Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons, the sons of Kiss legends Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, have recorded 10 songs together. The news arrives two months after Simmons Sr. shared footage of the pair casually performing a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s folk classic The Sound of Silence.
Now it seems the Kiss Kids have taken the relationship further. Sharing pictures that included a laptop with a track called Tail Lights open in Apple’s Logic Pro recording software, Evan Stanley wrote, “One song turned into 10 real quick.”
Another post featured Evan and Nick playing an original track with guitarist Jacob Bunton – who’s previously worked with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler, Pop Evil, The Doors, Billy Idol and Mick Mars – and drew praise from Paul Stanley, who simply commented “magic!!!”, his enthusiasm confirmed by those bonus exclamation marks.
Stanley Jr. fronts Amber Wild, who supported Kiss on some of those final dates, while Nick Simmons has sung with Bruce Kulick in the studio and with Wolfmother on stage, and is also one half of the mysterious electronic duo Sym Fera.
Speaking with the Talk Is Jericho podcast with wrestler and musician Chris Jericho, Stanley says, “To be somewhat diplomatic, there were people who made unrealistic demands of what they required. And it’s not about that. It wasn’t, for example, a celebration of the beginning of the band. It was a celebration of 50 years of a band, as opposed to a tribute to the start.
“What are we gonna have? Videos up on the screen or draped photos? The fact that we were there, we were there because of everybody who participated – some more than others, but the tribute to everyone is us existing.”
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Skunk Anansie have announced their long-awaited new album The Painful Truth, and you can get it on white splatter vinyl exclusively through Classic Rock.
The British rock icons will put out their first LP in nine years on May 23 via Frontier Records. You can pre-order your exclusive vinyl to ship on that date now through the Louder webstore – and there are only 300 copies in stock, so act fast!
(Image credit: Future)
Skunk Anansie formed in London back in 1994 and quickly became figureheads of the UK rock scene. Their debut album, 1995’s Paranoid & Sunburnt, mixed alt-rock melodies with the urgent messaging of punk and reached number eight on the British charts. It also cracked the top 20 in four other countries.
The even more in-your-face Stoosh doubled down on that success, spawning the band’s three highest-charting singles: All I Want, Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good) and Brazen (Weep).
Since then, led as always by uber-charismatic frontwoman Skin, Skunk Anasie have retained their status as one of their country’s most successful rock acts. In 2004, they were recognised in The Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles & Albums for spending an overall 142 weeks in the charts, and they continue to tour.
The band will precede The Painful Truth’s release with a tour of the UK and Europe that starts at the Coliseu Porto Ageas in Porto, Portugal, on February 28. They’ll then hit the British and European festival circuit from May through to August. See all dates and details via their website.
Earlier this month, Classic Rock’s sister mag Metal Hammer interviewed Skin, and she offered a very unfiltered take on social media hate, which the band address in The Painful Truth single An Artist Is An Artist.
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“We are the creators, and sometimes you guys need to [shut the] fuck up and enjoy or not enjoy,” the singer stated. “But you don’t also need to comment and destroy the artist and take something away from the artist. And you don’t need to put out your first ignorant thought and write that down as a comment.”
“We were just boozers and mounds of cocaine. Cocaine eventually is bad, but we were young kids. It didn’t hamper us”: The epic life and crazy times of Mick Fleetwood, the heartbeat of Fleetwood Mac
(Image credit: Aaron Rapoport/Corbis via Getty Images)
Mick Fleetwood is the only member of Fleetwood Mac who was there from the very beginning (not even bassist John McVie can claim that honour) and the drummer experienced all the highs and lows that journey had to offer. In 2013, Fleetwood looked back over his band’s incredible journey and all the highs and lows – commercial, chemical and romantic – that came with it.
First impressions of Mick Fleetwood are usually something like (to paraphrase the Harry Nilsson song): “Jesus Christ, you’re tall.” Fleetwood doesn’t so much inhabit his swanky Berkeley Hotel suite as loom across the available space. From head to toe, he’s immaculately groomed: the silver hair, the Maui suntan, the crisp striped shirt and hand-stitched brown brogues are evidence of his post-psychedelic dandyism. His socks are box fresh and match his scarf. His trademark headwear – today it’s a burnt orange flat cap – lies on the table underneath a CD copy of his band Fleetwood Mac’s reissued Rumours – the elephant in the room. His ponytail, a reminder of longer-haired days, is constantly teased, as are the opulent Native American bangles on his wrists. He offers water. “Usually I’d have got through half a bottle of good wine by now, but since we’re about to go on tour I’m trying to stay fit.”
Mick Fleetwood has been an American citizen since 2006. He’s lived in California and Hawaii for 40 years, and understandably speaks with a transatlantic accent. Pleasingly, there‘s a detectable trace of West Country burr. He was born in Cornwall in 1947 and educated at a public school in Gloucestershire, at one of those institutions where six-of-the-best corporal punishment was the norm – the bat and the cane. No wonder he became a drummer – take it out on those tom-toms.
Suggestions of a whistle-stop tour of his life are met with: “Go ahead. I’ll talk about anything, as long as I can get through the jet-lag.”
Does he still see the old gang?
“Peter Green? Once in a while I’ll ring him. I may do once you’ve left. He doesn’t know it and won’t be expecting it.”
Fleetwood smiles as if to imply that maybe it won’t be a pleasant surprise for Green. Mick once tried to manage his old Bluesbreakers and Fleetwood Mac bandmate in 1977, but was flummoxed by the guitarist’s insistence that both his past and the music business in general had destroyed his life and sent him to psychiatric hell. “It was hard to convince him he wasn’t dealing with the devil.”
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Fleetwood Mac’s second guitarist from their early days, Jeremy Spencer, the joker in the pack who used to decorate the band’s equipment with sex toys, remains in touch. “He lives in Ireland and he’s making music again. His journey is well known. He’s not with the Children Of God any more but some other sect [The Family International]. He’s in good humour, much like the old Jeremy before he got very strange.”
One-time teenage whizz-kid slide guitarist Danny Kirwan also fell off the rails. Just as Spencer flipped after taking mescaline in Los Angeles in 1971, Kirwan and Green are said to have taken dodgy acid at a commune in Munich a year earlier, although Danny’s problems lay in the bottle.
Mick Fleetwood (centre) with Fleetwood Mac in 1969 (Image credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images))
“I have no contact with Danny. I’m supposed to have fired him in 1972 [after Kirwan smashed his guitar in the dressing room and refused to perform], but I just told him: ‘Enough is enough. You can’t keep on destroying the soundboard and then watch your fellow band members dying the death.’ We didn’t realise Danny wasn’t suited to this business. That wasn’t obvious in the late-60s when he recorded with us, but he became very unpredictable. We should have said no to him joining, because he was already an alcoholic. I don’t know if that’s ever been fixed. I hear from his ex-wife, and it’s not good.”
This feature was originally published in Classic Rock magazine issue 182 (February 2013) (Image credit: Future)
Kirwan ended up living in the St Mungo’s hostel for homeless men in Endell Street in Central London. He wasn’t the only casualty. Kirwan’s replacement, Bob Weston, who played on the Mac albums Penguin and Mystery To Me, was famously sacked by Fleetwood in Nebraska after the drummer’s discovery that Bob was having an affair with his then-wife Jenny Boyd. He was found dead in a grubby flat in Brent Cross in January 2012.
