Pulse Music

It was 35 years ago today (February 14th, 1987) that Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" began its four-week run on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The song was first released the previous August on the band's third album, Slippery When Wet, serving as the set's second single following the chart-topping "You Give Love A Bad Name." "Livin On A Prayer" toppled Madonna's then sixth-Number One hit, "Open Your Heart" after only one week on top of the Hot 100.

Upon its initial release, "Livin' On A Prayer" sold a whopping 800,000 copies the U.S. alone and in 2013 was officially certified triple platinum. A tally in June 2020 saw the video racking in over 600 million YouTube views.

Jon Bon Jovi co-wrote the tune with bandmate Richie Sambora and noted songwriter Desmond Child -- and maintains its success took him by surprise. In recent interview with The Irish Times, he said, "That song, God bless it. But, my God, who knew? Not us, I can assure you. It was created on a day when none of us had any ideas. We just had a conversation, and it came out of that. I'm sure happy my name's on it!"

He went on to recall, "I remember walking out of the room with Richie and I said, 'Eh, it's okay. Maybe we should just put it on a movie soundtrack.' Richie looked at me and said, 'You're an idiot. It's really good.' I said, 'I just don't know where it's going.' But it didn't have that boom-boom-boom bassline yet, so it sounded more like the Clash."

Back in 2019 during his "Runaway To Paradise" fan cruises onboard the Norwegian Pearl, Bon Jovi took part in Q&A and shed light on his decision to stay with the song -- rather than act on his initial instincts: "Ultimately, the song was so unique. It didn't sound like anything. Y'know, 'Runaway' had eight notes, like a lot of songs on the radio at the time. Even '(You Give Love A) Bad Name' was reminiscent of other songs that were on the radio. 'Livin' On A Prayer' didn't sound like anything. So, I was sort of indifferent. I thought, 'Well, it's different, but is it a rock song? Is it us?' Granted, we wrote it on acoustic guitars, so there was no drum beat or anything. There was no bass line."

Richie Sambora explained to us why "Livin' On A Prayer" is probably one of the most durable and universal songs he ever co-wrote with Bon Jovi and Desmond Child: "All of us have been in a situation where, y'know, you've been kind of like on the balls of your butt and you don't know what's going to happen. Either it's your girlfriend, or your parents, or your friend, or your dog -- or somebody kind of helps you along. Y'know, we've all been 'Tommy and Gina' -- the two characters that Jon and I and Desmond created in that particular song."

Although Bon Jovi's 1986 breakthrough album Slippery When Wet and its 1988 followup New Jersey were commemorated with deluxe editions -- Jon Bon Jovi told us he's never been comfortable going down that road -- be it either box set editions or playing full albums in concert: "Yeah, that came and went with Slippery (When Wet) and I don't need that kind of stuff. Y'know, I've always just remained in the moment and I don't really get caught up in that. I don't know why; maybe it's just because we continued to remain current as we do that I don't need to repackage something in. . . I don't know. I just don't really get caught up in it."

Although reports circulated last night that Eminem disobeyed the NFL by taking a knee to honor Colin Kaepernick during his SuperBowl halftime show performance, the NFL says that is not the case. The Puck reported that the NFL warned the performers to no take a knee, but journalist Ryan Glasspiegel revealed that NFL reps said players have been taking knees since 2016 without sanctions, so musical talent wouldn't be held to a different standard.

Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer also confirmed no rules were broken per the NFL's spokesperson Brian McCarthy. McCarthy said, "Report was erroneous. We watched all elements of the show during numerous rehearsals this week."

Meanwhile, The Puck also suggested that Dr. dre performing "Still D.R.E" and the lyrics "Still not loving police" did make SuperBowl organizers "uncomfortable" as did Snoop's blue outfit but they decided not to censor either to avoid a "divisive cultural moment."

NFL MISTAKES JHENE AIKO FOR MICKEU GUYTON

In related news, social media also reacted to the NFL mistaking Jhene Aiko for Mickey Guyton at the SuperBowl. Guyton performed the National Anthem, and when it was time to introduce Jhene to perform "America The Beautiful," they panned to a shot of Mickey again.

Kanye West has removed Kid Cudi from DONDA 2 because of his frienship with Pete Davidson. This past weekend, Kanye posted via Instagram, "Just so everyone knows Cudi will not be on Donda because he's friends with you-know-who. We all speak in Billie language now." Cudi responded, "Too bad I don't wanna be on ur album u f****** dinosaur hahaha. Everyone knows I've been the best thing about ur albums since I met u. Ima pray u for brother." He added, "We talked weeks ago about this. You're whack for flipping the script and posting this lie just for a look on the internet. You ain't no friend. BYE."

in other news, Kanye fired of a few shots towards Pete Davidson by posting a meme, making the Captain America: Civil War poster into a representation oh his current situation. Mr. West put him, Drake, Julia Fox, Travis Scott, and Future on one side, fighting against Pete Davidson, Kim Kardashian, Kid Cudi, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift. He captioned, "THE INTERNET HAS STILL NOT FOUND A DECENT PICTURE OF SKETE."

Although Mick Fleetwood wasn't one of Fleetwood Mac's three legendary songwriters -- he believes that shepherding the band and its career was his primary role. Ultimate Classic Rock transcribed some of the drummer's new chat with Apple Music, in which Fleetwood looked back in celebration of the 45th anniversary of 1977's Rumours album.

