Pulse Music

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.

TL;DR:

Justin Bieber and Toy Lanez spent some time together in the studio this week and marked the occasion with a photo. Lanez shared the snap of the Canadians hanging out by the audio board. No mention of what they were working on.

Post Malone and The Weeknd's collaboration "One Right Now" has reached #1 on Billboard's Rhythmic Chart. The superstars' collaborative release has also hit the top 10 on the Pop Airplay chart.

Cardi B is getting ready for Valentine's Day next week by showing off some new romantic hairstyles. Posting online, one photo showed her hair twisted into pink hearts and another displayed her bangs in the shape of a heart. The singer is known for her everchanging hair styles.

It was 58 years ago tonight (February 11th, 1964) that the Beatles played their first American concert, in Washington, D.C. at the Washington Coliseum, in front of 8,092 screaming fans. The group performed in the round, and after every three songs the group and their roadies would switch their equipment to face another side of the audience. Portions of the concert are available on the DVD The Beatles' First U.S. Visit.

The group's set list that night was: "Roll Over Beethoven," "From Me To You," "I Saw Her Standing There," "This Boy," "All My Loving," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Please Please Me," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "Twist And Shout," and "Long Tall Sally."

The late-filmmaker Albert Maysles, who shot the documentary with his brother David, told us that the DVD really captures what was going on at the time: "The film holds up as being totally truthful and authentic. We didn't slight them in any fashion, nor did we create a puff piece. I'm sure that those who were alive, and those who knew the film and saw it -- I mean, the Beatles, all of them -- felt that, 'Yeah, this is what it was.'"

Jonathan Gould, the author of the groundbreaking Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, And America, feels that the Beatles landing in America less than three months after President John F. Kennedy's assassination only helped to endear them more to a mourning nation: "I think there's an extent to which nobody in America understood how affected everybody was by the Kennedy assassination. For many people who lived through that time, they can say, 'Well that's when everything seemed to change,' or 'That's when the '60s as a kind of dynamic force seemed to begin for some people in their lives.' And then a few months later, suddenly this other thing comes along. That sense of revelation that people had when they first saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was really the first time they saw the Beatles animated."

ONE YEAR EARLIER -- ON FEBRUARY 11th, 1963. . .

It was 59 years ago today (February 11th, 1963), that the Beatles recorded their first album, Please Please Me, in just under 10 hours. The album also featured both sides of their first two singles -- "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You," and "Please Please Me"/"Ask Me Why," which had been recorded the previous autumn. The session for the album began at 10 a.m. at London's Abbey Road's Studio Two -- the main studio the group would use for the next eight years -- with 10 takes of the John Lennon-Paul McCartney original, "There's A Place."

Over the course of the day the group basically performed their stage show as the tapes rolled, recording future Beatles classics like "I Saw Her Standing There," "Do You Want To Know A Secret," and "Twist And Shout." The group's recording engineer Richard Langham recalled the session in Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles' Recording Sessions book. He remembered that when producer George Martin and the other engineers announced that they were taking a lunch break, the Beatles chose to stay and rehearse, revealing that, "When we came back they'd been playing right through. We couldn't believe it. We had never seen a group work through their lunch break before."

The tracklisting to Please Please Me is: "I Saw Her Standing There," "Misery," "Anna (Go To Him)," "Chains," "Boys," "Ask Me Why," "Please Please Me," "Love Me Do," "P.S. I Love You," "Baby It's You," "Do You Want To Know A Secret," "A Taste Of Honey," "There's A Place," and "Twist and Shout."

The late, great Geoff Emerick, who worked with the Beatles throughout their career and became their primary engineer with 1966's Revolver album first met the "Fab Four" in 1962 during his second day on the job, while the group was recording their debut single, "Love Me Do." He told us that he was immediately struck by how unique their humor and personalities were: "They were down in the studio. 'Cause it was the second day that I had been there. And I just liked the vibe, y'know the happy vibe. It was completely different, because it's like their attitude was against the establishment -- although (producer) George Martin had some decorum within the control room, an air of decorum. And it's like these kids down in the studio clowning around, y'know?"

The sessions only produced one outtake -- 13 takes of an early attempt at Lennon-McCartney's "Hold Me Tight" which was re-recorded later that year for their second album, With The Beatles.

George Martin originally wanted to name the album Off The Beatle Track, but it was decided that it would help sales by naming the album after their current hit single. Martin went on to use the name for his 1964 instrumental album of Beatles hits.

