Away Team

The music and legacy of ZZ TOP - “That Little ol’ Band from Texas,” that has been part of the world’s musical landscape for over 40 years – will be celebrated with the October 11th release of A TRIBUTE FROM FRIENDS.

The album, to be released by Show Dog-Universal Music, features 11 classic ZZ Top songs interpreted by top-flight artists working in a broad range of musical genres. All of the album’s tracks have been newly recorded, specifically for the project. These include Filter’s performance of “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” Grace Potter & The Nocturnals’ take on “Tush,” as well as Wyclef Jean’s “Rough Boy,” “Legs” from Nickelback and Wolfmother’s interpretation of “Cheap Sunglasses.”

The album kicks off with “Sharp Dressed Man,” from The M.O.B., Mick Fleetwood’s ad hoc group that includes fellow Fleetwood Mac founder John McVie as well as Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and guitar great Jonny Lang. Fleetwood commented, “We’re delighted to honor ZZ Top this way. Their legacy, like that of the original Fleetwood Mac, is steeped in the blues we all love so much. I know that Steven and Jonny feel as strongly about their legacy as John and I do.”

After Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, the original–and continuing– members of ZZ Top were informed that A Tribute From Friends was in the offing, they issued the following statement:

“When we were told there was going to be a ZZ Top tribute album a while ago and logically asked, ‘Who are we paying tribute to?’ Then we found out that a bunch of great artists were paying tribute to us and we were in disbelief. For the past forty or so years, all we’ve done is get out there and crank it and try to have a good time while doing so. To a great extent, we’ve succeeded since we’re still having a good time so that would be reward enough for ‘the same three guys playing the same three chords.’ Now comes A Tribute From Friends and we’re so delighted that our music resonates with these great musicians whom we so admire.”

A Tribute From Friends also includes “Waitin’ for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago” by Daughtry, “Got Me Under Pressure” from Duff McKagan’s LOADED and Mastodon’s version of “Just Got Paid.” Coheed & Cambria contributed the anthemic “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers” while country superstar Jamey Johnson’s track is the seminal “La Grange.” Of their invitation to be a part of the album, lead singer Chris Daughtry said, “We were completely honored! A classic great band with amazing songs? We’re in!” And of ZZ Top’s music, “It’s classic! Simple chord progressions, great riffs with hooky choruses…very inspiring to a band like us.”
The co-executive producer of A Tribute From Friends is Carl Stubner, ZZ Top’s manager, who noted, “A Tribute From Friends underscores the legacy of ZZ Top in the most musical way possible and illustrates just how important Billy, Dusty and Frank have been to successive generations. It was a privilege to work with the pantheon of brilliant artists who contributed their efforts and so much love to this project.”

Since Billy, Dusty and Frank founded ZZ TOP on the last day of 1969, the band has been responsible for the worldwide sale of over 50 million records highlighted by many of the very same songs heard on A Tribute From Friends as well many others including “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Pearl Necklace,” “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” “Tube Snake Boogie” and a score of smash hit albums that include the RIAA Diamond Award winning (10 million sold) Eliminator as well as gold and platinum winners Afterburner, Fandango!, Deguello, Recycler, Antenna, El Loco, Tejas, Tres Hombres plus compilation sets. Their hit repertoire, iconic and award-winning videos and massive touring schedule has made them a favorite with audiences throughout the world and beyond – they previewed a track from their forthcoming album aboard the Soyuz space vehicle. They are recipients of the Texas Cultural Trust’s 2011 Texas Medal of the Art and had previously been named “Official Texas Heroes” by the state’s House of Representatives. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in 2004 who cited the band’s remarkable consistency and longevity and, first and foremost, the fact that ZZ Top is “steeped in the blues,” calling them “the heartbeat of the whole country and the heartbeat of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Waitin’ For the Bus/Jesus Left Chicago-Daughtry by RCA Music Group

A TRIBUTE FROM FRIENDS – TRACK LISTING
1. “Sharp Dressed Man” – The M.O.B. (Mick Fleetwood, Steven Tyler, Jonny Lang & John McVie)
2. “Gimme All Your Lovin’” – Filter
3. “Tush” – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
4. “Legs” – Nickelback
5. “Cheap Sunglasses” – Wolfmother
6. “Got Me Under Pressure” – Duff McKagan’s LOADED
7. “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers” – Coheed & Cambria
8. “Just Got Paid” – Mastodon
9. “Rough Boy” – Wyclef Jean
10. “Waitin’ for the Bus / Jesus Just Left Chicago” – Daughtry
11. “La Grange” – Jamey Johnson

For more ZZ TOP click here.

