David Coverdale is best known as the founder of the hard rock band Whitesnake, and a former member of Depp Purple in the early 1970s. David formed a band by himself, Whitesnake, and before that he used to be the lead singer of Deep Purple between 1973 and 1976.
Before him, Ritchie Blackmore had left the band in June 1975. After the release of ‘Come Taste The Band’, the commercial disappointment also encouraged Coverdale to pursue a solo career. Instead, he went on to form his own band in 1978. The band had decided everyone was better without one another.
It was not that easy for David. He took a year-and-a-half-long break from music and came back with Whitesnake. Even a British magazine shared the article regarding Whitesnake. David had shared an early photo of the band along with a piece of magazine. It said, that the new band would be ready next week and their debut show would be in a club after a month.
U.K music magazine wrote, “David Coverdale, [the] former Deep Purple singer, is preparing for his return to the rock scene with his own band. He’s been out of action since Purple split nearly 18 months ago, but he’s now formed the David Coverdale Band compromising Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden (guitars), ex-Streetwalkers drummer David Dowell and ex-Colosseum bassist Neil Murray.”
The paper also featured their tour. It stated they will spend the first three weeks of February practicing before launching their maiden tour on February 23 at Nottingham Sky Bird Club. The announcement of more dates will come in a week or two once they are confirmed. The Purple label will release the solo album “North Wind” by Coverdale and its lead song “Breakdown” in late February. Promotion on television and radio is planned.
David has also revealed that he used some principles of Deep Purple to form Whitesnake. During his conversation with Ultimate Classic Guitar in 2011, he stated that he learned many aspects of musicing making with Deep Purple and used it. He stated that the elements he brought in Whitesnake were.
“I sat down absolutely clearly and thought, I want to include hard rock, rhythm and blues, soul music, and Motown. Believe me; there are Motown inflections on every f*cking Whitesnake album out there, including the new one.
And humor, baby. ‘I’ve got a white snake, mama / You wanna shake it, mama?’ It’s all f*ckin’ tongue in cheek and a bit of this and a bit of that. The bedrock and foundation of Whitesnake have always been the same; just the clothes have changed. And certainly some of the f*ckin’ hairstyles.”
Genesis was formed in 1967 and is one of the most successful bands in the whole world. The original lineup consisted of members like Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Phil Collins, but over the years, they went through many lineup changes with only the three of them as core members.
They released their first single ‘The Silent Sun’ in 1968 and were a major progressive rock band out there. In the mid-1970s they moved towards a more pop-oriented sound which can be heard on albums like ‘A Trick of the Tail’ and ‘And Then There Were Three…’
The group split up formally in 1998, but they came back together in 2006 for a run of live performances. They have also been active since 2020 and performed in September 2021. On March 26 in London, Genesis gave their final performance of The Last Domino? Tour. If you guys missed it, then you guys missed out on a big performance. Phil was kind of sure about Genesis’s tour coming to an end after that tour.
During his discussion with Mojo, Collins told that “This English and American tour, that will be enough for me. The question mark was [keyboardist] Tony Banks’ idea.”
Again while talking with USA Today, Banks revealed how they thought their 2007 tour would be the end of it all. He also revealed that The Last Domino? tour was never planned. “But it’s important to know when to stop something. I thought the other day, Ed Sheeran is playing four nights at Wembley Stadium and that’s a wonderful moment in his career. We hit that moment 35 years ago. So I’d say if you want to see Genesis, don’t put it off ‘til the next one. We’re not like the Stones“, he added.
Now, the song Genesis refused to play live. The song was ‘Abacab‘.
Back in 2007 while talking with Rolling Stone, Drummer Phil Collins revealed that everyone expected them to perform the song. It was during their 2007 tour and he was discussing set-list options and some classic songs which didn’t make the cut. He said, “Halfway through the first verse, I said, ‘I don’t really want to sing this. I don’t know what it’s about.'”
It wasn’t the only song from them to be dropped in their live performances. Many classic songs like ‘Supper’s Ready’, ‘In Too Deep’ and ‘Watcher of the Skies’ were also dropped from the band’s setlists. About the band performing again, we hope they do because everyone would love to see them perform again.
