Starr says he doesn’t practice and gets better by playing Ringo Starr | Chris McKay/Getty Images
Some people must practice tirelessly to perfect their abilities, while others are naturally gifted. They have an exceptional talent that they improve upon whenever they use it. That appears true with Ringo Starr, who has played the drums since childhood.
Starr has had several outstanding performances on the drums from his career, and he selected one in a conversation with Modern Drummer. In his response, the former Beatle said he never practices but keeps improving as he gets “more comfortable” with playing.
Ringo Starr says he doesn’t practice and gets better by playing Ringo Starr | Chris McKay/Getty Images
Some people must practice tirelessly to perfect their abilities, while others are naturally gifted. They have an exceptional talent that they improve upon whenever they use it. That appears true with Ringo Starr, who has played the drums since childhood.
Starr has had several outstanding performances on the drums from his career, and he selected one in a conversation with Modern Drummer. In his response, the former Beatle said he never practices but keeps improving as he gets “more comfortable” with playing.
- 6/8/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tl;Dr:
The Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” was hated by critics because it was considered too sugary. It isn’t as experimental as some of the classic tracks The Beach Boys released in the 1960s. Despite this, the song fills a void in the world of popular music. The Beach Boys | Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer
The Beach Boys‘ “Kokomo” garnered a hostile reception among music critics. They’re wrong. Here’s a look at why “Kokomo” is hated and why it is so much better than its reputation suggests.
A drummer said critics hated The Beach Boys’ ‘Kokomo’ and tried to kill it with their words
Jim Keltner is a studio drummer who worked on “Kokomo.” During a 2004 interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said critics loathed the song “because it’s just sooo syrupy pop.” Of course, the reviews only mattered so much. “But while the critics killed it with their words,...
The Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” was hated by critics because it was considered too sugary. It isn’t as experimental as some of the classic tracks The Beach Boys released in the 1960s. Despite this, the song fills a void in the world of popular music. The Beach Boys | Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer
The Beach Boys‘ “Kokomo” garnered a hostile reception among music critics. They’re wrong. Here’s a look at why “Kokomo” is hated and why it is so much better than its reputation suggests.
A drummer said critics hated The Beach Boys’ ‘Kokomo’ and tried to kill it with their words
Jim Keltner is a studio drummer who worked on “Kokomo.” During a 2004 interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said critics loathed the song “because it’s just sooo syrupy pop.” Of course, the reviews only mattered so much. “But while the critics killed it with their words,...
- 6/2/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1973, the world saw George Harrison as the Beatle who was winning the break-up. He became a solo superstar with All Things Must Pass, his big triple-vinyl extravaganza, then his noble and star-sudded Concert For Bangla Desh. He’d finally broken free of the Fabs and gotten everything he’d ever wanted. Right? Well, not exactly. George stripped it all down for his sleeper masterpiece: Living In The Material World, released 50 years ago at the end of May 1973. It’s the most profoundly weird album of his life.
Over the years,...
Over the years,...
- 5/31/2023
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
In 1971, George Harrison became involved in a lengthy lawsuit that cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars. The suit accused the former Beatle of plagiarizing a song by The Chiffons when making “My Sweet Lord”. While the lawsuit cost George Harrison a lot of money, he still got a song out of it that made fun of the whole situation.
George Harrison lost a copyright lawsuit over his song ‘My Sweet Lord’ George Harrison | Dave Hogan/Getty Images
“My Sweet Lord” is one of the biggest hits from Harrison’s solo career. The track was released in 1970’s All Things Must Pass and was also released as a single, peaking at No. 1 on the charts in the U.S. and U.K. Since it was so popular, many noticed the song’s similarity to a 1963 song by The Chiffons titled “He’s So Fine”.
In 1971, Bright Tunes, the publisher of...
George Harrison lost a copyright lawsuit over his song ‘My Sweet Lord’ George Harrison | Dave Hogan/Getty Images
“My Sweet Lord” is one of the biggest hits from Harrison’s solo career. The track was released in 1970’s All Things Must Pass and was also released as a single, peaking at No. 1 on the charts in the U.S. and U.K. Since it was so popular, many noticed the song’s similarity to a 1963 song by The Chiffons titled “He’s So Fine”.
In 1971, Bright Tunes, the publisher of...
- 5/21/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
There was a stark contrast between Ringo Starr’s Beatles career and his post-Fab Four work. He drummed exclusively with The Beatles once he joined the band. The timekeeper worked with dozens of musicians when the group folded, never more so than when he started performing with his All-Starr Band. Ringo said he’d call on one particular drummer he has something in common with if his frequent timekeeping partner ever leaves the All-Starr Band.
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr | Fiona Adams/Redferns What Ringo Starr and Sheila E. have in common
They came up in different eras. They have different kit setups — his a basic bare-bones construction and hers a galaxy of toms, cymbals, and bass drums. Their styles differ. But Ringo and Sheila E. have something in common — they’re both “backward” drummers.
The left-handed Ringo plays on a kit set up for righties. He always has. It’s...
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr | Fiona Adams/Redferns What Ringo Starr and Sheila E. have in common
They came up in different eras. They have different kit setups — his a basic bare-bones construction and hers a galaxy of toms, cymbals, and bass drums. Their styles differ. But Ringo and Sheila E. have something in common — they’re both “backward” drummers.