Fleetwood recalled, "I didn't really know what it was I was really contributing. . . I do know now (it was) keeping some semblance out of panic or insecurity, to have this not stop. Hearing our body of work from time to time, that actually now comfortably does cross my mind. I go, 'Well, no, I didn't do that -- but this is my song. This is my song.' These lovely incarnations of Fleetwood Mac. . . being around incredibly talented people that we were able to invite into the band, and mercifully, with really fantastic, unbelievable storytelling results. That to me is like my song now."

Regarding the tumultuous relationship with former lovers Stevie Nicks and ousted leader Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood explained, "I'll just say it. . . Stevie and Lindsey, I don't think certainly are resolved fully, and I wish they were. I visualize those moments as the years trickle by somehow. But I truly, somewhat sadly think that that will go into the rainbow somewhere and never really change. But there you go."

Mick Fleetwood told us that having a deep catalogue featuring both blockbuster classics and more personal creative triumphs is one of the most rewarding aspects of Fleetwood Mac's career: "That's part of the advantage of having a broad-based deep catalogue that we have and being one of those bands that has got underneath that wire where within reason, we're not gonna go away in my lifetime. It would've already happened and it hasn't. So you're underneath that fence and you're on the other side in an area that's a privilege to be in."

Rihanna has opened up abour her pregnancy. She told Entertainment Tonight, "It's all an exciting journey so far I'm just taking it as it comes every week. There's always something new and I'm just taking it and I'm enjoying it." She also revealed that her pregnancy cravings are "donuts, so far."

As far as her maternity style, she said, "I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I could. And fashion is one of my favorite things, so, you know, we're defying what it even means to be pregnant and maternal. It can get uncomfortable at times and so you can dress the part and pretend."

Meanwhile, in an interview with E!, RiRi revealed how it was keeping the pregnancy from her friends and family, saying, "It was harder for me to keep it from my posse, because they're around me, they know my habits. They're like, 'You don't want something to drink? You're not smoking?' They know I hate sweets and I'm all of a sudden asking for cookies and donuts." She continued, "But finally, I just had to let it all out, and they were all shocked, of course, as the world was shocked as well."

Today (February 14th) marks the 52nd anniversary of the recording of the Who's legendary 1970 gig at England's Leeds University Refectory -- the concert which eventually became their first live set, Live At Leeds.

The original 1970 release only featured six tracks, including elongated versions of "My Generation" and "Magic Bus" along with show stoppers such as Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues," their 1966 single "Substitute," and covers of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues," and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over."

Roger Daltrey told us that although he loves the Live At Leeds album, he isn't wild about his particular performance that night: "I always felt under pressure when anything was knowingly being recorded. I didn't mind if people were kind of surreptitiously doing it. Personally, it wasn't one of my best gigs, but the individual in the band never sees the band in the audience's perspective. It's a great album. I love that album because it captures a moment in time."

The original expanded two-disc version of Live At Leeds features such Who standards as "I Can't Explain," "Tattoo," "Happy Jack," "I'm A Boy," "A Quick One While He's Away," and a complete performance of the rock opera Tommy -- including live staples as "Pinball Wizard," "The Acid Queen," "Christmas," "Cousin Kevin," "Sparks," "I'm Free," "We're Not Gonna Take It,' and "See Me, Feel Me."

The "Super-Deluxe 40th Anniversary Collectors' Edition" of Live At Leeds included the band's 1970 Hull's City Hall concert taped two nights after the Leeds show, on February 16th, 1970. The Live At Hull collection was reissued separately in 2012.

Daltrey, who makes it a point to never dwell on the band's past or delve into its massive archive, feels that Hull had a slight edge over the Leeds show in terms of the band's performance: "I mean, it's a great album. It does capture the energy of the period. My recollection of the two nights was that I've always felt that Hull was a better performance. I haven't heard the record, so I might be wrong on that, but it always felt that it was to me."

Pete Townshend says that no matter what genre of music the Who tackled, their musical shorthand was able to carry them through uncharted waters: "The chemistry of the Who originally, the instrumentalists, Keith Moon, John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, and I talk about myself as another creature here, y'know. I wrote the songs and then I would give the songs to this trio. They would do something to the chemistry that was very, very chaotic but very, very internalized, and it was chemistry. We didn't understand how it worked, we couldn't explain how it worked, it just worked."

The latest version of the set, which marks the third time the 1970 classic has been expanded and reissued, is now housed in a hard-back box with cover artwork reproducing the original black stamped vinyl first UK pressing.

The expanded Live At Leeds was reissued twice on CD -- in 1995 and 2001 -- each time featuring more songs from the Leeds show from February 14th, 1970 -- with the 2001 version including the Who's full performance of Tommy.

Thanks to digital technology, the newly added Hull concert utilizes John Entwistle's bass parts from the Leeds show to cover the missing bass amp feed, which rendered the Hull show unsuitable for release back in the day.

Live At Leeds was released on May 16th, 1970 and peaked at Number Four on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and reaching Number Three in Britain.

The only single taken off the set, a cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" became a radio staple peaking at Number 27 and 38 in America and Britain, respectively.

The Who returned to perform at Leeds University twice after the legendary show -- on November 21st, 1970 and June 17th, 2006. The band most recently performed in Leeds on December 2nd, 2014 at First Direct Arena.

In 2020 -- 50 years to the day of the original 1970 Leeds show -- the Who commemorated the anniversary with a pair of acoustic shows at Pryzm in Kingston-Upon-Thames, England. Highlights from the night were released as a bonus disc on the expanded version of 2019's WHO as Live As Kingston.

