Singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter and only child of Elvis Presley, died at the age of 54 on Thursday. The news came after Presley was rushed to the hospital after suffering a medical emergency.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley’s mother, said in a statement. “She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known.” Lisa Marie Presley attended the Golden Globes on Tuesday, where Austin Butler won an award for playing her father in the 2022 biopic ‘Elvis’. She was hospitalized two days later from her home in Calabasas, California, according to her mother. Craig Little, a spokesman for the county’s fire department, told reporters that paramedics were responding to a call about a woman in full cardiac arrest. Presley was born in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Following in her father’s footsteps, she recorded three rock albums, the first of which, titled ‘To Whom It May Concern’, was released in 2003. She was married to musician Danny Keough, pop star Michael Jackson, actor Nicolas Cage, and music producer Michael Lockwood. Presley appeared in Jackson’s music video for ‘You Are Not Alone’ when they were married. Presley had four children, including actress Riley Keough. Her son Benjamin Keough committed suicide at the age of 27 in 2020. Many celebrities offered condolences to the Presley family. Actor Tom Hanks, who starred in the film ‘Elvis’, and his wife, actress Rita Wilson, called Presley’s death “shocking.” “Tom and I had spent some time with the family during the Elvis movie promotional tour. Lisa Marie was so honest and direct, vulnerable, in a state of anticipation about the movie,” Hanks and Wilson wrote.
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British guitarist Jeff Beck died of meningitis at the age of 78, his family said. Beck became known to the general public in 1965 as a replacement for Eric Clapton in the rock band The Yardbirds.
Jeffery Beck was born in Wallington, Surrey, England on June 24, 1944. He showed interest for music at a very young age, and he was a part of a church choir and took piano lessons for 2 years. His interest in string instruments came after his uncle showed him how to play an upright bass and the violin. His encounter with an electric guitar was when he went to a Buddy Holly concert at Croydon School in the spring of 1958. This inspired him to get his first guitar which was an acoustic, and which he borrowed from a friend – who never asked it back. He also made an attempt of building his own guitar, but never really succeeded. Jeff joined his first band “the Rumbles” in 1963, with whom he played mostly Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly songs, and he got his first gig as a session guitarist in 1964 on a single by the Fitz and Startz titled “I’m Not Running Away”. His breakthrough came in 1965 when he replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds on the recommendation of his childhood friend Jimmy Page, who also joined the band shortly after. Jeff left the Yardbirds 20 months later, and started doing his own stuff. He recorded a couple of singles, and formed his own band called “the Jeff Beck Group”, whose members among others were Shadow Jet Harris, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Nicky Hopkins and Micky Waller. From then on Jeff mostly went by himself, but he also appeared on great ton of albums by musicians such as Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Jon Bon Jovi, Roger Waters, Donovan, Stevie Wonder, and many other. He was even approached by Rolling Stones to join the band following the death of Brian Jones, and he the members of Pink Floyd intended to ask him to join as a replacement for Syd Barrett, but as they said, “None of us had the nerve to ask him.” Today Jeff was considered to by one of the most influential guitarists of all time. Beck has won five Grammy Awards and is fifth on the Rolling Stone list of greatest guitarists of all time. On our tour within the circle of pedal colours I like to kick off with orange. And for sure a very famous orange pedal, which has been around since 1978, the Boss DS-1 and the revamped Boss DS-1w, is orange. If the Tube Screamer is the quintessential overdrive, then the DS-1 is its distortion counterpart. Cheap, available, it’s used by players from Steve Vai to Kurt Cobain. First introduced in 1978, the Boss DS-1 was initially based around a Toshiba preamp, rather than the op-amp that would be used for later iterations of the circuit. This circuit resulted in a warm distortion tone, which was made gritty by the hard-clipping diodes placed after the amplifier stage. Although its tone is more angular, the ProCo Rat employs a similar hard-clipping action, and this is what tends to characterise a distortion versus an overdrive. The Tube Screamer, by comparison, has a soft clip, with diodes placed in the feedback loop of its op-amp. As the first distortion that Boss released, it has gone on to define the compact pedals that have come after. Probably the only pedals as recognisable as the DS-1 are the DM-2 analogue delay, BD-2 Blues Driver and DD-3 Digital Delay. Over the past few years, Boss has been introducing Waza Craft versions of some of its compact pedal series: premium versions featuring a complete redesign of the original circuits by the original developers. Some of these have been welcome revamps of pedals that have been out of production for some time, such as the CE-2, the DM-2 and the Dimension C. But this latest is not only one of the earliest Boss compacts but one that has been continuously in the Boss catalogue since 1978 and is, in fact, its bestseller. The DS-1W retains the original pedal’s triumvirate of Tone, Distortion and Level knobs but features two modes selected via a top-panel toggle switch. S is Standard mode, offering the sound of an original DS-1, while C is a new Custom mode, which delivers an alternative take on it.