Please Please Me was released on March 22nd, 1963, and entered the British charts at Number Nine. After seven weeks it hit the Number One spot, where it stayed for 29 weeks.

The American version of the album, called Introducing The Beatles, was originally released in the U.S. on July 22nd 1963 -- and went nowhere. It was re-issued on January 27th 1964 and peaked at Number Two for nine weeks behind the group's breakthrough Capitol album Meet The Beatles.

Although original drummer Pete Best was on hand for the Beatles' June 6th, 1962 audition for EMI, he was replaced by Ringo Starr 17 days before their first official session for the label. Best, who says that he has had no substantial contact with any of the Beatles since the night before he was fired, feels that Ringo walked into a much cushier job than he did upon joining the Beatles: "Y'know, when you think about it, the first trip out to Hamburg, (Germany), we were playing six, seven hours a night. And I think actually, when (laughs) Ringo joined they were playing 20 minutes, half-an-hour sessions, or something like that. So, I did a lot of the spade work, put the long hours in and he was the one who picked up the glory."

During his final in-depth TV interview in 1975 on NBC's Tomorrow Show, John Lennon explained that a major part of his and the Beatles' allure was the fact that they were never ashamed of their Liverpool roots: "We were the first working class singers that stayed working class, and pronounced it. 'Didn't try to change our accents, which in England were looked down upon -- probably still are -- like a Bronx accent, it's the equivalent to that."

ON THIS DAY IN 1965:

Peter Gabriel -- Genesis co-founder and solo superstar -- turns 72 on Sunday (February 13th). Gabriel, along with Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Anthony Phillips, formed the band in 1967 when the musicians were still teens and attending the prestigious Charterhouse School, in Godalming, Surrey. Gabriel, who became the leading theatrical early-'70s live performer with his mastery of makeup and wardrobe, quit the band in 1975 following their 1974 double-album set, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and its subsequent tour.

Beginning in 1977, Gabriel has received global acclaim as a solo artist, releasing nine studio albums, six live sets, and four soundtracks.

Peter Gabriel will forever be best known for his 1986 So album. So was released on May 19th, 1986 and remains his best-selling album to date. The album topped the British charts and peaked at Number Two, selling over five million units in the U.S. alone.

So spawned three Top 30 hits -- the chart-topping "Sledgehammer" -- which knocked his former Genesis bandmates out of the Number One spot with their "Invisible Touch" -- "In Your Eyes (#26), and "Big Time" (#8). "Sledgehammer" remains the most played video in MTV history.

2019 saw the release of Peter Gabriel's latest compilation, titled Rated PG. The 10-track collection spotlights Gabriel's songs written specifically for and/or featured in various big screen movie projects over the years. In the album's announcement, Gabriel said, "I have always loved film and any chance I have been offered to work with good film projects and good directors I have jumped at. This is a mixture of songs that have been written for specific films, and existing songs that found an appropriate place in a story. Consequently, there is a mix of different styles and moods."

Among the high profile movies to have featured Gabriel's music are Alan Parker's Birdy from 1985, Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation Of Christ from 1988, Philip Noyce's 2002 film Rabbit-Proof Fence, Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers from 1994 -- along with the iconic use of "In Your Eyes" in Cameron Crowe's 1989 comedy Say Anything.

Also out now is Peter Gabriel's latest digital compilation album, titled Flotsam And Jetsam. The collection chronicles Gabriel's solo work broken into three eras -- 1976-1985; 1986-1993; and 1994-2016.

The 62-track digital comp spotlights various extended, single-only, dance, instrumental, remix, and live takes of such Gabriel favorites as "Solsbury Hill," "D.I.Y.," "I Don't Remember," "Shock The Monkey," "I Have The Touch," "Sledgehammer," "In Your Eyes," "Biko," "Digging In The Dirt," among many others. The set opens with Gabriel's 1976 orchestral cover of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" as featured in the movie, All This And World War II.

Peter Gabriel's iconic and often chameleon-like appearance was saluted in a 2019 photo book. Peter Gabriel: A Life In Vision features rare and never-before-seen shots of the musician from his early days co-founding and fronting Genesis, up through today.

