Watch this video, filmed and produced by Sacramento City College professor Darrell Forney, to travel back in time when Tower Records was THE place to be in the 1970s.
Audiences are Taken On A Musical Road Trip with Bobby Cameron & Jamie Oppenheimer’s “White Car”
Performed by Bobby Cameron and written by Jamie Oppenheimer, “White Car” is an auditory road trip and you’re invited along for the ride!
The song is what Oppenheimer refers to as in-part autobiographical; inspired by the first car he ever drove, he says this track represents the freedom and escape of getting behind the wheel of his mother’s 1968 Buick Skylark convertible.
Ignition turned, and brakes released; in one spin of the track, you’re transported to the open highway, Wayfarers blocking out the sun, and the music washing you down the road.
“Generally, I gave Bobby the freedom to interpret the songs as he saw fit, and I think he did a great job,” Oppenheimer says. “As the album Songs From Room 421 evolved, we both knew that, as musicians and songwriters, we were going to be as proud of the work in 10 years as we are now.”
Oppenheimer reveals “I have been writing songs since the late 80s, but after five years of failed efforts to interest others in my music, I finally took the hint. I never quit writing songs, I just did it for my own enjoyment, and I concentrated on my day job. Now, 30 years later, having retired and moved to Katrine, Ontario, where my wife and I built a log home on the site of the old family cottage, I have resurrected that passion.”
While Oppenheimer spent his formative years working as an industrial real estate broker, retirement has provided him the opportunity to put pen to paper and let the lyrics flow out of him. Bobby Cameron has been a mainstay in Canada’s music landscape, gaining notoriety and recognition after winning the MuchMusic’s Guitar Warz competition in 1990. That win gave this East Coast musician the opportunity to take the stage alongside the great Jeff Healey, and led to his eponymous first release in 1994. A heavily decorated musician, he has lent his talent to collaborations with Luke McMaster (Rihanna, Nick Lachey), Stan Meisnner (Celine Dion, Starship), Long John Baldry, and many others. He’d scoop the JUNO alongside co-writers Jully Black and Keith Harris (Black-Eyed Peas) for Black’s album Reunion.
Released in December 2021, the track reflects the power of a strong song performed by an outstanding musician and producer. The acoustic-heavy, roots/country upbeat diddy speaks to the truth of leaving it all in the rearview. Oppenheimer’s lyrics cover the universal theme of wanderlust, a story of allowing yourself the opportunity to drop down the convertible top and head out to where the road takes you. Cameron’s delivery is honky-tonk roadhouse; his commitment to remaining authentic to the spirit of the song brings the package to life.
Suddenly, it’s summertime. And as the wheels roll, the windows roll down, and the landscape rolls past you, you’ve found the perfect soundtrack to a destination unknown.
Maggie Rogers Unveils “That’s Where I Am” The First Single From Her New Album, Surrender Out July 29
GRAMMY Award-nominated producer/songwriter/performer Maggie Rogers returns with “That’s Where I Am,” the explosive first single from her new album, Surrender through Capitol Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Her powerful, emotive vocals glide over a shapeshifting sound that melds electronic, acoustic and electric elements to joyous effect. Rogers wrote and produced “That’s Where I Am” with Kid Harpoon. The track was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios near Bath, England.
The official video for “That’s Where I Am,” co-directed by Rogers, Michael Scanlon and Warren Fu (Daft Punk, Dua Lipa, The 1975), is a love letter to Rogers’ adopted hometown of New York City and its vibrant, diverse energy. She strides confidently through the city, engulfed in crowds and encountering a few notable New Yorkers – GRAMMY, Oscar and Tony award winning artist David Byrne, photographer Quil Lemons and singer-songwriter Hamilton Leithauser – on her way to a powerful, skyscraper-lit nighttime performance.
