Hi folks,
Hope all is good and the weekend is going well?
On with the news, hope there's something here to keep most if not all folks happy.
Cheers,
Al
Various Thin Lizzy related updates
So, as previously mentioned here, we were fortunate enough to have spent just over an hour with Thin Lizzy, backstage in Detroit and all the guys were very welcoming and I have some updates ...
By the way, live review of the Judas Priest / Lizzy show coming!
(Thin Lizzy stage before they appeared - Photo: Alun Williams©)
(Thin Lizzy live in Detroit November 13th, 2011. Photo: Alun Williams©)
Thin Lizzy - The band
I have to tell you that the general concensus - as I did speak to all the guys individually - was that there will be a new Thin Lizzy album coming. I'd have to say late 2012 as the best indication on that.
My reasoning on that is that this current US tour with Judas Priest is clearly winning new fans and old ones that had doubted this line up, back!
They went down a storm in Detroit and perhaps it because this is the second time this year, that Lizzy has come through, as they played headline here back in April.
I think the band will want to capitalise on the current vibe and not leave it too long and miss the opportunity to do something while the band is out on the road and fresh in peoples minds.
I also got from Scott, Darren, Marco and Ricky that the Phil Lynott estate appears to have accepted that there is still huge popularity for the band, as they are.
Scott Gorham on 21 Guns
'Yes Alun, there is a third album of material, but Leif (Johanson) and I need to find a time slot that works and while there's still demand for Lizzy, that has to be the priority.'
Can't argue with that at all, but that's very encouraging. Would it get a US release, doubtful.
Probably Europe only .... We had a guy from local rock station the WRIF 101.1, Steve Black and he didn't even know about 21 Guns having released 'Salute' vastly overlooked and 'Nothing's Real.'
Marco Mendoza on ..., Marco Mendoza!
Marco whenever he can, tries to slot in live dates with his side project 'The Trio' usually in the L.A. area ... The Baked Potato club being favourite.
Live European dates are currently being set up for Marco, final list TBC.
Marco said he'd share dates with me soon.
There is also an album on the way, which features Marco alongside Journey guys Neal Schon and Deen Castronova where they are ALL sharing lead vocals and they're all happy with everything they have so far ... Sadly, we won't see that until Journey quietens down.
Darren Wharton / Dare
Darren explained that he has re-recorded 'Calm Before The Storm' which will be reissued with bonus material around April / May 2012, entitled 'Calm Before the Storm - The Return.'
This will be issued through ADA.
No update on 'Out of the Silence' being redone ... Sore point I think ...
His actual new Dare album is also 'in the works' and will be appropriately titled 'Seven' but not likely at the earliest until later in 2012 ... Live Dare dates will be dependant upon Thin Lizzy activities / demands.
He also had something else pretty interesting to share and that is, he's made a movie, yes really!
He wrote and produced it and it's called 'Distorted,' and yes, as the title indicates ..., it's kind of dark!
Brian Downey is enjoying the new lease of life with Lizzy and seemed pretty happy. He also played a blinder in Detroit ... Thanks Bri!
Both Ricky and Damon Johnson were both still loving the fact that they have a dream gig going and Ricky says, 'Every morning I wake up and tell myself, I can't believe it, but I'm in Thin Lizzy!'
It seriously seems a happy camp and I for one, can't wait for a new album!
(Rhonda and I with Thin Lizzy - Detroit November 13th, 2011.)
Official band site:
'Fighting My Way Back - Thin Lizzy 1969 - 1976' book out now!
Author Martin Popoff, along with the help of Peter Nielsen for photo's has put out a new band biography that covers some of Thin Lizzy's earlier years.
Dublin’s Thin Lizzy have become one of the most revered cult acts of all time, studious and discerning fans of hard rock the world over reveling in the storytelling acumen of the legendary Philip Lynott and the craft and class of his band.
Fighting My Way Back: Thin Lizzy 69 – 76, through numerous new interviews with most of the principles involved and a mountain of painstaking research, examines the band’s suite of six records culminating in 1976’s superlative and sparkling Jailbreak, home of such hits as Cowboy Song, Emerald, Jailbreak and The Boys Are Back In Town.
