.

Day in Rock Report for 05/14/2014


Original Judas Priest Guitarist Dies

(Classic Rock) Original Judas Priest singer Al Atkins has reported that co-founding guitarist Ernie Chataway has died. He was 62. The pair, along with bassist Bruno Stapenhill and drummer John Partridge, formed the band in 1969 - but the lineup only lasted for seven months. When Atkins fronted a new version of Priest in late 1970 none of his previous bandmates were there.

Chataway went on to play with bands including Earth and Bullion, and was reported to be performing in and around his Worcester home until recently. Atkins says via his Facebook page: "Just heard the very sad news that Ernie passed away last night. He was a lovely bloke and a great guitarist and will be sadly missed.

"I remember the first time we met at the auditions for a new guitarist for Judas Priest in 1969 - his looks reminded me of Marc Bolan. When he plugged in his guitar he totally blew us away, and made KK Downing look a complete amateur (who we'd auditioned earlier)." more on this story

More on Judas Priest - Judas Priest Music -

Adrenaline Mob In 'Near Fatal' Crash

Adrenaline Mob have been forced to cancel their current tour with Avenged Sevenfold and Hellyeah after they were involved in what their label Century Media describes as a "near fatal" crash that destroyed their equipment but actually involved no serious injuries.

The supergroup, Russell Allen, Mike Orlando, John Moyer and AJ Pero, were traveling to Quebec City on I-93 in New Hampshire when the accident occurred. According to the label, the band's gear and their van were destroyed in the crash.

As a result the band announced that they have canceled the remaining dates on their tour with Avenged Sevenfold and Hellyeah, along with their headline dates through June 8th.

The band issued the following on their Facebook, "We are sad to announce that the band has been in a serious accident yesterday traveling to Canada on the current A7X/Hellyeah Tour.

"The band & crew are pretty beat up but by the grace of God there's no serious injuries & everyone is ok. Unfortunately the trailer flipped & equipment has been destroyed but they are figuring out the next move in hopes to continue on. Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts & prayers!!!"

More on Adrenaline Mob - Adrenaline Mob Music -

Metallica Unplug For Ozzy

(Classic Rock) Metallica performed a mini-set of acoustic covers at a benefit gig - including a version of Ozzy Osbourne's Diary Of A Madman. The metal icons paid tribute to Ozzy at the 10th annual Musicares MAP Fund benefit concert in Los Angeles, where the Black Sabbath frontman was given the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his support of the fund and his commitment to helping addicts through the recovery process.

Metallica also played cover versions of Rare Earth's I Just Want To Celebrate, Deep Purple's When A Blind Man Cries and The Beatles' In My Life.

The band say in a statement: "It's no secret that Ozzy has been a major presence throughout our entire lives and we are so humbled and honoured to be with Ozzy for this special evening."

Slash was also in attendance and joined Ozzy's band onstage. Check out video footage from the event here.

More on Metallica - Metallica Music -

Gregg Allman Drops Lawsuit Over Biopic

(Radio.com) Earlier this month, Gregg Allman filed a lawsuit against the producers of Midnight Rider, the biopic based on his memoir, My Cross To Bear. Now, The Hollywood Reporter reports that Allman has dropped his suit.

Last month, Allman urged Midnight Rider director Randall Miller to shut down production on the film following a February 20 on-set accident that resulted in the death of assistant camera operator Sarah Jones and injured a few others.

In a letter to Miller, Allman said, "I am writing to you as one human being to another, and appealing to you from my heart. I am asking you from a personal perspective not to go forward," adding, "Your desires as a filmmaker should not outweigh your obligations as a human being. I am asking you to do the right thing and to set aside your attempts to resume the production out of respect for Sarah, her family and the loss that all of us feel so deeply."

William Hurt clearly felt the same way: he was playing the role of the adult Allman (most of the film portrays Allman as a young man), but he dropped out of the film in the wake of the accident. more on this story

More on Allman - Allman Music -

Pink Floyd's David Gilmour Working On New Solo Album

(hennemusic) David Gilmour is currently in the studio working on a new solo album. Gilmour's wife, author Polly Samson, recently posted an Instagram photo from the sessions, featuring the Pink Floyd guitarist recording with his backup singers.

Graham Nash originally leaked news of Gilmour's album last November, when he revealed that he and David Crosby were going to contribute vocals to the project.

"What the hell would it cost you to have David Crosby and Graham Nash getting on a bloody train to Brighton to sing with you?'," said Nash on Vintage TV's Needle Time program. "We're musicians. We love good songs. We'll sing them until we are dead." more on this story

More on David Gilmour - David Gilmour Music -

Don Felder Explains New Version of Eagles Classic Hotel California

antiMusic's Morley Seaver spoke with Eagles legend Don Felder ahead of the Soundtrack of Summer tour where he will be hitting the road with Foreigner and Styx.

