The Jimi Hendrix Experience released it's second album in the UK on this day in the UK.  Reprise Records would elect to delay the US release until the middle of January because sales of the debut album that came out the previous May were still going strong in the States.  Jimi and the band capped off the release day by playing on a bill that included Pink Floyd, The Move and Nice at Central Hall in Chatham that night. 

1944 Doors drummer John Densmore born.

1944 Blue Oyster Cult lead singer Eric Bloom born.

1964 The Who do the opening set of a 22 consecutive Tuesday nights at London's Marquee Club.

1968 Janis Joplin does her last concert with Big Brother and the Holding Company.

1977 Aerosmith releases Draw The Line.  The album failed to impress fans, critics and the band members themselves. Joe perry would attribute the relatively lackluster material and performance to group members having turned into, "...drug addicts dabbling in music, rather than musicians dabbling in drugs."

1983 Neil Young sued by Geffen Records for releasing un-commercial albums.

1996 Former Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts arrested on golf course, accused of  threatening wife with a pistol.

2017 Neil Young does a 90 minute solo concert live webcast from Coronation Hall in his childhood hometown of Omemmee, Ontario on the same day he oepns his entire catalog of recorded material for free online streaming... 2017 U2 releases Songs Of Experience.

Van Morrison releases Versatile...

A charity U2's The Edge and producer Bob Ezrin started in 2005 to raise money to replace instruments Louisiana musicians lost to Hurricane Katrina has shifted to assist musicians hurting due to the pandemic. Music Rising will auction off instruments from The Edge, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Rush, Ron Wood, Pearl Jam, Joan Jett, and many others on December 11 at Van Eaton Gallaries in LA.

Slowhand had the high hand when it came to items featured in Julian's Icons & Idols auction over the weekend. The Martin D-45 Eric Clapton played during the first Derek and the Dominos concert and used on stage during the Delaney & Bonnie and Friends tour had been expected to top-out at close to $500,000, but blew past that, going for $625,000. His handwritten lyrics for Layla brought an additional $37,500. A stage played Fender Stratocaster David Gilmour used during Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason era tour brought top bid of $200,000.

Slash has announced a 2022 release of another album featuring the former Guns N' Roses axe ace with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators (Frank Sidoris (guitar), Todd Kerns (bass) and Brent Fitz (drums). Slash says the album is the most live recording of any studio album he's done. The album titled 4 will drop on February 11, which has us wondering, with that for a title, why not release it one week earlier?

The modest row house that was George Harrison's child to early adulthood home will be sold at auction. Adding to the interest and potential value of the house at 25 Upton Green in Speke, a village about eight miles from Liverpool, is that the Quarrymen, forerunners to the Beatles, rehearsed in the house. Several photos and other artifacts tied to the years George lived there will also go to the high bidder. Expectations are that the home's new owner will be spending upwards of $250k to acquire the property.

Billy Gibbons has his own Whisker Pepper hot sauce and is an investor in the Pura Vida Tequila brand. Now, his band has a Bourbon. ZZ Top Tres Hombres Bourbon. Named with the title of Texas trio's first top 10 album released in 1973, Tres Hombres features three grains grains: roasted blue corn, barley and rye.

Fire fighters responded to a chimney fire call at Bob Seger's Orchard Lake, Michigan home early on Halloween morning. Seger and his wife were apparently alerted thanks to a smoke detector going off at about 6 a.m. There were no injuries, but a potion of the 18,000 square foot home sustained smoke and water damage after some walls had to be breached to contain and quell the fire.

The 1968 Martin D-45 acoustic guitar Eric Clapton played during the first Derek and the Dominos concert at the Lyceum Theatre in London and during his time touring with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends is expected to attract a top bid approaching $500,000 at a Julien's Auction taking place November 19 and 20 in Los Angeles. Eric gave the instrument to Dave Edmunds in 1976. Another item bound to go for mega bucks is the handwritten lyrics to the Led Zeppelin song Kashmir jotted down on a a couple of sheets of a Chicago hotel's stationary by Robert Plant.

Photo: Cheffins

Syd Barrett's nephew is auctioning off an acoustic guitar the Pink Floyd member entrusted to a brother at about the time Barrett quit the band. Proceeds from the sale of the rare collectible which is expected to bring a top bid approaching $20,000 during the auction held by Cheffins on Thursday (10/28) will be shared with a mental health charity and a hospice organization. Barrett included a passing reference to the Yamaha guitar during an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine in 1971, saying, "It's my new 12 string guitar. I'm just getting used to it. I polished it yesterday." A copy of the issue with the interview will go along with the instrument to its new owner.

We're looking forward to the November 11 premiere of Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers on the YouTube Tom Petty channel.  The film covering the two year period Tom was writing and recording his 1994 solo album features studio, on stage and tour bus footage and and commentary from Tom, Mike Campbell and producer Rick Rubin about the creative process that went into the making of the album.

