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Pete Townshend feels that the Who touring with an orchestra helps fill in some of the sonic holes left by the late-John Entwistle and Keith Moon.

Townshend, who along with Roger Daltrey, will be back on the road in April along with a symphony orchestra backing the band at every stop, spoke to Rolling Stone and shed light on the Who's still-evolving live sound: "Two things happened to me over the years. One was dealing with Keith Moon's death (in 1978) where everything suddenly changed and we needed to replace him not with just another drummer, but with a keyboard player and a brass section. He was actually playing orchestrally, in a sense, as a drummer."

He went on to say, "And then when John Entwistle died (in 2002), there was another space left. That was because he was filling up so much of the musical spectrum with his bass sound, which was not a traditional bass sound. And so when he was gone, there was suddenly space for me … not so much to try and fill up the void he had left, but a space where I could have a different approach. I started to solo. I had to learn to practice the guitar (laughs), which I hadn't done much of before. I'll never be a famous shredder, but I can play better than I could when we were in the Live At Leeds years, for example. . . With the orchestra, it's a similar effect."

During his recent Q&A on the "Rock Legends Cruise 6," Roger Daltrey explained how he insisted on having the upcoming orchestral arrangements play an integral part of the concerts: "Well, Pete's music suits an orchestra much more -- I mean, I've seen many rock bands with orchestras, but mostly the orchestras are playing something that could be played on a synthesizer. I don't want and orchestra to do that. I want and orchestra to be dynamic, I want them to be melodic, I want them to be surprising -- I want them to really push the music to a different level."

Pete Townshend revealed to us that there's actually a tried and true breakdown of how the Who puts together any given show: "The Who show became, y'know, what you would call in a literary sense, a tripartite show; a show broken into three chunks -- which is still the kind of show that I still like the best. Some old stuff to soften everybody up, then the difficult material in the middle, and then a kind of reward for being good at the end."

In celebration of his 50th anniversary as a recording artist, Billy Joel is offering new color editions of his albums exclusively at Walmart, starting February 18th. Six of Billy's legendary sets are being reissued -- Piano Man (tan swirl), The Stranger (Grey Swirl), 52nd Street (Blue Swirl), Glass Houses (Sky Blue), An Innocent Man (Custard), and Storm Front (Red). Each album is packaged with its own exclusive 12-by-12 photo insert.

Billy's 1983 classic, An Innocent Man, is being reissued in custard in the new vinyl series. He recalled that at the time, the circumstances in his romantic life actually made him feel like he was a teenager again: "I'd gotten divorced and I started dating these different women. I was going out with models. . . I was a rock star. A single guy, who was a rock star. I was, like, amazed at my good fortune at the time. I started dating Christie Brinkley at the time, too. And started writing songs about these experiences. . . I kinda felt like a teenager all over again. And you don't fight that, when you're gonna write -- you write what you're feeling, and I didn't fight it. The material was coming so easily and so quickly, and I was having so much fun doing it -- I was kind of reliving my youth."

BLACKPINK teased the arrival of their 2022 Welcoming Collection in a video uploaded to YouTube on Monday (Feb. 14th).

The teaser featured Jenny, Jisoo, Lisa and Rose promising to answer questions from Blinks and the collection's release date: March 2nd.

The previous Welcoming Collection, which was released in 2020, included a 132-page photo book, a 168-page diary a DVD, posters, stickers and a desk calendar.

Britney Spears paid tribute to her fiancé Sam Asghari on Valentine's Day.

The "Toxic" singer wrote, "This man has been with me through it all !!!! I don't know what I would do without him so I think I will keep him around a bit longer …. I mean he is pretty hot !!!!! I love you @samasghari"

The actor wished Spears a happy Valentine's Day on his own Instagram page and added, "Fellas listen up: what they don't teach you in school is that your ability to listen and agree with your woman even if you don't agree is the key emoji to a happy life."

