One of America’s best and most distinctive voices returns this summer when Faith Hill releases her long anticipated sixth studio recording, FIREFLIES, on Tuesday, August 2nd.  Two years in the making, the 14-track recording contains what industry insiders are already calling Faith’s finest work.  

“I’m really proud of this record,” said Faith.  “I’m proud of the heart that my musicians, producers, writers and production team gave this album and I’m proud of what the songs represent.”

A collection of songs that celebrate everyday life, FIREFLIES boasts music from some of the industry’s best and brightest songwriters including John Rich (Big & Rich), Lori McKenna, Craig Wiseman, Brett and Brad Warren (The Warren Brothers), Darrell Scott, amongst others.  The album was co-produced by Faith in collaboration with her longtime producers Byron Gallimore and Dann Huff.  

FIREFLIES has already produced Faith’s 14th Top 5 single, the autobiographical smash, “Mississippi Girl.”  The song’s first week saw the highest debut chart position of Faith’s career and a first week radio add rate not celebrated by any other performer in this millennium. 

Other songs contained on the recording include a poignant story of a deteriorating love on “Stealing Kisses,” the whimsical up-tempo summer snapshot “Sunshine And Summertime,” “Lucky One,” “Wish For You,” “Like We Never Loved At All,” the comical story of a couple at the alter doomed for failure on “Dearly Beloved” and the recording’s title track, a declaration from one ‘taught to dream.’ 

“The picture of a child chasing a firefly is something to which we all can relate,” said Faith.  “It’s something magical, it reminds us of a time of innocence and it reminds us of a time when we dream.  I always fantasized of being a performer and now here I am doing just that.  So in a way, the album’s title serves as a tribute to all the dreamers and I can’t wait for them to hear it.” 

Faith’s career has seen the sale of nearly 30 millions albums, four Grammy Award wins, as well as three Country Music Association Awards and twelve Academy of Country Music Awards.

British rock group The Jones Gang, featuring Kenney Jones (The Small Faces, The Faces, The Who), Rick Wills (Foreigner, Peter Frampton, The Small Faces) and Robert Hart (Bad Company), are proud to provide their music for upcoming public service announcement (PSA) television spots. The trio will also perform live during the 10th Annual American Veteran Awards, "A Race to Patriotism," co-presented by F.Y.E. (For Your Entertainment) Stores.

Nascar driver Jeff Gordon's PSA will kick off the 10th Annual American Veteran Awards, "A Race to Patriotism," program. Dozens of other NASCAR drivers will also star in the spots which will feature The Jones Gang's power rock ballad, "Angel", a composition written by Robert Hart and Russ Ballard. The song will be featured in 30- and 60-second spots in an effort to encourage the public at large to support our home-front heroes and participate in the AVA's global Military Spouse "Angel" Award nomination process.

These three musicians have performed on some of the most popular and critically acclaimed rock recordings of all timeñincluding "Stay With Me," "It's Only Rock And Roll" and "Juke Box Hero," and have sold a combined 50 million records throughout their careers. Now, with the help of some of their prestigious mates, this trio of well-respected British rockers is set to release their first joint album in July. Titled "Any Day Now, " the CD will be released by AAO Music's Reality label and will, of course, include the rock ballad, "Angel."

The Jones Gang:

Kenney Jones (founder, drums, songwriter)
Jones shot to fame with the Small Faces in 1965 and had his first hit single when he was 17. The band was at the heart of the Mod Revolution that swept Britain, which has since been cited as a major influence upon hundreds of successful bands. Among Jones' major accomplishments was his performance on Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (1968), with his effervescent rhythms helping to immortalize tunes like "Afterglow" and "Song of a Baker." He played in a later incarnation of The Faces with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood, and by the late seventies, Jones was recognized as one of the top drummers in the rock world; in fact, he was The Who's top choice to replace Keith Moon after his tragic death in 1978. Jones' has appeared on albums by Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Wings. Rock radio favorites on which he's performed include "Stay With Me," "It's Only Rock 'N Roll," "You Better, You Bet" and the Tommy soundtrack.