Eagle Rock Entertainment, through its subsidiary Eagle Records, is delighted to release Boogie 4 Stu on April 19, 2011. A tribute to pianist Ian Stewart, a founding member of the Rolling Stones who went on to serve as their long-term road manager, this album will be released near the 25th anniversary of his passing. Sales from Boogie 4 Stu will benefit the British Heart Foundation.

Boogie 4 Stu, mixed by Glynn Johns, was created and produced by fellow pianist Ben Waters, a member The A, B, C & D of Boogie Woogie, which also features Charlie Watts. Initially planned by Waters as a solo album, Boogie 4 Stu soon took on a life of its own. The album highlight for many will be the version of Bob Dylan’s song “Watchin’ The River Flow,” which features Mick Jagger on vocals & harmonica, Keith Richards on guitar, Charlie Watts on drums, Ronnie Wood on guitar and Bill Wyman on bass. Although all musicians recorded their respective tracks at different times and locations, this song marks the first time Wyman has recorded with his colleagues since 1992. PJ Harvey, who happens to be Waters’ cousin, also contributes to the album, as well as Jools Holland, whose studio the CD was recorded in. The album finishes with the Sam Cooke track “Bring It On Home,” performed by Ian Stewart with Rocket 88 at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
As well as his work with the Rolling Stones, Ian Stewart played with a host of other talents including Led Zeppelin [this album is named after their track Boogie With Stu], Howlin’ Wolf, The Yardbirds, his own band Rocket88 and more. Keith Richards said, “Ian Stewart. I’m still working for him. To me the Rolling Stones is his band. Without his knowledge and organization … we’d be nowhere.”

“Everyone who is on the Boogie 4 Stu album knew Ian Stewart really well,” says Waters. “…Despite this I felt many music fans needed an introduction to the man and his music. To some he was a roadie that played a bit of piano, to his friends and fans the opposite was true.”

BOOGIE FOR STU TRACKLISTING
1) Boogie Woogie Stomp (Albert Ammons)
Piano – Ben Waters
2) Rooming House Boogie (Amos Milburn)
Keith Richards – Guitar
Bill Wyman – Bass
Ben Waters – Piano, Vocals
Ady Milward – Drums
Derek Nash – Sax
Clive Ashley – Sax
3) Worried Life Blues (Big Maceo)
Charlie Watts – Drums
Keith Richards – Vocals
Ronnie Wood – Vocals, Guitars
Dave Green – Double Bass
Jools Holland – Hammond Organ
Willy Garnet – Sax
Don Wellor – Sax
Ben Waters – Piano
4) Boogie For Stu (Waters, Holland)
Ben Waters – Piano
Jools Holland – Piano
Dave Green – Double Bass
Charlie Watts – Drums
Willy Garnet – Sax
Don Wellor – Sax
5) Make Me A Pallett On Your Floor (Jimmy Yancey)
Jools Holland – Piano, Vocals
Ben Waters – Hammond Organ
Dave Green – Double Bass
Charlie Watts – Drums
Willy Garnet – Sax
Don Wellor – Sax
Alex Garnet – Baritone Sax
6) Midnight Blues (Trad)
Charlie Watts – Drums
Jools Holland – Piano
Ben Waters – Piano
7) Lonely Avenue (Ray Charles) Recorded On Stu’s Piano
Pj Harvey Vocals, Bv’s Sax
Ben Waters, Piano, Organ, Bv’s
8 ) Watchin The River Flow (Bob Dylan)
Keith Richards – Guitar
Mick Jagger – Vocals, Harmonica
Charlie Watts – Drums
Ronnie Wood – Guitar
Bill Wyman – Bass
Ben Waters – Piano
Tom Waters – Alto Sax
Willy Garnet – Sax
Don Wellor – Sax
Alex Garnet – Baritone Sax
Dave Swift – Tambourine
9) Roll ‘Em Pete (Big Joe Turner)
Hamish Maxwell – Vocals
Charlie Watts – Drums
Dave Green – Double Bass
Jools Holland – Piano
Ben Waters – Piano
Willy Garnet – Sax
Don Wellor – Sax
Terry Taylor – Guitar
10 Suitcase Blues (Albert Ammonns)
Ben Waters – Piano
11 Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke)
Ian Stewart Live From Montreux Jazz Festival With Rocket 88









Watching The River Flow by Eagle Rock




For more BOOGIE FOR STU click here.

On October 12, Eagle Rock Entertainment will simultaneously release the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the long-awaited Ladies & Gentlemen…The Rolling Stones. This is probably the most sought after Rolling Stones concert performance and it has been fully restored and remastered from the original film print and multitrack audio masters. Ladies & Gentlemen follows the highly successful CD reissue of Exile On Main Street (Universal Music Group) in May of this year and the Stones In Exile DVD (Eagle Rock Entertainment) on June 22, 2010. The October 12 releases will be followed shortly after by a deluxe edition box set with additional bonus material and memorabilia.

