ALICE COOPER: 'Billion Dollar Babies' ReAction Figure Available From Super7
Super7 has released an Alice Cooper ReAction figure.
This debut release is packaged on a special cardback inspired by his legendary
1973 “Billion Dollar Babies” album. The “Billion Dollar
Babies” Alice Cooper ReAction figure features metallic paint accents and comes with a microphone and his infamous pet snake as accessories.
ReAction figures celebrate the iconic 3.75″
action figure of our childhood. The iconic size and sculpting style are simple while allowing your imagination to go all in on daily adventures. ReAction figures continues the classic size while making the figures we wished we had while growing up.
Super7 is the premier pop-culture design house and
producer of lifestyle-oriented collectibles, toys and apparel based in San Francisco. Led by designer Brian Flynn, Super7 has harnessed the graphics, aesthetics, and energy of his youthful obsession with science fiction, giant monsters, comic books, punk rock, skateboarding, robots, and rebellion to build a unique and innovative business that crosses all categories and is not bound by traditional manufacturing boundaries.
Besides its own branded products, Super7 has also
designed, manufactured, and distributed officially licensed programs for “Star Wars”, “Masters Of The Universe”, the original
“Alien” and “Planet Of The Apes” movies, as well as for
music legends IRON MAIDEN, MISFITS and Lemmy. Super7 actually started as a side project for Flynn, who also founded
Hybrid-Design in 2001.
Credits:
Blabbermouth.net
Looking Back On Led Zeppelin’s Ill-Fated Reunion Show On This Day In 1988
On May 14th, 1988, Atlantic Records celebrated its
40th anniversary in monumental fashion with a full-day showcase at New York’s
Madison Square Garden. The televised event, billed as It’s Only Rock And Roll,
ran for nearly 13 hours and featured performances by legendary artists spanning
the company’s 40 year existence, including The Rascals, Iron Butterfly, Yes,
Genesis, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Keith Emerson, and Carl Palmer (of Emerson,
Lake, & Palmer), Foreigner, Paul Rodgers, Bob Geldof, Booker T. Jones, Wilson
Pickett, The Coasters, The Spinners, The Blues Brothers, Roberta Flack, Bee
Gees, Ben E. King, and more.
Even with hours of high-profile performances on the
docket, the majority of the buzz surrounding It’s Only Rock And Roll was
focused on the night’s final act—a reunion set by the surviving members of Led
Zeppelin. The rare performance was just the second time vocalist Robert Plant,
bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and guitarist Jimmy Page shared the stage
since drummer John Bonham’s death in September 1980.
Zeppelin’s five-song performance, however, proved to
be more of a headache than a triumphant return for the iconic band. The evening
before the show, Plant raised red flags by proclaiming that he refused to sing
the band’s ubiquitous 1971 track, “Stairway to Heaven”. By 1988, Plant and the
rest of the band had already achieved notable success with various
post-Zeppelin solo projects.
Like many artists who are best known for their early
work, Plant viewed the ever ravenous demand for “Stairway” as a burden of the
past and was reluctant to give into such imposed nostalgia, especially after
their last performance of the song (at Live Aid in 1985) was badly botched.
It’s not hard to understand Plant’s reluctance to sing the song. Over the years,
“Stairway to Heaven” being overplayed has become a cultural reference almost as
widely known as the song itself: Although Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun
eventually persuaded Plant and the song was relatively well played, the roughly
30-minute set (which also included “Kashmir”, “Heartbreaker”, “Whole Lotta
Love”, and “Misty Mountain Hop”) was plagued throughout by a poor sound mix. Page’s guitar mix was loud and shrill. Jones’ bass and keys were barely audible, and
particularly missed on songs like “Kashmir” and “Stairway”, where those parts
are usually featured prominently.
One notable high point was Jason Bonham, who took his
late father’s place behind the drums, playing with excitement and energy in his
first big show with the band. Even that satisfying storyline did little to
redeem the gig, which Page later called “one big disappointment” and Plant
referred to as “foul” in an interview for the 1997 book Led Zeppelin: The
Concert File by Dave Lewis and Simon Pallett. This proved to be the last
Zeppelin show the full band would play together for nearly twenty years.
However, if nothing else, this disappointing performance helped set a dramatic
stage for the band’s highly successful, record-setting 2007 reunion show at
London’s O2 Arena, immortalized in the 2012 concert film, Celebration Day.
‘The Beatles: Get Back’ To Be Released On Blu-Ray And DVD
The Peter Jackson-directed docuseries won awards at the Producers Guild Of America and American Cinema Editors Awards. The Beatles: Get Back will be released on a Blu-Ray Collector’s Set and DVD this summer
The stunning docuseries from acclaimed director Peter Jackson will be available to own from July 12. The series gives fans unprecedented access to the world’s most iconic band as they prepare to record their twelfth and final studio album, 1970’s Let It Be. Upon its streaming release on Disney+ last year, fans and critics celebrated the series, with Radio Times calling it “epic”, while Rolling Stone described it as having “countless perfect moments”.
