Three big names in Canadian rock will tour coast to coast in the spring. BTO – featuring Randy Bachman headlines the Back In Overdrive tour, along with APRIL WINE and The HEADPINS.
Check out the dates below, and more recent clips…
Super excited to see this news! A live album from MAGNUM’S final performance, before the passing of guitarist/songwriter TONY CLARKIN. Set list is below the press release, as well album artwork and ordering Link. There is a few clips from this show online (shared below. The DVD was included as a bonus disc to the band’s last album). A great looking set-list, largely earlier classics, with a few newer gems, should be a another great sounding release as with previous MAGNUM live albums!
| British rock icons MAGNUM have announced the release of the band’s final live album with founder Tony Clarkin. Recorded December 10, 2022, ‘Live at KK’s Steel Mill‘ was the memorable night when they played the final show of their European tour at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton and, as they had done on all previous nights, wowed their fans from the first to the last note. The concert was recorded by state-of-the-art audio equipment, which later turned out to be a real blessing because it was – as we now know – the last official live recording starring Tony Clarkin. The guitarist and main songwriter died unexpectedly on January 7, 2024, just a few days before the release of MAGNUM’s studio album ‘Here Comes The Rain.’ The album presents MAGNUM as an enthusiastically celebrated act whose repertoire of hits, classics, and newer material could hardly be more varied. “It was the perfect evening,” recalls singer Bob Catley. “We finished our The Monster Roars tour in Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill was packed out and the promoter was a passionate MAGNUM fan. I couldn’t imagine a more worthy farewell to Tony than those recordings.” HiDue to the huge demand and to mark the first anniversary of Clarkin’s passing, ‘Live At KK’s Steel Mill’ will be available via Steamhammer/SPV starting January 10, 2025, for the first time on double CD, triple LP, and for digital download. Pre-Order ‘Live at KK’s Steel Mill’ HER |
‘Live at KK’s Steel Mill‘ Track List:
CD1
1. Days Of No Trust
2. Lost On The Road To Eternity
3. The Monster Roars
4. The Archway Of Tears
5. Dance Of The Black Tattoo
6. Where Are You Eden?
7. The Flood
8. The Day after The Night Before
CD2
1. Wild Swan
2. Les Morts Dansant
3. Rocking Chair
4. All England’s Eyes
5. Vigilante
6. Kingdom Of Madness
7. On A Storyteller’s Night
8. Sacred Hour
| To pay tribute to their late bandleader, MAGNUM are set to play an exclusive series of ‘Tribute to Tony’ shows in the UK in January 2025. As a special gesture, Clarkin’s daughter Dionne will showcase two of her father’s favorite instruments to the concerts – his red Telecaster and his white custom guitar, hoping that Clarkin will be watching from heaven. “My father was an extremely modest and humble man who would probably be surprised at how much the large MAGNUM community continues to love him to this day. He always believed that few people would really care if one day he would no longer be with us. As it turns out, the exact opposite is the case: We all miss him, his huge artistic achievement, and his great empathy as a father, friend and musician!” This is why ‘Live at KK’s Steel Mill’ is undoubtedly one of the most emotional albums in MAGNUM’s longstanding career! Pre-Order Exclusive CD/LP Bundles |
| 21.01. UK-London – O2 Kentish Town Forum, 22.01. UK-Manchester – Academy, 1 24.01. UK-Glasgow – The Garage, 25.01. UK-Wolverhampton – KK’s Steel Mill, 26.01. UK-Wolverhampton – KK’s Steel Mill |
Legendary US band will be releasing their 50th Anniversary 3rd night show, from New York, recorded in 2022. This set includes a performance of the band’s 3rd album , and my favorite BOC album – Secret Treaties. There is also a video for the live performance of the classic “Career Of Evil”. *Check out the press info, tracklisting, and pre-order link below!
Riding the triumphant success of their 50th Anniversary celebration, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT is rolling into the release of ‘50th Anniversary Live – Third Night,’ the final installment of the live album celebrating the band’s 50th Anniversary.
This electrifying performance, which includes the band’s third album ‘Secret Treaties‘ performed back-to-back, is set to hit the shelves on December 13, 2024 and promises to be a spectacular follow-up to the band’s historic three-night stint at Sony Hall in NYC.