The pop star also weighed in on the Super Bowl halftime show on Monday (Feb. 14th), saying that the performance made her feel like she was 17 again.

Spears wrote, "@Eminem last night at the Super Bowl ... he should have had way more time ... he was everything to me when I was younger and it was so weird in the first two seconds I saw him on stage last night I felt like I was 17 again !!! It's honestly kinda scary how certain artists and music can do that ... we are so lucky to live in a world where music can give us hope ... identity ... acceptance ...and love

Released today (February 15th) via BritBox in North America -- the streaming service from BBC Studios and ITV -- is the newly produced documentary The Beatles And India. The film spotlights the band's spiritual pursuits starting in 1965, delves into their rarely discussed brief 1966 visit to the country, and their tutelage studying Transcendental Meditation under the Maharishi Mahaesh Yogi.

The Beatles And India is based on Ajoy Bose's book Across The Universe - The Beatles In India, produced by Reynold D'Silva, directed by Bose, and researched by Pete Compton -- with legendary Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn featured in the film. The Beatles And India has been awarded Best Film Audience Choice and Best Music at the 2021 UK Asian Film Festival "Tongues On Fire."

The doc includes both rare and never-before-seen footage of the Beatles and the Indian ashram they stayed in during the first quarter of 1968 and gives the most complete version of the events leading up to and during the "Fab Four's" stay in Rishikesh.

The Beatles And India, which includes a new original soundtrack, features newly shot footage of the Maharishi's ashram where the Beatles' stayed during their 1968 pilgrimage. Amazingly, the doc allows fans to get a perfect perspective of where the Beatles meditated, lived, and composed the songs that went on to make up their famed "White Album."

Researcher Pete Compton told us that although in varying states of disrepair, the ashram remains an incredible place to visit: "It's just an amazing place for anyone, certainly, in the Beatles' world, it's the place to go to, definitely. Even though it is in the middle of nowhere -- but it's all intact, that's the amazing thing. They're old concrete block buildings, and that, but they all still stand. So you can see the magic that's still there. Whereas in Liverpool and elsewhere, y'know, a lot of the Beatles' heritage is disappearing fast -- especially in the UK, a lot of the places, y'know, where they played concerts, and that. But India's retained it all."

In 1999 Paul McCartney and daughter Stella McCartney visited with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. McCartney recalled the reunion, which took place over three decades after being first indoctrinated into TM's philosophies: "I said 'Maharishi, would you mind -- my daughter would like to take some video.' He said 'Sure.' So she puts the camera on him and goes 'Okay Maharishi . . . what have you got to say for the camera, then?!' Stella's into it, she's right there. He says. . . 'Enjoy.' We go 'Yeah,' 'cause that happened to be the same message from 30 years ago that he wrote in my book. I thought he's consistent, at least. And y'know what? That is actually awfully good advice."

Rihanna has opened up about her pregnancy, saying that she feels "tired on and off." She told Extra that she feels "really great — tired at times, on and off, which I am not used to. I can fight through any hour of the night, but now it's, like, putting me down: ‘No, you go to bed right now.'"

Meanwhile, Rihanna also revealed that she still plans to release new music, saying, "Yes, you're still going to get music from me." She added, "My fans would kill me if they waited this long for a lullaby."

It was 57 years ago today (February 15th, 1965) that the Beatles recorded their eighth U.S. Number One hit, "Ticket To Ride." The session was the Beatles' first for the year and the start of the Help! album, which featured a new technique for the group. Instead of recording multiple takes of each song, they began by recording a very simple basic track, and then overdubbing on top of it.

"Ticket To Ride," written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, was inspired by an early visit to the British town of Rhyde, which made the song's title a subtle in-joke within the band. The session also marked the first time that McCartney played lead guitar on a Beatles session, performing the song's galloping solo. The song's distinctive circular introduction, however, was played by George Harrison. Years later, John Lennon, who criticized the performance and sound of many of the Beatles' biggest records, was especially proud of "Ticket To Ride," and credited McCartney with suggesting to Ringo Starr the song's slightly off-the-beat drumming.

