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Toronto Music Historian Bob Wegner Chronicles The Untold Story Of Max Webster in New Book “High Class”
Toronto-based music historian, multi-instrumentalist, and radio host Bob Wegner scoured the archives over countless hours to bring audiences the definitive guide to one of Canada’s most prolific rock bands of all time, Max Webster, with the new book “Max Webster: High Class” — available now here!
Wegner’s latest authorial pursuit sees him wearing many hats as he documents Canadian music history with an unprecedented look at infamous Toronto rockers Max Webster. “In the case of this book, you’re a journalist, fact-checker, designer, audio engineer, and archivist,” says Wegner.
“I relentlessly scoured the world for anything I could find on the subject. Interviewed most of the band members and various other people in the fold and on the periphery,” says Wegner, who would sometimes spend hours researching a single footnote. Wegner also oversaw the digitization of photos, audio, and video, including nearly 400 pages of photos and text.
After nearly a decade in the making, “Max Webster: High Class” came together due to the sheer will of Wegner himself, who oversaw almost every aspect of the project from conception to distribution. From coordinating venues for release events, finding printers for both the books and box sets, a customs broker, and a warehousing/fulfillment company, there was nothing Wegner didn’t touch. “Add project manager to the list of hats you have to wear. There’s a lot of ‘hurry up and wait’ on the business end in between all the joyful moments. But I have zero regrets.”
The indisputable testament to the quality of “Max Webster: High Class” came from Max Webster founder, and Canadian music legend, Kim Mitchell.
“For a guy who claims not to have a great memory, he remembered literally every guitar seen in the photos, where he bought it, for how much, and how much he sold it for,” says Wegner.
“In the 1973 chapter, there’s a photo of a reel-to-reel tape box of their first demo, mostly containing early songs that didn’t even end up on a Max Webster album. Some of these tunes he probably hasn’t even thought of in 50 years, and sitting across the table from me, he sang a couple of them. It was beautiful.”
A limited run of 100 numbered box sets with the book and a few fun trinkets inside are being produced as a special offer. The first ten include a genuine vintage backstage pass obtained from Rob Gunn, Max Webster’s road manager and head of lighting—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the most ardent fans to own a piece of history.
Perhaps the most significant revelation for author Bob Wegner as he worked on the book is that Max Webster fans are massively loyal and dedicated to their music. “I encountered literally hundreds of people without whose generosity this book would have been impossible to complete. Photos, posters, ticket stubs, and high school yearbooks showed up regularly in my inbox and even on my doorstep,” says Wegner.
“I drove all over Ontario to meet many such helpers, plenty of whom are now friends. My biggest takeaway from this entire project is that nobody in this world truly does anything on their own. It takes a village, literally every time.”
The common thread from speaking with fans and people in the business alike is the agreement of how utterly brilliant Max Webster were as composers, musicians, and performers. “I have spoken with people about music for my entire adult life, and I have never come across such a high concentration of people who deeply love and miss a band as much as this one,” says Wegner.”
Wegner has spent fifteen years of experience playing in theatres, on the road, and in the studio, beginning with being selected by Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor to play guitar in the Toronto production of the “We Will Rock You” musical. Wegner’s involvement ultimately led to approximately 1,300 performances of the show worldwide.
Wegner has also played in several tribute bands, including Simply Queen and The Genesis Experience. He has also played hundreds of solo acoustic guitar shows where he often performs complete albums by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Yes. In 2022 he scored an opening slot for Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel).
Not only a brilliant musician, Wegner as an author has also been credited for everything from fact-checker to photo archivist in numerous publications and products, including “Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth: The Official Touring History” (Skip Daly, Eric Hansen, 2019) and Max Webster’s box set “The Party” (ole label group, 2017). The first season of his radio show and podcast “Bollocks with Bob” aired in 2022.
