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Boomerocity.com

 

Watch current interviews with music and entertainment icons and influencers of the baby boomer generation as well as rising stars in music.

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  • Home
  • Interviews
  • BUZZ!
  • News
  • New Releases
  • Concert Reviews
  • Contributors
    • Bob Gruen's Studio
    • Bob Heimall - Cover Stories
    • Jim Kroemer - Album Art
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • 2022.01 Boomerocity Buzz

     

    WKRP in Cincinnati”s ‘Dr. Johnny Fever’ Howard Hesseman Dead

    HowardHessman 31Jan2022

     

    SLASH To Perform On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' This Wednesday (February 2nd)

    slashconspiratorsjuly2021 638

     

    Neil Young Couldn’t Remove His Music From Spotify On His Own. Here’s Why.

    Spotify CCO

     

    Steve Vai Postponed Tour Due to ‘Stupid’ Pizza-Making Injury

    attachment Steve Vai

     

    JIMI HENDRIX IN MAUI GETS GLOBAL THEATRICAL RELEASE IN FEBRUARY FROM ABRAMORAMA

    Hendrix Maui

     

    America’s Gerry Beckley recalls band’s “rocket ship” ride that began with debut album’s release 50 years ago

    M AmericaAmerica630 012622

     

    Flashback: Dan Peek’s Last Interview Exclusively On Boomerocity (Two Parts) Here and Here

     

    ‘IRL’ Concert Platform Fever Raises $227 Million in Goldman-Led Round, Touts Demand For ‘Thrilling and Well-Curated’ Events
    Fever, an eight-year-old “global live-entertainment discovery platform,” has officially raised $227 million in a funding round led by Goldman Sachs.

     

    Peter Robbins, Original Charlie Brown Voice Actor, Dead at 65

    charlie brown

     

    Van Morrison Postpones Florida Concerts From February To April Because of COVID Surge

    Van Morrison 26Jan2022

     

    Elvis Costello Inks ‘Exclusive’ Administration Deal With BMG as Catalog Sales Rush Continues

    binary comment

     

    What Happened To The Actors From “Dukes Of Hazzard?”

    dukes 735x413

     

    Flashbock 1: The 1st Boomerocity Interview With John Scheider

     

    Flashbock 2: The 2nd Boomerocity Interview With John Scheider

     

    World Premiere: Hear Bryan Adams’ Punchy New Song ‘Never Gonna Rain’

     

    Randy Travis “More Life” Documentary Sets Premier

     

    Following UMPG Publishing Deal, Bob Dylan Sells Recorded Catalog to Sony Music

     

    2022 State of Music: Is TikTok the New SoundCloud?

     

    VENTURES GUITARIST DON WILSON DEAD AT 88

    attachment wilson

     

    Daryl Hall Announces Spring 2022 U.S. Tour With Todd Rundgren

    attachment daryl hall todd rundgren

     

    Clapton Speaks: The Real Music Observer

     

    KISS’ PAUL STANLEY REFLECTS ON TURNING 70

    attachment paul stanley in front of kiss sign pointing at the camera

     

    A New ‘Guitar Hero’ Video Game Could Be Coming

    attachment guitar hero controller

     

    TikTok Testing Support for Paid Subscriptions to Creators

     

    Queen’s Brian May to Make His Acting Debut on British Children’s Show

    brian may queen 2019

     

    GRETA VAN FLEET's JAKE KISZKA Celebrates 61st Anniversary Of GIBSON's Iconic SG Guitar

    jakekiszkagibson2022 638

     

    World Premiere: Listen to Joe Satriani’s Groovy New Single ‘Sahara’

     

    Garth Brooks Reschedules Gillette Stadium Concert

    GarthBrooks 20Jan2022

     

    The Enduring Mystery of “Magic Alex”

    Magic Alex lennon mccartney alamy

     

    Chris Daughtry Confirms Stepdaughter’s Cause of Death

    Chris Daughtry2jpg

     

    Kenny Chesney sells music catalog to Hipgnosis Song Management

    Chesney 20Jan2022

     

    Sound Credit Unleashes Version 4 — A Quantum Leap for Eliminating $1.4 Billion In Annual Missing Royalties

     

    Marty Roberts of Iconic Los Angeles Lounge Act “Marty & Elayne” at The Dresden Dies at the Age of 89

    marty and elayne the dresden loz feliz marty roberts

     

    DAVID ELLEFSON And JEFF SCOTT SOTO Have 'Something Brewing'

    jeffscottsotodavidellefsonjan2022 638

     

    Who Are the Richest Musicians? Here’s a 2021 Year-End Ranking

    who are the richest musicians in 2021 article

     

    TwinsTheNewTrend Discover Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall ( Acapella with Backing Vocals Complete )

     

    John Mellencamp Likes the Effect Smoking Has Had on His Voice

    attachment mellencamp 18Jan2022

     

    Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi Mourns the Death of His Longtime Manager Ernest Chapman

    Iommi 18Jan2022

     

    Country Legend Dallas Frazier Dead, Writer of Oak Ridge Boys Hit ‘Elvira’ Was 82

    frazier

     

    World Premiere: “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” - Now Streaming - Listen to the first track off the companion album to Dolly’s
    upcoming novel co-authored with James Patterson

     

    Boomerocity Coulda Told You This: What Year is It? Nearly a Third of the iTunes Top 100 Taken By Oldies, New Releases Not Catching On

    Creedence Clearwater Revival

     

    55 Years Ago: Hippies ‘Turn on, Tune in, Drop out’ at Human Be-In

    HumanBeIn

     

    World Premiere: New Alex Lifeson Project “Envy Of None” Releases First Single

     