Firing up the pedal in S mode you’re confronted with a sound that will be familiar to many, considering that Boss has sold over 1.5 million units and the DS-1 has been put to prominent use on stage and in recordings for the past 44 years! There are no clean sounds here – you’re into hard-edged distortion from the get-go with the Distortion knob at zero and the Level knob cranked up fairly high (from three o’clock onwards) to make sure the sound doesn’t recede as you kick the pedal in. The sound here is characterised by scooped midrange, but it can be nicely tailored with a Tone knob, which sets just the right balance of rolled-off bottom-end with strident highs.
Switching over to C mode, you’ll notice a volume jump as it’s 6dB louder with a different midrange profile. The sound is thicker with the mids poking forward, giving more presence to cut through a mix, and that extra 6dB offers much more leeway in adjusting the Level for a boost. What’s more, there’s increased sensitivity to picking and volume knob control, engendering a more dynamic playing experience suited to a range of musical scenarios.
She grew up as Detroit gospel royalty, getting her lessons in the church from Mahalia Jackson. At first, her label tried to mold her into a slick lounge singer, but she quit the crossover game, after meeting another young outsider on the label whose voice didn’t fit the pop mold: Bob Dylan. As she told writer Gerri Hirshey, “Neither of us was what you call — ah — mainstream.”
Aretha went to Muscle Shoals and became Lady Soul, creating her own raw, intense R&B sound. She forced the mainstream to cross over to her, changing the way music sounded ever since, all over the world. Her genius has taken so many forms: 1970s gospel, 1980s glam-disco, her collabos with disciples like Whitney Houston and Lauryn Hill. Or the night she stole the Grammys, singing “Nessun Dorma” without a rehearsal. But whatever she sang, she claimed it as her own. And as long as you live, you’ll never hear anything like Aretha Franklin. That’s why her voice still goes right on changing the world. Singer of singers. Queen of queens. All hail Lady Soul. Steven Tyler, the lead singer of iconic rock band Aerosmith, has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing an underage girl in the 1970’s when he was 25 years old. According to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone, the plaintiff, Julia Holcomb, claims she was only 16 when she became the victim of sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentionally inflicted emotional distress. In the suit, filed under California’s Child Victims act, Holcomb alleges that Tyler convinced her mother to grant him legal guardianship over her in order to allow the singer to take the 16-year-old on tour with him and subsequently engage in a sexual relationship. The relationship supposedly began in 1973 and lasted for some three years. Although the lawsuit does not actually reference Tyler or anyone else by name, instead identifying the defendants as Doe 1, Doe 2, and so on, Holcomb had previously talked publicly about her relationship with the Aerosmith singer. The lawsuit also directly quotes Tyler’s memoir, in which he stated that he “almost took a teen bride” at one point in his life and that her parents “fell in love” with him so much that they signed a paper for him to have custody over their daughter so that he wouldn’t get arrested if he took her out on tour.
