Jackson Browne and Stevie Ray Vaughan don't have much in common musical style wise, but Jackson had an important role in the Texan guitar great's early career. Browne saw Vaughan perform at the Montreux Jazz festival in 1982 and was so impressed that he invited Stevie and his band to use his LA studio for free. Songs they recorded there got the band signed by John Hammond, the legendary producer credited with landing contracts for Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin and many others. It took Vaughan and his band Double Trouble just three days to record the tracks on the demos that esrned them a contract and signing bonus from Columbia Records. Texas Flood, Stevie Ray's debut studio album with Double Trouble was recorded in just a couple of days, with no overdubs. It came out on this day in 1983.

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on June 13 include...

1951 Heart guitarist and keyboards player (1975-'98) Howard Leese born.

1969 The Rolling Stones stage a press conference in Hyde Park to introduce Mick Taylor as a new member of the band to the media and fans.

1975 Jefferson Starship releases Red Octopus

1977 Neil Young releases American Stars & Bars.

1979 The Cars release Candy -O

1980 Pat Benatar plays before Phillies game, dances with the team mascot.

1988 Sting, Dire Straits, Bryan Adams, Stevie Wonder featured in anti-apartheid benefit concert at Wembley Stadium.

1988 Jethro Tull releases 20th anniversary box set.

1991 Van Halen releases For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

1995 Jimmy Buffett releases Margaritaville Café Late Night Gumbo.

2003 David Gilmour and Sting named CBE recipients during the Queen's Birthday Honors program in London.

2006 Billy Joel releases 12 Gardens, collection recorded during Madison Square Garden concerts.

2013 Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and J.D. Souther inducted by Songwriters Hall of Fame.

2016 Glenn Frey, John Prine, Cat Stevens inducted by Songwriters Hall of Fame.

2019 John Prine, Cat Stevens, Glenn Frey and Tom T. Hall inducted by the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Bruce Springsteen has 2022 plans for the E Street Band but will spend the remainder of this year with new series of Springsteen on Broadway performances. His first run was extended three times and racked-up a total of 236 shows. The 2021 production is being booked into a much larger theater, but will be essentially the same show as the previous one.

Bruce has also done collaborations with some other artists now that it's safe to be together in studios. He worked on single track with Brandon Flowers and the Killers that will be released this coming week and recorded three songs with John Mellencamp in his Indiana studio for John's album due in the fall. Springsteen is also planning a new release on his own and prepping some archival material for release before the year is out.

Eric Clapton's 1970 self-titled solo debut album gets a 4 CD expanded re-release on August 21st that features the UK release mix of the original album by Tom Dowd plus additional remixes done by Delaney Bramlett and EC himself. The 4th CD includes alternate takes of tracks on the original release and studio outtakes.

Along with having his life disrupted by the pandemic, Lindesy Buckingham has experienced additional turbulence since losing his place in Fleetwood Mac in 2018.  This week, his wife of 21 years filed for divorce. But Buckingham is focused on the future.  He will release his first solo album in a decade on September 17th and has an extensive set of US solo tour dates set to start in early September that will run through December 20th.  The 10 track self-titled album will be Buckingham's first since 1981's Law and Order.

One of the very few and far between silver lining aspects of a pandemic is that creative people realized people being deprived of the ability to travel would be hungry for virtual travel experiences. Several online companies offer them and most are rather typical tourist tours, but there are some to be found that are of particular interest to music fans. One of the best that we've found and enjoyed is this one about the Rolling Stones early stomping grounds in the Richmond section of London hosted by Paul Endicott.

Paul's personable nature and his impressive volume of knowledge about the UK music scene make this and the other virtual tours he conducts in real time outstandingly informative and entertaining. Tagging along is free, with a tips option, and Paul fields and answers questions along the way.

No need to pack, no TSA hassles, jetlag... just login, check for his tours and enjoy!  Check his schedule here. If you don't see one listed,check back.

Billy Gibbons' new solo album rolled out today and he is hosting a listening party for it on Tuesday, June 8th starting at 3pm eastern. Access to that session being streamed on Spotify and Apple Music can be arranged at hardware.tunecast.com.

Billy and the musicians the ZZ Top mainstay lined up to play on the album will field some questions during the event that he promises is, "gonna be a good time and we're looking forward to checking out the grooves everybody in the world, known or otherwise, who wants to join us."

