- Van Morrison and Eric Clapton have joined forces once again for the new track. “The Rebels,” which is a re-worked version of Morrison's “Where Have All the Rebels Gone?” from his recent album, Latest Record Project, Volume 1. The track, which is billed to Slowhand & Van, is available as a 12-inch single, with artwork by Clapton's daughter, Julie Clapton.
- Proceeds from both the single and the limited-edition fine print of the artwork will benefit the Van Morrison Rhythm & Blues Foundation, which assists musicians struggling with financial hardships. (Ultimate Classic Rock)
- Roger Waters posted on the pro-Julian Assange website, the Free Assange Forum, and slammed both Facebook and its co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg for reaching out to license one of Waters' Pink Floyd songs. Waters lashed out, posting, “It arrived on the internet to me this morning. It's a request for the rights to use my song, 'Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2' in the making of a film to promote Instagram. . . So it's a missive from Mark Zuckerberg to me — arrived this morning, with an offer of a huge, huge amount of money, and the answer is – f*** you! No f***ing way!”
- He added: “You think, 'How did this little pr***, who started off by saying, 'She is pretty, we'll give her a 4 out of 5,' 'She's ugly, we'll give her a 1,' how the f*** did he get any power in anything? And yet here he is, one of the most powerful idiots in the world.” (Ultimate-Guitar.com)
- Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman and legendary Beatles and Pink Floyd engineer Alan Parsons, also of the Alan Parsons Project, have been awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) at the annual Queen’s Birthday Honors.
- The Queen's Honors are handed out twice a year, in June and at the New Year, and are awarded to people for all types of service, including the performing arts. (Press release)
- Pete Townshend has given permission for his 1985 solo classic “Give Blood” to be used for the first time to promote blood donation. Global Blood Fund, a charity focused on encouraging voluntary blood donation, has produced world-music interpretations in multiple languages for international use to inspire a new generation of blood donors.
- World Blood Donor Day on Monday, June 14th is one of only nine official WHO Global Health Days, celebrating each year the vital contributions of tens of millions of blood donors around the world in enabling hospital procedures and saving lives. This year’s event is especially important as the global pandemic has devastated worldwide blood collection. (Press release)
Quick Takes: Eric Clapton & Van Morrison, Roger Waters, Rick Wakeman & Alan Parsons, Pete Townshend
Jun 13, 2021 | 8:00 PM
