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First-Ever Full-Length Feature Documentary On Devo Is Coming This Year

Eric Alper
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First-Ever Full-Length Feature Documentary On Devo Is Coming This Year

BMG, Fremantle Documentaries, and Warner Music Entertainment (WME) are proud to announce their first collaborative feature film DEVO. The upcoming full-length documentary will also be the first-ever fully authorized film on the New Wave/Rock group. Bertelsmann companies BMG and Fremantle Documentaries, and WME are executive producers and financiers of the film, with all rights available worldwide.

Produced by VICE Studios and Library Films in association with Mutato Entertainment, DEVO is directed by Chris Smith (“Sr.”, American Movie, Fyre, Tiger King, 100 Foot Wave) and produced by Anita Greenspan and Chris Holmes for Mutato Entertainment. Executive producers are William Kennedy, Stuart Souter, and Kathy Rivkin Daum for BMG, Mandy Chang (Mystify: Michael Hutchence, Writing With Fire, The Fourth Estate, Welcome to Chechnya) for Fremantle Documentaries, and at Warner Music Group, Charlie Cohen for WME and Mark Pinkus for Rhino Entertainment.

Currently in production, DEVO chronicles the story of the band Devo, from their formation in the aftermath of the Kent State massacre, through their years as politically driven outsiders, into their surprising turn to the top of the charts with their breakout hit, “Whip It.”

Forming in 1973, Devo banded together initially as performance artists, disillusioned and radicalized by the shooting at Kent State where they were students. Their artistry was a commentary on corruption in the United States, the perceived “dumbing down” of an entire generation by mass media, and the commodification of a poisoned society.

With a mixture of archival footage, interviews from other characters in their orbit and a range of storytelling techniques the film’s inventive narrative will parallel the revolutionary creativity the band is known for. Ultimately, DEVO explores Devo’s evolution from hippie artistes to art-rockers with a message, to their unexpected mainstream success as a hit rock band and the pioneers of the MTV age.

Director Chris Smith comments, “DEVO was a huge influence on me. Their approach to music, film, video and art was something I had never seen before and was one of the truly formative artistic influences that showed me there were entirely new ways to look at things.”

BMG’s recent films include the highest grossing documentary film of 2022, Moonage Daydream (HBO Max); DIO: Dreamers Never Die (Showtime), and two upcoming feature length documentaries including one on award-winning singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now (Netflix); and Sundance selection Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis), distributed by Utopia and helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Anton Corbijn.

Fremantle Documentaries is behind premium feature documentaries Mrs. America (Fremantle, Anonymous Content, Spinning Nancy), Kim’s Video (Fremantle, Carnivalesque Films) which had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January and fashion series Kingdom of Dreams from Misfits Entertainment, the team behind McQueen.

Warner Music Entertainment’s latest projects include Love, Lizzo (HBO Max), American Masters: Roberta Flack (PBS), and Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers (YouTube Originals).

3 Doors Down Announces Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour With Special Guest Candlebox

Eric Alper
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3 Doors Down Announces Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour With Special Guest Candlebox

This summer, 3 Doors Down celebrates its sophomore album, Away From The Sun, by hitting amphitheaters in major markets across the US for the Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour, produced by Live Nation. The band will be playing all of the songs from the album throughout the performances, plus all of their biggest hits. Artist Presale and VIP Packages are available beginning March 21 at 10am local time. The general onsale for the tour begins Friday, March 24 at 10am local time and will be available HERE.

This summer, 3 Doors Down celebrates its sophomore album, Away From The Sun, by hitting amphitheaters in major markets across the US for the Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour, produced by Live Nation. The band will be playing all of the songs from the album throughout the performances, plus all of their biggest hits. Artist Presale and VIP Packages are available beginning March 21 at 10am local time. The general onsale for the tour begins Friday, March 24 at 10am local time.

Away From The Sun features “Here Without You,” which reached No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified 6x platinum in the US. The lead single, “When I’m Gone,” peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent seventeen weeks on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, becoming one of the longest-running number-one singles.

Special guest Candlebox will be supporting 3 Doors Down on the Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour for what is slated to be the band’s last US tour to promote the 30th anniversary of the band and their final farewell studio album being released later this year by Round Hill Records.