Holcomb alleges that she was “powerless to resist” Tyler’s “power, fame and substantial financial ability” and that he “coerced and persuaded” her into believing their relationship was a “romantic love affair.” The plaintiff further claims that the singer promised her mother he would provide better support to her than she was getting at home and would enroll her in school and give her medical care. Tyler “did not meaningfully follow through on these promises and instead continued to travel with, assault and provide alcohol and drugs to Plaintiff,” the lawsuit claims. In 1975, Holcomb claims she became pregnant with Tyler’s son but ended up getting an abortion after the singer insisted she terminate the pregnancy citing potential damage to the baby after an apartment fire. After the abortion Holcomb says she left Tyler and went back to Portland, where she became a devout Catholic and anti-abortion activist, burying her experiences with Tyler until he wrote about them in his 2011 memoir. Tyler’s legal representatives have yet to release an official statement about the lawsuit. Randall William Rhoads was born on December 6, 1956 in Santa Monica, California. Randy was youngest of three children, he had a brother named Doug (also known as “Kelle”) and a sister named Kathy. Their mother Delores owned and operated the Musonia Music School where Randy learned much of his guitar basics, and also taught the guitar himself to other students for a period of time. Randy first started playing the guitar at the age of 6, and by the age of 12 he switched to an electric. When he was 14, he started playing in the band called “Violet Fox” together with his brother Kelle. Couple of years later, he formed another band with his friend Kelly Garni initially called “Mach 1”, “Little Women”, and finally – “Quiet Riot”. The band quickly became one of the most popular groups on the Los Angeles club scene, and by late 1976 were signed to CBS/Sony Records. Their albums “Quiet Riot” and “Quiet Riot II” were released only in Japan. In September 1979 Randy was auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne’s new band. Supposedly he walked into the Ozzy’s motel room in Malibu with his 1974 Les Paul and a tiny practice amp and started warming up. Before he could even show off what he’s hot, Ozzy interrupted him and said “‘You’ve got the gig”! Randy recorded only two album with Ozzy – ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ (1980), and ‘Diary of a Madman’ (1981) – and for that short period of time he managed to achieve success that most of the guitarists can only dream about. On March 19, 1982 Randy tragically died as a result of an airplane accident. While the band was heading to a festival in Orlando, during one of their stops, their tour bus driver and ex-commercial pilot Andrew Aycock took Randy and the band’s makeup artist Rachel Youngblood for a flight in a small Beechcraft F35 plane. While attempting to fly closely over the tour bus, one of the plane’s wings clipped the top of the bus, breaking the wing into two parts and sending the plane spiralling out of control. All three passengers were killed in the accidents. The Guitars
Guitar Amps
–1970s Peavey Standard 260 Used with the Quiet Riot. He played it through a cabinet packed with six Altec speakers. The amp is now kept at the Musonia. Supposedly Ozzy would never let Randy use this Peavey, so Greg Leon who took Randy’s place in Quiet Riot lent him a couple of Marshall rigs. – Marshall 1959 After joining Ozzy, Randy switched to Marshall. On stage he would use up to three amps, each played through a set of 1960A and 1960B cabinets, both painted white. Guitar Effects Randy’s effect rig was fairly simple. During the Quiet Riot years he only used a MXR Distortion Plus, and an MXR 10 Band EQ. After joining Ozzy he started using the Crybaby Wah, and couple of more pedals, such as MXR Stereo Chorus, MXR Flanger and Korg Echo. Some of the songs on the Ozzy records were recorded using the AMS DMX 15-80S Digital Delay. Guitar Strings Randy used GHS Boomers .010 or .011 gauge. Guitar Picks Randy used Picato medium thickness picks. The equivalent of these would probably be closest to Dunlop’s .88mm. This article was inspired by a couple of different events - firstly ongoing conversations I have been having with Pete Thorn about the colour of LEDs for different pedal types, and secondly an odd question I did get from my wife: "Are these colours fashionable'? Well, all this leads to some explaining duties. Looking at my pedal board I see all colours of the rainbow, from black to white. Yeh, white. What's that with JHS? Only white? But for most pedal makers it's about colours. So there must be reason, right?