Rusty Creek Puts A Bluesy Spin on Elton John’s Classic With ‘Honky Cat’
Rusty Creek’s new single “Honky Cat” is a cover of the iconic, timeless Elton John classic. The band, whose influences also include an eclectic mix of Bessie Smith, Little Feat, and John Prine, say that they decided to record the single because it’s one of their most-requested live tunes.
Rusty Creek is a collection of lifelong musicians Alex Deeth, Peter Callaway, Lee Stephens, and Leonard Saidman who have all enjoyed a variety of success in the music industry since the 1960s. Their experience makes for a well-polished collection of roots music that you could hear at any pub from coast-to-coast. Their most recent album, The Road of Life is full of songs that range from moods as varied as a stomping party to reflective storytelling. Their previous singles include “Bombs Away,” “White Sails,” “Hello, Old Friend,” and “Kitchen Party.”
Initially, when Alex suggested “Honky Cat,” the band thought, “How could this work? No piano, no horns… what was he thinking?” But as soon as he set up the funky acoustic rhythm guitar, it just came together naturally. Having no piano at the time, it was left to the banjo to fill in some of the signature sounds and the lap steel to give it a little body and take it somewhere else. “Once Lee and Leonard added the bass and drums, we knew we had something a little different and a fun new take in this great old tune,” said the band. “The video is a slide show of some interesting images we found here and there. They may or may not help the narrative but they’re certainly fun to look at while you’re tapping your feet.”
Country Pop Rising Star JACKIE PUTNAM Strikes Emotional Chords with Double A-Side ‘Hurt’ and ‘A Church With No People’
Jackie Putnam, the country-pop sensation from Debert, Nova Scotia, soon launches her highly anticipated debut album, “The Phoenix,” with the double A-side single release of “Hurt” and “A Church With No People.”
The North American Country Music Association International 2023 Award-Winning Entertainer of the Year is set to release both featured tracks on The Phoenix on June 10, 2023. Jackie’s debut album showcases her remarkable songwriting ability while paying homage to her influential country music heroes which include Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Anne Murray, and Shania Twain.
The songs on The Phoenix encompass a variety of genres, including pop, country, gospel, and rock ‘n roll. They were created during a transformative period in Jackie’s life, before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Each track is derived from heartfelt emotions, serving as an outlet for Jackie to heal her mind and soul. “The songs that I wrote on The Phoenix are about experiences that happened in my life and tell you the story about who I am.”
“Hurt is an upbeat song about heartache, collecting your thoughts near the ocean, crashing through the surface and diving in to take the plunge, only to rise up and be able to breathe again,” Jackie explains. “I finished writing this song in 2022 after I returned home from performing at sea on MV Atlantic Vision. There is a line singing about being tossed in the ocean of this deep dark sea, please say a prayer for me.”
A Church With No People was written during the lockdown when there was a restriction on indoor gatherings and services. This emotional song expresses the impact of the mass shooting that occurred in Jackie’s hometown of Colchester County, a municipality of Nova Scotia, where 22 lives were tragically lost.
Jackie describes her emotional struggle when creating this song: “It was difficult for me to drive to work every day past the two murder scenes that happened just down the street from me.” She goes on to say, “The families were not allowed to have a proper funeral because of the lockdown and today, the families are creating a beautiful place called Heart’s Haven Memorial Park in Debert, Nova Scotia.”
When it came to the production of her album, Jackie collaborated with esteemed Canadian musicians, including John Campbelljohn, Bruce Dixon, Kim Dunn, Scott Ferguson, and Ray Legere. These award-winning artists provided their expertise to beautifully complement Jackie’s heartfelt lyrics and melodies.
As a seasoned entertainer, Jackie has captivated audiences with her One Woman Show, which she has taken across Canada and the United States performing original music. She has also entertained worldwide travellers on the Atlantic Ocean aboard Marine Atlantic’s MV Atlantic Vision, where she delivers unforgettable performances. Furthermore, Jackie pays tribute to classic country legends through her One Woman Queens of Country Show and also presents a remarkable Patsy Cline Tribute Show.