Maggie Rogers, who will perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 17 and 24, said, “That’s Where I Am” is a story I’d been carrying around for many years, the story of a love that had been with me and unfolding for a long time. A lot of the events that Surrender chronicles take place in New York City. In the stark solitude and distance of covid, it was the backdrop for all my claustrophobic fantasies. The proximity and pleasure of just staring at strangers. The way a night could unfold. Events that interrupt your day instead of having to consciously and deliberately make each decision. I longed for someone to sweat on me. Spill their beer on my shoes. Be too tall for me to see at the concert. The city’s music and attitude was a big source of inspiration for the record. For all these reasons, there was only ever one place we could shoot the video. I’ve always said that New York is the city that winks back. It’s a main character. It’s a friend, a lover, an enemy sometimes. In many ways, the music video is about that New York love story. And on those filming days, it felt like the city was on our side. We got our first taste of true New York spring. That feral downtown explosion when suddenly everyone’s smoking on the sidewalks in short sleeves and drinking gin and tonics. The appearance of a few classic New York characters – David Byrne, The Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser, and photographer Quil Lemons – made the daydream feel complete.”
Surrender, which will be released by Capitol Records/Universal Music Canada on July 29, is available for pre-order HERE. Fans who pre-order the digital album will instantly receive “That’s Where I Am.” Surrender is the follow-up to Heard It in a Past Life, her massively beloved 2019 album, which entered Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart at No. 1 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Praised by the likes of NPR, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, TIME Magazine, and many others, Heard It in a Past Life landed Rogers a nomination for Best New Artist and went on to amass over one billion combined global streams.
In early 2020 – after multiple sold-out headline tours and major festival performances in support of Heard It in a Past Life – Rogers retreated to the coast of Maine. As she immersed herself in deliberate stillness, she eventually felt called to create music with the same sense of playful, open exploration and internal discovery that made her fall in love with writing and producing music back in high school. Channeling the ocean’s unruly energy, she soon arrived at the controlled chaos and ecstatic physicality that would come to define Surrender.
Over the course of 12 unfettered yet exactingly crafted tracks, Rogers fully captures the frenetic intensity of the last two years of her life, bringing her bracing honesty to stories of anger and peace and self-salvation, transcendence through sex and freedom through letting go. Surrender is her most joyful output yet: a body of work built for the sweaty immediacy of live performance, raw and revelatory and primed for shared abandon. View the album trailer, which Rolling Stone described as “a poetic retelling of the album’s journey,” below.
Folk & Roots Artist James Culleton Totally Rocks at Child’s Play with “Superfun” New Single
Everyone can agree childhood years are a full-on, multi-sensory experience with much time spent in the pursuit of pure, unadulterated fun. In celebration of such, Winnipeg’s children’s music innovator James Culleton releases his high-energy new anthem, “Superfun.”
Fresh from Culleton’s forthcoming album of the same name, the release builds on the folk/roots artist’s first children’s offering, Unusual Friendships (2020), where he created a multi-sensory experience for the ears, eyes, mind, and heart.
And builds, he does; “Superfun” roars out of the backyard gate with a title track and lead single that sets the garage rockin’ tone for the ultimate, all-day playdate. With joyfully raucous guitar work from revered guitarist/producer Grant Siemens (Corb Lund, Del Barber), “Superfun” cranks the volume all the way up to the top for glee.
According to Culleton, it’s a tune with a singular and simply irresistible mission: “It’s a song about everyone playing and having fun!”
That said, things started out quite differently when Culleton, Siemens, and the rest of the musicians tackled recording the tune. “When we were recording all the songs, it was the last one on the list,” recalls Culleton. “It was near the end of the day, everyone was pretty tired. But when that guitar lick started, the whole band just got revved up and it blew all our hair back, becoming the title track.”
“Superfun,” the song, was written by Roger Mollot; Superfun, the album, was recorded in Winnipeg at The Song Shop, and engineered, mixed, and mastered by Jamie Sitar. In addition to Siemens on guitar and keyboards, the release features Al Simmons on banjo, harmonica, and sound effects, Keri Latimer on theremin, Paul Balcain on saxophone, flute, and clarinet, Tom Fodey on bass, and Joanna Miller on drums. The joy of jumping into playing and creating without inhibitions, just like most kids do, is evident throughout the new collection.
“A lot of the songs on the album are about making art and music and how fun that can be,” explains Culleton. “How there are no mistakes, or how you’ll be a lot of things in life and it’ll be the people you meet that are important.”
Toronto Rockers Neon Bloom Lodge “A Bullet in Tomorrow” with New Single
The looming questions that plague us all: what do we want for tomorrow? And what happens when today flips over? Canadian rock outfit Neon Bloom seek that same sentiment on their new dark and disco-esque offering, “A Bullet In Tomorrow.”
An uptempo, electronica-fused rock anthem exploring the macabre uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring, the song arrives from their recent sophomore EP, Still Life. In it, the Toronto-based group lushly score an undeniable truth behind an undeniable groove, and the result is non-fiction prose on possibility — or lack thereof.
“Lyrically, it’s meant to question the type of future we want to live in,” the band explains, adding it was largely inspired by the pandemic, the effects of overconsumption, our treatment of animals and our planet, and the consequences of this behaviour.
“The song is meant to encourage listeners to question their role as responsible co-habitants of an interconnected planet with finite resources,” they continue. “It encourages listeners to consider what sort of future they’re willing to work toward.”
Neon Bloom’s Jen Simpson [vocals], Fred Yurichuk [bass], Simon Chow [guitar/keys], and Chris Romano [drums] are no strangers to the music community of Canada’s indie scene mecca; their charismatic stage presence and insatiable ability to write earworm soundscapes have garnished attention from Alan Cross (102.1 The Edge, Ongoing History of New Music) to Rob Sanzo (Sum 41, Treble Charger), and more.
Their recently released EP Still Life also features “Novocaine,” “Tangerine,” and “Our Faces,” and follows their 2018 debut, First Fever. Written near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Neon Bloom had to adapt their creative process for the four-track offering. “Like many other bands, we were unable to see each other, practice, or play shows,” they share. “We wrote and recorded from our individual homes, and sent clips of ideas back and forth.
“We eventually pieced the songs together in a way that was very different from our usual in-person songwriting sessions; for ‘A Bullet in Tomorrow,’ specifically, Fred and Simon switched roles and came up with the initial musical melody that way.”
Much like the songwriting, even the production on the track and album came differently than the band’s previous efforts; “A Bullet in Tomorrow” focused on building and tweaking layers of loops, rather than recording full, or long takes of the song.
Plus… Listeners are offered an additional treat at the end of the drop. “There’s an underlying ambient sample playing at the end,” the band confesses. “It’s an audio recording from Fred’s younger sister’s house party. We felt it helps to compliment the party-vibe at the end.”
If carpe diem reminds us to seize the day, then Neon Bloom is here to incentivize us to put “A Bullet in Tomorrow”…
All while we dance. Genius.
My Next Read: “Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation” by Hannah Gadsby
“There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself,” Hannah Gadsby declared in her show Nanette, a scorching critique of the way society conducts public debates about marginalized communities. When it premiered on Netflix, it left audiences captivated by her blistering honesty and her singular ability to take them from rolling laughter to devastated silence. Ten Steps to Nanette continues Gadsby’s tradition of confounding expectations and norms, properly introducing us to one of the most explosive, formative voices of our time.
Gadsby grew up as the youngest of five children in an isolated town in Tasmania, where homosexuality was illegal until 1997. She perceived her childhood as safe and “normal,” but as she gained an awareness of her burgeoning queerness, the outside world began to undermine the “vulnerably thin veneer” of her existence. After moving to mainland Australia and receiving a degree in art history, Gadsby found herself adrift, working itinerant jobs and enduring years of isolation punctuated by homophobic and sexual violence. At age twenty-seven, without a home or the ability to imagine her own future, she was urged by a friend to enter a stand-up competition. She won, and so began her career in comedy.
Gadsby became well known for her self-deprecating, autobiographical humor that made her the butt of her own jokes. But in 2015, as Australia debated the legality of same-sex marriage, Gadsby started to question this mode of storytelling, beginning work on a show that would become “the most-talked-about, written-about, shared-about comedy act in years” (The New York Times).
Harrowing and hilarious, Ten Steps to Nanette traces Gadsby’s growth as a queer person, to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, and her struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, finally arriving at the backbone of Nanette: the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny, and the moral significance of truth-telling.
