Sammy Hagar: Living the Dream

MUSIC BIZ
Lawrence to open
for The Rolling Stones
Yesterday, Lawrence — the 8-piece band fronted
by siblings Gracie and Clyde Lawrence — announced
that they will be opening for THE ROLLING STONES
at MetLife Stadium on May 26 to a crowd of almost
83,000 people. They’ll of course be playing music from
their forthcoming album, Family Business, at the show,
which will also be celebrated with their biggest-ever
headlining tour throughout this spring and summer. The
40-date international Family Business Tour includes
iconic venues Radio City Music Hall on September 19
and The Wiltern in Los Angeles on October 9. Family
Business is the follow-up to 2021’s Hotel TV and more
details, new music and release date will be announced
soon. Plus, today Lawrence released the all new
acoustic-ish video for their new single “Guy I Used To
Be” as a part of their very popular acousitc-ish series
(millions and millions of views across all platforms).
NPG Records And Paisley Park
release “Magnificent”
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Prince’s
seminal Musicology album, NPG Records and Paisley
Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music
Entertainment, have released “Magnificent,” a rare 2003
Prince track that was previously issued as a “virtual B-
side” to “Musicology,” the lead single from the classic
record. Originally distributed via Prince’s NPG Music
Club, the song has never been previously available on
any official streaming services, so today’s release marks
the first time that a new generation of Prince fans around
the world will have access to this hard-to-find gem.
The track’s debut on streaming follows the release of
“United States Of Division,” another rare B-side from
the Musicology era. “Magnificent” is a sensual love
song backed by layers of heavy digital percussion and an
ominous synthesizer riff throughout. Over the irresistibly
funky backing track, Prince croons to an unnamed lover:
“In the time it took the others / to say your name / we
became magnificent.” Unofficially available to Prince
fans for 20 years and sourced from master tapes found
in Prince’s legendary vault, “Magnificent” is yet another
stunning sonic artifact from a notably prolific era of his
celebrated career. The releases of “Magnificent” and
“United States Of Division” also celebrate the 20th
anniversary of Prince’s landmark Musicology Live
2004ever tour, a remarkable run of shows that saw the
trendsetting star distributing copies of his most recent
album Musicology to over a million concert attendees.
On Prince’s request, the tour featured reasonable ticket
prices that encouraged fans young and old to attend shows.
Devised by Prince and his longtime lawyer, confidante,
and Musicology Executive Producer L. Londell
McMillan this grassroots approach to album marketing
profoundly changed that way the music industry viewed
live performances and once again cemented Prince’s
status as one of modern music’s great creative visionaries.
Loverboy’s Paul Dean
Touts Release of Rare 1971 Album
Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean is excited about the
recent release of the long-lost debut album by his band
The Fox (later changed to Canada-Fox), formed in 1969
in Vancouver, a full decade before Dean would co-found
Loverboy with Mike Reno and Doug Johnson. The
other members of Canada-Fox consist of organist/lead
vocalist/writer and arranger Clyde Harvey, bassist Brian
Newcombe and writer/drummer/vocalist Billy McBeth.
The previously unreleased album has been picked up by
Sony Music for distribution to all streaming services.
Ten songs were originally recorded by the group in
1970 in a Toronto studio after getting picked up by RCA
Canada, an event Dean only recalls by seeing pictures
of them “signing something” with the label boss. The
band was dropped after two singles were released,
leaving the original lacquer acetates of the album with
drummer McBeth, who copied it onto a CD and sent it
to Paul. Dean then isolated the vocals and instruments
from the original two-track stereo. “I polished those
suckers for literally months, restoring them with these
new software programs, much the same way the Beatles
reconstructed ‘Now and Then.’ It was a great learning
experience, and yeah, I’m a real tech nerd”, says Dean.
“I was blown away by these songs that I hadn’t listened
to in over 50 years, and then I dove right in, looking
for ways I could update them, from a technical point of
view. I wanted to clean up all the little flaws, rebalance
the instruments, make it loud and clean with no outside
noise, so-on with my producer/mixer hat.” Remixed and
remastered, Canada-Fox offers a compendium of blues,
soul, R&B, funk and psychedelia that both recalls those
halcyon times, but also remains timeless and modern,
sounding as if it was recorded yesterday. Highlights
include a spirited mash-up of The Beatles’ “Day
Tripper” and James Brown’s “Licking Stick,” which
has Dean aping that classic George Harrison guitar lick,
then taking it to the bridge. “That’s my favorite track
on the record,” says Paul. “It’s just so funky, and Clyde
really nails it.” “Coochy Coo” is a blues-rocker with a
cheeky, sensuous backbeat, while “Livin’ My Life” has a
country feel and a classic Paul Dean guitar solo. These,
along with a gloriously funky take on Sly Stone’s “Sing
a Simple Song”, were recorded in 1971 in Vancouver
and Edmonton, respectively. Dean’s sole writing and
lead vocal credit, “Mr. Tall,” shows him vamping like
his idol Jimi Hendrix, which can also be heard on the
heavy instrumental, ‘The Fox’. “We‘d listen to Hendrix
on our PA system, which we unpacked and set up in the
basement of our band house,” says Dean. “In fact, we
used to cover ‘Foxy Lady’ and ‘Voodoo Child’ in our set.”
Lacy J. Dalton Releases New Single
“What Don’t Kill Ya”
Singer-songwriter and outlaw original Lacy J.
Dalton is excited to release the third single, “What Don’t
Kill Ya,” today from her upcoming For The Black Sheep
album, due out June 21st. Mixing a combination of
country and blues, Dalton brings to life the difficulties in
the world, from breakups to life in general, that will help
each of us become stronger individuals.” With lyrics such
as “sometimes you’re right, sometimes you’re wrong,
you make mistakes, but you go on - and somehow life
just rolls along and what don’t kill ya makes you strong,”
Dalton has created a song that everyone can relate to.
“We don’t build strong spiritual muscles without strong
challenges in life,” shares Dalton. “These roadblocks
and heartaches become catalysts for change and the
way forward. What appears to stand in the way becomes
the way… “What Don’t Kill Ya” makes you strong.”
Sam Grow Enlists Logan Mize
For New Single & Video
“Yellow Brick Road”
Maryland native Sam Grow returns with his
latest single and official video with fellow singersongwriter
Logan Mize. The single is now available
for download and stream on all digital platforms via
22 NMW - MAY 3, 2024 Vol. 26 Issue 2