Candlebox will also perform at 3 Doors Down’s 18th Annual “The Better Life Foundation Concert” this fall. The event will take place at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, NC, on October 21. To date, The Better Life Foundation has donated over $3 Million to veterans, children, women, and humanitarian relief efforts domestically and around the globe.

“Away From The Sun has always been a personal favorite of mine because of how much it resonated with our country’s service members,” shares 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold. “We are so blessed to be able to celebrate these significant milestones because we were very young making these albums, and we still have so much more life to give our fans.” Arnold continues, “The show we are planning will be next level this year. It’s going to be incredible to have Candlebox on tour with us. I’ve been a fan of theirs since I was a teenager..”

3 Doors Down will also star in Season IV of television’s most successful nationally syndicated music-driven series, THE SONG, on March 25. THE SONG takes a quintessential look at the indelible legacies of celebrated recording artists and the music that made them famous. THE SONG airs on major network affiliates in 150 markets across the country. Click HERE for more information.

AWAY FROM THE SUN ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES
06.14 Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion
06.16 Indianapolis, IN TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
06.17 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
06.21 Sterling Heights, MI Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
06.23** Dubuque, IA Q Casino
06.24** Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
06.28 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
06.30 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
07.01 Bridgeport, CT Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
07.05** Traverse City, MI Cherry Festival
07.07** Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center
07.08** Grantville, PA Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
07.13** Wheatland, CA Hard Rock Live Sacramento
07.15** Costa Mesa, CA Orange County Fair
07.16** Las Vegas, NV Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
07.18 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre
07.20 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
07.21** Fort Hall, ID Shoshone-Bannock Casino
07.23** Great Falls, MT Voyagers Stadium
07.25 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium
07.27 Airway Heights, WA BECU Live at Northern Quest
07.28 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
08.04 Corbin, KY The Corbin Arena
08.05 Tuscaloosa, AL Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
08.09 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP
08.11 Southaven, MS BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
08.12** Sedalia, MO Missouri State Fair
08.16 Orange Beach, AL The Wharf Amphitheater
08.18 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
08.19 Atlanta, GA Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
08.23 New Orleans, LA Champions Square
08.25 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
08.26 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater
08.30 Simpsonville, SC CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
09.01 Charleston, SC Credit One Stadium
09.02 Charlotte, NC Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
09.06 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre
09.08 North Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena
09.09 Brandon, MS Brandon Amphitheater
09.13 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place
09.15 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
at the FL State Fairgrounds
09.16 Boca Raton, FL Mizner Park Amphitheater
09.20 Austin, TX Moody Amphitheater
09.22 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
09.23 Sugar Land, TX Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
10.21** Cherokee, NC Harrah’s Cherokee

The Maple Blues Band Releases “Savona Shuffle” Single And Video From Their Let’s Go Album

Eric Alper
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The Maple Blues Band Releases “Savona Shuffle” Single And Video From Their Let’s Go Album

The Maple Blues Band is back, and groovier than ever as they get set to drop another bluesy classic with their newest single, “Savona Shuffle” with the music video produced directed by 30-year Canadian Blues legend and recent Maple Blues Drummer of the Year winner, Jim Casson featuring all band members making cameo appearances.

Led by musical director and bassist, Gary Kendall, and joined by an all-star cast of proud Canadian musicians – Savona Shuffle is featured on their newly released debut album, “Let’s Go,” a 10-track instrumental record that will be sure to get listeners tapping their feet and nodding their heads throughout the album’s playlist.

Kendall describes the band’s celebration of their newly released record by saying: “The 10 tracks on our Cordova Bay Records release, Let’s Go are a group effort. The song writing credits are spread over 24 years and include past and present band members.” He then pays homage to his nine other band members who helped create the album. “The men and women I chose to surround myself within The Maple Blues Band are part of the enormous southern Ontario pool of Blues talent. Each one of them is a star and when I’m in their presence they take me to a very comfortable and extremely high level of musicianship.”