In September of 2022, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT enthralled fans with a unique trilogy of sold-out shows, each dedicated to one of their first three albums. Founding member Albert Bouchard made a special appearance on all three nights, adding a nostalgic touch to the historic milestone.
For nearly three hours each night, the band delivered a spellbinding set, weaving through the entirety of their now-classic initial trilogy of albums and treating fans to a mix of favorites, deep cuts, and classic hits. The atmosphere was electric, and Frontiers Music captured the magic, releasing each night as a special individual package.
Italian prog-rockers BLIND GOLEM have a new album coming out. Wunderkammer will be released November 22, on Andromeda Relix Records. This is the follow up to 2021’s debut A Dream Of Fantasy. Wunderkammer includes an interesting cover version choice. For more details check out the press info below. Artwork is (again) done by Rodney Matthews. And the first single/video is the song “Born Liars”!
Description: organ, wah-wah heavy Les Paul guitar, massive choruses: all the classic ingredients that made Blind Golem debut album such an intriguing cult classic in 2021 for lovers of bands like Uriah Heep, Magnum, Rainbow, are back in full force for second album “Wunderkammer”, 11 songs showing a more developed personality and also featuring a great cover version of one of Heep’s more obscure songs, the “Demons and Wizards” outtake “Green Eye”. Cover art is once again an impressive painting by the great Rodney Matthews! Influences for the Album: Uriah Heep, Magnum, Lucifer’s Friend, Rainbow, Black Bonzo
Blind Golem is a project born out of a lifelong passion for classic hard rock, with a big Hammond organ, screaming wah-wah guitars, massive choruses. The original seed comes from members of the seasoned hard blues band Bullfrog (5 albums) joining with members of the tribute band Forever Heep, dedicated to the classic Uriah Heep repertoire, that played several times as a backing band for Ken Hensley himself, founding member of Heep. In 2021 the band released its first collection of original material, “A Dream Of Fantasy”, which featured Hensley himself on keyboards and slide guitar. The album got enthusiastic reviews especially from fans of that specific and immortal sound, the marriage of Hammond organ and big guitars. After several shows, including a prestigious appearance at the prestigious Porto Antico Festival in Genoa, the band entered the studio to produce it’s album of original material, showing a clear growth in personality, still maintaining firm roots in the classic, powerful and melodic sound of the first album. As an homage, the album features a strong cover of the most obscure Uriah Heep deep cut, “Green Eye”, an outtake from the 1972 classic ‘Demons and Wizards’ sessions. Cover art was made once again by none other than the legendary Rodney Matthews, responsible for countless classic covers for bands like Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, Magnum, Diamond Head, etc. The members of Blind Golem all come from experienced bands, having released several albums with Bullfrog, Rocken Factory and Forever Deep, and played thousands of shows through the years backing rock legends like Don Airey, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Bernie Marsden, and opening for Uriah Heep, John Lawton, Uli Jon Roth, Dan Baird, Doug Pinnick. Like the first album, ‘Wunderkammer’ is released by Andromeda Relix Records and it will also be issued on splendid double LP, in a gatefold package, in the near future.
Band Line-up: Andrea Vilardo, lead vocals. Simone Bistaffa, Hammond Organ, Piano, Keyboards. Silvano Zago, Guitars. Francesco Dalla Riva, Bass, Lead & Backing Vocals. Walter Mantovanelli, Drums.
A new TRAPEZE album is set for release – Lost Tapes vol. 2. Like Vol. 1, which came out last year, Lost Songs vol. 2 features previously unreleased recordings from the band’s career. The band’s guitarist was Mel Galley (RIP), who was also the band’s only constant member from beginning to end, in a band that was also known for the other ‘name’ players that were there from Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Dave Holland (Judas Priest), and Peter Goalby (Uriah Heep). Galley was also songwriter (along with his brother Mel) and shared vocal duties. His son, Marcus Galley is a graphic designer and has created a number of album covers, most notably and recently the last year’s Lost Tapes vol. 1, and the forthcoming ‘Lost Tapes vol. 2‘. Both album covers share a theme of old tape boxes, quite cool and retro looking. I haven’t seen the rest of the packaging for vol. 2 yet, but vol. 1 comes in a brilliant package. Below is my exchange with Marcus Galley on his involvement & work on these Trapeze projects, his favorite cuts from these releases, a bit about his other work, and a bit more. I’ve included a couple of galleries featuring some of Marcus’ other designs, and links at the bottom.