Kodak Black was among three people shot on Friday night (February 12th) in Los Angeles outside of Justin Bieber's afterparty. According to TMZ, all gunshots victims are reportedly recovering from non-life threatening injuries.

Bieber performed in West Hollywood at the Pacific Design Center and had an afterparty at The Nice Guy in L.A. At around 2:45 pm, Kodak, along with rappers Gunna and Lil Baby were standing on the street when a fight broke out. Someone in Kodak's crew was jumped by an unidentified person and Kodak jumped into the fight. This is when the assailant starting shooting. Kodak was reportedly shot in the leg. At least 10 shots were fired.

All of the victims were hospitalized and were listed in stable condition.

An investigation is currently underway and the shooters are still on the loose.

Slash made it clear that Guns N' Roses will remain an active concern for its band members with plenty more studio tracks still to come. Slash is currently out on the road with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators in support of their new album, 4.

Coming on February 25th is Guns N' Roses' four-track EP, titled Hard Skool, marking the first set to feature Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, and Slash since the band's 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" When pressed about the news proper Guns album, Slash told Rolling Stone, "There's a bunch of new stuff also coming, maybe a little bit more complex, but it's just as much fun. . . I know we've got some songs and we're releasing another one at some point soon, and there'll be another one after that. As far as the record is concerned, that remains to be seen as far as a whole package, but I feel pretty confident that at some point down the road, there will be (one)."

Slash went on to talk candidly about how it feels for the three principal members of Guns N' Roses to be working together again: "I think the biggest thing was getting past this horrible black cloud that was perpetuating, having to do with me and Axl. We had a lot of issues born out of third-party stuff. It was very insidious, and the longer we didn't talk, the more it got blown out of proportion. But the more significant part was, when Axl and Duff and I first got into a room playing, it was just like this f***ing thing that I can't even really verbally describe. It was like, 'Whoa, that's what that is.' Then, just to go out and play together, it's like, I wonder how the f*** we got into that mess that we were in in the '90s."

When we last caught up with Slash, we asked him how he knows when he's got the right "chemistry" in whatever band he's playing with: "I think the most important thing about chemistry is just connecting people together. You can have great musicians and not be able to get a spark very easily. It's really about people connecting and music being the conduit, and I think that's probably what it is about chemistry that makes it work for some people and not for others."

Styx and REO Speedwagon have just tagged 10 new September shows onto their upcoming summer trek, dubbed the "Live & unZoomed" tour -- with special guests Loverboy opening at all dates.

Styx and REO will alternate headlining each night, and start the trek on May 31st in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Van Andel Arena, with the bands now winding things down on September 18th in Bangor, Maine at Darling's Waterfront Pavilion.

All three bands on the "Live & unZoomed" tour -- Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Loverboy have been passed over for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for decades now. Kevin Cronin, who's kept REO together through thick and thin -- and still sells out year after year for their legion of fans -- told us that not getting into the Rock Hall is okay with him: "I understand what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thought process is. And I think in our case, at least; I mean, I think of myself as an artist and an entertainer. I mean, did I re-invent the wheel with REO Speedwagon? Probably not. I think I picked up influences from the Beatles and from a lot of bands that were around me, but I don't know if in good conscience I could say I'm an innovator, and 'did I create something brand new,' y'know? And I think the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is looking for those types of seminal, pivotal bands."

UPDATED: Styx / REO Speedwagon / Loverboy tour dates (subject to change):

May 31 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
June 1 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
June 3 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 4 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 7 - Milwaukee, WI - American Family Insurance Amphitheatre
June 8 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 10 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
June 11 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
June 13 - Rogers, AR - Walmart Amphitheatre
June 14 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
June 17 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
June 18 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amp
June 19 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
July 8 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
July 9 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
July 12 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
July 13 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheatre
July 15 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 16 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre
July 19 - Chula Vista, CA - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 20 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
July 22 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheatre
July 23 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
July 24 - Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 5 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
August 6 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
August 8 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater
August 10 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park
August 12 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
August 13 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
August 16 - Toronto, ONT - Budweiser Stage
August 17 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 19 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
August 20 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
August 21 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
September 3 - Duluth, MN - Amsoil Arena
September 4 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena
September 6 - Moline, IL - TaxSlayer Center
September 9 - Syracuse, NY - St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater
September 10 - Burgettstown, PA - Pavilion at Star Lake
September 13 - Huntsville, AL - Orion Amphitheater
September 14 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours
September 16 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
September 17 - Gilford, NH - Bank of NH Pavilion
September 18 - Bangor, ME - Darling's Waterfront Pavilion

It was 55 years ago Sunday (February 14th, 1967) that the late, great Aretha Franklin recorded her cover version of Otis Redding's "Respect." Redding had originally recorded the song in 1965 and scored only a moderate hit when it peaked at Number 35. Redding's arrangement was slightly more upbeat and consisted of only verses with no chorus or bridge.

Aretha recorded the song in New York City's Atlantic Studios, playing piano on the track and using the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section -- a group of four session musicians who mainly played sessions in Nashville and Muscle Shoals, Alabama, before later starting their own Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. It was Aretha's idea to use the tape of King Curtis's sax solo from Sam & Dave's "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" -- which was recorded the night before at Memphis' Stax Studios -- to create a new bridge to the song.

The song's producer Tom Dowd recalled the session: "Aretha said she liked the song, and started running (through it), although Aretha's sister Carolyn (Franklin) was instrumental in the tempo aspect of it, the way they did it with (the) 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T' lines . . . It just went by very easily."