I simply considered each colour in turn and which pedal I naturally recalled in response - I then extended the range and filled in a few more of the gaps. While there are some colours still open to contest, other colours have long been claimed and rationalised - which you can see quite evidently in much of Mooer’s colour selection - which helps you figure out the original source circuit largely by the colour of the enclosure. All because the question, are the same coulor pedals interchangeble? You would think yes, but a Tubescreamer is not the same as a Nobels ODR-1, both green. And a Boss DS-1 is in a league of it's own. The most interesting point for me is that fire-engine red and standard yellow are both ’Owned’ as such by compressors. My first association for Red is the MXR Dyna Comp, and the first association for standard neutral or pale yellow is the Diamond Pedals Compressor - as replicated by Mooer too. But my Fender The Bends is black. Also interesting is how Ibanez owns both forest and light green shades with its TS808 and TS9 Tubescreamers. The most modern pedal in the visual is the recent Bondi Effects Art Van Delay - which has pretty much laid claim to Hot Pink / Fuscia. Well, let's explain this confusing colour theory by using the Colour Wheel above. RED To me there are two automatic associations that come directly to mind for the colour red - the MXR Dyna Comp is the standout choice, followed by Marshall Distortion pedals en masse for some reason - even though Marshall is most likely readily identified with the colour 'Gold' there are a number of Marshall-based distortions including the brand new Red Mod version (no coincidence) of Catalinbread's Dirty Little Secret. Besides that we have the Amptweaker Tight Rock, Dawner Prince RedRox, JHS Angry Charlie, Mad Professor Mighty Red Distortion, MI Effects Super Crunch Box and Wampler Pinnacle - all sporting RED. Boss also has the red DM-2 Delay - but that is more of Cerise hue, and not the proper bright red. Actually Boss's Looper pedals are all bright red, and as was its second every compact pedal - the SP-1 Spectrum and in fact the VO-1 Vocoder too. I think on balance though my first instincts were correct here, and Red has to be given to the MXR Dyna Comp which just has to be the most readily universally associated pedal in this colourway. ORANGE When I think of the colour Orange I get two immediate references - MXR's Phase 90, and Boss's DS-1, and then when I really apply myself I recall the Ibanez Overdrive - which is actually a Muff-based fuzz rather. JHS also has the Orange Squeezer Compressor, and there are a number of Orange Amp pedal replicas. But Mad Professor's Tiny Orange Phaser and Mooer's Ninety Orange Phaser - kind of underline that this is MXR Phase 90's category to loose. There are actually a number of Boss orange-hued distortion pedals - of which the DS-1 is the most memorable. But the colour orange belongs to the Phaser type of effect specifically from MXR. YELLOW - amber/mustard, deep yellow and pale yellow As per the above visual we're actually dealing with 3 different shades of yellow here. When I just think out 'Yellow' I consider Boss's Over Drive pedals first, then the second edition DOD 250 PreAmp - which actually started off Grey and is still probably more associated with its original colour. And finally the pale yellow Diamond Compressor - which is the one Mooer replicates in its own even paler yellow enclosure. Actually there is also the MXR Distortion+ which we mustn't forget, but as I am more principally a Boss fan - I'm more likely to recall the Boss Over Drives first. The darkest yellow shade - sort of amber / mustard yellow immediately brought to my mind the T-Rex Mud Honey pedal, and perhaps the BJFe Honey Bee Overdrive - while on closer inspection - it's actually definitely the same colour as the Mud Honey. I feel that those 3 yellows are the most likely associations, although some will likely swap with the Boss OD-1 or Diamond Comp Jr for the MXR Distortion+. GREEN - forest green, and light green If you hear mentioned of 'The Green Overdrive' pedal pretty much 99% of you will immediately recall the Ibanez Tube Screamer, while others might think of the Maxon OD-808 or Nobels ODR-1. Checking with Mooer - its own TS808 replica sort of follows the forest green of that pedal. While interestingly Ibanez also lays claim to the lighter green colour - which could in Nashville in particular be more likely associated with the Nobels. Boss's line of Phasers is also green - PH-1 through PH-3 - but the obvious Phaser colour has to be the Orange of the MXR Phase 90. Overall then the ever so ubiquitous Ibanez Tube Screamers win the Green colourway category by a landslide. Update - I forgot to mention MXR's Carbon copy delays which feature a darker green standard version, and lighter green 'Bright' version. Tube Screamers still win though! A further note on Moss Green or Army Green here - which is readily associated with the Green Russian Muff style fuzzes - including EHX's own Green Russian Big Muff Pi. TEAL To my mind only 4 teal pedals spring readily to mind - first Boss's