Rick Diamond, Getty Images

Donald “Duck” Dunn, who played on hundreds of rock and soul classics as the bassist for Booker T. and the MGs, and later as a session player, passed away Sunday morning at the age of 70. Steve Cropper, the MGs guitarist, broke the news on his Facebook page at approximately 12:30AM Eastern time.

“Today I lost my best friend, the world has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live,” Cropper, his lifelong friend, wrote. “Duck Dunn died in his sleep Sunday morning May 13 in Tokyo Japan after finishing 2 shows at the Blue Note Night Club.”

Born in Memphis in November 24, 1941, Dunn started playing bass at the age of 16. “I tried the guitar but it had two strings too many,” he wrote on his website. “It was just too complicated, man! Plus, I grew up with Steve Cropper. There were so many good guitar players another one wasn’t needed. What was needed was a bass.”

Cropper and Dunn soon formed a band, The Royal Spades, which grew into the Mar-Keys. The mother of the band’s saxophone player, Charles “Packy” Axton, was Estelle Axton, who owned the fledgling Satellite Record label. Shortly after their song ‘Last Night’ became a national hit, the label changed its name to Stax.

In 1964, Cropper convinced Dunn to join Booker T. and the MGs after original bassist Lewie Steinberg departed. As the house band for Stax, they provided the music for some of the greatest southern soul music ever recorded. Virtually every song recorded by Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Rufus Thomas and many others for Stax bears their distinct groove, with Dunn holding down the low end.

After Booker T. and the MGs disbanded in 1971, Dunn became a highly sought-after session bassist for those looking for a bit of that Memphis magic. He appeared on records by Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Bill Withers, Muddy Waters, Neil Young (on ‘Are You Passionate?,’ which recently turned 10 years old) and many others. A discography, which probably isn’t complete, is on his website. Movie lovers were able to put the face to the sound when he appeared as himself in the 1980 movie ‘The Blues Brothers.’

As a member of Booker T. and the MGs, Dunn was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy award in 2007.

Dunn is the second Memphis soul great to pass away this year — Andrew Love, who played tenor saxophone with Dunn on those Stax classics, died on April 12. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and the countless musicians who knew and worked with him over the years.

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Watch Booker T. and the MGs Perform ‘Green Onions’

Watch Donald “Duck” Dunn Deliver a Memorable Line in ‘The Blues Brothers’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Paul Natkin, Getty Images

A live concert film from one of the least documented and most difficult times in Ozzy Osbourne‘s career, 1982′s ‘Speak of the Devil,’ will be released on DVD July 17 from Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Not even three months after losing his friend and creative partner, legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads, in a tragic plane crash, Osbourne was back on the road with guitarist Brad Gillis (better known now for his work in Night Ranger), bravely and energetically performing Black Sabbath classics and songs from his first two classic solo albums.

This video has previously been available overseas, and is not to be confused with the 1982 live album of the same name, which features the same band but was recorded at a different show — in New York City instead of the DVD’s June 12 Irvine Meadows performance.

In deference to Rhoads’ legacy (and partially to better compete with his former bandmates’ ‘Live Evil’ album, released just one month prior), Osbourne performed only Sabbath songs on the live album. However, this DVD, digitally restored and remastered and is in DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time, features both solo and Sabbath songs.

Ozzy Osbourne ‘Speak of the Devil’ Tracklist:

1) ‘Over The Mountain’
2) ‘Mr Crowley’
3) ‘Crazy Train’
4) ‘Revelation (Mother Earth)’
5) ‘Steal Away (The Night)’
6) ‘Suicide Solution’
7) ‘Guitar / Drum Solo’
‘Goodbye To Romance’
9) ‘I Don’t Know’
10) ‘Believer’
11) ‘Flying High Again’
12) ‘Iron Man’
13) ‘Children Of The Grave’
14) ‘Paranoid’

Watch Ozzy Osbourne Perform ‘I Don’t Know’ from ‘Speak of the Devil’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Well, at least some fun has come out of the ill-fated and mostly cancelled Rock and Roll Allstars’ South American tour: we’ve learned that Gene Simmons, the demonic monster of Kiss, is one helluva hoofer.