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My Next Read: “Paused in Cosmic Reflection” By The Chemical Brothers
Paused in Cosmic Reflection is the definitive story of The Chemical Brothers. Told in the voices of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, with contributions from friends and collaborators, it is fully illustrated with 30 years of mind-bending visuals. You can get it here.
Limited Edition of 500:
Individually numbered hardback edition, with alternate cover artwork and ribbon marker.
Housed in a bespoke clamshell box containing:
- Exclusive 7” of previously unreleased track ‘Superflash’
- A Kate Gibb risograph art print and bonus additional print
- Sticker sheet
- Panoramic studio poster
SiriusXM Announces Special Programming for 2023 MLB All-Star Week
Throughout Major League Baseball’s 2023 All-Star Week, SiriusXM will deliver the most extensive audio coverage available to baseball fans around the country. Subscribers will get live broadcasts of the 93rd All-Star Game Presented by Mastercard, the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, the MLB Draft, and more special programming from Seattle.
SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game
On Saturday, July 8, SiriusXM will have the exclusive radio broadcast of the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, featuring the best minor league prospects of American League and National League Clubs competing against each other. Pre-game coverage on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM will begin from T-Mobile Park at 4:00 pm ET/1:00 pm PT with Minors & Majors, the weekly show hosted by Grant Paulsen. MLB Network Radio’s broadcast of the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game will begin at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT and will feature Mike Ferrin as the play-by-play voice and former MLB GM Jim Duquette as the analyst. Before, during and after the game, former MLB GM Jim Bowden and Paulsen will conduct interviews with players from the AL and NL team dugouts.
MLB Draft
On Sunday, July 9, SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio channel will offer live coverage of the first round of the MLB Draft live from Seattle’s Lumen Field. SiriusXM’s pre-Draft show will air at 6:00 pm ET/3:00 pm PT. The Draft begins at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT and SiriusXM listeners will hear the live selections of every team in the first round, accompanied by analysis from former GMs Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette, alongside Mike Ferrin and Grant Paulsen.
T-Mobile Home Run Derby
On Monday, July 10, SiriusXM’s on-site programming from T-Mobile Park will begin at 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT with MLB Network Radio hosts Jenny Cavnar, Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette. At 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT Oakland Athletics pitcher Trevor May will join SiriusXM’s Mike Ferrin and Jim Bowden on the field to host SiriusXM’s pre-game programming and interview many of the All-Stars in attendance. The MLB Network Radio channel will air ESPN Radio’s broadcast of the Home Run Derby starting at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT.
MLB All-Star Game Presented by Mastercard
On Tuesday, July 11, the MLB Network Radio channel’s coverage from Seattle begins at 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT with SiriusXM’s All-Star Pregame Show. Jenny Cavnar, Jim Duquette and Trevor May will host. Listeners will hear interviews with many of the coaches and players on the field at T-Mobile Park. The pre-game show will lead into ESPN Radio’s play-by-play broadcast of the All-Star Game starting at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT.
MLB Network Radio is available to subscribers nationwide in their cars (channel 89) and on the SXM App (siriusxm.us/2Pdwnu6). For more info visit SiriusXM.com/MLBSXM.
Special Episodes of Black Diamonds and Baseball-Bar-B-Cast podcasts
Baseball Bar-B-Cast, the popular podcast hosted by @CespedesBBQ founders Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman, will record several episodes from Seattle around the All-Star Week events. The podcast hosts, known for their lighthearted take on the game, will also interview many of the Futures Game players in town to give their audience an opportunity to get to know the game’s future stars and their stories.
Black Diamonds, the award-winning podcast presented by SiriusXM and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will record multiple episodes from Capital One Play Ball Park at Lumen Field during All-Star Week. Fans in attendance at Play Ball Park can see host and museum president Bob Kendrick interview personalities from around the game.