ever-present TR-2 Tremolo, Mad Professor's Little Green Wonder Overdrive, TC Electronic's Petrucci Dreamscape Modulator, and Wampler's Ethereal Delay+Reverb. I feel this category is still up for grabs to a degree, although I personally feel the strongest resonance here with the Boss TR-2 Tremolo. BLUE - mid blue On the colour wheel I selected as reference there was only one shade of blue depicted - a sort of mid basic blue - in fact all the colours here are relatively primary - so we miss out on the lighter and powder blues, sky-blue and more ink-blue, royal-blue and cobalt shades - which Thorpy's brand new Heavy Water pedal sports so well. Boss actually has a number of 'Blue' pedals - Choruses, Compressors, Multi-Overtone, Pitch-Shifters, Sampler/Delays, and Vibrato. It only really has one monikered Blue pedal though in the BD-2 BLUES Driver - which surely has to take the most common blue colour pedal association over the long-term. There is Strymon's BlueSky Reverb, MXR's Blue Box Fuzz and Wampler's blue Ego Compressor - but none of those has triggered quite so many mods and replicas as has Boss's original BD-2 Blues Driver circuit. The Blues Driver is a very slightly unusual mid blue - with a hint of green in it - but the colour plus the name surely cements its position at the head of this category. If considering the lighter blues - then surely the Boss Choruses must be in heavy consideration. PURPLE Much like the Boss blue Blues Driver - Lovepedal has one of its own monikered colourways in the guise of its Purple Plexi Distortion. The name verily matches the colour. Purple is often associated with Jimi Hendrix too - so a number of Hendrix Fuzz and Vibe -derived pedals often feature a purple tone. There is also Way Huge's Purple Platypus - whose colour is actually closer to Violet - but that also has the colour in its moniker - as does Carl Martin's Purple Moon Fuzz N' Vibe. More recently we have REVV's Purple G3 Distortion and Wampler's Pantheon Overdrive - actually Fulltone's Plimsoul is also actually a very dark shade of purple. For me though it's Lovepedal's Purple Plexi which most readily springs to mind here and to which I award winner of this category for now. MAGENTA / GRAPE Difficult to know what to name this category - I see Magenta as being slightly brighter than Grape - for the former the contenders are most likely Strymon's Orbit Flanger and Suhr's Riot Distortion, while the more Grape shade represented here is most definitely matched by Boss's BF Series of Flangers - where I personally have a modded BF-2. Eventide's new Rose Delay pedal would snap into this category too as would JAM Pedals Limited Edition Hendrix-style Fuzz Phrase. Boss BF-2/3 for the win though. HOT PINK / FUSCIA When I think of Pink guitar pedals I most immediately think of the trio of Alexander Pedals Hot Pink Drive, Bondi Effects Art Van Delay, and Earthquaker Devices Rainbow Machine Modulator. JHS used fo have the Pink Panther Delay which was a more subtle shade of pink, and now renamed the Lucky Cat Delay, While I feel that recent entrant Art Van Delay has somewhat staked a claim with its powerful application of block colour. I feel that this category is still sort of up for grabs - but the Bondi Art Van Delay is a very strong contender here. Other Instant Pedal Colour Associations not on the Wheel/Chart
Final Thoughts
Readers and players alike will have their own personal choices and preferences here depending on what they've been more exposed to. Fans of Boss will probably be closer to my preferences while those with a more stronger association with say MXR or another brand which uses strong colours may more closely associate with those pedals. Being the fuzz fan I am it's also relevant to mention the Dallas Arbiter / Dunlop Fuzz Faces - Red = Germanium, Blue = Silicon convention - which has been taken up by a number of builders - and in no more clear way than with Fulltone's two takes on the Fuzz Face - 69MKII and 70-BC Fuzz. Fuzzes though are still largely a 'minority sport' so that overall they have little chance of being the most impactful in enforcing specific colour associations. Of all the colours above I feel the strongest associations are with Orange = MXR Phaser, and Green = Ibanez Tube Screamer - those are surely shoe-ins for near enough everyone. Other colourways here are more open to influence and interpretation. With striking satin finishes, new pickguard shapes and high-performance spec sheets, these stunning guitars and basses are arguably 2022’s most exciting Fender guitars – so why are they only available in Japan? Today in ‘Japan gets all the best Fender models’ news, Fender Japan has announced the Elemental Series, a range designed to meet the demands of modern players while still retaining a reasonable price tag. To meet that remit, Fender Japan have reworked these Jazzmaster, Telecaster, Stratocaster and Jazz Bass electric guitars and basses from the ground up. Tonally, they come equipped with Modern Modified humbuckers, complete with coil-split via the tone control for the electric guitars. Contemporary playability is ensured by 12”-radius rosewood