School friend and Genesis bandmate Tony Banks feels that Peter Gabriel's early over-the-top theatrics played a crucial part in gaining the band the attention they otherwise never would've received: "Well I think the Gabriel thing was very important in the early days, 'cause it gave us an identity and y'know, you kind of stand out from the crowd. There were a lot of other groups who were out there doing the circuit that we were doing. But I think when Peter came on with all his costumes and makeup and everything, it made people remember us, and he was a very important part of our thing. And I think we all enjoyed the sort of, the idea of trying to do more than just play music onstage. We were all conscious of the fact that none of us were what you would call typical rock n' roll performers -- we didn't. . . play with your teeth and everything, so it was a way of kind of getting around it."

We asked Phil Collins why over the years Peter Gabriel always stopping short of committing to a Genesis reunion. Collins said that Gabriel can sometimes take things too seriously: "I think he's very sensitive -- far more sensitive than we are -- about what it means, y'know? This is just music, great fun to do, whereas Peter, since he left really, has been doing his 'thing,' albeit lots of different things under that umbrella, and I think he's just a little over-cautious sometimes about going back to doing something (that) basically, fundamentally, is just fun."

Peter Gabriel was asked when he realized that So was more going to be a bigger commercial success than his past efforts: "I think about halfway through the album I started to realize that some of the songs would get through (to the public). Also I think the 'Sledgehammer,' which is a sort of '60s soul rip-off, is a language in which people speak in this country, so I think it's easier to get to."

Peter Gabriel admitted that he's always been in the right place at the right time to help further his craft: "I just think I'm very fortunate because I've worked with extraordinarily people, great musicians. For me, it's not about rock n' roll or any label. I think it was (Count) Basie who said ‘There's only two kinds of music -- good and bad.' And that's what I subscribe to."

Saturday (February 12th) marks what would have been the 83rd birthday of co-founding Doors' co-founder and keyboardist Ray Manzarek. Manzarek died on May 20th, 2013 at age 74 in Rosenheim, Germany at the RoMed Clinic following a long battle with bile duct cancer. Manzarek was surrounded by his wife Dorothy and his brothers Rick and James Manczarek. Manzarek is survived by Dorothy, their son Pablo, his wife Sharmin, and their three children Noah, Apollo, and Camille.

2020 saw the release of The Doors: Break On Thru - A Celebration Of Ray Manzarek. The feature is an all-star hybrid concert/documentary filmed in 2016 at L.A.'s Fonda Theatre, featuring the surviving members Doors -- guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore -- who performed with each other on stage for the first time in 15 years to celebrate Manzarek's live and work.

Also appearing were Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins and Rami Jaffee, Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo, Paul McCartney's Brian Ray, X's Exene and John Doe, Jane's Addiction's Stephen Perkins, Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes, and more.

Ray Manzarek was born Raymond Daniel Manczarek, Jr. on February 12th, 1939 on the South Side of Chicago and was of Polish decent. In 1962 he moved to Southern California to study at the Department of Cinematography at UCLA, where he first met fellow student and future partner Jim Morrison, along with his wife of 45 years, Dorothy Fujikawa. Together with Morrison, Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore, the quartet formed the Doors in 1965 and between 1967 and 1971 released six studio albums -- The Doors (1967); Strange Days (1967); Waiting For The Sun (1968); The Soft Parade (1969); Morrison Hotel (1970); and L.A. Woman (1971) -- before Jim Morrison's death on July 3rd, 1971 in Paris.

Manzarek changed the face of rock keyboard playing, with his early signature sound being a combination of a Vox Continental organ -- and later a Gibson G-101 Kalamazoo combo organ -- with his left hand playing the basslines on a Fender Rhodes electric piano "bass unit," which featured only the keyboard's lowest notes. Although the Doors eventually added a studio bassist to their sessions, Manzarek handled the bass duties via his keyboards for the band's live appearances with Morrison.

Following Morrison's death, the Doors soldiered on with Manzarek and Krieger taking over vocal duties on the band's 1971 set, Other Voices, and its follow-up, 1972's Full Circle. Following that, Krieger and Densmore split to form the Butts Band. After a short-lived mid-'70s collaboration with Iggy Pop, Manzarek formed Nite City with future Blondie bassist Nigel Harrison, and produced and collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, Echo & The Bunnymen, X, and poet Michael McClure, among many others.

In 1978 Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore reunited to compose and record music to Morrison's poetry for the An American Prayer album. Manzarek collaborated frequently with Robby Krieger. In 2002 the pair began touring as the Doors Of The 21st Century, which went through various name changes -- including Riders On The Storm -- until the pair settled on Manzarek-Krieger or Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger of The Doors, following a bitter five-year battle against John Densmore and the Morrison estate over the use of the band's name.