Not long before her 2018 death, we asked Aretha if she was aware at the time that she was recording one of the most iconic records in all of rock, pop and soul history: "At the time, no. It was just good and funky, and I liked it, and my sister and I put the 'sock it to me' phrase to it. And of course, a little later it became a mantra for civil rights groups and various other people."

Aretha's version of "Respect" debuted in the Billboard Top 40 on May 6th, 1967, and hit Number One on June 3rd, holding down the top spot for two weeks.

Apart from being a radio staple since its release, the song has been featured in movies like Platoon, Forrest Gump, Mystic Pizza, and Back To School -- as well as having been used prominently on Candace Bergen's hit TV show Murphy Brown.

Adele told BBC's Graham Norton Friday (Feb. 11th) that her Las Vegas residency will still happen in 2022. The pop star was reluctant to give any exact dates but insisted that it needs to happen soon, because she's planning on having a baby in 2023.

She told the host, "It is absolutely 100 percent happening this year. It has to happen this year because I've got plans for next year. Imagine if I have to cancel because I am having a baby?"

The "Hello" singer also admitted that the show's delay wasn't entirely Covid-related.

She explained, "I tried my hardest and really thought I would be able to pull something together in time. I regret that I kept going until that late in the day. It would have been a really half-arsed show, and I can't do that."

BTS' Suga and Jungkook are branching out from the group with their new ballad, "Stay Alive." The song, which appears on the official soundtrack for 7Fates: Cakho, is produced by Suga with vocals by Jungkook.

Billboard reports that the track is part of the unfolding story line of the animated web comic, based on the chakhogaspa, the story of a legendary group of tiger hunters.

Their label, HYBE, told the outlet that the new song is a "nod to the characters in the story as they try to survive in a vicious world."

KATY PERRY'S RESIDENCEY PULLS IN $7 MILLION: Katy Perry's residency at the newly opened Resorts World Las Vegas has pulled in nearly $7 million. The pop star's show, Katy Perry: Play, launched its first set of shows on Dec. 29, playing eight performances through Jan. 15. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the shows earned nearly $6.98 million with a total attendance of 32,000 fans.

HARRY STYLES SPOTTED FILMING MUSIC VIDEO: Harry Styles has been spotted filming a new music video on a giant bed on wheels outside Buckingham Palace. Photos obtained by The Sun show the 28-year-old singer dressed in polka-dot pajamas as he sang to the camera while a truck pulled the king sized bed across the mall. One onlooker told the outlet, "They shut down the mall for him to film on a big bed surrounded by women dressed as hippies. Harry was wearing retro clothes and it was reminiscent of John Lennon's famous bed moment with Yoko Ono."

CHARLI XCX DROPS 'BEG FOR YOU' VIDEO: Charli XCX, releases the music video for her latest single, "Beg For You," featuring Rina Sawayama, on Friday (Feb. 11th). The track has given the longtime friends their first opportunity to work together. Charli's highly-anticipated forthcoming album, Crash, will be released on March 18th and is the fifth and final album in her record deal. Charli kicks off her 21-date North American tour in Los Angeles on March 26th.

BTS members Jungkook, V, RM, J-Hope, Jin, Suga, and Jimin star in a new advertising campaign that shows them as advocates for a cleaner and greener planet.

In a nearly two-minute video for Samsung, they take turns holding up placards with dire messages. Some such as "The oceans are drowning in plastic," "Marine animals are suffering, and "It's time for a change." Behind them, you can see images of giant pools of plastic in the ocean. The music in the background is "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Bob Dylan.

Released this week, it's part of the launch of a new range of Galaxy smartphones. Samsung says the product is made of repurposed, ocean-bound, discarded fishing nets.

TL;DR:

• BTS members star in a new advertising campaign that shows them as advocates for a cleaner and greener planet.
• Released this week, it's part of the launch of a new range of Galaxy smartphones.

Sting is the latest rocker to sell his song catalogue. with Universal Music Group (UMG) acquiring his entire portfolio spanning his years with the Police and on his own. Although no numbers were released, industry whispers put the amount of the sale in the $300 million range. UMG has been Sting's label home for his entire career through his runs at A&M, Interscope, and Cherrytree Records.

Sting name-checked both Jody Gerson -- the Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group and Sir Lucian Grainge -- UMG's Chairman & CEO in the official statement regarding the sale:

I am delighted to have Jody and the team at UMPG curate and manage my song catalog. It is absolutely essential to me that my career's body of work have a home where it is valued and respected -- not only to connect with longtime fans in new ways but also to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations.

Throughout my career, I have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with UMG as my label partner, under the watchful guidance of Lucian, so it felt natural to unite everything in one trusted home, as I return to the studio, ready for the next chapter.

Back in the Police days, Sting was asked about his knack for coming up with complex, but instantly commercial songs: "It's beyond logic. I don't know why it happens. I'm glad it happens. I don't think people write songs. I don't write songs. The songs -- I transmit the songs. They seem to be there, they seem to be already written, in a sense."

Sting told us that he has no regrets about any of the more obscure paths his music has taken him: "What I've chosen to do has largely coincided with popular taste -- even though my instinct was to just do what I wanted, what interested me. Y'know, and I've always said that there we things that will not coincide with popular taste that will lead me down a path -- but I would never regret that."

Sting kicks off his next set of tour dates on March 5th in Riga, Latvia.

His "My Songs" Las Vegas residency will start at Caesars Palace on June 3rd.

Billie Eilish got an invitation to the White House and made a stop there this week while on her Happier Than Ever world tour.