Rush worked their way and became one of the most influential bands of the past few decades. The band was formed in Toronto in 1968 and established its whole career on live shows. Rush is known for their complex and powerful arrangements and their musicianship. They never failed to give different performances and experiences to everyone in attendance.
The bassist and frontman of the band Geddy Lee also had quite an experience regarding live shows which changed the face of music altogether. When it comes to Geddy Lee, is known for his complex bass lines, high-pitched singing, and technical proficiencies. Jazz has a huge influence on his playing, and he frequently strums the strings with a pick. He has a distinctive sound that combines melodic playing with a hard-driving groove. Everyone had their favorite set of musicians while growing up and for Geddy, it was Jethro Tull. The prog rock band was the one that Geddy admires a lot still to this day.
During his interview with Quietus in 2012, he was asked about his favorite heavy metal act and album. That’s when He admitted that Jethro Tull was one of his favorite bands and that he had been a fan since he was very young.
While picking out his favorite album, he picked Jethro Tull’s ‘Thick As A Brick‘. He added, “I know it is partly a send-up of the idea of ‘concept,’ but it is delivered to perfection. I was a massive Tull fan from very young, and they are one of the bands that I saw live in Toronto… yes, we were lucky to see so many incredible concerts when we were very young, and I hope that too reflects in Rush.”
Tull also had a great impact on Rush’s stage performances. He said, that it was a big challenge for the band to create something so dynamic onstage. Geddy also said that Jethro Tull is one of the best live bands along with their albums.
Lee has also revealed what it was like for him to see them on stage in 1973. Back then he was only a 19-year-old teenager but the band had a very big impression on him. While talking with Classic Rock, he told the best concert he’d ever attended was ‘Jethro Tull at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto‘. About it, he said, “I think it was on the Thick As A Brick tour. The show began with the house lights on and a bunch of people in overalls sweeping the stage. Gradually there were less people sweeping, and then, all of a sudden, one of them would pick up an instrument, and next thing you know it’s the guys from Tull launching into the show.”
Lee added that for him they were the first band that combined incredible musicianship with complex songwriting and the band was funny too. That influenced him a lot in the later years of Rush. He said that the attitude of taking your music seriously but not taking yourself seriously is important.
‘Thick As A Brick’ had a massive role in Rush’s career, as it directly inspired Geddy Lee. Also, Jethro Tull’s live performance totally shaped how Rush acted later in their career. We can all say that the band had a great effect on Rush and Lee personally. Also, Tull was heavier and more complex than any other band during that time, we could say maybe they were the band that gave rise to ‘Heavy Metal’.
Back in November of 2022, Metallica confirmed their comeback with its 11th studio album, ’72 Seasons’. They confirmed their album on November 28 with their single ‘Lux Æterna’. Metallica has been revving up fans for the album ever since the group announced that Blackened Recordings would be releasing the whole album on April 14.
Before the album, they also dropped another single named, ‘Screaming Suicide’ which goes deep into human experiences, and their positive ones. With themes of self-doubt, hopelessness, and the search for meaning in a world that may often feel overpowering, “Screaming Suicide” dives deeply into the human experience.
There was also a statement by James Hetfield on Youtube. According to the statement, the lyrics explore bad thoughts that people feel. And the lyrics tell everyone to not feel bad about it as it is a part of being human. There is also an explanation given in the caption which states, “The intention is to communicate the darkness we feel inside. It’s ridiculous to think we should deny that we have these thoughts. At one point or another, I believe most people have thought about it. To face it is to speak the unspoken. If it’s a human experience, we should be able to talk about it. You are not alone.”
The idea of the album, according to Hetfield, is about who the band members were during the first 18 years of their life. He has worked with Ulrich to co-produce this 12-song album.
The song ‘Screaming Suicide’ was co-written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Robert Trujillo. The album ’72 Seasons’ will be available on April 14, 2023, through their own record label, Blackened Recordings. The album will run for 77 minutes and will feature 12 songs. Be sure to keep an eye out for the day.