In 1998, Manzarek published his memoir, Light My Fire: My Life With The Doors. He followed the autobiography in 2001 with The Poet In Exile, which supposes what would've happened had Jim Morrison faked his death -- as many fans believe. In 2006 he published his second novel, the Civil War-based, Snake Moon.

The Doors' stats remain among the most impressive of the rock era, selling over 100 million albums worldwide, and receiving 19 Gold, 14 Platinum, and five multi-Platinum albums in the U.S. alone.

When discussing the Doors in their prime, Ray Manzarek told us that whether they liked it or not, the Doors ended up being spokesmen for their generation: "There was a war in Vietnam and, y'know, that had to be stopped, and we were gonna try to clean up the environment, and do all those good things that hippies were trying to do. And everyone was angry, man, so, y'know, we tried to make the music as hard and as powerful and as exciting as possible. And when you got Jim Morrison as your lead singer, well, y'know, that's an extra plus. So that's what it was all about."

John Densmore told us that from the beginning to the end of the band, the Doors had a chemistry unparalleled: "Ray and I were completely synchronistic in our musical sensibilities. We just. . . intuitive stuff together and backed up Robby's soaring solos and Jim's vocal and. . . we were blessed. We gotta remember that was the muse coming in. Y'know, she just visits when she wants to. Yeah, even with Jim's self destruction, every time we made an album, when we were behind closed doors, there was a sacredness to the four of us."

Robbie Krieger says that looking back, the Doors' short time together was relatively free of ego problems or star trips: "It was really, like, the perfect group, y'know, as far as working together and stuff. There was no ego problems, y'know, and petty jealousies and stuff like that that a lot of groups go through."

During the height of his and Robby Krieger's recent battles with John Densmore over the use of the Doors' name, Manzarek never wavered from the belief that the pair deserved to be billed as "The Doors": "We are the Doors. You're watching two guys who were in the band. The keyboard player and the guitar player are the original members of the Doors. That's the actual guys, man. There's the sound of the Doors right in front of you. That's the keyboard player who plays 'Light My Fire.' That's the guitar player who wrote 'Light My Fire.' So it's a continuation."

Ultimately, Ray Manzarek told us that as the Doors' music ages, it's probably better understood and more beloved than when it was first recorded: "I think the time has allowed them to digest the Jungian/Freudian aspect of the Doors' songs. I think they've gotten into the depth of the songs a lot more than back in the '60s, and understand it from an intellectual perspective, and are just as wild as the people were in the '60s. I'm surprised at, y'know, how uninhibited and how crazy and Dionysian they can actually be."

Elton John's guitarist for over 50 years maintains the "Rocket Man" is indeed quitting the road -- but remains unsure if he's actually done with performing. Davey Johnstone, joined the original Elton John Band in time for the 1971 Madman Across the Water sessions and currently serves as his longtime musical director.

We caught up with Johnstone, who's just released his second solo set, Deeper Than My Roots, and asked him if he really thinks Elton's farewell trek is really the end of the road: "Oh yeah. Oh yeah -- we're too bloody old! It's not gonna happen anymore. When we finally get finished with this farewell tour, there's no way we're gonna do any more. There's no way. . . it's just that . . . 'Cause, y'know, I just turned 70, Elton's 74. He's ready for a break -- but again, I never say 'never' with him. All I know is this is a farewell to touring. This is what this 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' thing is. So, who knows what might happen? He might do something else, revue-wise, or maybe a one-man show somewhere. I have no idea."

Elton John's "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour" resumes on February 22nd at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Mick Jagger's former solo right-hand man, guitarist Jimmy Rip, says that he and Jagger recorded a full solo album with the late-Charlie Watts. Rip revealed that the original version of the Jagger's third album, 1993's Wandering Spirit, was recorded with the Stones' drummer behind the kit.

Jimmy Rip, who in 1988 handled guitar duties on Jagger's one and only solo tour hitting Australia and Japan, recalled working on the material with the Stones frontman, telling Ultimate Classic Rock: ("Mick) and I went to his big chateau in France. We had the Rolling Stones mobile truck come down and park in the parking lot. He and I and Charlie Watts, who lives not far away, the three of us, recorded an entire version of Wandering Spirit. Which for me, is the best version of Wandering Spirit. (Bassist) Doug Wimbish came and played on a few tracks. I played bass on a lot of it and guitar. But that version of the record is blindingly great."