During the interview Morley asked Don about the remake of "Hotel California" that appears on the Soundtrack of Summer compilation album that is being released in conjunction with the tour.

Felder explained the reason behind the remake, "Well they wanted to put out a soundtrack CD for the Soundtrack of Summer tour. So Foreigner had some songs they were going to re-record. Styx had re-recorded some of their stuff and management asked me what song or two I'd like to re-record and I said, obviously "Hotel California" would be the most fun to do. Tommy and I have already played it together. Styx and I have already played it together.

"So I worked out this version that starts out this sort of steel string, acoustic introduction and then slowly it builds with some percussion. By the time you get to the last verse, the drums come in and it turns electric and I take a solo, then Tommy Shaw takes a solo and then Mick Jones takes a solo. We trade off singing the verses. Tommy sings a verse, I sing a verse, Kelly Hansen sings a verse. We all sing the harmonies on the chorus. It just turned into so much fun doing it, and came out so well, that I said, this is going to be so much fun. I'm hoping that we'll have time to be able to work that up so that we can play it live together. I think that would be fantastic."

Read the rest of the interview here.

More on Don Felder - Don Felder Music -

Ozzy Osbourne Jams With Slash and Dave Navarro

(hennemusic) Ozzy Osbourne performed with Slash and Dave Navarro at the 10th anniversary MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Monday.

Ozzy played a five-song set with the guest guitarists and his solo touring band, playing "I Don't Know", "Suicide Solution", "Iron Man", "Crazy Train" and "Paranoid."

The evening saw Osbourne honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award in recognition for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund, and for his commitment to helping other addicts with the addiction recovery process. more on this story

More on Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzy Osbourne Music -

Ozzy Osbourne Declared Ultimate Hellraiser

(Gibson) It's official: Ozzy Osbourne is Rock and Roll's Ultimate Hellraiser. At least that's the opinion voiced by hundreds of listeners to the radio program Planet Rock, billed as the place "Where rock lives." DJ Darren Redick counted down the Top 20 list earlier this month.

During the show, one lucky listener was also given the chance to win a limited edition Gibson Zakk Wylde Moderne of Doom guitar . Coincidently, Wylde also grabbed the 17 spot on the "Hellraiser" list.

Other rockers who nabbed "Hellraiser" honors included Keith Moon, Axl Rose Alice Cooper, Jim Morrison and Keith Richards. See the complete list below:

1. Ozzy Osbourne
2. Keith Moon (The Who)
3. Lemmy (Motorhead)
4. Jim Morrison (The Doors)
5. Alice Cooper
6. Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue)
7. Keith Richards (Stones)
8. Bon Scott (AC/DC)
9. Joe Walsh (Eagles)
10. John Bonham (Led Zep)
11. Axl Rose
12. Pete Way (UFO)
13. Rick Wakeman
14. Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
15. Ronnie James Dio
16. Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
17. Zakk Wylde
18. James Hetfield (Metallica)
19. Paul Rodgers
20. Rick Parfitt (Status Quo)
more on this story

More on Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzy Osbourne Music -

Astronaut's Space Cover of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' is in Jeopardy

(Radio.com) Remember when astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded his own poignant version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," one-upping the originator by actually performing it in space? Now, denizens of the Internet are fighting to keep the video online.

The Daily Dot reports that Hadfield's video, posted a year ago Monday (May 12) to YouTube, will be taken after Tuesday because the video was apparently only licensed for one year.

Hadfield explained to his followers on Twitter and Facebook the situation, noting that they "had permission for a year." But while the astronaut seems a bit more resigned to the video's fate, many fans of the clip are tweeting at and posting on Bowie's Facebook wall, hoping he'll allow the video to remain online.

Unfortunately, it's not that easy. As The Economist pointed out last year, copyright is a fickle fellow in space. Because Hadfield was close enough to earth when he recorded the song, he's subject to terrestrial copyright laws, but since copyright varies by country, it's a matter of which country he was technically in when he recorded - and as evidenced by the video, he jumped around a bit, both in time and in location. Plus, even the latter poses an issue, as different parts of the International Space Station, on which Hadfield recorded the song, are owned by different countries, meaning the laws of those countries apply as well. more on this story

More on David Bowie - David Bowie Music -

Jimmy Page Previews Led Zeppelin Bonus Tracks

(Radio.com) There's a lot of excitement about the upcoming Led Zeppelin reissues of their first three albums; a large part of that is because of the inclusion of a second disc of bonus material that will accompany deluxe and super deluxe editions of each release.

On Tuesday in New York City, Jimmy Page played a selection of bonus tracks from the band's first three albums and then took questions from the audience, made up of representatives from various news outlets.