Kansas veteran Robby Steinhardt's posthumous solo album is out this week. The late lead singer and violinist teamed with an outstanding group of musicians on the album Not In Kansas Anymore, including Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Deep Purple's Steve Morse, Billy Cobham of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Toto's Bobby Kimball, Rolling Stones and Allman Brothers Band regular Chuck Leavell on keys, Billy Joel drummer Liberty Devitto and guitarist Pat Travers.

Steinhardt passed away on July 21st after developing sepsis while hospitalized for another condition.

The Genesis reunion tour's final four UK concerts are on hold after the band announced today "...positive Covid-19 tests within the band". The statement doesn't identify who tested positive or whether a single member got more than one positive test or more than one member tested positive. The group called the decision one that caused "...huge regret", and added, "This is a hugely frustrating development for the band who are devastated with this unlucky turn of events." They hope to reschedule the four nights at the Glasgow SSE Hydro that were to take place October 10-13 once they get all band members and crew clear of Covid.

45 years after his first guitar was stolen, Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive veteran Randy Bachman has it back.

Bruce Springsteen's multi page handwritten lyrics to three songs will be auctioned October 28. The most sought after Bruce penned piece in the Bonham's Auction will be his four pages of the words to Thunder Road, expected to go for between $50,000 and $70,000. Also up for grabs are his original lyrics to For You and Night.

Photo: Bonham's Auctions

 November 5 is the drop date for a four disc and double DVD reissue of the group's third album. In addition to fully remixed version of the original album, the set will include 1970 concerts from Tanglewood, MA and the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago and several additional tracks from the album sessions that were not included on the original lp.

Deep Purple has slated November 26 as the release date for an album of cover songs admired by the group that will include versions of songs from a wide range of artists. Among the titles on the 13 track release will be songs from Little Feat (Dixie Chicken), Fleetwood Mac (Oh Well), Bob Dylan (Watching the River Flow), Ray Charles (Let the Good Times Roll), the Yardbirds (Shapes of Things), Cream (White Room) and the Bob Seger System (Lucifer).

 Most bands probably have at least one member whose parents tried to talk out of pursuing a career as a musician, but not many have actual audio, let alone footage, of their conversation, debate or argument over the matter. Alex Lifeson of Rush does. And he and his family handled it better than a lot do.

The first Rolling Stones concert without Charlie Watts was going to be this Sunday when the group's COVID interrupted No Filter tour resumes in St. Louis, but about 300 invited guests of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft got to hear the band do a 15 song set at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA, Monday night. 

That same evening across the Atlantic, Genesis launched its long delayed reunion tour with a concert in Birmingham, England. Ailments have hobbled Phil Collins to the point that the former drummer has turned over that role to a son that is the same age Phil was when he first joined Genesis. Nicholas Collins proved to be up to the task when his father, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford shared a stage together for the first time in 14 years. The elder Collins quickly dispelled fears that his frail physical condition would make it difficult for him to sing, but he projected his voice impressively from the perch he remained seated on during the 23 song set. Material wise the evening included songs from all eras of the group's history, although some of the early era songs were presented as interludes in other songs or rearranged - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway bore little resemblance to the original.

October releases to listen forward to include...

Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live (10/1).

Yes - The Quest (10/1).

Grateful Dead - Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/10/1970 (10/1).

Doobie Brothers - Liberte (10/1).

Santana - Blessings and Miracles (10/15).

Tom Morello - The Atlas Underground Fire (10/15).

Dream Theater - A View From The Top Of The World (10/22).

Rolling Stones =- Tattoo You - Expanded Anniversary reissue (10/22).

Joe Bonamassa - Time Clocks (10/29).

Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Out of this World Live 1970-1997. (10/29).

Pink Floyd A Momentary Lapse of Reason - Updated Remix (10/29).

Sammy Hagar and his band The Circle will do a rooftop concert at the Las Vegas Paris resort on September 22. A couple of hundred guests will witness it up close on the roof's party deck, but the set will be and clear to the ear on much of the Strip. He'll follow that one-off concert with a short residency later in the fall at The Strat in Vegas that will include several special guests during its run. The 800 seat venue is being decked out in the style of the Red Rocker's Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, the scene of many wild Sammy Hagar birthday bashes in years past.

Eric Clapton will revisit a collection of songs from his considerable catalog he re-recorded in stripped down form during the pandemic. The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions will feature new versions of Layla, After Midnight, Bell Bottom Blues, Tears in Heaven as well as songs from others, including the early era Fleetwood Mac songs Black Magic Woman and Man of the World. Joining Eric for the sessions were Chris Stainton on keyboards, drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Nathan East. Look for the release in November.