Pre-Order TRAPEZE Lost Tapes vol. 2 (available on CD & vinyl) HERE or HERE
Can you tell me a bit about your own work (own your own company?) – what all does it entail aside from the few album covers I see you credited on?
I set Mammoth Creative Works up in 2010 but had been in the design industry a long time before that. MCW is mainly focused within the music industry, where I design tour and general merch, posters etc
for a lot of bands. Also book covers, album artwork, skateboard graphics, different sports brands… I’ll do anything that I find interesting really.
Prior to the Trapeze covers, you did a couple of others. Any brief recall on 1 or 2 of those?
I’d done a lot of covers before the recent Trapeze ones. A couple of which were also connected – the Phenomena albums created by my uncle, Tom Galley. Dad, a bunch of the Whitesnake and Trapeze guys and some great guest artists also played on those. Amongst the most recent, I’ve done 5 or 6 over the last couple years for a new label that specialize in 100% eco-friendly vinyl presses, they’re putting some great music out, and have a couple HUGE releases lined up for this autumn… but I can’t
talk about that yet. I’ve done a bunch of reissue covers for albums originally out in the 80’s / 90’s. It’s always fun revisiting old artwork and of course advancements in printing and computing mean you can clean up images and really go to town.
Lost Tapes Vol. 1 had such a cool retro cover concept. What inspired that whole idea, and the details involved? and can you tell me about the process involved in achieving that cover?
Thank you! I’ve got a real thing for good packaging design, and as soon as we came up with the title for the album I had the idea in my head what I wanted to do. We always had reel to reel tapes around the house and there’s some gorgeous utilitarian design on those. I took various ideas from a few. Budget unfortunately wouldn’t allow for what we really wanted to do – The idea was to house the two 12″s in a box and have loose photographs, info sheets etc enclosed, make it look like something that had been lost in the loft for years. It’d be nice to do that one day, maybe with Vol. 2 in there too. It was good looking through our photo archive here and picking which of Carl’s images to use.
Did you have a pretty firm mental picture of how you might’ve wanted either cover to look before you got started? And did you have any input from anyone else involved in the projects?
Pretty much. I did insist it was pressed on clear orange vinyl to carry the logo theme on, same as Vol. 2 being on a clear smoke grey to replicate a tape reel. I work very closely to Tom on these, and luckily, he trusts me to come up with something half decent! Tom’s very artistic too and has a great vision (sometimes too grand!) I’m pretty bloody minded when it comes to anything Trapeze related, so I’ll always stick to my guns on the look.
Lost Tapes vol 2 is a very different cover, but also very retro, and as you mention it retains that ‘tape box’ theme. I presume you’ve seen plenty of those from old recordings, etc… did you have specific recollections, photos and tapes that you might’ve used for inspiration, ideas….?
There are a few Japanese brands that had the best packaging, they just do stuff like that better over there. I’ve got folders on hard drives full of images that I know I can use on something one day. I think Vol. 2 is based on bits from three or four different ones. Of course, I’m not going to tell you which, where’s the fun in that!
Aside from the tape boxes, was there any other old LP covers that had any influence of how either ‘Lost Tapes’ covers look?
Without giving it away…yes. There’s a nod to two Trapeze albums inside Vol. 2. I recreated a couple pieces of artwork imagining how they’d look if you were to visit today. You’ll have to buy the album to see! Of course, there’s the logo used on Volumes 1 & 2, based on the logo from the self-titled album, I’ve always liked that logo, so we just recreated something similar.
As you are attached to Trapeze very personally, can you tell a bit about how much it meant to have these recordings finally released and being such a big part of it? And do you have any favorite tracks from Lost Tapes Vol 1 ?