Primus Announces ‘Conspiranoid’ EP, Reveals Epic, 11-minute Opening Track, “Conspiranoia”
As they gear up for their 64-date world tour, ‘A Tribute To Kings,’ paying homage to prog-rock legends, Rush, Primus has announced a new 3-song EP, ‘Conspiranoid,’ out April 22nd via ATO Records. The band announced the EP with the release of its epic, 11-minute opening track, “Conspiranoia. “I’d been itching to record an opus–basically a long, winding, bastard of a song, reminiscent of some of the compositions I cut my teeth (or ears) on, in my music-hungry adolescence,” bassist Les Claypool told Consequence. “”Conspiranoia” was sprouted from a seed I had planted in my notebook a year or so ago–a few lines commenting on the mental state of the contemporary world.”
As they gear up for their 64-date world tour, ‘A Tribute To Kings,’ paying homage to prog-rock legends, Rush, Primus has announced a new 3-song EP, ‘Conspiranoid,’ out April 22nd via ATO Records. The band announced the EP with the release of its epic, 11-minute opening track, “Conspiranoia. “I’d been itching to record an opus–basically a long, winding, bastard of a song, reminiscent of some of the compositions I cut my teeth (or ears) on, in my music-hungry adolescence,” bassist Les Claypool told Consequence. “”Conspiranoia” was sprouted from a seed I had planted in my notebook a year or so ago–a few lines commenting on the mental state of the contemporary world.”
The release of ‘Conspiranoid’ will coincide with the second leg of Primus’ wildly popular ‘A Tribute To Kings’ Tour, which finds Bay area trio performing Rush’s 1977 album ‘A Farewell To Kings’ in its entirety, following a set of their own music. Kicking off in Oklahoma City before winding its way throughout the US, and then ultimately to Europe this fall, the second leg will also include the tour’s first stops in Canada, beginning with two dates in Toronto on May 13-14. Rush was formed in Toronto in 1968. The US performances will also feature special guests Battles, Black Mountain, and The Black Angels.
Two additional ‘A Tribute To Kings’ tour dates have just been announced at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheatre in Vail, CO on August 12th and 13th. A special pre-sale, including VIP upgrade options, is current open. A local pre-sale will open on Thursday, April 7th at 10am local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 8th at 10am local time. For ticketing and show info, please visit www.primusville.com/tour
As Claypool told Rolling Stone, the ‘A Tribute To Kings’ Tour is about paying tribute to a band that has given him so much inspiration over the years.
“Hemispheres was my first concert,” Claypool said, referring to Rush’s 1978 album and tour. “Originally we’d always kind of joked around about doing Hemispheres…but we settled on Kings, because A) it was the first Rush record I ever heard and B) it contains ‘Cygnus X-1,’ which has always been my favorite Rush tune. It seems to be a good one for us to tackle; 2112 seemed a little obvious.”
The announcement follows the massive success of the first leg of ‘A Tribute To Kings,’ which was long-delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s just the latest in a long series of Rush-related milestones for Primus, who first opened for their musical heroes in 1992.
“Geddy, Alex and Neil had been superheroes to Larry, Herb and I in our teens,” Claypool recalled, “so when we all became pals while touring together in the early ’90s, we were pretty delighted; partially because of the musical geek-out factor but mostly because the three guys whom we had admired so much from afar, turned out to be truly great, down-to-earth humans, and like us, a tad eccentric.”