Lindsey Buckingham is still riled up over the reason he got ousted from Fleetwood Mac. When Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac, the then couple had a pact... either both joined or neither would. These days the former couple is light years away from being allied. Lindsey blames his 2018 axing from the group on Nicks and group manager Irving Azoff. The parting of ways came after Buckingham requested the band delay its tour that year so he could do a solo tour in support of his new album. When band members resisted the idea, Buckingham blamed his former partner and Azoff for Mick Fleetwood's decision to replace Buckingham in the group. Stevie Nicks released a statement through her publicist that called Buckingham's account "factually inaccurate" and added, "I did not have him fired. I did not ask for him to be fired, I did not demand he be fired." Azoff called Stevie's account "factual and truthful".

Tuesday's Falcon Heights, Minnesota Doobie Brothers concert went on, but without Michael McDonald. Wednesday the group announced that the next four dates on the tour that reunited the core founding members were being postponed due to "a member of the touring personnel" testing positive for COVID-19. Although the announcement did not specify it was McDonald that tested positive, Patrick Simmons made it evident that was the case when he told the Star Tribune that the keyboard player is "...recuperating and isolating. We hope to have him back in a week or so." We add our rapid recovery wishes for Michael.

A Sotheby's fall auction offers an array of unique collectables of interest to Grateful Dead Fans. Included in the October 7-14, 2021 From the Vault: Property from the Grateful Dead and Friends online auction are a Jerry Garcia 12 string Guild Starfire guitar expected to attract a top bid between $50k and $75k, his favorite McIntosh 2300 Amp with a "Budman" sticker on it and pair of of his skull embroidered jeans. Also up for bids in the auction are equipment head honcho, roadie and Grateful Dead Production's President Lawrance "Ram Rod" Shurtliff's psychedelic jumpsuit, some of the band's equipment cases, stage used amps and equipment and select pieces from the group's massive mid 70's Wall of Sound tour sound system and stage cabinets used by Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart.  

Photos courtesy of Sotheby's

Guitar great Joe Bonamassa will release a new studio album on October 29th. Joe calls the album titled Time Clocks, "probably my most adventurous and involved record to date." Producer Kevin Shirley teamed with legendary sound man Bob Clearmountain on the project. Clearmountain credits the upcoming release as being "...one of the best albums I've mixed in years".

Thursday's (8/26) KISS concert in Burgettstown, PA was cancelled after a test confirmed that Paul Stanley contracted a breakthrough case of Covid-19. The date was just the fourth on the group's farewell tour. All members of the band and its traveling crew are fully vaccinated and most people that get the virus despite being vaccinated have mild symptoms and are only contagious for a brief time after becoming sick, but more dates on the tour are apt to get rescheduled. We pass along rapid recovery wishes to Paul.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will release their first album together in fourteen years on November 19th.
Raise the Roof will feature a dozen tracks and include songs by The Everly Brothers, Allen Toussaint, Merle Haggard, Bert Jansch.  The pair's last album, 2007's Rising Sand collected six Grammy Awards. A 2022 tour is also in the planning.

Those more interested in Plant's musical past than his more recent projects will be more interested in the upcoming 50th anniversary Led Zeppelin documentary.  The as yet untitled doc is the first officially authorized one on the legendary group and will include recent interviews with Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones and archival interview segments with drummer John Bonham. Even Plant, who seldom expresses much enthusiasm about retrospective Zep related things, seems excited about this film being made by American Epic PBS docuseries director Bernard MacMahon, saying that viewing that "...inspired me to contribute to a very interesting and exciting story".  The film is expected to have film festival preview screenings before getting its public release.

The tributes to Charlie Watts are pouring in. This from Pete Townshend struck home for us, as Charlie was such an unassuming and sweet man who loved making music but had little time or interest in the trappings of being a famous musician in one of the world's biggest bands.

“Full Moon. Rainbow. Always a sign. Charlie Watts wept at Keith Moon’s funeral. I wish I was capable of such tears today. Instead, I just want to say goodbye. Not a rock drummer, a jazz drummer really, and that’s why the Stones swung like the Basie band!! Such a lovely man. God bless his wife and daughter, and I’ll bet the horses will miss him too.”

R.I.P. Charlie Watts. The publicist of the Rolling Stones drummer announced that Watts died peacefully in a London hospital today surrounded by his family. The 80 year old mainstay of the band had announced that he would not participate in the group's upcoming resumption of its Covid delayed No Filter tour so he could get medical treatments for throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2004.  Watts had been with the band since January 1963 when he left Blues Incorporated to become the Rolling Stones drummer.  Since he also had trained as a graphic designer, Watts also had a hand in the layout and design of the group's early album covers.  Charlie's 58 years behind the kit on every Stones album and tour earned him universal admiration and respect.  His early passion for jazz remained strong throughout his life and he made regular appearances at jazz clubs during breaks between Stones albums and tours.

Guitarist Rickey Medlocke has contracted Covid-19. This development comes just a couple of weeks after Gary Rossington had to leave the group's your to undergo emergency heart surgery. Alabama's guitarist is filling in for Rossington and Medlocke's symptoms have this far been mild. He is resting at home and expects to be ready to rejoin the tour soon. Four Skynyrd dates have been postponed. We wish both members rapid and full recoveries.