🎸CLASSIC ROCK🎸 NEW Wings Anthology | Rare Hendrix Release | Lennon Rips Off Zappa...

Good Morning Classic Rock Fans!,

In today's Classic Rock Newsletter, we've got some incredible Wings news with a self-titled anthology dropping this November, ultra-rare Jimi Hendrix tracks finally seeing daylight after almost 60 years, and the fascinating story behind Paul McCartney's stolen Höfner bass being turned into a documentary. Plus how John Lennon ripped off Frank Zappa (according to Frank). Get ready to dive deep!

🤔 Trivia Question:

Which Wings album featured artwork by the legendary design studio Hipgnosis (who also did Pink Floyd’s iconic album covers).

📰 Classic Rock News:

💿 Wings are soaring back into our record collections with a massive self-titled anthology coming November 7th! The collection spans their entire career with Paul McCartney personally overseeing the project, featuring classics like "Band on the Run," "Live and Let Die," and "Jet." Available in multiple formats including a stunning 3LP color vinyl edition with a 32-page booklet loaded with photos, artwork, and trivia that'll transport you right back to the '70s.
Get ready to spread your Wings with this epic collection!

💿 Jimi Hendrix fans, prepare to have your minds blown! Ultra-rare tracks from the legendary guitarist's 1967 Axis: Bold as Love sessions are finally getting their first public release almost 60 years later. This remastered 4-CD set includes 40 bonus tracks with a whopping 28 never-before-heard gems including outtakes, demos, and alternate takes. The collection even features a drawing Hendrix made when he was just five years old, selected by his sister Janie because it perfectly captures the colorful dragon spirit of "Bold as Love."
Discover the lost Hendrix magic you've never heard before!

💿 The mystery of Paul McCartney's stolen Höfner 500/1 bass is becoming a must-watch documentary! "The Beatle and the Bass" tells the incredible 51-year journey from theft in 1972 to its miraculous return in 2024. This famous "violin" bass helped create Beatles classics like "Love Me Do" and "Twist and Shout" before vanishing into the universe. McCartney appears in the film alongside his brother Mike, Elvis Costello, and the fans who launched the global Lost Bass Project campaign.
Follow the amazing bass guitar detective story that captivated the world!

💿 Here's a wild rock history lesson: John Lennon once looked to Frank Zappa for career guidance and ended up in a creative controversy! During their 1971 Fillmore East collaboration, Lennon and Yoko Ono remixed one of Zappa's songs called "King Kong," renamed it "Jamrag," and gave themselves writing credits without paying the composer. Zappa was understandably disappointed, calling it "a little bit disappointing" when they essentially stole his organized composition. The former Beatle clearly admired Zappa's no-nonsense attitude and artistic independence during the post-Beatles era.
Learn about this surprising musical feud between two legends!

📺 Today’s Classic Rock TV

Tyler Perry Ozzy Tribute VMAs - Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, YUNGBLUD, and Nuno Bettencourt deliver an epic Ozzy Osbourne tribute medley at 2025 VMAs.

Bohemian Rhapsody Paris Flashmob - Thirty musicians and singers take Queen's masterpiece to the streets of Paris in this absolutely insane flashmob performance.

Spinal Tap on Jimmy Kimmel - The legendary mockumentary band discusses their new album featuring Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Garth Brooks in this hilarious interview.

Les Claypool Interview Deep Dive - Primus frontman discusses his unique bass approach, creating the South Park theme, and collaborations with music legends.

📅 On This Day in Rock History

1965 - The Byrds began recording their legendary hit "Turn! Turn! Turn!" at Columbia Studios, marking the first time band members were allowed to play their own instruments instead of session musicians on a single. This Pete Seeger-adapted biblical text from Ecclesiastes would become their second number-one hit, showcasing Jim McGuinn's jangly 12-string Rickenbacker guitar sound that defined folk rock. The song reportedly took 78 takes over five days to perfect, but the result was pure magic that captured the essence of the turbulent '60s.
Watch The Byrds perform this timeless classic on Ed Sullivan!

1973 - The BBC banned The Rolling Stones' provocative song "Star Star" for its explicit lyrics, marking a controversial moment in rock censorship. Originally titled "Starfucker," the Chuck Berry-styled rocker from Goats Head Soup dealt with a celebrity-obsessed woman and featured some particularly direct language that shocked even swinging '70s Britain. Mick Jagger would later drive the point home during live performances with a giant inflatable penis that he would ride on stage, proving rock and roll still had the power to scandalize.
Experience the raw power of this banned Stones classic!

1975 - KISS released their landmark double-LP live album Alive!, which became their first album to break into the Top 30 and launched them to superstardom. After three commercially disappointing studio albums, this recording captured the swagger, attitude, and sheer excitement of their legendary stage performances across shows in Detroit, Cleveland, Wildwood, and Davenport. The album stayed on the charts for an incredible 110 weeks and proved that sometimes the best way to capture a band's essence is to just turn up the amps and let them loose.
Relive the explosive energy of KISS Alive in all its glory!

1988 - Guns N' Roses hit number one on the U.S. charts with their iconic ballad "Sweet Child O' Mine," giving the band their only number-one single. Starting as a "stupid little riff" that Slash was fooling around with during a jam session, Axl Rose crafted heartfelt lyrics about his girlfriend Erin Everly, daughter of Don Everly. The song spent two weeks at the top and helped transform Appetite for Destruction from an underground hard rock classic into a mainstream phenomenon that brought dangerous rock and roll back to the masses.
Watch the music video that defined late '80s rock!

1991 - Nirvana released their breakthrough single "Smells Like Teen Spirit," introducing the mainstream world to grunge and alternative rock. Kurt Cobain initially hesitated to include the song because he thought it sounded too much like the Pixies, but producer Butch Vig and the band convinced him otherwise. Named after graffiti written on Cobain's wall by Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, the song's explosive popularity on MTV catapulted the Seattle trio to superstardom and changed the entire landscape of popular music.
Experience the song that changed rock forever!

Joe Perry turns 75 today! Born Joseph Anthony Pereira in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Aerosmith's legendary guitarist helped create some of rock's most enduring anthems including "Walk This Way," "Sweet Emotion," and "Dream On." Known as "The Admiral," Perry originally aspired to be a marine biologist before discovering his true calling with six strings. Beyond Aerosmith, he's kept busy with the Joe Perry Project and Hollywood Vampires alongside Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp, proving that rock and roll truly is a lifelong passion.
Watch Aerosmith sing Happy Birthday to the guitar legend!

Mikey Way celebrates his 45th birthday today! The bassist for My Chemical Romance was born Michael James Way in Newark, New Jersey, and is responsible for giving the band their name after reading Irvine Welsh's novel "Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance" while working at Barnes & Noble. As the younger brother of frontman Gerard Way, Mikey had to rapidly improve his bass skills in just one week when asked to join the band in 2001. His melodic bass lines helped define the emo-rock sound that influenced a generation of music fans.
Dive into Mikey Way's greatest MCR bass performances!

Have a Rockin' Day!
Hippy Pete