Rip went on to explain, "The problem with it was that it sounded so much like a Rolling Stones record! It really sounds just like a Stones record. To the point where sometimes I play it for people and I say, 'Hey, have you ever heard these Stones outtakes?' And they go, 'Wow, how come they never put this out?' It's like, this is not a Stones record! But Mick at the end of it said, 'If I want to make a Rolling Stones record, I'll make it with the Rolling Stones.'"

Rip, who eventually recorded a new version of the album with Jagger remembered, "He and I, there were a bunch of years when we were kind of inseparable, going everywhere and doing a lot of work together."

He shed light on why the album was ultimately put on ice for several years: "He said that his manager had talked to Keith (Richards)' manager and they had set up a meeting for the two of them in Barbados. Mick said, 'Y'know, I'm going to go meet with Keith, and then if we get on alright, I'm going to make a Rolling Stones record. If it all blows up, we'll go do this record.' I was like, 'Man!'"

Following the completion of Wandering Spirit, Jagger started work on the Stones' 1994 Voodoo Lounge album, putting any plans for a solo tour on ice, with Rip and Jagger only making a handful of promotional appearances, including NBC's Saturday Night Live.

While promoting 1993's Wandering Spirit, Mick Jagger said he didn't feel the need to chase trends or focus so intently on the charts: "I don't really take pop music that seriously. Writing's really important to me, 'cause I like writing. It's much more enjoyable to perform your own songs than always performing other people's. But I think enough people know that I write, y'know? I do (laughs)."

Like everything else, the Who's recent orchestral tour dates were put on ice due to the pandemic. While still on the road, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were only able to dip their feet into the band's most recent album, 2019's WHO.

When we last spoke with Roger Daltrey he seemed excited at seeing where the band could take some of his favorite tracks off the latest album: "I think my favorite song of all is 'Beads On One String,' believe it or not. It's not really a rock song or anything, but there's something about the message that I really, really like. I think it's a masterful piece of songwriting. And we were going to do that on the next leg of the tour -- and we were going to do Simon (Townshend's) song, where I had learned the lyrics (laughs). Am I looking forward to singing any of them? I'm just looking forward to singing anything."

Charlie Puth says that Elton John told him that the music he made in 2019, "sucked." He also says that Elton was right. Saying, "He was brutally honest with me."

Puth went on to explain, that basically he told him that he could make a lot better music and he said that he should just make it himself. Puth appreciated the constructive criticism and said that it was exactly how he felt about it too.

Puth said, "I didn't really like any of the music I put out in 2019, and I didn't want to make an album of that," he said. "I felt like I was kind of pretending to be a cool guy."

He released several singles in 2019 that failed to make a splash, including "I Warned Myself," "Mother" and "Cheating on You."

TL;DR:

• Charlie Puth says that Elton John was brutally honest about his 2019 music.
• Puth appreciated the constructive criticism and said that it was exactly how he felt about it too.
• He released several singles in 2019 that failed to make a splash, including "I Warned Myself," "Mother" and "Cheating on You."

Ed Sheeran has been teasing for a while now about a collaboration with Taylor Swift, but now it's official. He announced on Twitter that he has reunited with his longtime friend on a new version of his song, "The Joker and the Queen."

Sheeran has been dropping hints online and in interviews about the possible match-up. Also in his music video for "Overpass Graffiti," he's seen wearing a leather jacket with a joker and a queen on the back, and in small, subtle letters in the top right corner of the jacket, there's a box that reads, "Taylor Swift."

The original version appears on his new album, =, and the new version, featuring Taylor Swift, will be released on Friday (Feb. 11).

TL;DR:

• He announced on Twitter that he has reunited with his longtime friend, on a new version of his song, "The Joker and the Queen."
• The original version appears on his new album, =.
• The new version, featuring Taylor Swift, will be released on Friday (Feb. 11).

Despite going back and forth on social media, Kanye West still wants his estranged wife Kim Kardashian back. Kanye posted a photo of Kim and their children in her new Vogue spread. He captioned the photo, "GOD PLEASE BRING OUR FAMILY BACK TOGETHER."

