Author: wamdines

Santana has announced tour dates for 2025.

More than 30 dates will keep guitarist and bandleader Carlos Santana and his band on the road from spring through summer in North America, Europe and the U.K.

The U.S. dates begin on April 16 in Highland, California, and run through the end of the month; Santana will then head to Lodz, Poland, on June 9 for more dates through Aug. 11.

READ MORE: Top 10 Santana Songs

The band’s sets will span its entire career. According to a press release announcing the tour, “Santana will perform high-energy, passion-filled songs from their 50-year career, including fan favorites from Abraxas to Woodstock to Supernatural and beyond.”

Where Is Santana Playing in 2025?

After launching in California, the Oneness tour will play dates in Phoenix, San Antonio, and Tulsa before wrapping up North American shows on April 29 in Nashville. After taking off in May, the band will resume concerts on June 9 with the Lodz, Poland, date.

Santana will tour Europe and the U.K. for the next two months, with dates in Berlin, Glasgow, London and Vienna plus some festival appearances. The final scheduled date of the 2025 Oneness tour is Aug. 11 in Copenhagen. You can see the full schedule below.

Fan presale tickets will be available on Wednesday; other presales will run until the general on-sale that starts on Friday at 10 a.m. local time. More information is available on the band’s website.

Santana spent the summer of 2024 performing dates with Counting Crows across the U.S.

Santana, 2025 Oneness Tour North American Dates
April 16, 2025 – Highland, CA – Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel
April 18, 2025 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
April 19, 2025 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
April 22, 2025 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre
April 23, 2025 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
April 25, 2025 – Thackerville, OK – Lucas Oil Live at WinStar
April 26, 2025 – Tulsa, OK – River Spirit Casino Resort
April 29, 2025 – Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle

2025 Oneness Tour Europe & UK Dates
June 9, 2025 – Lodz, Poland – Atlas Arena
June 11, 2025 – Budapest, Hungary – MVM Dome
June 13, 2025 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena
June 15, 2025 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena
June 18, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
June 19, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
June 21, 2025 – London, UK – The O2
June 23, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Paris
June 24, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
June 26, 2025 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis
June 28, 2025 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion Zürich
June 30, 2025 – Vienna, Austria – Wiener Stadthalle
July 2, 2025 – Mantua, Italy – Piazza Sordello – Mantova
July 16, 2025 – Rosenheim, Germany – ROSENHEIM SOMMERFESTIVAL 2025, Mangfall Park
July 18, 2025 – Montreux, Switzerland – Montreux Jazz Festival
July 19, 2025 – St. Julien, France – Guitare en Scène
July 21, 2025 – Nimes, France – Festival de Nîmes
July 23, 2025 – Monte-Carlo, Monte-Carlo Summer Festival
July 25, 2025 – Marciac, France – Jazz à Marciac Festival
August 3, 2025 – Marbella, Spain – Starlite Occident Festival
August 8, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena
August 9, 2025 – Hanover, Germany – ZAG Arena
August 11, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Elvis Costello has announced a tour for 2025: “Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello.”

As its title suggests, the concerts will feature songs from Costello’s earlier albums, ranging from his 1977 debut My Aim Is True to 1986’s Blood & Chocolate, “along with other surprises,” a press release hinted.

“For any songwriter, it has to be a compliment if people want to hear songs written up to 50 years ago. Among them, ‘Radio Soul,’ the first draft of what eventually became ‘Radio Radio,'” Costello explained in a statement.

He’ll be joined on the tour by the Imposters: Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher, plus returning guest Charlie Sexton.

READ MORE: Why Elvis Costello Was Not Happy With ‘Punch the Clock’

“You can expect the unexpected and the faithful in equal measure,” Costello continued. “Don’t forget this show is ‘Performed by Elvis Costello & the Imposters,’ an ensemble which includes three people who first recorded this music and two more who bring something entirely new. They are nobody’s tribute band. The Imposters are a living, breathing, swooning, swinging, kicking and screaming rock and roll band who can turn their hands to a pretty ballad when the opportunity arises.”

The tour will launch on June 12 in Seattle, followed by stops in cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville and more. A ticket presale will be held Dec. 11, with a regular sale scheduled for Dec. 13.

