The unfinished memoir
that Prince was
working on before his
death in 2016 is to be
published by Penguin
Random House on
October 29. The
Beautiful Ones will be
broken down into four
sections that include
the 50 handwritten
pages by Prince, plus
photographs and the
original treatment for
his film Purple Rain.Sylvain Sylvain has
revealed that he has
been battling cancer
for the past 12
months. The former
New York Dolls
guitarist has set up
a crowdfunding
campaign to assist
with the estimated
$80,000 (£61,000)
required for his
ongoing treatment.Ritchie Blackmore’s
rebooted Rainbow
have released an
updated version of
Black Sheep Of The
Family, a track which
was originally sung by
Ronnie James Dio on
the band’s self-titled
debut album back in- Joining
Blackmore in the
current line-up are
vocalist Ronnie
Romero, Stratovarius
keyboard player Jens
Johansson,
Blackmore’s Night
drummer David Keith
and bassist Bob
Nouveau, and singers
Lady Lynn and
Candice Night.
Geddy Lee (pictured)
would welcome
Rush’s catalogue
being given the stage-
musical treatment.
“The stories [of
albums such as 2112
or Clockwork Angels]
have a lot of potential
in terms of staging and
imaginative scenery,”
says the bassist/
vocalist. “They really
are tailor-made for
that, so I’d love to see
it happen some time.”Film tells tells their story
from 1968 to ’70.Material for an E Street Band
album also written.Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul
Jones have all participated in a new
documentary celebrating the 50th
anniversary of Led Zeppelin. The as-yet
untitled film was directed by the Emmy-
nominated Bernard MacMahon (of
American Epic fame) and includes rare
archival interviews with John Bonham.
The documentary charts the rise of all
four members of Zeppelin throughout the
60s, highlighting their first meeting in 1968,
and ends in 1970 when Led Zeppelin II
replaced The Beatles’ Abbey Road at No.1 in
the US albums chart.
“The time was right for us to tell our own
story for the first time in our own words,”
says John Paul Jones, “and I think that this
film will really bring this story to life.”
No release date has yet been confirmed, but
the project is now in post-production. DLBruce Springsteen releases a new
solo album, We s t e r n St ar s, on June 14. It’s his
first new studio record in five years.
“This record is a return to my solo
recordings featuring character-driven
songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral
arrangements,” he says. “It’s a jewel-box of
a record.”
Springsteen has also written new
material for a new E Street album,
following a severe case of writer’s block.
“I’ve spent about seven years without
writing anything for the band – I couldn’t,”
he revealed in a conversation with the
acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
“And then around a month ago I wrote
almost an album’s worth of material. It
[just] came out [of me]. I know where it
came from, but at the same time it just
came out of almost nowhere.”
We s t e r n St ar s is reviewed next issue. DLSpringsteen
Releases New
Solo Album
Bruce Springsteen:
enjoying songwriting
burst of creativity.Led Zeppelin
Documentary
Almost Complete
The AOR-established singer and his band return with
a new album, looking to “tap into a whole new audience”.Soto
New York-born singer Jeff Scott Soto
has a varied CV that includes being in the
bands Talisman, Eyes, Soul SirkUS, Trans-
Siberian Orchestra, W.E.T. and, most
recently, Sons Of Apollo, as well as stints
with Yngwie Malmsteen and Journey.
Origami is the third album from his harder
rocking, self-named group.You call the music of Soto – the band- “modern melodic metal/hard rock”.
It’s certainly different from the things
that I do for Frontiers Records, and that’s
by design.
Being established in
the melodic rock/
AOR f ield, is it
diff icult to gain
traction when
operating in
a different genre?
I realise it’s not an easy
sell to my long-time
fans, and I’ve experienced resistance from
them, but Soto isn’t designed for them,
and [the non-acceptance] really doesn’t
bum me out. I’m trying to establish
a whole new fan-base, and it’s truly like
starting all over again.Who is your audience when you tour:
broad-minded existing fans, or a new
group of people altogether?
A little of both, and that’s what I’m getting
at. My diehard fans know that I won’t be
pinned down to one category, and they
get that. It’s great to have them aboard,
but now I’m trying to tap into a whole
new audience.Stylistically, new-album songs like
Give In To Me are not that different,
except the guitars and drums are far
louder; there are no death grunts.
Exactly. It’s not cookie monster grunting
the entire time. There are some softer
AOR-style moments, though I do sing
a little bit more aggressively overall. It’s
not how I sing when I’m doing W.E.T.material, for instance, though it’s not
a complete departure.In 2017 you joined Mike Portnoy,
Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot and Derek
Sherinian in the prog-metal
supergroup Sons Of Apollo for an
album and world tour. Being part of
such an OTT project, did it in any way
feel like a step into another world?
Yes and no. I always find a way to inject
a little bit of me into everything I do. But
I got a lot of rest time [during instrumental
breaks] on stage,
which I also had
playing with Yngwie.”During Sons Of
Apollo live shows,
everybody took
a solo spot – except
Mike Portnoy.
Mike said he was so
used to getting solos
with his other bands, this would be the
first time he would sit it out [laughs].You elected to sing an a-capella
version of Queen’s The Prophet’s Song.
That’s a pretty ballsy thing to do.
Well, Freddie Mercury was ballsy in
general, and of course he’s one of my
biggest inf luences. It was a fun thing to do.The press biography says Soto will be
touring “throughout 2019”.
Dates are being finalised for around
September, though I need to know there is
interest out there. If that’s the case, there
will be British dates, and more than just
a one-off in London.What’s happening regarding a second
Sons Of Apollo record?
We’ve already begun recording it for an
early 2020 release. Can I provide a hint
regarding its direction? Absolutely not,
that would ruin the surprise. DLOrigami is out now via Inside Out Music.BRU
CE
SPR
ING
STE
EN:(^) KE
VIN
(^) NIX
ON
“My diehard fans
know that I won’t
be pinned down
to one category.”
14 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM