Joan Jett and The Blackhearts Bad Reputation Nation

October 2012 News

Page updated on October 31, 2012
All news is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves.

Have Joan Jett news to report? Email us at jettfc@aol.com, and please include the source of the information so it can be validated.



JOAN JETT sets Nov. 9 Tulsa tour stop
from: tulsaworld.com

low resolution image Not Enlargeable Longtime rebel rocker JOAN JETT returns to Green Country with her band, The BLACKHEARTS, for a Nov. 9 concert at River Spirit Event Center.

The 54-year-old musician has recorded influential hits since the early '80s, including "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," "Crimson and Clover," "I Hate Myself for Loving You," "Do You Want to Touch Me," "Light of Day," "Love Is All Around," "Bad Reputation" and "Little Liar."

She's sold more than 8 million albums since the mid-'70s as a teen-age rock vixen in The RUNAWAYS alongside Sandy West, Jackie Fox, Lita Ford and Cherie Currie. She went solo by 1979.

Tickets start at $45, on sale at tulsaworld.com/riverspirit and at the River Spirit Casino box office.



Backbeat: Led Zeppelin Movie Premiere, Afterparty Bring in Rock and Music-Biz Royalty
from: billboard.biz

low resolution image Not Enlargeable

On Tuesday night, I went to a Led Zeppelin afterparty. (Sorry, I just had to say that.)

As proven by the hoopla over Tuesday's press conference and premiere of the Celebration Day film -- a straightforward but stunning rendering of their 2007 reunion gig at London's O2 Arena in honor of Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun -- the legend, legacy and mystique of Led Zeppelin have barely diminished in the 32 years since the band ceased to exist in the present tense. And the amount of excitement Zep still can generate was reflected by the starpower of the celebrities and execs who turned out for the premiere and/or the afterparty (more on that shortly).

Taking our seats at the Ziegfeld Theater, we found ourselves -- incredibly -- five seats away from Robert Plant, with Jimmy Page in the row ahead and John Paul Jones in the row behind. Page and Plant exchanged a quick word shortly after sitting down but otherwise they just sat back and enjoyed the film; their heads could occasionally be seen bobbing along with the music. Page's hair was pulled back into a short ponytail that gave him a vaguely Revolutionary War-era look.

In the film, the band is tight, focused and present, tearing through a stellar 16-song set of favorites and deeper cuts covering all studio albums except "In Through the Out Door." Throughout, they show astonishing power and virtuosity in the face of infinite expectations and -- no disrespect -- their age: The two-hour performance shows just how much physical strength it takes to be a member of Led Zeppelin, especially when there's no 20-minute drum or guitar solo as a breather. Plant is singing at full-throttle right up until the end (when his voice is clearly reaching its limit), Page plays more fluidly than he does on many '70s-era bootlegs, Jones emphatically cements his place as one of rock's five greatest-ever bassists, and Jason Bonham is a revelation, recreating his father's thundering beats and fills while adding his own respectful flourishes. The film could, and probably will, act as an instruction video for rock bands.

The afterparty, at Midtown's Monkey Bar, was already in full swing when the band members arrived. There were no drugs, debauchery or flagrant groupies (that we saw, anyway), but there was ample booze and an air of excitement and surrealness that you seldom see at events like this ("That woman looks just like ... oh, that is Stevie Nicks") -- let alone the afterparty for a concert movie premiere.

At the party and/or premiere were all three founding members of Led Zeppelin and Bonham (Plant was accompanied by girlfriend/singer Patty Griffin); Nicks, Kiss' Paul Stanley, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith and JOAN JETT (who's returned to her early '80s leather-and-mullet look). On the business side, we had Access Industries CEO/ Warner Music owner Len Blavatnik, Atlantic Group co-chairman/CEO Craig Kallman, Warner/Chappell chairman/CEO Cameron Strang, Live Nation NY chairman Ron Delsener, Mom and Pop Records chief Michael Goldstone, GoldVE president and longtime Zeppelin publicist Danny Goldberg, Steve and Harvey Leeds, Big Hassle's Ken Weinstein, Nasty Little Man founder Steve Martin, Warner Music's Will Tanous, Kevin Gore, Paul Robinson, Susan Mazo, James Steven and Bob Kaus, longtime Atlantic alums Jerry Greenberg, Diane Gilmour and Andi Ferrera (with husband Nick), Robert Plant/ The Who manager Bill Curbishley and Trinifold colleague Nicola Powell, VH1's Bill Flanagan, Jimmy Page/Metallica managers Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch (with wife Louise), along with Q-Prime colleague Marc Reiter, longtime JOAN JETT manager KENNY LAGUNA, Rhino's Mike Engstrom and Jason Elzy, and Brad Tolinsky (author of "Light and Shade" collection of 20 years' worth of interviews with Page), who told the story of how Joe Walsh sold Page his now-legendary sunburst Gibson Les Paul for $500 in 1969. (Apparently Page had been saying he needed a heavier-sounding guitar for Zeppelin than the paisley-festooned Fender Telecaster he used in the Yardbirds, and Walsh said, "I had two guitars, so I grabbed the one I liked less.")

As for the vibe, let's just say that the presence of Led Zeppelin can reduce even the most jaded industry veterans into giddy teenagers.