Mac’s American guitarist Bob Welch, whose resignation in 1984 facilitated the arrival of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, committed suicide six months later, shooting himself through the chest
Viewed in black and white, all of this makes the relationship break-up saga of Rumours seem pretty tepid. It’s a depressing past punctuated with sublime moments like Man Of The World, Albatross and the classic albums – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Mr Wonderful and Then Play On. Mick prefers to accentuate the positive.
“That old band came out of the hatch and we were immediately successful. We were very diverse, playing all that Elmore James blues and having hit singles. John McVie and me always welcomed the new people. We never told them they had to conform to any formula. It was amazing that we kept our audience. Peter was generous too. Even on his last album with us [Then Play On] he gave Danny half the album to write. He didn’t need to do that.”
The original Fleetwood Mac severed ties with Britain when they decamped to the USA in the early 70s. “In England we fell off the map, and a few years on we lost our identity with the massive mismanagement fiasco.”
He’s referring to the bogus Fleetwood Mac of 1974, put together by then-manager Clifford Davis when the band were at an all-time low. Fleetwood has always denied any involvement with this outfit, formed from the blues band Stretch. “We suddenly found we were no longer in our own band!”
The faux Fleetwoods didn’t survive a lawsuit, however, and Mick was amazed that “Warner’s didn’t drop us. There were lots of ifs-and-buts. If Peter hadn’t left and he’d been emotionally on track, I honestly believe we’d have been up there with Led Zeppelin and that thing that happened in America at the time. We were a funny-looking bunch of guys, but we were a phenomenally fucking good band.”
Lovers of the old Mac might say that here was the real tragedy – if that’s not too strong a word.
“They were tough times. It’s funny how things happen. If Bob Welch hadn’t left, we’d never have made the next jump. But Danny was influential too; before him there was no melody and no harmony. And then there’s this…”
Rumours package the 40-million-selling gift that just keeps on giving. Now available in various permutations of CD, DVD and vinyl, the recorded soap opera that accompanied the splits between John and Christine McVie and Buckingham-Nicks refuses to go away. Here it is again, shipping 40,000 copies in the UK and forming the basis for a 50-date tour of America, followed by an autumn visit to European stages that will see an estimated box office and merchandise revenue pumping well in excess of $70 million into the group. Where did it all go wrong?
“It’s part of our legacy. We’ve nurtured talent and they’ve all left their mark, some more important than others. It’s a big story, should you delve into how we got here. This album is interesting for us, if not a little frightening. How did we survive making it with all these ex-lovers blowing up in each other’s faces? It was emotionally charged – cause and effect. We don’t complain any more, and we shouldn’t, but dreadful things were happening. There were tragedies everywhere, with Peter and Danny, and then this album,where everyone is miserable.”
A band waging war with itself may be deemed a vicarious pleasure, although the often physical nature of Lindsey and Stevie’s disagreements were hard for Fleetwood to witness. During early rehearsals for Rumours at the Producer’s Workshop in LA, Mick saw his band disintegrating. Christine McVie was having an affair with the band’s lighting director, Curry Grant. John McVie was on perma-sozzle, and everyone was imbibing vast amounts of pharmaceutical cocaine dished out by the mirror-load. Meanwhile, Mick recited the lines of poet Robert Frost: ‘The woods are lovely, dark and deep… And miles to go before we sleep.’
Mick Fleetwood onstage with Fleetwood Mac in 1977 (Image credit: Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images)
The drummer still felt impelled to rally the troops, and was heard to implore: “Hey, guys, why don’t we chill out here and do some transcending and just write music about all this hassle.” These days Mick takes a more sanguine view.
“We were only like every other band of that era. I’ve given up all that now. John and Christine were… hmmm. Well, the whole band was at it. We weren’t misjudged; we were in with the worst of them. But when I talk war stories with other bands, I think we weren’t so bad. ‘You did what?’ We were lightweights compared to many. Look at the Stones or Johnny Cash, the stuff they took. We didn’t do that, we were just boozers and mounds of cocaine. I thank God we didn’t go to the opiate place. Cocaine eventually is bad, but we were still young kids. It didn’t hamper us, it just meant we stayed up for three or four days and did some good music.”
The lingering aftermath saw them all go their own way into rehab and therapy, because there’s no such thing as an ex-alcoholic or ex-drug addict. McVie eventually gave up drinking in the 1990s. Mick and Stevie Nicks both faced other battles. “Fifteen years after Rumours, we were still going strong. And that wasn’t fun. It turned out boring, and impossible for health reasons.”
Mick developed diabetes and thought he was dying of a brain tumour. Despite the apparent wealth generated by Rumours, Tusk et al, he declared himself bankrupt thanks to some disastrous property deals and failed restaurant endeavours.
“Did all that affect me? Yes it did. Stevie says she doesn’t remember a whole 10 years of her life because she was doing weird stuff – she battled with tranquilliser dependency – but us rock’n’rollers have strong constitutions. We were lucky. Enough was enough.”
From a position of great health and wealth, Fleetwood is prepared to be candid. “The romance of it all is voyeuristic. People want to hear it, and I can talk about it. But looking back? No, it wasn’t a great thing to have done. I’m torn between not talking about it, which is defensive and stupid, or do I answer? We could cope because we were young. Is that the reason why we spent over a year making Rumours? No, it wasn’t. People said: ‘Oh you’re so indulgent.’ But it was our money, our waste, and our drugs.
“On a creative level we were thrilled because we were blessed to pay for studio time. We could have made a quick album – get the fuck out and hope they buy it anyway. People assume we were a depraved, drug-crazed group pissing money down the studio sink. No. We worked hard. The money was our advance – which we never saw again.”
Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way (Official Music Video) [HD Remaster] – YouTube
In Mac’s defence, it wasn’t their fault Rumours became a behemoth. “We had no idea. We lived in a focused world of five individuals. We weren’t super-unique, but we were fairly unique because we forced ourselves into a one-on-one, 24/7, pressing creative world. That’s a lot to ask when every time you look at someone your heart is in your mouth, or you’re feeling so hurt you just want to get a dagger and stick it in his or her back. That’s what we were doing.”
Though often cast as the calming influence, Fleetwood felt as rotten as everyone else.
“I was miserable because my wife left me for my best friend [Weston] but I had to be the piggy in the middle. We were all fucked up. But you know my history: got to keep this band going at all costs. Someone had to do it, and it’s in my nature. Maybe I’m insecure. I got that from my dad.”
Fleetwood Mac isn’t Mick’s only family. He’s the father of four daughters, two of them grown-up children from his 1970 marriage to Jenny Boyd, sister of Pattie Boyd, who was married to George Harrison and later Eric Clapton. Being George Harrison’s brother-in-law gave him a unique insight into the extraordinary world of The Beatles circa 1969. He knew the Dutch hippie designers The Fool, who designed The Beatles’ Apple shop and decorated stage sets for The Move, Cream and Procol Harum, and he’d hear about the Beatles’ trip to Rishikesh first-hand from Jenny, since she’d sat at the Maharishi’s feet with John, Paul, George and Ringo when she was with Donovan, who wrote Jennifer Juniper in her honour.