This late-breaking news comes courtesy of former Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, who along with Simmons, Def Leppard singer Joe Elliot and several other major rock stars, were set to embark on a nine-city tour of Latin America. The majority of those dates ended up being cancelled for security and logistical reasons, but judging from McKagan’s report on the trip in Reverb, a good time backstage was still there for the taking.

Apparently, once former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach broke out the boombox and cranked some Sly & the Family Stone, “Simmons suddenly appeared, and started dancing . . . really well. He did some disco dancing, the ‘mashed potato,’ the ‘twist,’ the ‘hustle,’ and some good ol’ stripper dancing (editor’s note: you can find that yourself). We all stood rather agape at this spectacle. The God of Thunder has real and bona fide SOUL. What the?”

McKagan goes on to tell of what else he learned about Simmons during the trip — including his encyclopedic knowledge of hit songs, and how he arrived in America at age eight without speaking a word of English. You can check out the rest of the tale right over here.

Oh, no, we just realized… Simmons is going to be on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ one of these days, isn’t he?

Watch Kiss Disco it Up with ‘I Was Made for Lovin’ You’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

The Twitter feeds of Bruce Springsteen fans exploded with shock tonight (May 2) when fans attending his show at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. reached for their phones to tell the world that he performed the obscurity ‘Bishop Danced.’ Springsteen had not sang the song since an opening slot for Blood, Sweat and Tears at the Berkeley Community Theatre on March 2, 1973.

According to the Brucebase website, before tonight, ‘Bishop Danced’ is known to have only been played in concert a handful of times, with five of those taking place during a week-long spell at Max’s Kansas City in New York in early 1973. Its performance on January 31 was recorded for the ‘King Biscuit Flour Hour,’ and wound up on the 1998 four-CD box set ‘Tracks.’

Springsteen has used the seventh slot throughout the ‘Wrecking Ball’ tour to pull out songs from his pre-’Born To Run’ days, with ‘E Street Shuffle’ and ‘Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?’ being played most frequently. However, nobody could have expected that he would give ‘Bishop Danced’ an airing, not even in New Jersey, where anything can happen.

‘Bishop Danced’ is one of those songs that earned Springsteen the “New Bob Dylan” tag in his early days. Its lyrics are nonsensical to the point where Lewis Carroll would have shaken his head in disbelief. “Bishop danced with a thumbscrew woman / Did a double-quick back flip and slid across the floor / The Catholic traffic flowed freely ‘cross the river / And fiddlestick fiddled quick out the front door.” Although tonight’s version featured the full E Street Band, it had previously been performed with only an acoustic guitar and the late Danny Federici on accordion.

Following ‘Bishop Danced,’ Springsteen gave another of his earliest songs, ‘It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City,’ its tour debut.

Watch Bruce Springsteen Perform ‘Bishop Danced’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Wesley Hulton Archive, Getty Images

A restored and remastered edition of the animated Beatles film ‘Yellow Submarine’ will be making the rounds at movie houses around the country prior to its June 5 release on DVD and Blu-Ray. Beginning May 5, ‘Yellow Submarine’ will make its way across the country for brief, limited engagements.

The film, out of print on DVD for a while now, has been restored in 4K digital resolution by Paul Rutan Jr. at Triage Motion Picture Services. This is the first upgrade for the movie since its DVD release several years ago.

In the liner notes to the forthcoming release, Creative Officer at Pixar, John Lasseter, states, “As a fan of animation and as a filmmaker, I tip my hat to the artists of ‘Yellow Submarine,’ whose revolutionary work helped pave the way for the fantastically diverse world of animation that we all enjoy today.”

The film was restored the old fashioned way, frame by frame, by hand. When the film, directed by animation producer George Dunning, premiered in 1968, it was heralded as a real achievement in the field of animation.

The look of the film is very much of its time. It’s a psychedelic pop art experience. Peter Max, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol spring to mind as the basic template reference. While the Beatles’ actual voices are not used for their characters in the film, they do make a cameo appearance at the end. The music, of course, gets equal billing with the groundbreaking animation, and includes favorites such as ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,’ ‘All You Need Is Love,’ ‘It’s All Too Much,’ and of course, the title song. Producer George Martin also provides an orchestral score for the project.

You can find out where and when ‘Yellow Submarine’ is coming to a theater near you at the film’s official website.

Watch The Trailer For ‘Yellow Submarine’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Larry Busacca, Getty Images

The just released video for Neil Young‘s version of the American folk song ‘Oh Susannah’ is hardly an explosion of special effects, staging and production. Instead the rock legend used clips of a recession-era family gathered around the banjo to tell the song’s story in a way that’s much darker than the version one remembers from childhood.

The family is a slightly more sophisticated version of the Darlings from ‘The Andy Griffith Show.’ The group sits around looking glum as dad picks away on the banjo. It’s not clear what song he’s singing, but no attempt is made to convince viewers the video is anything more than archival footage. ‘Americana‘ is in stores on June 5 and will feature traditional American folk songs performed with Young’s long-running Crazy Horse backing band.

A little boy dances in front of his family in the video, but seems to be getting no joy from doing so. It’s a bit of a surprise when he fires up a cigarette, but soon he’s back to his jig. The folksy but melancholy video contrasts the bluesy rock version of this campfire song. It works in a way so much of Young’s career has worked. The video is a bit left of center, but artistically warranted.

Watch the Video for Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s ‘Oh Susannah’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Rick Diamond / Streeter Lecka / Rick Diamond, Getty Images

In recent years, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, or simply, JazzFest, has grown beyond its roots as the nation’s premier showcase for the city’s unique contributions to American music. While it still features plenty of jazz, blues, Cajun, soul, gospel and funk, the festival now brings in some of the biggest names in classic rock as headliners. The first weekend saw the Beach Boys, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band close out each day’s musical festivities.

Only a few days into their 50th anniversary tour, the Beach Boys performed Friday (April 27). Opening with ‘Do It Again,’ they took the audience on a journey through their incredible catalog of hits, occasionally using medleys to cram 28 chestnuts into their set. Along the way, they performed such classics as ’409,’ ‘God Only Knows’ and their new single, ‘That’s Why God Made the Radio‘ before closing with ‘Fun Fun Fun.’

On the second day, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, long one of rock’s most dependable bands, naturally delivered the hits in their set which ran longer than their allotted two hours. But they also threw in a few surprises, such as covers of J.J. Cale’s ‘Traveling Light’ and Bo Diddley’s ‘I’m A Man.’

Bruce Springsteen, who played Jazz Fest in 2006 with the Americana ensemble he called the Sessions Band, brought the E Street Band for Sunday’s performance. But he also had some help from someone who knows his way around New Orleans. Dr. John, who played earlier in the day, sat in with Springsteen on Chris Kenner’s 1961 hit ‘Something You Got’ and the spiritual ‘Oh Mary Don’t You Weep.’

Jazz Fest concludes next weekend with Jimmy Buffett, Eagles and the Neville Brothers as headliners.

Watch the Beach Boys Sing ‘Good Vibrations’

Watch Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Sing ‘Here Comes My Girl’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Randy Snyder, Getty Images

In the great African safari of self-expression, Ted Nugent is the thick-skinned and audacious rhinoceros. The rocker, defender of gun rights and avid hunter fired a verbal muzzleloader at Democrats in Washington D.C. last weekend. His comments were specifically aimed at President Obama and his cabinet.

“If you don’t know that our country is wiping its ass with the Constitution, you’re living under a rock some place,” Nugent said, according to Politico.com. The Motor City Madman officially endorsed Mitt Romney last month.

