January 2023 News

By ALLI PATTON




JOAN JETT is best known among some of rock's finest as the rough-and-tumble songstress with attitude and talent to spare. Her commanding voice and snarling delivery have soundtracked many popular tunes, and when she puts those skills to a cover, she makes each song her own.

Here are 10 killer covers from JOAN JETT.

1. "Crimson and Clover"
The frontwoman, alongside her BLACKHEARTS, turns this Tommy James & the Shondells hit into a punked-out rock anthem full of grit. Keeping with the hypnotic swaying pace of the original, the band amps up the tune with treacherous guitar sounds and a thunderous finish.



2. "Fun, Fun, Fun"
Ditching The Beach Boys' surf-rock style for more of a barroom blues, Jett's smokey lilt makes the sweet, beachy classic sound tough as nails.



3. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain"
She stays pretty true to the Creedence Clearwater Revival original, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," but it's her unique voice that gives the rock standard a different texture.

By Brian Steinberg




A rookie Super Bowl advertiser aims to do this year what even a veteran might find challenging: Get people talking about technology they may never have known affects them every day.

Workday has a clever concept that it hopes will make people more aware of the software it licenses to corporations that helps manage finances and human resources. In a minute-long spot slated to air during the third-quarter, JOAN JETT, Ozzy Osbourne and Gary Clark Jr. will be among the colorful musicians touting its wares.

Executives hope the surprise of seeing the rockers calling attention to workforce management will be enough to get football fans talking about "being a rock star" on the Monday morning following the game, says Pete Schlampp, the company's chief marketing officer.

With Fox seeking between $6 million and $7 million for a 30-second ad berth, an investment in Super Bowl advertising isn't to be made lightly. Each year, some Super Bowl marketers do just that, with freshman advertisers relying on homemade concepts, small ad agencies, and gut decisions. Workday isn't doing any of that, says Schlampp, "This is something we've been budgeting for and thinking about for a while," he says in an interview. "When there are economic slowdowns, we know that companies that invest in their brands get a great return on the other side. We feel confident about making this investment."

Workday might just have a chance. Ads about working life have proven popular in Super Bowls past. Careerbuilder, the online jobs site, made a name for itself in the 2000s and 2010s with several years' worth of ads featuring chimpanzees as office workers. The symbolism was pretty easy to understand. And Monster, another purveyor of online classifieds, struck a chord in 1999 with a spot that had children repeating the mantras of frustrated employees everywhere. "I want to claw my way up to middle management," said one young urchin.

By Ree Hines




Country music superstar Dolly Parton questioned her own qualifications when it came to her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last November, but the inspiring singer-songwriter respectfully accepted the accolade with the promise that she would rock out on her next album.

That genre-hopping record is now in the works, and according to Parton, she's working with some real rock legends to make sure it hits all the right notes

"I reached out to a lot of the friends that were on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with me when we were there those few days rehearsing," Parton explained during a video visit to the "Rachael Ray Show" on Jan. 24.

The beloved "Jolene" singer said the album's title is "tongue-in-cheek," as she's called it "Rock Star" in reference to herself. But the name seems fitting considering the rock royalty joining the 77-year-old on the project.

"I've got a lot of wonderful, iconic songs that people are gonna love, and a lot of wonderful, iconic singers joining me on them, like Elton John is on one of the songs he wrote," Parton said. "Of course Paul McCartney sings with me on 'Let It Be,' and we've got John Fogerty. Stevie Nicks and I just finished our song, and hopefully we're going to have Cher and Annie Lennox. Got JOAN JETT. We've got all kinds of wonderful people are going to be on the album."

During a visit to "The View" one week earlier, the hit-maker dropped even more big names, revealing that she hopes to get Mick Jagger on board. But barring that, she's recording the Rolling Stones hit "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" without him.

"I did his song anyway," she said with a smile. "I think Pink and Brandi Carlile are going to be singing on that particular song with me."

She added that former Journey vocalist Steve Perry and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler would also be lending their voices to the project.

By Emily Carter




Harley-Davidson are celebrating their 120th birthday this summer with the help of Foo Fighters, Green Day and more...

Fresh from announcing their first proper live dates since Taylor Hawkins' death last year, Foo Fighters have confirmed another massive festival appearance.

In July, the rock legends will be joining fellow titans Green Day in headlining the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival at Veterans Park in Milwaukee, celebrating the iconic motorcycle company's 120th birthday.

"We are very excited to announce the Foo Fighters and Green Day as headliners at our Veterans Park festival location," says Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson. "We can't wait to host riders from all over the world in Milwaukee, as we come together as one Harley-Davidson family and welcome everyone to join us. With music at the heart of our festival, I can't think of two more iconic American rock icons to join our community in celebrating 120 years of Harley-Davidson."

