Led Zeppelin and John Lennon classics added to US National Recording Registry

Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” and John Lennon’s “Imagine” are among 25 sound recordings newly-selected for induction into the US Library Of Congress National Recording Registry.

Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian – with advice from the Library's National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) – annually selects 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old.

Recordings from 1908 to 2012 are featured in the new series of inductions, including Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s 1970 album, “Déjà Vu”, “Synchronicity” by The Police, the Eurythmics’ 1983 hit, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”, and records by John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, and Madonna, among others.

The 2023 inductions bring the number of titles on the registry to 625, representing a small portion of the national library’s vast recorded sound collection of nearly 4 million items.

The epic “Stairway To Heaven” was featured on the UK band’s 1971 untitled fourth record, which went on to be referenced as “Led Zeppelin IV” and become one of the best-selling albums of all time.

“The idea of ‘Stairway,’” Jimmy Page told the BBC in 2014, “was to have a piece of music, a composition, whereby it would just keep unfolding into more layers and more moods. The whole subtlety and intensity of the overlay would actually accelerate as it went through every level – every emotional level, every musical level. And so it keeps opening up, as it continues through these patterns.”

Lennon recorded “Imagine” for his 1971 self-titled album; it became the best-selling single of his solo-career and one of the world’s most-covered songs.

View the full list of 2023 inductees here.

Get your copies of “Stairway To Heaven” here and “Imagine” here.



See also:

Jimmy Page shares demo for Led Zeppelin classic The Rain Song
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss announce North American tour
Rock News Story Of The Year No. 4: LED ZEPPELIN
Rock News Artist Of The Year No. 6: LED ZEPPELIN
Search Led Zeppelin at hennemusic

Stewart Copeland joins Eddie Vedder for Police classic in Los Angeles

Stewart Copeland joined Eddie Vedder for The Police classic, “Message In A Bottle”, during the singer’s February 25 show at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, CA.

The performance of the lead single from the UK band’s 1979 album, “Regatta de Blanc”, saw Copeland take over drums from Chad Smith for the tune, before the Red Hot Chili Pepper returned on guitar for the night’s final song, Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.”

The Police legend was among the special guests at the Los Angeles stop of the Pearl Jam frontman’s brief US tour to launch his latest solo record, “Earthling”; Vedder’s daughter, Olivia, and Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench also performed.

Produced by guitarist Andrew Watt, “Earthling” sees guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Ringo Starr, among others.

Vedder and Pearl Jam will open a rescheduled European tour with two shows in Amsterdam in June.
See also:

Eddie Vedder joined by Benmont Tench for Tom Petty classics in Los Angeles
Eddie Vedder tops US charts with Earthling
Duff McKagan joins Eddie Vedder for Pretenders classic in Seattle
Eddie Vedder in conversation with Bruce Springsteen
Search Pearl Jam at hennemusic

The Police: Outlandos d’Amour 35th anniversary featured on In The Studio

The 35th anniversary of “Outlandos d’Amour”, the debut album by The Police, is featured on this week’s edition of North American rock radio series In The Studio.

The Police broke onto the scene in late 1978 with their debut, kicked off by the success of the lead single, “Roxanne.” The track reached No. 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

While follow-up singles “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “So Lonely” failed to chart Stateside, they both went top 10 in the band’s native UK.

“Outlandos d’Amour has a certain grotesque, naive charm about it,” says Sting, who along with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, join host Redbeard to discuss their debut release on In The Studio here.




See also:

The Police: Synchronicity’s 30th anniversary featured on In The Studio
VIDEO: Sting rocks Letterman
VIDEO: Bruce Springsteen helps Sting celebrate 60
VIDEO: Stewart Copeland rocks Drum Solo Week II on Letterman
The Police rock Don Kirshner – part 2
The Police rock Don Kirshner – part 1

The Police: Synchronicity’s 30th anniversary featured on In The Studio

This week, North American radio series In The Studio features the 30th anniversary of The Police’s 1983 release, “Synchronicity.”

Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland join host Redbeard to talk about the project, which went on to sell more than 8 million copies in the US alone.

The record featured the smash single “Every Breath You Take,” as well as “King Of Pain” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger.”

“Synchronicity” was the fifth and final studio album by The Police, who are generally regarded as one of the first new wave groups to achieve mainstream success. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003.

Check out the 30th anniversary of The Police’s “Synchronicity” on In The Studio here.

The Police




See also:

VIDEO: Sting rocks Letterman
VIDEO: Bruce Springsteen helps Sting celebrate 60
VIDEO: Stewart Copeland rocks Drum Solo Week II on Letterman

VIDEO: Sting rocks Letterman

Sting just celebrated his 60th birthday with a star-studded concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York City over the weekend.

The event included Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Will.i.am and Rufus Wainwright, all who performed covers of Sting and/or Police songs.

The other reason for the ex-Police-man to cheer is the 25th anniversary of his solo career and the release of a new box set to mark the occasion.

“Sting: 25 Years The Definitive Box Set Collection” covers Three CDs featuring 45 remastered tracks spanning Sting’s solo career, plus a DVD containing previously unreleased live concert footage.

Sting stopped by David Letterman’s show Monday night to chat and play one of his classic tracks.

Sting

Sting – Demolition Man
Late Show with David Letterman – October 3, 2011



See also:

VIDEO: Bruce Springsteen helps Sting celebrate 60

VIDEO: Stewart Copeland rocks Drum Solo Week II on Letterman

Drum Solo Week II continued Wednesday on The Late Show with David Letterman as former Police drummer Stewart Copeland was front and center.

Copeland followed appearances this week by Tony Royster Jr., and Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree.

This is the second round of spotlight on drummers by Letterman: in June, Anton Fig, Sheila E., jazz legend Roy Haynes and Rush’s Neil Peart were in the spotlight.

Jazz drummer Dennis Chambers wraps things up on Thursday.

Stewart Copeland

Stewart Copeland – drum solo
Drum Solo Week II
Late Show with David Letterman – August 24, 2011



See also:

VIDEO: Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison rocks Drum Solo Week II on Letterman
VIDEO: Tony Royster Jr. kicks off Drum Solo Week II on Letterman
VIDEO: Rush’s Neil Peart rocks Drum Solo Week on Letterman
VIDEO: Roy Haynes rocks Drum Solo Week on Letterman
VIDEO: Sheila E. rocks Drum Solo Week on Letterman
VIDEO: Anton Fig kicks off Drum Solo Week on Letterman

The Police rock Don Kirshner – part 2

With a hot new album, “Regatta de Blanc” (loosely translated as “white reggae”), The Police were continuing their quest for world domination – one country at a time - when they took over Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert in February of 1980.


Check out: The Police rock Don Kirshner – part 1

The Police rock Don Kirshner – part 1

With a hot new album, “Regatta de Blanc” (loosely translated as “white reggae”), The Police were continuing their quest for world domination – once country at a time - when they took over Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert in February of 1980.

Considered to be one of the first New Wave groups to achieve mainstream success, The Police were fusing elements of rock, pop, punk, reggae and jazz, giving them a sound unlike anyone else on the radio at the time.

Preceding “Regatta’s” release in October of ’79 was the album’s first single, “Message In A Bottle” - the track became the band’s first U.K. #1. The second single, “Walking On The Moon,” followed in November, also hitting #1 in Britian.

Despite success in other territories, The Police were still working on cracking the lucrative American market. The Police had been on the road for virtually all of 1979, so were a well-oiled machine in a live setting. The ‘endless’ tour continued into 1980: a western-US swing in late January eventually landed in Los Angeles on February 6 for a Don Kirshner taping.

Despite flawless playing, the evidence of the wear n’ tear of an ongoing tour can be heard in Sting’s strained vocals on the show.

Following the Kirshner appearance, The Police did six weeks of shows in the Far East and Australia, before heading through Europe, returning to Britian in late April.




Tomorrow: The Police rock Don Kirshner – part 2