Steve Hackett has released a new single/video from his forthcoming album The Circus and the Nightwhale which will be released on 16th February.
Steve says of the track: “People of the Smoke spins us all back in time to 1950, when bustling post-war London was stifled with smog from trains, chimneys, industry and smokers. I was born into that world! This song kicks off an album following my life’s journey both literally and metaphorically…”
The new album is available to pre-order on several different formats, including a Limited CD+Blu-ray mediabook (including 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit high resolution stereo mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180g Vinyl LP & as Digital Album. All feature the stunning cover painting by Denise Marsh. Pre-order now here: https://stevehackett.lnk.to/TheCircusAndTheNightwhale
Steve will celebrate the release of his new album with two HMV instore events in London & Birmingham, where he will be taking part in a Q&A and signing albums. Find out more details on those here: https://ow.ly/HUaT50Q7paJ
Originally released in 1973 these 2 Beatles ‘hits’ packages consisted of2-LP sets of the band’s best known songs, in gatefold covers, along with lyric sleeves. Sparked by a bootleg 4-LP collection of the band’s hits titled ‘Alpha Omega‘ (Using the Greek letters), which were released by a small New Jersey company, who even used TV adverts to sell them! The Beatles 1962-1966 came in the red framed sleeve, while The Beatles 1967-1970 came in blue. The ‘red’ and ‘blue’ Beatles albums would be huge sellers, and continued to sell well for years, as the 2 sets – which came 3 years after the band broke up, would make for great introduction albums for many new fans discovering the band. Anyway, the newly released versions of these classic compilations include more songs, including the new track “Now And Then”. Available in multiple formats. Check out the info below, and the links.
The Beatles 1962-1966 (Red) and The Beatles 1967-1970 (Blue) collections are out now, featuring an expanded tracklist that includes the last Beatles song ‘Now And Then’.Available in a number of collectable formats including 4CD, 3LP, digital formats, and as a 6LP vinyl collection pairing the albums in slip-cased sets.
These landmark compilations have introduced generations of fans to the incredible history of the most storied band in music. For its 50th anniversary, the collections have been expanded: ‘Red’ has 12 additional tracks, including for the first time some of George Harrison’s earliest songs and some classic Beatles versions of R&B and rock ‘n’ roll hits that were so influential on the band. ‘Blue’ has 9 additional tracks including “Blackbird” and “Glass Onion” including the last new Beatles song, “Now And Then” for a total of 21 new additions which are all compiled onto the 3rd disc, effectively creating a ‘new’ LP for each set.
Together the 6LP’s contain 75 tracks, 36 of which have new mixes for 2023. The inserts contains new sleeve notes by journalist and author John Harris. For current fans and future generations alike, the new 1962 – 1966 & 1967 – 1970 collections are a joyous celebration of The Beatles’ timeless musical legacy.
FROM THE PRESS (1973)
Beatles Era On 2 Double Pack Albums NEW YORK – “The History of the Beatles,” will be issued by Apple on two separate double disk LP sets in the near future. The first two-disker will feature the works of the Beatles covering 1962-1966 and the second double pack will cover 1967-1972. The two sets will be issued simultaneously and will feature many of the group’s singles smashes that were never made available in LP form. The cover art for the two packages will feature a photo of the Beatles taken shortly after the boy; signed with EMI in the EMI offices in England. The photo has the four boys leaning over a banister, all sporting short hair cuts. This photo will be used on the 1962-1966 LP. For the later set, the photo to be used is one in the identical pose but featuring the boys in long hair. John Lennon brought the Beatles together to the exact same banister in 1970 at the EMI building for a duplicate photo showing the change in the group’s look. Each two disk set will have a suggested $9.98 retail p
Beatles Gold NEW YORK -The two Apple retrospective Beatles albums. “The Beatles, 1962-1966″ and `The Beatles, ‘1967 -1970″ have each been certified gold by the RIRA.
British rock icons MAGNUM share “Blue Tango”, the first single from their upcoming studio album, ‘Here Comes the Rain’, out January 12th, 2024 via Steamhammer / SPV (Pre-OrderHERE) . The track is accompanied by a new lyric video.