“I had a vicarious window into the greatest talent pool I’ll ever know. I went to the Abbey Road album sessions. I saw them doing Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, using the anvil and the horseshoes, and I spent a lot of time hanging by default in their Rolls-Royces or sitting down at tables in the Scotch Of St James. London was cooking then. I was just a little blues musician. To this day, Paul McCartney always calls me ‘young Michael’, and to George I was ‘little Mick’. Just before I got on the plane to come here, Jenny sent me a note George once gave her which had his Indian squiggle on it and a P.S: ‘Don’t forget to tell Mick that I love him.’”
Given the overarching success of Rumours, it’s sometimes hard to remember that beneath the trappings, cosmic minstrel Mick Fleetwood is but a humble drummer, mentioned in dispatches rather than at the front line.
Mick Fleetwood in 2011 (Image credit: Duffy-Marie Arnoult/WireImage)
“My reputation? I get checked a lot by fellow players. John Bonham’s sister [Deborah] told me I was one of his favourite drummers. I thought he’d think I was a piece of shit! Apparently not. The Fleetwood Mac rhythm section is better than we think, so I get kudos. I’m a feel-meister, like Charlie Watts; I’m not a technician. I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. But without puffing up, I’m not an unknown personality. I’m not the world’s forgotten drummer. John McVie couldn’t give a shit whether anyone likes him. He doesn’t care about me as Mick the drama queen or Mick the flag-waver. His attitude is: ‘How do you do all that? I couldn’t give a shit. Phone me when they’ve all stopped crying. It’s pissing me off.’”
McVie lives near to Fleetwood on Maui and remains his friend and ally. They don’t socialise that much, but the bass player will order him to take it easy. ‘Why are you opening another restaurant? Stop stressing out. Stop selling your soul for this thing.’
“I tell him: ‘Why should you complain? I’ve kept you in a band for 45 years!’” Fleetwood says. “He appreciates that. My main function is creating the stage for me and John, so he’d better.”
If Fleetwood Mac are now a nostalgia act, at least they didn’t end up in Las Vegas. Christine McVie says she’ll never come back, but there are three new tracks in the pipeline created by Fleetwood, Buckingham and Nicks – the latter pair being permanent road fixtures thanks to Stevie’s touring schedule and Lindsey’s One Man Show. Making a band album is probably a thing of the past.
“It’s all about the tour – a humongous tour that’s gone ballistic. We’re in good fettle. Stevie’s in voice. Lindsey’s fighting fit. I play a lot on Maui but I need to step it up. John only has to move his fingers.”
Ask him what his favourite Mac albums are and the man whose name is on the tin cites Tusk – “More ground-breaking than Rumours, and I know because I was managing the band at the time” – and 1969’s Then Play On. “I came up with the title, and it was a lovely creative mix. That album is the signpost of what could have been; a vision of the band if Peter hadn’t been ill.”
He owns the original of the artwork used for the album. The painting, which features a naked man on a horse, is called Domesticated Mural Painting and is by the artist Maxwell Armfield. It was originally designed for a London mansion.
Fleetwood Mac – The Chain (Official Music Video) [HD] – YouTube
Fleetwood admits that he misses the old days. “They were good times. Playing the Nag’s Head in Battersea or out-of-town pubs in High Wycombe was like a fantastic boot camp. There’s something about the slog that helps the creative ethic. Doing this tour is only plugging into a muscle memory; it’s a psychic recollection of what I’ve done my whole fucking life. Too many bands come out of nowhere and become rich and famous and unpleasant. They buy into the bullshit. I say: ‘You need to go and set up an amplifier, jacko! Then drive to fucking Scotland and back for five quid.’ I sound like an old fuddy duddy.”
While he’s dishing out advice, Fleetwood mentions something that keeps him going. “In 1971, Tom Johnston, from the Doobie Brothers, and Steve Miller both told me: ‘Play the colleges, whatever you do. Even if it’s for peanuts.’ That’s what kept the band afloat in America in the early 70s. If we didn’t draw a great crowd, I’d pay the money back. Before that, in England, I learnt from Peter Green. He had Jewish blood so he knew how to tell people to fuck off – and give me the fucking money, you fucking liar. I went with him to the counting house after the gig, so I knew how tough he could be. But on a bad night Peter would give the guarantee back.
“A lot of my shit about running Fleetwood Mac comes from Peter Green. He taught me how to recognise talent. He was the king of that band. All these individuals who turned up along the way were welcomed because Peter let me into the secret. Welcome to the realms of madness.”
Originally published in Classic Rock issue 182, February 2013
Max Bell worked for the NME during the golden 70s era before running up and down London’s Fleet Street for The Times and all the other hot-metal dailies. A long stint at the Standard and mags like The Face and GQ kept him honest. Later, Record Collector and Classic Rock called.
A monumental chapter in heavy metal history will come to a close this summer when Black Sabbath reunites for their final performance at Back to the Beginning, a one-day festival set for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham. This historic event will not only mark the farewell of the band that defined heavy metal, but it will also serve as Ozzy Osbourne’s last-ever live appearance, bringing his legendary career full circle in the city where it all began. The original Black Sabbath lineup—Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—will take the stage together for the first time since 2005, offering fans one last chance to see the founding fathers of metal play side by side.
More than just a Sabbath reunion, Back to the Beginning is a once-in-a-lifetime event featuring an all-star lineup of some of the biggest names in rock and metal. Alongside Sabbath, the festival will showcase performances from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice In Chains, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Rival Sons. The sheer magnitude of talent assembled for this event makes it one of the most significant rock gatherings in decades, promising an unforgettable experience for fans of all generations.
Black Sabbath’s road to this final performance has been a long and storied one. The band officially retired in 2017 after The End tour, which saw Osbourne, Iommi, and Butler performing together without Ward, whose absence was a point of contention among both fans and the band members themselves. However, Osbourne has long expressed his belief that Black Sabbath’s farewell felt incomplete without its original drummer. After years of speculation, the reunion was finally confirmed in February 2025, when all four members agreed to come together for one last show, making this the first time they will share a stage since Ozzfest 2005.
Adding even more excitement to the event, Back to the Beginning will also feature a special all-star jam session, bringing together some of rock and metal’s most revered musicians. The lineup includes Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Jonathan Davis (Korn), KK Downing (ex-Judas Priest), Wolfgang Van Halen, and many more. With a lineup curated by Morello, the musical director of the event, fans can expect unique collaborations and once-in-a-lifetime performances that will make this festival truly historic.
For Ozzy Osbourne, this final appearance is especially poignant. The singer has been battling severe health issues in recent years, including Parkinson’s disease and spinal injuries that forced him to retire from touring in 2023. Despite these challenges, he remains determined to deliver a memorable farewell performance. “My singing voice is fine,” Osbourne assured fans, “but my body is still physically weak.” While he has hinted that he will only perform select parts of the Sabbath set, the significance of his final bow cannot be overstated.
Sharon Osbourne has revealed that the event will be more than just a concert—it will be a celebration of Black Sabbath’s legacy, with unique collaborations and special moments throughout the day. “Then you’re going to see one icon playing with another icon, doing a Sabbath song and one or two of their own songs,” she teased, hinting at unexpected pairings that will make Back to the Beginning an unmissable spectacle.
The choice of venue is also deeply symbolic. Villa Park, home to the band members’ beloved Aston Villa football team, is the perfect setting for Sabbath’s farewell. Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler have long been passionate Villa supporters, and the connection between the band and their hometown of Birmingham has always remained strong. This homecoming show ensures that the band’s final performance will take place where their journey first began, making it a truly full-circle moment.