Rick Wills (bass, vocals)
Wills' first experience playing in bands dates back to when he linked up with friend Dave Gilmour (pre-Pink Floyd) in the mid-60s. He went on to play on Peter Frampton's first solo album, Winds of Change (1972), and also performed in Frampton's first post-Humble Pie band for two and a half years. Wills' became Roxy Music's touring bass player and later, when the band broke up, he was enlisted by Steve Marriott to replace Ronnie Lane in the Small Faces reformation. He joined Foreigner and recorded four albums with them, including 4 (1981) and Agent Provocateur (1984.) In 1993, he joined Bad Company in 1993.Wills' contributions to rock radio staples include Foreigner's "Head Games," "Urgent," "Juke Box Hero," "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and " I Want To Know What Love Is."

Robert Hart (vocals)
Hart's ability as a singer and song writer have earned him respect and acclaim throughout the industry. His diverse talents have led him to successfully write and produce albums, front a legendary rock band, write the soundtrack for a major Hollywood movie and achieve triple platinum-record success. He then became the first English artist to be signed by Disney-owned Hollywood Records, and worked with Russ Ballard on his self-titled album which rose in the charts in more than 18 countries. While touring following the release of the album, Hart was approached by Mick Ralphs of Bad Company and asked to front the band. Hart accepted and for the next four years, he toured with them extensively and co-wrote two of the band's albums. Over the years, Hart went on to be involved in projects with many well-known artists, such as Andy Taylor of Duran Duran.

The Sky Kings were formed in 1988 by Rusty Young of Poco, Bill Lloyd of Foster & Lloyd and John Cowan of New Grass Revival. During the 1990s they recorded two remarkable albums, a 1992 set for RCA (with The Doobie Brothers’ Pat Simmons as a then-full fledged member) and a 1996 release for Warner Bros (back as a trio). And most remarkable of all, neither of these fine albums was ever commercially issued.

As a result, The Sky Kings have become one of those legendary bands known more by rumor and reputation than by its musical output. Until the release of this CD. From Out Of The Blue features 24 Sky Kings recordings, all taken from their Warner Bros years.

It begins with that unreleased 1997 Warner Bros album, plus nine additional tracks that had been recorded for possible use on the album but which were not included. There are also three demos for tracks that were under consideration, but not recorded, for that album, as well as the A-side of their third promotional-only single and their cover of a classic Smokey Robinson track included on a 1996 Warner Bros Christmas collection.

Compiled with the active assistance of the band, The Sky Kings’ From Out Of The Blue rescues more than an-hour-and-a-quarter's worth of Warner Bros masters and wraps them up with a 20-page booklet filled with recollections from each of the bandmembers, archival photos, and proposed artwork from that lost Warner Bros album.

According to Sky King Bill Lloyd: "Warners really gave us a lot of time to get our sound together. We got together, knee to knee, with guitars, bass and dobro and those kinds of instruments and worked things out. The chemistry felt good and it really defined the group's sound, which was a country band with country-rock/pop roots." Or as a 1996 Warner Bros press release put it, "The Sky Kings add a new intensity and sound to country music."

Tracklist:
1/ Picture Perfect
2/ That Just About Says It All
3/ Lonely Only Goes So Far
4/ Doin' What I Shouldn't
5/ Love On Our Side
6/ That's How You Learn About Love
7/ Shot At Loving You
8/ I Must Be Doin' Something Right
9/ Who Cares
10/ I Can't Trust My Heart
11/ Fooled Around And Fell In Love (SINGLE VERSION)
12/ A Great Day To Be Alive
13/ Right From The Git Go
14/ If She Didn't Love Me
15/ I Don't Wanna Live Like That
16/ Angeline
17/ Real Good Place To Start
18/ Watch The Stars Come Out (DEMO)
19/ That's What Love Can Do (DEMO)
20/ You're Not There
21/ I Just Did What I Didn't Wanna Do (DEMO)
22/ Long Arms Of Love
23/ Christmas Everyday
24/ Just About Interlude

Regarding MelodicRock.com, The great AOR vocalist Fergie Frederiksen is sick with Hepatitis C (HCV). After living with the disease since the 80's, it has now become very important that treatment is sought. Fergie may be off the road for a while, but he will be very active in promoting awareness of the condition.