Her brother, Finneas and their parents, Maggie and Patrick were also invited. Eilish was vocal about her support for President Biden during the 2020 campaign and more recently, she petitioned him regarding an animal rights issue.

A photo was posted on the official POTUS Instagram account. It read, "When I heard my friends @billieeilish and @finneas were in town for a show, I knew I had to invite them over to the White House. Great to see you and your family and I'm glad you got to meet Commander."

TL;DR:

• Billie Eilish, her brother, Finneas, and their parents were invited to the White House this week.
• A photo was posted on the official POTUS Instagram account.

​FAST FACTS

• Commander is the Presidents dog.

Charli XCX says she needs to step back from social media. In a personal statement on Twitter, she told fans about her struggle with mental health issues. She mentioned the criticism surrounding the rollout of her forthcoming album, Crash.

She said, "I've been grappling quite a lot with my mental health the past few months and obviously it makes negativity and criticism harder to handle when I come across it."

When she wants to post something, she'll have someone monitor her social media and will be drafting tweets from afar. She wrote: "because, I can't really handle it here right now."

Following her statement, she announced that the official music video for her and Rina Sawayama's "Beg For You," will be out today, (Feb.11).

TL;DR:

Eddie Vedder has released the trailer for an exclusive, intimate conversation between himself and Bruce Springsteen presented by Amazon Music. The special will debut on Amazon Live today (Friday, February 11th) beginning at 2 p.m. ET and will be available exclusively for 48 hours. The interview will be made available on Vedder's YouTube page beginning on Sunday (February 13th).

Eddie Vedder Together In Conversation With Bruce Springsteen was filmed on Springsteen's farm in New Jersey, and together, the two break down Vedder's new album, Earthling - from production and appearances by Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, Elton John and Andrew Watt, to Vedder's songwriting.

Earthling is Vedder's first album since 2011's Ukulele Songs and his first solo tour in over a decade.

Vedder's Earthling is available today.

Kanye West has threaten to pull out of Coachella unless Billie Eilish apologizes to Travis Scott for comments she made during her recent concert. During her concert in Atlanta last week, Billie stopped the show to offer an inhaler to a fan who was having trouble breathing. She said, "I wait for people to be OK until I keep going."

Kanye responded on social media, staying, "COME ON BILLIE WE LOVE YOU PLEASE APOLOGIZE TO TRAV AND TO THE FAMILIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES."

He continued, "NO ONE INTENDED THIS TO HAPPEN TRAV DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN HE WAS ON STAGE AND WAS VERY HURT BY WHAT HAPPENED."

He added, "YES TRAV WILL BE WITH ME AT COACHELLA BUT NOW I NEED BILLIE TO APOLOGIZE BEFORE I PERFORM."

BILLIE RESPONDS

Billie responded to Kanye's comments, saying, "literally never said a thing about travis. was just helping a fan."

KANYE RESPONDS TO FAN THAT SHE HE IS 'OFF THE MEDS'

In other news, Kanye West responded to a fan that said Kanye is "off the meds" and that DONDA 2 is "gonna go crazy."

Kanye responded, "THE WORLD IS RACIST SEXIST HOMOPHOBIC AND CRAZY PHOBIC AT OUR CORE. ITS CHEAP AND DISMISSIVE TO SAY IM OFF MY MEDS ANYTIME I SPEAK UP PHOBIA IN THIS SENSE DOESN'T MEAN BEING AFRAID OF IT MEANS NOT GIVING POWER TO LETS BE MORE CONSCIOUS AND NOT WRITE EACH OTHER OFF SO EASILY."

• Although he has said only days ago that he wouldn't be including any Guns N' Roses tunes in his current shows -- Slash went back on his word when he welcomed bassist Duff McKagan onstage for a Guns classic. McKagan guested with Slash, Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators at their February 9th Seattle stop at the Paramount Theatre to perform the Appetite For Destruction favorite, "Night Train."
  • Bassist Todd Kerns handled vocals on the tune -- and earlier in the show sang a cover of Lenny Kravitz' "Always On The Run." Myles Kennedy was back on the mic for the band's take on Elton John's "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)." (Ultimate Classic Rock)
    
    
• Mammoth WVH has just dropped the latest single and video from its self-titled Grammy-nominated debut album. Leader Wolfgang Van Halen spoke about the release of "Epiphany," explaining, "'Epiphany' is the song that I always say best represents the core sound of Mammoth WVH. The song was easily the biggest unreleased track and has resonated most with the fans since the album was released last June. That was why it made sense to be a single now. It is also one of the most fun to play live and I can't wait to get back out on the road and play it on the Young Guns tour." (Ultimate-Guitar.com)
  
  
• Ian McDonald, a founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, died at age 75 on February 9th in his home in New York City, surrounded by his family. MacDonald, who was revered in the prog circles, contributed keyboards and woodwinds to King Crimson's debut album In The Court Of The Crimson King, which is considered one of the most influential albums of the genre. He was also featured on T. Rex's signature hit, "Get It On (Bang A Gong)."
• MacDonald joined foreigner in 1976 playing guitar, keyboards, and woodwinds on the band's first three albums: Foreigner, Double Vision, and Head Games. His work is featured on such iconic hits as "Feels Like The First Time" "Cold As Ice," "Hot Blooded," "Double Vision," and many others. McDonald's final band was the Manhattan-based Honey West. (Press release)
  
