An and Nancy Wilson Publish Their Biography "Kicking and Dreaming on September 18th

Heart's Kicking & Dreaming
The Long Awaited Memoir From Ann And Nancy Wilson

 

The Much anticipated biography from Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson hits the shops and online suppliers on September 18th. The band, who have had an incredible year in 2012 with the release of a multi disc career spanning boxed set and a successful summer tour across America, are also about to release a new studio album Fanataic on October 2nd which all adds up to being the busiest year for the band for some time. To bring 2012 to a successful conclusion publishers Harper Collins  will launch the final piece of the jig saw on September 18th.

 

The book which is co written by best selling music biographer Charles R. Cross takes you on a journey through the years when Ann and Nancy first had aspirations to be musicians. You will find out about the relationship that inspired the song "Magic Man" the reality of "On The Road" life for two single woman and later women with children. Plus you will hear about the triumphs of hit albums and singles and hugely successful tours with bands like the Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Def Leppard and Stevie Nicks. You will also read about the darker side of life with the failed relationships and also Ann's fight with alcoholism and body image issues

 

The book is Ann and Nancy's life in their own words. Ever wondered what it was like for women in the world of rock. well with Kicking and Dreaming the answer will be there for all to read.

 

For more details on Heart go to the band's official website here:

http://www.heart-music.com/

 

Dastardly Digital Deceptions

Recently I was having a chat online with Gary our American correspondent about the vagaries of music ownership and recent developments. There are a great many reasons for buying downloadable digital media, it's quick to arrive,convenient ( no trekking down to the city to get that elusive album) and increasingly is released ahead of the hard copies. Not surprising that the record charts are heavily weighted reflecting the huge amount of music (and film) that artists are selling to a worldwide audience.

In a lifetime we invest a staggering amount of money to obtain our collections of film and music now we can add into that books with the increasing popularity of digi-books. No longer a need to schlepp to Waterstones to buy Jon's latest best selling band biography it can be on your iPod/ Kindle in minutes, so you can marvel about just how much alcohol was consumed by so few stage crew and who it was that knitted sweaters to relax between gigs. Try to get your head around just how much you can spend in a lifetime that's a problem (or not) with digital media, difficult to visualize because it takes up no space compared with traditional distributions.

One tiny chip the size of a little fingernail will hold as much music as the three flight cases of albums and singles I used to strain to lift into the back of the estate car for my mates gigs. A whole library of books can sit concealed in a device smaller than a paperback that you can even read in the dark without that essential torch of your childhood. Your lifetimes collection is unlikely to degrade Apple and Amazon keeping backup copies in that mythical cyber 'cloud' so each time an upgrade trashes your devices library it can be recovered or perish the thought reinstalled on a new device if your precious player gets a hangover from being immersed in an otherwise refreshing drink. Sounds fabulous doesn't it protected from every destructive eventuality your massive investment will be there for eternity for your grandkids to enjoy.

That is the very big fly in the ointment how many books albums films have you bought? and of those how many do you own? " back the truck up Derek what do you mean how many do I own? " I hear you cry out, yes the fact is you own none of them not one, read carefully those umpteen thousand words of your account Terms and Conditions. Over your lifetime you have paid out all that money probably around forty to ninety thousand to 'borrow' the content and that is none transferable. No splitting it up in your will so that kid you never really liked just gets the later G n'R and the best kid in the world who looks like he paddled at your end of the gene pool gets all the ones with Slash playing. It all belongs to daddy, in this case Amazon and Apple and they are not about to share it out.

Before you present your access all areas pass to Peter Grant at the "Great Gig In The Sky" you had better be sure your nearest and dearest have got full access to your email accounts and passwords or that investment is gone for ever don't discount that those custodians of your accumulated cyber wealth may at some point work out that 150 years old according to your account might be a little fishy and pull the plug. Even as I write this lawyers in the US smelling blood in the water have started circling . With plans to circumvent the unfairness of it all and needless to say in the ensuing feeding frenzy make a bucket full of money. Will the consumer win out ? I'd like to think that the in litigious US a class action suit will cause a change in the T & C but Apple are famous for the depth of their war chest, ask Samsung and Motorola just how much money they are prepared to throw at protecting their interests and intimidating potential litigants so don't be surprised if this all goes away quietly.

