Exclusive new late tonight. Ace Frehley called into my radio show live tonight and confirmed that he and Peter are being denied the opportunity to perform at the R&R Hall Of Fame ceremony by Gene and Paul, who will perform instead with the current band. Ace said (and the HOF confirmed to me directly) that the HOF wants the original band. However Gene and Paul to date have declined to allow this to happen. Ace said it was important he let the fans know exactly what was happening since tickets are about to go on sale to the public and he didn’t want fans to purchase them expecting a reunion performance even for a song or two. Ace said he is undecided if he will even attend in light of this decision. Even though the HOF would prefer the original band, they will not stand in the way of the current band playing if that is all Gene and Paul are willing to do. Assume anything is possible that something could change, but at this time there are no plans at all for Ace and Peter to play, or perhaps even be there depending what they decide. As I have said consistently when there was news to share I would let it come directly from a member, and tonight Ace let everyone know exactly what was going on. Said he was most upset for the fans who voted them in and were hoping to see a song or two, but also said it is now time to move on. He is working on a new album and said the stress was really killing him about the HOF and he needed to let fans know what was up before tickets went on sale. Peter will likely have a similar statement on his site tomorrow. I’ll continue to keep you posted as more info develops but that’s where things are at now. I’m sure the audio will be on YouTube of Ace’s call but you can hear the entire show next weekend as usual on all affiliate stations and online outlets as well. Sad day for long time Kiss fans but at least we know where things stand as of now. The producer/director for the HOF show Joel Gallen expressed an interest in coming on the air soon. As usual my door is open to any and all to discuss. More soon.
JUST IN: Ace Frehley will be calling my radio show live tonight to make a statement on the R&R Hall Of Fame! Ace told me he needs 5 minutes to update everyone on what is going on with the induction. Ace is expected to call in during the last hour of the show. Don’t miss this exclusive news tonight live on my Q104.3 NYC show. You can listen in the NYC tri-state area on 104.3 FM, outside of NYC listen to the free stream at www.q1043.com or use the free iHeartradio app. Just dial up Q104.3/NY/Classic Rock. The show is live from 11P-2A ET tonight!
Also tonight Adrenaline Mob live in studio and world premiere of a new song from the Dio tribute. Motorhead and Biff from Saxon doing Starstruck!
Jon Lord, the celebrated keyboard player of rock bands Deep Purple and Whitesnake and a celebrated composer, is the focus of a new photographic biography that will commemorate his life and successful career, reports blabbermouth.net.
The limited-edition book, released for pre-sale today, is published by Rufus Stone who specialize in creating photographic books of major musical artists.
The exclusive book has been produced in conjunction with Jon Lord’s family and will be personally signed by friend and fellow keyboard player Rick Wakeman. Featuring unpublished professional images, personal family photographs and contributions from Jon’s family and colleagues, the book is highly anticipated by lifelong fans. The book will be accompanied by unreleased music by the late musician and a never-before seen live DVD of Jon performing his famous Concerto.
One of the unreleased tracks, named All Those Years Ago, has inspired the title of the Jon Lord project and is included in the package as a 10-inch vinyl single.
The photographic book is due to be released in April, to coincide with a special memorial concert being held at the Royal Albert Hall in celebration of Lord’s life and musical accomplishments. However, serious fans of Jon Lord can pre-order the limited-edition book as the pre-sale has just recently been launched by Rufus Stone.
Mark Smith of Rufus Stone says: “This photographic book is the ultimate piece of memorabilia for devoted Jon Lord fans. The celebration of his life and work contains rare material from his early days before he was a professional, then continuing through his time with Deep Purple, Pal, Whitesnake and beyond. Signed by Rick Wakeman, All Those Years Ago will be a treasured possession for anyone interested in Jon Lord and his musical talent. We had the honor of working with Jon himself back in 2012 before his death, when Rufus Stone were working on the Deep Purple California Jam title. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to celebrate Jon’s life, and to be working closely with his family and colleagues once again.”