Primus will once again partner with On Location & CID Entertainment for the ‘A Tribute to Kings’ tour to offer ticket packages that include one premium ticket, invitation to a Q&A experience with Primus, exclusive VIP merch, and more. For full details, visit https://www.cidentertainment.com/events/primus-tour/
Comedy Central also recently announced that Primus will be featured in the “South Park: 25th Anniversary Concert” this summer. The concert, with Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Primus and Ween, takes place on Wednesday, August 10th at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.SouthParkatRedRocks.com
‘Conspiranoid’ EP – Out April 22nd
1. Conspiranoia
2. Follow The Fool
3. Erin On The Side Of Caution
PRIMUS ‘A TRIBUTE TO KINGS’ TOUR DATES
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Friday, April 15 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion *
Saturday, April 16 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre *
Tuesday, April 19 – Springfield, MO – Gillioz Theatre *
Wednesday, April 20 – Kansas City, MO – Grinders KC *^
Friday, April 22 – Cedar Rapids, IA – McGrath Amphitheatre *^
Saturday, April 23 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee *
Monday, April 25 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre*
Wednesday, April 27 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre *^
Saturday, April 30 – Huntsville, AL – Mars Music Hall, Von Braun Center *
Tuesday, May 3 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore *
Wed, May 4 – St. Petersburg, FL – Mahaffey Theater, Duke Energy Center for the Arts *
Friday, May 6 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center *
Saturday, May 7 – Saint Augustine, FL – The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre *
Monday, May 9 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium *
Tuesday, May 10 – Fort Wayne, IN – The Clyde Theatre *
Friday, May 13 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall +
Saturday, May 14 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall +
Monday, May 16 – Montreal, QC – L’Olympia +
Tuesday, May 17 – Quebec, QC – Videotron Centre +
Wednesday, May 18 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre *
Friday, May 20 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre *
Saturday, May 21 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater *
Sunday, May 22 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount *
Tuesday, May 24 – Washington, D.C. – Warner Theatre *
Wednesday, May 25 – Bethlehem, PA – The Wind Creek Event Center *
Friday, May 27 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa *
Saturday, May 28 – LaFayette, NY – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards *
Monday, May 30 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall *
Tuesday, May 31 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe *
Thursday, June 2 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Harris Pavilion *^
Friday, June 3 – Saint Paul, MN – Palace Theatre *
Saturday, June 4 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre for the Performing Arts +
Monday, June 6 – Regina, SK – Conexus Arts Centre – Capital Auto Theatre +
Tuesday, June 7 – Saskatoon, SK – TCU Place – Sid Buckwold Theatre +
Thursday, June 9 – Calgary, AB – Grey Eagle Event Centre, Grey Eagle Resort & Casino +
Friday, June 10 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Expo Centre +
Sunday, June 12 – Vancouver, BC – The Orpheum +
Tuesday, June 14 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield ~
Wednesday, June 15 – Redding, CA – Redding Civic Auditorium ~
Friday, June 17 – Sacramento, CA – Sacramento Memorial Auditorium ~
Saturday, June 18 – Reno, NV – Grand Theatre, Grand Sierra Resort and Casino ~
Sunday, June 19 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic ~
Tuesday, June 21 – Santa Barbara, CA – Arlington Theatre ~
Thursday, June 23 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium ~
Fri, June 24 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center ~
Saturday, June 25 – Las Vegas, NV – The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas ~^
Friday, August 12 – Vail, CO – Gerald R. Ford Amphitheatre
Saturday, August 13 – Vail, CO – Gerald R. Ford Amphitheatre
EUROPE TOUR
Friday, September 9 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fryshuset Arenan
Saturday, September 10 – Oslo, Norway – Oslo Spektrum
Monday, September 12 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega
Wednesday, September 14 – Berlin, Germany – Huxley’s Neue Welt
Friday, September 16 – Warsaw, Poland – Klub Stodola
Saturday, September 17 – Prague, Czechia – Forum Karlin
Sunday, September 18 – Munich, Germany – TonHalle München
Tuesday, September 20 – Zürich, Switzerland – Kaufleuten
Wednesday, September 21 – Padova, Italy – Gran Teatro Geox
Friday, September 23 – Bogerhout, Belgium – De Roma
Saturday, September 24 – Paris, France – L’Olympia
Sunday, September 25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live
Tuesday, September 27 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – 02 Academy Glasgow
Thursday, September 29 – London, United Kingdom – Eventim Apollo
Friday, September 30 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Manchester Academy
Saturday, October 1 – Dublin, Ireland – Olympia Theatre
* with Battles
+ with Black Mountain
~ with The Black Angels
^ Tickets are currently on sale for these performances
George Michael’s ‘Older’ Gets Limited Edition Expanded Reissue On July 8
Originally released in the UK on 13 May 1996 through Virgin Records, ‘Older’, George Michael’s iconic album, reached the pinnacle of chart success, where it remained for three consecutive weeks, spending 35 weeks in the top 10 overall. The album produced six singles, two of which – ‘Fastlove’ and the haunting ‘Jesus To A Child’ – reached No.1, with the other four peaking in the top three. The album was a huge global commercial success, going 6x platinum in the UK, as well as verified platinum in another 22 countries – an achievement which is unparalleled to this day.