Meanwhile, in her Vogue interview, Kim opened up about her mindset in her 40s, saying that she is "Team Me." She explained, "For so long, I did what made other people happy. And I think in the last two years I decided, I'm going to make myself happy. And that feels really good. And even if that created changes and caused my divorce, I think it's important to be honest with yourself about what really makes you happy. I've chosen myself. I think it's okay to choose you."

She added, "I'm going to eat well. I'm going to work out. I'm going to have more fun, spend more time with my kids and the people who make me happy. I'm going to put my phone down. Unfollow if I don't want to see something on Instagram."

She also discussed co-parenting, saying, v"You could be so hurt or angry at your ex, but I think in front of the kids, it always has to be ‘Your dad's the best. Make sure you are your co-parent's biggest cheerleader, no matter what you're personally going through."

Katy Perry says the pandemic is keeping her from marrying her fiancé, Orlando Bloom. When asked by an Australian radio host about her status, she laughed and said they were aiming for a destination wedding, but every couple of months there's a new variant.

They got engaged on Valentines' Day 2019 and had a baby girl a year and a half later.

TL;DR:

• Katy Perry says the pandemic is keeping her from marrying her fiancé, Orlando Bloom.
• Because they want a destination wedding.
• They got engaged on Valentines' Day 2019.

Heart frontwoman Ann Wilson will release her latest solo set, Fierce Bliss, on April 29th. The album's cover is by legendary artist Roger Dean, best known for his string of prog rock album art -- most notably on Yes' legendary collections. Fierce Bliss features Vince Gill guesting on Wilson's cover of Queen's "Love Of My Life." Guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd is alos featured on the album, which includes several co-writes with Gov't Mule's Warren Hayes.

The album's first single, called "Greed" has dropped, with Ann Wilson saying in a statement, "'Greed' is that thing in our animal nature that makes us want MORE. Whether it be money, sex, power or ecstasy, it fires our craving! It happens with all of us. When you turn around and catch yourself making decisions because you want the money, or because you're caught in the headlights of glory, well, those are greedy moments."

Although she and sister Nancy Wilson were never ashamed of being females in a male dominated field, Ann Wilson told us that Heart never wanted to be specifically singled out for being women playing hard rock: "The thing that Nancy and I always fought the hardest against is the, y'know, gender designation of all these lists. Why girls have to be over here and guys have to be over there; why can't we all just do it together on the same footing?"

JUST ANNOUNCED: Ann Wison tour dates (subject to change):

February 19 - Metairie, LA - Family Gras
May 4 - San Francisco, CA - Great American
May 5 - Napa, CA - The Uptown Theatre
May 7 - Pala, CA - Pala Casino
May 9, 10 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
May 13 - Los Cabos, MEX - Hard Rock
June 11 - Peachtree City, GA - Fred Amphitheater
June 13, 14 - Nashville, TN - Basement East
June 16 - Tampa, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa
June 17 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The Parker

Lizzo is back in the studio, she verified it herself. She posted a short video that was shot in a recording studio. Although there was no sound, it was obvious what she was hinting at.

The video shows her production team, with Blanco bopping to the sound of whatever they were listening to.

Another clue pointed out by Pop Culture.com…is that it must be an up-tempo song, because of the speed she was tapping her feet.

Lizzo hasn't released music since last year's hit, "Rumors," which featured a Cardi B verse and debuted at #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart.

TL;DR:

• Lizzo is back in the studio
• The video she posted shows Blanco in the studio with her.
• Lizzo hasn't released music since last year's hit, "Rumors."

John Mayer adds to his ever-growing list of #1's on Billboard‘s Adult Alternative Airplay chart, as "Wild Blue" tops the chart. The song becomes his 8^th to do so.

My Policeman, starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin has received an R rating for sexual content. Set in the 1950s, the film follows the story of a gay policeman who marries a woman despite his love for another man. A release date has not been announced.

Machine Gun Kelly has been announced as one of the stars that will face off on the court, during the 2022 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

The charity event pairs retired NBA and WNBA players with celebrities and will take place at Cleveland's Wolstein Center. It raises money for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, with every shot made from behind the line earning a $4,000 donation from Ruffles and the NBA.

Other notable players include Jack Harlow and Tiffany Haddish. It will air February 18 on ESPN at 7 p.m. EST.

TL;DR:

• Machine Gun Kelly will play in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
• Other notable players include Jack Harlow and Tiffany Haddish.
• It will air February 18 on ESPN at 7 p.m. EST.