  
• Coming on April 12th is the new book, Record Store Day - The Most Improbable Comeback Of The 21st Century, author Larry Jaffee. The tome, "tells the story (of Record Store Day) in the voices of the artists who love (records), the people who founded Record Store Day, and the people who make up a record store: those who run them, those who shop in them and those who make the music they love in them."
  • A limited edition version with a special vinyl album will be available on April 23rd featuring tracks recorded live at in-stores by Paul McCartney, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Imagine Dragons, Mudhoney, and Brandi Carlile, among others. (Best Classic Bands)
    
    
• Kiss "Dynasty" collectible figures will hit the market as soon as this spring, with pre-orders now available for the limited run of 3,000. The four figures -- available as a set of four or separately -- are based on the band's colorful 1979 Dynasty tour stage personas and sell for $159 each.
  • The officially licensed statues are "hand-painted and numbered and come with a certificate of authenticity printed on the base of each collectible statue." (Blabbermouth)
    
    
• Tears For Fears have just released the new video "Break The Man" from the band's upcoming album, The Tipping Point, which drops on February 25th. Curt Smith said of the new tune, "'Break The Man' is about a strong woman and breaking the patriarchy. I feel that a lot of the problems we've been having as a country and even worldwide to a certain degree has come from male dominance. It's a song about a woman who is strong enough to break the man. For me, that would be an answer to a lot of the problems in the world -- a better male-female balance." (Rock Cellar)

U2 AT THE SUPER BOWL - 2002

It was 20 years ago this Super Bowl Sunday (February 3rd, 2002) that U2 headlined the game's legendary halftime show in New Orleans' Superdome. Coming only months after the horrific 9/11 attacks, the band's set, which only featured two songs -- "It's A Beautiful Day" and "Where The Streets Have No Name" -- served as both a moment to rejoice and reflect. During the second song, a scrolling list of those that perished on 9/11 was rolled behind the band, with Bono ending the song by revealing an American flag serving as the lining of his jacket.

Only days after the Super Bowl appearance, Bono was honored for his philanthropic efforts at The Love Rocks event in Los Angeles. While accepting the Entertainment Industry Foundation's (EIF) Heart Of Entertainment Award Bono spoke of the imporatnce of the American dream and its need to thrive: "I promise you this -- that those lives that were lost on September the 11th, that is their only fitting memorial. Not just the pursuit of justice, but the pursuit of a less dangerous, safer, fairer, more inclusive world. Thank you very much. (applause)"

THE WHO AT THE SUPER BOWL - 2010

It was 12 years ago this Super Bowl Sunday (February 7th, 2010), that the Who performed a medley of five of their classic songs at the halftime show during the Super Bowl at Miami's Sun Life Stadium. The band performed a nearly 12-minute set featuring abbreviated versions of "Pinball Wizard," "Baba O'Riley," "Who Are You?," "See Me, Feel Me," and "Won't Get Fooled Again."

Joining the band on stage was their longtime backline featuring Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey on drums, John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards, Pino Palladino on bass, and Pete Townshend's younger brother Simon Townshend on rhythm guitar.

Unlike the Who's usual live shows, Townshend -- decked out in black shades and trilby hat -- kicked off "Pinball Wizard" with his modified acoustic Gibson J-200, before switching to his usual red Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster for the duration of the set. Zak Starkey was playing a clear D.W. drum kit with Zildjian cymbals painted with the Who's iconic red, white, and blue "mod"-era bullseye.

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend talked to the NFL Network after their pre-game press conference, with Daltrey revealing how hard it was paring the set down to only 12 minutes: "It's been very difficult to do this because most of our songs are at least six minutes long. And we want to do more than one or two songs. It works as a cohesive piece of music."

He said that he was absolutely awed by the massive halftime stage: "It's extreme, (laughs) to say the least. It's the biggest stage I've ever seen in my life, it's amazing. And the quickest . . . and it is truly amazing how you do this. I mean, I'm completely stunned by the amount of organization to put a show on in the middle of a football pitch, and you've got 20 minutes to do it, get off and get the match started. It's ridiculous, and they're doing it -- and it works."

Townshend admitted that the songs chosen for the set were actually decided by committee: "Roger actually put the medley -- or the selection of tracks -- together, but I think we got a message from various people in, y'know, the NFL and music they'd like to hear and that's what we reflected. There was some pressure from CBS that we only play songs that were associated with CSI (laughter) and I of course was going, 'Yeah -- let's do that!"

Townshend was asked if it was going to be tough to get to full-on performance mode within such a short amount of time: "When I'm playing live and kind of. . . I don't know what happens to me. I'm a mild mannered man and what actually happens when I get onstage with a guitar is that something happens, something triggers, like, an adrenaline rush, and I can pretty much rely on it. It's like turning on a switch."

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND AT THE SUPER BOWL - 2009

It was 13 years ago this Super Bowl Sunday (February 1st, 2009) that after years of turning the NFL down flat, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed an electrifying four-song medley during the halftime show at the Super Bowl in Tampa. Springsteen and the band -- who unlike nearly all the halftime acts in recent memory actually looked as though they were enjoying themselves -- were augmented by the Miami Horns on loan from their roadwork with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

Bruce and the band tore through abbreviated versions of "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," which in one of the many comical moments in the short set, saw Springsteen's signature knee slide across the stage land him straight into the cameraman who caught it all on tape -- including Springsteen cracking up at the bang-up; "Born To Run" which dropped the "Wendy let me in. . ." verse; the new "Working On A Dream" backed by the Inaugural Celebration Chorus, who first backed "The Boss" the previous month in Washington, D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial; and finally "Glory Days" with the baseball lyrics replaced with football terms including the no-brainer switch from "speedball" to "Hail Mary." Springsteen and right-hand man Steve Van Zandt had fun vamping as they brought the song to a close.

