Hey everyone,
I hope you’re happy and healthy and ready for your weekly dose of musical medicine—the healing balm that soothes like no other.
The big news this past week, if you hadn’t already heard, was the passing of Tina Turner, the incomparable and legendary Queen of Rock and Roll.
I was ten years old in 1984 when she released her remarkable comeback album, Private Dancer. Between radio and MTV, Tina was everywhere, all the time. “What’s Love Got To Do With It” saw as much airplay as any other massive hit of the time, and to this day, I still have the images burned into my mind of that opening frame of the song’s video—the New York City skyline complete with the iconic Twin Towers, and Tina strutting out of the subway and down the streets of Manhattan in her little black dress, denim jacket, and patent leather high heels.
Even as a kid, I knew she was a force to behold, and along with the rest of the world, I was captivated. I felt the soul in her voice. I recognized and appreciated the bold confidence she exuded. She was an artist like no other before her or since.
Although she had retired from performing for more than a decade at the time of her death, it kinda felt like she was just always there and that she always would be. I suppose it’s typical to feel that way about the artists who’ve always been part of our lives—it’s hard to imagine a world without them in it.
I’ve listened to her music a lot this week. I’ve gone back and watched her old videos and many of her fabulous live performances. I’ve read countless tributes penned by her peers and by the consequent generations of artists she inspired.
Tina Turner was, and always will be, the portrait of strength and class, of heart and soul, of grit and tenacity, the one and only, undisputed, Queen of Rock and Roll.
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Ground control to reader: Take your protein pills. Put your helmet on.
This music newsletter ain’t gonna read itself.
“Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything... whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out. People think my life has been tough, but I think has been a wonderful journey. The older you get, the more you realise it's not what happens, but how you deal with it.”
—Tina Turner
ROCK THE VOTE
:: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
WEEKLY PLAYLIST #59
:: NEW MUSIC EVERY WEEK
Featuring: Tina Turner, The Beaches, Ayla Tesler-Mabé, Bathe Alone, Devon Gilfillian, Bird and Byron, Jenny Lewis, Wilder Woods, Sonja Midtune, Lucy Clearwater, Gillian Redstone, Cowboy Junkies, Susto, Labi Siffre, Talk Talk
ZAPPAGRAM #59
ZAPPAGRAM PLAYLIST (ALL WEEKS)
MUSIC NEWS
:: WHAT’S GOING ON
Tina Turner, Queen of Rock & Roll, Dead at 83
The legendary singer "died peacefully" Wednesday after a long illness. [RollingStone]
Musicians and Actors Remember Tina Turner
Naomi Campbell, Questlove, Mariah Carey, Magic Johnson, and more have paid tribute to the iconic musician. [RollingStone]
Early Beatles Bassist Chas Newby Has Died, Aged 81
He filled in for then-Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe for a number of live shows in 1960. [NME]
Roger Waters Investigated by German Police Over Satirical Nazi Costume
Waters wore an outfit based on Pink Floyd’s 1982 film The Wall, which fictionalized a society’s descent into fascism. [Pitchfork]
Roger Waters Releases Statement About Berlin Concert Controversy
“The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms,” Waters wrote on social media. [Stereogum]
Danzig Announce 2023 US Tour Celebrating 35th Anniversary of Debut Album
According to a Facebook post from the band, the outing will be “the Only DANZIG Shows for the foreseeable future.” [Consequence]
Dinosaur Jr. Announce Where You Been 30th Anniversary Shows
They’re celebrating the 1993 grunge classic with select shows in London and Brooklyn [Pitchfork]
Tom Petty Family ‘Pursuing Legal Action’ Over Allegedly Stolen Property
Tom’s family announced that it would pursue “swift legal action” [RollingStone]
Taylor Swift Announces New Midnights Deluxe Album Featuring Ice Spice and Lana Del Rey
The expanded album features a “Karma” remix with Ice Spice and a new version of “Snow on the Beach” [Pitchfork]
