Universal Music Recordings is set to release Pete Townshend – The Studio Albums, an 8-CD box set that collects all of Pete Townshend’s solo studio albums for the first time.

Newly remastered by Jon Astley, the new set accompanies last year’s Live In Concert 1985-2001 box set. It features expanded deluxe packaging in a CD-sized box with new art by longtime Townshend collaborator Richard Evans, sleeve notes by band archivist Matt Kent, a new exclusive Townshend foreword, and rare photos and memorabilia in a 28-page book.

The box set features seven albums: Who Came First, Rough Mix (with Ronnie Lane), Empty Glass, All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, White City (A Novel), The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend, and Psychoderelict, as well as the music only version of Psychoderelict.

Townshend says of his solo studio work, “I have always written first for myself. Not as an artist but for play, for fun, for joy, for self-expression. For therapy? In a way, of course. These solo songs are therefore not Who exclusions or out-takes, they are part of a story that may well have been very different had I not made some poor decisions in the early ’80s.”

“I have stories to tell about every song, and one day I may write a book that tells of that journey, but I’m probably happier spending my time today writing new music rather than explaining how the old stuff came about,” he adds.

Source: RTT Music News

A new Neil Young tribute album, titled Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, is set feature Fiona Apple, Eddie Vedder, Mumford & Sons, Brandi Carlile and many more.

The album’s first two singles have been released: covers of “Lotta Love” by Courtney Barnett and “Southern Man” by Chris Pierce.

The 14-song tracklist will also feature covers of Young’s hit songs by Sharon Van Etten, The Lumineers, Stephen Marley, The Doobie Brothers, Allison Russell, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and more.

Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, which is set to be released on April 25th, will be the first release in a two-volume project, with proceeds benefiting The Bridge School.

Speaking about her contribution in a statement, Barnett said, “‘Lotta Love’ is one of my favorite Neil songs and the lyrics feel especially relevant at this moment in history. It’s a real honor to be part of this tribute helping to raise funds for The Bridge School.”

Source: RTT Music News

Elton John and Brandi Carlile have announced they will release a collaborative album Who Believes In Angels? on April 4th via Interscope Records.

The duo also released the album’s tracklist and shared the record’s title track and an accompanying video.

Elton, Brandi, Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter Andrew Watt, and Elton’s longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin devised the concept for the album and wrote the entire album in just 20 days.

The album features top class musicians such as Chad Smith, Pino Palladino, and Josh Klinghoffer.

“This record was one of the toughest I’ve ever made, but it was also one of the greatest musical experiences of my life,” Elton says. “It has given me a place where I know I can move forward. Who Believes In Angels? feels like going into another era and I’m pushing the door open to come into the future. I have everything I’ve done behind me and it’s been brilliant, amazing. But this is the new start for me. As far as I’m concerned, this is the start of my career Mark two.”

“I’m still reeling from the fact that I got to do it,” Carlile adds. “I think all ships rise with Elton John’s standards for songwriting, and it was an incredibly challenging and inspiring environment to work in, everybody throwing in ideas, everybody listening to everybody else’s ideas. It felt like a family. The world is a wild place to live in right now. It’s hard to find peace and triumph. It’s a radical act to seek out joyful and euphoric happenings. And that is what this album represents to me.”

Who Believes In Angels? Tracklist:

“The Rose Of Laura Nyro”
“Little Richard’s Bible”
“Swing For The Fences”
“Never Too Late”
“You Without Me”
“Who Believes In Angels?”
“The River Man”
“A Little Light”
“Someone To Belong To”
“When This Old World Is Done With Me”

Source: RTT Music News

Legendary rockers Foreigner’s remastered version of their classic “I Want To Know What Love Is” has surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, marking the band’s entry into the streaming platform’s esteemed Billions Club.

The band has now joined an elite group of musicians like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, AC/DC, Elton John, Fleetwod Mac and The Eagles.

The achievement comes at a time when the rockers, who recently got inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, are gearing up to celebrate their 50th anniversary next year.

“We’re truly honored to be included in Spotify’s Billions Club,” said Foreigner founder Mick Jones, who wrote “I Want To Know What Love Is.” “This achievement is a testament to the lasting power of ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ and the incredible support from our fans around the world. As we look ahead to our 50th anniversary, this is a reminder of how much our music has meant to so many people over the years.”

“I Want To Know What Love Is,” which arrived in 1984, climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned multiple platinum certifications. The 1999 remastered version is a big hit with both longtime fans and new listeners.

Source: RTT Music News

Parlophone Records has announced that a special David Bowie limited double vinyl LP and CD, titled Ready, Set, Go! (Live, Riverside Studios’ 03), will be released on April 12 for Record Store Day.

Along with the announcement, a live version of “New Killer Star,” the opening song from the show, has been released.

On September 8, 2003, Bowie made history at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London, with the biggest ever live and interactive music satellite event the world had seen to that point. The special one-off live concert was beamed simultaneously to fans in 86 cinemas in 26 countries, and 14 screens in Paris alone.

Bowie and his band unveiled the first-ever live performance of his new album Reality, released a week later. Now, for the first time, the eleven-song main set, the Reality album in full, plus three previously unreleased tracks from the encore, will be available on double vinyl and single CD exclusively for Record Store Day 2025.

Ready, Set, Go! (Live, Riverside Studios’ 03) is produced by David Bowie and Tony Visconti.

Source: RTT Music News