The left-handed Ringo plays on a kit set up for righties. He always has. It’s...
- 5/20/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In the summer of 1989, Paul McCartney hit the road for the first time as a solo artist. The Wings tours of the Seventies had featured only a smattering of Beatles songs, but this time around he was going to play nearly 20 a night. Pulling this off would require a guitarist who was capable of re-creating some very famous parts originally played by George Harrison and John Lennon. McCartney had his choice of big-name players for the job, but he went with Robbie McIntosh.
“That tour was the high point of my life,...
“That tour was the high point of my life,...
- 5/16/2023
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
When The Beatles broke up, George Harrison and John Lennon were not happy with former bandmate Paul McCartney. Lennon disparaged his solo music and wrote pointed lyrics about McCartney. Harrison said that he would never work with him in a band again. They talked trash about him privately too, but they made it clear that the people they were talking to shouldn’t join in.
George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon | Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images George Harrison and John Lennon were not happy with Paul McCartney when The Beatles split
When The Beatles broke up, McCartney sued the band in order to take control of their catalog from manager Allen Klein. This, coupled with festering irritation over McCartney’s behavior in the studio, infuriated his bandmates. Lennon wrote the brutal “How Do You Sleep?” about McCartney, and Harrison said publicly that he wouldn’t want to work with McCartney again.
George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon | Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images George Harrison and John Lennon were not happy with Paul McCartney when The Beatles split
When The Beatles broke up, McCartney sued the band in order to take control of their catalog from manager Allen Klein. This, coupled with festering irritation over McCartney’s behavior in the studio, infuriated his bandmates. Lennon wrote the brutal “How Do You Sleep?” about McCartney, and Harrison said publicly that he wouldn’t want to work with McCartney again.
- 4/19/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Outside of Lennon-McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr formed their own songwriting partnership in The Beatles. They continued working together for decades after the band’s split. They trusted each other as musicians and knew exactly what they’d get when they asked each other to appear in songs. Here are 10 of the best collaborations between George and Ringo, in and out of the recording studio.
George Harrison and Ringo Starr | Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images 10. ‘Octopus’s Garden’
Ringo wrote “Octopus’s Garden” after sailing one day in 1968. He ordered fish and chips, and they accidentally gave him squid. Ringo’s feelings about the tensions between The Beatles are expressed in the lyrics like, “I’d like to be under the sea.” He wanted to be anywhere else but in the recording studio with them. However, he did let George help him throughout the songwriting process.
9. ‘Here Comes the Sun...
George Harrison and Ringo Starr | Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images 10. ‘Octopus’s Garden’
Ringo wrote “Octopus’s Garden” after sailing one day in 1968. He ordered fish and chips, and they accidentally gave him squid. Ringo’s feelings about the tensions between The Beatles are expressed in the lyrics like, “I’d like to be under the sea.” He wanted to be anywhere else but in the recording studio with them. However, he did let George help him throughout the songwriting process.
9. ‘Here Comes the Sun...
- 4/8/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On Dec. 8, 1980, John Lennon was assassinated outside his apartment building in New York City. The news shocked the world, and many musicians paid tribute to the former Beatle shortly after his death. For the remaining Beatles members, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney, it took some time for them to process John Lennon’s death fully. However, they each mourned their former bandmate and friend in the way they knew best: music.
The Beatles | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Here are 3 tribute songs the members of The Beatles performed for John Lennon ‘All Those Years Ago’ — George Harrison
George Harrison released “All Those Years Ago” as a single in 1981 for his album Somewhere in England. Initially, he wrote the song for Ringo Starr. However, Starr didn’t like the lyrics and felt the track was out of his range. Harrison took the song back and decided to change the lyrics after Lennon’s death.
The Beatles | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Here are 3 tribute songs the members of The Beatles performed for John Lennon ‘All Those Years Ago’ — George Harrison
George Harrison released “All Those Years Ago” as a single in 1981 for his album Somewhere in England. Initially, he wrote the song for Ringo Starr. However, Starr didn’t like the lyrics and felt the track was out of his range. Harrison took the song back and decided to change the lyrics after Lennon’s death.
- 3/21/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tl;Dr:
George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set on You” came from his album Cloud Nine.The album Cloud Nine was originally going to feature covers of Bob Dylan songs.“Got My Mind Set on You” was a No. 1 single in the United States but not in the United Kingdom. George Harrison | Aaron Rapoport / Contributor
George Harrison‘s “Got My Mind Set on You” was a cover of a song by another artist. Someone told George it sounded different from all of his other songs. George agreed and subsequently explained why this was the case.
George Harrison worked with the Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne to make his album ‘Cloud Nine’
The book George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters features an interview from 1987. In it, George discussed how his album Cloud Nine came together.
“I had a lot of demos,” he said. “I played them to [the Eclectic Light Orchestra’s] Jeff [Lynne]; he picked them out.
George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set on You” came from his album Cloud Nine.The album Cloud Nine was originally going to feature covers of Bob Dylan songs.“Got My Mind Set on You” was a No. 1 single in the United States but not in the United Kingdom. George Harrison | Aaron Rapoport / Contributor
George Harrison‘s “Got My Mind Set on You” was a cover of a song by another artist. Someone told George it sounded different from all of his other songs. George agreed and subsequently explained why this was the case.