It’s a weird mix of emotions to be honest. I’ve heard these songs in every incarnation from being hummed on the dog walk, played on a guitar sat in front of the TV etc, so I don’t get that same ‘wow!’ as someone else hearing the tracks for the first time will get, but that doesn’t take it away from the fact that I’m a fan, and it’s great to give people something new (to their ears at least) to listen to. I’d buy the album’s if I had to (I’ve had to buy all the Trapeze ones again over the last few years, as we never really had copies in the house, they were always given away to friends).
Favorites from Vol.1, ‘Goin’ Home’ for sure, Hot Wire being my favorite Trapeze album. It’s the album that sounds like Trapeze should, given the influences at the time.
Favorite tracks off Vol.2, I just put the masters on now to listen again. I’d say ‘Can You Feel It’, ‘Turn It On’ & ‘Midnight Flyer’, but they’ve always been favorites anyway. They sound like Trapeze should sound, a great groove. The couple gigs I played drums for my dad, we did ‘Way Back to the Bone’ and ‘Coast to Coast’ in the set. We were just about to start rehearsing for another couple gigs when he got taken ill, so that was a shame we never got to play those. There’s a CD here in my office that he sent with the 24 songs to learn that were going to be in the set.
As one who creates album covers – do have a short list of some of your favorite album covers or favorite artists (album designers)
A short list!?!?! are you kidding!?!? I’ve always bought records; I’ve spent a fortune over the years on albums just because they had a great cover, so to narrow it down is a tough call, and definitely not a short list.
Barney Bubbles could do no wrong in my eyes, a huge inspiration. Hipgnosis, Stylorouge, tDR (of course), Vaughan Oliver, Peter Saville, all absolute genius. I could go on all day…but they’re the first names that come to mind.
Might we see either of your Trapeze album covers be used in official merch for fans? (t-shirts, posters)
I hope so! Prints are a thing I’d particularly enjoy to do, mainly due to the size and unlimited colors you’ve got to play with, especially of the two reimagined pieces I mentioned a few questions ago for starters, but we’ll definitely do shirts. They’ll have to be slightly different to the Vol. 2 cover, that nine color screenprint would come out super expensive! Merch based on old promo bits has always appealed to me, there was a cool raglan / baseball shirt and coach jacket I’d like to make available at some point.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/MammothCreativeWorks
https://www.instagram.com/mammothcreativeworks/
http://www.mammothcreativeworks.co.uk
Trapeze – Lost Tapes Vol. 2… Swinging Your Way This November!
With URIAH HEEP’s 55th Anniversary coming up, the band have decided to wind things down with the upcoming ‘The Magician’s Farewell’ tour starting next year. Watch Mick Box’s announcement below.
DEEP PURPLE have a new single/video out from their soon to be released album. “Lazy Sod” is the 3rd single from ‘=1′. *Check out the video below, info & links in the description.
UK Prog Legends Curved Air “: The Rarities Series Box Set”
Spirit of Unicorn Music are pleased to announce the release of “The Rarities Series Box Set” from Curved Air, which will be released on 20th September, 2024. This 6 CD box set brings together all the CD’s previously released in the Rarities series but which have been out of print for some considerable time. The package also includes a booklet featuring brand new sleeve notes, written by PROG magazine’s editor, Jerry Ewing. Ewing has interviewed the band’s enigmatic and beguiling lead singer, Sonja Kristina, viewed by many as the first lady of prog; providing a new, fresh perspective on these recordings.Curved Air formed in 1970 and brought together the influences of rock, folk and classical music into their work, developing a fascinating and ground-breaking progression fusion sound. They went on to become a seminal band within the British progressive rock movement who have endured the test of time and still perform live to this day.The box set includes:Tapestry of Propositions: An hour-long version of “Propositions”, recorded live at 14 different locations during 2013/14.Curved Space: previously released as Francis Monkman’s “Jam” but now featuring 2 unreleased bonus tracks.Infinity: featuring all new 2016 studio recordings.The Second British Rock Meeting 1972: Features the only known recording of this line-up improvising. The last track is an extended jam on their hit, Vivaldi, and lasts over 30 minutes.Live Under The Bridge: Featuring a performance of the legendary “Air Conditioning”, in its entirety.Set to be an exciting Summer for Curved Air, July will see an acoustic line-up of the band fly to the USA and Canada for a string of 21 live shows, as part of the Heat Of The Moment Tour alongside other progressive music greats, Asia, Focus and Martin Turner – ex Wishbone Ash.