Back in the 60s, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Beatles were the big three names in terms of bands. And another thing common with the three of them was the talented session musician Nicky Hopkins.
Best known for their energetic and innovative sound, The Kinks was a band from the 60s which was founded by two brothers. With their very innovative distinct style, the band was quick with their fame, often blending rock, pop, and traditional English music.
Nicky Hopkins was an English session musician who was one of the most influential keyboardists of all time. His career spanned from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s and during that time he contributed a lot to making some of the most important albums in popular music.
The greatest session musician was born in London in 1944 and studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music. His talent for music was there since he was born as he began playing the piano at the age of three and was regarded as a prodigy. However, his life was also affected due to Crohn’s disease and many of his musical ambitions were not met. Before that Hopkins had gone through two medical surgeries and was also bedridden. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.
His first ever encounter with musical bands was when he was just 16 years old. He had to stop his studies and became the pianist with a local R&B band named ‘Screaming Lord Sutch’s Savages’. Hopkins was bedridden after getting a little taste of success with the band. He had to be in bed for 19 months, which was the reason he started out as a session musician. This was the thing that led to his working with a wide range of artists like The Who, The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, and even Led Zeppelin.
Hopkins started out with The Kinks in 1965. Hopkins participated in the recording of four Kinks albums: The Kink Kontroversy (1965), Face to Face (1966), Something Else by The Kinks (1967), and The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968). After his key performances in the songs, Ray Davis wrote a song which was inspired by him, and is called ‘Session Man’.
Ray has explained that the album, ‘Face to Face’, also featured Hopkins’ finest songs. He said, “His best work in his short spell with The Kinks was on the album Face to Face. I had written a song called ‘Session Man,’ inspired partly by Nicky. Shel Talmy asked Nicky to throw in ‘something classy’ at the beginning of the track. Nicky responded by playing a classical-style harpsichord part. When we recorded ‘Sunny Afternoon,’ Shel insisted that Nicky copy my plodding piano style. Other musicians would have been insulted but Nicky seemed to get inside my style, and he played exactly as I would have. No ego. Perhaps that was his secret.”
After Hopkins passed away in 1994, Davies also talked about how much he admired and helped in defining their sound. In 1995 in an interview with The New York Times, he revealed. Nicky didn’t strive to impress people as other artists did; he just played when it was essential. But he was able to add the perfect chord at the perfect time or drop a group of triplets around the backbeat to transform an ordinary track into a treasure that made you want to dance.
Like other musicians, Nicky didn’t try to get fans; instead, he simply played when it was necessary. However, he had the talent to turn ordinary music into a treasure that made you want to dance by adding the ideal chord at the ideal moment or dropping a group of triplets around the backbeat.
Hopkins associated with a lot of artists and it was a sight to behold. He is also credited with helping to create the classic rock sound that defined the genre in the late 1960s and 70s. Moreover, he even had a successful solo career with albums such as No more Changes and The Tin Man Was A Dreamer. His musical legacy continues to live on, with his influence still being felt in modern music. Next time you hear about The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, and even the Beatles, be sure to remember Nicky Hopkins.
When it comes to talking about The Beatles, everyone knows how great this British band was. They had a very short recording career which spanned around seven years but they had their own fair of famous songs. Before their break up in 1970, the band released 12 studio albums which changed the face of popular music in the 60s.
The band was also very experimental with their music. They continuously strived to expand the parameters of popular music throughout their careers, including fresh sounds and aesthetics in their creations. They experimented with Indian classical music and electronic music as well as combining other musical genres, including rock, pop, folk, and psychedelic rock. This way their innovative use of studio techniques and sound manipulation made them a great influence back then and even today.
However, those experiments didn’t always lead toward the light. There were also many tracks that failed to impress the audience. From Wild Honey Pie to Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby, these songs failed to capture the critics and are labeled as some of the worst songs by The Beatles.