We have had record companies crying about illegal downloads and file sharing almost since the day it was invented yet to my way of thinking I cannot see this is any better. I cannot suggest that there are other options available to protect the content you paid for from avaricious corporate paws and the likes of iTunes make it very difficult to 'backup' but I would think if you were able to do so you might not lose too much sleep over the corporate discomfort.

I can assure you when Peter Grant is checking my pass and hopefully having a laugh about any comments I may have made about his former employer and associates. I will have left a legacy of film books and music for my loved ones to enjoy and that will require those flight cases plus a couple of roadies to move.

Jon Anderson To Tour South America In September 2012

Asheville, NC - Legendary vocalist Jon Anderson, YES's singer/songwriter for 35 years along with his successful work with Vangelis, Kitaro, and Milton Nascimento, will be touring South America again this September, October, after his acclaimed previous tour had his many fans wanting more!

Jon Anderson South American tour dates:

09/11/2012 - Auditorio Nacional Adela Reta - Montevideo, Uruguay
09/14/2012 - Teatro Positivo - Curitiba, Brazil
09/17/2012 - Teatro Luis Mendonca - Recife, Brazil
09/19/2012 - Teatro Castro Alves - Salvador, Brazil
09/21/2012 - Centro Cultural Joao Nogueira - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
09/22/2012 - Skyline Alphaville - Santana do Parnaiba, Brazil
09/26/2012 - Palacio das Artes - Belo Horizonte, Brazil
09/28/2012 - Teatro ND Ateneo - Buenos Aires, Argentina
09/30/2012 - Teatro Auditorium - Mar del Plata, Argentina
10/03/2012 - Teatro San Martin - Tucuman, Argentina
10/05/2012 - Teatro Luz y Fuerza - Cordoba, Argentina
10/07/2012 - Teatro Plaza - Mendoza, Argentina
10/10/2012 - Teatro El Circulo - Rosario, Argentina

Also soon to be announced, a special concert in Chile late November with the Youth Orchestra of Santiago, Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional Juvenil (OSEM). For more information visit www.jonanderson.com/tour.html

In honor of the World Cup to be held in Brazil in 2014, Jon has written a tribute the the event titled "Brasilian Music Sound", with music from his good friend Christophe Lebled. Here's a video of Jon's new song created by Victor Cristean: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijih_zqMRks

In other news, Jon played a special one-off concert on August 8th at the Sadler's Wells Theater in London, which was by all accounts a smashing success! This was the first time Jon had performed in the UK since his tour with Rick Wakeman in 2010. “The concert in London was with the Slovakian Chamber Orchestra with the help of my good friend composer Peter Machajdik plus a semi acoustic group I performed with a couple of years ago in Bratislava,” says Jon. In honor of the UK 2012 Olympics, Jon recorded a vocal version of the Vangelis song "Chariots of Fire" titled "Race To The End", with lyrics penned by Jon. The song can be purchased at:
 http://www.amazon.com/Race-to-the-End/dp/B008PNX14Q/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345046374&sr=301-1

Also, Jon is featured on four tracks on the new CD by Dennis Haklar called 'Lizard's Tales'

For more information:
 http://www.jonanderson.com/, www.facebook.com/thejonanderson,

"Brasilian Music Sound" single can be purchased at
www.amazon.com/Brasilian-Music-Sound/dp/B008S3CYO6/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345046162&sr=301-1

Jon Anderson 'OPEN' digital download available: http://www.amazon.com/Open-Single/dp/B005XT5Z8U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336499182&sr=1-1

Jon Anderson 'Survival & Other Stories' available through Gonzo MultiMedia:
www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk,

New Union Album Due Early 2013. Update!