    ROGER TAYLOR DEFENDS ‘BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY’ TIMELINE CHANGE

    attachment taylor

     

    A 1964 Porsche 904 GTS Once Owned by Robert Redford Could Fetch $1.7 Million at Auction
    The gorgeous racer is one of the just 100 road-legal examples ever made

    redford904gts

     

    PIMCO, ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST INVESTMENT FIRMS, TURNS ITS ATTENTION TO MUSIC RIGHTS

     

    Primary Wave Acquires Stake in America’s (the group) Catalog, ‘Certain Name and Likeness Rights’

    America Main

     

    50 ALBUMS TURNING 50 IN 2022

    attachment 1972 collage

     

    World Premiere: JETHRO TULL Releases Video For Title Track Of First Album In Over 18 Years, 'The Zealot Gene'

     

    Elvis Costello Says He Won’t Perform “Oliver’s Army” Anymore, Tells Radio Stations Not to Play It
    The song contains the line "One more widow, one less white n*****"

    elvis costello wont play olivers army

     

    Releasing Music Is Easy, Marketing Music Is Hard. Here’s How Chartmetric Is Leveraging Data to Make Marketing a Lot Easier

     

    Bob Dylan Fires Back Against Sexual Assault Allegations: ‘A Brazen Shakedown Masquerading As a Lawsuit’

     

    Nita Strauss Makes History as First Active Rock Solo Female Chart-Topper

    attachment attachment nita strauss 2021 1

     

    Calvin Simon, Former Singer for Parliament-Funkadelic, Dead at 79

    calvinsimon

     

    World Premiere: See Previously Unreleased Footage of Rolling Stones at Altamont

    attachment Stones Altamont

     

    Sidney Poitier, Beloved Legend And First Black Best Actor Oscar Winner, Dead At 94

    sidney 4

     

    Catalog Releases Now Account for 75% of U.S. Music Consumption — With 89% of Baby Boomers Streaming Songs

    2021 Report Main

     

    Bon Jovi Announce Spring 2022 North American Tour

    Jon Bon Jovi1

     

    World Premiere: Hear Edgar Winter Cover ‘Johnny B. Goode’ Featuring Joe Walsh

     

    Watch The Beatles’ Rooftop Gig in IMAX Theaters on 1/30 as a Special One-Night-Only Engagement

    the beatles get back imax

     

    Fender CEO Andy Mooney “Not Optimistic” That Guitar And Amp Supply Chain Struggles Will Improve Any Time Soon

    fender supply chain

     

    British Recorded Music Industry Eeks a Modest 2021 Gain as 1,918 Artists Surpass 10 Million Domestic Streams

     

    With Get Back, Paul McCartney Became the Most Interesting TV Character of 2021

    Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison in THE BEATLES: GET BACK. Photo courtesy of Apple Corps Ltd.

     

    World Premiere: Chuck Berry Live from Blueberry Hill

     

    Cruise Control? The Iconic Porsche 928 From ‘Risky Business’ Can Now Be Yours
    Cruise like Cruise himself in this legendary vehicle-- which was also the star of its own documentary

    Porsche Risky Business4

     

    Spotify CEO Daniel Ek Officially Responds to Neil Young’s Pullout — Here’s His Complete Statement

    Daniel Ek750400

     

    Joni Mitchell Wants Songs Off Spotify In Covid Row

    Joni Mitchell 31Jan2022

     

    Keith Moon Biopic to Start Shooting in Summer

    KeithMoon 31Jan2022

     

    Wayne's World AMC Pacer 'Mirthmobile' Auctioned for Record Amount

    amcpacer

     

    THE BEATLES AND INDIA - DOCUMENTARY TO STREAM EXCLUSIVELY ON BRITBOX IN NORTH AMERICA STARTING FEBRUARY 15, 2022 ~ SILVA SCREEN RECORDS RELEASES COMPANION ALBUM THE BEATLES AND INDIA: SONGS INSPIRED BY THE FILM

    BeatlesandIndia

     

    Young Slash Wouldn’t Have Believed Guns N’ Roses’ Pandemic Tour

    Slash 27Jan2022

     

    The Zombies add North American summer leg to Life Is a Merry-Go-Round Tour

    the zombies 2022 tour

     

    Home of the Week: Inside the Spectacular $85 Million Beverly Hills Mansion That ‘Full House’ Built

    Cielo2

     

    Julian Lennon Is Selling The Beatles Memorabilia As NFTs

    john lennon 01

     

    Brian May Helps Reunite 8-Year-Old Boy With Lost Guitar

    Brian May 25Jan2022

     

    Elton John Postpones Dallas Shows Of Restarted Tour After Testing Positive For Covid

    elton john dallas 25Jan2022

     

    Neil Young Demands Spotify Remove His Music Over ‘False Information About Vaccines’
    “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young,” Neil Young wrote in a letter to his manager and label. “Not both”

    neil young pulls music from spotify

     

    Is Old Music Killing New Music?
    Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market. Even worse: The new-music market is actually shrinking

     

    Find Your Lane as a Musician. Ignore Everything Else.