fingerboards, while the models’ maple necks offer a compound shape that goes from a modern C at lower frets to a D at the dusty end. Crucially, all the guitars also offer a contoured neck heel – the kind you’d normally find only on Fender’s top-end American Ultra Series. Visually, the alder-bodied lineup has also received an overhaul with a gorgeous satin finish, available in two colors: Stone Black and Nimbus White. Given the elemental theme, we can presumably expect fire (red) and water (blue) variations down the line. Lord have mercy. Those finishes are complemented by matching headstocks, plus an all-new pickguard shape that offers a minimalist take on the Fender design staple, just covering the lower horn. Hardware-wise, you’re looking at an Adjusto-Matic bridge with anchored tailpiece on the Jazzmaster; six-saddle hardtail on the Telecaster; while the Stratocaster boasts a two-point Deluxe Synchronized tremolo with (yes!) pop-in arm. The Jazz Bass, meanwhile, features a HiMass Vintage bridge for through-body stringing or top-loading, plus four controls for master volume with push/pull for active/passive; pickup selector; treble boost; and bass boost. Elsewhere, the guitars are equipped with Fender’s staggered tuners and knurled flat-top knobs to further enhance the sleek, modern feel. In brief, these models are absolutely jaw-dropping, and for players of a contemporary persuasion who want that Fender name on the headstock, they tick all the boxes. What’s more, they’re reasonably priced for this kind of spec, with a ¥170,500 price tag, which translates roughly to $1,244, including gigbag. All of which begs the question: why are these guitars only launching in Japan? Progressive players have clamored for Fender models spec’d for this kind of performance, yet the range is a limited series that looks unlikely to make its way to western shores, just like the similarly tricked-out Modern Series.
Fender Japan regularly drops highly limited models – seriously, just check out its remarkable run of desirable releases this year – and we know from our own traffic stats that players are just as excited, if not more so, by these progressive builds than the predominantly vintage-focused western designs. So, as we so often do, we hold out hope that we’ll see these outside of Japan one day. While we wait for Fender US to do the right thing, you can find out more about the Made in Japan Elemental Series over at Fender Japan (opens in new tab). Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie has quit as a special envoy for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) after two decades in the role, the United Nations said on Friday. The star of ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ and ‘Maleficent’ had been an envoy since 2012, carrying out more than 60 field missions for the agency in various parts of the world. This year, she made trips to locations including Yemen, Burkina Faso and Ukraine. Despite ending her cooperation with the UN, Jolie promised that she would keep helping displaced people in a new capacity. “I will continue to do everything in my power in the years to come to support refugees and other displaced people. After 20 years working within the UN system, I feel it is time for me to work differently, engaging directly with refugees and local organizations, and supporting their advocacy for solutions,” the actress said in a joint statement with the UN.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the agency was grateful to the movie star for her “successful” service and “the difference she has made for refugees and people forced to flee.” “I appreciate her desire to shift her engagement and support her decision. I know the refugee cause will remain close to her heart, and I am certain she will bring the same passion and attention to a wider humanitarian portfolio,” Grandi stated. In an Instagram post on her decision, Jolie wrote that the UNHCR was “full of amazing people,” and that she still believed in many things that the United Nations does. However, the actress had recently been critical of the UN. In an article for Time magazine in June, the 47-year-old claimed that “because of the way the UN was set up, it is tipped towards the interests and voice of powerful nations at the expense of those people suffering the most from conflict and persecution whose rights and lives are not treated equally.” “We have to recognize that our systems for preventing conflict and mass human displacement, and defending human rights, are not working,” she insisted, pointing to the fact that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine had taken the number of displaced people worldwide to a record of over 100 million. Christine McVie, the longtime vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter for Fleetwood Mac, has died at the age of 79. “She passed away peacefully at hospital this morning, Wednesday, November 30th 2022, following a short illness,” the musician’s family said in a statement. “She was in the company of her family. We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally. RIP Christine McVie.”