Tony Clarkin had this to say about “Blue Tango,” : “Apart from MAGNUM’s typical trademarks, ‘Here Comes The Rain’ also holds a number of thoroughly pleasant surprises in store, such as ‘Blue Tango’, which is a real riff-rock number that makes you want to move your feet.”
There are few great bands on our planet that can be infallibly identified within the first few bars of one of their songs. With unique melodic skill, tasteful instrumentation, an amazing balance of depth and catchiness, and, of course, that charismatic voice: MAGNUM are Magnum!
The same can be said of their latest studio album ‘Here Comes The Rain’, which will be released via CD + DVD, double vinyl LP, as a box set and for digital download, proving once again that classic rock music could hardly sound more atmospheric.
The album’s highly inspired artwork is once more designed by the great Rodney Matthews, who has already created a number of MAGNUM sleeves to support the band’s atmospherically dense music. Says Tony Clarkin: “The back cover features a kind of avian battalion in attack mode, which I think is a great allegory!”
Apart from MAGNUM’s typical trademarks, ‘Here Comes The Rain’ also holds a number of thoroughly pleasant surprises. First single, “Blue Tango”, is a catchy, guitar rock groover while “The Seventh Darkness”, is filled with awesome brass sections courtesy of guest musicians Chris ‘BeeBe’ Aldridge (saxophone) and Nick Dewhurst (trumpet), which lend the song brilliance and shape.
There is no doubt about it: ‘Here Comes The Rain’ sees the MAGNUM line-up consisting of Catley, Clarkin, keyboardist Rick Benton, bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Lee Morris, once again succeed in creating an outstanding, colorful, varied and inspired new studio album. “Everyone played their part without me dictating anything,” Clarkin enthuses, “everyone just instinctively played what their inspiration told them.”
When internationally-renowned actor Brian Blessed OBE delivers a proclamation for opening track, “The Prophecy”, expectations are automatically high for Saxon’s latest album. Have no fear and make no mistake, Saxon meet and exceed them on their 24th studio album, Hell, Fire And Damnation, set for release January 19th 2024 via Silver Lining Music. Biff Byford, lead singer and founder-member reminisces when asked about the title of the band’s brand new release, Hell, Fire And Damnation. “I’ve had that saying in my head since I was a small boy because my dad used to say it when he was upset,” Biff smiles. “He used to say, ‘Hell, fire, and damnation, what’s tha’ been doing now?!’ when I was ‘messing up his cabbage patch’ or carving things into the kitchen table. It was a very ‘Yorkshire’ saying back in the day.”The title track unleashed today is a superlative British Heavy Metal classic exploring the juxtaposition between good and evil. “There’s so much music out there about hell and the devil and the occult that I just thought it’s about time somebody wrote one about the battle just between good and evil!” explains Biff. “You can’t sing about the devil without singing about the good guy either, and the song basically says ‘make your choice’. We all have to make the choice, are we evil or are we good? The song’s about that fight. ”Listen To/Watch “Hell, Fire And Damnation”
Hell, Fire And Damnation is an album which sees Saxon investigate all areas of history and mystery amidst ten of their most confident and thunderously powerful songs yet. Biff delivers his richest vocals in years, Nigel Glockler and Nibbs Carter on drums and bass respectively lay down the rhythmic law with bombastic power, and the guitars of Doug Scarratt and Brian Tatler are fresh and fiery, a perfect complement to each other, carrying an overall energy and fury which will have fans salivating. Musically, Saxon bring it all to the table. There’s a furious tribute to actual heavy metal in the denim & leather coated super-sprint “Fire And Steel”, a wonderful nod to the NWOBHM’s birth in the electric mid-pace “Pirates Of The Airwaves”, but maybe the true treasure amidst the jewels is “There’s Something In Roswell”, with the sort of expansive groove and embrace which deserves arenas. Produced by Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Exodus, Accept and Priest guitarist) and Biff Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering, Hell, Fire And Damnation strides the perfect line between confident, current power, and gloriously irreverent flexing of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal muscle which Saxon co-created. “I think this album’s one of the best he’s done sound-wise, and he’s done a lot of albums” Biff declares. “It has a really raw, vibrant sound… if you compress the total time making this album, it was four weeks tops… you can hear everything brilliantly, nothing’s overcomplicated, nothing’s over compressed. The guitar sounds are fucking immense, they’re just great, raw guitar sounds. And we haven’t done a lot of overdubbing on there, it’s just playing. I really, really like it.”2024 promises to be a great year for Saxon, with the European tour alongside Judas Priest and Uriah Heep kicking-off in the UK in March, plus the arrival of the heavy metal masterpiece Hell, Fire And Damnation.“Getting these shows in March 2024 with Judas Priest and Uriah Heep meant it made sense to push and get the album made faster,” says Biff, “so, we got on with it in haste and pulled it out of the bag. It was tricky, but I think it’s safe to say we managed it well. ”Oh, it’s safe to say alright!