MORE ZZ TOP INSIGHTS

Some weeks ago, we passed along word that this original painting done by future Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett when he was just 15 was heading to auction. At the time, we expressed some surprise that the expected sale value for still life watercolor and pastel painting titled Orange Dahlias in a vase was pegged at just $7,000. With good reason, it turns out. When the gavel fell, the winning bid was just over $42,000 - a figure much more in line with what we figured a well heeled, art collecting Pink Floyd fan might pay for such a rare item.

MORE PINK FLOYD INSIGHTS

A dispute between Roger Waters and David Gilmour over the liner notes is holding-up the release of a remastered 5.1 mix of Pink Floyd's Animals album. Waters escalated the issue by posting the description written by Mark Blake on his website and commenting that his former band mate doesn't contest the validity of Blake's notes but prefers "...that history to remain secret". Waters apparently contends that Gilmour wants more credit than he is due for the concept, songwriting and album cover of the original 1977 release, while Gilmour evidently feels Blake's take on those things shortchanges him.

Waters claims that Gilmour is blocking the release of the album over this issue and also blocking Roger from posting anything about it on the Pink Floyd Facebook page that has more than 30 million followers.

It's unfortunate that the bickering of the two stands in the way of Floyd fans being able to enjoy the remastered masterpiece in surround sound.

MORE PINK FLOYD INSIGHTS

Orleans veteran John Hall released his 6th solo album this week. Reclaiming My Time was recorded in New York's Hudson Valley and in Nashville and finds Hall teaming with a number of talented musicians on acoustic and electric songs that range from tender, to bluesy, to rockin'. Among the guests on the album are the outstanding steel guitarist Dan Dugmore and singer Dar Williams. The album also includes a song co-written by John and his songwriting partner and former wife Johanna Hall, the writing team credited with writing several of the best known songs by Orleans including Still the One, Dance With Me, What I Need and Give One Heart as well as Half Moon on Janis Joplin's 1971 album and Good Enough on Bonnie Raitt's Home Plate album.

This week saw the release of a Pink Floyd tribute album that includes members of Yes, Genesis, Deep Purple and Queensryche, and noteworthy solo artists on Floyd classics from the group's 1975 album, Wish You Were Here.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond features Steve Hackett, Geoff Tate, Geoff Downes, Ian Paice, Mel Collins and Billy Sheehan.

Todd Rundgren, Rick Wakeman and Tony Levin do Welcome to the Machine.
Have a Cigar includes Steve Stevens and Patrick Moraz.

Triumph's Rik Emmett, guitar great Joe Satriani and drummer Carmen Appice are featured on Wish You Were Here. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 6-9) finds Rod Argent, Steve Hillage and Bootsy Collins playing together.

The Who will join Queen, David Bowie and Elton John as members of the Royal Mint's Music Legends series with the issuing of a limited edition commemorative coin honoring the group. A sharp design combines a the band's bullseye logo with a guitar body emblazoned with a Union Jack flag and with pinball paddles and a ball in a nod to the Pinball Wizard.

MORE WHO INSIGHTS

The Who will join Queen, David Bowie and Elton John as members of the Royal Mint's Music Legends series with the issuing of a limited edition commemorative coin honoring the group. A sharp design combines a the band's bullseye logo with a guitar body emblazoned with a Union Jack flag and with pinball paddles and a ball in a nod to the Pinball Wizard.

MORE WHO INSIGHTS

Photo credit: Aaron Haney

John Mellancamp's hometown of Seymour, Indiana has converted a parking lot beneath a three story mural of the singer into a green space. The switch was made with the help of a donation from John's family. .

Most drummers look to get a lot of bang for their buck, but collectors willing to part with a lot of bucks for their bucks have the chance to bid on the custom Ludwig kit Alex Van Halen wailed on during more than 100 VH concert during the group's 1980 Invasion tour. All of the proceeds from the Julien's sale of the kit, which is expected to draw a top bid between $200,000 and $300,000 during the Music Icons auction June 11-13, will be donated to charity through the Frangioni Foundation and Mr. Holland's Opus. The auction also a slew of additional Van Halen memorabilia/collectibles.

MORE VAN HALEN INSIGHTS

The planned Aerosmith 50th Anniversary concert in the group's fabled hometown ballpark got called on account of Covid last September. The Band considered making it up this year, but is opting to wait until September 8, 2022 to play Fenway Park in Boston. In announcing the additional 16 month delay, the band wrote, "While we know that means you have to a bit a bit longer, we feel confident this is the right move in order to ensure we give you all the show you deserve for everyone that has held onto their tickets to see this show".