The Union Have released a news update on the recortding of the bands new album.
The Union: New album news!!!

Hello everybody!
Since ‘Siren’s Song’ has just been nominated for album of the year by Classic Rock magazine, we figured this was the perfect time to tell you all about our plans for album number three….
Since ‘Siren’s’ was released last October we’ve played a couple of successful UK tours as well as recently completing a goodly number of summer festivals across Europe so a big thank you to all of you that came along to share the experience.

Our new album will be entitled ‘The World Is Yours’ and will be released February 11th 2013. We’ve been busy working on the new material (weʼre delighted with the results so far) and we want to offer you all the chance get involved early by pre-ordering or making a ʻpledgeʼ on the forthcoming album. Thereʼll also be a number of rare, signed and VIP goodies on offer so whether you fancy joining us in the studio for a day or simply to be a VIP at one of our gigs, we want you to be in the loop!
Whatever you pledge on, you’ll receive a pre-order download of the album (delivered once the album is released) plus exclusive PledgeMusic updates so you can follow our progress via video diaries, blogs, photos and maybe even the odd sneak preview of the album.

A percentage of proceeds will also go to Childline Rocks so you’ll get to feel virtuous and help a great cause at the same time!
We’ll be working towards a minimum of pre-orders to make all this possible and you’ll be able to keep track of our progress with the percentage bar above. No money will be debited from your bank account until we hit 100%.

We’re really looking forward to working with the good people at PledgeMusic. At a time when the music industry’s future is uncertain, they are enabling lots of artists to get their music out there by involving fans at an early stage of the creative process. We want you guys to get involved too because together we can help secure the future of great music!

Thanks for your continued support,
Luke & Pete.

For more details please visit the website :
http://server1.streamsend.com/streamsend/clicktracker.php?cd=41492&ld=1692&md=7172&ud=91c51ef4b4a57c3df20447b1315c2cc2&url=http://www.pledgemusic.com/theunion

Rush Announce new single and also imminent release of tie in novel "Clockwork Angels"...‏

To tie with the eagerly anticipated release of the sci-fi novel tied to the bands recent studio album, Rush are set to release a further single, “The Wreckers” in October 2012.

The sonic journey of Rush’s newest concept album is now a full-length, steampunk adventure - a unique collaboration between legendary prog rock icon, Neil Peart, and internationally bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson.

CLOCKWORK ANGELS is a project like no other. Working closely with lyricist Neil Peart, prolific bestselling sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson has adapted the epic adventure told in Rush’s latest concept album into an immense sci-fi novel. The journey centres on a young man’s quest to follow his dreams. He cries out both in the novel and in the album’s first single, Caravan: “I can’t stop thinking big in a world where I feel so small.” He is caught between the grandiose forces of order and chaos, travelling through a lavish and colourful world of steampunk and alchemy, with lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals and a rigid watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life.

Released in conjunction with the album of the same name, CLOCKWORK ANGELS: THE NOVEL is the perfect compendium to Rush’s newest progressive rock masterpiece.

Rush have also announced details of a UK Arena tour in May 2013. Full dates are as follows

2013

Wed May 22^nd                        Manchester Arena

Fri May 24^th                                    London, O2 Arena

Sun May 26^th                                 Birmingham, LG Arena

Tues May 28^th                              Sheffield, Motorpoint Arena

Thurs May 30^th                           Glasgow, SECC

Tickets are available now priced at £60/£75 (subject to booking fee) and will be available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk,  www.livenation.co.uk  or www.ticketline.co.uk

Barclay James Harvest Extensive Autumn UK Tour

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST ANNOUNCE

MOST EXTENSIVE UK TOUR IN YEARS

Following a successful year of high profile Festival performances, John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest have announced their most extensive UK tour in recent years, which will take place in October 2012.  Impressing critics in the early Seventies with their fusion of rock and classical music and a classic trademark of memorable songs and beautiful harmonies, they created seminal albums like Once Again (featuring the classic “Mockingbird”) and Barclay James Harvest And Other Short Stories and made their mark with stunning live performances, BJH began to enjoy greater commercial success in 1974 with Everyone Is Everybody Else and Barclay James Harvest Live, a double LP which became their first chart album.