“If you can’t galvanize and promote and recruit people to vote for Mitt Romney, we’re done,” Nugent said. “We’ll be a suburb of Indonesia next year. Our president, attorney general, our vice president, Hillary Clinton — they’re criminals, they’re criminals.”

The comments came during an NRA Convention in St. Louis, Mo. During his speech (part of which can be viewed below) he encouraged those in attendance to get hundreds if not thousands of people to vote for Romney in November, adding “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”

“Vile” and “evil” were words he used to describe the administration before reminding attendees and anyone listening that this country was founded on its decision to defy royalty, not to compromise with the king. “We are patriots, we are ‘Braveheart.’ We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November. Any questions?”

Watch Ted Nugent’s Speech at the NRA Convention

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

“It was like a little piece of the sun falling,” was how one witness described it to NBC 4 in San Antonio. That news report became the go-to clip for people who wanted to learn more about this unusual phenomenon, but an inaccuracy in the report led many to conclude the light show was actually man made.

“Reviewing the video, it does appear to be a [jet] contrail,” says Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. He explained that a jet also flew through the San Antonio sky around the same time as the meteor, and the station erroneously used that footage. “But there WAS an actual daytime fireball over Texas on [April 2]. Two different things happening at about the same time, which always leads to confusion.”

According to Cooke, the most likely time to see a fireball, which is just an especially bright meteor, is late March or early April. Scientists don’t know why this is.

[Life's Little Mysteries]

Source: TheFW.com

Chris Walter, Getty Images / United Artists

The words of Journey‘s classic 1981 anthem ‘Don’t Stop Believin” have been given new life thanks to a highly entertaining video that features Steve Perry’s lyrics re-interpreted via the clever (and no doubt extremely time-consuming) editing together of dozens of iconic movie scenes.

This compilation, courtesy of Don Draper Says What?, features clips from tons of famous films, including ‘Robocop,’ ‘Animal House,’ ‘Deliverance,’ ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and ‘Apocalypse Now.’ You’ll find stars such as Kurt Russell, Woody Harrelson, Mike Myers and Harrison Ford (as both Han Solo and Indiana Jones!) mouthing the words over a re-recorded version of the song’s backing track.

One word of warning: some kid-unfriendly and slightly not-safe-for-work scenes from Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ ‘Alien’ and other films turn up over the course of the two-minute clip, so maybe finish your breakfast first!

(From TheFW.com)

Watch Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin” Performed by Movie Stars:

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

YouTube

Kiss kicked off “Rock Week” on ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ on Monday, with a performance so good that even grouchy old Len Goodman couldn’t resist holding up his ’11′ sign. The rockers performed ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ in front of familiar pyrotechnics, but behind choreography never attempted at one of their stadium shows.

The band will back on Tuesday to play again, and have some more fun with the contestants and pros. An encore performance may cost them another guitar as the crowd went nuts when Paul Stanley smashed his axe at the conclusion of the performance. If you’ve ever wondered how long Carrie Ann Inaba’s tongue is, this is your video.

Other “Rock Week” highlights include Steel Panther‘s appearance at William Levy and Cheryl Burke’s rehearsal and Donald Driver’s paso doble over Jimi Hendrix‘s ‘Purple Haze.’

Lowlights included Jaleel White’s tango to ‘Satisfaction’ by the Rolling Stones and Melissa Gilbert’s paso doble, which led to a hospitalization for a concussion. Gladys Knight’s dance to Queen‘s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ received the lowest marks from judges, and was difficult to listen to.

According to KissOnline.com, the band did a photo shoot before the performance. All of this is to promote their new album ‘Monster’ and the upcoming summer tour with Motley Crue.

Watch Kiss Perform ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

YouTube

The first video from Bonnie Raitt‘s ‘Slipstream,’ her first new album in seven years, has hit the web. And it’s a remake of a track many classic rock lovers will recognize — Gerry Rafferty‘s 1978 hit, ‘Right Down the Line.’

Rafferty, who died in January of last year, provided the voice for several songs nearly everyone of a certain age knows, including Stealers Wheel’s ‘Stuck in the Middle with You’ and Rafferty’s own ‘Baker Street,’ the latter of which is so beloved that even Slash cited it as influencing his guitar solo in the Guns N’ Roses power-ballad ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine.’

‘Right Down the Line’ was Rafferty’s only song to reach No. 1 on a Billboard chart (the Adult Contemporary chart, but hey, it counts) but it’s gotten less media-love than the others, which could be why Raitt paid homage to Rafferty by remaking it for her new album.

Raitt loves to cover blues classics, but putting her own spin on an established pop song is a rarity for her. She adds her own touch to the single, changing up the tempo and giving it a reggae flavor, and only at the end does she show off her renowned slide guitar skills — but even at 62, the legendary singer’s voice still sounds just as gorgeous and clear as it ever has.

Bonnie’s already released early tour dates for ‘Slipstream,’ which will drop April 10. You can preview the whole album at NPR Music.

Watch Bonnie Raitt Cover Gerry Rafferty’s ‘Right Down the Line’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Warner Brothers

While it’s not scheduled to hit theaters until June, the trailer for the film ‘Rock of Ages‘ was just made available, and it features a pretty great soundtrack for fans of ’80s rock ‘n’ roll. Journey, Poison, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi are just a few of the bands featured in the clip below.

The soundtrack moves pretty quickly, so we’ve taken the time to breakdown the 2:30 video by song. Of course the movie is based on a musical of the same name, so these versions are a short ways away from the originals. But they still rock as hard as Broadway can:

Journey, ‘Any Way You Want It’ at :00 seconds
Def Leppard, ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ at :33 seconds
Warrant, ‘Heaven’ at :51
Pat Benatar, ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ at 1:05
David Lee Roth, ‘Just Like Paradise’ at 1:22
Poison, ‘Nothin’ But a Good Time’ at 1:34
Bon Jovi, ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ at 1:50
Joan Jett, ‘I Love Rock ‘n Roll’ at 2:15

Tom Cruise plays Stacee Jaxx in the ’80s faux-rockumentary. The film also stars Julianne Hough, Bryan Cranston, Alec Baldwin, Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand and many more famous Hollywood A-listers.

Watch the ‘Rock of Ages’ Trailer

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

George Stroud, Getty Images

Despite the series taking place in the ’60s, rock music has barely featured in the stories of AMC’s ‘Mad Men.’ But on Sunday (April 1) night’s episode, the world’s greatest rock and roll band were an integral part of one of the subplots.

Early in the show, which is set in the summer of 1966, Don Draper, Creative Director and partner of ad agency Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and his wife Megan had dinner with Raymond Geiger, an executive at Heinz. Geiger suggests that Draper try and convince the Rolling Stones, who will be performing in New York that weekend, into re-recording ‘Time Is on My Side’ as ‘Heinz Is on Your Side.’

Draper and Harry Crane, the head of SCDP’s television department, go backstage at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium with the hopes of meeting manager Allen Klein. After being told that the group had not yet arrived, Don bribes the bouncer to be allowed in when they do.

While waiting, they encounter a couple of young women, Jo and Cecillia, who are also trying to meet the group, albeit for other reasons. Convinced that the older men in suits aren’t narcs, the girls offer joints to the men, with Harry partaking while Don sticks to good old-fashioned tobacco.

Eventually, Cecillia is able to get only Harry into the dressing room, leaving Don alone with Jo. The 40-year old Draper, unable to comprehend why the kids today go crazy for this rock n’ roll music, pries Jo for information as to the appeal of the Stones. She tells him of her love of Brian Jones, and refers to herself as ‘Lady Jane.’

Shortly thereafter, Harry resurfaces, claiming that his pitch was successful, waving the contract. But before they could celebrate, the band arrives. Harry learns that the signature on the contract was for opening act, the Trade Winds, a band from Providence, R.I. who had a few minor hits in the mid-’60s.