George Harrison worked with the Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne to make his album ‘Cloud Nine’
The book George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters features an interview from 1987. In it, George discussed how his album Cloud Nine came together.
“I had a lot of demos,” he said. “I played them to [the Eclectic Light Orchestra’s] Jeff [Lynne]; he picked them out.
- 2/23/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ringo Starr is still alive and well, thank you very much. The drummer said Paul McCartney likes to think he’s the only Bealte left, but Macca’s opinion doesn’t change the fact that the drummer and his songs live on. And Ringo’s influence on Paul might be as profound as Macca’s impact on pop music.
Paul McCartney (left) and Ringo Starr | Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Ringo Starr’s drumming was almost as important to The Beatles as Paul McCartney’s songs
The Beatles wouldn’t have been as massively popular as they became without infectious hit tunes. Chalk one (or several) up for Paul, whose songs became some of the Fab Four’s biggest No. 1 hits. “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude,” and “Let It Be” were Paul songs made famous by The Beatles.
On the flip side, though, the songs wouldn’t have sounded...
Paul McCartney (left) and Ringo Starr | Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Ringo Starr’s drumming was almost as important to The Beatles as Paul McCartney’s songs
The Beatles wouldn’t have been as massively popular as they became without infectious hit tunes. Chalk one (or several) up for Paul, whose songs became some of the Fab Four’s biggest No. 1 hits. “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude,” and “Let It Be” were Paul songs made famous by The Beatles.
On the flip side, though, the songs wouldn’t have sounded...
- 2/14/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
George Harrison knew his former bandmate Ringo Starr would want to play on his 1987 album Cloud Nine before he even told the drummer about it. Actually, George didn’t leave room for discussion: Ringo would play on it no matter what.
Ringo Starr and George Harrison | Dave Hogan/Getty Images George Harrison said Ringo Starr needed to play on his 1987 album, ‘Cloud Nine’
After releasing 1982’s Gone Troppo, George stopped releasing music for a few years. The music industry had gotten too serious for him, and he craved to work with someone who understood him. So, George backed off. He recorded demos and worked with his film production company, HandMade Films.
Then, in 1986, George met Elo frontman Jeff Lynne and instantly knew he wanted to work with the producer on a new album. During a 1986 interview on Australian TV, George said that he’d decided to make a new album...
Ringo Starr and George Harrison | Dave Hogan/Getty Images George Harrison said Ringo Starr needed to play on his 1987 album, ‘Cloud Nine’
After releasing 1982’s Gone Troppo, George stopped releasing music for a few years. The music industry had gotten too serious for him, and he craved to work with someone who understood him. So, George backed off. He recorded demos and worked with his film production company, HandMade Films.
Then, in 1986, George met Elo frontman Jeff Lynne and instantly knew he wanted to work with the producer on a new album. During a 1986 interview on Australian TV, George said that he’d decided to make a new album...
- 2/12/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
George Harrison said that on his 1987 album, Cloud Nine, he ignored the technological advancements that had become popular since his previous album, 1982’s Gone Troppo. He wanted to make good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.
George Harrison | Solomon NJie/Getty Images George Harrison and his producer, Jeff Lynne, had the same vision for ‘Cloud Nine’
There were a few reasons why there were five years between Gone Troppo and Cloud Nine. First of all, George had gotten sick of contemporary music. He claimed it all sounded the same, and that’s what the record companies liked. So, George took a break and, in the meantime, recorded demos and founded his film production company, HandMade Films.
Most importantly, George couldn’t find the right person to help him make a new album. He wanted someone who understood him and his music.
“I had to have somebody who I respected and who I...
George Harrison | Solomon NJie/Getty Images George Harrison and his producer, Jeff Lynne, had the same vision for ‘Cloud Nine’
There were a few reasons why there were five years between Gone Troppo and Cloud Nine. First of all, George had gotten sick of contemporary music. He claimed it all sounded the same, and that’s what the record companies liked. So, George took a break and, in the meantime, recorded demos and founded his film production company, HandMade Films.
Most importantly, George couldn’t find the right person to help him make a new album. He wanted someone who understood him and his music.
“I had to have somebody who I respected and who I...
- 1/30/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind hit shelves on Sept. 30, 1997, it was hailed by fans and critics as his best work in decades. The Daniel Lanois-produced LP won a Grammy for Album of the Year, kickstarted an incredible period of renewed vitality for Dylan, and forever silenced any doubters who felt he’d never recapture the magic of his early years. Just about the only person unhappy with the album was Bob Dylan himself.
“I felt extremely frustrated, because I couldn’t get any of the up-tempo songs that I wanted,...
“I felt extremely frustrated, because I couldn’t get any of the up-tempo songs that I wanted,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
The harmonium in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2002 film "Punch-Drunk Love" enters the movie in a dramatic and unexplained fashion. It's just before dawn next to a wholesale warehouse somewhere in the San Fernando Valley. Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) has stepped out into the warm darkness to drink his coffee. A red truck down the street is approaching at incredible speeds. Unexpectedly, the truck — perhaps striking something — is flipped into the air, and violently cartwheels down the street, spraying shards of metal and plastic all over the road. A second vehicle, a red taxi van, pulls up next to the carnage, right in front of Barry. The door opens and a faceless man places a harmonium on the sidewalk. The taxi speeds off. In less than a minute, everything is quiet again.
Barry takes the harmonium inside.
Barry is an angry, lonely man who will spend the span of "Punch-Drunk Love" awkwardly beginning a sweet,...
Barry takes the harmonium inside.
Barry is an angry, lonely man who will spend the span of "Punch-Drunk Love" awkwardly beginning a sweet,...
- 1/14/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
This July 7, 2022, Ringo Starr and his wife Barbara Starkey will be joined on his birthday by family and friends, including current All Starrs Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter, Colin Hay, Warren Ham and Gregg Bissonette, as well as friends Benmont Tench, Jim Keltner, Richard Marx, Matt Sorum, Ed Begley Jr., Linda Perry, Diane Warren, Roy Jr and Alex Orbison.
Ringo Celebrates His Birthday With His Annual Campaign For Peace And Love
They will gather together in Los Angeles for Ringo’s annual Peace & Love Birthday event, and at Noon give the traditional “Peace and Love” exclamation. This year Artemis Music Space Network, through the International Space Station (Iss) will amplify that message not only to the entire planet but up into Earth’s orbit and to the stars.
At Noon Ringo will signal the Artemis Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas to beam his message & music (Ringo’s 2021 single release “Let...
Ringo Celebrates His Birthday With His Annual Campaign For Peace And Love
They will gather together in Los Angeles for Ringo’s annual Peace & Love Birthday event, and at Noon give the traditional “Peace and Love” exclamation. This year Artemis Music Space Network, through the International Space Station (Iss) will amplify that message not only to the entire planet but up into Earth’s orbit and to the stars.
At Noon Ringo will signal the Artemis Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas to beam his message & music (Ringo’s 2021 single release “Let...
- 7/5/2022
- Look to the Stars
Yes drummer Alan White, who joined the progressive rock band in 1972 and stayed with them for the next 50 years, has died at 72 after a brief illness.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is most famous for his work in Yes, but also performed with John Lennon in the Plastic Ono Band — He’s featured on both “Instant Karma” and “Imagine” — and with George Harrison on All Things Must Pass.
“Throughout his life and six-decade career, Alan was many things to many people,” his family wrote in a statement confirming his death.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is most famous for his work in Yes, but also performed with John Lennon in the Plastic Ono Band — He’s featured on both “Instant Karma” and “Imagine” — and with George Harrison on All Things Must Pass.
“Throughout his life and six-decade career, Alan was many things to many people,” his family wrote in a statement confirming his death.
- 5/26/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Music legend Ringo Starr is the latest celebrity instructor to join MasterClass, the streaming platform that taps leaders from sports, entertainment, politics and culture to curate and teach classes online.
Starr’s new course will be about “Drumming and Creative Collaboration,” with 10 video lessons spanning almost two hours in length total. Each lesson is broken down by topic, and the Beatles’ drummer will talk about everything from selecting the proper drum kit essentials, to playing tips and techniques, to how to connect with an audience and convey emotion and feeling through your drum sticks.
Starr’s new course will be about “Drumming and Creative Collaboration,” with 10 video lessons spanning almost two hours in length total. Each lesson is broken down by topic, and the Beatles’ drummer will talk about everything from selecting the proper drum kit essentials, to playing tips and techniques, to how to connect with an audience and convey emotion and feeling through your drum sticks.
- 11/22/2021
- by Tim Chan
- Rollingstone.com
With Peter Jackson’s re-cut of The Beatles: Get Back coming at the end of November, we are reminded the Beatles were cinematic stars as well as musical artists. Beyond the group’s films, John Lennon played Private Gripweed in Richard Lester’s How I Won the War, and Ringo Starr acted in quite a few films. His choices were far more in keeping with the underground and independent air of the time. Starr starred with Peter Sellars in the anti-capitalist satire The Magic Christian, as the villain in the Spaghetti Western Blindman, and the voyeuristic Mexican gardener Emmanuel in the sex farce Candy. But his most counterculture and independent nod was as Frank Zappa in the film 200 Motels (1971). A special edition of its soundtrack, Frank Zappa 200 Motels 50th Anniversary Edition, is coming out on Dec. 17.
Written by Zappa, who co-directed with Tony Palmer, 200 Motels is a musical...
Written by Zappa, who co-directed with Tony Palmer, 200 Motels is a musical...
- 11/17/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Rock ‘n’ roll bands, we’re told, are the closest and most combative of families. They come up in the world together, they eat and sleep and ride a tour bus together, they haunt the recording studio together, they become experts in how to manipulate (and shield themselves from) the media together, and, in a funny way, they break up together. But in 1970, Joe Cocker fronted a band of virtuoso ruffians called Mad Dogs & Englishmen, who put on some of the most musically rambunctious and cathartic concerts of their time, and the strange thing is that the band members barely knew each other.
In 1969, Cocker had made a splash at Woodstock — it was the first time almost anyone had seen his writhing British blues-dog self — and after riding that buzz for a while, he fired his band out from under him and tried to take a break. But an American...
In 1969, Cocker had made a splash at Woodstock — it was the first time almost anyone had seen his writhing British blues-dog self — and after riding that buzz for a while, he fired his band out from under him and tried to take a break. But an American...
- 10/24/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
In the fall of 1994, Chad Smith was in the middle of a soundcheck at the Rose Bowl, where the Red Hot Chili Peppers were about to open for the Rolling Stones, when his drum tech started gesturing to him with his head. “I look over and he was giving me one of those [motions], like, ‘Hey, look over here,’ and I look by the monitor desk and Charlie Watts was standing there. It was a warm Los Angeles afternoon, and he’s in a perfect suit. I’m like, [mock-sheepishly] ‘Ah, shit,...
- 8/26/2021
- by Hank Shteamer
- Rollingstone.com
In 2013, I interviewed the Rolling Stones for this magazine as the band prepared for the next leg of their 50th anniversary tour. I’d talked to Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ron Wood before, but never Charlie Watts. I was excited by the prospect: For more years than I could count, I had wanted to be able to sit in a room and talk with him about jazz. I got to do that, but the section I wrote about him didn’t make the final story.
After I learned Watts...
After I learned Watts...
- 8/25/2021
- by Mikal Gilmore
- Rollingstone.com
Pete Townshend wrote a heartfelt tribute to Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones drummer who died on Tuesday at age 80.
The Who guitarist posted a photo of a rainbow on Instagram, captioning it, “Full Moon. Rainbow. Always a sign. Charlie Watts wept at Keith Moon’s funeral. I wish I was capable of such tears today. Instead, I just want to say goodbye. Not a rock drummer, a jazz drummer really, and that’s why the Stones swung like the Basie band!! Such a lovely man. God bless his wife and daughter,...
The Who guitarist posted a photo of a rainbow on Instagram, captioning it, “Full Moon. Rainbow. Always a sign. Charlie Watts wept at Keith Moon’s funeral. I wish I was capable of such tears today. Instead, I just want to say goodbye. Not a rock drummer, a jazz drummer really, and that’s why the Stones swung like the Basie band!! Such a lovely man. God bless his wife and daughter,...
- 8/24/2021
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
The Beatles are credited with a lot of “firsts” in rock history. They were the first band to play stadium concerts, put intentional feedback, backwards instrumentation, and faded introductions into songs. Because of their ever-experimental guitarist, they were also the first rock band to put sitar and tamboura drones in pop rock and perform the first Indian modality prog piece. George Harrison didn’t stop expanding possibilities away from his bandmates. His first solo release after The Beatles’ break up, All Things Must Pass – which will have a celebratory remix release this week, was the first triple album coming from a single act in rock. In 1971, his Concert for Bangladesh was the first rock benefit concert.
The Aug. 1, 1971 show, and subsequent record and film, set the standard for musical contributions to charity. Mistakes were made, and Harrison himself paid out to fix them, teaching a valuable lesson for rock benefits to follow.
The Aug. 1, 1971 show, and subsequent record and film, set the standard for musical contributions to charity. Mistakes were made, and Harrison himself paid out to fix them, teaching a valuable lesson for rock benefits to follow.
- 8/4/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Available this week, a three song EP titled Prayers, featuring a collaboration of multi-grammy award winning singer, songwriter and producer Joe Walsh and preeminent classical Sarod virtuoso and composer Amjad Ali Khan.
Joe Walsh Collaborates With Amjad Ali Khan On Prayers
Sonically the difference between rock and roll and classic Indian music could not be bigger – and it was exactly that which compelled them: what would happen if they came together and let their instruments do the talking? The result is music that is truly collaborative, and unlike any Joe has ever created, infused with a spiritual feel, fittingly titled Prayers.
Net Proceeds will go to Intrahealth International.
The two first met while Joe was visiting India. After playing together at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai (at the suggestion of Amjad’s son) Joe invited them all, Amjad and his two sons, to come to Los Angeles and record...
Joe Walsh Collaborates With Amjad Ali Khan On Prayers
Sonically the difference between rock and roll and classic Indian music could not be bigger – and it was exactly that which compelled them: what would happen if they came together and let their instruments do the talking? The result is music that is truly collaborative, and unlike any Joe has ever created, infused with a spiritual feel, fittingly titled Prayers.
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The two first met while Joe was visiting India. After playing together at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai (at the suggestion of Amjad’s son) Joe invited them all, Amjad and his two sons, to come to Los Angeles and record...
- 6/10/2021
- Look to the Stars
In February, the drummer Eric Slick got a text from his friend, the Philadelphia-based sound engineer Jon Low.
“Hey, do you want to play on some songs?” Low asked the Dr. Dog drummer and singer-songwriter.
Slick agreed, and what followed was an intensely confidential remote recording process unlike anything the drummer had ever experienced: “I get the most private, secret disk image file that’s password protected with a song that’s also password protected,” he says. “I’ve never been involved in anything so top secret in my life.
“Hey, do you want to play on some songs?” Low asked the Dr. Dog drummer and singer-songwriter.
Slick agreed, and what followed was an intensely confidential remote recording process unlike anything the drummer had ever experienced: “I get the most private, secret disk image file that’s password protected with a song that’s also password protected,” he says. “I’ve never been involved in anything so top secret in my life.
- 3/29/2021
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
One of the best records of the early 2000s is almost impossible to find online. You can purchase a copy of Meaningless — producer Jon Brion’s only solo album, released 20 years ago this month — from CDBaby or find a low-quality rip on YouTube. But unless you’re a die-hard fan, there’s a good chance the album’s gemlike songs of anxiety, unrequited love, and depression passed you by entirely.
“I think he’s a phenomenal musician and has an incredible sense of melody,” Aimee Mann, who co-wrote a song on Meaningless,...
