Rick Springfield’s new album ‘Venus In Overdrive’ really rocks hard. It’s his first collection of original songs in four years. The first single off the album is “What’s Victoria’s Secret?” which is also the first performance video. The song has that “Jessie’s Girl” vibe with all the typical hooks and double-tracked vocals of a hit single. One of the CD’s four bonus tracks include a surprise remake of The Who’s “My Generation.”

Sixty second samples of the new CD are playing on Rick Springfield’s website, but watch the volume!
www.rickspringfield.com

“Saint Sahara” and “Oblivious” pays tribute to Sahara Aldridge, who recently passed away. She was one of Springfield’s biggest fans.

iTunes is offering the exclusive bonus track of “Pretty Little Mess,” while the Best Buy CD versions offer two additional tracks; “My Generation” and an acoustic version of “Jessie’s Girl.”

Every CD has limited edition bonus content:
Exclusive content via a special website URL listed in the CD booklet
30-minute video track-by-track song analysis by Rick Springfield
Two performance music videos of “What’s Victoria’s Secret?” and “Venus In Overdrive”
Contest for autographed guitar and worn stage-clothes
Download of the studio version of “Who Killed Rock-N-Roll?”
Copies of hand-written lyrics

August Tour dates:
8/1 Peachtree City, GA
8/2 Peachtree City, GA
8/3 Crown Point, IN
8/9 Des Moines, IA
8/14 Tulsa, OK
8/15 St. Charles, IL
8/16 St. Charles, IL
8/22 Mitchell, SD

The Friends Cruise is almost sold out on the Carnival Cruise Ship Destiny. The voyage is a special package of concerts from Rick Springfield and special guest John Waite, departing Miami to Key West and Cozumel.

Read more atwww.rickspringfield.com.

Good music can be found just about anywhere. I found these two very dynamic artists featured on Broadjam TV.

~ Chris Sernel/Escape From Earth “Without” ~
“Without” is the band’s currently featured song and video on Broadjam TV. The crunchy guitars and melodic vocals carry you along “from the top of the world, without a care.” I could easily hear this blasting out of my car radio (gotta crank this one up to 10!) A fluid bridge floats between verses and builds back into the melody, with a great ending melting into a keyboard fade. At three minutes 48 seconds the song doesn’t get tiresome; in fact, you get to the ending much too soon, wishing for an extended remix with an outrageous guitar or synth solo.

Escape From Earth has:
Recorded with producers Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, KISS, Jane’s Addiction) and Rae DiLeo (Filter.)
Toured with Switchfoot, Quietdrive, Breaking Benjamin (among others.)
Sold out their own headline shows in Chicago at Metro and House of Blues.
Formed their own record label in 2006 (CupCake Records) and issued their full-length album
“Who Do I Have To Kill?” produced by Rae DiLeo.

Escape From Earth was featured in:
Coca-Cola commercial (aired on MTV Fall 2005)
Teen People Magazine (January 2006)

~ Beth Stalker “Here With You” ~
Rainfall opens, a radio tunes in from the background, the song gently opens like a veil lifting. This is a fine acoustic ballad that builds on violin and acoustic guitar. Beth’s harmonies glide along and lift up my heart as we soar along with the melody.

“And I know that there’s a better place where I can hear your voice all day, and I know that I’ve tried different ways so far, right now I’ll just stay here with you.”

“Here With You” pleases with striking acoustic guitar finger picking, alongside a blissful violin. The song fades into rainfall as the radio clicks off. Sheer bliss.

A singer and songwriter from Michigan, Beth Stalker was formerly a jazz/blues vocalist before releasing her first album of original music. Her song “Hold Me” won the grand prize at the 40th Anniversary Peavey Song Contest. Another composition of hers “I Can’t Imagine,” won as best love song in Broadjam’s “Loveshout” song contest. She’s also a winner of six Detroit Music Awards.

www.broadjam.com

It was forty years ago, July 1968 when The Yardbirds played their final gig at Luton Technical College in Bedfordshire, England. The lineup at that time was Keith Relf as lead singer and on harmonica, Jimmy Page on guitar, (Jeff Beck had already left the group by that time,) Chris Dreja on bass and Jim McCarty on drums, percussion and backup vocals.

Actually, July 1968 was The Yardbirds last performance with this lineup. Jimmy Page went on that same year to fulfill the rest of The Yardbirds contractual commitments, and through a series of events assembled the blues rock powerhouse that became Led Zeppelin. Ownership of The Yardbirds name was claimed by Chris Dreja, who reformed the group in the nineties with Jim McCarty.

I remember hearing “For Your Love” and “Heart Full of Soul” in the late sixties during the summertime and that memory really set the tone for this young teen; the warm summer nights, windows open, listening to my transistor radio produce the psychedelic sounds of these incredible songs. Songs based on American blues played by my British pop star heroes. Fantastic!

“And I know well if she had me back again, I would never make her sad, I got a heart full of soul.”

YouTube video: Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page - Their Yardbirds Years

www.theyardbirds.com