Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) was first recorded by Darlene Love for the 1963 compilation A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector. Love also sang White Christmas, Marshmallow World and Winter Wonderland on that album. It has become an annual tradition at the Late Show with David Letterman for Love to perform this song around Christmas time. She has done it every year since 1986 except one year where a writer’s strike prevented it. Her 2011 appearance will be on Friday, so be sure to set the DVR. We’ll showcase a number of these performances at the conclusion of this piece.
The Contestants:
Bruce Springsteen: This performance is of Bruce Springsteen and the Max Weinberg 7 on December 7, 2003 at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park.
Welcome to a new year of Cover Wars. I could think of no better cover tune for the occasion than this 1983 U2 classic. New Year’s Day has quite the resume appearing in both Rolling Stone’s and Pitchfork’s Top 500 songs of all-time. We’ve got a good collection of covers this week, one of which was played just a couple of days ago, so enjoy and don’t forget to vote at the bottom.
The Contestants:
Though this was not the first time The Dresden Dolls covered this song, it certainly is the most recent. The band put together quite the New Year’s Eve setlist this year for their show at The Warfield in San Francisco. There is of course, the celebratory sounds of balloons being popped on the recording. Source:12-31-2010
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With Bono fully recovered from back surgery that forced U2 to postpone their North American tour, the Irish rock band has announced plans to head back into the studio to record the follow up to 2009′s No Line On The Horizon. Possibly looking to gain some indie-cred, the band has recruited hip uber-producer Danger Mouse to get behind the boards, with Bono telling the UK’s The Age that they have about 12 songs already done.
In addition the former Mr. Paul Hewson, told the paper the band is also planning a second album they are calling their “club” record, as well as considering recording the song cycle he wrote with The Edge for the Spider-Man Broadway musical Turn Off The Dark – which opens on November 14.
List Time: 10 Before They Were Stars Music Video Cameos
Finally, while we recently named our favorite venues to catch a show in New York City, a recent series on WNYC’s Soundcheck is stepping back into history by profiling some of The Big Apple’s gone, but not forgotten venues. According to a post on their blog, the Vanished Venues idea came from the recently released book on Max’s Kansas City – the famed hang out for Andy Warhol and The Velvet Underground – and has already profiled such old school iconic institutions as Gerde’s Folk City, The Bottom Line, Danceteria and The Village Gate. For those interested you can download the podcasts via Soundcheck’s website or through iTunes.
Yesterday, we found out that U2′s appearance at UK’s Glastonbury Festival has been canceled due to Bono’s back problems. It didn’t take long for all sorts of rumors to fly about which artist would replace the Irish act on the bill including the ubiquitous Led Zeppelin is getting back together story. Today, word has come down that Gorillaz have stepped up to take U2′s spot at the famed festie as the Friday night headliner.
In other news, we finally get to hear some new music from Canadian indie faves Arcade Fire as a rip of Month of May – one half of Arcade Fire’s new 12″ – has leaked onto the ‘nets. Take a listen when you get a chance and let us know what you think. UPDATE: The other half of the 12″, titled The Suburbs, has surfaced. [via P4K and Consequence of Sound]
Finally, Bowery Presents has expanded its reach even further into New England with the announcement that the NYC-based independent promotion company will team up with Alex Crothers of Higher Ground Presents to re-open the State Theatre in Portland, ME. This news comes only a few months after Bowery started promoting shows in Boston. If this keeps up, by December they should be well into Canada and the Midwest.
As we reported late last week, U2′s enigmatic frontman Bono underwent emergency back surgery after sustaining an injury during the band’s rehearsals for their upcoming world tour. While the surgery was a success, and the band was hopeful they’d be able to play their scheduled dates this summer, the eight weeks of rehabilitation attached to the recovery from the procedure have forced the Irish-rockers to postpone the North American leg of their tour, as well as their headlining appearance at the Glastonbury Music Festival. Here’s the official statement from the band…
Speaking at the LMU University Hospital in Munich, Paul McGuinness has confirmed the postponement of 16 shows on the U2360° Tour from Salt Lake City on June 3rd, through to New Jersey’s Meadowlands Stadium on July 19th. Tour Promoters Live Nation are now rescheduling those dates.