‘Mad Men’ creator Matt Weiner’s famous attention to detail was on full display. As it turns out the Stones did play the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens, N.Y. on July 2, 1966. And, as Don tells Jo, the Rolling Stones, in fact, did record a jingle for Rice Krispies several years earlier in Great Britain.

Watch a 1964 Rice Krispies Commercial With Music by the Rolling Stones

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

YouTube

It’s possible that Bruce Springsteen, known as rock’s Iron Man for his long concerts, is finally starting to show signs of age. In the encore of last night’s (March 28) show at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the 62-year old Springsteen felt a need to stop, sit down and have a drink before continuing.

During his cover of Eddie Floyd’s 1967 soul classic, ‘Raise Your Hand,’ the second-to-last song in the the two-hour, fifty-minute show, Springsteen left the stage and headed into the sold-out crowd while continuing to sing. Finding a nice, comfy chair, he stopped the song, declaring, “I need a seat” and sat down. A fan handed him a half-filled beer, which he proceeded to chug — spilling only a few drops — before kicking the song back into gear and going back to the stage.

Philadelphia has long been the home of some memorable concerts by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, from the Main Point show in 1975 where ‘Thunder Road,’ then called ‘Wings For Wheels’ debuted, to his 50th birthday show in 1999 and many more. The city’s proximity to the Jersey Shore where he got his start means that many in the crowd have followed his career for over 40 years, and he rewards them in kind.

Or maybe he just wants to bring some joy into the hearts of the perpetually angry Philadelphia Eagles fans, who booed the line in ‘Wrecking Ball‘ that referenced the Eagles’ biggest rival, the four-time Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Watch Bruce Springsteen Chug a Beer in Philadelphia

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

YouTube

It’s been 22 years since Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in the original ‘Total Recall.’ While that should make some readers feel old, it also means an appropriate amount of time has passed for a remake.

We’ve just got the first look of said remake, which stars Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale, whose husband, Len Wiseman, directs. Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston and Ethan Hawke are also along for the futuristic ride. Check out the teaser trailer below.

‘Total Recall’ is based on the Phillip K. Dick short story ‘We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.’ While Schwarzenegger’s ‘Total Recall’ takes place on Mars, this one keeps the action on our home planet.

While the 30 second teaser doesn’t give much away, it makes sure to establish that memory implementation will still be an important part of the plot. The full-length trailer debuts on April 1st during the Boston Celtics/Miami Heat game on ABC, and the movie hits theaters August 3rd. Do you think this ‘Total Recall’ can measure up to the original?

Source: TheFW.com

YouTube

The Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California set aside a big chunk of its track so a bunch of cars could break a record once held by Australia.

The world burnout record requires a group of cars to perform smoking donuts simultaneously for 15 seconds. The Australian record topped out at a measly 57 cars. America’s response smashed it with a whopping 75 high performance cars.

The cars that participated in the record brought together gear-heads from all across northern California as part of the Sonoma Drift program, which was designed to give drifters a safe place to smoke tires without endangering other drivers.

So far, the record hasn’t been confirmed; it’s only been submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records. We do know Homer Simpson is extremely disappointed and high school seniors around the nation are planning their own attempts.

[Via TopSpeed]

Source: GuySpeed.com

Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images

Although he’s been keeping his manly assets under wraps while Van Halen has toured the states, the group’s arrival in the Great White North seems to have loosened up both singer David Lee Roth‘s belt buckle and inhibitions.

In fact, the singer has taken to showing off his tattooed upper buttock during performances of the band’s single ‘Tattoo,’ as seen in this clip from their March 17 concert in Toronto. The track come from their latest album, ‘A Different Kind of Truth.’