This from Fergie's website: "Fergie has kept this for himself for decades, but did now realize that he needed not only to tell the world about it, but try to do something for the cause as well. Fergie became acutely aware of a lack of public awareness about Hepatitis C. It is for this reason Fergie created the Fergie Frederiksen Foundation for Hepatitis C with the mission to fund research, increase awareness and provide informational resources to support those and their families affected by hepatitis C.
What will happen next? In fact the foundation is setting up a special event to be held in September (25th & 26th). This will be an annual event raising funds for the foundation and it's projects. So join Fergie and friends for the first annual Fergie's Rock 2005 benefiting the Fergie Frederiksen Foundation for Hepatitis C in September.

A lot of great stars will be performing on the event, some names to be mentioned: Alex Ligertwood (Santana), Mike Reno (Loverboy), Pat Travers (Pat Travers Band), Jimi Jamison (Survivor), John Cafferty and "Tunes" (Beaver Brown Band), Joey Molland (Badfinger), Spencer Davis (The Spencer Davis Band) and Jim Peterik (The Ides Of March).

Go to www.rockhepc.org to learn more.

Lee Ritenour with Patrice Rushen, Ernie Watts, Alex Acuna and Brian Bromberg will be in concert in Paris on Friday, July 22nd at the New Morning.

Lee's latest dvd entitled "OverTime", is 2 1/2 hours long with 19 songs covering his music from the 70's to the current. Musically, it covers 4 distinct areas starting out with acoustic jazz and moving into Brazilian music with Ivan Lins. The second half continues with Lee's early music from the fusion days at the Baked Potato including the original band of Dave Grusin, Patrice Rushen, Anthony Jackson, Harvey Mason, Ernie Watts and Steve Foreman. The DVD concludes with many of his most popular songs from the 80's to 2004 including songs from "Wesbound" and "Twist of Motown". Two of the guest artists featured in this section are Chris Botti and Eric Marienthal. There are also 2 new songs on the DVD, one of wich is a new single with vocalist Kenya Hathaway.

Multi-Grammy-nominated artist, Patrice Rushen, is fashioning her career after her long-time friend and mentor, Quincy Jones. Composer... Producer... International Recording Artist --Rushen has definitely earned the respect awarded her by her peers in the music industry.

A classically trained pianist, Rushen has spent a lifetime honing the skills which make her one of the music industry's most versatile and sought after artists. In 1998, Rushen was honored by the music industry when her current adult-contemporary CD, Signature, received a Grammy nomination, as well as, an NAACP Image Award nomination, and landed in the top ten of the adult-contemporary jazz charts. The critically-lauded, chart-topping style she championed in the '70's and '80's -- a jazz R&B/pop fusion that combined melodic accessibility with instrumental prowess not only became her signature style but continues to be a mainstay of popular radio. Signature is the first of her 12 albums to include covers: renditions of the 1985 Sade smash hit "The Sweetest Taboo" and The Stylistics' 1980 R&B hit "Hurry Up This Way Again," neither of which has ever been previously recorded as an instrumental.

A very versatile acoustic and electric bassist capable of playing straight-ahead jazz, funk, and fusion, Brian Bromberg is also one of the few bassists to master the tapping technique made famous by Stanley Jordan, sometimes sounding like three bassists at once during his often-thunderous solos. At 9, he was part of Stan Getz's group. Bromberg has been a valuable sidemen with many bands since including those led by Horace Silver, Monty Alexander, Dizzy Gillespie, Richie Cole, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, and Freddie Hubbard.
Brian's new CD "Metal" out on February 22 is on Artistry Music. This CD went right to #1 on the sales charts in Japan within a few weeks of release.