Savona Shuffle is a lively instrumental piece that embodies the musical core of The Maple Blues Band. The track begins with a driving drumbeat by 30-year Canadian Blues legend and recent Maple Blues winner, Jim Casson, and a funky bass line that immediately sets a groovy tone for the rest of the song. You can then hear lead guitarist and Maple Blues Guitarist of The Year Award winner Teddy Leonard, deliver a catchy riff to the upbeat tone of the piece.

Each instrument takes a turn to shine throughout the track, with the tenor sax, harmonica, trombone and organ, combining lively solos that add a unique creative element to the song.

The 8-time Maple Blues Award winner for Bassist of the Year and band leader, Gary Kendall, dives further into the journey of making Savona Shuffle and how it took on a new life after going back to the project years later. “Al Lerman and former band member Chris Whiteley became my co-writers for the song. At the time Al lived on Savona Ave. in the Etobicoke neighbourhood of Toronto. We pulled Savona Shuffle together there and named it after the street that house was on and it debuted at the 2007 Maple Blues Awards.”

At that time and in Kendall’s own words, he said that the song never caught fire and it fell into the back shelf of their music library and was only used again on just one occasion.

Kendall concludes with the origins of the re-birth of Savona Shuffle by saying: “In 2021 while preparing our set of instrumentals for The Calgary Blues Festival, I went back to it and realized that with a new arrangement, it could be a better song. I took my idea to Pat Carey, our tenor saxophonist and horn section arranger, gave him my thoughts for a rework and that was all it took.”

SULTANS OF STRING Broadcast Cannes World Film Festival Winning Doc ‘The Refuge Project’ at Canadian Folk Music Awards

Eric Alper
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SULTANS OF STRING Broadcast Cannes World Film Festival Winning Doc ‘The Refuge Project’ at Canadian Folk Music Awards

Global Ambassadors of Musical Diversity, SULTANS OF STRING, will shine a light on the Plight of Refugees with its Cannes World Film Festival winning Documentary, Sultans of String: The Refuge Project – Visual Album, at the 18th Annual CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS on Sat April 1, 2023 @ 3pmPT.

Leading with four nominations for their “Sanctuary” album (Contemporary, Global Roots, Pushing the Boundaries, and Producer of the Year), this Billboard charting band’s film features music and interviews from “Sanctuary” as well as sister album “Refuge”, both served up under lockdown.

This 1.5 hour screening will be followed by a fun Q&A with bandleader and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient Chris McKhool and co-producer John “Beetle” Bailey, hosted by Michael Tymchuk.

Mixed in full Dolby Atmos, this ambitious, diverse, inclusive, and passionately political film puts this world music supergroup face-to-face with a VIP roster of global ‘ambassadors,’ some of whom are recent immigrants and refugees to Canada and the U.S., as well as essential Indigenous voices. All are masters of global music that communicate with each other through the universal language of music.

Addressing the struggles of life on Mother Earth has always inspired this band. In Sultans of String: The Refuge Project – Visual Album, they bring their unique brand of musical synergy and collaboration to bear on discussion and songs that speak to the challenges facing the world’s displaced peoples—their stories, their songs, their persistence and their humanity.

Joined by an international cast, this three-time JUNO nominated band immerses themselves in the plight of the international refugee, and the humanitarian response that should greet everyone in search of a home.

McKhool (whose paternal, Makhoul, grandfather was from Lebanon) explains, “The larger Refuge Project is centred around the positive contributions of refugees and new immigrants to Canada and the United States. We are bringing in special guests that are newcomers to this land, as well as global talents that have been ambassadors for peace. We wish to celebrate the successes of those who make the journey here and bring their extraordinary talents with them, in this case, music. Each one of us has a remarkable story to tell, and we are excited to share the beauty of these collaborations with you.”

The Refuge Project features stellar performances by Ahmed Moneka and Imad Al Taha, refugees from Iraq, Syrian refugee Leen Hamo, Donné Roberts from Madagascar with partner Yukiko Tsutsui from Japan, Algeria’s Fethi Nadjem, Colombian refugee Juan Carlos Medrano, Iran’s Padideh Ahrarnejad, Romani Nyckelharpa player Saskia Tomkins, tabla player Ravi Naimpally from India,sitar player Anwar Khurshid from Pakistan, string ensemble Gundem Yayli Grubu from Istanbul, and many, many more, including an orchestral version of “The Power of the Land” featuring Indigenous performers Duke Redbird and Twin Flames.