There is a new TRAPEZE single from the forthcoming Lost Tapes Vol. 1 album. The song is “Destiny”, and it’s described as coming from one of bands early recording sessions, tho’ I think it sounds much later (IMO). Regardless, another fine track that makes me wonder why this never found a release when it was recorded (??) And also, the more I hear (as with the first single “Breakdown”)) the more I am looking forward to this new release. Featuring (again) Mel Galley, Glenn Hughes, and Dave Holland.
Trapeze albums’s “Medusa” and “You Are The Music…We’re Just The Band” are now available for pre-order on Limited Edition Vinyl (250 copies of each) for the first time in over 40 years! Also Limited Bundles (100 copies of each) with a signed flat by Glenn Hughes.
Celebrating 50 years since he joined DEEP PURPLE, David Coverdale (& Whitesnake) have reissued their 2015 album ‘The Purple Album‘ (remastered), as a special Gold edition (That was followed by the 2017 ‘The Purple Tour‘ album…hmm, wow). Not sure that I need this album again, but this track – “You Fool No One” sounds particularly good, with a cool collage of Whitesnake clips together making up the video. The song is updated, and much heavier than the original Deep Purple classic from Burn. Rhino’s 2CD + blu-ray version of this includes a pile of extra takes, and interesting bits like Coverdale’s Deep Purple Audition tape, which is likely most worthwhile to pick up.
Check out the video below. Incidentally, Glenn Hughes has been playing one on his current tour celebrating Deep Purple classics as well. See track-listing and links below.
CD 1: 2023 REMIX 1. Burn 2. Lay Down, Stay Down 3. Love Child 4. Holy Man 5. The Gypsy 6. Lady Double Dealer 7. Might Just Take Your Life 8. Mistreated 9. Stormbringer 10. Sail Away (Interpolating “Elegy For Jon”) 11. You Keep On Moving (featuring The Hook City Strings) 12. Lady Luck 13. Coming Home 14. You Fool No One (Interpolating “Itchy Fingers” Dedicated In Loving Memory Of Jeff Beck) 15. Soldier Of Fortune
CD 2: 78:38 THE PURPLE TOUR “FIVE LIVE” 34:48 1. Burn 2. The Gypsy 3. Mistreated 4. You Fool No One 5. Soldier of Fortune
ALTERNATIVE MIXES 6. Holy Man (Unzipped) 7. Stormbringer (Punch In The Nuts Mix… Joel Hoekstra alt solo) 8. Love Child (Joel Hoekstra alt solo) 9. Soldier Of Fortune (featuring Joel Hoekstra & The Hook City Strings) 10. Soldier Of Fortune (featuring The Hook City Strings) 11. Soldier Of Fortune (instrumental featuring The Hook City Strings)
Demos and Audition Tapes (Previously Unreleased)
The DC Purple Audition Tape 1972 featuring The Fabulosa Brothers 12. Everybody’s Talkin’ 13. Get Ready 14. Lonely Town Lonely Street 15. Dancing In The Street 16. 1974 DC Demos/Ideas For “Stormbringer” album
DISC 3 BLU-RAY PURPLE MUSIC VIDEOS 1. Lady Double Dealer 2. Stormbringer 3. Sail Away 4. Soldier of Fortune 5. The Gypsy 6. Soldier Of Fortune (featuring Joel Hoekstra & The Hook City Strings) 7. Soldier Of Fortune (featuring The Hook City Strings)
PURPLESNAKE VIDEOS 8. Lay Down, Stay Down 9. Holy Man 10. You Keep On Moving 11. You Fool No One
LIVE CLIPS 12. Burn (Live “Atlantis” Video) 13. Burn/Stormbringer (Live In The Still Of The Night) 14. Soldier Of Fortune (Starkers In Tokyo)
THE PURPLE TOUR “FIVE LIVE” 15. Burn 16. The Gypsy 17. Mistreated 18. You Fool No One 19. Soldier of Fortune 20. The Purple Album: Behind The Scenes 21. The Purple Album: Song-By-Song