Alex Acuña, a Peruvian drummer and percussionist, is widely known as a gifted musician, producer, composer and clinician. For the last 40 years, Alex has been exciting fans with his innovative and amazing grooves played with pure heart. A combination of his South American and Caribbean roots and his understanding of contemporary music, from Jazz to Pop, make him one of the most accomplished and complete musicians. He has performed all over the world with countless artists/musicians and has earned a reputation for his skills as a live performer.

In 2000, "Alex Acuña y Su Acuarela De Tambores" received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album for "Rhythms for a New Millennium." This solo album, produced by Alex, included varying styles of Latin, South American and African percussion. The nomination confirmed Alex's vast knowledge and expertise of percussion rhythms. Zan Stewart of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Alex Acuña is the epitome of the world music percussionist, to whom no style is a stranger".

Alex has also composed music for various artists and produced "Thinking of You" by Alex Acuña and the Unknowns, "Rumberos Poetry" by Tolú and "Aliyah" by Kay Silberling. This year will also see the release of Tolú's "Bongo de Van Gogh," the Unknowns follow-up album and several projects for NIDO Entertainment, Alex's new record company.

Two-time Grammy Award winner Ernie Watts is one of the most versatile and prolific saxophone players on the music scene. In a diverse career that has spanned more than thirty years, he has been featured on more than 500 recordings by artists ranging from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa, always exhibiting his unforgettable trademark sound.

For his latest recording, Ernie Watts Quartet ALIVE (2004), he has chosen a new forum. Throughout his long and fruitful career, he has not previously made a live recording of his own, capturing a stage performance with no editing or overdubs. The chance to hear Watts at immediate heat in the midst of his own music is a special occasion, only available before to his concert audiences. Recording in Germany, he leads his quartet (which features acclaimed pianist Christof Saenger) through originals and some well-chosen classics by Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus. The musicians stretch their imaginations and soar over a set of airtight arrangements. Released on Watts' own Flying Dolphin label, ALIVE begins a new chapter for the artist. "This is my first recording where I had complete control," notes Watts. "All the creative decisions were mine, from the tunes to the final mix. That freedom inspired this CD. It shows who I really am as a musician."

David Foster's stepson Brandon Jenner isn't just the star of the new reality show, The Princes of Malibu. He is a very talented musician on his own right and has a new cd coming up with his band Big Dume.

Fox presents the new unscripted series "The Princes of Malibu", premiering Sunday, July 10 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT). This series, filled with humor and some university relatable family issue, uncovers the comedy that inevitably arises when a pair of free-wheeling adult brothers live at home with their mother and stepfather.
The difference here is that their home is a luxurious 22-acre compound by the sea, and their stepfather happens to be David Foster !
Brothers Brandon and Brody Jenner, sons of Olympian Bruce Jenner and songwriter Linda Thompson, who's now married to Foster, are driving their step-dad to distraction. While Foster is hard at work, the boys are working hard at spending his money, running up tabs at expensive restaurants and partying day and night. David is finally putting his foot down. He wants Brandon and Brody to grow up and get out.

The recipe for Hot Apple Pie includes a Virginia-bred flat-picking guitar champion/bass player, a Cajun drummer/accordionist, a Texan guitarist with a degree in jazz, a proven hit singer-songwriter and a dash of that indefinable something called musical charisma.

"Hot Apple Pie is the perfect name for a band, isn't it?" comments Trey Landry. "This is 100% natural, no artificial ingredients," says Sparky Matejka with a laugh. "From the very first day we played together, we knew this was a great mix," recalls Brady Seals. "And, yes, that's really us playing on the record," adds Keith Horne.

What a concept. In an era when teen-heartthrob pop vocal quartets are called "boy bands" and when country "groups" hire session musicians to play on their records, the sound of Hot Apple Pie is indeed refreshing. You can hear it in every groove of its DreamWorks Records debut - this is an honest-to-goodness band.