The highpoint for die-hard fans was seeing Springsteen play his retired Fender hybrid Telecaster-Esquire guitar, which has been completely absent from his live shows over the past few years. The guitar -- which has a Telecaster body and an Esquire neck -- was Springsteen's primary instrument from 1972 to 2000 and is pictured on the album covers of Born To Run, Live 1975-1985, Human Touch, Plugged, Greatest Hits, and the Wrecking Ball album.

We caught up with Nils Lofgren prior to the game and he explained the pros and cons of the band signing on for the half-time gig: "It goes way beyond a gig. First of all, TV is always never your favorite thing to do in a great band -- because it removes the three hour sweat fast, the day of prep, the whole ease into this incredible environment. But that being said -- it's. . . after 40 years on the road, it's without a doubt gonna be the best and greatest TV show opportunity any of us will ever have."

At the pre-game press conference Springsteen explained why he changed his mind about performing such a high profile, creatively restrictive, and overtly commercial gig: "Initially it was a novelty, so it didn't feel right. I had a talk with. . . I was with a young musician, talking about the Super Bowl. He said, 'Why don't you play the Super Bowl?' I said, 'Well, y'kinda playing in the middle of a football game, y'know?' He said, 'Man, I just hope one day my band's big enough to play the Super Bowl." I think why we said yes this year -- they've asked us many times -- was, one: (Exaggerated voice) We have a new album comin' out, dummy! C'mon! There's a new record in the stores (laughs). So -- it just happened to come out this past week (laughs). So, we have our mercenary reasons, of course, y'know? Besides our deep love of football."

Springsteen spoke to The New York Times about his decision to finally play the Super Bowl, explaining, "It was sort of, well, if we don't do it now, what are we waiting for? I want to do it while I'm alive. At my age, it is tough to get word of your music out. If we weren't doing these big things, there's no middle things."

He added: "It was very challenging to try and get (the set to fit into) that exact 12 minutes. I found that in a funny way it was very freeing. OK, these are your boundaries, so put everything that you have into just this box. If you do it right, you should feel the tension of it wanting to spread beyond that time frame. But it can't."

Super Bowl LVI (56) will air live on CBS this Sunday, February 13th. The game with The L.A. Rams taking on the Cincinnati Bengals will kick off at approximately 6:30 p.m. EST. This year's halftime performers will be This year's halftime performers will be Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.

It was 55 years ago Saturday (February 12th, 1967) that the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were arrested at Richards' West Sussex, England home for drug possession. The bust followed Donovan's arrest by the same drug squad, led by Norman Pilcher, the previous year, and sparked not only public debate within the rock community, but also within the underground and conservative press. Eric Clapton reportedly escaped arrest by Pilcher -- who rang his doorbell pretending to be a mailman -- by fleeing from his back door.

Jagger and Richards, along with Jagger's then-girlfriend Marianne Faithfull and various friends, including photographer Michael Cooper -- who shot the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover -- art dealer Robert Fraser, and George and Pattie Harrison, were partying after a Stones recording session at Richards' country estate, Redlands.

According to the Stones, the raid was a set-up by the British newspaper The News Of The World, which had earlier reported that Jagger had taken LSD at a party thrown by the Moody Blues. Jagger immediately began legal proceedings against the paper for slander. According to Bill Wyman's 1990 autobiography Stone Alone, an informant reported the details of Richards' party to The News Of The World, who in turn told the London drug squad. The arresting officers waited until after the Harrison's left the party to charge the house, presenting Richards with a warrant issued under the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1965.

Jagger was accused of illegally possessing four tablets containing amphetamine sulphate and methylamphetamine hydrochloride and Richards was charged with "allowing his house to be used for the purpose of smoking cannabis." Fraser was charged with possession of heroin and eight capsules of methylamphetamine hydrochloride. On May 10th, Jagger, Richards, and Fraser appeared in court and were each released on $200 bail.

On June 27th, Jagger's trial began, with Richards' and Fraser's starting the next day. During the trial, much was made of Faithfull being nude and wrapped in a bear rug when police arrived, which was supposed to suggest to the jury that she was under the effects of drugs and not in command of her senses.

On June 29th, Jagger was sentenced to three months in jail for possession of amphetamines and Richards to one year for allowing his home to be used for cannabis use. The Stones appealed the decision.

That day, the Who's Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and Keith Moon released a single of the Jagger-Richards compositions "Under My Thumb" and "The Last Time" in an effort to keep the band's work out in the public while dealing with their legal battles. The Who's bassist, John Entwistle, was away on his honeymoon and missed the session.

On July 1st, The London Times' William Rees-Mogg published his legendary editorial lambasting the Stones' arrest and legal persecution, called "Who Breaks A Butterfly On A Wheel?" The editorial helped change public perception of the severity of the Stones' sentences by saying, "It should be the particular quality of British justice to ensure that Mr. Jagger is treated exactly the same as anyone else, no better and no worse. There must remain a suspicion in this case that Mr. Jagger received a more severe sentence than would have been thought proper for any purely anonymous young man."

On July 31st, Jagger and Richards' charges were overturned. Fraser wasn't as lucky and ended up serving six months in jail.