TRAPEZE, the classic 70s British rock band from Wolverhampton have a new single out from the forthcoming Lost Tapes Vol. 1, CD, to be released November 24. The song “Breakdown”, featuring Glenn Hughes, Mel Galley and Dave Holland was recorded in the 90s. Check out the video clip below. *For more info check out :https://ramzine.co.uk/news/trapezes-breakdown-available-now/
To be released on November 24 through Cherry Red is the long-lost collaboration by Glenn Hughes and Robin George. Originally recorded in 1989, this 13 track CD comes from the original tapes, and also features other former members of Trapeze.
A chance meeting between Glenn Hughes and Robin George eventually resulted in an invitation for Glenn to sing backing vocals for Robin and Sean Harris’ Notorious album, which lead to a full collaboration between Robin and Glenn. The album started life as a solo Robin George record and developed into ‘Overcome’, complete with four songs co-written by the pair; ‘Number One’, ‘Sweet Revenge’, ‘Don’t Come Crying’, and the title track.
Such was the faith and strength in the new recordings, that a major label deal was struck but fell through, leaving these recordings to languish in the vaults. Glenn is on fine form on the album, and among the 13 tracks of melodic, and occasionally funky, hard rock, one special treat is the track ‘Haunted’, essentially recorded by a reformed Trapeze, featuring Dave Holland, Mel Galley and Terry Rowley.
Glenn Hughes has quite rightly been hailed “The Voice Of Rock”, and for good reason. With a career that kicked off with Mel Galley and Dave Holland in Trapeze in 1970, followed by Deep Purple between 1973 and 1976, Glenn would also form Hughes / Thrall, join Black Sabbath, enjoy a successful solo career, collaborate with artists as varied as Gary Moore, Joe Lynn Turner and the KLF, founding Black Country Communion and California Breed, and fronting The Dead Daisies.
Over the years, Robin George has collaborated with many musical legends, from Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, Thin Lizzy’s Philip Lynott, Uriah Heep’s David Byron, UFO’s Pete Way, John Wetton & Asia, Daniel Boone, Raymond Froggatt and the Quireboys’ Spike. As a native of Wolverhampton, it’s no surprise that a musician of Robin George’s caliber would cross paths with local heroes Trapeze.
TRACK LISTING:
1 Flying 2 Overcome 3 I Want 4 Haunted (featuring Trapeze’s Dave Holland, Mel Galley & Terry Rowley) 5 Number One 6 Sweet Revenge 7 The American Way 8 Machine 9 Steal My Heart 10 Things Have Gotta Change 11 Don’t Come Crying 12 Loving You 13 War Dance
Mott The Hoople “All The Young Dudes” 50th Anniversary Edition Box Set With Newly Remastered Audio Out December 8th on Madfish Music
Legendary Rock act Mott the Hoople celebrate the 50th anniversary of their landmark album “All The Young Dudes” with a limited edition deluxe box set, featuring newly remastered audio, due to be released on Madfish on December 8th. The remastered album will also be made available as a limited edition double orange vinyl LP.
Originally released in the UK on the 8th of September 1972, the title track (penned by David Bowie) became their highest-charting hit single, the record also included the definitive cover of Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane” alongside the inventive and suggestive “Momma’s Little Jewel”, the Stones-styled “Jerkin Crocus” and Mick Ralphs’ heartfelt “Ready For Love”.