Also taped that evening at London's Abbey Road Studios were two more songs featured in the group's Help! movie: McCartney's "Another Girl," which also featured the three-guitar lineup of Lennon, Harrison and McCartney, and George Harrison's "I Need You." "I Need You" was only Harrison's second released solo composition, and was written about his future wife Pattie Boyd.

Pattie Boyd told us that Harrison often felt his material was passed over on Beatles albums to make more room for Lennon-McCartney songs: "I think he felt quite often that Paul didn't think that his songs were quite good enough for a Beatles album. Because he felt that he was being left out quite often -- song-wise. Obviously Paul and John together were terribly prolific, and if not together then individually. It was all, y'know, a question of time."

Although it was later a four-week Number One hit in America, "Yesterday" first reached British fans as one of the non-soundtrack songs buried on Side Two of Help! Paul McCartney admits that he's still astounded at the continuing popularity of 'Yesterday' -- which remains the most covered song in modern history: "My most successful song was 'Yesterday' that got covered by just everyone. 3,000 people including Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Elvis (Presley), Frank Sinatra -- I mean, I should be so lucky. It's just unbelievable. But that one song; I woke up one morning and I had dreamed it. See, I don't know where it came from. I just woke up (sings melody) -- I had that song. So, I believe in magic."

The late-Beatles producer George Martin recalled to us how 'Help!' was a late in the game addition to both the "Fab Four's" second feature film as well as their fifth UK album: "'Help!,' of course was originally written for the film. And John was the one who came up with the title song, because up till that time, the film wasn't called Help! -- and it was the song that made it."

During his 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, John Lennon listed "Help!" as among his best songs: "Because I meant it. It's real. The lyric is as good now as is was then, it's no different. And it makes me feel good that I was that sensible or whatever -- not sensible, but aware of myself then. It was just me singing ‘Help' -- and I meant it. I don't like the recording that much -- the song I like. We did it too fast to try and be commercial."

"Ticket To Ride" was released on April 19th, 1965 and on May 22nd went on to become the Beatles' eighth Number One hit.

Happy Birthday to Brian Holland, who turns 81 today (February 15th)!!! Holland along with brother Eddie, and Lamont Dozier, formed Motown's legendary songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, and have written nearly 300 songs -- including the Four Tops' Top Ten hits "Standing In The Shadows Of Love," "Bernadette," "It's The Same Old Song," and their Number Ones "I Can't Help Myself" and "Reach Out (I'll Be There)."

Holland-Dozier-Holland are also responsible for writing and producing Martha & the Vandellas' "Nowhere To Run," "Heatwave" and "Jimmy Mack." However, they are best known for their string of Number Ones with the Supremes, including "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Stop! In The Name Of Love," "Come See About Me," "Back In My Arms Again," and "I Hear A Symphony."

Lamont Dozier told us that he and the Holland brothers took great pains to make their compositions great records -- as well as timeless songs: "If I'm there working on 'I Hear A Symphony' or Brian is working on 'Stop! In The Name Of Love' -- whatever it is, we would get together and figure out where do we go from one point to the other, so that the song sounds different, that it's not trite musically, production-wise. And have something that would say something that would give a person a lift."

Motown labelmate Martha Reeves says that it was the Supremes being taken under the wings of Holland-Dozier-Holland that first turned the group's then-hitless career around: "The machinery got intact when Holland-Dozier-Holland were assigned to the Supremes, who had been there all along, and very well deserving of a hit. Well, Smokey Robinson had put out a whole album of singles on the Supremes, but none of them had a hit the way that his music had hit with Mary Wells."

Brian Holland told us that the global success of the partners' work pretty much took them all by surprise: "Y'know when we were writing songs all along, we thought that they were hits, but we didn't necessarily (laughs) think they were gonna change the world! We're as shocked as anybody else that they shook the world, and are still shaking the world, so to speak."