MORE AEROSMITH INSIGHTS

Eric Clapton, who joined Van Morrison on a song voicing opposing government imposed quarantine measures, says he suffered side effects after getting AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine that were severe and prolonged enough that he feared he would never be able to play guitar again. In a letter Clapton sent to an anti-lockdown activist, he wrote that he got his first shot in February and "...straight away had severe reactions which lasted ten days", and described his reactions to the first and second shots as "disastrous", writing, "My hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks". He admits that the adverse effects he experienced may have been brought on or amplified by the fact he was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy.

MORE ERIC CLAPTON INSIGHTS

Pretenders veteran Chrissie Hynde credits Bob Dylan's nearly 17 minute long song Murder Most Foul for curing her of the morose mood she'd been in during the pandemic.  The change in her outlook inspired her to record some covers of some of her favorite Dylan songs during remote recording sessions done with her band mate James Walbourne.  The release titled Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan will drop on May 21 and will be accompanied by a video filmed as the nine songs the duo covers were being recorded.

Every once in awhile, we're startled by learning or being reminded that someone we think of as still being around isn't. It feels better when it's the other way around and we discover that someone we assume was long-gone is still alive. We felt that way when we saw this musical 85th birthday tribute to Wavy Gravy.

In addition to this being an outstanding lineup of musicians, the occasion will benefit the Seva Foundation, an organization that provides sight-saving surgeries, medicines, eyeglasses and other eye care services to tens of millions of people.  Voluntary donations to this organization that is near and dear to the honoree and the musicians participating in this streaming celebration will be greatly appreciated.  Learn more and chip in at seva.org.

Styx will release Crash Of The Crown on June 14th. Recorded during the pandemic, Tommy Shaw said the process was an exercise that helped the veteran band focus on trying to continue "...to send out positive messages", adding, "In order to share those positive messages, you have to look at what the problems are first to figure out all the ways you can help make sure everything's going to be alright." The release is the group's 17th studio album.

The February 8, 2006 the Rolling Stones concert staged on the Copacabana Beach front in Rio de Janeiro was one of the largest free concerts ever presented. On July 9, 2021, Mercury Studios will release the entire 20 song set in multiple formats - DVD+2CD, SD, Blu-ray+2CD, DVD+2CD Deluxe, 3LP 3 color vinyl, 3LP on clear vinyl, and digital. a five track EP will lead the way on May 28. The Deluxe 2DVD + 2CD edition includes a 40 page book and a November, 2005 20 song set from the Salt Lake City stop on the A Bigger Bang tour.

Tuesday's Gone, and so is a trailer stuffed with Lynyrd Skynyrd memorabilia that was going to be auctioned at a cancer fundraising benefit in Middleburg, Florida. Police are asking for the public's help in apprehending a 38 year-old suspect that is believed to have stolen the trailer from a Days Inn hotel in Orange Park. A BOLA has been issued for Williams James Walker, who police believe was driving the small, silver SUV pictured pulling the short, white utility trailer on hotel parking security footage.

The UK's Royal Mail is rolling out an 8 stamp series of album cover postage stamps honoring Paul McCartney. A 4 stamp set will feature photos of Paul taken while recording solo albums. The collection marks only the third time the British postal service has similarly honored musicians. It introduced a David Bowie set in 2017. Elton John was honored with one in 2019.

Ann Wilson hit the stage with Warren Haynes during Gov't Mule's set last weekend in New Haven, Connecticut to tear into a couple of Zeppelin songs and a Heart classic.

We'll be surprised if the top bid for this instrument doesn't blow past the estimated value of $14-$21k when the hammer drops on the Gibson Les Paul Goldtop guitar autographed by a host of heavy weight musicians at Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert in New York 29 years ago. Bonhams will auction the guitar signed by Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Neil Young, Ronnie Wood, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson on May 5th.

The mahogany body and neck guitar features a maple topped body, a 22 fret rosewood fingerboard and will be delivered in a plush lined hard shell case and wrapped in a silk protector that was also signed by a number of musicians also at the tribute concert that night in Madison Square Garden.

The songwriter largely credited with Meat Loaf's success has died. Jim Steinman was credited as the songwriter that made the 1977 Bat Out Of Hell album a chart topping sensation that sold more than 50 million copies.  Meat Loaf called him the biggest influence on his life when inducting Steinman to the Songwriter's Hall of Fame nine years ago.  Steinman helped a number of other acts benefit from his hook laden songwriting skills, but it was his work with Meat Loaf that earned him the most highly recognized credit.
Steinman passed away due to kidney failure today at his Ridgefield, Connecticut home. He was 73.