Filmed in Texas in 1972 over four nights of the “Exile On Main Street” US tour, Ladies & Gentlemen was premiered at the Ziegfield Theatre in New York on April 15, 1974 and released into selected cinemas across the USA shortly afterwards. Bonus features on this release include tour rehearsal footage from Montreux, plus two interviews with Mick Jagger; one from a 1972 Old Grey Whistle Test show, and one filmed in 2010.

The line-up for this show comprised Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitars), Charlie Watts (drums), Bill Wyman (bass), Mick Taylor (guitars) with Bobby Keys (saxophones), Jim Price (horns) and Nicky Hopkins (piano). Ladies & Gentlemen was billed at the time as “…the most powerful rock film ever made” and is considered by many fans to be the finest Rolling Stones performance ever captured on film. This is simply unmissable!

Ladies & Gentlemen… The Rolling Stones Track Listing:
Brown Sugar
Bitch
Gimme Shelter
Dead Flowers
Happy
Tumbling Dice
Love In Vain
Sweet Virginia
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
All Down The Line
Midnight Rambler
Bye Bye Johnny
Rip This Joint
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Street Fighting Man

For more Rolling Stones click here.

MICHAEL MONROE, iconic rock‘n’roll frontman and founding member of hugely influential Finnish outfit Hanoi Rocks, has entered into a recording agreement with Universal Music. The first fruits of this international deal will be a brand new live album, ‘Another Night In The Sun/Live In Helsinki’, set for release on September 27th 2010. This 15-track outing will be made available through Universal subsidiary, Spinefarm Records.
Says Jarkko Nordlund, Managing Director, Universal Music Finland “Michael Monroe is a true international rock star, and Universal Music’s international network is extremely proud to be working with him. Spinefarm Records is the best home for this rock‘n’roll legend, as both label and artist share the same degree of professionalism and passion.”
Mixed in LA by Niko Bolas (whose credits include Neil Young, Frank Sinatra, Keith Richards, Kiss, Spinal Tap and more) and mastered by Grammy winner Richard Dodd (the man behind Tom Petty and Dixie Chicks), ‘Another Night…’ – recorded on July 6th at the Tavastia Club, Helsinki – features key tracks from Monroe’s solo career spiced up with selected Hanoi classics, some well-chosen covers, plus two brand new, unreleased songs.
Says Monroe: “No excuses, it is what it is, and will probably end up sounding great with all its clunks and flaws, once it’s mixed and finished. Obviously, we’re not doing any overdubs, so you’ll have a very raw ‘rough and ready-or-not’ live recording of another rockin’ night in the sun in the beautiful Finnish summer!”
In the wake of the album’s release, Monroe (plus regular band: Wildheart’s mainman Ginger on guitar, ex-Hanoi member Sammy Yaffa on bass, Steve Conte of New York Dolls & Company Of Wolves fame on guitar, and Karl ‘Rockfist’ Rosqvist on drums, a Swedish/Finnish drummer who has played with both Chelsea Smiles & Danzig) will head out on tour in Finland & Sweden before heading over to the UK to Special Guest with Motörhead on their 35th Anniversary tour in November.

For more MICHAEL MONROE click here.

Former HANOI ROCKS singer MICHAEL MONROE‘s live album will be released in Europe and Japan on September 22nd. The album was recorded in early July during a private concert at the Tavastia club in Helsinki. The album will be mixed and mastered by Niko Bolas in LA, who has worked with NEIL YOUNG, FRANK SINATRA, KEITH RICHARDS, KISS and SPINAL TAP to name a few.

The live album, Another Night in the Sun, features the highlights of Michael Monroe‘s solo career as well as a few Hanoi Rocks classics as well as two brand new songs: ‘You’re Next’ and ‘Motorheaded For A Fall‘.

Michael Monroe comments on the live album:
“Me and the guys in the band decided to record a live album – something for the fans to have, while they’re waiting for our actual studio album, due to be released in the early part of next year. We also wanted to capture the live set we’ve been playing recently, pretty much as it is, before we start playing more of our newly written material live in the future.
The show was at the legendary Tavastia Club in Helsinki and the audience was mainly people from our fan club and street teams, plus some friends we invited. The setlist was basically songs from my solo albums, the Demolition 23 album, some old Hanoi Rocks and some of our favorite cover songs, as well as a couple of our new, previously unreleased songs. It’s a very raw, ‘rough and ready-or-not’ kind of live recording that I’m sure the fans will be pleased to have.”

For more on MICHAEL MONROE click here.