“I think he’s a phenomenal musician and has an incredible sense of melody,” Aimee Mann, who co-wrote a song on Meaningless,...
- 1/26/2021
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
John Fogerty is no fan of President Donald Trump; the former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader even issued a cease-and-desist order (promptly ignored) this fall when “Fortunate Son” was cranked during Trump rallies. Now, Fogerty will be sending Trump off in his own way — with “Weeping in the Promised Land,” the 75-year-old rocker’s first new song in eight years.
Centered around Fogerty’s voice and piano, with only a handful of gospel singers accompanying him, the song marks a return to the socially conscious themes that powered Creedence anthems like...
Centered around Fogerty’s voice and piano, with only a handful of gospel singers accompanying him, the song marks a return to the socially conscious themes that powered Creedence anthems like...
- 1/6/2021
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Before becoming a filmmaker, Leaving Las Vegas director Mike Figgis was a musician and performer in the experimental group called The People Show. Before that, he played trumpet and guitar in the experimental jazz ensemble The People Band, whose first record was produced by Rolling Stone drummer Charlie Watts. He is also the founding patron of an online community of independent filmmakers called Shooting People. You can say Figgis is a People person, which makes him the perfect director to capture Ronnie Wood in the documentary Somebody Up There Likes Me.
One of rock and roll’s most iconic guitarists, Wood is good with people. He plays well with others. He is the Stone who’s never alone. Before he began weaving guitar licks with Keith Richards in the Rolling Stones, Wood helped shape the British rock sound in bands like The Birds and the Creation. He was the bass...
One of rock and roll’s most iconic guitarists, Wood is good with people. He plays well with others. He is the Stone who’s never alone. Before he began weaving guitar licks with Keith Richards in the Rolling Stones, Wood helped shape the British rock sound in bands like The Birds and the Creation. He was the bass...
- 9/15/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Perfume Genius turned his remote performance of “On the Floor” for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon into a dance number.
In an empty venue, Perfume Genius — born Michael Hadreas — and his band gave a gorgeous live rendition of the single featuring the singer-songwriter passionately dancing to the track. Fallon also shared a web exclusive second performance from the Iowa-born star. Hadreas remained seated while belting out the slower “Jason” from the stage.
Hadreas released Set My Heart on Fire Immediately in May via Matador. It followed 2017’s No Shape...
In an empty venue, Perfume Genius — born Michael Hadreas — and his band gave a gorgeous live rendition of the single featuring the singer-songwriter passionately dancing to the track. Fallon also shared a web exclusive second performance from the Iowa-born star. Hadreas remained seated while belting out the slower “Jason” from the stage.
Hadreas released Set My Heart on Fire Immediately in May via Matador. It followed 2017’s No Shape...
- 7/22/2020
- by Brittany Spanos
- Rollingstone.com
The biting emo-folk of Phoebe Bridgers’ 2017 Stranger in the Alps established the singer-songwriter as a woeful wisecracker. Bridgers was a millennial Warren Zevon who, even if she sang about sexting instead of heroin withdrawal, shared the shrewd Seventies songwriter’s penchant for fictionalizing their own death and chronicling perpetual L.A. decay. “Nothing’s changed,” as Bridgers put it dimly on her debut, “L.A.’s all right.”
Like Zevon, Bridgers also emerged with an uncanny knack for pop songcraft and classic American songbook melody, a dexterity she spent the...
Like Zevon, Bridgers also emerged with an uncanny knack for pop songcraft and classic American songbook melody, a dexterity she spent the...
- 6/17/2020
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
Rufus Wainwright released the video for the charming, folksy “You Ain’t Big,” the latest single off his upcoming album Unfollow the Rules, slated for July 10th.
The clip opens in the style of an old film, complete with a scene in an editorial office as a man discusses how he overcame his anger: “How would you feel if you were me?” he says. “You needed to get back to the grassroots, get a little closer to people.”
The video features vintage postcards of heartland cities in the United States.
The clip opens in the style of an old film, complete with a scene in an editorial office as a man discusses how he overcame his anger: “How would you feel if you were me?” he says. “You needed to get back to the grassroots, get a little closer to people.”
The video features vintage postcards of heartland cities in the United States.
- 6/8/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Dave Grohl. Peter Gabriel. T Bone Burnett. Twenty years later, the bold-face names that helped launch Joseph Arthur’s career return in a flood of memories. “The cast of characters who made that project brings back so much love in my heart about it,” Arthur says.
The project was Arthur’s career-defining second album, Come to Where I’m From. In a year of landmark albums — Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP, Radiohead’s Kid A, D’Angelo’s Voodoo, Coldplay’s Parachutes — Arthur’s sophomore album may not have...
The project was Arthur’s career-defining second album, Come to Where I’m From. In a year of landmark albums — Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP, Radiohead’s Kid A, D’Angelo’s Voodoo, Coldplay’s Parachutes — Arthur’s sophomore album may not have...
- 5/28/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Eric Clapton and B.B. King’s 2000 collaborative album Riding With the King will be reissued for its 20th anniversary with two previously unreleased tracks on June 26th via Reprise Records.
One of those rarities was shared along with the album announcement, a rendition of the blues standard, “Rollin’ and Tumblin’.” The song was arguably made most famous by Muddy Waters in 1950, although it’s been interpreted by an array of artists, including Clapton and his band Cream on their 1966 debut, Fresh Cream. The version Clapton recorded with King decades later...