The Blu-Ray and DVD will be spread over three discs, with the first featuring footage of The Beatles gathering at Twickenham Film Studios to rehearse for a planned concert. The second captures recording sessions at Apple Studios, continued rehearsals, and the band’s mood lifting. The third and final disc features footage of the group performing on the rooftop of their Apple offices.
An official synopsis for The Beatles: Get Back reads: “Directed by Peter Jackson, The Beatles: Get Back is a three-part documentary series that takes audiences back in time to the band’s intimate recording sessions. The documentary showcases the warmth, camaraderie, and creative genius that defined the legacy of the iconic foursome and is compiled from 60 hours of unseen footage shot in January 1969 (under the supervision of Michael Lindsay-Hogg and his director of photography Tony Richmond) and more than 150 hours of unheard audio, all of which has been brilliantly restored.
“Also featured for the first time in its entirety is The Beatles’ last live performance as a group: the unforgettable rooftop concert on London’s Savile Row, as well as other songs and classic compositions featured on the band’s final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be.” In a podcast interview last year, Jackson discussed the technical challenge of taking footage or tape that was previously believed to be worthless and, through AI, suddenly revealing conversation buried beneath the noise and cross chatter. He also touched on some moments that were cut from the nearly eight-hour-long docuseries.
Credits: Rhian Daly – Udiscovermusic.com
Life Of Johnny Cash To Be Explored In New Musical
Life Of Johnny Cash To Be Explored In New Musical
A new musical exploring the life of the late country giant Johnny Cash is expected to come to Broadway. Titled “Johnny & June,” in reference to Cash’s longtime partner and musical collaborator June Carter Cash, the musical is being directed by Des McAnuff. Media mogul and former Sony music boss Tommy Mottola is producing the musical with Dodgers Theatricals.
McAnuff and Robert Cary are writing the musical’s narrative.
The production has yet to announce who will take on the role of Cash.
McAnuff previously collaborated with Mottola on musicals including Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country,” “Groundhog Day,” “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” and “A Bronx Tale: The Musical.” A previous musical based on Cash’s songs, “Ring of Fire,” opened on Broadway in 2006.
“Man in Black,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Ring of Fire,” “A Boy Named Sue,” and “Get Rhythm,” are some of the most famous signature tunes by Grammy winner Johnny Cash, who sold more than 90 million records. He passed away on September 12, 2003. June Carter Cash died a few months earlier, on May 15, 2003.
Cash was previously the subject of the highly successful motion picture, Walk The Line, which was released in 2005. The movie charted his early life, rise to fame, and relationship with June Carter. Reese Witherspoon, who portrayed June in that movie, won an Oscar for Best Actress, while Joaquin Phoenix, as Johnny, was nominated for Best Actor.
(Photo: Al Clayton)
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
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https://youtu.be/6qvQ95JU6IY
Watch Steve Vai and Nile Rodgers help create the iconic ‘Halo 2’ theme
Watch Steve Vai and Nile Rodgers help create the iconic ‘Halo 2’ theme
After being told to “just vibe”, Steve Vai improvised a solo that would feature on the main theme for ‘Halo 2’. A studio recording of guitarists Steve Vai and Nile Rodgers creating the now-iconic theme for Halo 2 has been shared by the series’ original composer, Marty O’Donnell.
Today (April 19), O’Donnell announced that a dispute regarding royalties for his work creating the Halo soundtrack has been “amicably resolved”. Along with the announcement, O’Donnell shared footage of Vai and Rodgers working together on their contribution to the main theme for Halo 2, which includes instrumentals from the pair.
Within the video’s 27-minute run-time, there are plenty of moments that detail how the pair came up with Halo 2‘s guitar-led theme – including Rodgers explaining that he wants to create something “really true” to the game’s original soundtrack. At 0:53, fans can spot Rodgers listening to the string-led portion of Halo 2‘s theme, before picking up his guitar and improvising a chord progression to play with the piece.
After Rodgers’ rhythm section drew praise from Vai, Rodgers joked that “I was doing something like this with [Eric Clapton], he sat there and went “okay, now what am I gonna play?” he said, “you’re covering all the harmony and all the rhythm, what am I supposed to do?” Around the 8:30 mark, a conversation between Vai and Rodgers shares a glimpse into the pair’s approach to collaborating on the Bungie project.
Rodgers tells Vai he wants it “to sound like you’re there with the orchestra” but doesn’t want to change the theme too much as “the original thing is so well-known”. When Vai tells Rodgers to “produce me, baby”, Rodgers instructs him to “just vibe, just groove on it for a minute” to see what he can come up with.