A complete list of concert dates can be viewed below.

Elvis Costello, Looking Backward for the Last Time

Costello clarified that although the focus of the tour is on his early songs, he’s not interested in dwelling on the past too much.

“If there is an encore and we play ‘Farewell, OK’ it probably means some of those ‘Early Songs’ will have been performed in your city for the very last time,” he said. “I don’t want to go back, I want to bring these songs into the present day, once more, in the event they are ever pushed out of the way by the next number that I write. You could say time is running out but only time will tell. Don’t be late, the band hits at eight.”

‘Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello’ Tour Dates 2025
June 12 – Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheatre
June 13 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium
June 15 – Reno, NV @ Venue TBA
June 17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
June 19 – Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento
June 21 – Los Angeles @ Orpheum
June 24 – San Diego, CA @ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
June 26 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
June 28 – Beaver Creek, CO @ Vilar Performing Arts Center
June 29 – Denver, CO @ Bellco Theatre
July 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
July 3 – St. Louis, MO @ The Factory
July 5 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
July 7 – Greenville, SC @ The Peace Center Concert Hall
July 9 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Mahaffey Theater in Duke Energy Center for the Arts
July 10 – Fort Myers, FL @ Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
July 12 – Miami Beach, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theatre

2025 Rock Tour Preview

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have announced a string of Las Vegas dates for 2025.

The band will start a five-date engagement at House of Blues Las Vegas on June 13. The venue is located inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Jett and the Blackhearts’ most recent tour was a joint run of summer dates with Alanis Morissette that started in June.

READ MORE: Top 50 Hard Rock Songs of the ’70s

Those concerts found the band playing some of their best-known songs, such as the No. 1 “I Love Rock ‘n Roll,” their cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and “Cherry Bomb,” the 1976 song from her first band the Runaways, which Jett joined when she was 16.

When Are Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Playing in Las Vegas?

Jett and the Blackhearts’ five 2025 shows at House of Blues Las Vegas are scheduled for June 13, 14, 18, 20 and 21.

Fan presale tickets will be available beginning Wednesday at 1 p.m. EST; other presales will run until the general on-sale starts on Friday at 1 p.m. EST. More information can be found on Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ website.

The list of dates for the Las Vegas engagement is below.

Jett’s most recent release is the 2023 digital-only EP Mindsets; the year before she released Changeup, an album of acoustic versions of Blackhearts favorites “Bad Reputation,” “Fake Friends” and others.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, House of Blues Las Vegas 2025
June 13
June 14
June 18
June 20
June 21

Top 35 Hard Rock Albums of the ’70s

From holdover electric blues to the birth of heavy metal, these records pretty much summed up the decade.

Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci

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Toto will tour in July and August 2025 with Men at Work and Christopher Cross. Key stops include Boston, St. Louis, Charlotte, Nashville Phoenix, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, among others.

“Christopher and [Men and Work leader] Colin [Hay] have been close friends for a long time,” Toto’s Steve Lukather said in an official statement. “This is a tour that musically works and brings a fresh summer package to the circuit.”

See a complete list of Toto’s confirmed dates and cities with Cross and Men and Work below. “The mix of Christopher, Steve with Toto, and Men at Work will make for an exciting night of music for fans old and new,” Hay said. More concerts are to be announced.

READ MORE: The Night Christopher Cross Sat in With Deep Purple

Joining Steve Lukather in Toto are long-time frontman Joseph Williams, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, drummer Shannon Forrest and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham, among others. Lukather and Ham are veterans of Ringo Starr‘s All-Starr Band.

Toto and Cross have already announced a European tour for January and February, with stops in the U.K. and 10 other countries. They appeared before a capacity crowd last September at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, after Toto completed a well-received string of dates with Journey.

“I’m honored to be sharing the stage with my dear friends Toto and Men at Work,” Cross added.