One of those rarities was shared along with the album announcement, a rendition of the blues standard, “Rollin’ and Tumblin’.” The song was arguably made most famous by Muddy Waters in 1950, although it’s been interpreted by an array of artists, including Clapton and his band Cream on their 1966 debut, Fresh Cream. The version Clapton recorded with King decades later...
- 5/22/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
A pop savant whose vision keeps getting more all-encompassing as he keeps making records, Mike Hadreas (a.k.a. Perfume Genius) has delivered his most ambitious music yet on his fifth LP. Back at the dawn of the 2010s, he drew notice with music that had the muted, willful intensity of bedroom recordings, but he’s been operating on a much grander scale for a while now, swerving between genres with Prince-like ease. This time, he brings on seasoned session veterans like drummers Jim Keltner and Matt Chamberlain and bassist...
- 5/18/2020
- by Jon Dolan
- Rollingstone.com
Phoebe Bridgers delivered one of the more unique late-night quarantine performances, setting up in her bathroom for a rendition of her new song “Kyoto” on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday.
Fittingly dubbing the session, Live From the Lavatory, Bridgers appeared in her bathtub and performed the wistful and meditative tune on a versatile synth known as the Suzuki QChord while singing into a pink toy microphone that was visibly taped to a stand. “Born under Scorpio skies,” Bridgers sang, a bottle of shampoo hanging out in the corner, “I wanted to...
Fittingly dubbing the session, Live From the Lavatory, Bridgers appeared in her bathtub and performed the wistful and meditative tune on a versatile synth known as the Suzuki QChord while singing into a pink toy microphone that was visibly taped to a stand. “Born under Scorpio skies,” Bridgers sang, a bottle of shampoo hanging out in the corner, “I wanted to...
- 4/10/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Phoebe Bridgers explores Japan in the new video for “Kyoto,” the singer-songwriter’s latest single. She also announced a new album, Punisher, out June 19th via Dead Oceans.
Shot on a green screen in Los Angeles, the clip features Bridgers flying over the ocean in a skeleton suit, stopping at an arcade and the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine. “You called me from a payphone/they still have payphones,” she discovers. “It costs a dollar a minute.”
Her bandmates and friends appear surrounded by flames as laser beams shoot out of Bridgers...
Shot on a green screen in Los Angeles, the clip features Bridgers flying over the ocean in a skeleton suit, stopping at an arcade and the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine. “You called me from a payphone/they still have payphones,” she discovers. “It costs a dollar a minute.”
Her bandmates and friends appear surrounded by flames as laser beams shoot out of Bridgers...
- 4/9/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Nearly 10 minutes into Bill Withers’ set at the BBC, the soul singer attempted to introduce a personal song. “Most of us in our lives … get our tongues tied up and can’t say what we intended to,” he said, as laughter filled the room. “So I’ll take another crack at it.”
He tried again: “Most of us, at some point in our lives, have somebody that means more to us than anybody else has ever meant before or will ever mean again,” he said. “In my case, I really...
He tried again: “Most of us, at some point in our lives, have somebody that means more to us than anybody else has ever meant before or will ever mean again,” he said. “In my case, I really...
- 4/3/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Perfume Genius, a.k.a. Mike Hadreas, has dropped his new song “On the Floor.” The track is off the upcoming album Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, out May 15th via Matador Records.
Directed by Hadreas himself, the song’s video features Hadreas topless, smoking a cigar. He dances around a field of dirt, rolling around on the ground and doing crunches on a stack of tires. “I pace, I run my mouth/I pray and wait,” he sings over a synth-pop beat. “I cross out his name on the page.
Directed by Hadreas himself, the song’s video features Hadreas topless, smoking a cigar. He dances around a field of dirt, rolling around on the ground and doing crunches on a stack of tires. “I pace, I run my mouth/I pray and wait,” he sings over a synth-pop beat. “I cross out his name on the page.
- 3/16/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
As Olivia Harrison remembers, her future husband, George, drove himself to work on the first day on his new job. It was October 1974, and George Harrison had flown to Los Angeles to visit the offices of the record label he’d just launched. The only problem was that no one had organized a welcoming party for him, but Olivia — then Olivia Arias, newly hired to work on the project — dashed out to the parking lot to greet him. “I thought somebody should,” she says. “He drove onto the lot by himself in this little car,...
- 3/9/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
What might emptiness sound like? That’s what Mike Hadreas, who records as Perfume Genius, sought out with producer Blake Mills on “Describe,” his latest single.
The song takes on a simple premise: the narrator is struggling in the midst of a tough episode, asking a loved one to help render the world for them. Much like the way Jeff Tweedy sought to sonically manifest his recurring migraines on Wilco’s A Ghost is Born, Perfume Genius manifests mental darkness on record, its sludge-rock low-end and languid tempo occupied by unfiltered chaos.
The song takes on a simple premise: the narrator is struggling in the midst of a tough episode, asking a loved one to help render the world for them. Much like the way Jeff Tweedy sought to sonically manifest his recurring migraines on Wilco’s A Ghost is Born, Perfume Genius manifests mental darkness on record, its sludge-rock low-end and languid tempo occupied by unfiltered chaos.
- 3/5/2020
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
So, How Was Your Decade is a series in which the decade’s most innovative musicians answer our questionnaire about the music, culture and memorable moments that shaped their decade. We’ll be rolling these pieces out throughout December.