‘Older’ was George’s third album as a solo artist and would see him experimenting with new musical styles and expanding his artistic horizons. Hailed by critics as a triumph, it told the story of an extraordinary period in the life of the man who wrote, recorded and produced it, as he journeyed through one of the most turbulent periods of his professional and personal life. George channeled all his painful life experiences into one of the most personal, heart-felt albums he had ever written.
“I think I composed the best, most healing piece of music that I’ve written in my life with this album … Older is my greatest moment,” said George Michael at the time. ‘Older’ will be released on 8th July 2022.
This beautiful new box-set is a treasure for fans and includes ‘Older’, newly mastered from original tapes and pressed on 180gsm vinyl across 2LPs for superior audio quality with expanded artwork. The set also includes ‘Upper’ for the first time ever on vinyl, as well as ‘Older’ and ‘Upper’ on CD. Presented in a rigid double slipcase, this package contains 5 CDs and 3 LPs. Also included is a 12” x 12” 48-page book, The Story of Older, featuring a brand-new essay by Dan Davies recounting the stories behind the album with contributions from key people who helped make the record, plus rare and previously unseen photos. The set also includes 3 12” x 12” art prints of George.
TRACKLIST
OLDER VINYL
SIDE A
1. Jesus to a Child – 06:49
2. Fastlove, Pt. 1 – 05:27
3. Older – 05:32
SIDE B
4. Spinning the Wheel – 06:09
5. It Doesn’t Really Matter – 04:49
6. The Strangest Thing – 06:00
SIDE C
7. To Be Forgiven – 05:21
8. Move On – 04:45
9. Star People – 05:15
SIDE D
10. You Have Been Loved – 05:27
11. Free – 02:59
UPPER VINYL
SIDE A
1. Fastlove, Pt. 2 – 04:54
2. Spinning The Wheel (Forthright Edit) – 04:41
3. Star People ‘97 (Radio Version) – 05:42
SIDE B
4. The Strangest Thing ’97 (Radio Version) – 04:41
5. You Know That I Want To – 04:37
6. Safe – 4:27
CD1 – OLDER
1. Jesus to a Child – 06:49
2. Fastlove, Pt. 1 – 05:27
3. Older – 05:32
4. Spinning the Wheel – 06:09
5. It Doesn’t Really Matter – 04:49
6. The Strangest Thing – 06:00
7. To Be Forgiven – 05:21
8. Move On – 04:45
9. Star People – 05:15
10. You Have Been Loved – 05:27
11. Free – 02:59
CD2 – UPPER
1. Fastlove, Pt. 2 – 04:54
2. Spinning The Wheel (Forthright Edit) – 04:41
3. Star People ‘97 (Radio Version) – 05:42
4. The Strangest Thing ’97 (Radio Version) – 04:41
5. You Know That I Want To – 04:37
6. Safe – 4:27
CD3 – MIXES ONE
1. Fastlove (A/C Summer Mix) – 04:55
2. Star People ‘97 (Radio Edit) – 04:39 *
3. Freedom ’94 (Live Version) – 06:06
4. One More Try (Live Gospel Version) – 5:26
5. Star People (Unplugged) – 06:04
6. Spinning The Wheel (Radio Edit) – 05:00
7. Fastlove (Promo Edit) – 04:43 *
8. Jesus To A Child (Special Radio Edit) – 04:20 *
9. Spinning The Wheel (Forthright Dub Mix) – 06:48 *
10. Star People (Forthright Club Mix) – 09:17
CD4 – MIXES TWO
1. Fastlove (Forthright Extended 12″ Mix) – 09:23
2. Star People (Forthright Dub Mix) – 07:40
3. I’m Your Man (The Jon Douglas Remix) – 04:04
4. Fastlove Part II (Fully Extended Mix) – 09:36
5. Spinning The Wheel (Forthright Extended 12″ Club Mix) – 08:36 *
6. Star People (Galaxy Dub Mix) – 07:11
7. Fastlove (Forthright Remix 7” Version) – 04:25 *
8. I Can’t Make You Love Me (Studio Version) – 05:20
CD5 – MIXES THREE
1. Desafinado – George Michael with Astrud Gilberto – 03:19
2. The Strangest Thing (Live) – 06:00
