104.3 K-Hits Chicago

25 Songs You Didn’t Know Were Covers

Staff Writer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:55:21 +0000

25 Songs You Didn’t Know…

Fruity Album Covers

Worst Album Covers Of 2011

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SpotDash Has An Adventure Just For You!

Staff Writer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:45:48 +0000

Chicago’s a big city. Third biggest in the country, apparently. How about that?

This is where SpotDash comes in. A mobile app for iPhones and Android phones, SpotDash has multiple, game-like adventures that take you on a tour through the city. They’re like scavenger hunts, but you know, not lame, since you’re checking out things you might actually enjoy.

Want to try some of the best Italian beefs in the city? SpotDash has an adventure for that. Feel like getting better acquainted with the popular Wicker Park neighborhood? SpotDash has you covered. Maybe you’re looking for great bars to watch a Bulls game, or maybe you want to check out the Shedd Aquarium… SpotDash can help you with those too.

Find SpotDash in the iPhone App Store or Android Market now!

Elton John Gives Madonna Half Time Show “Advice”

Staff Writer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:37:55 +0000

Madonna is getting ready to perform at the Half Time show for the Big Game this weekend and Elton John has offered her some advice for her performance. Elton will be making an appearance during the game as well, but staring in a Pepsi commercial along side X Factor winner Melanie Amaro.

Elton sat down for an interview that aired on Good Morning America and spoke about his Pepsi commercial, who he wants to win (New England), and he said with a smirk that Madonna should “make sure you lip-sync good.“

Rock Flashback: Bloody Sunday

Staff Writer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:00:23 +0000

On January 30, 1972, in the town of Derry in Northern Ireland, 26 protesters were shot by British police. Fourteen died. The event is remembered as Bloody Sunday. It was probably the most significant event of “the Troubles,” the longstanding conflict in Northern Ireland. Bloody Sunday inspired several rockers to write songs.

Within days of Bloody Sunday, Paul McCartney wrote “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” which would become a significant hit in the UK despite being banned by the BBC.

McCartney’s old mate John Lennon wrote “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” As their history would indicate, Lennon’s take on the event was more strident and direct than McCartney’s.

Lennon had become active in Irish politics even before Bloody Sunday, and just a week after the shootings, he publicly indicated his support for the Irish marchers during a rally in New York City. He also sang a second song inspired by the events of a week before, “Luck of the Irish.” Here’s a live TV performance.

In 1983, U2 would record the most famous of the songs inspired by Bloody Sunday. Their “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is different from Lennon’s. Here’s a live performance from Rattle and Hum, recorded on the day of another famous event in the history of the Troubles, the Enniskillen bombing of 1987, with a modified lyric mentioning that event.

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Liam Neeson Slays Wolves, Melts Hearts at Weekend Box Office

Staff Writer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:44:57 +0000

Initial box office numbers have arrived, and from the looks of things, people enjoy watching Liam Neeson beat down giant wolves – all with a cunning smile and wink, no less. Neeson’s The Grey was the top-grossing film for the weekend of January 27-29, edging out last week’s number-one film Underworld: Awakening by a cool $7.5 million. Katherine Heigl’s new (and somewhat familiar) flick One For The Money earned a medicore $11.75 million during its first weekend in theatres.

Here’s the rest of the top 10:

1. The Grey – $20 million
2. Underworld: Awakening - $12.5 million
3. One For The Money - $11.75 million
4. Red Tails - $10.4 million
5. Man on a Ledge - $8.3 million
6. Extremely Loud and Incredible Close - $7.145 million
7. The Descendants - $6.55 million
8. Contraband - $6.5 million
9. Beauty and the Beast 3D - $5.345 million
10. Haywire - $4 million

Find more box office numbers at Box Office Mojo.

K-Hits Cares! Have You Been Tested For HIV?

Staff Writer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:19 +0000

Did you know that 1 in 4 Americans living with HIV don’t even know they have it? Early diagnosis and treatment can help people living with this disease live longer and healthier lives! By knowing your status, you protect yourself and those that you love. So, get tasted! K-Hits Cares!