     

    Meat Loaf’s Daughter Pens Touching Tributes To Late Singer

    meatloaf daughter 02

     

    Adele Cancels Entire Las Vegas Residency Due to COVID

    adele cancels las vegas residency article

     

    Graham Nash Condemns Anti-Vaxxer For Co-opting His Song ‘Chicago’

    attachment nash

     

    Ozzy Osbourne’s CryptoBatz Project Shares Scam Link — Thousands Stolen From Unsuspecting Fans

    ozzy crypto batz scam article

     

    Meat Loaf, Rock Legend and ‘Bat Out of Hell’ Singer, Dead at 74

    meat loaf dead 09

     

    World Premiere: Dee Snider Covers ‘Theme for an Imaginary Western’ for Upcoming Leslie West Tribute Album

     

    Indie Venues Face a Surging Concert No-Show Rate — 50% of Ticketholders Are Staying Home

     

    Steve Vai Postpones 2022 Tour from January to September; Needs Surgical Procedure

    steve vai tour 2022 crop

     

    Jimi Hendrix Experience Estates in Dispute Over Royalties

    Jimi Hendrix Experience

     

    Rocky Dijon: The Spicy Percussion Master

    sticky fingers cover

     

    Ozzy Osbourne Bit the Head Off a Live Bat 40 Years Ago Today
    He’ll never live down the infamous moment, even though the whole thing was a complete accident

    ozzy osbourne 20Jan2022

     

    Catalog Appraiser Massarsky Consulting Sells to Citrin Cooperman as Music IP Sales Rush Continues

     

    ‘Payola Is Illegal’: Lawsuit Revives Pay-for-Play Accusations in Radio Industry
    Independent radio promoter Steve Zap made more than 130 payments totaling over $300,000 to help cover bills for a West Coast radio company, according to court docs

     

    Peloton’s New David Bowie Workouts Include Exclusive Remixes

    david bowie peloton

     

    U2’s Bono Feels “Embarrassed” Hearing His Voice On The Radio

    Bono 19Jan2022

     

    Recording Academy Reschedules the 2022 Grammys For April, Moves Ceremony to Las Vegas

    when are the grammys article

     

    Microsoft Buys Activision in $69 Billion Deal – Will It Revive Guitar Hero?

    microsoft activision who owns guitar hero article

     

    Digital Burnout Fears: ‘It’s a lot we’re asking of artists’

     

    Jewel-Box Heroes: Why the CD Revival Is Finally Here
    Compact discs never had the romance of vinyl or the convenience of MP3s. But they’re still the ideal format for getting lost inside your music collection

     

    World Premiere: Loverboy’s New Song, “Release”

     

    25 Years Ago: John Deacon Plays His Final Queen Show

    attachment John Deacon Brian May Queen

     

    Fred Parris Dies: Singer On ‘In The Still Of The Night’ By The Five Satins Was 85

    Fred Parris

     

    World Premiere: ROLLING STONES UNRELEASED: ‘LOW DOWN’ (alt. version, Keith on vocals, 1997)

     

    MLK Day Finally Arrives As Paid Day Off For Most Hollywood Workers

    Martin Luther King Jr D.C. 1963

     

    40 Years Ago: A Rejected Babys Song Becomes Journey’s Signature Ballad

     

    World Premiere: Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators ‘Call Off the Dogs’ on Red-Hot New Song

     

    How Ronnie Spector Helped Eddie Money Score His Biggest Hit

    attachment ronnie spector eddie money

     

    ROUND HILL MUSIC BUYS CATALOG FROM WHITE SNAKE’S DAVID COVERDALE, STRIKES DEAL WITH NANCY WILSON FROM HEART

    David Coverdale 1 e1642166241596 418x236

     

    He Used Plastic Surgery to Raise Rock Stars From the Dead - Decades before hologram tours, one rogue '70s promoter found another way to put Elvis, Janis, Jim Morrison, and other late icons back onstage

    PlasticSurgeon 14Jan2022

     

    Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell Items for Auction

    attachment richards

     

    Ronnie Spector, Rock Icon Behind ‘Be My Baby’ and Ex of Phil Spector, Dead At 78

    ronnie spector

     

    DAVID LEE ROTH Addresses COVID-Related Cancelations In Latest Artwork

    davidleerothmay2021 638

     

    Burke Shelley, Singer and Bassist for Budgie, Dead at 71

    attachment Burke Budgie

     

    World Premiere: Saxon Unmasks New Single, “Remember The Fallen”, From Their Upcoming Album, “Carpe Diem”

     

    Woodstock Organizer Michael Lang Dies At 77

    attachment michael lang woodstock death

     

    World Mourns Death Of Comedy Icon Bob Saget: “Wasn’t A Kinder Person In Hollywood”

    bobsagetdeath

     

    Elton John Guitarist Davey Johnstone Says Elton’s Upcoming Shows Will Feature A Moment “You Wouldn’t Expect”

    DaveyJohnstone 10Jan2022

     

    Google Infringed On Multiple Sonos Patents, U.S. International Trade Commission Rules

     

    Peter Bogdanovich Dies: 'The Last Picture Show', 'Paper Moon' & 'What's Up, Doc?' Director Was 82

    Peter Bogdanovich dies

     

    Lollapalooza Co-Founder Ted Gardner Has Passed Away – Aged 74

    ted gardner lollapalooza founder passes article

     

    The Eagles Announce 2022 Hotel California Extended Tour Dates

    eagles tour additions 07jan2022

     

    TwinsTheNewTrend Discover Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode'

     

    Live Nation and Ticketmaster Face Class-Action Antitrust Lawsuit Over ‘Blatant, Anti-Consumer Behavior’

     

    Country Songwriter Tom T. Hall’s Death Ruled a Suicide
    The Country Music Hall of Fame member known for songs like “Harper Valley PTA” and “Homecoming” died last summer

    tomthall suicide

     

    David Bowie Estate Sells Icon’s Catalog to Warner Chappell for $250M

    david bowie press 2015

     

    Take A Peek Inside: Adele Gets a ‘Steal’ on Sylvester Stallone’s Beverly Park Mansion

    adele house

     

    The Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ Album Cover Lawsuit Has Been Dismissed By a Judge

    nirvana nevermind crop

     