The line-up also includes Cody Jinks, Social Distortion, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, Phantogram, White Reaper and KennyHoopla.

By Skiddle Staff




Of all the debates that revolve around the arts, entertainment, and sports, surely the most contentious for any category is the question of who is "The Greatest" (or, in modern parlance, The GOAT). Some branches seem to have an answer: in boxing, Muhammad Ali is simply known as "The Greatest." With other fields, there are answers with caveats: for the NBA, if it's rings, it's Bill Russell, and if it's general excellence, it's Michael Jordan. But when it comes to music, and particularly American music, every genre is so laden with subjective opinions, clashing definitions, and varying criteria that it can be incredibly hard to answer that divisive question. Nevertheless, as we acknowledge the 50th anniversary of Aerosmith's debut album (a band that is often considering one of the "The Greatest"), we're going to try.

What Is a Rock Band?
A rock band's gotta be a rock band - guitar, bass, drums - rock. It also has to be an American rock band. No Beatles, Stones, Who, Zeppelin, U2, Maiden, Priest, Clash, Queen, Rush, Sabbath, Floyd, AC/DC, Golden Earring, etc. Any commenters suggesting anyone beyond the 50 states and territories will be sent to the Woodstock cool-down tent to chill out. Fleetwood Mac is also DQed: sorry, 3/5 of the classic line-up is British.

In terms of attacking the question, we'll start with a few groups that are easily identified as leaders in a certain category. Like the NBA, it might not yield a clear, immediate winner, but it's instructional in terms of how an act could be considered The Greatest.

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By Skiddle Staff




To honour Women Rock! Day, we took a look at the women who made it possible for others to take to the stage and rock out alongside the men.

Nowadays, we don't have to look too far to find an indie, metal, rock, or punk band with a woman in it. But that wasn't always the case. For decades, rock music was almost exclusively created by men, with women getting no closer to the stage than being at the front of the mosh pit. To get to where we are today, there were some vital women who helped make that change.

Today is Women Rock! Day, a day where we take a moment to reflect on and admire the influential women who paved the way for other women in rock music. So that's exactly what we're going to do today. From poetic vocalists to fierce women who own the stage, shredders to bassists who create solid foundations for the best tunes in rock, here are the most influential women in rock music.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe AKA The Godmother Of Rock 'N' Roll
Before we get into the modern legends, it's vital we shine a light on the too-often-forgotten matriarch of the genre. It cannot be understated how integral Sister Rosetta Tharpe was to the genre of rock and music as a whole. Do you like a song with a distorted guitar? A song where the guitar is prominent? You can thank this absolute legend for that.

She was the first to play the electric guitar with distortion and played it as its own distinct instrument. Not only did she pave the way for women, but for black people too. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, Tharpe was one of the creators of rock and roll. A fearless, queer black woman, Tharpe had the swagger, the stage presence, the skill, and incredible pipes that make her one of the greatest. We'd actually even argue that she is the greatest full stop. We could spend all day singing her praises, but we have some other legends we need to shine the spotlight on.

JOAN JETT


Can you get more badass than JOAN JETT? She burst into the scene as the guitarist of The RUNAWAYS, one of the first all-female rock bands, a band that was so big they outsold Kiss and ABBA in Japan. If that wasn't incredible enough, she was only 16 when the band was founded. She then went on to release solo music and form JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, for which she is probably best known with bangers like I Love Rock 'N Roll and Bad Reputation.

Jett, often dubbed the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, is now 64 years old and still rocking on. With a gritty voice, unapologetic attitude, a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and an instantly recognisable and unique style, Joan will go down in history as one of the greatest and most integral to the genre.

Janis Joplin
Unfortunately, Janis Joplin was taken from us way too soon at the age of 27. But despite her short-lived career, she is still incredibly influential. Her instantly recognisable gravelly and super bluesy voice is one that you will have heard at some point, even if you aren't aware of it. Joplin proved women could be huge rock stars too, wooing audiences with her showmanship, individuality, and obviously that to-die-for voice. She rose to fame singing for the band Big Brother before becoming a solo artist.

A further testament to her role in helping to shape the genre is that Joplin had some of the first visible tattoos in rock music, which is now something that is almost synonymous with the genre. Taken from us far too soon by an accidental overdose, we could never forget Joplin.

Hayley William
Moving to the present day, Hayley Williams rose to fame with her band Paramore in the 2000s. Her dyed hair, charisma, shockingly impressive vocal range, and immense stage presence are just some of the attributes she's known for. She's easily one of the most well-known women in emo and pop punk.