Mott the Hoople’s 5th studio album remains a special and vital record. Cited as an inspiration from artists that span the world of Rock ranging from Queen, The Clash and Kiss to Primal Scream, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard’s whose frontman Joe Elliott still to this day remains a devoted fan.
“Mott the Hoople was the greatest rock’n’roll band ever” – Joe Elliott (Def Leppard)
“Raw, fun, angry, glorious and jagged… Mott was everything” – Brian May (Queen)
“If it hadn’t been for Mott, there would be no us” Mick Jones (The Clash)
The band oozes attitude and unpredictability and have recorded a peerless legacy of songs that combine homage, honesty and killer hooks. Mott the Hoople occupy a unique place in the annals of international Rock music.
Ian Hunter, the band’s lead singer has been cited as one of the most inventive writers of the early Seventies, linked to the Ziggy Stardust story, Mott’s rendition of “All The Young Dues” remains the definitive version of Bowie’s masterpiece. It’s a record that proved to be inspirational and still excites and resonates decades later.
‘All The Young Dudes’ will be released on December 8th 2023 on Madfish as a high quality, limited edition 5-disc deluxe box set that includes rare tracks and previously unreleased song versions.
See below for the full contents of “All The Young Dudes” boxset: • 2LP in Gatefold Sleeve – LP1 Remastered Album / LP2 Rare Mixes and Sessions Tracks • 2CDs: CD 1 Remastered Album / CD2 Rare Mixes and Sessions Tracks • 12” Single with rare ‘Unlocked Cars’ version of “All The Young Dudes” + “One Of The Boys” (rare UK B-Side) • 72-Page Hardback Book with liner notes by Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter biographer Campbell Devine • 2 Posters, 3 Art Prints, ‘Sea Divers’ Fan Club Card and an Individually Numbered Certificate
Mott The Hoople – All The Young Dudes (50th Anniversary Box)
LP1 (All The Young Dudes – 2023 Remaster) Side A 01 Sweet Jane 02 Momma’s Little Jewel 03 All The Young Dudes 04 Sucker 05 Jerkin’ Crocus Side B 01 One Of The Boys 02 Soft Ground 03 Ready For Love / After Lights 04 Sea Diver
LP2 (Bonus Tracks)
Side C 01 One of the Boys (1980 remix of 1971 Island Recording) 02 Black Scorpio (1980 remix of 1972 Island Recording) 03 Movin’ On (1980 remix of 1972 Island Recording) 04 Ride On The Sun (1980 remix of 1972 Island Recording) 05 All The Young Dudes (1998 Bowie / Hunter Vocal Audio-morph) Side D 01 One Of The Boys (Edited Version) 02 Sweet Jane (US Single A-side) 03 Shakin’ All Over (Trident Session outtake) 04 Please Don’t Touch (Trident Session outtake) 05 So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) (Trident session outtake) 06 One Of The Boys (US Single A-side)
CD1 (All The Young Dudes – 2023 Remaster) 01 Sweet Jane 02 Momma’s Little Jewel 03 All The Young Dudes 04 Sucker 05 Jerkin’ Crocus 06 One Of The Boys 07 Soft Ground 08 Ready For Love / After Lights 09 Sea Diver
CD2 (Bonus Tracks) 01 One of the Boys (1980 remix of 1971 Island Recording) 02 Black Scorpio (1980 remix of 1972 Island Recording) 03 Movin’ On (1980 remix of 1972 Island Recording) 04 Ride On The Sun (1980 remix of 1972 Island Recording) 05 All The Young Dudes (1998 Bowie / Hunter Vocal Audiomorph) 06 One Of The Boys (Edited Version) 07 Sweet Jane (US Single A-side) 08 Shakin’ All Over (Trident Session Outtake) 09 Please Don’t Touch (Trident Session Outtake) 10 So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) (Trident Session Outtake) 11 One Of The Boys (US Single A-side)
Vinyl Single – 7″ Side A 01 All The Young Dudes (‘Unlocked Cars’ Version) Side B 01 One Of The Boys (UK Single B-side)
Outsider Rock 