    DEEN CASTRONOVO's Absence From JOURNEY's New Year's Eve Performance Explained

    deencastronovonov 03jan2022

     

    Steve McQueen’s Beloved Husqvarna Viking 360 Motorcycle Is Heading to Auction
    It's widely considered one of the most important Huskies of the 20th century

    McQueen Viking 360 10

     

     

    Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins, Legendary Keyboardist Who Played on Albums by Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Dead at 84
    Blind after an accident at age 3, Robbins learned to play piano with a distinct sense of feel, which made him a go-to Nashville session musician

    HargusPigRobbins

     

    World Premiere: Listen to Jimi Hendrix Jam Two Days Before His Death

     

    Joe Rogan Officially Responds to Neil Young’s Spotify Pullout — Here’s His Complete Statement

    rogan spotify statement 1200

     

    Burt Reynolds’s Iconic ‘77 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Is Heading to Auction
    The retro gem will be offered without reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction this weekend

    BurtReynolds Pontiac

     

    SiriusXM Relaunches ‘Neil Young Radio’ Following Spotify Takedown

    Neil Young taunts Trump

     

    Beatles’ Full Rooftop Concert Headed to Streaming Services

    attachment beatles rooftop concert

     

    Not To Be: Spotify to Remove Neil Young’s Music Following Ultimatum: ‘We Regret Neil’s Decision’

    neil young spotify 27Jan2022

     

    Lefsetz Says: “Spotify is at the bleeding edge of the civil war.”

     

    Sammy Hagar Teams up With George Thorogood for Summer 2022 Tour

    Haggar Thorogood Tour

     

    To Be or Not To Be: Neil Young Reportedly Fights Spotify Over Rogan and COVID
    In a now-deleted letter, the rocker demanded Spotify pull his music from its platform unless they removed Joe Rogan's podcast, which has spread COVID misinformation

    Neil Young 26Jan2022

     

    Reservoir Acquires Publishing & Recorded Music Catalog of Country Star Travis Tritt

    reservoir travis tritt catalog deal article

     

    Kid Rock Recruits Foreigner and Grand Funk Railroad for U.S. Tour

    attachment kid rock foreigner grand funk railroad tour1

     

    Keith Richards Announces Reissue of ‘Main Offender’ Solo LP

    attachment Keith Richards Box Set

     

    Clapton Speaks, Part 2: The Real Music Observer

     

    The Music Industry Saved Songwriter Hugh Prestwood From Homelessness.

    Is It Also Responsible for His Plight?
    Prestwood wrote hits for Randy Travis and Trisha Yearwood in the Nineties, but at 79 he was forced to launch a GoFundMe campaign when he and his wife could no longer afford rent

    Hugh Prestonwood 25Jan2022

     

    Flashback: The Boomerocity Interview With Pearl Aday

    PearlAday

     

    World Premiere: Listen to Foo Fighters’ New ‘Fraggle Rock’ Theme Song

     

    The Temptations At 60: Still On Cloud 9

    temptations wiki

     

    Quite A . . . Heady Appetite: Ozzy Osbourne Bit a Third Dove’s Head Off on Same Day

    ozzy 3rd dove head

     

    Playboy Bunnies Blast ‘Predator’ Hiugh Hefner’s Bestiality, ‘Cult’ Sex and Worse

    hugh hefner 2

     

    Louie Anderson Dies: Comedian & Emmy Winner Was 68

    louie anderson

     

    John Mellencamp’s New Album, ‘Strictly a One-Eyed Jack,’ Arrives Featuring Three Springsteen Collabs

     

    Bet It Hurt His D String: Man Steals $8,000 Guitar by Stuffing It Down His Pants

    stolen guitar

     

    The New Boomerocity Interview With Steve Vai

    Inviolate final

     

    Elton John Resumes Yellow Brick Road Tour: Set List and Photos

    EltonJohn 20Jan2022

     

    The Funny Way Van Halen, Blackmore and Gary Moore First Met Each Other

    Eddie Van Halen 3

     

    Brittany Aldean Helps a Woman in El Salvador Keep Her House With a $10,000 Gift

    attachment BrittanyAldean1

     

    An Italian Castle That Starred in One of the ‘Godfather’ Movies Just Listed for $6.8 Million
    Make an offer that the owner can't refuse

    ItalySothebysRealtyAcireale3

     

    Neil Young & Crazy Horse ‘Barn’ Documentary Coming To YouTube
    The 73-minute film provides a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary band recording their latest studio album

     

    STAIND's AARON LEWIS Passes Kidney Stone Less Than Week After Having His Appendix Removed

    aaronlewisappendnew 638

     

    Daniel Radcliffe Cast as ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in Upcoming Biopic

    attachment weird al

     

    Rosa Lee Hawkins, Singer of The Dixie Cups, Dies at 76
    The New Orleans girl group's "Chapel of Love" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964

     

    Elvis Costello Thinks Rock Has Lost Its ‘Roll’

    costello1

     

    Prince Estate Valued at $156.4 Million In Settlement of Years-Long IRS Dispute

    prince estate undervalued irs article

     

    Following KKR Catalog Agreement, BMG Partners With Pimco to Buy Additional Music IP

     

    Ralph Emery Dies: Country Music DJ & TV Host Was 88

    Emery Ralph

     

    World Premiere: HEART's ANN WILSON Releases Music Video For Her Cover Version Of ALICE IN CHAINS' 'Rooster'

     

    Joe Walsh to Guest on ‘The Conners’ This Week

    attachment walsh

     

    Flashback: TwinsTheNewTrend Discover Journey’s “Open Arms” (& Talks About Perry’s Tight Jeans)

     