Tickets for the event were in immediate, overwhelming demand. Reports indicate that over 60,000 people were in the queue for tickets when they went on sale, and the entire festival sold out in under ten minutes. With such high demand, resale prices have skyrocketed, with some fans paying thousands to secure their spot at this historic concert.
Adding to the event’s significance, all proceeds from Back to the Beginning will go to charitable causes, including Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital, Acorn Children’s Hospice, and Cure Parkinson’s. This ensures that Black Sabbath’s farewell show will not only be a celebration of their immense legacy but also a way to give back to their community, further cementing their impact beyond music.
As the final notes of Black Sabbath’s performance ring out across Villa Park, Back to the Beginning will stand as more than just a farewell show—it will be a defining moment in rock history. A celebration of the genre, a tribute to a band that revolutionized heavy music, and a last hurrah for one of the most iconic frontmen in rock, this concert will remind the world that the influence of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne will never fade. For those fortunate enough to attend, it will be an unforgettable night, and for those watching from afar, it will be a moment when rock and roll history was made one last time.
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Feature Photo: Richard Abrahamson (RoundKid Photography), CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The Offspring, a punk rock powerhouse from Garden Grove, California, emerged in 1984, carving their place as one of the most enduring and influential bands in the genre. Originally formed by vocalist Bryan “Dexter” Holland and bassist Greg Kriesel while they were high school classmates, the band quickly expanded with the addition of guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman and drummer James Lilja. This lineup laid the foundation for The Offspring’s early sound, which drew heavily on the energy and ethos of Southern California punk rock. In 1987, Ron Welty replaced Lilja on drums, solidifying the lineup that would carry the band through their rise to prominence in the 1990s.
The Offspring’s journey began humbly, with the band releasing a self-titled debut album in 1989 through the small independent label Nemesis Records. While the album did not achieve commercial success, it showcased their raw potential and relentless drive. Their second album, Ignition (1992), released on Epitaph Records, gained them modest recognition within the punk scene, setting the stage for their explosive breakthrough.
The release of Smash in 1994 catapulted The Offspring to international fame. Anchored by hit singles such as “Come Out and Play,” “Self Esteem,” and “Gotta Get Away,” Smash became the best-selling album ever released on an independent label, with over 11 million copies sold worldwide. The album’s blend of punk energy, catchy hooks, and socially charged lyrics resonated with a generation, cementing their place in alternative rock history. The unprecedented success of Smash earned the band critical acclaim and set a new standard for independent punk rock.
In 1997, The Offspring released Ixnay on the Hombre, which marked their first album on Columbia Records. Featuring tracks like “Gone Away” and “All I Want,” the record showcased their ability to maintain their punk roots while experimenting with more polished production. Their next album, Americana (1998), propelled them even further into mainstream success with hits like “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy),” “Why Don’t You Get a Job?,” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright.” The album sold over 10 million copies and solidified their reputation as a band capable of creating crossover anthems that appealed to punk fans and a broader audience alike.
Over the years, The Offspring have released ten studio albums, including Conspiracy of One (2000), Splinter (2003), Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008), and Days Go By (2012). Their most recent album, Let the Bad Times Roll (2021), reflects their enduring relevance and ability to evolve while staying true to their punk rock roots. Each album highlights the band’s knack for crafting energetic, memorable songs that tackle topics ranging from personal struggles to societal issues.
The Offspring have experienced lineup changes throughout their career. Greg Kriesel departed in 2018, with Todd Morse joining as bassist. Despite these changes, Holland and Noodles have remained the band’s core creative forces, ensuring continuity in their sound and vision.
The Offspring’s influence extends beyond their music. They have been recognized with multiple awards, including accolades from MTV and Billboard. Their music videos, often characterized by humor and sharp social commentary, have become iconic within the alternative rock scene. Additionally, the band’s commitment to philanthropy is evident through their support of various charitable causes, including AIDS research and disaster relief efforts.
Outside of music, Dexter Holland has pursued notable endeavors, including earning a Ph.D. in molecular biology and creating the popular hot sauce brand Gringo Bandito. Noodles has been active in advocating for music education, reflecting the band’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of musicians.
(A-D)
“52 Girls” – Contains No Caffeine compilation (1991) “80 Times” – Conspiracy of One (2000, vinyl-only bonus track) “All Along” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “All I Have Left Is You” – Days Go By (2012) “All I Want” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Amazed” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Americana” – Americana (1998) “Army of One” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “A Thousand Days” – The Offspring (1989) “Autonomy” – Want You Bad Single (2000; Buzzcocks cover) “Bad Habit” – Smash (1994) “Baghdad” – Baghdad (1991) “Ballroom Blitz” – 5 Songs demo (1986; Sweet cover) “Beheaded” – The Offspring (1989) “Beheaded (1999)” – Why Don’t You Get A Job Single (1999) “Bells Will Be Ringing (Please Come Home For Christmas)” – Single (2022) “Behind Your Walls” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “Behind Your Walls (acoustic)” – Behind Your Walls Single (2022) “Blackball” – The Offspring (1989) “Bloodstains” – Ready to Rumble Soundtrack (2000; Agent Orange cover) “The Blurb” – Baghdad (1991) “Breaking These Bones” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “Burn It Up” – Ignition (1992) “Call It Religion” – 5 Songs demo (1986) “(Can’t Get My) Head Around You” – Splinter (2003) “Can’t Repeat” – Greatest Hits (2005) “Change the World” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – Single (2020) “Come Out and Play” – Smash (1994) “Come Out Swinging” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Coming for You” – Single (2015); Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “Conspiracy of One” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Come to Brazil” – Supercharged (2024) “Cool to Hate” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Crossroads” – The Offspring (1989) “Cruising California (Bumpin’ in My Trunk)” – Days Go By (2012) “Da Hui” – Splinter (2003) “Dammit, I Changed Again” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Days Go By” – Days Go By (2012) “Days Go By (You Will Find a Way)” – Unreleased (2012) “Defy You” – Orange County Soundtrack (2001) “Demons” – The Offspring (1989) “Denial, Revisited” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Dirty Magic” – Ignition (1992; original); Days Go By (2012; re-recorded) “Disclaimer” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Dividing by Zero” – Days Go By (2012) “Do What You Want” – Summer Nationals (2014) “Don’t Pick It Up” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Down” – Single (2018) “D.U.I.” – I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
(E-L)