Noel Gallagher Responds to “Slack-Jawed Fuckwit” Matty Healy Calling for Oasis Reunion
The singer-songwriter was speaking in a new interview with Spin, promoting his upcoming High Flying Birds album ‘Council Skies’, when the topic of an Oasis reunion arose. [NME]
Billie Eilish Hits Out at “Women Hating Ass Weirdos” Who Criticise Her Fashion Choices
Taking to her Instagram Stories this weekend, Eilish discussed how she was criticised for wearing masculine clothing when she first emerged, yet is also now being blasted for wearing more feminine outfits. [NME]
Kurt Cobain’s Smashed Guitar Sells for Nearly $600,000 at Auction
The instrument in question is a black Fender Stratocaster, which was reportedly broken by the frontman around the same time that Nirvana released Nevermind. [NME]
OTHER NEWS
:: MAY OR MAY NOT BE MUSIC-RELATED
Why Tina Turner Was the Queen of Rock & Roll
Our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast tells the one-of-a-kind story of the late Tina Turner [RollingStone]
Foo Fighters Find Greatness in Grief on But Here We Are: Review
Foo Fighters' first album after Taylor Hawkins' death is a brilliant meditation on grief [Consequence]
Tom Waits Is Reportedly “Writing Again”
The update came from the icon’s longtime agent Paul Charles [NME]
120,000 New Tracks Are Being Uploaded to Streaming Services Per Day
Up nearly 30% from 2022 [Consequence]
Z-REX
:: ZAPPA’S RECOMMENDATIONS
+ Amanda Petrusich, writing for The New Yorker, penned an amazing piece “The Untouchable Tina Turner: Some people perform music; some people become music.”
+ Margo Price wrote an essay for Rolling Stone on gun violence, protests, and privilege—in "Sit Beside Me in the Darkness," the Nashville singer-songwriter takes us through her protests following the Covenant School shooting.
+ Last week, the Foo Fighters made the announcement that their new drummer would be the legendary Josh Freeze during a livestream of the band preparing for their upcoming concerts. Here is that livestream in its entirety.
NEW RELEASES
:: RECENTLY DROPPED MUSIC
Arlo Parks: My Soft Machine [list en]
Khruangbin: Live at Stubb’s [listen]
The Exploding Hearts: Guitar Romantic [listen]
Simply Red: Time [listen]
Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte [listen]
RELEASE RADAR
:: UPCOMING RELEASES
- JUN 2 -
Ben Folds: What Matters Most
Ben Harper: Wide Open Light
Bob Dylan: Shadow Kingdom
Cowboy Junkies: Such Ferocious Beauty
Foo Fighters: But Here We Are
Half Moon Run: Salt
John Mellencamp: Orpheus Descending
Louise Post (of Veruca Salt): Sleepwalker
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats: What If I EP
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: Council Skies
Rancid: Tomorrow Never Comes
Rufus Wainwright: Folkocracy
- JUN 9 -
The Boo Radleys: Eight
Christine and the Queens: Paranoia, Angels, True Love
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit: Weathervanes
Jenny Lewis: Joy’All
Love and Rockets: My Sweet Twin
My Morning Jacket: MMJ Live Vol. 3: Bonnaroo 2004
Youth Lagoon: Heaven Is a Junkyard
- JUN 13 -
Spoon: Memory Dust EP
- JUN 16 -
Balmorhea: Pendant World
Drive-By Truckers: The Complete Dirty South
The Flaming Lips: Hypnotist EP
Hand Habits: Sugar the Bruise EP
Mötörhead: Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival ’07
Queens Of The Stone Age: In Times New Roman…
Son Volt: Day of the Doug
The Teskey Brothers: The Winding Way
- JUN 23 -
Albert Hammond Jr: Melodies on Hiatus
Amanda Shires & Bobbie Nelson: Loving You
Candlebox: Live at the Neptune
Lloyd Cole: On Pain
M. Ward: Supernatural Thing
Portugal. the Man: Chris Black Changed My Life
Sleepy Gonzales: Mercy Kill EP
Wye Oak: Every Day Like the Last
- JUN 30 -
Charlie Watts: Anthology
Frank Zappa: Funky Nothingness
Grateful Dead: Here Comes Sunshine 1973
The Jins: It’s A Life
Lucinda Williams: Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart
- JUL 7 -
ANOHNI and the Johnsons: My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
Local Natives: Time Will Wait for No One
PJ Harvey: I Inside the Old Year Dying
Taylor Swift: Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
ON THIS DATE
:: MUSICAL HAPPENINGS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