    Jimmy Buffett to Make a Guest Appearance on ‘Blue Bloods’

    attachment jimmy buffett blue blodds

     

    MELISSA ETHERIDGE ANNOUNCES ‘HEARTSTRINGS’ GRAPHIC NOVEL

    attachment Etheridge cover

     

    SIRIUSXM ACQUIRES MUSIC FOR BUSINESS SERVICE CLOUD COVER MEDIA

    sxm 14jan2022

     

    World Premiere: STEVE VAI Releases Visualizer For New Song 'Zeus In Chains'

     

    Music Industry Is ‘Criminal Enterprise’ Says Jay Jay French

    attachment french

     

     

    MAMMOTH WVH And DIRTY HONEY Postpone Launch Of 'Young Guns' Tour

    wolfgangdirtyhoney 638

     

    The Rolling Stones Are Getting Their Own Stamps Courtesy of the U.K.’s Royal Mail

    rolling stones stamps

     

    American Radio Stations Weigh Conditional Settlement Offer From Irving Azoff’s Global Music Rights

     

    World Premiere: Elvis Costello & The Imposters Say Goodbye With New Single, “Farewell, OK”

     

    COVID-Sniffing Dogs Are Keeping Concerts on Track In 2022

    covid sniffing dogs concerts article

     

    Dwayne Hickman Dies: ‘The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis’ Star Was 87

    DwayneHickman300 e1641751326914

     

    Dick Carson Dies: Director Of ‘The Tonight Show’ And Brother Of Johnny Was 92

    Dick Carson Obituary

     

    China Prohibits All Music Platforms From Inking Exclusive Copyright Deals Following Tencent Music Crackdown

     

    Warner Records CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck, Gene Simmons, Daniel Glass, Others Protest Artist Boycott of Sydney Festival

     

    Hollywood Remembers “Champion Of Cinema” Peter Bogdanovich: Francis Ford Coppola, Jeff Bridges, Barbra Streisand & More Weigh In

     

    The Grammys Are Officially Postponed Due to Omicron — Recording Academy Releases Statement

    grammy awards postponed article

     

    Blues Legend Walter Trout Postpones UK/EU Tour

    walter trout tour cancellation 07jan2022

     

    Valerie Bertinelli Reveals Eddie Van Halen’s Final Words

    EVH Valerie Jan072022

     

    Right on Cue, SiriusXM Launches a Dedicated David Bowie Channel

    sirius xm launches dedicated david bowie channel article

     

    Paul McCartney: The “Unknown Beatle”

    paul mccartney unknown

     

    PRS Confirms Launch Date, Specs of John Mayer Signature SE Silver Sky

    PRS Mayer Sig Guitar

     

    TwinsTheNewTrend Discover Otis Redding's 'Try A Little Tenderness'

     

    Beatles Film Producer Denis O’Dell Dead at 98

    attachment BeatlesMovies

     

    GENE SIMMONS's New Year's Resolutions: 'I'd Like To Be A Better, Kinder, Better-Looking And Richer Guy'

    genesimmonsinvictussept2018 638

     

    Paul McCartney Tells Why Good Things Always Happen After Bad Moments

    Paul McCartney 03jan2022

     

  • 2022.02 Boomerocity Buzz

     

    Foo Fighters to Become First International Act to Perform In Australia Since March of 2020

    Foo Fighters Main

     

    BLACKROCK TEAMS WITH WARNER TO LAUNCH NEW $750M MUSIC-BUYING FUND VIA INFLUENCE MEDIA

     

    Elton John’s Plane Forced to Make Emergency Landing

    attachment Elton John 2022

     

    Pete Townshend Talks About Upcoming Keith Moon Movie

    PTownshend Moon

     

    SoundCloud Inks Artist-Discovery Deal With Solid Foundation Management

     

    Gary Brooker Dies: Procol Harum Frontman, “Whiter Shade Of Pale” Singer-Songwriter Was 76

     

    Signed Jimi Hendrix Lyric Sheet Pieced Back Together After 55 Years

    HendrixLyricsSheet

     

    World Premiere: When The Levee Breaks feat. John Paul Jones | Playing For Change | Song Around The World

     

    Dwight Yoakam, Warner Music Group Officially Settle Copyright-Termination Lawsuit

     

    Ivan Reitman, Director of ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Stripes,’ Dead At 75

    ivan reitman 820

     

    Bon Jovi To See Greenwich Village Apartment For #22 Million

    BonJoviApt

     

    Ian McDonald: King Crimson and Foreigner Co-Founder Dies

    Ian McDonald 11Feb2022

     

    Willie Nelson To Release New Original Album “A Beautiful Time”

    willie nelson

     

    Slash Explains How Technology Has Changed the ‘Soul’ of Rock Music

    attachment slash 20202

     

    Watch Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators cover Elton John's 'Rocket Man'
    At their opening North American tour date

     

    Explosive Funk Singer Betty Davis Dead at 77

    BettyDavis

     

    Gumby Universe, Including Classic Kids Clay Character, Acquired By Fox With Plans To Create New Series

    Gumby

     

    Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Finally Set to Return to the Road This Spring
    “I can’t wait to get back out on the road and play,” Starr said in a statement. “This is the longest I’ve been off the road in years”

    Ringo 07Feb2022

     

    SLASH Says He Loves Recording And Touring More And Has More Passion For It Now Than He Did When He Started

    slashrivershort 638

     

    World Premiere: RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Release Music Video For New Single 'Black Summer'

     

    Gotta Watch: TwinsTheNewTrend See Michael Jackson Moonwalk Live For The First Time

     

    ‘Hot for Teacher’ Actor Recalls Private Show From Eddie Van Halen

    attachment vanhalen

     