Before playing the unreleased tracks, Page said that he'd been working on the reissues for about three years, and that the project started when he finished work on Celebration Day, the live documenting of their 2007 one-off reunion concert. He also said that the reissue program would extend into 2015, and will include all nine Led Zeppelin studio albums (including the posthumous release Coda).

After that, the lights dimmed, the screen showed a giant Led Zeppelin logo surrounded by replicas of Led Zeppelin I, II and III and a furious "Communication Breakdown" exploded from the speakers.

Page later explained that Zeppelin's 1969 debut didn't actually have any leftover material, so the bonus disc is a full length concert recording from Paris in '69. Frontman Robert Plant sounded a bit nervous on "Communication Breakdown," but more comfortable on the slow blues burner "You Shook Me." more on this story

More on Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin Music -

Neil Young Records Willie Nelson's 'Crazy' to Vinyl on 'Tonight Show'

(Radio.com) With a little help from Jack White, Neil Young made history on Monday night (May 12) on The Tonight Show by recording a song straight to vinyl during his appearance.

In one take, Young performed, recorded and pressed a cover of "Crazy," which was written by Willie Nelson, but made famous by Patsy Cline, using White's refurbished 1940s-era Voice-o-Graph recording booth. The vinyl was played at the end of the show.

Young recorded his new album, A Letter Home, at Third Man Records using the booth, which White unveiled on Record Store Day last year. According to Consequence of Sound, the machine allows you to record up to two minutes of audio, which is then dispensed in the form of a 6″ phonograph disc. It's supposedly the only machine of its kind that's operational and open to the public.

Last month, White also pulled off a similar feat and earned himself a Guinness World Record for the fastest released record by recording a live version of his new song, "Lazaretto" and then pressing it in less than four hours. The record was previously set by Swiss polka trio Vollgas Kompanie, who in 2008 released an LP the day after recording it.

Watch Young cover "Crazy" straight to vinyl here.

More on Neil Young - Neil Young Music -

Bob Dylan Covers Frank Sinatra for Upcoming Album

(Radio.com) It's one American icon taking on another, as songwriting legend Bob Dylan has released a cover version of Frank Sinatra's 1945 song, "Full Moon and Empty Arms," which is slated for an upcoming full-length album.

"This track is definitely from a forthcoming album due later on this year," is all a Dylan spokesperson told Rolling Stone about the song, which was posted on Dylan's official website. There is still no title or release date for the record, which would be his first since 2012 full-length, Tempest.

Dylan gives the tune a decidedly Americana feel, trading the original's swelling string arrangement with pedal steel guitars, although he stays true to Sinatra's arrangement. more on this story

More on Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan Music -

Black Sabbath's Bill Ward Plays For The First Time Since Surgery

(Classic Rock) Bill Ward's first time back on the drums since he underwent two major operations in four days was a success. The Black Sabbath hero played the drums for the first time since September last year when a fan unexpectedly brought a kit to his Absence Of Corners fine art exhibition in Annapolis, USA.

In September, 66-year-old Ward went through an operation to deal with a longstanding problem with his right shoulder. But just four days later, he was back in hospital for emergency stomach surgery to treat a condition called diverticulitis - an extremely painful inflammation of the colon.

Ward tells Black-Sabbath.com: "I haven't played a kit of drums since I had the shoulder operation on September 8, 2013. I just played a little bit of jazz. Somebody had brought a kit of drums into the gallery. I played for eight or nine minutes. It wasn't too bad, it was a nice surprise. I was wondering how it might be not playing for a while with the injuries that I've sustained... But today we sat down and it wasn't bad." more on this story

More on Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Music -

Taylor Hawkins Aimed For Raw Sound With The Birds Of Satan

(Classic Rock) Taylor Hawkins says he wasn't trying to make the perfect record with The Birds Of Satan - insisting it was all about having fun. The Foo Fighters drummer, who sings in three-piece The Birds Of Satan, admits he isn't the best singer and that nobody is likely to get rich on the back of the new project's self-titled debut album.

But he clearly enjoyed making it and says he has been pleasantly surprised by some of the reviews it has gathered. He also jokes that the album is "toilet paper".

Hawkins tells Music Feeds: "We weren't going for perfection, we were going for excitement. I didn't trip out about making some masterpiece, I just wanted to have fun. Some of the records that I love were recorded fairly quickly. Van Halen 1 was recorded in a week, Zeppelin's first record was like four days or something and Black Sabbath's first record was recorded in two days. I've already done a lot of big productions and I wanted to see what it felt like just totally being raw." more on this story

More on Birds Of Satan - Birds Of Satan Music -

Robert Plant Cancels Tour Dates

(hennemusic) Robert Plant has cancelled a series of Spanish tour dates due to a scheduling conflict. Refunds for the five shows with the Sensational Space Shifters in late July are available through local ticketing agents.