“Elders” – The Offspring (1989) “The End of the Line” – Americana (1998) “The Fall Guy” – Supercharged (2024) “Feelings” – Americana (1998) “Fire and Ice” – 5 Songs demo (1986) “Fix You” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “Forever and a Day” – Ignition (1992) “The Future Is Now” – Days Go By (2012) “Genocide” – Smash (1994) “Get It Right” – Ignition (1992) “Get Some” – Supercharged (2024) “Gone Away” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997); Let the Bad Times Roll (2021, re-recorded) “Gotta Get Away” – Smash (1994) “Guerre Sous Couvertures” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021, Japanese bonus track) “Half-Truism” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “Halloween” – 5 Songs demo (1986) “Hammerhead” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “Hand Grenades” – Short Music for Short People (1999) “Hanging By a Thread” – Supercharged (2024) “Hassan Chop” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “Have You Ever” – Americana (1998) “Hey Joe” – Baghdad (1991); The Offspring (1989, cassette-only bonus track) “Hey Kitty Kitty” – Released on YouTube (2020) “Hit That” – Splinter (2003) “Hopeless” – Party Animal (1985) “Huck It” – Conspiracy of One (2000, Australian and European bonus track) “Hurting as One” – Days Go By (2012) “Hypodermic” – Ignition (1992) “I Choose” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “I Wanna Be Sedated” – Why Don’t You Get a Job Single (1999, Ramones cover) “I Wanna Secret Family (With You)” – Days Go By (2012) “I’ll Be Waiting” – I’ll Be Waiting Single (1986); The Offspring (1989) “Intermission” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “In the Hall of the Mountain King” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “Intro” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “It’ll Be a Long Time” – Smash (1994) “It’s Quick It’s Easy It’s The Law” – 6 Songs demo (1986) “Jennifer Lost the War” – The Offspring (1989) “Kick Him When He’s Down” – Ignition (1992) “The Kids Aren’t Alright” – Americana (1998) “Kill the President” – The Offspring (1989; removed in the 2001 reissue) “Killboy Powerhead” – Smash (1994, Didjits cover) “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “L.A.P.D.” – Ignition (1992) “Leave It Behind” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Let the Bad Times Roll” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “Let’s Hear It for Rock Bottom” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “Light It Up” – Supercharged (2024) “Lightning Rod” – Splinter (2003) “Living in Chaos” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Long Way Home” – Splinter (2003) “Looking Out for #1” – Supercharged (2024) “A Lot Like Me” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “Lullaby” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021)
(M-S)
“Make It All Right” – Supercharged (2024) “Me & My Old Lady” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “The Meaning of Life” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Million Miles Away” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Mission From God” – Punk-O-Rama Vol. 10 (2005) “Mota” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “Neocon” – Splinter (2003) “Never Gonna Find Me” – Splinter (2003) “Next to You” – Greatest Hits (2005, The Police cover) “Nitro (Youth Energy)” – Smash (1994) “No Brakes” – Americana (1998) “No Control” – Summer Nationals (2014, Bad Religion cover) “No Hero” – Ignition (1992) “The Noose” – Splinter (2003) “Not the One” – Smash (1994) “Nothing from Something” – Ignition (1992) “Nothingtown” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “OC Guns” – Days Go By (2012) “O.C. Life” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008, Japanese bonus track, D.I. cover) “Ok, But This Is the Last Time” – Supercharged (2024) “One Fine Day” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “One Hundred Punks” – Defy You Single (2001, Generation X cover) “The Opioid Diaries” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “Original Prankster” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Out on Patrol” – The Offspring (1989) “Pay the Man” – Americana (1998) “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” – Americana (1998) “Prophecy” – 5 Songs Demo (1986, later became “Demons”) “Race Against Myself” – Splinter (2003) “Rise and Fall” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “Secrets from the Underground” – Days Go By (2012) “Self Esteem” – Smash (1994) “Session” – Ignition (1992) “Sharknado (Gigantor Theme)” – Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens Soundtrack (2016) “She’s Got Issues” – Americana (1998) “Sin City” – Million Miles Away Single (2001, AC/DC cover) “Slim Pickens Does the Right Thing and Rides the Bomb to Hell” – Days Go By (2012) “Smash” – Smash (1994) “Smash It Up” – Batman Forever Soundtrack (1995, The Damned cover) “So Alone” – Smash (1994) “Something to Believe In” – Smash (1994) “Spare Me the Details” – Splinter (2003) “Special Delivery” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Staring at the Sun” – Americana (1998) “Stuff Is Messed Up” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008)
(T-Z)
“Take It Like a Man” – The Big One compilation (1991) “Take It Like a Man” – Ignition (1992) “Takes Me Nowhere” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “Tehran” – The Offspring (1989) “Totalimmortal” – Me, Myself & Irene Soundtrack (2000, AFI cover) “A Thousand Days” – The Offspring (1989) “This Is Not Utopia” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “Time to Relax” – Smash (1994) “Tonight I Do” – 6 Songs Demo (1986) “Trust in You” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) “Truth in Fiction” – Supercharged (2024) “Turning into You” – Days Go By (2012) “Vultures” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Walla Walla” – Americana (1998) “Want You Bad” – Conspiracy of One (2000) “Way Down the Line” – Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) “We Are One” – Ignition (1992) “Welcome” – Americana (1998) “We Never Have Sex Anymore” – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) “What Happened to You?” – Smash (1994) “When You’re in Prison” – Splinter (2003) “Why Don’t You Get a Job?” – Americana (1998) “The Worst Hangover Ever” – Splinter (2003) “You Can’t Get There From Here” – Supercharged (2024) “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008)
Check out our fantastic and entertaining The Offspring articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
It’s 1974, and the members of Sweet are fed up. On paper their string of hits, including the previous year’s UK chart-topper Block Buster! and a run of No.2s (Hell Raiser, The Ballroom Blitz and Teenage Rampage) appears enviable, but the band are increasingly walled-in by a perception of them as just puppets of their songwriters Mike Chapman and Nicky Chin and producer Phil Wainman; indeed until Wig Wam Bam a couple of years earlier they’d had to battle to play on their own singles.
Having written the B-sides of those singles, Sweet were enjoying success as credible hard rockers in Germany, where their 1974 album Sweet Fanny Adams had briefly outsold Deep Purple’s Burn, but at home they remained viewed, as drummer Mick Tucker once put it so memorably, as “four dissipated old whores, mincing about on Top Of The Pops and churning out computerised pop”.
Tired of being fed inferior songs and tumbling down the pecking order on Chin and Chapman’s roster (which included Suzi Quatro and Mud), dissatisfaction boiled over as the songwriting pair, who were also Sweet’s managers, spent more and more time in California.
“They’d tried to pass us off with a couple of [sub-par] offerings, including Dyna-mite,” guitarist Andy Scott, remembers, referring to a song that Mud took into the top five, “but we needed something more in the vein of what we used to call ‘German marching songs’.”
Sweet – Fox On The Run – Top Of The Pops 13.03.1975 (OFFICIAL) – YouTube
The ditty that enabled Sweet to break free from ChinniChap (as the writers were known collectively) and also elude Wainman’s clutches already languished as an album track on Desolation Boulevard, the follow-up to Sweet Fanny Adams. Their record label, RCA, had recognised the potential of Fox On The Run, which, as Scott observes, “had been recorded [by Wainman] in the style of a live band”.
Although Sounds magazine later hailed Sweet Fanny Adams as “perhaps the finest collection of glam-metal mayhem ever laid down on vinyl”, the album – written mostly by the band – did not add to their tally of hits, so pressure was building.
“Just before Christmas [1974],” Scott recalls, “everybody just happened to be at my house when the managing director of RCA called to say: ‘We’re not getting the right answers from Mike and Nicky, but we really believe that Fox On The Run could be a hit’. And a week later we were in Ian Gillan’s studio, where nobody knew us; keeping things cloak and dagger was vital.”
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Although the song is credited to the entire group, really it was Scott’s baby. The subject matter was an unspecified groupie, hence the couplet: ‘You talk about just every band/But the names you drop are second-hand’.
“Those lyrics were hastily written in the pub before recording the song for the album, hence the fact that it lacked a final verse,” Scott says, laughing. “We vowed that when we re-recorded it we would re-write the words, but never did.”
