Dear rock fans…
As many of you in the Joburg area would know by now, the show can no longer be heard on UJFM – It was a painful decision to make but the reason was valid. For some time now the new station management was moving the playlist in a more, how shall I say, ‘representative and transformed’ direction, short for more R&B, Pop and hip hop and to be honest with you, although nothing had been said to me directly, I felt the show stuck out like a sore thumb. In short I left before I was pushed.
I couldn’t really handle another possible axing, following on from those at Radio 2000 and Radio Today, so discretion was the better part of valour and I bailed.
Of course this leaves Rock of Ages in a bit of a vacuum, with no home to go to. There is a possibility that I may transmigrate to Radio Midrand 93.8 FM at some point but at this stage I want to leave things open ended, hoping that somewhere, someone in radio will wake up to the huge attraction of a classic rock show like ROA. In case you were thinking – I have approached 702’s Solid Gold, 94.7 Highveld and even Radio Today (now under new management) but so far no bite. Rather than move to another small station, with limited coverage, I’m prepared to hang on and see what pops up on the horizon. I want to thank each and every one for you for your support and I hope to banging out the decibels again one of these days.
Footstomping Music Vol. 2 – Out Now!!!
Finally it’s here….Footstomping Music Vol. 2 – 18 rip roaring, earth shattering classic rock tunes from some of the greatest rock bands of all time… compiled by yours faithfully it includes many tracks suggested by ROA fans over the past months. Here is the full track listing.
Juicy Lucy – Who do you love
Babe Ruth – Wells Fargo
Rush – Bastille Day
UFO – Doctor Doctor
Ten Years After – Stoned woman
Trapeze – You are the music (we are the band)
Steppenwolf – Magic Carpet Ride
The Guess Who – American Woman
Mahogany Rush – Talkin’ about a feeling
Bachman Turner Overdrive – Not fragile
Spooky Tooth – I am the walrus
ZZ Top – Tush
Cactus – Evil
May Blitz – For Madmen only
Montrose – Rock the nation
Savoy Brown – Tell Mama
The Jeff Beck Group – Shapes of things
Jethro Tull – Dharma for one
The album will be available for sale on the Fresh Music and Rock of Ages websites shortly (www.freshmusic.co.za / www.rock.co.za/rockofages ). The price is R120 per copy which includes registered mail. When you order please let me know if you want me to sign your copy.
For those about to rock…we give you news !
FLOYD WIN EMI COURT CASE
Pink Floyd have won their court case against EMI, which means more problems for the ailing label. EMI wanted the right to release individual songs from the band through services such as iTunes. The band argued that, contractually, they had the right to prevent this from happening, something the record company disputed. Now a high court judge has ruled in favour of Floyd, leaving EMI with 40,000 costs and the prospect of a further fine.
MAN GUITARIST PASSES AWAY
Micky Jones, guitarist/vocalist with Welsh prog band Man, has died at the age of 63. Well respected, we send condolences to his family and band mates.
BLACK COUNTRY FORCED TO CHANGE NAME
Black Country have to change their name. This is because there’s already band using that one. Right now, the quartet – Glenn Hughes (vocals/bass), Joe Bonamassa (guitar), Derek Sherinian (keyboards) and Jason Bonham (drums) – are recording their as yet untitled debut album with producer Kevin Shirley.
DIO – THE BOX SET
Dio have made a box set called ‘Tournado’ available at www.ronniejamesdio.com/. This was due to be released late last year , to coincide with the band’s UK/European tour, which was cancelled due to Ronnie James Dio’s cancer problems. This will be limited to 1500 copies and includes: Tournado box set, which was originally to be made available for the band’s cancelled European tour last year. Limited to just 1500 copies, each will feature: ‘Killing The Dragon’ CD ‘Evil Or Divine’ CD/DVD (with bonus footage, including interviews, behind the scenes material and a clip for the song ‘Pushed’) Dio photo cards.
STOOGES BOX UP THE ‘POWER’
Iggy And The Stooges rel ease a three-CD box set version of their classic 1973 album ‘Raw Power’. This is available from the end of April, but only at www.iggyandthestoogesmusic.com. The first disc has a re-mastered version of the David Bowie mix for the album, long unavailable. The second disc has a live recording straight off the sound desk of a show in Atlanta, Georgia in 1973. Also included are the previously unreleased ‘Doojiman’, plus a rehearsal performance of ‘Head On’. The final CD has the following outtakes: ‘I’m Hungry’, ‘I’m Sick Of You’, ‘I Got A Right’ and ‘Hey, Peter’. There are also different mixes for ‘Shake Appeal’, ‘Death Trio’, ‘Gimme Danger’ and ‘Your Pretty face Is Going To Hell’. There’s also an hour-long documentary on the making of the album, a replica of a Japanese seven inch single for the song ‘Raw Power’, plus a 48-page book.
BAD COMPANY LIVE DVD
Bad Company release a live DVD on March 29. It’s ‘Hard Rock Live’, and was filmed at the venue called Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on August 8, 2008.
PRIEST TO RE-ISSUE ‘BRITISH STEEL
Judas Priest release a deluxe edition of their classic 1980 album ‘British Steel’ on May 10.This will come in two formats. A standard deluxe edition with a bonus DVD, filmed on August 17, 2009 at the Seminole Hard Rock Arena in Hollywood, Florida, when the band played the whole of the album. The limited edition deluxe edition will also have an extra live CD from that show.
MARY J. BLIGE COVERS ZEPPELIN
Mary J. Blige has recorded a version of the Led Zeppelin classic ‘Stairway To Heaven’. She’s done it with guest appearances from guitar legend Steve Vai, Blink 18-2 drummer Travis Barker, ex-Journey bassist Randy Jackson and one-time Michael Jackson touring guitarist Orianthi.
SLASH GOES FOR ALTER BRIDGE SINGER
Slash has announced that Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy will front his band on the upcoming solo tour. The guitarist is to release his first solo album in April. Self-titled, this will be on the Roadrunner label, with a special ‘Classic Rock’ magazine Slash pack available from April 7. This will include a 132-page magazine dedicated to Slash, along with the CD.
JOHNNY DEPP WORKS WITH KEITH RICHARDS
Johnny Depp is currently working on a documentary about Keith Richards. The famed actor is directing this. Of course, Depp based his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ series of films on Richards.
Short Cuts……. There is to be a ‘Rock Band’ game based around Jimi Hendrix. No further details are available just yet, but it should be available later in the year… Steven Adler publishes his autobiography on June 22. It’s titled ‘My Appetite For Sex Destruction: Sex, And Drugs, And Guns N’ Roses’. This will be through Harper-Collins… Peter Gabriel will not be attending the Rock And Roll Hall Fame induction of Genesis next month. This is because he’s rehearsing for his own solo tour. Genesis are to be inducted on March 15 in New York….
Happy Birthday and may you always rock !
March 1
Roger Daltrey – The Who – 1944
Mike D’Abo – Manfred Mann – 1944
March 2
Lou Reed – Velvet Underground – 1944
Rory Gallagher – 1948
Mark Evans – AC/DC – 1956
March 3
Re Styles – The Tubes – 1950
Jance Garfat – Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show – 1944
March 4
Chris Squire – Yes – 1948
March 5
Andy Gibb – Bee Gees – 1958
March 6
Hugh Grundy – Zombies – 1945
David Gilmour – Pink Floyd – 1946
Kiki Dee – 1947
March 7
Matthew Fisher – Procol Harum – 1946
Chris White – Zombies – 1943
Peter Wolf – J. Geils Band – 1946
March 8
Mickey Dolenz – Monkees – 1945
Michael Allsup – Three Dog Night – 1947
Randy Meisner – Eagles – 1946
March 9
Mark Lindsay – Paul Revere & the Raiders – 1942
Robin Trower – Procol Harum – 1945
March 10
Dean Torrence – Jan and Dean – 1940
Tom Scholz – Boston – 1947
March 11
George Kooymans – Golden Earring – 1948
March 12
Paul Kantner – Jefferson Airplane/Starship – 1941
James Taylor – 1948
March 13
Adam Clayton – U2 – 1960
March 14
Jim Pons – Turtles, Mothers Of Invention – 1943
Walter Parazaider – Chicago – 1945
March 15
Phil Lesh – Grateful Dead – 1940
Howard Scott – War – 1946
Mike Love – Beach Boys – 1941
Sly Stone – 1944
Ry Cooder – 1947
March 16
Nancy Wilson – Heart – 1954
March 17
Scott Gorham – Thin Lizzy – 1951
Harold Brown – War – 1946
John Sebastian – Lovin’ Spoonful – 1944
March 18
John Hartman – Doobie Brothers – 1950
March 19
Paul Atkinson – Zombies – 1946
March 20
Carl Palmer – Emerson Lake & Palmer – 1950
March 21
Roger Hodgson – Supertramp – 1950
Eddie Money – 1949
Conrad Lozano – Los Lobos – 1951
March 22
Jeremy Clyde – Chad and Jeremy – 1941
Keith Relf – Yardbirds – 1943
March 23
Ric Ocasek – The Cars – 1949
Phil Lanzon – Uriah Heep –
March 24
Dougie Thomson – Supertramp – 1951
March 25
Elton John – 1947
Aretha Franklin – 1942
March 26
Steven Tyler – Aerosmith – 1948
Richard Tandy – Electric Light Orchestra – 1948
Fran Sheehan – Boston – 1949
March 27
Tony Banks – Genesis – 1950
March 28
John Evan – Jethro Tull – 1948
March 29
Bobby Kimball – Toto – 1947
Chad Allan – Guess Who)
March 30
Graeme Edge – Moody Blues – 1942
Eric Clapton – 1945
Dave Ball – Procol Harum
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum – Black Oak Arkansas – 1948
March 31
Mick Ralphs – Mott The Hoople, Bad Company – 1944
Angus Young – AC/DC – 1955
Rock Of Ages 