Toto’s 2025 Tour With Christopher Cross and Men at Work
7/18 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
7/19 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
7/21 – Birmingham, AL @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater
7/22 – Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
7/24 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
7/25 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/26 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
7/28 – Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion
7/30 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
8/1 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
8/3 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
8/5 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
8/6 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
8/8 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
8/9 – Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
8/11 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
8/13 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
8/14 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
8/15 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
8/17 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Zoo Amphitheatre
8/18 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
8/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
8/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ Fontainebleau
8/24 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
8/25 – Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at Concord
8/27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/29 – Puyallup, WA @ Washington State Fair
8/30 – Ridgefield, WA @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

Why Steve Lukather’s Autobiography Took the High Road

When the members of UCR’s staff are not writing up articles, there’s a high probability you can run into one of them at a live concert.

The cool thing about our team — sorry, one of the cool things about our team, there are many — is that we each have access to different musical markets. Collectively, we’ve seen concerts in all sorts of places, spread across the country from New York City to Los Angeles.

Over the course of 2024, we’ve seen some damn good shows, and we hope you have too. Below, five of UCR’s own describe the best shows they saw all year.

Matthew Wilkening: Of course it’s tough to just pick one rock concert from 2024. The Black Crowes were fantastic, continuing one of the best comebacks in recent rock history with a powerful headlining set at the venue I will always refer to as the Rocksino. High on Fire with the new addition of Melvins / Big Business drummer Coady Willis was almost unfairly great, and Sammy Hagar upped his game to levels I wasn’t sure he could reach anymore on the Best of All Worlds tour. But the show that left the biggest impression this year was Clutch’s headlining show at the Nautica Pavilion. Their albums can run hot and cold — 2018’s Book of Bad Decisions was a somewhat muddled misfire, while 2022’s Sunrise on Slaughter Beach was much sharper — but they always deliver live and they were in particularly fine form on a lovely summer night. Three-quarters of the band never moves and doesn’t sing, but it didn’t matter in the least as singer Neil Fallon kept the crowd in the palm of his hand the entire night. As an audience member all you really needed to do was try and keep up with the four of them as they delivered a powerful, full-album reading of 2004’s high mark Blast Tyrant before closing out the night with a random assortment of favorites. It was “wait, how far away is the next show?” good.

Corey Irwin: Without question, seeing the Eagles open their residency at the Sphere was hands-down my favorite concert of the year. Now, I’m not going to go full Drew Carey over the Sphere experience, but the technological wizardry exceeded my expectations (which were admittedly high). The venue was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, yet what made it such a special night was the fact that the Sphere’s visuals didn’t detract from the performance onstage. The Eagles remain an incredibly impressive live act, and I was blown away by how great they continue to sound more than 50 years into their career.

Honorable mention goes to the Foo Fighters, who I was able to see during their Northern California stop late in the summer. Dave Grohl and company continue to deliver electrifying performances – and I was an especially proud dad as I watched my four-year-old son experience his first rock concert.

Watch the Eagles Perform ‘Hotel California’ at the Sphere 

Allison Rapp: I got a lot of raised eyebrows and incredulous looks when I told people I traveled all the way from New York City to Los Angeles — literally sea to shining sea — to see the Wallflowers perform both the entirety of their 1996 album Bringing Down the Horse and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1982 LP Long After Dark. I had no regrets then and none  now given it was one of the most fun shows I’ve ever attended as both a diehard Petty and Wallflowers fan. Jakob Dylan is in fine form these days, having grown into his husky voice and it was fascinating to hear the through lines from Petty’s music to his own in real time — a true disciple of rock ‘n’ roll. And frankly, if anyone was going to cover an entire Petty album in one night it should be him — Dylan went on the road with his dad and Petty in the mid ’80s, genuinely living the teenage rock ‘n’ roll dream. Plus, I got to go to the beach in October.

I must note a couple of honorable mentions: Neil Young at the Capitol Theatre (easily one of the loudest concerts I’ve ever heard, and Young’s voice is surprisingly still in good shape), and the Buffalo, New York stop of Willie Nelson‘s Outlaw Festival Tour, in which I was lucky enough to watch Bob Dylan smack a tiny wrench against his microphone for a portion of “Desolation Row.” A Nobel Prize winner at work.