Black Diamonds and Baseball Bar-B-Cast are SiriusXM Sports podcasts and are available on the SXM App and all major podcast platforms.
Throughout MLB All-Star Week, eligible T-Mobile customers attending events at T-Mobile Park who check in through the MLB Ballpark App can unlock a free 6-month SiriusXM Streaming Platinum offer. Eligibility and offer details apply.
Trippie Redd Announces ‘The Take Me Away’ Tour
Today, Trippie Redd announced his 2023 Take Me Away Tour across North America this fall in support of his upcoming album A Love Letter To You 5. The 24-date tour kicks off on Thursday, August 31 at Somerset Amphitheater (just outside of Minneapolis, MN), in Somerset, WI, with stops in Toronto, ON, Brooklyn, NY, Los Angeles, CA and more before wrapping up on Monday, October 9 in Seattle, WA at WAMU Theater. Special guest LUCKI will join across all dates on the tour, along with D.Savage, Ekkstacy, and K Sauve. Jean Dawson will also join on select dates.
TICKETS Tickets will be available starting with an Artist presale beginning Thursday, June 29 at 10 AM local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, June 30 at 11 AM local time at Ticketmaster.com.
The news of the tour comes on the heels of Trippie’s latest single, “Took My Breath Away,” featuring Skye Morales, which was released June 16, 2023 via 10K Projects. The single follows the release of his Mansion Musik mixtape, which dropped earlier this year featuring Travis Scott, Future, Chief Keef and JuiceWRLD debuting at #1 on Billboard’s Rap Albums Chart and #2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. It also debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart marking Trippie’s seventh consecutive Top 5 debut on the list. Additionally, the project saw 7 songs debut on the US Spotify Chart bringing Trippie’s total career entries to 143 songs – the 6th most of any artist.
LUCKI is still enjoying the success of his most recent album, FLAWLESS LIKE ME, which dropped in late 2022 with features from Future and Babyface Ray. To support the album’s release, LUCKI embarked on a sold out 25-date tour that crossed the country in early 2023, and included sold out shows in London and Canada.
TAKE ME AWAY 2023 TOUR DATES:
Thu Aug 31 — Somerset, WI — Somerset Amphitheater
Sat Sep 02 — Cleveland, OH — Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Mon Sep 04 — St. Louis, MO — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL
Tue Sep 05 — Tinley Park, IL — Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Thu Sep 07 — Clarkston, MI — Pine Knob Music Theatre
Fri Sep 08 — Toronto, ON — Budweiser Stage
Sat Sep 09 — Hartford, CT — The XFINITY Theatre
Sun Sep 10 — Mansfield, MA — Xfinity Center
Tue Sep 12 — Brooklyn, NY — Barclays Center
Wed Sep 13 — Camden, NJ — Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Thu Sep 14 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live
Sat Sep 16 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sun Sep 17 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion
Mon Sep 18 — Raleigh, NC — Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Thu Sep 21 — West Palm Beach, FL — iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Fri Sep 22 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 23 — Atlanta, GA — Lakewood Amphitheatre
Tue Sep 26 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavillion *
Thu Sep 28 — Sugar Land, TX — Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
Sun Oct 01 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Mon Oct 02 — San Diego, CA — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre *
Wed Oct 04 — Los Angeles, CA — The Kia Forum
Fri Oct 06 — Mountain View, CA — Shoreline Amphitheatre
Mon Oct 09 — Seattle, WA — WAMU Theater *~
*Not with Jean Dawson
~Not with Ekkstacy
The Rolling Stones Definitive Forty Licks Collection Comes To Digital And Limited Editon Vinyl
The Rolling Stones’ Forty Licks, the album that gathered together fully three dozen of the most enduring and anthemic songs from the group’s peerless career and added four then-new tracks to their incredible story, is to be released digitally for the first time on July 26. Two days later, it will be available, again for the first time, in a lavish, limited edition four-disc, 180-gram black vinyl version, housed in a wide spined gatefold sleeve. At the same time, Stones fans will also have an opportunity to enjoy the reimagined Dolby Atmos® versions of the album’s 40 tracks – streaming where available. With Dolby Atmos, fans will experience an immersive journey through the iconic album as details in every song are revealed with unparalleled clarity and depth.