    Philip Paul, Drummer on ‘Fever’ and ‘The Twist,’ Dead at 96

    attachment Philip Paul

     

    ALICE COOPER: 'I Don't Think Rock And Roll And Politics Belong In The Same Bed Together'

    alicecooper 02Feb2022

     

    Soul Bank Music Inks Comprehensive Catalog Deal with Famed Hammond B3 Organist/Keyboardist Brian Auger

    brian auger photo

     

    World Premiere: Listen to Beth Hart Cover Led Zeppelin’s ‘Black Dog’

     

    Guitars Signed By Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Fetch tens Of Thousands At MusiCares Auction

    RichardsMcCartney Guitars

     

    Who Knew?! ‘Jeffersons’ Star Sherman Hemsley Was Prog Rock’s Biggest Fan

    attachment Yes Jon Anderson Sherman Hemsley Getty

     

    Primary Wave Acquires ‘Additional Stake’ In Def Leppard Publishing Catalog and Recorded Royalties

    Def Leppard Main

     

     

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    Boomerocity Buzz.  The latest news in the music industry.

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  • David Paich of Toto Shares His Forgotten Toys

    August 2022

    David Paich 01For those who have visited Boomerocity for any length of time at all, y’all already know that we and Toto have a pretty good working relationship with each other. As proof, one only needs to check out our interviews with Steve “Luke” Lukather and/or Joseph Williams (the links to them are listed further down this page beneath the press release for "Forgotten Toys").

    Boomerocity has had the privilege of meeting Toto’s founder on a couple of occasions backstage at Toto concerts but never had the opportunity to interview him.

    Until now.

    Despite of all the albums he has played on and all the songs he has written and performed (as well as performed and recorded by many others), it is only now that David Paich has decided to release an album of his own.

    Titled, “Forgotten Toys,” it is seven masterfully written, performed, and recorded songs with the most amazing musicianship (both Paich’s and a few of his well-known friends) that you would come to expect from a group Paich written tunes. Intricate. Precise. Full. Consuming. Illuminating. These words and more hopefully give you an idea of what you can expect while listening to “Forgotten Toys”.

    Our interview with David Paich, below, is relaxed informative, and fun – much like what you would expect – not only from Boomerocity interviews – but especially from interviews with any of the boys from Toto. In his signature graciousness, Paich shares with us all the story behind “Forgotten Toys” and what was involved in putting the album together.

    If you’re a fan of Toto or any artist or band that our generation loves, then, a) David’s probably had something to do with 80% of those songs or artists; and b) you’ll definitely want to watch this interview and share it with others. You can order your copy of “Forgotten Toys” by clicking on the album cover on this page.

    You can follow David Paich on Facebook and Instagram and with his band and band mates at TotoOfficial.com.

     

    The Boomerocity Interview With David Paich

     Press Release

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    DAVID PAICH AND THE PLAYERS CLUB / MASCOT LABEL GROUP

    ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF HIS DEBUT SOLO ALBUM

    TITLED FORGOTTEN TOYS ON AUGUST 19

    Screen Shot 2022 05 31 at 10.28.21 PMClick Above To Order Your CopyLos Angeles, CA -- David Paich and The Players Club / Mascot Label Group have announced the release of his debut solo album titled FORGOTTEN TOYS on August 19. Paich shares, “This is a recurring dream about a distraught girl, riding neath the moonlight.  It has perplexed me over many a night…”.

    Boz Scaggs. Mötley Crüe. Steely Dan. Bryan Adams. George Martin. Michael Jackson. Quincy Jones. P!NK. Aretha Franklin. Miles Davis. The Doobie Brothers. Stevie Nicks. Dolly Parton. Jessie J. Cher. Rod Stewart. Tina Turner. Michael McDonald. Joan Baez. Ray Charles. Elton John. Barbra Streisand... and countless others. If you’ve listened to music in the last 50 years, including any of the iconic artists above, you were hearing David Paich. Music is the soundtrack of our lives, and David is one of its architects.

    He initially embraced music by his father—jazz icon, musician, and arranger Marty Paich. “I met Jimmy Webb when I was 10 years old, when my father was working with him,” he recalls. “My dad nudged me towards songwriting because I had the ability to write poetry. Somehow, my father saw my lyrical potential. I followed in Jimmy’s footsteps until Elton John’s first record came out in 1970. That really cemented my musical path. I continued to soak up all the great songs from then on.” Together, Paich and his father notably co-wrote “Light The Way” for Ironside, winning an EMMY® Award for “Best Song or Theme” back in 1974.

    With Boz Scaggs, he co-wrote the songs "Miss Sun", "Lido Shuffle", and Grammy Award-Winning "Lowdown" from the multi-platinum album Silk Degrees. 

    Around that same time, Paich and childhood friend, iconic studio drummer Jeff Porcaro wiggled their way onto two Steely Dan albums, which helped form some of their musical direction. Paich and David Foster co-wrote “Got To Be Real” with Cheryl Lynn, catapulting her to disco stardom. All these accolades solidified him as one of the go-to studio musicians for music’s A-list. Paich decided it was time for him and Jeff to form their own band, which you now know as Toto.

    With his TOTO bandmates, David arranged and performed songs on Michael Jackson’s legendary albums, Bad and Thriller. “One of my greatest memories is collaborating with Michael Jackson, on the bestselling album of all time, Thriller, Helping arrange the Jackson/Paul McCartney duet, “The Girl is Mine”, is still a musical highlight in my career.”