Remarkably, Vai’s improvisation – which begins at 9 minutes in the video – creates the solo that went on to be largely used in Halo 2‘s main theme, much to the approval of Rodgers. The footage was filmed while recording at Seattle’s Studio X, which has been used by artists ranging from Nirvana to Macklemore and Soundgarden.
– Credits: NME – Andy Brow
https://youtu.be/CrTMc2i6Lzc
Eric Clapton Said George Harrison Wouldn’t Have Wanted Concert for George, but Clapton Wouldn’t Have Cared
Eric Clapton and George Harrison were life-long friends. They shared the same love for music, and although they also shared the same love for a woman, nothing came between them. So, when George died of cancer in 2001, Clapton was beside himself. He had to do something to honor his friend, even if that meant doing something George would never have wanted.
Eric Clapton organized Concert for George in 2002.
After George died, Clapton wanted to do something to pay tribute to his life-long friend. So, he came up with Concert for George, a star-studded tribute concert. “It was [Clapton’s] idea,” George’s widow, Olivia, told Rolling Stone.
“He phoned me not long after George died and said, ‘I’d like to do something.’ Eric was a very deep friend of George’s, so I felt confident and relieved that it was Eric coming to me.”
“Olivia had given me this job of being musical director,” Clapton added, “to single out people for certain songs, and I found that really hard.
We were all quite protective of our relationships with George.” Fans and a vast group of George’s closest friends gathered on Nov. 29, 2002, exactly a year after George died, at London’s Royal Albert Hall for Concert for George. They filmed it and released it in theaters and on DVD a year later.
Among the performers were Clapton, Ravi Shankar, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Billy Preston, and Paul McCartney. George’s only son, Dhani, played acoustic guitar through most of the performance.
Shankar told the crowd that he believed George’s spirit was with them. However, George would have been uncomfortable with the tribute concert.
Eric Clapton said George Harrison wouldn’t have liked Concert for George
Clapton thought of what his friend would have said about the tribute concert during rehearsals. He realized George wouldn’t have wanted Concert for George. However, Clapton said he didn’t care what George would have thought.
He needed to grieve. “I thought that if he were here, he’d probably say, ‘Thanks very much Eric, but I don’t really want this,’” Clapton told the LA Times.
“I thought, ‘What would I say if he said that?’ “And I then thought, ‘Well I’m doing this for me, actually.’ And that’s more the truth of it; I needed to do it for him, but it was for me most of all because I needed to be able to express my grief in that kind of way.”
The guitarist found it hard to communicate his feelings to the ex-Beatle
After everything George and Clapton went through together, Clapton was never entirely able to show his friend his feelings.
“A lot of times during our relationship, I found it very difficult to communicate my feelings toward George my love for him as a musician and a brother and a friend because we skated around stuff. I was probably dealing with that, too, making amends.”
It was a little late, but Concert for George allowed Clapton to tell George how he felt about him finally. Clapton needed to show George, he loved him by celebrating George’s life.
Hopefully, Concert for George allowed Clapton to mourn George properly and to say all the things he never got to say to him.
Credits: Hannah Wigandt – Showbiz CheatSheet
https://youtu.be/n7SUiaBe5LM
Tyson Fury Teams Up With Don McLean To Remake Classic Song, ‘American Pie’
Tyson Fury, who will take on fellow Brit Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on 23rd April live on BT Sport Box Office, famously performed American Pie after defeating Deontay Wilder in Fury v Wilder II in 2020. The song has since become synonymous with the boxer who is not afraid to showcase his musical talent.
The latest iteration of the song sees McLean singing the verses to “American Pie”, perfectly articulating Tyson’s comeback story, before he’s joined in the chorus by the Gypsy King himself. The Morecambe-based fighter is no stranger to jumping on the mic, having previously appeared on Robbie Williams’ song “Bad Sharon” in 2019.
Ahead of Fury v Whyte the song will be aired on BT Sport to promote the fight and will be played in the stadium on fight night as 94,000 fans pack into Wembley stadium to witness the first all-British heavyweight world title fight for a generation.
In addition to celebrating Fury’s homecoming, the duet coincides with the 50th anniversary of American Pie – both the album and single – as well as the release of a children’s book, documentary about the pop culture impact of the song, and a world tour which will come to the UK and Europe starting in September 2022.
Fans will be able to watch all the build-up, undercard and the main event of Fury v Whyte exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office.
Don McLean is a Grammy award honoree, a Songwriter Hall of Fame member, a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and his smash hit “American Pie” resides in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry and was named a top 5 song of the 20th Century by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA).
Credits: Tim Peacock – Udiscovermusic.com
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