Reporting on the Van Halen’s Ottawa appearance on March 21, Ottawa Cititzen critic Peter Simpson identifies the tattoo as a gun. “[Roth] almost did let it all hang out mid-show, during the song ‘Tattoo,’” he writes. “He pulled down his pants — black leather, cross-stitched, tight and sparkly, a bold choice for a 56-year-old man — and showed off a tattoo on his butt. It was a gun, and on the giant, stage-wide screen behind him it looked as big as a Howitzer.”

UCR has previously reported on Roth’s admission to having a smaller tattoo of the King himself, Elvis Presley, on the singer’s lower leg. “I actually have a tattoo of Elvis,” he revealed in a video featurette on Van Halen News Desk. ”It’s right where my foot connects to my leg, and when I move my my foot up and down it’s like Elvis goes ‘thank you very much.’ I’m very popular with kids at Thanksgiving.”

Interestingly, Roth appears to be attempting to remove his boot in the clip below, just before he reaches for his behind. Could the elusive Elvis ink be making an appearance soon as well? Only time will tell — the band is back in the states now for a run of shows through the end of June. Concertgoers, roll your iPhone cameras.

Watch David Lee Roth Reveal His Tattoo During Van Halen’s Toronto Concert

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Cory Schwartz, Getty Images

After 18 studio albums and more than 40 years together, the Allman Brothers Band doesn’t need to reach far for songs to put in their set list — but they’ve proven more than willing (and thoroughly adept) when it comes to covering other artists’ material. The latest example: their stinging live take on Neil Young‘s ‘Southern Man,’ performed last Saturday (March 17) at New York’s Beacon Theatre.

Though the Allmans have only released a pair of studio albums (1994′s ‘Where It All Begins’ and 2003′s ‘Hittin’ the Note’) over the last 20 years, they’ve remained a steady live draw, and their annual visits to the Beacon are always an event. This show proved no exception, as evidenced by this clip, which finds the band burning through nearly 12 minutes of ‘Southern Man’ with help from Grace Potter, James van der Bogert and Randall Bramblett.

‘Southern Man’ has a long, conflicted history with the Southern rock community, most notably expressed in the mini-feud it sparked with Lynyrd Skynyrd, who recorded ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ as a response to the poverty and institutionalized racism Young depicted in his song. Young didn’t take it personally, however, saying “They play it like they mean it…I’m proud to have my name in a song like theirs.” The Allmans played it like they meant it here. Watch the clip below:

The Allman Brothers Cover Neil Young’s ‘Southern Man’

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Vevo / Van Halen

Van Halen has issued the third in their videotaped series of self-interviews, and this episode finds the three current and original members of the group joking and laughing about their early days as well as their ill-fated attempts to accurately cover hit dance songs of the era.

Talking about the early gigs when Van Halen was employed to perform popular songs at small clubs, guitarist Eddie Van Halen noted that when they tried to replicate hits such as the Isley Brothers’ ‘It’s Your Thing,’ the results came out more like Black Sabbath: “We sounded pretty silly playing some of that stuff.”

Not that they’re apologetic. “Tone separates this band” from the others, notes Van Halen. “It’s my voice… a lot of it has to do with the way I play.” He teases Roth for his attempts to get the group to sound more like the original records, to which Diamond Dave sheepishly explains, “That was more of a financial imperative.”

The singer goes on to explain that he is still surprised that more people don’t pick up on what he perceives as his own obvious attempts to pay tribute to some of his singing heroes on Van Halen records. “To this day, I laugh when nobody gets it. Cause to me, it’s so obvious I’m imitating so and so…”

The group also fondly remembers the hotel they were at when they found out about their first gold-selling record, and how they were thrown out not for trashing the place but rather because a crew member stole a pillow. We strongly suggest you watch every minute of this interview, it’s great to see these three together like this.

In fact, we’d like to suggest that all classic rock bands line up in front of this very same oriental rug set and tell old stories for two hours, and that the resulting program be put on television in place of ‘The Voice,’ ‘American Idol’ and ‘X Factor.’ Who’s with us?

Watch Van Halen Talk About Their Cover Song Days

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com