As one of the most respected and revered names in both the rock and classical musical fields, Jon Lord made an impact on people worldwide. A night in his memory, Celebrating Jon Lord will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on April 4th. The major concert will give fans the opportunity to relive Lord’s extensive musical career, and will feature special guests, including Paul Weller, Rick Wakeman, Alfie Boe and Deep Purple.
Rufus Stone’s photographic biography will be released simultaneously with the memorial celebration concert and will delight fans with its spectrum of unreleased material.
Tarquin Gotch, Jon Lord’s manager, said: “All Those Years Ago is a work of love, and will act as a true collectible for fans of Jon Lord and Deep Purple.”
Jeb Wright of Classic Rock Revisited spoke with Eddie about his current book, Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Volume II and music, in general. Highlights of the interview appear below.
Jeb: You are not just a personality; you are a fan of the music. After 30 years does it feel odd that you get asked to do all of these things like host shows, parties, cruises and write books, or are you to the point where you say, “After all of this time…I have earned this.”
Eddie: Well, I will tell you it is a little bit of both. I do really honestly just think of myself as a fan but I would be naïve if I didn’t realize that there are a lot of people that actually care about what I do and what I say and the music I play. I am very grateful that there are people that care about what I say and do. I am proud that I’ve been able to build that sort of trust and relationship with an audience. It is really cool.
It is a little bit of both. I know that there are people out there that are going to really look forward to something like these books. I have heard from a lot of people who have used them as blueprints to get their kids into the music, or that they have discovered bands because of them. That’s really cool, because no matter what I have done in the business in the 31 years that I have been in it, I have always made it about spreading the word about these bands that I love. That has always been the endgame and the fact that it is growing and continues to grow and that I have more than one outlet to do that…I have my website and social media as well, the fact that I have these things is something that I don’t take for granted.
I try to keep a certain standard of quality to it. I try to make sure they are done well. The layout of the books and the quality of the layout is all well done. That is a credit to my publisher more than me. I want to do stuff that is of good quality and that is respectful of the music, but also honest. I think that is what really carries the whole thing.
Jeb: You talk about Glenn Hughes in the new book.
Eddie: I love Glenn’s work. Deep Purple has always been way bigger outside of American than in America. They have a higher level profile elsewhere. Lars Ulrich wouldn’t be playing music if it were not for Deep Purple; they were bigger for him than Led Zeppelin. There is a much higher level for Deep Purple in Europe for Deep Purple’s lineup with Glenn.
I was sorry to see Black Country Communion fall apart. He has new stuff coming out. People can discover Glenn Hughes through places like your website or my radio show. There is a swell of people out there who want to know about this. There is a ton of great music from classic artists that is not being well represented and I want to represent it just like you do.
Jeb: Buckcherry is in this book. They are awesome.
Eddie: They are a band that embodies that sort of AC/DC in your face hard rock sound. I was very happy when they came back. They had a really huge record when they came back and now they have settled into playing to their core fan base for now. They are still a phenomenal band. They are not a new band but they are a newer band that captures that spirit.
Jeb: I tend to lean as a fan to the ‘70s hard rock over the ‘80s. Well, up to about 1983 is pretty awesome. Which era do you love the most?
Eddie: I would say my personal favorite era is the ‘70s. There is a tremendous amount of great stuff that came in the ‘80s. You had great commercial stuff and you had the whole Metallica thing happen and everything that came after. You had Iron Maiden and stuff like that.
For me, the ‘70s guys are the most special to me. That is when I really grew up. I was a little kid and those are the things that shaped me musically for the most part. Aerosmith, Kiss, Van Halen, UFO, AC/DC, Black Sabbath…those are the bands that were important to me as a kid and really opened the flood gates to everything.
In the ‘80s I was already in the business. I started my radio show in 1983 and I started working for a record company in 1986. A lot of the ‘80s bands were bands that I worked with and some of them were friends. I still respect them and like them, but I have a different way of looking at them as we came up in the business together, as opposed to the ‘70s guys as they were the ones that I had the posters of on my wall. That is the difference mainly for me.
Jeb: Tell us about an album that readers at www.classicrockrevisited.com should be checking out.