Conor Oberst spent the 2010s busier than most of his songwriter peers. He released The People’s Key, his final album with his band Bright Eyes, in 2011. He dropped an album with his other band, Desaparecidos, in 2015. He released three solo albums — Upside Down Mountain, Ruminations and Salutations — from 2014 to 2017 and...
Conor Oberst spent the 2010s busier than most of his songwriter peers. He released The People’s Key, his final album with his band Bright Eyes, in 2011. He dropped an album with his other band, Desaparecidos, in 2015. He released three solo albums — Upside Down Mountain, Ruminations and Salutations — from 2014 to 2017 and...
- 12/26/2019
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
Tons of songs become baseball stadium classics, even if they don’t start out that way: Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” Gary Glitter’s “Rock & Roll Part 2,” the list goes on. Harry Nilsson aimed to go straight to the ballgame with his own sports anthem, “Yo Dodger Blue.”
“Dad was devoted to this team ever since they were the Brooklyn Dodgers,” his son Kiefo tweeted of the track, which was included on the singer-songwriter’s posthumous album, Losst and Founnd, a collection of material Nilsson recorded at the end of his career.
“Dad was devoted to this team ever since they were the Brooklyn Dodgers,” his son Kiefo tweeted of the track, which was included on the singer-songwriter’s posthumous album, Losst and Founnd, a collection of material Nilsson recorded at the end of his career.
- 11/25/2019
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
Twenty-five years after Harry Nilsson died of a heart attack at the age of 52, his estate has announced a new album of unreleased material. Titled Losst and Founnd, the record will arrive on November 22nd via Omnivore Recordings.
Nilsson was working on the record at the time of his death, and fans have asked for its release ever since. It marks his first new material in nearly 40 years, following 1980’s Flash Harry. Two singles have been released — the dreamy “U.C.L.A.” and “Lost and Found” — which can be heard below.
Nilsson was working on the record at the time of his death, and fans have asked for its release ever since. It marks his first new material in nearly 40 years, following 1980’s Flash Harry. Two singles have been released — the dreamy “U.C.L.A.” and “Lost and Found” — which can be heard below.
- 9/25/2019
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
The Grateful Dead ceased to exist the minute Jerry Garcia died on August 9th, 1995, but they still had an enormous audience and the remaining members spent the next two decades trying to find ways to keep the music alive on the road. They called themselves everything from the Other Ones to the Dead to Furthur as members of the original band came and went, but the one constant challenge was finding a frontman. Jimmy Herring, Warren Haynes, John Kadlecik, and Trey Anastasio all gave it a shot, but they were all temporary fill-ins.
- 7/9/2019
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
This July 7, 2019 Ringo Starr will return to Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles for his annual Peace & Love Birthday event where he will join fans gathered for a Noon #peaceandlove celebration.
The dream is to create a wave of Peace & Love across the planet, starting in New Zealand and ending in Hawaii. Ringo began these in 2008 at the Hard Rock Café Chicago and last year he celebrated the 10th Anniversary at the Hard Rock Café Nice. In the ensuing years it has grown enormously with #peaceandlove events all over the world, and this year already has over 30 events in 22 countries.
“I’ve said it before but I really can’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday, or a better gift I could ask for, than peace and love,” says Ringo. "It’s so great how every year it keeps growing, with the wave of peace and love...
The dream is to create a wave of Peace & Love across the planet, starting in New Zealand and ending in Hawaii. Ringo began these in 2008 at the Hard Rock Café Chicago and last year he celebrated the 10th Anniversary at the Hard Rock Café Nice. In the ensuing years it has grown enormously with #peaceandlove events all over the world, and this year already has over 30 events in 22 countries.
“I’ve said it before but I really can’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday, or a better gift I could ask for, than peace and love,” says Ringo. "It’s so great how every year it keeps growing, with the wave of peace and love...
- 7/5/2019
- Look to the Stars
On July 7th, 2008, Ringo Starr invited fans to join him on the streets on Los Angeles to celebrate his birthday with a simple direction: Say the words “peace and love” when the clock hit noon. He’s been doing it ever since, and the gathering has spread to more than 20 countries around the world and on social media, to “create a wave of Peace & Love across the planet.”
Starr will return to the Capitol Records Tower in L.A. on his birthday this year for an event that will also...
Starr will return to the Capitol Records Tower in L.A. on his birthday this year for an event that will also...
- 6/20/2019
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
Jenny Lewis leads a wacky, A-list fundraiser in her new “Red Bull & Hennessy” video, goofing off with Beck, St. Vincent, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Jeff Goldblum, Jason Schwartzman, Haim’s Danielle Haim, Mac DeMarco, Tim Heidecker, Vanessa Bayer, David Arquette and Nikki Lane, among others.
Director Eric Notarnicola (Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!; Nathan For You; Who Is America?) documents Lewis’ February event “On the Line Online — The Three Hour Listening Party & Fundraiser,” which raised over $10,000 for the Los Angeles Downtown Women’s Center. He frames the...
Director Eric Notarnicola (Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!; Nathan For You; Who Is America?) documents Lewis’ February event “On the Line Online — The Three Hour Listening Party & Fundraiser,” which raised over $10,000 for the Los Angeles Downtown Women’s Center. He frames the...
- 3/28/2019
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
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