These four musicians have an astonishingly full and diverse sound. Tracks like "Easy Does It" and "Everybody Wants to Dance with My Baby" have sensuous, R&B flavored grooves. "The Good Life" is a stuttering-guitar rocker. Hot Apple Pie takes The Band's oldie "The Shape I'm In" for a bluegrass ride. "Slowin' Down the Fall" is a hardcore country barroom weeper with a guest appearance by the legendary Willie Nelson.

"Redneck Revolution" is a bluesy, swampy Southern rocker. Yet "Why Can't I Get to You" is a hushed ballad of desire. The group's triple harmonies leap out of the speakers on tracks like the upbeat "We're Makin' Up." The ballad "California King" is a marked contrast to the wild ride of the rocking "Should've Seen Her Leavin' Comin.'" "Annabelle" and "All Together Now" seethe with backwoods Southern atmosphere. But "Hillbillies" has a distinctly urban, hip-hop vibe.

"I wanted my next musical project to have integrity," says Brady Seals. "I wanted something that's fresh and new, a little edgy and yet mainstream. Hot Apple Pie is that something."

The band's story begins with Brady. A member of a highly musical clan that also includes country stars Dan Seals ("Bop"), pop star Jimmy Seals of Seals & Crofts ("Summer Breeze") and celebrated country songwriters Troy Seals ("Seven Spanish Angels ") and Chuck Seals ("Crazy Arms"), Brady was on the road as a country musician by age 16. He sent his early songwriting efforts to Uncle Troy in Nashville to have them critiqued. Then he moved to Music City.

During his 1991-95 tenure in Little Texas, Brady Seals blossomed as a writer. He co-wrote the band¹s hits "My Love" and "What Might Have Been," as well as the Grammy Award nominated "Amy's Back in Austin" and "God Blessed Texas." But country stardom carried a heavy price.

After leaving Little Texas to pursue a solo career, Seals released CDs in 1997 and 1999. He had six charting singles as a solo artist. However, Seals says "in every interview people would ask me about Little Texas. I really had a hard time trying to move on and have people embrace my new music."

In 2002, Brady Seals had a brainstorm. "I had the name and the whole vision from the beginning. I started to call the band The Apples. Then it turned into Apple Pie. Then, thanks to my wife, it turned into Hot Apple Pie. The guys all liked it. We chose the name because it means so many different things. It means home. It means comfort. It means country. It means rock 'n' roll. And it's so American."

Sparky Matejka moved to Music City in 1995. Since then, he has played for Charlie Daniels, The Kinleys, Sons of the Desert, as well as Brady Seals.

"Actually, Brady was my first job when I moved to town," reports Trey Landry. "It¹s kind of an interesting story. The last gig I did living in Louisiana was with Wayne Toups, a Southern Louisiana accordion great. We went on Delbert McClinton's Blues Cruise in the Caribbean, and I was literally moving to Nashville two weeks later. Rodney Crowell and his wife Claudia Church were vacationing on that cruise. He saw me play with Wayne. He came up and introduced himself. We exchanged numbers, and he told me to call him when I got to town. But Rodney wasn't up and running yet, so when I called him, he introduced me to Brady."

With three of the four members on board, Brady Seals got busy. His wife, Lisa Stewart, introduced him to her former record producer, Richard Landis. A dinner together and some conversation led to Brady's trip to Landis's studio to play some of his new songwriting efforts.

Virginia native Keith Horne was a guitarist from the age of 6. After winning a number of guitar-picking contests in his home state, he formed a jazz band that backed Ramsey Lewis on the BET cable channel. He¹d grown up with The Wooten Brothers, famed for their work in Bela Fleck and The Flecktones. They talked him into relocating to Nashville and let him room with them during his first six months in town.

A multi-instrumentalist like the others, Keith toured with Tanya Tucker, Waylon Jennings, Peter Frampton, Ricky Van Shelton, Chaka Kahn, Trisha Yearwood, Sons of the Desert and Lonestar. He dreamed of breaking into recording session work, but by 2003, another dream began to take that one's place.