Watch Bob Dylan Wield a Tiny Wrench During ‘Desolation Row’

Bryan Rolli: I wasn’t sure what to expect ahead of the Rolling Stones‘ Hackney Diamonds tour kickoff in April. I’d heard nearly as many stories of them being a trainwreck in their later years as a revelation. But their performance at Houston’s NRG Stadium was unquestionably the latter. How Mick Jagger can shake his toned ass across a stage for two hours without appearing to break a sweat is one of humankind’s great mysteries and marvels. Keith Richards and Ron Wood bounced riffs and solos off each other with their signature loose-limbed swagger, while drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Darryl Jones kept the train on the tracks with their sturdy groove. I’ve seen some fans complain about the set list, but as a first-timer, I felt it was as good an introduction to the Stones’ live show as I could’ve hoped for. I only wish they had played for twice as long.

My honorable mention goes to Green Day, a band I’ve seen live several times over the years and who have yet to disappoint me. They reached a new bar this summer with their Saviors tour, playing their career-defining albums Dookie and American Idiot in full. Billie Joe Armstrong remains one of rock’s most tireless frontmen, while Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt make one of rock’s tightest rhythm sections. They raced through 37 songs in two hours and 15 minutes, running the gamut from nervy pop-punk to epic, operatic arena rock. They might be cut from a different cloth, but the Saviors tour proved they can go toe to toe with any classic rock heavyweight.

Matt Wardlaw: I should first note that I did not raise an eyebrow or give Allison an incredulous look when she said she was going to Los Angeles to see the Wallflowers. I was jealous. Still am. But I got to mark a major entry off of the concert bucket list this year when I was lucky enough to see one of David Gilmour’s final shows of the Luck and Strange tour at Madison Square Garden. A good friend once told me, “Always go to the show.” I didn’t exactly listen to her in applying that to previous opportunities to see Gilmour and/or Pink Floyd. So when tour dates were announced, I knew what had to be done. I’m not being dramatic when I say that it was a life experience, seeing that MSG show. If you’ve spent any amount of time with Gilmour on record, you’ll know what I mean.

My honorable mentions line up well with Allison. Neil and Crazy Horse in Detroit at Pine Knob? Incredible. Willie, John Mellencamp and Bob in Chicago for the Outlaw Festival stop there? Mesmerizing. One final note: Anytime you have a chance to go see Bonnie Raitt, that’s a required “yes” as well. Long may they all run.

Watch David Gilmour Perform ‘Comfortably Numb’ at Madison Square Garden

2025 Rock Tour Preview

Geezer Butler remains in contact with Ozzy Osbourne, and he reports that the ailing singer hopes to reunite Black Sabbath during his final show.

“Ozzy was talking to me about, when he does his farewell concert – which he still wants to do – He’s dying to still get out there and play,” Butler noted during a recent conversation with Lifeminute. “And he suggested, at his very final concert, for the four of us to get up on stage and maybe do three or four songs together. And that would be it, finished.”

Butler reiterated that a Black Sabbath reunion of any kind would be a “one off.” “Definitely no more tours,” the bassist remarked.

When Was Black Sabbath’s Last Concert?

The last official Black Sabbath concert took place in 2017, though some of the members have shared the stage since then, like when Osbourne and Tony Iommi performed “Paranoid” at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. You have to go back to 2005 to find the last time Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Bill Ward played together.

READ MORE: Top 10 Geezer Butler Black Sabbath Songs

In recent years, Osbourne’s ongoing health problems have kept him from taking the stage. The legendary frontman – who continues to endure complications from back surgeries, while also battling Parkinson’s disease – was originally part of the lineup for the 2023 Power Trip music festival, but had to withdraw from the event. He hoped to play at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this year, where he was honored as a solo artist, however Ozzy instead passed the spotlight to an ensemble of famous friends who performed his work.

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The trailer for an upcoming documentary on Phil Collins shows the Genesis icon sitting down at a drum set for the first time in several years.

His playing career came to end due to health issues, connected with an injury sustained in 2007. In 2021 he revealed he could “barely hold a stick,” admitting it was “very frustrating because I’d love to be playing.”

He was replaced by son Nic Collins for Genesis’ farewell tour, which ended in 2022. Nic later reported that Phil had “definitely retired,” saying: “But I also do think that my dad is probably excited about the next step in his life.”