Eddie: I love the new Alter Bridge record. That record was in my Top 3 of last year. The Winery Dogs are very near and dear to me. They were a band that I had a role in assembling. It was my idea to plug Richie Kotzen into that band. I think he is one of the greatest talents I know of. If people have never heard his solo stuff then you need to know that his last few solo releases have been mind-blowing. Beyond the personal connection, as a fan, I love that Winery Dogs.
There are some new bands that have come out. I like some things about Rival Sons. There is a band called Monster Truck that I heard and I like. They are out of Canada. There are movements of bands that are coming out that are newer and younger but have a kind of old school sound. Scorpion Child at times sounds like Fastway to me. So, those are the things that catch my ear that I like.
I’d like to hear a really great heavy band come out, but I haven’t. One of the big problems I have with music in general is that I need to have vocalists that I like. If I don’t like the singer, then I am not going to be down with it. I can’t get into the scream stuff. I’d love to hear a really heavy, heavy band with really good vocals but I have not heard any of that just yet.
Today is the 11th anniversary of the tragic fire in Rhode Island at the Station night club where so many rock fans perished. I will never forget the images of the news footage and seeing the horror of that evening unfold. It resonated with me and so many that attend rock shows on a regular basis in clubs. Just thought it important to take a second to remember those that lost their lives and the families and friends impacted. Hard to believe 11 years have passed already. RIP to those who passed on that horrific night.
Tons of people asking me what’s going on with Kiss and the HOF. Do I know stuff? Yes. Am I saying anything, no. Not trying to be cryptic but stuff has been changing ever since it was announced the band were to finally be inducted. There are no doubt very different opinions and feelings about how it should all go down. All you need to do is read or listen to interviews that have come out by the various members or read some of the posts on their Twitter, etc. Once official statements are made I’ll certainly comment as a fan. For the time being I am letting the process play out and helping behind the scenes when asked. All that is set in stone at this moment is that Ace, Peter, Gene & Paul are being inducted (no other members in the bands history are being inducted, but that does not mean they might not be represented in some way). Who plays, if they play, if they all show, all still to be announced. The person inducting them will be announced soon. Everything else is still being sorted behind the scenes and I expect an announcement of some sort to come from someone very soon. Wish I could tell you more but there is much going on behind the scenes and whatever happens will come from official channels likely sooner than later. There has been lots of rumor and speculation out there and much of it not accurate. Like many of you who have waited and pushed for this for a very long time, I also hope it goes off in the best of ways. After all we can all agree it’s happening about 15 years later than it should have!
Checked out some new music from a new band called KXM featuring George Lynch, Dug Pinnick and Ray Luzier. Some slamming playing!
TONS of response coming in from all the great Mexican fans about my appearance at the Hell & Heaven Festival next month. An honor to be a part of it. To those asking about meeting me or getting a photo I hope to have details on a brief meet & greet opportunity soon. I am there at the direction of the promoter and will let you know more when we get closer. Also just added an appearance in Largo FL hosting Jake E Lee gig at the Cultural Center March 28th. Then off to host the MOR Cruise from there. Many gigs coming, keep an eye on the home page listing of appearances.
JoeDolanPR.com has uploaded video footage of Lynch Mob’s February 14th performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. See the video below.
The current line-up of Lynch Mob is an unusual combination of rock backgrounds. Bassist Kevin Baldes is an original member of the Orange County alternative rock band Lit. Lit’s platinum album A Place In The Sun had three Top Ten hits, including My Own Worst Enemy. Jimmy D’Anda is on drums. With L.A.-based rock band Bulletboys and its hit Smooth Up In Ya, he earned a gold album and toured the world with rock’s biggest acts.
Being introduced on this tour is new vocalist Thadeus “Tad” Gonzalez. With Oakland-based Electric Sister, Tad enjoyed critical acclaim from not only the release of The Lost Art Of Rock & Roll, but also supporting gigs with KISS/Motely Crue, Slash and Black Label Society. He’s been called “a frontman to watch” and “a definitive rock ‘n’ roll voice.”