Plant and the band are playing a previously announced a series of summer tour dates, however, which will begin June 5 at the Mawazine Festival in Rabat, Morrocco.

The group will be on the road for seven weeks through to mid-July before taking a break in their live schedule. Plant will release a new solo album on September 9th. more on this story

More on Robert Plant - Robert Plant Music -

Alien Creator and Rock Artist HR Giger Dead at 74

(Classic Rock) HR Giger - the creator of the monster from the Alien movies - has died at the age of 74. The Swiss-born artist failed to recover from injuries caused by a recent fall down stairs at his Zurich home, SRF reports.

As well as his famous work on Ridley Scott's film Alien - for which he won the Visual Effects Oscar in 1990 - Giger's work was popular with a host of rock musicians.

Korn singer Jonathan Davis uses a microphone stand designed by Giger, while Giger's painting Landscape XX was included as an insert in the artwork for the Dead Kennedys album Frankenchrist. The penis-laden poster was at the centre of an obscenity trial against Kennedys singer Jello Biafra.

More recently, Giger's work graced the cover of two albums by Swiss extreme metal band Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones and Melana Chasmata. The band's singer Tom G Warrior recently spoke exclusively to the Metal Hammer Magazine Show on TeamRock Radio, where he described Giger as a "genius". more on this story

More on Korn - Korn Music -

Historic Beatles Guitar Could Fetch $600k At Auction

(Classic Rock) A guitar played by George Harrison while The Beatles recorded I Want To Hold Your Hand could sell for $600,000 at auction this week. He bought it in the USA while he was visiting his sister then used it in the UK as the Fab Four cut the single that would break them on the other side of the Atlantic.

And when he gave it away to a friend, who sold it years later, Harrison let it be known he was "disappointed" and that he'd think twice about giving similar presents in the future.

Auctioneers Julien's have also confirmed the Rickenbacker 425, serial number BH439, appeared on TV show Ready Steady Go in October 1963. The following night it was played by John Lennon backstage in Glasgow, before being used at Abbey Road on October 17. more on this story

More on Beatles - Beatles Music -

Motley Crue Country Tribute Album Details Revealed

(hennemusic) Details for the forthcoming country music release, "Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue", were announced Tuesday. The project sees a variety of country artists covering Motley Crue tracks as the rockers prepare to launch their farewell tour this summer.

Due July 9, "Nashville Outlaws" features performances by Rascal Fatts, LeAnne Rimes, Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker, Gretchen Wilson and more.

After more than three decades together, Motley Crue's "The Final Tour" will kick off July 2 in Grand Rapids, Michigan with guest Alice Cooper. The band are currently in the studio, working on the final song of their career. "All Bad Things Must Come To An End" is expected to be released in sync with the start of the tour.

Check out the tribute album track and guest list here.

More on Motley Crue - Motley Crue Music -

Soundgarden Announce Superunknown 20th Anniversary Show

(hennemusic) Soundgarden will play an exclusive credit card-sponsored show at New York's Webster Hall on June 2 to mark the 20th anniversary reissue of their 1994 album, "Superunknown."

Available only to Citi card members, the event will mark the second time in Soundgarden's career that they will perform the album from beginning to end; the first time was in Austin, Texas during SXSW in March.

Tickets to the Soundgarden performance will cost $19.94 and be available for purchase only with a Citi credit or debit card beginning Wednesday, May 21st at 10 AM, EST. more on this story

More on Soundgarden - Soundgarden Music -


Mushroomhead Singled Out Week: Our Apologies

Mushroomhead released their new studio album, "The Righteous & The Butterfly" this week and to celebrate we asked vocalist Jeffrey Nothing to tell us about some of the tracks. Today he tells us about "Our Apologies":

Right and Wrong, darkness and light, evil or divine. The truth can be stretched, fabricated, bought and sold. Your word can be the definition of all you're worth. We can be scapegoats, the fall guy, Martyrs for what we think is right. We have a new script to write. Grow some selfless pride. Find and care about, Beauty on the inside. Humility and Humanity. Not just in Memories.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!

More on Mushroomhead - Mushroomhead Music -

. 7Horse - Songs for a Voodoo Wedding
Astute fans may recognize the two men who make up 7Horse, guitarist Joie Calio and vocalist/drummer Phil Leavitt as being longtime members of the band Dada (Dizz Knee Land.) But the guys have changed horses, er, musical styles. (4.5 stars) - Read the full 7Horse - Songs for a Voodoo Wedding review

Share this article

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it Share on Reddit email this article



Click here to read today's full Day in Rock report

.




advertisement