READ MORE: Phil Collins May Be Finally Working on New Music Again

The trailer, available below, is taken from the movie Phil Collins: Drummer First, which will be launched by the musicians’ educational site Drumeo on Dec. 18. Collins is seen walking with the aid of a stick, and also sitting down behind a drum set with the aid of Nic.

“Peter Gabriel said that as soon as he saw me sit down… he knew that I was a drummer,” Collins says, also recalling how Eric Clapton reacted to a performance by saying: “Fucking hell – what was that?!”

Phil Collins Says He’s Still a Drummer First

He adds: “If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks again, I will have a crack at it. I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.” After sitting at the kit and lifting some sticks he reflects: “It just feels so strange to hold a pair.”

He’s also seen reflecting: “I’m not a singer that plays a bit of drums – I’m more of a drummer that sings a bit.” Later he emphasises: “I’m Phil Collins, and I am a drummer.”

Drumeo said in a statement: “This is Phil’s story, told in his own words… featuring Nic Collins, Chad Smith, Mike Portnoy, Leland Sklar, Tommy Aldridge, Eloy Casagrande, Billy Cobham, Matt Cameron, Daryl Stuermer, Luis Conte, Dom Famularo, Simon Phillips, Todd Sucherman, Jonathan Moffett, Jordan Rudess, Brann Dailor, Liberty DeVitto, Chad Wackerman.”

‘Phil Collins: Drummer First’ Trailer

See Phil Collins in Rock’s Craziest Conspiracy Theories

Rick Springfield has opened up about his attempted suicide when he was a teenager.

In a conversation with SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk, Springfield – who described himself as a “real loner” – noted that he suffered from undiagnosed depression in his youth.

“I was dealing with a lot of stuff in my head,” the rocker confessed. “I hated school. It always felt like prison to me and I wasn’t in the clique. I was never in the clique. I was always kind of the outlier guy. And it just got to me. I was feeling bad about myself. I really had a lot of dark thoughts about myself at that point.”

One day, the darkness felt so unbearable that Springfield attempted to end his life.

“I tried to hang myself when I was 16,” he admitted. “There was nobody [at his home]. My parents were working and I was, at that point I was staying away from school. I had wasn’t very successful at school and that was the only arena, you know, a kid could be successful. And if you weren’t into sports or anything like that, I was playing guitar, but nobody kind of really cared about that at school. So I was just miserable.”

READ MORE: How Rick Springfield Broke Through With ‘Working Class Dog’

When Springfield’s attempt at suicide failed, he hid the evidence from his family.

“I had a rope burn around my neck for like three weeks and wore a turtleneck so that no one could see,” he explained, adding that he “just went to school the next day” as if nothing had happened.

Springfield further revealed that his mother had no idea about the suicide attempt until he wrote about it in his 2010 memoir.

“She denied it. She couldn’t believe it,” he recalled. “She thought I made it up for the book. So it was kept very, nobody knew about it.”

Rick Springfield Says Suicide Attempt Has ‘Been With Me Ever Since’

Springfield has been open about his mental health issues, admitting that its something he continues to manage today.

“Somewhere in the back of my head I thought, maybe there’s a reason that [the suicide attempt] wasn’t successful,” he explained. “But it’s been with me ever since. I’ve been close to it again.”

READ MORE: ’80s No. 1 Rock Songs From Worst to Best

The singer also expressed exasperation towards people who suggest his successful career should guarantee happiness.

“[Depression has] nothing to do with how successful you are, it’s all to do with what goes on inside and I’m managing it,” the “Jessie’s Girl” rocker declared. “And I write when I get down, I write, sometimes it’ll just hit me and I won’t know why, and other times there’ll be a reason. And, I only talk about it because it frees me a little bit to talk about it and I think it frees other people to a degree. I’ve had a fairly okay life and I haven’t collapsed from it.”

Bill Wyman said he was surprised when the Rolling Stones continued after the departure and death of drummer Charlie Watts.

And the former bassist – who left in 1993 – suggested they only kept going because they had nothing else to do.

Watts was replaced by Steve Jordan in 2021, originally on a temporary basis while he recovered from heart surgery; but the 80-year-old’s passing in August of that year made the change permanent.