After the tragic passing of fellow BJH founder Woolly Wolstenholme in December 2010, the band honoured his memory with a moving sold-out tribute show; later in 2011, John Lees’ BJH went on to play a triumphant series of headline festival slots in Germany, Switzerland, France (with Status Quo) and the UK, including a headline spot at the High Voltage Festival in Victoria Park, London, which was their last UK performance to date.   Following the release of the “Live at Metropolis Studios” CD / DVD set, in August 2012 John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest made their first appearance in Japan, playing a sold-out show in their own right and performing on the bill at the Open Air Progressive Rock Fest in Tokyo to an enthusiastic reception. It’s now time to bring the legacy of Barclay James Harvest back to their native UK, with the band’s most extensive tour in three years and a new studio album recording underway.

The band line-up is: John Lees on vocals, guitar and recorder; Craig Fletcher – vocals and bass guitar; Jez Smith - keyboards, vocals and acoustic guitar and on drums, Kevin Whitehead.

John Lees’ Barclays James Harvest October 2012 UK dates are:

17^th      Edinburgh The Picturehouse       0843 221 0976    www.meanfiddler.com           £ 22.00

19^th      Manchester  The Ritz                      0843 221 0976   http://hmvritz.com                £ 22.00

23^rd      St Albans  The Alban Arena        01727 844488 www.alban-arena.co.uk              £ 20.00

24^th      Bristol St. George’s, Brandon Hill    0845 402 4001 www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk                       £  23.00

25^th      Leeds  City Varieties              0113 243 0808  www.cityvarieties.co.uk                 £ 22.60

26^th      Wolverhampton  Civic Hall           0870 320 7000 www.wolvescivic.co.uk            £ 22.00    

27^th      Norwich  University of East Anglia  01603 508050  www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk            £ 22.00

 

All tickets are subject to booking fee.

More Details can be found at the Band's website here:

http://www.barclayjamesharvest.com/

Release date Set for Jon Lord's Concerto For Group And Orchestra

earMUSIC releases “Concerto For Group And Orchestra”

on 1st October 2012,  the first studio recording of Jon Lord's groundbreaking meeting of rock and classical music.

On 1st October 2012, earMUSIC , the Hamburg based rock label part of Edel Group, releases the first studio recording of Jon Lord's groundbreaking meeting of rock and classical music - "Concerto For Group And Orchestra"

“Over these last years since leaving Deep Purple, I’ve played it over 30 times with different orchestras and conductors all over the world, and, of course, in 2000 I did it well over 30 times with Purple on the Concerto tour, so I’ve been honing the piece live on stage, and I’ve had the opportunity to change things in the score that weren’t sounding quite right. It is therefore a marvellous and exciting prospect to have the definitive recording of the definitive version of the score.” (Jon Lord May 2012)

Jon Lord recorded the marvellous rhythm section - Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd, Madonna) & Brett Morgan (Jon Anderson, Sting) and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (with whom Jon had recorded twice before) in June 2011 in Liverpool - conducted by Paul Mann. The production then moved to Abbey Road Studios in London to record Iron Maiden‘s Bruce Dickinson  (on vocals with Steve Balsamo and Kasia Laska) and Joe Bonamassa, Darin Vasilev and Steve Morse on guitars.

Happily, Jon got to hear and approve the final mixes a few weeks before he passed away. 

The family and earMUSIC decided to proceed with the release of the album in October as scheduled, as this seemed the best way to celebrate and pay tribute to Jon and his beautiful music. Thus this superb studio recording of “Concerto For Group And Orchestra” is exactly the way Jon wanted us to hear it and will now hopefully become Jon's legacy for generations to come.