Archive for the ‘ British Invasion Bands ’ Category

The Hollies at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Graham Nash at the Hall of Fame induction. Terry Sylvester is behind him on the right.

When the Hollies' Allan Clarke told his father he planned on becoming a musician, his father advised him to save his money because rock bands don't last too long. Almost 50 years later, Clarke has proved him wrong.

"Well, Dad, I'm being inducted into a museum," Clarke said last night. "How's that for longevity?"

The Hollies, who have been together longer than any other British Invasion band, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a star-studded awards ceremony at New York's Waldorf Astora hotel. They joined four other performers and groups chosen this year by 600 music industry professionals.

“We started out in the ’60s — now we’re in our 60s,” said Terry Sylvester, who replaced Graham Nash. And Nash was also on hand, tongue in cheek, thanking his colleagues for having "the audacity, the gall" to have three No. 1 hits after he left the band in 1968: "The Air That I Breathe," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)."

The Hollies were inducted by Steve Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen's guitarist, who paid tribute to The Hollies and the spirit of rock and roll. He said Clarke and Nash's "exquisite English harmonies were shared only by the Beatles."

Van Zandt also took a moment to half-jokingly describe the music business in the 21st century as “artistically, financially and spiritually bankrupt.”

Inducted along with the Hollies were Genesis, Iggy and the Stooges, Jimmy Cliff and Abba.

Much more on the Hollies here.

A few days ago, on a visit to the Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland, Sylvester talked about the induction. Here's the video:

The Abbey Road album cover photo

Great Britain's heritage protection agency, The National Trust, says it may buy and preserve the Abbey Road studios, the Beatles' recording home. The proposal follows an outpouring of concern over its possible demolition.

And now two more potential buyers have emerged: Andrew Lloyd Webber and his longtime lyricist, Tim Rice. In apparently unrelated statements to the British news media, each expressed an interest in purchasing the Abbey Road studios.

Word that cash-strapped record company EMI is putting the studio building up for sale has been greeted by a wave of concern about over its possible demolition. EMI has not confirmed the report.

"It's not often that the public spontaneously suggests that we should acquire a famous building," Trust spokesman John Hewitt said. "However, Abbey Road recording studios appear to be very dear to the nation's heart."

The Beatles and producer George Martin in the Abbey Road studios, late 1960s

The Beatles and producer George Martin in the Abbey Road studios, late 1960s.

The campaign to save the Abbey Road studios — which could be sold and turned into upscale housing in the St. John's Wood neighborhood in North London — was spurred by former Beatle Paul McCartney and prominent disc jockey Chris Evans.

McCartney, who owns a house near the studios, said he would be delighted if the building could be saved. He said some people long associated with the studio are considering an effort to preserve it.

McCartney did not, however, offer to put up the cash himself — the studios are thought to be worth between $16 million and $50 million.

The National Trust already owns the boyhood homes of McCartney and his songwriting partner, John Lennon, which have become major tourist attractions in Liverpool.

Abbey Road has become an important part of Beatles lore, in part because of the 1969 album named after the recording studio. The crosswalk in front of the building was immortalized on the album cover, and many fans visit the site each year.

Since The Beatles' heyday, Abbey Road has been one of the world's most famous rock music studios, used by artists like Pink Floyd, McCartney, George Harrison, Jeff Beck, Radiohead and others.

But EMI has been unable to find a buyer for the studio, in part because recording technology now permits many artists to record their own sessions at home using personal computers.

Rock Royalty Tour posterThe Zombies headline the 14 city tour that begins tonight in San Diego and ends in Canada in mid-July.

Live Daily talks with The Zombies' Colin Blunstone about the tour:

Click here for the story.

Eight years after his death. George Harrison finally has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hundreds of fans and friends, including bandmate Paul McCartney, turned out for yesterday's ceremony. Also at the unveiling were Harrison's widow Olivia, his son Dhani, Eric Idle, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and actor Tom Hanks.

Here's a video clip:

Olivia Harrison praised her husband at the event.

"We all have deep feelings for George because he was such a deep-feeling person," she told the crowd. "Once you'd met him you couldn’t help but be drawn into his world. And he wanted to be in your world too."

Harrison's Beatles bandmate McCartney called the ceremony "wonderful", while Hanks also paid tribute to Harrison.

"Every record was an event, every cut was an opera, the entire story told ours," he said. "All things must pass, sure, but George is going to live forever."

Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001 at age 58.

The unveiling of the star came on the same day as an announcement that a new collection of some of Harrison's best-loved songs is to be released in June.

'Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison' will feature music from Harrison's solo recording career, including 'My Sweet Lord', 'Isn't It A Pity', 'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)' and 'Got My Mind Set On You'.

Three Harrison-penned Beatle tracks, 'Something', 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and 'Here Comes The Sun', recorded live at his 1971 Concert For Bangladesh, will also appear on the album, which will be released on June 16.

Here's the video:

An all-star concert to benefit meditation brought Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr together for their first on-stage performance in seven years.

Link to the story in Rolling Stone.