READ MORE: Top 10 Rolling Stones Bill Wyman Songs

“When Charlie left, I thought they would close,” Wyman told Classic Rock in a recent interview. “I really did. They could replace the bass, but I didn’t think they could replace Charlie, and his charisma, and what a great guy he was.

“[B]ut they went on, which surprised me. I wouldn’t say it disappointed me, but it surprised me. I think it would’ve been a good time for them to [end]. But I don’t think they’ve got anything else to do – otherwise they’d do it, wouldn’t they?”

He continued: “I’ve got six different things I’m doing all the time, and I’m so happy doing them, but I don’t think they… Well, Ronnie [Wood]’s got art as a second thing. And Mick [Jagger]’s tried to do movies and things but hasn’t really succeeded; and he’s done solo stuff which really didn’t work as well as it should’ve done either.

“And so they just… It’s just the Stones all the time.”

When the Rolling Stones Refused to Believe Bill Wyman Had Quit

Wyman also recalled how it took the Stones two years to accept he’d actually left the band – which he also said he should have done much sooner than he did.

Recalling his doubts about returning after the band’s downtime in the mid ‘80s, he said: “I only started playing with them again in the hope it’d only be a couple of years, because I had all these other things I wanted to do. I wanted to do archaeology, write books, do photography, I wanted to play charity cricket; I wanted to do all these other things. And 30 years on I’m still wanting to do them, to tell the truth.

“So I was so happy to leave in the end. Which they absolutely didn’t like, and refused to accept. They said: ‘You have not left.’ When they were doing the plan for the coming year, I said: ‘Well there’s no point me discussing it, because I’m leaving.’ And they went. ‘You’re not leaving.’ I said: ‘I am leaving – I’ve left.. And they wouldn’t believe me.

“Two years went by, and they were putting the band together again to make a new record in ’94. They said, ‘Are you still in the band?’ I said, ‘I left two years ago.’”

A sci-fi movie treatment written by Paul McCartney for his post-Beatles band Wings was abandoned after he and co-writer Isaac Asimov failed to agree on the concept.

The movie, with the working titled Five and Five and One, started out as a brief overview written by McCartney, who started with the idea of shape-changing aliens landing on Earth and taking on the forms of him and his bandmates.

But it stalled after the musician didn’t like sci-fi giant Asimov’s developed treatment, leading the award-winning author to note: “Nothing ever came of this because McCartney couldn’t recognize good stuff.”

READ MORE: The Beatles White Album Songs Ranked

The 1974 documents were discovered by writers Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, and appear in their latest book The McCartney Legacy, Volume 2: 1974-80, to be published by HarperCollins on Dec. 10.

McCartney’s treatment begins: “A ‘flying saucer’ lands. Out of it get five creatures. They transmute before your very eyes into ‘us’ [Wings]. They are here to take over Earth by taking America by storm and they proceed to do this supergroup style. Meanwhile – back in the sticks of Britain – lives the original group, whose personalities are being used by the aliens…”

He flew to New York to meet Asimov, who then wrote his own treatment. “The picture opens with the arrival on Earth of six extra-terrestrial characters. They are from a dying planet and are looking for a new home. They are wraith-like energy-beings who are parasitic on matter-beings.

“The space-ship is hidden in a handy cave by the occupied lizard creatures who, however, are clearly dying. We know what the energy-beings are saying because they are communicating by thought-waves and we can overhear them…

Paul McCartney Sci-Fi Movie ‘Cooked Up While They Were Smoking’

“They do leave the lizards and appear as cloudy creatures, whom we nevertheless can still clearly understand. … they get into a group of nearby domestic animals, almost as
a way of hiding themselves.”

Asimov suggested the aliens found themselves “strangely affected” by human music and “decide that they must use the musical key to unlock human emotion.”

“They’ve just been sitting there,” Sinclair told the Guardian of finding the documents in the archives of Asimov, who died in 1992. “Paul’s treatment reads like something Paul and Linda cooked up while they were smoking something particularly potent.”

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/dec/08/its-like-they-were-smoking-something-potent-the-bizarre-paul-mccartney-alien-musical-that-never-was

Beatles Albums Ranked

From the cheery ‘Please Please Me’ to the kinda dreary ‘Let It Be,’ we rank all of the group’s studio LPs.

Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci

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