Paul McGuinness said, ‘Our biggest and I believe best tour has been interrupted and we’re all devastated. For a performer who lives to be on stage, this is more than a blow. He feels robbed of the chance to do what he does best and feels like he has badly let down the band and their audience. Which is of course nonsense. His concerns about more than a million ticket buyers whose plans have been turned upside down, we all share, but the most important thing right now is that Bono make a full recovery. We’re working as fast as we can with Live Nation to reschedule these dates.’
We wish Bono a speedy recovery, and we know their fans will be eagerly awaiting the news on when the rescheduled shows will take place.
As Furthur prepares for next weekend’s Furthur Festival, the group has announced a pair of “live rehearsal sessions” on Monday and Tuesday night at The Palm Ballroom in San Rafael, CA. Tickets are available as of press time but are sure to sellout immediately. As previously mentioned, the band will cover six classic Grateful Dead albums over the course of the Furthur Festival.
Let’s check in on a few other stories making news…
Finally, today hasn’t been such a beautiful day for U2. Frontman Bono underwent emergency back surgery after sustaining an injury during the band’s rehearsals for the next leg of its tour. U2 manager Paul McGuinness posted an audio message on the group’s website with more details…
“The band were really looking forward to getting back out on the road until the emergency surgery on Bono’s back, which took place in Munich today. We were due to start rehearsals on Tuesday in Salt Lake City and get the show ready for the next leg. And, there were going to be some changes and some new material. It’s unfortunate that we’re inconveniencing fans. We will make plans to reinstate these dates as soon as possible. Obviously, it’s been very disruptive for our crew, as well. We have over 400 people converging on Salt Lake City, and some of those have been turned around and told to stay at home until we make our new plan. We hope to get things resolved as soon as possible”
The tour had been scheduled to kick off on June 3 in Salt Lake City.
We’re just a few short hours away from that big ball dropping in Times Square that will not only put an end to year, but also to the decade as well. We here at Hidden Track want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and we’ll be back and better than ever in 2010! Have fun, be safe and cheers!!!
I have the distinct honor of bringing you our last link dump of the year and the decade, enjoy…
List Time: Best Late Night Show Performances Of The ’00s
Finally, last week on Christmas Eve folks walking on Dublin’s famed Grafton Street were treated to a surprise busking session by a rather impressive ensemble of Irish musicians as Bono, Glen Hassard (The Swell Season/The Frames), Damian Rice and Mundy treated the gathering crowd to an hour long set that included covers of Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and Stand By Me. The impromptu performance raised money for Simon Community, an organization which serves Ireland’s homeless population. Check out some of the performances from that night after the jump…
Music fan Jimmy Coulas loves to attend concerts from a wide variety of bands and write about them for his Chicago-based blog, Scents & Subtle Sounds. On Sunday night he saw U2 at Soldier Field and tells us all about it…
Music has always served as my escape from the every day hustle and bustle of life. The economic crisis that has gripped this country has affected the way that people live and has inevitably changed the way that people spend their money. To most people, concert tickets would be on top of the list of items to cut out of their budget. It seems as if U2 serves as the exception to the rule.
When the house lights cut out on Sunday night at Chicago’s Soldier Field the crowd erupted. You could tell the audience was ready for any and everything the band had in store for them. U2 could have easily rolled out their greatest hits and pleased the crowd, but they held back and played a career-spanning set.READ ON for the rest of Jimmy’s take on U2 in Chicago…
After skipping 2009 due to founder Armand Sadlier’s health issues, Jam In The Dam returns in 2010 for three days of jams at The Melkweg in Amsterdam on March 21-23. Umphrey’s McGee, Yonder Mountain String Band, Les Claypool, The New Mastersounds and The Bridge are all on the bill for the 2010 installment of the fest. Tickets go onsale this Wednesday.
Finally, The Floor – the official Umphrey’s McGee blog – points us in the direction of a blog put together by one of the band’s fans who is volunteering down in Africa for the Peace Corps. Check out this clip of a pack of African children getting down to the UM classic Partyin’ Peeps.