“The true inspiration behind these albums and film is the incredible artists we get to collaborate with,” says McKhool. “We learn so much from these diverse voices, and each one of them is so personally inspiring. As Ahmed Moneka, an artist and refugee from Iraq says, ‘Love is the main reason for a great future,” and we are so privileged to be able to collaborate with so many incredible voices on this project.”

The film is receiving industry recognition on the Film Festival circuit including the Cannes World Film Festival, Vancouver Independent Film Festival, Best Istanbul Film Festival, Paris Movie Festival, Montreal Independent, Hamburg Indie, Boston Independent, and Folk in Film Festivals.

Montreal Folk Artist Silka Weil Releases New Single “Unsatisfied”

Eric Alper
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0
Montreal Folk Artist Silka Weil Releases New Single “Unsatisfied”

Montreal-based folk-pop artist Silka Weil combines unapologetic sexiness with raw vulnerability on her jangly, electric-infused new single “Unsatisfied” – available now – telling a complex story of evolving emotions.

Weil’s voice captures the perfect amount of Stevie Nicks huskiness, and “Unsatisfied” doesn’t recount a narrative so much as it captures a heady cocktail of emotions in the aftermath of a story. It’s driving and soaring, with a slinky, gritty, slightly psychedelic sensibility. Lyrically, there’s shame and anger, but also jolts of naked desire:

Sometimes I feel unreachable
But if you break me I might fall
Sometimes I’m good yes I can walk
Sometimes I just need to crawl
So push me up against the wall

In the corresponding video, Weil runs playfully through a snowy wood, leaning suggestively against the trees, and you can see her laugh a little when she sings the line “And screw me good/’Cause it’s not nice.” Eventually, she’s caught by a man whose face we never see – his arms wrapped around her lovingly. The final provocative shot is a closeup of a tree’s branches, the snow shaking off of them rhythmically.

“‘Unsatisfied’ is an unapologetic track about giving into what we want, consequences be damned,” Weil explains. “It provides a refreshingly honest take on female desire unburdened by social norms. It’s a fun and flirty track that defies the stale narrative that women can’t have as much of a libido as men have.”

The song captures Weil’s real emotions from a situation that felt complex, and the song changed from when it was first written to when it was recorded.

“Initially, I was exorcizing shame and anger. I was ashamed of myself for letting myself be mistreated and then crawling right back to the same situation,” she divulges. “But over time, I have leaned into something more playful and rebellious. I wasn’t a victim – I had agency and I made choices. Even though the lyrics haven’t changed, I’ve managed to access another aspect of life in the song. Less shame and more reveling in the pleasure of the moment. Shame and pleasure do, on occasion, shadow one another.”

Weil purposely left the song, and the video, ambiguous so as to allow the listener to the fill in the narrative gaps. “I explore the playful parts of the song more in the music video where I laugh and dance in a snowstorm,” she says. “While running from something or someone. Who or what? That is left to the imagination.”

Still, the song is meant to foster connection, to get listeners to tap into their own vulnerability, and their own desire. “When I first started to play this song in bars, I felt exposed,” Weil recalls. “So if you listen to the song and it feels like I’m letting you in on a secret, it’s because I am. I think this is why it ended up being the song people would connect with the most. It moved them. It’s always the one I get approached about after a set.”

Silka Weil is a Montreal-based singer-songwriter who has been active as a musician for several years. Weil’s debut single “Capsized,” her first commercial release, was well-received by critics and listeners alike and received international radio play. Her second single, “Unsatisfied,” is the precursor to an EP that will be released this Spring.

Weil layers silky vocal arrangements full of poetry and emotion with atmospheric instrumentals for an ethereal musical experience. Her folksy pop-rock sound draws inspiration from vintage pop and contemporary artists, with a particular affection for ’90s female powerhouses like Alanis Morissette, PJ Harvey, and Dido.

Toronto Singer-Songwriter Lisa Humber Releases “The Space Between”

Eric Alper
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0
Toronto Singer-Songwriter Lisa Humber Releases “The Space Between”

Sometimes great things happen when you least expect it.