Richards recalled the ramifications of the bust in the band's official 2003 biography, According To The Rolling Stones, saying that, "When we got busted at Redlands, it made us realize that this was a whole different ball game and that was when the fun had stopped. Up until then, it had been as though London existed in a beautiful space where you could do anything you wanted. And then the hammer came down and it was back to reality."

Jagger says that detailing the Redlands bust in the book allowed them to finally document how turbulent the legal-related events were, among other things: "The end result is really interesting, I think, because I think the interviewers were quite clever in talking about, y'know, different aspects of the band's career that we haven't really talked about. So, the mixture of that is quite, is quite good. It gives you a different flavor from before."

Over the next two years, the Stones' guitarist Brian Jones faced similar harassment from the London drug squad. John Lennon and Yoko Ono were also arrested for possession of cannabis in November 1968, and George Harrison was arrested in March 1969. Both Lennon and Harrison stated on numerous occasions that the drugs were planted on their property.

In 1975 John Lennon recalled his infamous 1968 drug bust, which was instigated -- like Jagger and Richards' -- by the infamous Norman Pilcher, and ultimately led to his ongoing immigration hassles throughout the 1970's: "In the late-'60s, there was a head-hunting cop, who was not very high up in the drug department in London, which was pretty new anyway. They had two dogs for the whole department. And he went around and bust(ed) every pop star he could get his hands on, then he got famous. And some of the pop stars had dope in the house and some of them didn't. It didn't matter to him -- he planted it or did whatever. That's what he did to me, 'cause at the time, I didn't have any drugs and I just copped a plea. Y'know, he said, 'I won't get ya for obstruction if you cop a plea.' And I thought, 'It's $100, or whatever. It's no skin off my nose' -- little thinking it would reverberate."

In 1972 Norman Pilcher was charged with "conspiracy to pervert the course of justice" after it was alleged that he committed perjury. He quit the police force before being sentenced to four years in prison. In 2020 he published his memoirs, entitled Bent Coppers.

It was 55 years ago Sunday (February 13th, 1967) that the Beatles released their double A-sided single of "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane." The single contained two of the first three songs recorded for the group's upcoming Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. (The other song, "When I'm 64," was saved for the album.) The songs broke the group's then unprecedented six-month stretch since their last single, "Yellow Submarine" backed by "Eleanor Rigby."

The new songs, which touched upon the group's Liverpool upbringing, were a study in contrasts, with Paul McCartney's more literal "Penny Lane" borrowing heavily from the sound of the Beach Boys' then-recent Pet Sounds album, and John Lennon's introspective "Strawberry Fields Forever" breaking new ground in both record production and song structure.

In a classic example of less being more, late-Beatles producer George Martin told us that the limited technology of the 1960's in no way held back the Beatles from recording timeless classics: "And I think in fact, if I had more than four tracks recording Sgt. Pepper, I don't think it would've been any better than it turned out. The music itself was so good, that no matter what you did with it -- provided you did it reasonably, technically well -- it would've survived."

George Harrison explained that the Beatles' drug use -- mainly pot and LSD -- greatly influenced the music they were making in the mid-'60s: "It mightn't have affected creativity for other people -- I know it did for us, and it did for me. I mean, the first thing for people who smoke marijuana and were into music, is that somehow, it focuses your attention better on the music, and so, you can hear it clearer. You can see things, or y'know, you could see things much different. I mean, LSD was something else, it wasn't just. . . marijuana was just like having a couple of beers, really (compared to acid). But LSD was more like going to the moon."

At a dinner party at manager Brian Epstein's house with the Beatles and their significant others, Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton were the first two outside musicians to be played the new tracks. Upon Townshend's recollection, when asked what they two thought about what they just heard, the Who leader was left speechless -- Clapton, on the other hand responded, "Could we please hear it again?"

Paul McCartney says that above all the other emotions he has regarding having John Lennon as his best friend for a substantial part of his life, he's still in awe of their musical connection: "I've got so many great memories, and I feel very privileged. Y'know, I'm the guy he wrote with -- that's pretty cool. And we wrote some great stuff and enjoyed it -- never really sweated it. We normally finished a song in about three hours, and can't ever remember coming away from a session without having a song."

Author Christopher Sanford, who wrote the biography titled McCartney, says that even during the Beatles days, it was McCartney who was constantly pushing the group to find new sounds in the studio: "Paul was the guy, I think, who was saying, 'Y'know, we can take this to a new direction. We can try these instruments that have never been tried. Let's get George Martin to have an orchestra playing out of tune!' And that was all McCartney."

The single was a global hit, with "Penny Lane" eventually topping the U.S. charts on March 18th, and "Strawberry Fields Forever" going on to peak at Number Eight.

In Britain, the single was kept from the top spot by Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me," marking the first time since their 1962 debut single "Love Me Do" that the Beatles failed to top the charts in their homeland.

The single, which was the Beatles' first after retiring from touring, featured the first of many Beatles songs the group never got to perform live.

In 1990, during McCartney's first performance in Liverpool since Lennon's death, he performed "Strawberry Fields Forever" in a medley with the Beatles' "Help!" and the Plastic Ono Band's "Give Peace A Chance" as a moving tribute to his fallen former partner.

Paul McCartney introduced "Penny Lane" into his live shows on his 1993 world tour.

Britney Spears has been working on a new dance video and is promoting the upcoming release online. She posted a snip of her dancing to the song, "Get Naked."

Calling the video a "tease of what's to come," she's seen wearing a red bikini top and a matching high-waisted, strappy thong, with black heels. As the music plays, she gyrates on a barre in an empty dance studio.

She didn't mention a release date, but the new track will be her first new music in 5 years.

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