Lennon and McCartney were the primary songwriters in the band. However, there were instances where even Ringo and George penned the songs. Some songs were very successful while others were not received well. Here are some songs which can be deemed as some of the Beatle’s worst songs.
Rocky Raccoon
This song was a total mess. There was no proper experimentalism in this song which meant no memorable moments or memorable melodies. Included in The White Album, the song was penned by McCartney and it is just not great. This was just supposed to be a filler song in the album.
Even McCartney himself admitted the song was not that great. He said, “I was basically spoofing the folksinger.” Rocky Racoon is a lazy song.
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
This song was also included in The White Album. There is a piano section in the opening and it’s a nagging, cod-reggae monstrosity. The song sounds both mind-blowingly irritating and utterly horrible. On first listen, the song’s melody lodges itself in your skull like a tumor and stays there, only popping out to taunt you when you’re feeling your lowest.
Run For Your Life
To imagine Lennon writing a song that discusses his desire to kill his ‘girlfriend’ is something we cannot do. But well, he did. Lennon is known for people’s deepest desires. ‘Run For Your Life’ is one of their most disturbing and worst songs, lyrically.
The song has a good melody and a catchy guitar riff, but the lyrics are just too much for the song. It is a good song with a good melody and just horrendous lyrics. The song was featured in their 1965 album, ‘Rubber Soul’.
Wild Honey Pie
Wild Honey Pie was featured on their 1968 album, The Beatles. It is just an unpleasant song that only reflected the ‘Wild’ portion from the title. According to various sources, it is revealed, Harrison’s wife Pattie Boyd “liked it very much, so we decided to leave it on the album.”
Sadly, everyone didn’t look at the song in the same way. It was an assault on the ears and it is not even a minute long. A pure agony to listen to.
Within You Without You
This song was George Harrison’s take on Indian music. Compared to Lennon’s ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ this song was a pile of garbage. It was included on the album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. This song was not memorable and it didn’t make that much sense either.
The lyrics are sleepy and the song feels like a bad self-help book written by a third-rate life coach. Without any indication of a melody or tune, the song plods around while mumbling words that seem to have been lifted from a cheap self-help book.
Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby
When it comes to this song, the opinions are quite subjective. This song is also very well-received among many Beatles enthusiasts. The song was written by Carl Perkins and was featured on their 1964 album ‘Beatles for Sale’.
The Beatles were also under stress as they had to record three albums during a 12-month period. The CD was concluded by the band’s slack rendition of “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby,” which included George Harrison on lead vocals.
Maggie Mae
The Beatles’ final album ‘Let It Be’, is one of their worst songs. The Quarrymen, a pre-Beatles band, used to perform the ancient traditional folk ballad “Maggie Mae.” The 40-second clip displays strong accents, forced playfulness, and how chaotic the Beatles’ sessions in January 1969 were.
The track is simply repetitive and annoying. This is one of their most pointless songs and the final album would have been a much better album without this song in it.
Revolution 9
Whatever the lyrics may be, everyone wanted to stop this song. It was horrible. It’s “art” at its most obscene, startling, and self-righteously irritating level. It simply has no place on a Beatles album, not even one as crazily unbalanced as the White Album. No one should waste 8 minutes of their life listening to this song because believe us this is totally terrible.
Good Day Sunshine
This song was featured in one of their best albums, Revolver which was released back in 1966. The album was full of memorable songs but there was an exception and it was Good Day Sunshine. McCartney was the writer of the song and wanted to have the same old jazz feel to it, however, it took a turn and became one of the most hated songs of the Beatles.
The track cheapens the ambiance of the otherwise excellent album by using cheap melodies and a barrelhouse style. The song is all about being optimistic and having a good day but after hearing this song, most people will usually have a bad day.
Don’t Pass Me By
Don’t Pass Me By was featured in their self-titled album in 1968. With Ringo on the vocals, it was a sorry song. Starr had things to say about the song and said, “I wrote ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ when I was sitting around at home. I was fiddling with the piano – I just bang away – and then if a melody comes and some words, I just have to keep going.”