Singer-songwriter Lisa Humber knows this, as inspiration for her latest single, “The Space Between”, came about just as she and her collaborators were beginning to wind down the recording sessions for her debut EP of the same name.

The song’s lyrics reflect in some ways on her musical journey. The words that came to her speak to the struggle between one’s aspirations and one’s reality, capturing the pressure felt in making all of those tiny decisions that shape and shift who we become.

Humber sings of being at a crossroads: “I’ve been searching all the time/For this fragile heart of mine/To fill in the space between/Your aloofness and my dreams.”

Co-writer, guitarist and producer Justin Abedin crafted an uptempo accompaniment on acoustic guitar and a beat that captures the frenzied feeling of falling “between the cracks”, in the “space between her hell and back.”

It’s the perfect centerpiece to her debut record.

Originally from Sudbury, Humber has worked behind the scenes in the theatre world for 20 years as a stage manager on most of the commercial musicals that have played in Toronto.

It was the sudden, unexpected pandemic cancellation of everything in the arts in 2020 that prompted Humber to finally climb out from behind the scenes and pursue her love of music, working towards releasing the album she’s always envisioned.

“When it felt like everything else had been taken away,” says Lisa, “music and the stories I wanted to share through my own creations was the only thing that made sense.”

She and Abedin, whom she met while working backstage on the musical Come From Away, assembled a group of skilled musicians – Richard Evans and Scott Galloway on piano and keyboards, bassist Drew Birston, Kevin Fox on cello, and Lyle Molzan and Davide Di Renzo on drums – and hit Toronto’s Toast + Jam Studios to lay down tracks.

The result is a collection of eight moving and personal songs, all written by Humber and Abedin, that run the gamut from indie pop to adult alternative. They include the hopeful melancholy of “Not Worth Losing”, the doomed relationship of “Lucky 13”, and the frustration of watching someone pretend to be someone else in “Skin”.

Together, the collection highlights life in the space between the good, the bad and the messy.

Though it was the last song written by Lisa and Justin, “The Space Between” deftly ties it all together, documenting as it does Humber’s discovery of the blue sky behind the dark clouds. It just had to end up being the title song of the EP.

“I really hope ‘The Space Between’ inspires others to move towards the blue skies version of their lives,” Lisa adds.

“The Space Between” single and EP is out now on all streaming services.

My Next Read: “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Tales from the Other Mötley Crüe Frontman and Journeys through a Life In and Out of Rock and Roll” By John Corabi & Paul Miles

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Tales from the Other Mötley Crüe Frontman and Journeys through a Life In and Out of Rock and Roll” By John Corabi & Paul Miles

In Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, John Corabi recounts his life from the mean streets of Philadelphia to the Sunset Strip. Take a look behind the scenes at Corabi’s time fronting Mötley Crüe, Union, and The Dead Daisies, as well as his time playing rhythm guitar with Ratt and even his stint as a long-haul trucker. Whether it’s detailing his parents difficult divorce, his family’s dark history of abuse, his run-in with a serial killer, or simply the best way to arrive at a wedding—which maybe is by helicopter and maybe it isn’t—he pulls no punches and outlines the good and bad of it all in this raucous autobiography.

Frank Zappa Warning Us In 1986 That The Biggest Threat To America Was The Government Imposing Its Beliefs On Others

Eric Alper
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Frank Zappa Warning Us In 1986 That The Biggest Threat To America Was The Government Imposing Its Beliefs On Others

Back in 1986, Frank Zappa spoke out against censorship on CNN’s “Crossfire” and said: “The biggest threat to America today is not communism. It’s moving America toward a fascist theocracy.”

Arctic Music Conference and Arctic Music Awards Lineup Released: Susan Aglukark, Twin Flames and More!

Eric Alper
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Arctic Music Conference and Arctic Music Awards Lineup Released: Susan Aglukark, Twin Flames and More!

Only a few more days until the first-ever Arctic Music Conference and Arctic Music Awards! These online events are created to celebrate and support artists, music industry professionals, and other participants from the Arctic region.