Christine Anne Perfect was born on July 12, 1943 in the village of Bouth, Lancashire in England, the daughter of a concert violinist and a faith healer. She started learning music from a young age, studying classical music until she was 15 before turning to rock n’ roll. After moving to Birmingham to study sculpture, she joined a band called Sounds of Blue as a bassist. Two of her bandmates, Stan Webb and Andy Silvester, would go on to form Chicken Shack, which featured McVie on vocals and keyboards. The group released two albums, 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve and O.K. Ken, and had a top 20 UK hit with a cover of Etta James’ ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’. McVie left Chicken Shack in 1969 after meeting Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie, whom she married a year later, just after the release of her solo debut, Christine Perfect. (At the time, Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack were signed to the same label, Blue Horizon.) Having contributed to a handful of early Fleetwood Mac albums, she became an official member in 1970 following the departure of founding guitarist Peter Green. Soon after moving to the United States, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band and found massive success with their 1975 self-titled album, which featured the McVie-penned hits ‘Over My Head’ and ‘Say You Love Me’. She also wrote numerous classics on its blockbuster follow-up, 1977’s Rumours, including ‘Songbird’ and ‘You Make Loving Fun’. The McVies would get divorced in 1978, but both remained in the band. McVie contributed to 1979’s Tusk and 1982’s Mirage before releasing her 1984 self-titled record, which included the top 10 hit ‘Get a Hold On Me’. She married keyboardist Eddy Quintela in 1986, and the pair co-wrote songs together for Fleetwood Mac’s next outing, 1987’s Tango In The Night, including the hits ‘Everywhere’ and ‘Little Lies’. Her last studio album with Fleetwood Mac’ was 1995’s Time, and she formally retired from the band following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2004, she released her third and final solo album, In the Meantime. McVie officially rejoined Fleetwood Mac before the On With the Show Tour in 2014. Three years later, she released the collaborative album Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie and toured in support of it. Earlier this year, McVie issued a compilation album titled Songbird (A Solo Collection). “There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie,” Fleetwood Mac wrote in a statement. “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed.” Stevie Nicks has paid tribute to her bandmate in a handwritten note shared on social media, writing: “A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away. I didn’t even know she was ill… until late Saturday night. I wanted to be in London; I wanted to get to London – but we were told to wait. So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around in my head, over and over and over. I thought I might possibly get to sing it to her, and so, I’m singing it to her now.” Nicks then wrote out the lyrics to Haim’s 2019 song ‘Hallelujah’. “See you on the other side, my love,” she concluded. “Don’t forget me — Always, Stevie.” British rock star Roger Waters has hit out against the US for profiting off of the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which he says Washington allowed to happen because it was beneficial to American interests. Discussing US foreign policy on the Bad Faith podcast on YouTube, the Pink Floyd co-founder stated that the conflict in Ukraine was “the best thing to happen to them in the last 10 years,” because it was “really good for business.”. “Part of their business is making money from the war through making weapons and selling them to the people and taking the profits from it,” Waters explained, adding that this money never goes to ordinary people. “It’s not you or me, not ordinary people who invest in the war industry. It’s people with tons of cash, and they get very well paid when there’s war.”
Another benefit of the war for the political establishment, according to Waters, is that it allows it to convince people who struggle to make ends meet and end up homeless that their woes are the fault of the Russians and Putin, who is compared to Hitler and accused of being responsible for “destroying everyone’s lives.” Roger says he has now been banned from performing in Poland for openly criticizing the West’s military meddling and calling for peace between Russia and Ukraine. Previously, the musician had written letters personally addressed to presidents Vladimir Putin, Zelensky and Joe Biden, calling for diplomatic talks to end the conflict, stating it is “the worst possible thing that can be happening,” due to the potential of an all-out nuclear war. Last July, Dusty Hill, ZZ Top's longtime bass guitar player, died at the age of 72. Hill's place in the band, as per the late bassist's wishes, was taken by the band's longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis. Now, even though ZZ Top have famously used some rather colorful guitars over the course of their lengthy career, fans at the band's recent (November 5) gig (opens in new tab) at the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall in Huntsville, Alabama were probably a bit taken aback by what they saw when Francis first stepped onstage with the group. The bass in Francis's hands wasn't a four-string or a 5-string bass guitar, nor was it a six-string model. No, readers, this yellow-finished low-end behemoth was a (by our count, at least) 17-string bass. You can see it in action in the fan-filmed footage of the band's opening number that night (Got Me Under Pressure) below. Now, not to be a kill-joy, but a spin of the video does seem to show Francis only using three or four of the beast's strings. Still, the skill involved from swinging from the low notes at the very top of the bass (fretted, of course, over the top of the neck) to the middle and higher notes all the way at the bottom is pretty impressive. The Little Ol' Band From Texas has always known how to take simple elements (in this case a steady-grooving bass line) and put on a show with them, after all. Now, all we need is for Billy Gibbons to invite Jared Dines and his 20-string Mountain Dew Meme Guitar onstage with the band for the djentiest ZZ Top show ever... Also of note at this particular gig were the purple "fuzz" guitars the band used for Legs.