Thin Lizzy, Shades Of A Blue Orphanage, Vagabonds Of The Western World, Nightlife, Fighting and then momentously Jailbreak… along the way, alcohol and drugs wreak havoc between band members, producers and managers, but despite lineup changes and a mostly grinding, rockscrabble existence, Ireland’s favourite sons persevere to experience, finally, the smash hit record they’d deserved for so long.
Immerse yourself in Popoff’s celebrated record-by-record methodology and emerge a rejuvenated Lizzy fan, newly appreciative of the deep album tracks hiding within this singular band’s often forgotten early years…
The book’s 280 pages include 328 rare, archival black & white photos and memorabilia shots to accompany my usual in-depth track-by-track play-by-play type o’ crazy biog.
Fresh new interviews for this book included (and most a few times), Eric Bell, Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Gary Moore and Brian Robertson along with a couple of managers in Terry O’Neill and Ted Carroll, producers Nick Tauber and Ron Nevison, Nigel Grange from Vertigo, Frank Murray who kept it all together on the road, cover artist Jim Fitzpatrick, and a range of others. As well, historical press interviews helped bring out the real Phil in all his dastardly guises.
OK, the usual… books will be signed by me to you, so make clear if it’s a Christmas present – getting a lot of that this time of year.
Price including shipping:
US orders: $34.00 US funds
Int’l orders (all books go air): $45.00 Cdn. funds
Canadian orders: $38.00 Cdn. funds
PayPal happily accepted!
Ask me if you’d like a PayPal invoice (please indicate what country you are in), or just do yer usual and direct funds to martinp@inforamp.net
Or mail payment (personal check in US funds, cash, or INTERNATIONAL money order), to:
Martin Popoff
P.O. Box 65208, 358 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4K 2Z2
Email me at martinp@inforamp.net with any further questions, and see www.martinpopoff.com for descriptions, cover art and ordering info for my other available 30 or so books. Nice savings on shipping can be had if you take a few things, and as you know, I’m always good for swingin’ a deal for two books or more. Just ask.
UFO new album title and release dates revealed
UK rockers UFO has released information on their new album due in February 2012.
It's been over two years since their last release, 'The Visitor.'
Release dates for the new UFO album are scheduled for:
24th Feb 2012 in Germany
27th Feb 2012 in the rest of Europe
28th Feb 2012 in the USA and Canada
The album, which has been reported elsewhere under its working title,
is called SEVEN DEADLY, and will be issued by SPV/Steamhammer.
No album cover artwork available to share yet from SPV, but soon hopefully.
Official weblinks:
Steve Lukather and friends, playoing special one off Christmas show
On December 22nd Steve Lukather will play a Allstars of Allstars concert at the Baked Potato together with Greg Mathieson, Jimmy Johnson and Gregg Bissonette.
More info at the Baked Potato website.
Details of future 'Baked Potato' events here:
To keep up with Lukather at:
JIMI JAMISON REJOINS SURVIVOR
WORLDWIDE TOUR, NEW SONGS SET FOR RELEASE IN 2012
Jimi Jamison has rejoined Survivor, after leaving the band in 2006 to focus on his solo career.
The band's first album with Jamison, VITAL SIGNS, is still praised by fans and critics alike as one of the best AOR albums of all time.
Survivor – Jimi Jamison (vocals), Frankie Sullivan (guitar), Marc Droubay (drums), Billy Ozzello (bass) and Walter Tolentino (keyboards/guitar) – will begin working on a new album, expected for release in 2012.
"It feels great to be back with Frankie and the band, singing the songs that the fans love," says Jamison.
Frankie Sullivan adds, "I'm excited to have Jimi back up front singing the hits, and giving the fans what they want."