The song’s primary flaw is that it is unoriginal and forgettable country rock. “It was great to get my first song down, one that I had written. It was a very exciting time for me and everyone was really helpful, and recording that crazy violinist was a thrilling moment,” said Ringo.
ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons announce tour, joined by Matt Sorum For June/July 2023.
The group’s powerful bottom and rhythm are provided by the trio, which is led by guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons, drummer Matt Sorum (The Cult, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), and left-handed guitarist Mr. Austin Hanks, who has previously collaborated with Gibbons.
Beginning on June 10 in Solvesborg, Sweden, the new tour takes Billy G and his band to 12 nations for 20 performance dates over a four-week period. The sale of tickets will start on January 27. Watch this space for dates and ticket links.
Tour dates:
June
10 – Solvesborg, Sweden – Sweden Rock Fest.
12 – Tampere, Finland – Tampere Hall
13 – Helsinki Finland – House of Culture
15 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
17 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell Festival
19 – Hamburg, Germany – Grosse Freiheit
20 – Frankfurt, Germany – Batschkapp
21 – Nurenburg, Germany – Lowensaal
23 – Leipzig, Germany – Parkbuhne
24 – Cologne, Germany – E-Werk
25 – Winterbach, Germany – Salier Halle
26 – Praha, Czech Rep./O2 Universium
28 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
29 – Zurich, Switzerland – Volkshaus
July
2 – London, UK – O2 Shepard’s Bush Empire
3 – Birmingham, UK – Birmingham O2 Institute
5 – Albi, France – Festival Pause Guitare
6 – Paris, France – Olympia
9 – Weert, Netherlands – Bospop Festival
11 – Bournemouth, UK – O2 Academy Bournemouth
Pink Floyd was formed in 1965 in London and became one of the most successful and influential acts in the history of rock music. The inventive songwriting of Roger Waters and David Gilmour’s famous lead guitar laid the foundation for their distinctive sound and approach.
Syd Barrett was the primary man of the band. David was also a childhood friend of Barrett and they knew each other for a long time. Gilmour was well aware of Barrett’s talent when it came to songwriting, and when Gilmour was given a chance to come into the band, he was a happy man. He also took on the job and memorized all the tracks of the band.
Around the same time, Barrett’s mental condition was not good. When the band decided to leave Barrett alone, Pink Floyd became one with David Gilmour. Syd couldn’t complete his work in the band and was left out. Back then, their record label was not happy with Barrett’s departure due to which Pink Floyd had to start from scratch with a new record label.
This was not a big problem for them, as they went on to become one of the most commercially successful bands in the world even without Barrett. It was not a problem for Gilmour, however, he revealed there was a time when he felt was the biggest challenge in his whole career. And it was after the departure of Rogers Water.
When the band’s main lyricist and creative force decided to leave, Dave would confront one of his greatest obstacles. Pink Floyd’s members always had complicated relationships. While talking with the Sun in 2022, David recalled his old experiences in the band. He discussed his complicated relationship with Waters and even revealed how hard it ws for him to deal with the band after Water’s departure.
“It’s been an alarming time, It was a big deal to carry on Pink Floyd with Roger gone. He was a big, big part of it. Big talent and was our primary lyricist, so it was difficult. I would describe myself more as a melodic guy, and Roger is more of an aggressive wordsmith. Different sides of us came together to create what we have become.”
It was difficult for the remaining members of Pink Floyd to lose a bandmate like Waters who had contributed so significantly to the band’s creative process. Their differences could be seen since their early days. Often times they would record the albums separately. When composing music, Roger Waters chose an aggressive style, and Gilmour was more into a melodic style.
Finally, enough was enough and after their album, ‘The Final Cut’, Rogers departed from the band. Even with all those fueds, they were able to create so many albums together until they couldn’t. Gilmour admitted that the two of them were a better fit for the band as they completed each other with agressive and melodic style together.
Paul McCartney has been admired for his songwriting and vocal abilities all his life. Not only the general critics but fellow musicians like him have respected his love for the craft. He transitioned from being a member of The Beatles, one of the most successful bands of all time, to becoming a successful solo artist. Many have got the opportunity to meet the singer and Noel Gallagher is one of them.