3. Star People (Forthright Radio Edit) – 04:33 *
4. The Strangest Thing ‘97 (Loop Ratz Mix) – 08:49
5. Fastlove (Forthright Dub Remix) – 08:32 *
6. Jesus to a Child (Radio Edit) – 06:07 *
7. Spinning The Wheel (The Jon Douglas Remix) – 06:38 **
8. Star People (Galaxy Mix) – 08:09
9. Older (Instrumental Version) – 05.29
The Clash Set Release 40th Anniversary Edition Of ‘Combat Rock’
Originally released in May 1982, ‘Combat Rock’ is the final album from The Clash of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon. Featuring two of the band’s most well-known songs, ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ and ‘Rock The Casbah’, plus favourites ‘Straight To Hell’ and ‘Know Your Rights’, it is both their biggest selling album and highest charting set in both the UK and US.
Now comes a special edition of the album, titled ‘Combat Rock / The People’s Hall’, which will be released on May 20th. It couples the album with an additional 12-tracks compiled by The Clash.
Having returned to London following their pivotal 17-show residency at New York’s Bond’s Casino in 1981, the band rehearsed and recorded at The People’s Hall in the squatted Republic of Frestonia near Latimer Road in London and from there they embarked on a tour of the East and South East Asia, during which the album sleeve image was captured by Pennie Smith in Thailand.
The tracks on ‘The People’s Hall’ chart the period from what was their last single Radio Clash right up to the release of Combat Rock, including unheard, rare and early versions of tracks.
The disc highlights a new version of ‘Know Your Rights’ which was recorded at The People’s Hall on the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, and the previously unreleased instrumental ‘He Who Dares Or Is Tired’. Other notable tracks include ‘Futura 2000’, an unreleased original mix of ‘The Escapades of Futura 2000’, Mikey Dread’s ‘Radio One’, and the outtakes ‘The Fulham Connection’, previously known as ‘The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too’ as well as ‘Idle in Kangaroo Court’.
‘Combat Rock’ is indicative of The Clash’s constant evolution and was influenced in part by the relatively recent end of the Vietnam War, particularly on ‘Sean Flynn’, inspired by the disappearance of the photojournalist and film star’s son. The band’s curiosity and range is illustrated by the many styles and voices here, notably poet Allen Ginsberg’s apocalyptic spoken word on ‘Ghetto Defendant’ and graffiti artist Futura’s rap on ‘Overpowered By Funk’.
The Clash’s influence on punk, post-punk and indie rock is well documented and ‘Combat Rock’ specifically continues to inspire waves of rediscovery from new audiences, most notably with the use of ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ as a prominent plot device in the first season of the Netflix smash ‘Stranger Things’. Meanwhile, ‘Straight To Hell’ remains instantly recognisable having been used in ‘Paper Planes’ by M.I.A.
‘Combat Rock / The People’s Hall’ is now available to pre-order HERE. It will be released on double-CD, triple-vinyl and digital formats.
In addition, The Clash’s collaborations with the late Ranking Roger will receive their first ever official release within a separate two-track EP. It finds the legendary frontman of The Beat infusing ‘Red Angel Dragnet’ and ‘Rock The Casbah’ with his exuberant, high-energy toasting. The EP will be available digitally from 6th April, with a limited edition 7” vinyl following on 20th May.