U2 opened their 360° Tour last night at the humongous Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Bono and the guys treated the 90,000+ fans to a career-spanning set that included a call to the International Space Station. The Irish megastars also paid tribute to Michael Jackson by dedicating Angel of Harlem to the King of Pop and teasing Jackson’s Man In The Mirror and Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough in the middle of the song.
Let’s take a look at the setlist from last night’s show…
06/30/2009 Camp Nou – Barcelona, Spain
Breathe, No Line On The Horizon, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Movin’ On Up (snippet), Angel Of Harlem / Man In The Mirror (snippet) / Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (snippet), In A Little While, Unknown Caller, The Unforgettable Fire, City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride (In The Name Of Love), MLK, Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet), Where The Streets Have No Name, One encores: Ultra Violet (Light My Way), With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender comment: Opening night of the 360° Tour. [via U2 Setlist Archive]
Audience recordings of last night’s show are already circulating. U2 returns to the Camp Nou stage tomorrow night. The American leg of the U2 360° Tourtour kicks off on September 12 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.
Say what you will about the classic-rock cribbing Kid Rock, but the one-time Phish collaborator will indirectly be responsible for creating 400 new jobs in his home state of Michigan. The Michigan Brewery announced yesterday that they had been granted a state tax credit to produce a new line of craft beer for the musician, who came up with the idea. The brewery is expecting their new Kid Rock branded beer to hit shelves by mid-springtime. The beer’s name, style and pricing are yet to be decided.
Finally, in what may be one of the odder “super-groups” of all-time former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, Hanson keyboardist Taylor Hanson and Fountains Of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger have formed a band together called Tinted Windows. The group will make their live debut at Billboard’s SXSW Showcase and have already recorded their debut album, which will hit shelves on April 21.
We don’t often talk about children’s television shows around these parts, but when I found out that earlier this week a revamped version of the 1970′s classic kids show The Electric Company (and one I had grown up on) had returned to the air I thought it was worth mentioning.
According to Rolling Stone the updated take is “imbued with a hip-hop sensibility, deploys cutting edge graphics and drops allusions to touchstones like 24 and Indiana Jones”. The first season will also contain guest appearances from the likes of Common, Jimmy Fallon, Wyclef Jean and Sean Kingston and airs each Friday at 4:30 PM on your local PBS station.
Finally, Jack Johnson, Eddie Vedder, Norah Jones and Dave Grohl are among the artists that have been confirmed for an upcoming tribute album to cult folk hero Nick Drake. The currently untitled album will be released via Johnson’s Brushfire Records along with a DVD of the recording process that will also include the late Heath Ledger’s video for Black Eyed Dog.
The era of the $100 ticket started many years ago, but for the most part jamband ticket prices have remained in the double digits. The surviving members of The Dead recently announced their first tour in five years and the ticket prices listed at GDTSTOO range from $45 to $105. Most top tier tickets are $99 or more and most lower tier tickets are in the $60s. Are you willing to pay $58.50 to sit in the 400 level at Madison Square Garden?
Tickets for the Allman Brothers Band’s 40th Anniversary run at the newly renovated Beacon Theatre range from $60.99 for upper balcony seats to $100.99 for lower balcony seats to $150.99 for orchestra ducats. Imagine how pissed Dickey Betts must be not to get a taste of that kind of money.
Here’s a stack of links to keep you busy this afternoon…
Finally, U2 singer and philanthropist Bono wrote an Op/Ed piece for Sunday’s New York Times. Instead of discussing AIDS or African debt relief – two issues close to the performer’s heart – he penned an ode to Frank Sinatra.
The great Animal Collective leak saga continues with the news that the email from band member Brian “Geologist” Weitz was a hoax. Someone hacked Geologist’s email address and sent off that email. Last night, Bradford Cox of Deerhunter/Atlas Sound weighed in on the situation on his blog. We’re sure all of these stories on every music blog will do wonders for sales of Merriweather Post Pavillion which drops on January 6.
Here’s one last look at interesting stories from around the webs…
One of our all time favorite blogs, Consequence of Sound, just put out their Year-End report highlighting the best of 2008. We know how hard it is to come up with creative original content day in and day out and we don’t know how Alex and the crew over there do it. Great work, guys.
. Possibly looking to gain some indie-cred, the band has recruited hip uber-producer Danger Mouse to get behind the boards, with Bono 