As a “budding producer”, Scott oversaw the session (but again the label said: ‘Produced by Sweet’). His primary goal was to sex up the track for radio. In the end, however, the guitarist actually added an element that would prove crucial: “The rest of the band had gone to the pub when I incorporated that pulse-type synthesiser sound at the start and stuck it onto the end as well,” he remembers. “Everyone loved it.”
RCA rush-released the reboot of Fox On The Run without bothering to notify Chinn and Chapman, who promptly jumped onto a plane back to England.
“Mike’s words: ‘Well, you’ve finally done it, haven’t you?’ were the best compliment anyone could have paid me,” a smiling Scott says now.
Subsequent albums would see Sweet relish their independence, and despite upping the hard rock quota the flow of hits continued for quite a while, although singer Brian Connolly’s growing alcoholism led to him being fired in 1979.
Fox On The Run has been covered by, among others, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Girlschool, Sweet Savage and the Scorpions (in German). Thanks also to exposure in films, Sweet’s singles are now enjoying a dramatic upturn in popularity. In 2016 The Ballroom Blitz featured in the film Suicide Squad, and Fox being even in just a trailer for Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 generated such a surge in online sales that it topped the iTunes Top 40 US Rock Song chart.
The original version of this feature appeared in Classic Rock in 2017.
“This is the first time in my career we’ve had to speak to the local police about civil unrest”: Mark Tremonti on the political climate, being a guitar hero and Frank Sinatra
(Image credit: Chuck Brueckmann)
Mark Tremonti is bang on time. Well, of course he is. The Detroit-born guitarist doesn’t waste a single beat of his time; he’s released no fewer than 19 albums while leading three bands in the form of Creed, Alter Bridge and his solo project (“Four bands,” he corrects, flagging up his suited ’n’ booted Sings Sinatra sideline).
Even on a rare day off from Creed’s Are You Ready? tour, Tremonti is facing a mile-long call sheet of Zoom interviews to promote fiery new solo album The End Will Show Us How. Once he’s done with those, he’s got a dinner appointment with Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon.
Doesn’t this black-clad, alt.metal Duracell bunny ever stop moving? Tremonti smiles, shrugs and imparts the wisdom that underpins everything else he will offer today. “I won’t feel like I’ve made it until I feel satisfied I’ve achieved everything. And there’s still so much left to do.”
This business will eat you up if you’re not careful
“The music industry is tough and there’s been a lot of ups and downs. When you’re a kid, you don’t want to disappoint anybody, so you don’t question anything. You never want to say: ‘Hey, this contract is seven records long – why should I do this?’
“I think the toughest moment for Alter Bridge was when we were trying to get out of our record deal for the second album [2007’s Blackbird]. We had to pay off the loans it took to pay off that deal for most of Alter Bridge’s career. Right up until covid hit we were still paying off debts. That was a tough lesson for us.”
He’s paid his dues
“I’ve had some of the physically toughest jobs. I worked at the Octopus Car Wash in Orlando back in high school, and that was the hottest job ever. Imagine being out there on that black asphalt all day. I worked as a busboy, then as a fry cook at Chili’s – I still have the scars on my arms from all the grease flying out at me. Then I got a record deal and I got to quit that job. But I loved everybody I worked with at Chili’s, so I had a lot of fun there too.”
Haters gonna hate
“When you start out as a musician, everybody says you’re not going to make it. People take potshots at you. When you come out with your first single, they say you’re gonna be a one-hit wonder. When you come out with your first successful record, they say you’re gonna have a slump on your second one. I’ve always felt like I was fighting for survival in this business. It wasn’t until we came out with AB III in 2010 that I was finally content with saying: ‘I think I can do this as my career for as long as I want to.’”
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(Image credit: John McMurtrie)
“Master Of Puppets is the album that made me want to do this. Before that I was just into what everybody else listened to, like Beastie Boys’ Licensed To Ill. I’d already started getting into guitar through simple stuff; like the J Geils Band would come on the radio with Love Stinks, that bit when it breaks down to just a guitar riff. But when I heard Master Of Puppets, that’s when I was up all night.”
He’s never seen the USA this divided before
“I wrote the first song on my new solo album, The Mother, The Earth & I, after seeing everybody fighting over politics, fighting over religion – y’know, just fighting over everything these days. It’s election day here in the United States and it’s just been nuts. I’ve never seen so much bickering and arguing between folks. This is the first time in my career we’ve had a show the day after election day, and we’ve had to speak to the local police about civil unrest. It’s a sad thing. Hopefully we’ll bounce back, like we always do.”
Tremonti – The Mother, The Earth and I (Official Video) – YouTube
There’s a weight of expectation when you’re a guitar hero
“I joke about that with Myles Kennedy. I tell him: ‘You love to play guitar solos, and I love to sing.’ Because there’s no pressure. When Myles plays a solo, everyone’s like: ‘Wow, the Alter Bridge singer is an awesome guitar player!’ And when I sing they’re like: ‘Wow, I didn’t think that guitar player could sing.’
“I remember Joe Bonamassa asked me to get up on stage when he came to Orlando. He’s like: ‘It’ll be great, we’ll do a slow blues.’ And I’m like: ‘That’s the last thing I want to do, play a slow blues with one of the world’s best blues players, in my home town, when blues really isn’t my strong suit.’ When you’re known for being a guitar player, you definitely have to make sure you’re presenting yourself properly every moment. It takes that one bad night to have that video get out everywhere because everybody has a cell phone.”
The well is bottomless
“Every time you feel like everything has already been done on guitar, somebody comes out with something new. Y’know, there was Eddie Van Halen, then Yngwie Malmsteen. Then Tom Morello came out and I remember thinking: ‘What the hell is he doing with those guitar solos?’ It’s very hard to be that unique player these days, but it’s still possible. Now, there’s a new player called Matteo Mancuso who’s blowing everybody’s minds. I think he’s gonna spark an entire new wave of guitar players.”
Matteo Mancuso – Drop D (Official Music Video) – YouTube
“As a kid, Creed’s success was hard to take on. There was some stress within the band itself. Each person has their group of talking heads telling them that they’re the special one. It poisons the well. It was definitely tough to watch Scott [Stapp] go through his troubles, because sometimes when he was going through it I hadn’t spoken to him in years. I think we’re all way more mature now than we were then.”
(Image credit: John McMurtrie)
He’s happy anywhere except planes and hospitals
“I can’t stand medical stuff. I hate having blood drawn, IVs, all that stuff. And as much as I travel, I hate flying. I used to love getting on planes, because I could read a book and didn’t have to answer my phone. But one time we were in South America and spent about forty-five minutes in the middle of this lightning storm. The pilot wasn’t speaking English, I had no idea what was going on, and my tour manager looked back from a couple of rows ahead and goes: ‘Do you think we’re gonna be okay?’ I’m like: ‘You turn your ass around! Don’t make me more worried!’”
Don’t believe everything you read about Frank Sinatra
“It’s a shame that when people talk about Frank Sinatra they talk about the affairs or whatever. My favourite stories are about how he would call up the Rat Pack [informal group of Hollywood-star entertainers]: ‘Get over here and get on my plane.’ ‘Where are we going?’ ‘Don’t ask me any questions, we’re just going.’