‘Combat Rock / The People’s Hall’ tracklist:
‘Combat Rock’ – SIDE A
1. ‘Know Your Rights’
2. ‘Car Jamming’
3. ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’
4. ‘Rock The Casbah’
5. ‘Red Angel Dragnet’
6. ‘Straight To Hell’
‘Combat Rock’ – SIDE B
1. ‘Overpowered By Funk’
2. ‘Atom Tan’
3. ‘Sean Flynn’
4. ‘Ghetto Defendant’
5. ‘Inoculated City’
6. ‘Death Is A Star’
‘The People’s Hall’ – SIDE A
1. ‘Outside Bonds’
2. ‘Radio Clash’
3. ‘Futura 2000’
‘The People’s Hall’ – SIDE B
1. ‘First Night Back In London’
2. ‘Radio One’ – Mikey Dread
3. ‘He Who Dares Or Is Tired’
4. ‘Long Time Jerk’
5. ‘The Fulham Connection’
‘The People’s Hall’ – SIDE C
1. ‘Midnight To Stevens’
2. ‘Sean Flynn’
3. ‘Idle In Kangaroo Court’
4. ‘Know Your Rights’
Blue Note Records And Universal Music Group Africa Announce The Creation Of A New Imprint Blue Note Africa
The legendary Jazz label Blue Note Records and Universal Music Group Africa have announced the creation of Blue Note Africa, an exciting new imprint dedicated to signing Jazz artists from across the African continent, bringing them to a global audience, and promoting a cultural exchange of ideas that transcends borders. Blue Note Africa will launch this Spring with the release of South African pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini’s luminous new album In The Spirit Of Ntu.
“Blue Note has stood the test of time by continuing to adapt but keeping its focus on discovering and introducing Jazz talent to the world,” says Sipho Dlamini, CEO of Universal Music Africa. “The opportunity to create Blue Note Africa and provide a channel for African Jazz talent to have a home in the U.S., with a dedicated and passionate team lead by a legend in his own right – Don Was, is very exciting. We can now walk the African Jazz journey, from Cape to Cairo to California.”
“African music has been a major creative tributary for nearly every album in Blue Note’s extensive catalog,” says Blue Note President Don Was. “So it’s a great honor for us to partner with Sipho and his talented Universal Music Africa team in this new endeavor. Together, we will shine a global light on the incredible music emanating from Africa today.”
If you trace the roots of American Jazz back to its source, the path leads to Africa, and the exchange of musical ideas between the two continents is a thread that runs throughout the entire progression of Jazz music throughout the 20th century to this day. In 1947, the legendary American Jazz drummer and Blue Note legend Art Blakey visited Africa for the first time, a trip that was meant to be a few months but ended up lasting a couple years as Blakey travelled to Nigeria and Ghana. It was an experience that would have a profound effect on Blakey both religiously and musically and led to a series of Blue Note albums that were deeply influenced by African percussion including Orgy In Rhythm (1957), Holiday for Skins (1958), and The African Beat (1962), the latter of which featured traditional African drummers including Solomon Ilori who would release his own Blue Note album African High Life in 1963.
Around the same time in the late-50s, a fertile Jazz scene began to develop in South Africa led by the trailblazing band The Jazz Epistles, a group inspired by American Jazz groups including Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers that featured trumpeter Hugh Masekela and pianist Dollar Brand (later known as Abdullah Ibrahim). As the restrictions, censorship, and violence of apartheid worsened in the early-60s, Masekela and Ibrahim left the country and went on to become global ambassadors of South African Jazz. But generations of South African Jazz musicians also stayed, enduring the hardships of apartheid but managing to create a distinctive and vibrant Jazz scene that continues to flourish today.
The pianist McCoy Tyner further explored African-American connections on his late-60s and early-70s Blue Note albums with pieces like “African Village,” “Message from the Nile,” and “Asante.” In 2008, the brilliant Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke released Karibu, the first of several boundary-pushing Blue Note albums that seamlessly blended the sound of both continents.
In 2018, Universal Music Group Africa signed the visionary pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini, a leader of the current South African Jazz scene whose 2nd UMG album Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds was released jointly on Blue Note Records. The album drew wide acclaim across Africa, Europe, and the United States, with The New York Times naming it one of the “Best Jazz Albums of 2020” and DownBeat naming Nduduzo among their “25 for the Future,” a short list of Jazz artists with the potential to shape the genre.
Now the partnership between Blue Note Records and Universal Music Group Africa expands with the creation of Blue Note Africa.