The Keynote Speaker for the 2023 Arctic Music Conference and Arctic Music Awards will be multi-award winner Susan Aglukark. There will be virtual performances from Twin Flames, Beatrice Deer, Uyarakq, Tarrak x Peand-eL, Aasiva, and Jacob Okatsiak. Learn more at www.hitmakerz.com/blog/lineuppart1

Workshops for the 2023 Arctic Music Conference & Arctic Music Awards include: 60 Things to Post on Social Media in 60 minutes – Eric Alper, Performance and Stage Presence – K.ÓLA, Songwriting – Anna Fauske, Fundraising for Music Projects – Nunavut Music (Thor Simonsen), Entertainment Law for Artists – Edwards Creative Law (Byron Pascoe), and Music Distribution and Marketing with CD Baby – CD Baby (Darryl Hurs & Kevin Breuner). Learn more at www.hitmakerz.com/blog/lineuppart2

There will be three panels with industry professionals on the following topics: Language, Culture, and Global Export, Overcoming the Arctic’s Barriers to Entry, and Impact of Climate Change on Northern and Remote Artists. Lean more at https://www.hitmakerz.com/blog/lineuppart3

The program will bring together people from across Arctic nations, and events will include award presentations, workshops, performances, and panel discussions about how music can improve the quality of life in the north.

The conference will take place virtually on Zoom, March 24-25, 2023, and tickets are now available at ArcticMusicConference.com

The award categories are:

  • Artist of the Year
  • Group of the Year
  • Indigenous Artist/Group of the Year
  • Single of the Year
  • Album of the Year
  • Music Video of the Year

The events are organized by Hitmakerz, an Iqaluit-based record label, and Nunavut Music, the territorial music industry association. The project was made possible with support from the Government Nunavut, FACTOR, and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

Due to having international participants from multiple Arctic nations, events will be held primarily in English, and the organizers hope to make the events annual, rotating the country of focus each year.

The Arctic is a stunningly musical region, but it faces various challenges. The Arctic Music Conference and Arctic Music Awards aim to bring people together, share knowledge, and provide opportunities for economic and cultural growth.

ABBA “Ring Ring” 50th Anniversary With New Re-Issues

Eric Alper
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0
ABBA “Ring Ring” 50th Anniversary With New Re-Issues

The year of 2023 sees the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s debut album, Ring Ring. It is an important album in the amazing history of the group, as it shows us their birth: the fascinating start of their journey, finding out who they are and where their strengths lie.

Reaching record shops in Sweden on 26 March 1973, Ring Ring offered a wealth of great pop tunes. There was, for instance, “People Need Love”, the very first ABBA single, and “He Is Your Brother”, a popular number on ABBA’s 1977 tour of Europe and Australia. Crucially, on the title track the ABBA sound was born, as the group discovered how attractive the sound of multi-layered vocals was, and how exciting a song could be if you made use of all the possibilities of the recording studio.

The public responded well to “Ring Ring” – the song and the album. Famously, for two consecutive weeks in April 1973, the Swedish “Ring Ring” single was at number one, the English-language version at number two, and the Ring Ring album at number three on the combined singles-and-albums chart used in Sweden at the time. Record-buyers had fallen head over heels in love with this brand new group. And ABBA’s sense of joy in trying different song styles and thrilling studio trickery can still be felt today, half a century later.

The Ring Ring album was originally credited to Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida – the name ABBA didn’t quite exist yet. The group itself almost didn’t exist, as the two ladies were still pursuing solo careers, and the two men were busy with many different projects when the album was recorded. But its huge success sealed the deal: from now on they would be ABBA.

To celebrate this milestone, the LP Ring Ring and its singles will be available for pre-order on the following formats on March 23.

To celebrate this milestone, the LP Ring Ring and its singles will be available for pre-order on the following formats on March 23.

  • 2LP 45 RPM remastered at Abbey Road Studios in a gatefold sleeve featuring obi-strip and certificate of authenticity.
  • 5×7″ Colour Singles Box Set (D2C Exclusive)
  • Individual 7″ Picture Discs:
  • He Is Your Brother / Santa Rosa
  • People Need Love / Merry-Go-Round
  • Ring Ring (English) / She’s My Kind of Girl
  • Ring Ring (Swedish), Åh, vilka tider
  • Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough / I Am Just A Girl
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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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