Brian May Guests on New Dappy Single

Queen’s Brian May is no stranger to collaborations. But it is still something of a surprise to see him guesting with N-Dubz singer/rapper Dappy. Dappy launched his solo career with the single “No Regrets,” for which May expressed a liking. A few phone calls later, and May is on Dappy’s new single “Rockstar.”

Dappy tells the U.K’s Daily Star, “I would love Brian to make me a guitar. He told me all about his guitar that he made with his dad out of wood from a fireplace in his old house. He even got a five-sided coin to put in the neck and he replaced the Queen’s head with his own head. Now that’s his pluck, so I want one with my head on it.”

Lyrically, “Rockstar” is about the so-called 27 Club of artists that died young. "It’s all about paying homage to the 27 Club and amazing artists such as Amy Winehouse,” says Dappy. “It’s a song about people getting to their lowest but it talks about turning a negative into a positive.

“Brian told me: ‘You are a very different artist and unique, so carry on doing what you’re doing. There’s nobody else challenging you.’”

Dappy is 24. Brian May is 64. The track is scheduled to be released on February 26.

View the original article here

Brian Wilson ‘Considering’ Beach Boys Reunion

There have been rumors circulating for nearly a year that the three surviving, original members of The Beach Boys would reunite to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary this year. Now, Brian Wilson has said that he’s open to the idea.

“I’m considering it,” Wilson told BBC6 Music. “I don’t know yet but I’m considering it. Nothing’s really holding me back. I just don’t know if I want to be around those guys, you know. They’re zany guys. They’re crazy.”

The other, “zany” guys that Brian would be joining are guitarist Al Jardine and singer Mike Love, who continues to tour as The Beach Boys along with long-running member Bruce Johnston. Fellow founding members (and Brian’s brothers) Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson have passed away.

In 2010, Love had announced that a reunion tour was in the works before retracting his statement. Jardine also told Rolling Stone magazine that the reunited band would “definitely” do a show that might be free. Stay tuned.

View the original article here

AC/DC’s Brian Johnson: ‘I Would Welcome Another Tour’

AC/DC continue to make the press rounds following the release of the new DVD, Live at River Plate. With their last tour, in support of the Black Ice album, finishing as the third most successful tour of all time, the group find themselves answering a bevy of questions about when they’re going to hit the road again.

"I would welcome another tour, just to get out there,” singer Brian Johnson told Absolute Radio. “I mean, if they said, 'Another two years' I might blanch a bit, but I think everybody in the band is fit, well prepared, and they've still got it."

Johnson said the monotony of touring is well offset by the thrill of playing onstage.

"The travelling is tedious, you know, but the onstage bit, getting on the stage, that's the fun bit, you know, that's what you're getting out for.”

Always known for their outrageous stage props—from the cannons to Hell’s Bell to the massive inflatable Whole Lotta Rosie—the group went into the Black Ice tour with another massive visual idea, the Rock ’N Roll Train.

“This is rock and roll, there's no such word as ‘no,’” laughed Johnson. “It was Malcolm and Angus [Young's] idea about the train, initially just trying to think of a train, and just say to somebody 'Right, we want a train,' and to convert that into the real thing."

He continued, "Yeah, but we did do it and it really was sensational, that train, and it never screwed up, it was always bang on."

View the original article here

Brian Wilson to Quit Touring?

Beach Boys founder, singer and songwriter Brian Wilson has announced that, after he plays some London concerts this year, he may retire from touring altogether.

London’s Evening Standard newspaper reports that Wilson claims touring is now hard work. “As I get older it gets harder for me,” he said. “But when I’m sitting down at the keyboard and my band’s behind me, I can do it. This could be the last time I play here. I’m going to miss it but I’m getting a little bit old for touring.”

Wilson will be in London in for three nights in September at the Royal Festival Hall. “London is my favorite city in the whole world,” he said. “I love the people here. I think the people appreciate the music a lot better than Americans do, they’re a lot more sensitive to the music than Americans are.”

View the original article here

Radio Ga Ga: Queen’s Brian May and Lady Gaga Team Up

Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May plays guitar on a track on Lady Gaga’s new album, Born This Way, according to The Daily Mirror. The two musicians paired up for the song “You & I.”

“It’s always been Gaga’s dream to perform as Queen. If it wasn’t for Queen, there would be no Gaga,” a source told The Daily Mirror. “This collaboration with Brian May means the world to her.”

Of course, Lady Gaga famously took her name from a Queen song, “Radio Ga Ga,” thanks to producer Rob Fusari. In the past, Gaga (whose real name is Stefani Germanotta) has credited Queen frontman Freddie Mercury as one of her big influences.

“Freddie was unique – one of the biggest personalities in the whole of pop music,” she said. “He was not only a singer but a fantastic performer, a man of the theater, who constantly transformed himself.”

Born This Way will be released on May 23.

View the original article here

Brian Setzer Goes Instru-MENTAL on New Album

Grammy-winning rockabilly guitarist Brian Setzer has delved into the worlds of bluegrass and jazz with his first all-instrumental album, Instru-MENTAL, which hit stores on Tuesday.