- MAY 29 -
Gary Brooker of Procol Harum was born in London (1945) • Mike Porcaro, bassist of Toto, was born in South Windsor, Connecticut (1955) • Noel Gallagher was born in Manchester, England (1967) • Singer songwriter Jeff Buckley disappeared after taking a swim in the Mississippi River. (1997)
- MAY 30 -
Klaus Flouride, bassist for Dead Kennedys was born in Detroit, Michigan (1949) • Topper Headon, drummer for The Clash, was born in London (1955) • Tom Morello, guitarist for Rage Against The Machine was born in NYC (1964) • Stephen Malkmus of Pavement was born in Santa Monica, California (1966) • CeeLo Green of Gnarls Barkley was born in Atlanta, Georgia (1975) • A leaked copy of the new White Stripes album Icky Thump was played on Chicago's radio station WKQX. Jack White personally called the radio station from Spain where he was touring, to voice his displeasure. (2007)
- MAY 31 -
John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin, was born in Redditch, England (1948) • Canadian singer Corey Hart, best known for his hit “Sunglasses at Night” was born in Montreal (1962) • MC Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels of Run-D.M.C. was born in NYC (1964) • Guitarist Robert Quine who worked with Richard Hell And The Voidoids, Lou Reed, Brian Eno, Lloyd Cole, Tom Waits, and They Might Be Giants was found dead of a heroin overdose in his New York City home. (2004) • Roky Erickson died in Austin, Texas, age 71. (2019)
- JUN 1 -
Ronnie Wood, guitarist for The Rolling Stones was born in Hillingdon, England (1947) • Alan Wilder, keyboards/vocals with Depeche Mode, was born in London (1959) • Simon Gallup, bassist of The Cure, was born in Surrey, England (1960) • Mike Joyce, drummer of The Smiths, was born in Manchester, England (1963) • Canadian-American singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette, was born in Ottawa, Ontario (1974) • Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile was born in Ravensdale, Washington (1981) • John & Yoko’s Plastic Ono Band recorded “Give Peace A Chance” during a “bed-in” in Montreal, Canada. (1969)
- JUN 2 -
Charlie Watts, drummer for The Rolling Stones was born in London (1941) • Composer Marvin Hamlisch was born in NYC (1944) • Michael Steele, bassist for The Runaways and The Bangles, was born in Pasadena, California (1955) • Tony Hadley, singer-songwriter of Spandau Ballet, was born in London (1960) • Tim Rice-Oxley, keyboardist/backing vocalist for Keane, was born in Oxford, England (1976) • Fabrizio Moretti, drummer of The Strokes, was born in Rio de Janeiro (1980) • Paul McCartney threw his fiancé, Heather Mills' engagement ring out of a hotel window during a fight. Guards combed the grounds using metal detectors and later found the ring valued at $25k. (2002)
- JUN 3 -
Poet Allen Ginsberg was born in Newark, New Jersey (1926) • Curtis Mayfield was born in Chicago, Illinois (1942) • Dave Alexander, original bassist of The Stooges, was born in Whitmore Lake, Michigan (1947) • Suzi Quatro was born in Detroit, Michigan (1950) • Mike Gordon, multi-instrumentalist of Phish was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts (1965) • Kelly Jones, vocalist/guitarist of Stereophonics, was born in Wales (1974) • Valerie Solanas shot Andy Warhol at Warhol's studio in New York City. (1968)
- JUN 4 -
Freddy Fender, who scored the 1975 U.S. #1 single, “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” was born in San Benito, Texas (1937) • Michelle Phillips, of The Mamas & The Papas, was born in Long Beach, California (1944) • Reeves Gabrels, of The Cure, was born in NYC (1956) • Stefan Lessard, bassist of Dave Matthews Band was born in Anaheim, California (1974) • Zac Farro, drummer of Paramore, was born in Voorhees Township, New Jersey (1990) • Bruce Springsteen released the album Born In The USA. (1984) • Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church died after being hit by a taxi in Paris. (1990) • The body of Jeff Buckley was discovered floating in the Mississippi River, after he’d disappeared the previous week. (1997)
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CZ 🤘🏻
Zappagram #59: R.I.P. Tina Turner, the undisputed Queen of Rock and Roll