[more]


JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS
from: rockhall.com

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS created a potent mix of hard rock, glam, punk, metal and garage rock that sounds fresh and relevant in any era. Their biggest hit, "I Love Rock 'N' Roll" (Number One in 1982) is a rock classic -- as pure and simple a statement about the music's power as "Roll Over Beethoven." The honesty and power of their records make you believe that rock and roll can change the world. As Jett once described rock and roll, "It's a feeling thing, it's emotion. You don't think about it. If you start thinking rock 'n' roll, you're f**ked. That's when you're homogenized. That's when it's boring. And that's when it's bullshit." From her days as a founding member of the all-female RUNAWAYS, Jett has made loud, hook-laden records that convey toughness and joy. Sporting black leather and a shag to create a sexy and androgynous look, Jett took over a role formerly reserved for male rockers. She formed the BLACKHEARTS in 1982, and their classic four-piece sound muscled past the synthesizers that dominated the 1980s and carried the flag for rock and roll. Three of their albums -- I Love Rock 'N' Roll, Album and Up Your Alley -- reached the Top 20, behind songs written by Jett and manager KENNY LAGUNA. By covering songs from all corners of the rock catalogue -- from Gary Glitter to Tommy James to Sly and the Family Stone -- the band effortlessly broke down barriers between genres and eras. In the 1990s, Jett's no-nonsense attitude and vocal style was a major influence on the riot grrrl movement, and she went on to produce Bikini Kill and record with L7. She continues to be an inspiration for young female rockers.

Cast your vote on our online fan poll for who you think should be inducted in 2013!



Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan + David Bowie Lead Record Store Day Black Friday Releases
from: ultimateclassicrock.com

low resolution image Not Enlargeable Black Friday is always a big day for shopping, and the folks behind Record Store Day are getting in on the action by making a number of special releases from David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys and more available specifically at record stores on Nov. 23.

Most of the efforts come in the once-again hip vinyl format, and will be sold exclusively at participating independent record stores. A number of top classic rock artists are doing their part for the record stores that provided so much for them early in their career.

Listed below are a number of the initial confirmed releases for Record Store Day's Black Friday promotion, as detailed via Record Store Day's website. They include:

[more]


The 2013 Nominees: Online Fan Poll
from: rockhall.com

Congratulations to the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees! To learn more about the nominees, click here, and watch and share the video below.

For the first time in its history, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will offer fans the opportunity to officially participate in the induction selection process. Beginning on Thursday, October 4 and continuing through December 3, the public can vote for the five nominees they believe to be most deserving of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a "fansÕ ballot" that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2013 inductees.



Click here to cast your vote for JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS



Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2013: Meet the nominees
from: cleveland.com



The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2013 nominees includes Canadian prog-rockers Rush, hard-rock heroes Deep Purple, bluesman Albert King, Motown favorites The Marvelettes, hip-hop pioneers N.W.A. and Public Enemy and '60s innovators Procol Harum. All are first-time nominees

Rounding out the slate are repeat nominees The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Heart, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, Kraftwerk, The Meters, Randy Newman and Donna Summer.

Here's a look at the nominees:
PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND
From the south side of Chicago to the stage at The Newport Folk Festival where they were the band onstage with Bob Dylan when he went electric, The Paul Butterfield Band has been there for seminal moments in music history. The group's self-titled debut in 1965 and "East-West" in '66 helped bring Chicago blues to a wider, younger audience.

CHIC
The disco juggernaut put together a string of dance hits in the late '70s that crossed over to the pop charts including "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)," "Everybody Dance" and "Le Freak" with it's memorable "aaaaah . . . freak out!" chorus. In 2005, Chic was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame.

DEEP PURPLE
The heavy-metal/hard rock pioneers have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and have been in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Loudest Band." 1972's "Machine Head" is a genre classic.

[more]


JOAN JETT's Orioles' love letter (and other celeb O's fans)
from: baltimoresun.com

low resolution image Not Enlargeable We all know singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer JOAN JETT loves Rock and Roll; she's proclaimed that plenty of times since her breakout hit in 1982.

She also has proclaimed her love for the Orioles for years. It's hard to forget when she donned an Orioles ÒJettÓ jersey in the front row at Yankee Stadium in the 1980s.

Well, now the 54-year-old rocker who grew up in Rockville -- yes, very appropriate -- wanted this generation of Orioles to know how much she's enjoying their resurgence.

Jett sent a letter this week to the Orioles that was posted on the bulletin board in the home clubhouse. She wrote about how her dad took her to Memorial Stadium on Aug. 13, 1969, which was the date of Jim Palmer's no-hitter against the Oakland A's.

She wrote that she's been taking her iPad on stage and hiding it next to her amp so she can check the Orioles' scores this year.

Jett closed the letter by telling the Orioles to keep on rocking. She also sent a box of swag including CDs and T-shirts.

Truthfully, most of these Orioles weren't born when Jett was on top of the music world, but surely the support was much appreciated.

[more]
This Week:

No shows scheduled this week.

Click on the LIVE DATES link for upcoming shows

Item Of The Month:
 Click To Order






HOME |  BIOGRAPHY |  CONTACT |  DISCOGRAPHY |  GALLERIES |  INTERVIEWS |  LINKS |  LIVE DATES
LYRICS |  MERCHANDISE |  NEWS ARCHIVE |  PRESS KITS |  VIDEOGRAPHY
Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional
© Blackheart Records and JoanJettBadRep.com. All Rights Reserved.