Expanding on the innovations of Cort’s original 8-string multiscale, the KX508 Multi-Scale II features an updated okoume body and a specially designed Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker.
The KX508 Multi-Scale II is the second iteration of the eight-string KX508, Cort’s first multi-scale 8-string guitar introduced in 2020. Like its predecessor, the KX508 Multi-Scale II has a visually stunning poplar burl top in a Mariana Blue Burst finish. Beyond its visual appeal, the poplar burl is an ideal tonal complement to Cort’s newly introduced okoume body. Okoume is known for its light weight and ability to improve tonal clarity. It has a tight low-end and highly articulate high-end, which matches the overall sonic characteristics of the KX508 Multi-Scale II. The multi-scale, measuring 26.5 to 28 inches, offers a punchy low end while maintaining a familiar feel and tension on the treble strings, which allows for speedy runs and string-bending. Players have unhindered access to the high frets thanks to the low-scooped heel. The 5-piece maple and purple heart neck not only provides strength and stability, aided by a spoke nut hotrod truss rod, but a strong and focused sound. The Macassar ebony fingerboard (15.75-inch radius) offers smooth playability along the 24 frets with teardrop inlays. Macassar is an ideal tonewood for high-gain applications because of its ability to cut through a dense mix. At the top of the neck, the 2 7/32-inch nut width (56.5 mm) is surprisingly comfortable for an 8-string guitar and is even suitable for players with smaller hands. The individual hardtail bridge with string-thru-body design results in greatly improved sustain, superb string separation for enhanced articulation, and precise intonation. Deluxe locking machine heads offer reliable tuning as well as easier and quicker string changes. Hollywood star Alec Baldwin has accused several crew members on the set of the film ‘Rust’ of negligence, which led to the death of Halyna Hutchins. He filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday hoping to “clear his name.”
The tragic incident took place a year ago during the production of the film at a ranch in New Mexico. Baldwin fired a live round from a prop revolver, fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. The actor claimed he had been assured that it was a ‘cold’ gun, meaning it was either empty or loaded with dummy rounds. No one has been charged with a crime so far. Baldwin’s suit names the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of handling guns and ammunition on set, and first assistant director Dave Halls, who handed him the gun that day and said it was safe. The two other co-defendants are Sarah Zachry, who was in charge of props, and Seth Kenney, the owner of a firm that supplied weapons and ammunition to the set. Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, alleges that the “tragedy happened because live bullets were delivered to the set and loaded into the gun.” He claims that crew members broke the safety rules when handling the firearm, which led to Hutchins’ death. The suit further alleges that Kenney kept his firm in “disarray” and stored ammunition “haphazardly.” According to the suit, the actor “must live with the immense grief, and the resulting emotional, physical, and financial toll, caused by the fact that cross-defendants’ negligent conduct, assurances, and supervision put a loaded weapon in his hand and led him, Hutchins, and everyone else on set to believe that his directed use of the weapon was safe.” Baldwin’s counter-complaint came after Mamie Mitchell, the film’s script supervisor, sued Baldwin, Gutierrez-Reed, Halls, and other production members last year, seeking damages for the “physical and emotional harm” she has suffered as a result of Hutchins’ death. In January, Gutierrez-Reed sued Kenney, claiming that he provided an ammunition box to the set, which contained a mix of dummy and live rounds. Hutchins’ family settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the production company last month. “I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame,” Halyna Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, said. The new Super Lead Overdrive pedal was designed to get the signature Soldano sound onto your pedalboard. The new Super Lead Overdrive pedal is designed to provide the perfect balance of gain, sustain, and touch response the SLO is known for. Crafted using the same cascading gain stages as the flagship amp, the SLO pedal is the perfect way to get that signature Soldano sound onto your pedalboard.
The SLO pedal front panel boasts the same controls for Gain, Volume, Presence, and a 3-band EQ as the 100-watt tube amp. The side-mounted Deep switch nails the amp’s depth-knob low-end punch. These controls take you from harmonically rich crunch to some of the most famous high-gain in history. Features
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