In February 2003 Keith Horne joined the other three at Richard Landis's studio. The chemistry was instantaneous. By the end of the day, Hot Apple Pie had recorded four tunes. All four wound up on their CD ­ "We're Makin' Up," "Easy Does It," "The Good Life" and "Annabelle."

Tracklist:

1. Hillbillies
2. We're Makin' Up
3. California King
4. Easy Does It
5. Good Life
6. Why Can't I Get to You
7. Shape I'm In
8. Slowin' Down the Fall
9. Redneck Revolution
10. Annabelle (Arkansas Is Callin' You)
11. Everybody Wants to Dance With My Baby
12. I Should've Seen Her Leavin' Comin'
13. All Together Now

Keith Urban at Live 8, Keith Urban is now on Live 8 concert.

Keith Urban is one of four country superstars slated to play in one of this weekend's Live 8 concerts. Keith Urban got involved because it was something close to his heart and it is something he considers play in the Philadelphia concert more than just charity work.

"I very much believe in the issue. And I particularly love the fact that its not a charity-based event, that its more of an awareness-based event. And I think, ya know, it's also - someone asked me today about, ya know 'Boy, is it tricky getting into politics?' and I don't see it as a political issue. I see it as a humanitarian issue." Toby Keith played the Philly concert with Toby Keith and Tim McGraw is in Roma.

Keith Urban wears a Against Poverty handmade tee-shirt. More about Live 8 here.

live8, keith urban.

Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys now Live 8, Brian Wilson for Live 8 in Berlin.

Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys and his band is now on stage for Live 8 in Berlin. Brian has just adressed a very special message in saying that maybe the song "God Only Knows" may help in this big event to reduce poverty. This is an exceptional appearance for Brian Wilson who is on tour this summer in Europe and this fall in The States and that will release a Christmas abum.

Now, he sings and plays "California Girls". A great interpretation by the way and say "sing along with us"! and Now "Good Vibrations" ("clap your hands!").
Now it's turn for "Fun, Fun, Fun" in a sunny beginning of evening in Berlin. Nice harmony vocals!

Brian Wilson "Presents Smile" DVD: ORDER IT NOW.

live8, brian wilson.

Bon Jovi at the Live 8 now, Bon Jovi and The Live 8.

Overnite the folks in the Bon Jovi camp sent word about how things are taking shape in Philadelphia, where the band (along with a slew of other artists and an expected crowd of more than 1 million) is now on stage at Live 8 in Philadelphia.

The band arrived into Philly in the late morning and headed to the event site. Jon Bon Jovi did press interviews with news outlets as varied as ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood... so keep your eyes open for that. Jon headed to the stage with Richie Sambora, Tico Torres, David Bryan, Hugh McDonald, Jeff Kazee and Bobby Bandierato do their soundcheck.

The band ran thru "Livin' On A Prayer", "It's My Life" and "Have A Nice Day" a few times before heading offstage. Jon Bon Jovi was also pulled aside by Graham Norton who is onsite interviewing artists for the BBC - look for some of that footage to quite possibly end up on the bigscreens in Hyde Park today.... can't promise anything --- it's quite the music and media and logistical event to put together!!

Later in the evening, Bon Jovi had some invited folks to a cocktail party where they played the new Bon Jovi album, "Have A Nice Day", mixed in with other Bon Jovi music. Jon, Richie, David, Tico and Hugh attended -- as did Rob Thomas, Sarah McLachlan, Josh Groban, Chris Tucker. Two of the players from Jon Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul Arena Football Team, Keita Crispina and Sean Scott also joined the band for the hang.

So, the band does LIVE 8 and then head off to have a Fourth of July holiday with their friends and family -- lots of stuff happening in the week ahead with the videoshoot taking place at the end of the week. So, Happy Fourth of July weekend to you and yours (and if you're not celebrating the holiday - still have a great, great weekend!) Tune into LIVE 8 and more news from the camp will be with you during the week.

Bon Jovi "100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong" box set: ORDER IT NOW.

live8, music, bon jovi