    Over the past several years, David, along with TOTO has had a major renaissance in popularity like few bands at this point in their career and now have a multi-generational global fan base. In fact, “Africa” has amassed over 1 billion streams worldwide and is one of the most covered and sampled songs in music history, including by Jay-Z, Pitbull, Ellie Goulding, and Weezer.

    As a six-time Grammy® Award Winner, Paich has contributed to over 2,000 albums, shaping the sound of popular music as a songwriter, performer, producer, arranger, vocalist, and primary composer of the seminal band TOTO. With TOTO, Paich has released 17 albums, sold over 40 million records, and garnered over 3 billion streams worldwide. Paich wrote or co-wrote TOTO’s biggest hits, "Hold the Line", "Rosanna" and “Africa”.

    Like most treasured mementos and keepsakes, we hold on to songs forever. We dust them off when we need them, put them back on the shelf, and discover them again months or sometimes years down the line. With his diverse catalogue, he has been kicking around song ideas for a solo album for some time.  The COVID lockdown presented Paich the opportunity to revisit those songs, and the result being a collection of tunes that he has carried in my head for years. He shares, “It seemed like it was time to put something together. Some of these really are forgotten toys. It had been a while since I’ve been in my studio, and I found myself listening to these little pieces continuously. I kept rediscovering them, hoping to fit the tracks together like a musical puzzle.”

    For as much as it may be a “solo” album, Paich couldn’t help but invite a few friends to play. Joined by Joseph Williams as co-producer and sometimes co-vocalist, he welcomed everyone from Toto’s Steve Lukather to Brian Eno, Michael McDonald, Ray Parker Jr., Don Felder, and Steve Jordan of The Rolling Stones.

    The album cover artwork provides a poetically nostalgic representation of the concept. It features a variety of memories Paich’s wife has held onto over the years. “I hope this will give everyone a glimpse into another side of me, one they’ve never heard in a musical context.”

    Music is the soundtrack of our life. For David, music is much more than the soundtrack of his life. As one of its architects, it is his life.

    Boomerocity Interviews With David's Band Mates, Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams

    Steve Lukather and Joe Williams Get By With A Little Help From Their Friends

    Joseph Williams Talks Denizen Tenant

    Steve Lukather and His Gospel

    Steve Lukather (2014)

    Steve Lukather Finds The Sun Again

    Steve Lukather Talks New Tour, Ringo, and . . . the End of Toto?

    Steve Lukather Talks About TOTO XIV

    Steve Lukather (2013)

  • William King

    Posted July, 2010

    williamkingWilliam King, Walter Orange & J.D. Nicholas of the Commodores

    During my last year of high school in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the staples of our dances was the hit song, Brick House, by the Commodores. There was something about that song that made one think that one’s butt could move in ways that it simply wasn’t designed to do. Or, maybe it was just my butt. I’m just sayin’.

    However, not only was that song a staple at a high school dance that was attended mainly by white and Hispanic kids, it drew the crowd’s attention to a hot act that would command their attention for the rest of their lives, with record sales of 75 million copies and climbing. What a testament to the unifying attributes of great music!

    One of the hits that attributed to such astonishing sales was their 1985 tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, Nightshift. That song was to the 80’s as Abraham, Martin and John was to the 60’s.

    Fast-forward twenty-five years to June 25, 2010. If the month and day sounds like they should mean something, you’re correct. That marked the first anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson. To commemorate his life and passing, the Commodores released a new version of Nightshift.

    I always felt that the original version of the song could never be improved upon and that no one should ever try to “cover” it. However, when I listened to an advance copy of the re-recorded version of the song, the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. The lyrics are as touching for its honoring of Michael Jackson as the original version was in honoring Marvin and Jackie.

    I knew that I had to talk to one of the Commodores about this great, new version of this classic song. It was my pleasure to be able to chat by phone with one of the original members of the Commodores, William King. 

    By the time I talked with King, he had already had a long day of interviews talking about the song. I knew he had to be tired but you wouldn’t know it by his warmth and willingness to chat with yet another interviewer.

    I cut to the chase by asking questions that I knew he had already answered countless times already that day. I asked Mr. King what led to the latest version of Nightshift.

    “Well, you know, when we actually did the song for the first time after Michael died, which was the next night, it wasn’t anything like what you’re hearing now, lyric wise. On stage in Birmingham, England, JD (Nicholas) went in and sang (going into the melody of the tune) ‘Michael, he was a friend of mine . . .” and he just started off like that, right? And he just did it out of nowhere. He said, ‘I just wanted to pay homage, tribute, to Michael.’ It just struck him. And the crowd went wild! 

    “We said, ‘You know what? We need to build on this. Let’s do this every night.’ So, we just did it for the rest of the tour in Great Britain. A little bit here, a little bit there. But, when we got home, we decided to get everybody together that did the original.

    “We got Dennis Lambert, who was the producer on it, and all the gentlemen who worked on the original with us. We got the engineer and we went out to Malibu, California, went into a studio out there and we sat there for three days and got everything, the lyrics, everything together and did the recording. I actually brought my daughter in who was born a year before that song even came out. So she helped us do backgrounds on it. And that was great, any time you have your children working with you.

    “So, we went into the studio and got it out. Actually, we’ve done two versions of it. The one that you hear now and the other version that is more up tempo. Its bpm is 130 (as compared to the current releases 96bpm – which means it is a faster tempo – or Beats Per Minute), something like that. But, when we finished, the fuller version is just a killer! So that’s the one we decided to go with.

    “It took us about two and a half days of everybody buckling down and going in early in the ‘a.m.’ and coming out late at night, trying to get this finished. That’s what you hear now.”

    I asked William if the song was driven by the Jacksons having given them their first real big exposure by having the Commodores as their opening act in 1971 and for two subsequent years or from the subsequent friendship over the years afterwards.

