🎸CLASSIC ROCK🎸 Elton John Kneecap Jewelry | Lennon's Desk Discovered | Lost Fleetwood Mac Album...

Hello Classic Rock Fans!,

In today's Classic Rock Newsletter, we've got a wild discovery story about John Lennon's hidden school desk, Bob Dylan's triumphant return to Farm Aid after 40 years, and Elton John's absolutely bonkers story about turning his kneecaps into jewelry! Plus we're diving into Fleetwood Mac's lost album finally getting a proper release, and checking out some seriously underrated classic rock bands that deserve your attention.

🤔 Trivia Question:

What Bob Dylan off-the-cuff comment at Live Aid directly inspired Willie Nelson to create the first Farm Aid concert 40 years ago?

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💿 Teachers wanted to forget him! John Lennon's actual school desk has been discovered in the attic of his old Quarry Bank School in Liverpool, where staff had deliberately hidden it because they considered the future Beatle such a "nuisance" and didn't want to acknowledge his connection to the school. The desk was found locked away with other Beatles memorabilia after teachers lost the key to the storage room for decades.
Discover the incredible story behind this Beatles treasure

💿 The voice that started it all returns! Bob Dylan is headlining Farm Aid 40 in Minneapolis this weekend, marking his first appearance at the festival since 1985 when his spontaneous comment about helping American farmers inspired Willie Nelson to create the entire event. At 84, Dylan joins Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and John Mellencamp for this milestone celebration of four decades supporting family farms.
See how Dylan's moment changed music history

💿 Only Elton could think of this! Elton John has revealed he turned his surgically removed kneecaps into jewelry, working with designer Theo Fennell to create a necklace and brooch from the bones. The Rocket Man had them "baked" and polished, with his right kneecap becoming a gold necklace inscribed with the Latin phrase "I will no longer bow to any man." His surgeon said they were "the worst knees" he'd ever operated on!
Get the full bizarre story of Elton's body jewelry

💿 The lost treasure returns! Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's legendary pre-Fleetwood Mac album "Buckingham Nicks" is finally getting an official reissue after being out of print for over 50 years. This 1973 recording, which includes early versions of "Crystal" and "Don't Let Me Down Again," was the album that caught Mick Fleetwood's attention and led to their joining Fleetwood Mac.
Read all about this piece of Fleetwood Mac prehistory

💿 The bands that deserve more love! The Saturday Evening Post has released their list of the 10 most underrated classic rock bands, featuring some real gems. These acts influenced countless others but never got their due recognition, from Wishbone Ash's twin-guitar wizardry to Big Star's role in creating alternative rock.
Discover the classic rock heroes you've been missing

📺 Today’s Classic Rock TV

John Lennon Government Views - Powerful 1968 interview where Lennon shares his thoughts on society

Pixies Cover by Puddles - Haunting rendition of "Where Is My Mind" by the beloved clown performer

Beatles TV History - Documentary about CBS and NBC racing to air early Beatles performances

Easybeats Deep Dive - Exploring Australia's finest band beyond "Friday On My Mind"

Ringo's September Update - Latest news from the beloved Beatles drummer

Bowie HD Upgrade - "New Killer Star" music video restored in high definition

XTC Mental Health - Deep discussion of "Skylarking" as musical therapy

Lennon Live Power - Review of the ultimate John & Yoko live recordings box set

📅 On This Day in Rock History

1968 Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" was certified Gold, becoming one of the first songs to use the term "heavy metal" in its lyrics with the line "heavy metal thunder." The track, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, would later become synonymous with biker culture after being featured in the 1969 film "Easy Rider." Mars Bonfire originally wrote it as a ballad before Steppenwolf transformed it into the roaring anthem we know today.
Experience the raw power of the original heavy metal anthem

1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival achieved their only UK #1 single with "Bad Moon Rising," which spent three weeks atop the British charts. Written by John Fogerty after watching the movie "Devil and Daniel Webster," the apocalyptic anthem reached #2 in the US but became CCR's signature song in Britain. The track perfectly captured the band's swamp rock sound that made them one of the most distinctive acts of the late '60s.
Watch CCR deliver their UK chart-topper

1970 The first-ever Glastonbury Festival took place at Worthy Farm in Somerset, featuring Marc Bolan's Tyrannosaurus Rex as the headliner after The Kinks pulled out last minute. Only 1,500 people attended this humble beginning, paying £1 each (including free milk from the farm). Michael Eavis could only pay Bolan in installments of £100 per month from his dairy profits, never imagining it would become the world's most famous music festival.
See how Glastonbury started with just a few thousand fans

1970 Neil Young released his masterpiece "After the Gold Rush," featuring classics like "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "Southern Man." The album, recorded mainly in Young's Topanga Canyon home studio, showcased his transition from the electric Crazy Horse sound to more introspective folk-rock. It would peak at #8 on the Billboard 200 and establish Young as one of rock's most important solo artists.
Hear Neil Young's timeless songwriting genius

1981 Simon & Garfunkel reunited for their legendary free concert in Central Park, drawing over 400,000 fans to what became one of the largest audiences ever assembled for a single concert. The duo performed their greatest hits including "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "The Sound of Silence," and "Mrs. Robinson" to raise funds for park restoration. The concert marked the beginning of a brief three-year reunion between Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
Witness the magic of this historic reunion

1981 The Rolling Stones' "Tattoo You" album hit #1 on the US charts, where it would remain for nine consecutive weeks. The album, compiled mostly from outtakes from the previous decade, featured the massive hit "Start Me Up" and became the band's final #1 album in America. Despite being cobbled together from leftovers, it proved to be one of their most cohesive and successful releases of the 1980s.
Rock out to the Stones' last great triumph

1985 Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, along with Frank Zappa and John Denver, testified before the US Senate against the PMRC's proposed music censorship and warning label system. Snider's articulate defense of artistic freedom, delivered while wearing his full heavy metal regalia, became legendary. The hearing ultimately led to the "Parental Advisory" labels we know today, though not the restrictive rating system the PMRC originally wanted.
See Dee Snider's powerful defense of rock music

1988 Bon Jovi released "New Jersey," their follow-up to the mega-successful "Slippery When Wet." The album spawned five Top 10 hits including "Bad Medicine," "Born to Be My Baby," and "I'll Be There for You" - making it the only rock album ever to achieve that many Top 10 singles. Originally conceived as a double album called "Sons of Beaches," the record company insisted on a single release that became another multi-platinum success.
Experience Bon Jovi at their commercial peak

1990 Eddie Vedder was selected as the lead vocalist for what would become Pearl Jam after Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Mike McCready heard his vocals on their instrumental demo. Vedder had recorded vocals to three songs ("Alive," "Once," and "Footsteps") which he called a "mini-opera" titled "Mamasan." Within a week of his audition in Seattle, he had joined the band that would become one of grunge's biggest success stories.
Watch Eddie Vedder Climb (I was at the Jones Beach show)

Have a Rockin' Day!
Hippy Pete