April 10, 2017 by Amy Gold
During the week of April 2, 2017, Joan Baez, Yes, ELO, Journey, and Nile Rodgers of Chic were among this year's inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The awards ceremonies will be televised April 29, 2017 on HBO.
Also that week, it was announced that several new editions of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" will be coming out in May in commemoration of this album's 50th anniversary (see trailer below).
A new Bee Gees compilation titled "Timeless: The All-Time Greatest Hits" and a remastered version of the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack will be coming out later this month. Elton John will release an expanded vinyl version of his classic 1971 live album, "17-11-70," as part of this year's Record Store Day (April 22, 2017). Also, Foreigner will release a 40th anniversary compilation titled "40" which is due out in May.
Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Carly Simon, and Dionne Warwick are among the featured performers at a concert celebrating the premiere of the documentary, "Clive Davis: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives," to take place later this month at NYC's Radio City Music Hall. Diana Ross will be among those to headline the Essence Festival to take place in New Orleans starting at the end of June. Yes announced an upcoming U.S. tour dubbed YESTIVAL beginning in August. Also that month, The Who will co-headline the upcoming Outside Lands festival in San Francisco.
Also that week, it was announced that Barry Manilow will be honored with this year's BMI Icon Award at the 65th Annual BMI Pop Awards to take place in May.
(For more information about the above-listed news items, please see below for a list of sources with links and article summaries.)
Below is a trailer for the upcoming 50th anniversary edition of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
April 4, 2017: The Who To Headline 2017 Outside Lands Festival
The Who will co-headline the upcoming Outside Lands festival to take place August 11-13, 2017 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. For more info about this event, visit SFOutsideLands.com. For The Who's complete itinerary, visit TheWho.com.
Source: The Who among headliners for 2017 Outside Lands Festival
April 4, 2017: New Bee Gees Hits Compilation And Remastered 'Saturday Night Fever' Soundtrack To Be Released
A new Bee Gees compilation titled "Timeless: The All-Time Greatest Hits" will be coming out on April 21, 2017. Highlights of this 21-track career-retrospective collection include such early hits as "Spicks And Specks" (1966) and "I Started A Joke" (1968). Also coming out on the same day is a remastered version of the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack in commemoration of its 40th anniversary.
Source: New Bee Gees hits compilation, remastered "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack due out later this month
April 4, 2017: Barry Manilow To Be Honored With BMI Icon Award
Barry Manilow will be honored with this year's BMI Icon Award at the upcoming 65th Annual BMI Pop Awards. The awards ceremonies will take place May 9, 2017 in Beverly Hills, CA at the city's Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Source: Barry Manilow To Be Honored With BMI Icon Award
April 5, 2017: Foreigner To Release 40th Anniversary Compilation
Foreigner will release a 40th anniversary compilation titled "40" which will be coming out on CD and as a digital download on May 19, 2017 and later on vinyl (June 2). This 40-track collection features all of the band's major hits from 1977-1984 plus newer material that includes songs recorded by Foreigner's current lineup.
Source: Foreigner unveils details of 40th anniversary compilation, "40"
April 5, 2017: New Editions Of Beatles' Classic 'Sgt. Pepper' Album To Be Released
Several new editions on CD, vinyl, and DVD/Blu-ray of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" will be coming out on May 26, 2017 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this groundbreaking album. All the packages will include a new stereo mix plus extra tracks.
Source: Getting better all the time: Details of "Sgt. Pepper" 50th anniversary release confirmed
April 6, 2017: Yes To Launch Tour
Yes announced an upcoming U.S. tour beginning on August 4, 2017 in Greensboro, NC and ending on September 3 in Tulalip, WA, with stops in several other states. Dubbed YESTIVAL, this 17-date trek will also feature Todd Rundgren and Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy. For more info, visit YesWorld.com.
Source: Yes announces YESTIVAL tour with Todd Rundgren, Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy
April 6, 2017: Elton John To Release Expanded Edition Of 1971 Live Album
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Record Store Day, Elton John will release an expanded vinyl version of his classic 1971 live album, "17-11-70." As indicated in the title, this album was recorded on November 11, 1970 and captures Elton John performing such early classics as "Your Song" and various covers. Record Store Day 2017 takes place April 22.
April 7, 2017: Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow & More To Perform At NYC Concert Celebrating Premiere Of Clive Davis Documentary
Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Carly Simon, and Dionne Warwick are among the featured performers at a concert celebrating the premiere of the documentary, "Clive Davis: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives." The concert will take place April 19, 2017 at NYC's Radio City Music Hall following the screening of the movie at the Tribeca Film Festival. For more info, visit RadioCity.com.
April 7, 2017: Diana Ross To Headline Essence Fest
Diana Ross will be among those to headline the upcoming Essence Festival to take place June 30-July 2, 2017 in New Orleans. Other featured performers will include Chaka Khan.
Source: Diana Ross Set For Essence Fest
April 8, 2017: Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inducts Joan Baez, Yes & More
On April 7, 2017, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Joan Baez, Yes, The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, and Nile Rodgers of Chic. ELO also paid tribute to rock and roll legend Chuck Berry with their rendition of "Roll Over Beethoven." This event, which took place at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, will be televised April 29 on HBO.
Source: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2017 Ceremony: Pearl Jam, Tupac, Journey, Yes & More | Billboard