Gallagher is a successful singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was also the former lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the rock band Oasis. Noel is also one of the most influential guitarists of the past two decades. With hits like ‘Wonderwall’, and ‘Champagne Supernova’ most rock fans know about Oasis and Noel. And being a superstar himself, on several occasions, he has revealed The Beatles had quite an impact on himself and the band Oasis.
Gallagher only has nice things that he can say about Paul. Paul and Noel have met each other at various events. He even had an opportunity to perform with him on stage. About him, he said, “He’s a lovely, lovely guy. He’s an astonishing musician, he’s got great stories, he’s got a brilliant sense of humor and when you’re hanging out with him, you can get on a level with him because he’s just a scouser in a band, and you’re a Manc in a band. It’s only about three weeks later when you think, ‘That’s one of the Beatles – that’s one of the Beatles!‘ He’s a dude, and I’ve shared the stage with him a few times. I love him dearly.”
Paul and Gallagher also met with each other in 2018 while Gallagher was on tour with U2. That was the time, Paul shared about the dream. U2’s Bono was also alongside him when Paul shared it. Talking about his experience, Gallagher said,
“I was on tour with U2 in 2018, and we were doing a gig in São Paulo. As the gods of rock n’ roll had decreed, Paul McCartney was playing in São Paulo at the same time. We were all staying in the same hotel, and we end up at the bar and [I was] sat talking to McCartney with Bono and the Edge – we’re all hanging out. Out of nowhere, McCartney says, ‘Oh, I had a dream about John last night.’ And we were like, ‘What?!’ He said, ‘We were just in the studio – grooving.’ And we were like, ‘And?’ He said, ‘Yeah, it was great.’ And I remember thinking, what a brilliant tale to tell your grandkids that McCartney is just saying, ‘I had a dream about John last night.’”
Gallagher has always admired and appreciated Paul McCartney. He has praised his songwriting and calls him he is the best there’s ever been. He also said Paul is someone to look up to. To have such a magical moment with someone you admire is a great moment. Seems like Noel really lived his dream moment with one of the greatest singer-songwriters in the world.
Imagine getting a chance to work with the legendary David Bowie. Only a few elite musicians were able to work with him. Everyone in the world looked up to the late David Bowie, It was the same with Red Hot Chili Peppers and according to him, David Bowie turned down the chance to work with his band on more than one occasion.
Red Hot Chili Peppers has achieved notable success in the rock world and has even achieved superstar-level status. The California funk rock people wanted to work with David Bowie but were rejected, not only once but twice. Bowie is notorious for not wanting to team up with many other musicians like Dave Grohl and Coldplay too. RHCP was no exception.
When Bowie passed away in 2016, his musical legacy featured only a very few talented people in the discography. Anthony Kiedis admitted wanting to work with him was his dream. He revealed after every record they ever made, they had a band discussion where they would ask themselves, ‘Who should we get to produce this record?’. They would often tumble around David Bowie.
He said, in the beginning, they called him and he would say no, respectfully. He added, “Then, later, we would write long e-mails explaining everything, and why it was time for us to really get our ships on—and he always respectfully declined… For two minutes I was heartbroken, and then I would hear Chad Smith play drums, and I’d be like, ‘We’re good, we can go do something else’.”
Anthony even asked Bowie to produce their album ‘By the Way’ and their next record, ‘Stadium’ too but was rejected both times. He also said that David was thoughtful when it came to the rejections. He would write them letters explaining why he couldn’t do so. Anthony said he was, “a true gentleman, not a guy who just blows you off without an explanation.”
More than that, RHCP was also rejected by Brian Eno, and it was not only twice it was a whopping eight times. He revealed his mate, Eno was asked to produce a record for the band but said no to them eight times. And they just accepted their fate.
The rejection may be the reason RHCP often covers Bowie’s songs. Throughout their career, they have covered a lot of his songs. To show his appreciation, the bassist Flea also got a David Bowie tattoo on his forea