Forty Licks was initially released in September 2002 to celebrate the Stones’ 40th anniversary and to mark the beginning of their massive Licks tour. This global spectacle, mounted on the breathtaking scale that only the Stones could muster, crossed the globe over the next 14 months, playing 117 shows and became the second highest-grossing tour in history up to that time.
The collection, which times out at over 2 and half hours, includes no fewer than 20 (US) Top 10 singles of which 13 broke into the Top 5 and 7 going all the way to #1 including “Satisfaction,” “Miss You,” “Brown Sugar,” “Paint It, Black,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Get Off Of My Cloud” and “Angie.” UK chart stats for Forty Licks tracks are quite similar with 20 Top 10 singles, 16 Top 5 singles and 7 #1s. The list of UK chart toppers includes “The Last Time,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “It’s All Over Now” as well as “Satisfaction,” “Get Off My Cloud,” “Paint It, Black” and “Honkey Tonk Women.”
Following its initial release, Licks would sell seven million copies around the world, and has since come to be seen as the definitive anthology of the band’s recording career. It was, uniquely, the first collection to bring together landmark recordings from all points in their unrivalled songbook, from their early days via Decca UK and London US (ABKCO Records) through to the establishment of their own Rolling Stones Records.
With the release of Forty Licks, longtime Stones fans and newcomers alike can enjoy a retrospective featuring the 1960s hits that made the band icons of successive generations.
Record One:
Street Fighting Man
Gimme Shelter
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
The Last Time
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
19th Nervous Breakdown
Under My Thumb
Not Fade Away
Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
Record Two:
Sympathy For The Devil
Mother’s Little Helper
She’s A Rainbow
Get Off Of My Cloud
Wild Horses
Ruby Tuesday
Paint It, Black
Honky Tonk Women
It’s All Over Now
Let’s Spend The Night Together
Record Three:
Start Me Up
Brown Sugar
Miss You
Beast Of Burden
Don’t Stop
Happy
Angie
You Got Me Rocking
Shattered
Fool To Cry
Record Four:
Love Is Strong
Mixed Emotions
Key To Your Love
Anybody Seen My Baby?
Stealing My Heart
Tumbling Dice
Undercover Of The Night
Emotional Rescue
It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)
Losin’ My Touch
ABC’s The Lexicon Of Love Gets A 40th Anniversary Edition ReIssue
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of ABC’s The Lexicon Of Love – one of the most revered albums of the 1980s – a stand-alone half-speed remaster LP of the original album will be released on August 4 and is available to pre-order now, HERE.
Few albums define a particular era, as does The Lexicon Of Love. It’s embedded deep in the fabric of popular culture. Namechecked, referenced, and now frequently in “best of all time” polls, the album opened up the 80s wide, in total, glorious Technicolor. In 1982, ABC became the toast of the world with this album. It also launched the production career of Trevor Horn. Like the greatest landmark albums, it has transcended its origins and is simply there, an ever-evolving testament to its marriage of youth, wit, creativity, technology, emotion, master plan, and happy accident.
The Lexicon Of Love – Half Speed Master By Miles Showell At Abbey Road
Side One
1. Show Me
2. Poison Arrow
3. Many Happy Returns
4. Tears Are Not Enough
5. Valentine’s Day
Side Two
1. The Look Of Love (Part One)
2. Date Stamp
3. All Of My Heart
4. 4 Ever 2 Gether
5. The Look Of Love (Part Four)