“And when they landed, there’d be a private concert that would raise, like, half a million dollars for a fireman who got injured. No press would be allowed, because Frank didn’t want anybody to know about it. I only know about it because of reading books about him. He’d fly around going to children’s homes and hospitals for blind children. He raised over a billion dollars for charity.”
(Image credit: Chuck Brueckman)
At a biological level, his hands aren’t so different from yours
“I think anybody who puts their mind to it can get faster at guitar playing. Things do not come easy for me. I’ve seen other players where techniques seem to come so easy, and it pisses me off that I have to work for three hours on something that takes them half an hour. But I feel like I’ve got a lot of gumption. If I want to do something, I will fail and fail until I get it, and I won’t give up.”
Now and then he likes to switch off the internet
“There’s definitely a lot of perks to the internet. YouTube is one of the greatest things in the world for learning guitar. But YouTube is definitely also a mystique killer. When I was a kid, I always wondered what a Slayer or King Diamond concert would be like, and how dangerous and awesome that must be. And when you can just find it on YouTube it kind of demystified it.”
Tremonti – The End Will Show Us How (Official Video) – YouTube
“I was at a Christmas party, and there was a karaoke machine. I started singing Sinatra tunes, and it felt good for my vocal range. Then I did a deep dive and came across a track called The Song Is You from the 1940s, where he just has this majestic voice. I told myself: ‘I want to sing like that.’ So for four hours a day I would listen to Sinatra songs on my laptop, typing in phonetically how he spoke the words and studying his phrasing, where he placed the vibrato.
“I created my own little scientific approach – and then I just practised my ass off. “When I went up to record the album [Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra] with all these guys that Sinatra had performed with, I put on a suit. I remembered Bono saying: ‘Frank doesn’t like guys with earrings, but he liked me alright.’ So I took out my earrings, and I’ve never found a need to put ’em back in.”
He doesn’t care if critics give creed a hard time
“It comes with the territory. If you get very successful with any project, you’re gonna take some criticism. It’s hard to find an artist that doesn’t. Maybe somebody like Whitney Houston. But for everyone else, you’d better be able to take some hits along the way. “It’s been crazy to get back into Creed. We’ve done maybe forty-six shows this year and every single one has been sold out. Touring-wise, this is the biggest the band’s ever been.”
The work is never done
“Out on tour I’m working twenty-four hours a day. One of my dreams is to become a published author. I just wrote an illustrated young adult book that I’m trying to get a deal for. That work ethic is just something I’ve always had. I’m addicted to creating. I think life’s too short.”
Mark Tremonti’s The End Will Show Us How is out now via Napalm Records.
Henry Yates has been a freelance journalist since 2002 and written about music for titles including The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Classic Rock, Guitarist, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer. He is the author of Walter Trout’s official biography, Rescued From Reality, a music pundit on Times Radio and BBC TV, and an interviewer who has spoken to Brian May, Jimmy Page, Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie Wood, Dave Grohl, Marilyn Manson, Kiefer Sutherland and many more.
“For me prog starts with Rush, when I was about 17. [Manics bassist] Nicky Wire and his brother were already gigantic fans, and – like a lot of people coming late to them – my in was The Spirit Of Radio, the album Moving Pictures and songs like Limelight, where they were almost at an interface with The Police.
Pink Floyd’s Meddle had a little influence on our 1998 album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours. I’m a big fan of Russian Circles, Chicago Transit Authority and John McLaughlin – especially on Mahavishnu Orchestra’s The Inner Mounting Flame.
And then there’s Man. I was working as a barman in the Newbridge Miners Institute in the 80s, and a version of Man played there. I remember it being a big deal. I’d bought Rhinos, Winos And Lunatics [1974] and liked some of the songs, but I wasn’t sure.
Then a couple of years later I was flicking through the racks at HMV and saw the cover of The Welsh Connection [1976]. I thought it was maybe a compilation of obscure Welsh bands; then realised it was by Man, so I thought I’d give them another go. I took it home, put it on, and bam!
Man never quite hit the heights; they were almost too versatile
This album’s definitely a slam-dunk lost classic. It was their 11th, so they were way down the line – they were never going to get any bigger at this point in historical terms, and they’d started steering away from the more blues-based stuff.
It was the first record for a new label so there was change in the air. They had John McKenzie on bass, and he and drummer Terry Williams locked into something nimble, nuanced and absolutely gorgeous.
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The title track and Love Can Find A Way had lots of Steely Dan in it, big time, but The Welsh Connection came out a year before Aja, so that’s a bit of a coup for Man! The Ride And The View has more of a groovy, trippy, Little Feat vibe. And Something Is
Happening is so beautiful: at one point it’s like Herbie Hancock, so articulate and dextrous. The whole album was a departure for them. Man never quite hit the heights; I suppose they were almost too versatile. I like a lot of tracks from their other albums, but this is the one I put on and don’t take off.”
Ted Nugent will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his guitar anthem “Stranglehold” with a series of concerts in Michigan and Texas this spring and summer.
You can see Nugent’s current tour schedule below.
The Motor City Madman concluded his Adios Mofos farewell tour in 2023, but told UCR at the time that he would still perform live as long as he could avoid staying in hotels, which he likens to jails.
“My life revolves around my wife, my kids, my grandkids and my dogs,” he explained. “I will never leave home to do a tour now. I can do gigs, if I can hub out of my Michigan cabin, which could include Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan – and maybe eventually, Ontario again. But I’m never going to go on another ‘tour’ tour.” Nugent also owns a home in Texas, which should help with the April and May dates.
In a 2024 interview, Nugent revealed that his label wanted to keep “Stranglehold” off his 1975 debut album, expressing concern over its eight-minute length and unconventional, guitar solo-heavy structure. “I said, ‘I love you guys, but that’s insane!,” recalled Nugent. “Since when is there a rule: ‘A song has to have a chorus’? It doesn’t have to have a chorus. It’s a movement, it’s a song. …By the way, we have a recording session that starts in one hour. Let’s go to the studio because I have a song to record. The first one’s gonna be fucking ‘Stranglehold.'”
Ted Nugent Launching Online ‘Nuge Vault’ in March 2025
Nugent will launch the online Nuge Vault in March. The subscription-based site will give fans access to previously unreleased concert audio and video. Or as he explains it, “Nearly six decades of never-before-seen and never-before-heard Nugified treasures are finally unlocked!” You can learn more at NugeVault.com.
Ted Nugent 2025 Concert Schedule:
April 5: St Jo, TX – Red River Station,
April 25: Orange Grove, TX – Post OG
April 26: Cristoval, TX – Coopers Live
May 10: Buda TX – Bucks Backyard
May 17: Eldorado AK – TBA
May 24: Salado TX – Johnny’s Place
Aug. 29: Ludinginton, MI – STIX Aug. 30: Paw Paw, MI – Warner Vineyards
Rock’s Funniest Guitar Faces
Rockers truly immerse themselves in the music, and then it gets kinda funny.
This list explores ten of the best songs with “do” in the title, each one showcasing the versatility of the word and the energy it brings to rock and roll. The Beatles laid the foundation for this list with “Love Me Do,” a harmonica-driven debut that introduced the world to their signature sound. Peter Frampton turned the phrase into a euphoric, extended jam on “Do You Feel Like We Do,” a live track that captured the essence of ‘70s arena rock. Steely Dan fused jazz sophistication with sharp lyricism on “Do It Again,” crafting a song about self-destruction disguised as a smooth groove. Hall & Oates took a more introspective route with “Do What You Want, Be What You Are,” delivering a soulful meditation on authenticity. The Police injected their signature reggae-infused rock into “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da,” using nonsense lyrics to critique the manipulation of language.