Among the album’s many gems, the former Stray Cats frontman jazzifies bluegrass legend Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” trades his six-string for a banjo on Earl Scruggs “Earl’s Breakdown,” and puts his own unique stamp on such 20th Century classics as Gene Austin’s “Lonesome Road” and the Tex Davis/Gene Vincent classic “Be-Bop-A-Lula.” Setzer also includes six originals, including “Go-Go Godzilla,” which is featured in the new movie Soul Surfer, co-starring country music siren Carrie Underwood.

“I didn’t start writing an instrumental record, per se,” Setzer told GuitarWorld.com. “I wrote seven songs with lyrics, and then, all of a sudden, I just took a turn and started fooling around with ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky,’ except without any vocals. I started playing melody chords and thought, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool!’ So the direction turned about halfway through my writing. I had never done an instrumental record, but I thought, well, now’s the time.”

Instru-MENTAL tracklist (all songs written by Setzer unless otherwise noted):

1. “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (Bill Monroe)
2. “Cherokee” (Ray Noble)
3. “Be-Bop-A-Lula” (Tex Davis/Gene Vincent)
4. “Earl's Breakdown” (Earl Scruggs)
5. “Far Noir East”
6. “Intermission”
7. “Go-Go Godzilla”
8. “Lonesome Road” (Gene Austin/Nathaniel Shilkret)
9. “Hillbilly Jazz Meltdown”
10. “Hot Love”
11. “Pickpocket”

View the original article here

Steve Cropper Album to Feature B.B. King and Brian May

Steve Cropper may be a legendary guitar sidekick, but he’s never released his own album. Until now.

Dedicated features an all-star cast of famous friends including Steve Winwood, Brian May, B.B. King, Lucinda Williams and Buddy Miller. It’s a tribute to Lowman Pete Pauling and his band The 5 Royales. Eric Clapton and James Brown also have cited The 5 Royales as a key influence. 

Cropper’s dream band on this album also includes David Hood (bass), Spooner Oldham (piano/organ), Steve Ferrone (drums) and Steve Jordan (drums, percussion).

“Part of getting older and still being able to play and all of that – at a certain point it becomes about educating the next generation,” Cropper said in a statement. “I’ve already had four of five careers and I’m lucky to be alive. If I can educate these young ears as to where the music started, because they’re always asking, and if I can get them interested in The 5 Royales I’ve done something.”

Cropper, during his time as in-house guitarist for the Stax label, is credited with writing some true R&B classics: “Knock on Wood,” “In the Midnight Hour” and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” His rhythm guitar skills have been acclaimed for 40 years.

Winwood added: “Steve Cropper is a legend, one of those greats who not only writes classic stuff but plays classic stuff as well. It was a great pleasure for me to be able to work on Dedicated and to be part of some great classic heritage music.”

 Dedicated will be released on July 5.

Steve Cropper, Dedicated tracklist:

“30 Second Lover” (featuring Steve Winwood)
“Don’t Be Ashamed” (featuring Bettye LaVette and Willie Jones)
“Baby Don’t Do It” (featuring B.B. King and Shemekia Copeland)
“Dedicated to the One I Love” (featuring Lucinda Williams and Dan Penn)
“My Sugar Sugar” (featuring John Popper)
“Right Around the Corner” (featuring Delbert McClinton)
“Help Me Somebody”
“I Do” (featuring Brian May)
“Messin’ Up” (featuring Sharon Jones)
“Say It” (featuring Bettye LaVette)
“Slummer the Slum” (featuring Buddy Miller)
“Someone Made You for Me” (featuring Dan Penn)
“Think”
“Come On and Save Me” (featuring Leblanc and Sharon Jones)
“When I Get Like This” (featuring Lucinda Williams)

View the original article here

Queen’s Brian May Records Song for Yuri Gagarin

Brian May of Queen has recorded a new song dedicated to Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The Soviet cosmonaut became the first human to fly into space 50 years ago today (April 12). May, who is famously a Doctor of Astrophysics, has recorded the song with electronic music pioneers Tangerine Dream.

The song, as yet unnamed, will debut at the Starmus Science And Music Festival on the Spanish island of Tenerife to be held June 20-25. They will also record a second song dedicated to cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who was the first man to carry out a space walk. Both songs will be based on “cosmic” sounds, a festival spokesman said.

Of course, May is not the only rock star honoring the first manned space flight. Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson planned his own unique tribute.

May’s love of astrophysics is no rock star whim. He delayed study for his Ph.D. (doctorate qualification) to pursue his career with rock band Queen. May completed his academic papers over 30 years on, in 2007.

“I worked on my thesis at Imperial College [London] from 1971 to 1974 when I had to give it up because Queen became a full-time thing. I kept all my notes and I was able to find them in my loft and start working on them again,” May recalled in 2006.

May is co-author, with legendary British astronomist Sir Patrick Moore, of the book Bang! The Complete History of the Universe. Now we know why Queen named an album Hot Space.

View the original article here