Otis Williams of the Temptations told us that when he first heard Holland-Dozier-Holland's production of the Four Tops' "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" he was left speechless: "When I heard that, I said, 'Man, these guys are something else. Y'know they don't only write songs they write unusual, strong, melodic, different chord structure-flowing kind of songs."

Although Holland-Dozier-Holland were never too self-congratulatory over their many Motown successes, years after its release Brian Holland says that the lyrics to "I Hear A Symphony" actually reduced him to tears: "Only one song ever really got me. I talked to my brother about it years ago -- it was 'I Hear A Symphony.' Somehow, I was coming out of a health club, and it was on the radio. And then I just start taking in the lyrics, (I) pulled over and my eyes started tearing up, y'know what I mean. There were some hell of a lyrics on that, man. 'Cause it kept going on and building. What he did, he built upon top of emotion on top of emotion -- which really got me. 'I hear a symphony. . . as you talk to me . . . (laughs) as you touch me. . . as you. . .' Y'know what I mean? You just build upon emotion and it really got to me."

Holland-Dozier-Holland was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

In 2009, Motown founder Berry Gordy presented Holland-Dozier-Holland with the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award at the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in New York City.

Despite the Top Two success of 2019's WHO collection, Pete Townshend revealed that fellow surviving Who member Roger Daltrey isn't necessarily gung-ho about a new album. Townshend spoke with Rolling Stone ahead of the band's upcoming "The Who Hits Back" North American trek and shed light on where the pair are at in regards to new music: "Roger is diffident about the whole thing. He's unsure. He's on the fence. It's not just about the money. It's about whether or not it's truly worth doing. . . I don't want to end up complaining online about shares of the money and blah, blah, blah. It just gets boring hearing musicians complaining about it, particularly people that have been as lucky as we have, but I think there is a question about whether an artist like me, who spent their whole life in a home studio since I was 17, is it not better for me to work with new artists rather than sit with someone like Roger that isn't really liking the record I'm making anyway? (Laughs)."

Townshend was asked about the poignant use of his Who songs in NBC's beloved late-'90s show Freaks And Geeks, and recalled, "It was a real buzz. I remember being very moved by it and very honored. It was a dark comedy show with deep, swinging connotations about performance and education and all the things I'm talking about. The uses were very, very smart. In a sense, it redeemed and gave credence to the fact that I've always felt the worst person. . . Let's get into real trouble here. The worst person to have control of Neil Young's catalog is Neil Young. (Laughs) Give it to me. I just think there's so much stuff there that could be just turned into joy. He's such an incredible writer, and so much of his stuff is just unknown, partly because he keeps it tied so tight to his chest."

He went on to talk in depth about the importance of pushing music into new commercial avenues beyond the radio and concert stage, explaining, "The Who ended for a good 10 years. In 1982, the Who closed down, and we weren't earning money. I started allowing my songs to be used for commercials, for film use, and not all of it was good. There's no question. Some of it was embarrassingly bad. But it earned money. One of things that did happen, in a couple of places … with the use in CSI, f***! It just hugely, dramatically, powerfully spread the word about the potential. . . These were some of the best songs that the Who had ever recorded. They were on TV over and over and over and over again. It just reminded people that we were still there. I think it probably helped us to come back."

During Pete Townshend's recent appearance on NPR, he shed light on the meaning behind "All This Music Will Fade" -- the lead track from 2019's WHO album: "Since the '60s it's become more and more basic, more and more simple. Music is often what's borrowed, what is often stolen, what is often echoed, what is often repeated -- particularly in our business. So, it's kind of absurd for somebody to pop out of the woodwork and accuse, let's say, somebody like Ed Sheeran -- whose music is not exactly (Arnold) Schoenberg -- of ripping off some earlier song. It just happens. We only have this limited language to deal with."

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.