AC/DC's dynamic front man Brian Johnson chronicles his life and the enormous challenge of stepping into the shoes of Bon Scott in a new autobiography he's titled The Lives of Brian: AC/DC, Me and the making of Back in Black. Johnson says the book coming out on October 26th covers his career from "choirboy to rock n' roll singer" with both his pre-AC/DC bands an this wild ride to the top with Down Under's bad boys of rock, and also gives readers an inside look at his other passion, exotic, high performance cars.

Johnson's book can be Pre-ordered here.

(ROCKinsights may receive a small commission on orders placed through this link).

Billy Gibbons has partnered with a restaurant outfit known as Delicious Concepts and Tequila company Pura Vida's founder to open a Tex-Mex eatery with a ZZ Top flavor. The Tres Amigo's Cafe and Cantina in Houston opens this Thursday. While enjoying traditional and innovative dishes, patrons can also take-in some ZZ Top memorabilia from Billy's collection. Adding to the meal appeal of Billy's place, a good chunk of the proceeds from the restaurant venture will be donated to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

Rock biographer CM Kushins, who published a 2019 bio of Warren Zevon, will be back this fall with one that chronicles the short, tumultuous life and career of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Beast: John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin will surprisingly be the first bio of a drummer many consider to be the greatest ever. The hardbound book due out on September 7th includes a forward by Dave Grohl and can be preordered here.

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Van Morrison's album titled Latest Record Project: Volume One drops on May 7th. Van the Man will follow it up the next day by doing his first live streamed concert set ever. The concert featuring some of the 28 songs on the new album getting released on vinyl and CD and a number of classics from his massive catalog will originate from Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England and can be viewed in HD starting at 3pm (Eastern) through nugs.net for $14.99.

Record Store Day rolls around again with two dates slated for June 12 and July 17.

We've sifted through the heap of releases to pass along some titles we think will be of particular interest to followers of this page.

Available June 12.

Jefferson Airplane - Acid Incense and Balloons. A compilation of well known, obscure and alternate takes from 1966-1971. 3,000 copies June 12.

Janis Joplin - Pearl. Picture disc. 4,250 copies.

Joni Mitchell - Archive Vol 1 (1963-1967). 15,000 copies.

Motorhead - St. Valentine's Day Massacre. 40th Anniversary picture disc. 4,000 copies.

Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley. Green vinyl. 2,500 copies.

Pearl Jam - Alive. The 30th anniversary release includes rare B sides and the bands cover of the Beatles I've Got A Feeling. 18,500 lps, 6,300 cassette copies.

Tom Petty - Angel Dream. Songs from the soundtrack to the She's The One film with four previously unreleased songs.

Steely Dan - Two Against Nature. Released for the first time on vinyl. 10,000 copies.

Joe Strummer - Junco Partner. Picture disc. 3,500 copies.

Toots & the Maytals - Funky Kingston. Split color disc release. 2,000 copies.

Ramones - Live at the Wireless Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia July 8 1980. 13,000 copies

Warren Zevon - Preludes. A first time on vinyl release culled from 126 unreleased tracks and alternate takes that originally was released on a 2 CD set in 2007. Six of the songs on this have never been previously released. Issued on sky blue vinyl and with a 20 page book. 3,000 copies.

Available July 17.

The Allman Brothers Band - The Last Note. Duale Allman's last concert with the ABB took place in Owings Mills. MD less than two weeks before the tragic motorcycle crash that took his life. 9,000 copies of the 8 song set with a recording of Stormy Monday from an Austin, Texas concert in 1971.

Canned Heat- Living The Blues. A long ago discontinued double album reappears as a French import. 2,500 copies.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja vu Alternates. A showcase of alternate versions of song that appeared on the original. 10,000 copies.

Dr. John - The Sun, Moon & Herbs 50th Anniversary. A triple lp expanded edition reissue of his 4th studio album. 3,000 copies.

Rory Gallagher - Cleveland Calling Pt. 2. A 7 song live set recorded at the Agoura in Cleveland for a radio broadcast. 2,500 copies.

The Jerry Garcia Band - Recorded live at the Warfield in San Francisco in 1990. A 5 lp set.

Grateful Dead - Olympia Theatre, Paris 5/3/1972. 6 lp set, 10,000 copies.

Ramones - Live at the Wireless Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia July 8 1980. 13,000 copies