Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones Calls Bass Player a Mommy’s Boy

Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones has been talking about the ’70s glory days with U.S. magazine Hustler. According to NME.com, Steve Jones called original Pistol Glen Matlock a “middle-class mommy’s boy.”

He also said he was “tired” of Matlock talking about writing “God Save the Queen,” “Anarchy in the U.K.” and “Pretty Vacant.” He said, “I’m tired of Glen Matlock saying he was the songwriter for the Sex Pistols. I co-wrote as many songs… but I don’t go shouting about it… At the time he hated the words, which John [Lydon] wrote. Glen’s mom didn't like it… He was a bit of a middle-class mommy's boy, really…”

Recently, Matlock has been serving as the bass player in the Faces, standing in for the late Ronnie Lane.

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Steve Jobs Wins Grammy

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will be awarded a posthumous Grammy award in February for his contributions to the entertainment industry, particularly with regard to innovations such as iTunes and the iPod.

In addition to his visionary work at Apple, Job was a lifelong Bob Dylan fan and – as reported in Walter Isaacson’s recent biography – a guitarist. The Recording Academy’s president and CEO Neil Portnow said the 2012 Trustee Award honorees – Jobs, bandleader Dave Bartholomew, engineer Rudy Van Gelder – as well as Lifetime Achievement Award honorees The Allman Brothers, Glen Campbell, Antonio Carlos Jobim, George Jones, the Memphis Horns, Diana Ross and Gil Scott-Heron, offered a variety of brilliance, contributions and lasting impressions on culture. “It is an honor to recognize such a diverse group of individuals whose talents and achievements have had an indelible impact on our industry,” Portnow said.

Apple’s pioneering contributions to the music industry and recording field were recognized with a technical Grammy in 2002.

The Trustee and Lifetime Achievement awards will be presented during Grammy Week in February.

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Def Leppard’s Phil Collen Remembers His Late Partner Steve Clark

Twenty years ago this past January, Def Leppard guitarist and founding member Steve Clark died of a drug and alcohol overdose. He was 30 years old at the time of his death. By that time, Clark had shared the stage with guitarist Phil Collen for over eight years. Collen had joined the band following the departure of guitarist Pete Willis and partnered with Clark on the group’s popular Pyromania and Hysteria albums, becoming the best of friends along the way.

Collen recently sat down with MusicRadar and discussed his partnership with the late guitarist.

“Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that I saw him,” Collen said. “His style of playing and his personality… You know, Steve was just the loveliest guy in the world. He was like my best friend. We'd talk for hours and hours about everything under the sun.”

Collen said the two guitarists were different stylistically, though they shared a major influence.

"As guitarists, our styles were quite different,” he recalled. “Although some things would overlap, our influences weren't the same, really. Steve's favorite player was Jimmy Page, but not just because of the actual playing per se—he really dug Jimmy was a producer and writer and the guy who put together so much of Led Zeppelin's music. Here, Steve and I were in total agreement, because I think Jimmy Page is a genius. A lot of people just get the guitar stuff from Page, but Steve and I would really tune in to what he did as an arranger. The music was very complex, almost like classical arrangements in many ways.

"Steve absorbed a lot of that from Jimmy Page. The biggest thing he took was a complete sense of musicality. The song, the sound, the mood... the impact. It's not about just 'shredding' or doing all kinds of crazy guitar licks. It's more of an overall style and finesse thing. Steve definitely had all of that down.”

Even two decades removed from Clark’s death, Collen said he still thinks of his old friend.

“It is hard to believe that he's been gone for 20 years. My son, Rory, is 21 now, and I can still remember Steve meeting him for the first time – and only time, for that matter – when he was just one year old. Steve kind of rubbed Rory's little bald head and smiled. It was very sweet… a nice memory."

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Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live from Madison Square Garden [Blu-ray]

History rocked and rock made history
during a sold-out three-gig stand at
Madison Square Garden in late February 2008 when icons Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood performed a concert together
for the first time since their all-too-brief days in the legendary Blind Faith in 1969. Whether they will ever team again is unknown. But with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood Live From Madison Square Garden, on this Blu Ray, fans everywhere are able to experience the sound and the glory of a performance on that famous stage by two of rock's greatest artists.

Price: $34.98

Click here to buy from Amazon

Steve Miller, Jason Lee Confirmed for Blues Music Awards

The 32nd Annual Blues Music Awards will start with bang—or at least, a bingo—this year, as it has just been announced that the Steve Miller Band will open the festivities on May 5. Miller’s latest album, Bingo!, garnered the Space Cowboy his first-ever BMA nomination this year. Miller is no stranger to the blues, having cut his teeth as a sideman on Chicago’s famous blues scene, playing alongside the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters.

Also appearing at the awards, as a presenter, will be actor Jason Lee, star of the TNT show, Memphis Beat. Lee himself closes many episodes of the show performing blues songs and Elvis covers live on stage. BMA winner Keb’ Mo’ arranges and performs much of the program’s music. The show also features Steve Cropper playing guitar on the theme song.

The 32nd Annual Blues Music Awards will take place at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee. The presenting sponsor of the awards is The Gibson Foundation. For more information, visit the official Blues Foundation website.

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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)

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Duff McKagan, Corey Taylor and Steve Jones to Cover Judas Priest

At next week’s Revolver Golden Gods Awards ceremony, Duff McKagan will lead members of Slipknot and the Sex Pistols in a tribute to metal legends Judas Priest. McKagan’s band, Loaded, will be joined by singer Corey Taylor and guitarist Steve Jones to play Priest’s classic, “Electric Eye,” according to Blabbermouth.net.

The awards show – which celebrates the best in hard rock and metal – will take place April 20 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Other performers include recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees the Alice Cooper group, Avenged Sevenfold, Sebastian Bach with Asking Alexandria, Cherie Currie with Volbeat and Chris Jericho’s Fozzy.

If you can’t make it to L.A. for the event, you’ll be able to catch the performances when the show is televised on May 28 on VH1 Classic.

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