*Check out tracklisting, more details, tour dates…. – https://glassonyonpr.com/news/
VANILLA FUDGE was (is) a highly influential New York band from the 60s. Their blend of guitar & organ had a big influence on British bands like Deep Purple, as well as Led Zeppelin, and along with their backing harmonies were a huge influence on Uriah Heep. Esoteric is releasing a 9 disc box all the band’s 60s recordings, including singles, bonus tracks, and live material. VF had hits with their slowed down, heavier arrangements of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (Supremes), “Eleanor Rigby” (Beatles). “Shotgun” (Junior Walker), and “Season Of The Witch” (Donovan). The band split at the end of the decade (w/ a couple members forming CACTUS), but reformed years later, and are still performing today! Info below. To pre-order and check out full track-listing check out link below. To be released September 27! Looking forward to this.
Featuring Mark Stein (vocals, organ), Vincent Martell (guitar, vocals), Tim Bogert (bass, vocals) and Carmine Appice (drums, vocals), the band were originally known as The Pigeons and gained notoriety thanks to their radical, slowed down and heavy interpretations of current hits. They signed to Atco Records, a division of Atlantic in April 1967 and changed their name at the insistence of Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun to Vanilla Fudge. Their radical cover version of The Supremes’ hit “You Keep Me Hanging On” was issued as a single in June 1967. Dominated by the hard-hitting approach of their rhythm section and the powerful Hammond organ playing of Mark Stein it became a US top 10 hit.
The band’s self-titled debut album was released in August 1967 and was a psychedelic rock tour-de-force, featuring a seven-minute version of ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’, it also featured imaginative cover versions of compositions by The Beatles, The Zombies and Curtis Mayfield among others. Over the next two years, VANILLA FUDGE would record a series of albums that would evolve from psychedelic rock to heavy rock and influence many emerging bands, among them Deep Purple, before disbanding in 1970.
This nine CD boxed set has been remastered from the original Atco tapes and features the albums ‘VANILLA FUDGE’ and ‘THE BEAT GOES ON’ (in both mono and stereo versions) and ‘RENAISSANCE’, ‘NEAR THE BEGINNING’ and ‘ROCK & ROLL’. It also features a complete concert recorded at the Fillmore West on New Year’s Eve 1968 / 1969 over two CDS and a host of session out-takes and singles.
The set also features an illustrated booklet with new essay featuring exclusive interviews with Mark Stein and Carmine Appice.
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/vanilla-fudge-where-is-my-mind-the-atco-recordings-1967-1969-9cd-box-set
Progressive-rock legends FOCUS have a new single from FOCUS 12 – to be released next week, just as the band starts their North American tour as part of the. ASIA Heat Of The Moment bill (along with Martin Turner, ex WHISHBONE ASH, and CURVED AIR).
*Check out the new track “Focus 13” below, as well as the press release and album pre-order link.
Heat Of The Moment 2024 – USA Tour Dates:
Wednesday, 3rd July : Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield
Thursday, 4th July : Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls
Saturday, 6th July : Chevalier Theatre, Medford
Sunday, 7th July : The Paramount, Huntingdon
Tuesday, 9th July : Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood
Wednesday, 10th July : Count Basie Center, Red Bank
Friday, 12th July : Tropicana Showroom, Atlantic City
Saturday, 13th July : Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem
Sunday, 14th July : American Music Theatre, Lancaster
Tuesday, 16th July : Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg
Wednesday, 17th July : Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
Thursday, 18th July : Columbia County Performing Arts Center, Evans
Saturday, 20th July : Hard Rock Live, Orlando
Sunday, 21st July : The Parker Theatre, Fort Lauderdale
Monday, 22nd July : Seminole Hard Rock, Tampa
Wednesday, 24th July : North Charleston PAC, North Charleston
Thursday, 25th July : Macon City Auditorium, Macon
Friday, 26th July : Saeger Theatre, Mobile
Sunday, 28th July : VBC Mark Smith Concert Hall, Huntsville
Tuesday, 30th July : The Armada Theatre, St Charles
Wednesday, 31st July : The Pabst Theater, Milwaukee
Outsider Rock 