Survivor experienced their big breakthrough in 1982 with Eye Of The Tiger, which soon turned into one of the biggest hits of the band's career, holding the #1 spot for seven weeks on the Billboard charts. Eye of the Tiger earned Survivor the GRAMMY® Award for "Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal" and the song was voted "Best New Song" by the People's Choice Awards and received an Academy® Award nomination. The song remains a cultural phenomenon and is one of the most downloaded rock songs of all time.
Official website:
Dario Mollo and Tony Martin resurrect "The Cage" with the release of the long awaited third album in January !
Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of the long awaited MOLLO MARTIN new album entitled “The Third Cage” on January 20th 2012 in Europe and January 24th in North America.
Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of the long awaited MOLLO MARTIN new album entitled “The Third Cage” on January 20th 2012 in Europe and January 24th in North America.
Dario Mollo and Tony Martin first got together when the Italian guitar player/produced and composer needed the right singer after the put together a new set of songs in the late 90’s. The former Black Sabbath singer came about on a suggestion from producer Kit Woolven (UFO, Thin Lizzy) with whom Dario Mollo had been working during his Crossbones years. Tony Martin wrote lyrics and melodies for the amazing tracks that Dario had already assembled, and thus The Cage was born.
The first album, released independently in 1999, gained a great success among the Hard Rock fans and the critics and Dario started finally to make himself a reputation over the international markets. This debut was later followed by an equally acclaimed second album in 2002.
Mollo has been very busy since then, releasing one more album with the Voodoo Hill project with Glenn Hughes. He then toured Europe with Graham Bonnet and Don Airey. After Don became a permanent Deep Purple member, Dario and Graham Bonnet put up Elektric Zoo, touring Europe again, performing songs from Rainbow, Alcatrazz, Voodoo Hill and The Cage.
In 2008 Dario released an album with the more alt-rock Italian band Noize Machine, before getting again to work on a new set of Hard Rocking songs for a new record with Tony Martin.
“As usual we are 50/50 partners”, explains Mollo. “I write all the music and Tony then contributes with the melodies and lyrics. We also try together different structures of the tracks and we rearrange them to better fit the vocal parts. Then I go ahead and take care of the entire production of the album, tracking, mixing and mastering”.
The songwriting, the sound and the video production of this new project are absolutely stunning and show the great skills that Mollo has developed in the past few years. All Hard Rock lovers should simply not miss this record which bravely melts several influences in a cutting edge release. “There are much better songs, performances and production on this album, plus we will finally bring this project live out there: we have a lot of great songs to perform to our loyal fans, we look forward to meet them” concludes Dario Mollo.
“As usual we are 50/50 partners”, explains Mollo. “I write all the music and Tony then contributes with the melodies and lyrics. We also try together different structures of the tracks and we rearrange them to better fit the vocal parts. Then I go ahead and take care of the entire production of the album, tracking, mixing and mastering”.
The songwriting, the sound and the video production of this new project are absolutely stunning and show the great skills that Mollo has developed in the past few years. All Hard Rock lovers should simply not miss this record which bravely melts several influences in a cutting edge release. “There are much better songs, performances and production on this album, plus we will finally bring this project live out there: we have a lot of great songs to perform to our loyal fans, we look forward to meet them” concludes Dario Mollo.
Enjoy the videoclip following this link:
Dario Mollo - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Tony Martin – Vocals
Roberto Gualdi – Drums
Fulvio Gaslini – Bass
Dario Patti / Brian War – Keyboards
Tony Martin – Vocals
Roberto Gualdi – Drums
Fulvio Gaslini – Bass
Dario Patti / Brian War – Keyboards
Weblinks:
Black Sabbath ... There's going to be more than Download folks!
OK, so after Black Sabbath's announcement last week on them reuniting to play the UK's Download festival and release a new Black Sabbath album ... There's more folks, yes, more live dates!
US fans ... Sorry, no dates here yet, but in Europe and in fact Russia and Scandinavia will get to see the reunited Sabbath first, before the UK.
Black Sabbath's official website has all the dates, so go and check it out.
For now I can tell you that it all kicks off in Moscow, Russia on May 18th, 2012!
Keep an eye out for US dates folks ... We'll see!