ABBA’s “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” leaned into old-school romance, channeling the charm of 1950s pop with layered harmonies and sweeping melodies. The Temptations brought effortless soul to “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” using playful metaphors to turn a love song into a masterclass in vocal harmony. Billy J. Kramer put a British Invasion spin on “Do You Want to Know a Secret,” giving a Lennon-McCartney composition a fresh, heartfelt delivery. Led Zeppelin stripped away the bombast for the acoustic-driven “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do,” a rare B-side that told a melancholy tale of love gone wrong. B.T. Express, meanwhile, used funk as a command with “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied),” a dancefloor staple that left nothing to the imagination.
# 10 – Do What You Want, Be What You Are – Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates released “Do What You Want, Be What You Are” as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Bigger Than Both of Us, in 1976. The song was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, California, with Christopher Bond serving as producer. The album, which arrived in August of that year, would later be best remembered for the duo’s first No. 1 hit, “Rich Girl,” but “Do What You Want, Be What You Are” played a pivotal role in showcasing their evolving sound—a blend of rock, blue-eyed soul, and introspective songwriting.
The Police recorded “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” for their third studio album, Zenyatta Mondatta, which was released on October 3, 1980. The track was recorded at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands and produced by Nigel Gray alongside the band. Featuring Sting on bass and lead vocals, Andy Summers on guitar, and Stewart Copeland on drums, the song became one of The Police’s most recognizable hits. It was released as the second single from Zenyatta Mondatta and achieved commercial success, reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.
“Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” is a funk and disco track by B.T. Express, released on August 27, 1974, as the lead single from their debut album of the same name. The song was written by Billy Nichols and produced by Jeff Lane and Trade Martin. It features a distinctive handclap intro and a spoken interlude, contributing to its suggestive theme of indulgence and satisfaction. The track achieved significant commercial success, reaching number one on the U.S. R&B singles chart and number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number eight on the disco/dance charts. The album itself was certified Gold by the RIAA on March 6, 1975, for selling over 500,000 copies in the United States. “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” has been featured in various media, including the 2006 film “Invincible,” and was sampled in the 2002 song “Addictive” by Truth Hurts featuring Rakim
# 7 – The Way You Do The Things You Do – The Temptations
“The Way You Do the Things You Do” is a 1964 hit single by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, the single was the Temptations’ first charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking in the Top 20 at number eleven; it also went to number one on the Cash Box R&B chart. The song was recorded at Hitsville USA (Studio A) on January 9, 1964, and released on January 23, 1964. It features Eddie Kendricks on lead vocals, with Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, and David Ruffin providing background vocals. The instrumental backing was provided by Motown’s house band, The Funk Brothers.
How could we leave this one off the list? It’s five Do’s for the price of one. The track was recorded on February 21, 1975, at Glen Studio in Stockholm. It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, with production handled by Andersson and Ulvaeus. The song features Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad on lead vocals, Björn Ulvaeus on guitar and backing vocals, Benny Andersson on keyboards and backing vocals, Lasse Wellander on guitar, Mike Watson on bass, Roger Palm on drums, and Ulf Andersson on saxophone.
Upon its release, “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” achieved significant international success. It topped the charts in Australia, Switzerland, and South Africa, and reached the top five in countries like Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria. In the United States, the song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1976. However, it had a more modest performance in the United Kingdom, reaching only number 38 on the charts. The song’s popularity was notably boosted in Australia due to a promotional music video aired on television, which played a significant role in igniting “ABBA-mania” in the country.
Lyrically, the song revolves around themes of love and commitment, with the repetitive “I do” in the chorus emulating wedding vows. This romantic theme, combined with its upbeat melody, has made it a popular choice at weddings and celebratory events. The song’s enduring appeal is evident, as it was prominently featured in the 1994 film “Muriel’s Wedding,” underscoring its lasting impact on popular culture.
Led Zeppelin recorded “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do” during sessions for Led Zeppelin III in 1970. The song was released on November 5, 1970, as the B-side to “Immigrant Song”, making it the only non-album track the band released during their active years. It was recorded at Headley Grange using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio and later completed at Olympic Sound Studios in London. While Led Zeppelin III featured a more acoustic, folk-inspired direction compared to their earlier records, “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do” was left off the final album and initially only available as a single in the U.S.
“Do It Again” was released in November 1972 as the lead single from their debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill. The track was recorded in August 1972 at The Village Recorder in Santa Monica, California. Written by band members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, and produced by Gary Katz, the song features Donald Fagen on lead vocals and electric piano, Denny Dias on electric sitar, Jeff Baxter on guitar, Walter Becker on bass guitar, Jim Hodder on drums, and Victor Feldman on percussion. Upon its release, “Do It Again” achieved significant commercial success, reaching number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973.
“Love Me Do” stands as a significant milestone in The Beatles’ illustrious career, marking their debut single released on October 5, 1962. This track not only introduced the world to the songwriting prowess of John Lennon and Paul McCartney but also set the stage for the band’s meteoric rise in the music industry.
The song’s origins trace back to 1958 when a young Paul McCartney, then around 16, composed it during his school years. John Lennon later contributed to the middle eight section, enriching its harmonic structure. Musically, “Love Me Do” is characterized by its straightforward three-chord progression and the prominent harmonica riff played by Lennon, which became a distinctive feature of the track. The vocal harmonies between Lennon and McCartney, combined with the song’s bluesy undertones, showcased a fresh sound that differed from the mainstream pop tunes of that era.
The recording history of “Love Me Do” is particularly noteworthy due to the involvement of three different drummers. The initial session on June 6, 1962, featured Pete Best on drums; however, this version remained unreleased until it appeared on the “Anthology 1” compilation in 1995. Following Best’s departure from the band, Ringo Starr took over the drums during the September 4, 1962, recording session. Producer George Martin, seeking a more polished sound, enlisted session drummer Andy White for a subsequent session on September 11, 1962, relegating Starr to tambourine duties. The version with Starr on drums was used for the initial UK single release, while the take featuring White was included on the debut album “Please Please Me” and later pressings of the single.
Upon its release, “Love Me Do” achieved modest success in the UK, peaking at number 17 on the charts. Its reception, however, was a catalyst for The Beatles’ burgeoning popularity. When the track was released in the United States in 1964, amidst the height of Beatlemania, it soared to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, underscoring the band’s international appeal.
The song’s enduring legacy is evident, as it has been covered by numerous artists over the decades and remains a staple in The Beatles’ discography. Its raw and authentic sound continues to resonate with audiences, symbolizing the humble beginnings of a band that would go on to revolutionize music.
“Do You Feel Like We Do” comes in at the number one spot on this list. I mean how could it not? The song was originally featured on his 1973 album Frampton’s Camel. The track was co-written by Frampton alongside band members Mick Gallagher, Rick Wills, and John Siomos. While the studio version runs approximately 6 minutes and 44 seconds, it was the live rendition on the 1976 album Frampton Comes Alive! that garnered widespread acclaim, extending over 14 minutes and showcasing Frampton’s innovative use of the talk box effect. This live version became a defining moment in Frampton’s career, contributing significantly to the album’s success.
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