    “Well, it was a little bit of both. We did almost two and a half years with them and then after that we had our hit records. But, you know, Michael would come to our shows and some of his brothers would come to our shows and no one would know that they were even there!

    “Yeah, he would come and pick the perfect spot. We’d all laugh afterwards because he’d be sitting in the audience and nobody knew that he was sitting next to them! I’ll tell you this: he was WELL disguised!”

    “The only time I know that anyone noticed him was in Vegas when we were playing there. Evidently, one of the ladies was sitting there next to him and realized it was him. It wasn’t so much that it was him but she realized that there were a lot of people – bodyguards and people like that – around this one guy that made her pay attention. Then, staring at him, she’s like, ‘Wait! That’s Michael Jackson!’”

    “But, other than that, he would just come and go as he wished. It was great. He would come backstage and say hello and all of that. We have a video out that we’ve put together –quickly – that’s onour MySpace page. In it, when we were actually on tour one time, Michael came into the dressing room and that’s in the video.”

    With such an incredible new treatment of this classic song, I asked William what the groups plans were to promote the song and if the song was going to be tagged to an album in the future.

    King laughs as he replies, “You know what? We had the same conversation two days ago. This exact conversation! And, so, what we’re going to try to do is finish up our album and get the song tagged on to it. The problem is, is that we’ve already committed to so many performance dates that it makes it almost impossible. Clyde (Walter Orange), one of the lead singers and co-writer of the original version of “Nightshift”, is saying, ‘I need at least two weeks off before we go into the studio so that I can rest my voice so that I can sound the best that I can sound.’ And I understand what he’s saying. I really do get it. You want to come in fresh and feel good. But, right now, the idea is to tag this with the album that we’ve been working on for two years and, hopefully, this will inspire us to get through it because we have six or seven songs to go yet.”

    With our call wrapping up, I asked Mr. King what Commodores fans could expect from the guys in the near future.

    “One of our main concerns is how we’re going to arrange our music on our next CD. Are we going to go very young? Are we going to stick to what we’ve been doing in the past? I don’t think anybody wants us to do that. You have to grow. But I think what we’re going to lean towards is to still do beautiful songs, but temper our up tempo songs more towards today’s sound. But it doesn’t have to be ‘16 years old’, you know what I mean? It can be a ‘25 to 35’ sound. We don’t want to be ‘bubble gum’. We’re not trying to appeal to 10, 11, 12 year olds. But we do want appeal to the young adult range.”

    “We have to temper it a bit for radio. A lot of radio stations only play music that fits their ear. So, we have to consider that as well. One of the things that I’ve said in the meeting the other day is that the good thing is that if something takes off and it’s a hit, regardless, they’ll be forced to play it. They’re going to follow the money. If they don’t play it and the kids want to hear it, they’ll switch stations to hear it where they can. I do that. You do that. That’s the only governing body that we have that’s hard to influence.

    “Anyway, we’re trying to clear out our schedule so that we can get back into the studio. We need some gaps in our schedule that we are now trying to create. We’ve already locked down about three weeks. We moved some things, which is great because you can’t always move them. That’s what we’re trying to do right now – move things if possible so that we get back into the studio and get into recording. You come up with things in the studio that are just beautiful! You have no idea how you even got there. One little thing leads you to one thing and then another and then another. Somebody hears a lyric in the back of his head and he goes, ‘How about this?’ and that spurs somebody else. The magic just happens.”

    I mentioned to William that I’d love to be a fly on the wall of the studio as they crafted their art. He laughed as he replied, “Well, you’ll need a lot of buffers on those ears because there’ll be a lot of arguing!” I imagine that is how most great musical work is created.

    At the end of our chat, Mr. King graciously invited me backstage to the Commodores’ show that was, as luck would have it, taking place in my neighboring town of Allen, Texas, the following weekend. Of course, I took him up on his kind offer!

    As I stood off to the side of the crowd of admirers, what I witnessed backstage showed me the true character of these legendary men. To begin with, Walter Orange, who didn’t know who I was, saw me observing the activities backstage as I was holding my copy of the Commodores’ album, Natural High. He walked over to me, reached for the album and my Sharpie, and signed it as we exchanged some humorous remarks.

    Next, a fan who appeared to be approximately my age, was pushing her elderly mother in a wheelchair. Orange stepped away from the crowd and walked over to the “young lady” in the wheelchair and had a private conversation. That alone, my friends, would have been worth the price of a very expensive ticket to watch.

    Orange, William King and J.D. Nicholas were incredibly gracious to the many fans that were fortunate enough to be part of the backstage meet and greet. They took the time necessary to allow the fans to have their picture taken with them and to shake hands. 

    When the meet and greet was over, I approached William, introducing myself. His face lit up with a genuine, ear-to-ear smile and gave me the biggest bear hug I’ve ever received in my life. We chatted a few minutes before he had to join his band mates in the RV for a last minute chat before hitting the stage.

    The guys put on a powerful, energetic show despite the sweltering Texas heat. If the Commodores are coming to your city or town, you will definitely want to avail yourself to an incredible night of fantastic music and memories. 

    Be sure to check out the new version of Nightshift at the Commodores’MySpace page. Also watch for the re-launching of their website in the days ahead (here)and, hopefully, an album of brand new work in the not-too-distant future.

Latest from Bob Gruen's Studio

You’ve seen Bob Gruen’s work in galleries, books, and on the official John Lennon stamp by the U.S. Post Office. You can now see some of his choice work each month here on Boomerocity.com!

Elvis Costello 1977

Elvis Costello 1977

  About Bob Gruen Baby boomers have seen and admired the work of Bob Gruen…
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