ABBA Releasing First New Song In 18 Years

Staff Writer — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:45:56 +0000

Mamma Mia! Big news coming from the most popular Swedish crossover group in history, ABBA has announced plans to release a brand new recording along with the special reissue of the group’s final album The Visitors!

The previously unreleased demo track was recorded around the same time as the release of The Visitors in 1981, but is just now seeing the light of day along with rare footage and unreleased material from the archives!

For the first time in 18 years, Swedish pop group ABBA is releasing brand new music on the new version of their final album The Visitors. “From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel” will be the first new track by the group since the box set release Thank You For The Music in 1994.

The reissue of The Visitors will also include six previously released bonus tracks and a DVD of rare footage and unreleased material from the group’s archive.

The group famously broke up in 1982 and refuse to reunite to this day, even for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2010.

The Visitors deluxe reissue hits shelves on April 23rd!

[Source: RS]

Rock Flashback: The Beatles Make the Hall of Fame, 1988

Staff Writer — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:47 +0000

This week in 1988, the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They were part of the third class to be inducted into the Hall — which is probably the only time the Beatles have ever been third-class. How come they didn’t get in first?

The Beatles weren’t part of the Hall’s first class of inductees in 1986 for a simple reason: artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. In 1986, the Beatles hadn’t yet qualified.

That first induction class had plenty of stars without the Beatles: Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, the Everly Brothers, Robert Johnson, and Little Richard were a part of it. Joining the Beatles in the class of 1988: the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, and the Supremes, among others.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has a fine rule of thumb voters are instructed to use: can you tell the story of pro football without talking about this athlete? If you can, they’re not Hall-worthy. The first half-dozen Rock and Roll Hall of Fame classes encompass rock’s timeless royalty — you can’t tell rock’s story without them. Alas, the same doesn’t seem true of most latter-day honorees — although historians yet unborn will tell us for sure.

Paul McCartney did not attend the Beatles’ induction in 1988, but George Harrison and Ringo Starr were there, along with Yoko Ono and her sons. Here’s their acceptance speech.

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Roxy Music Set To Release 12-Disc Career-Spanning Box Set

Staff Writer — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:31:26 +0000

Photos: Bryan FerryRoxy Music plans on celebrating their 40th anniversary in a big way. Virgin Records is set to release a career spanning box set, Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982, on April 2. The collection will include eight CDs and four DVDs with “high-resolution audio.”

The albums set to be re-released are: Roxy Music, 1972; For Your Pleasure and Stranded, 1973; Country Life, 1974; Siren, 1975; Manifesto, 1979; Flesh and Blood, 1980; and Avalon, 1982. Bonus material, non-album singles, B-sides, and remixes will also be included in this mega set.

Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982 Tracklist:
CD1: Roxy Music
01. Re-make/Re-model
02. Ladytron
03. If There Is Something
04. 2HB
05. The Bob (Medley)
06. Chance Meeting
07. Would You Believe?
08. Sea Breezes
09. Bitters End
Bonus Tracks:
10. Virginia Plain
11. The Numberer

CD2: For Your Pleasure
01. Do The Strand
02. Beauty Queen
03. Strictly Confidential
04. Editions Of You
05. In Every Dream Home A Heartache
06. The Bogus Man
07. Grey Lagoons
08. For Your Pleasure
Bonus Tracks:
09. Pyjamarama (Island Mix)
10. Pyjamarama (Polydor Mix)
11. The Pride And The Pain
12. Do The Strand (USA 7″ Mix 3:19) **

CD3: Stranded
01. Street Life
02. Just Like You
03. Amazona
04. Psalm
05. Serenade
06. A Song For Europe
07. Mother Of Pearl
08. Sunset
Bonus Track:
09. Hula Kula

CD4: Country Life
01. The Thrill Of It All
02. Three And Nine
03. All I Want Is You
04. Out Of The Blue
05. If It Takes All Night
06. Bitter Sweet
07. Triptych
08. Casanova
09. A Really Good Time
10. Prairie Rose
Bonus Tracks:
11. The Thrill Of It All – 1977 Greatest Hits Edit (4’20) ) **
12. Your Application’s Failed
13. The Thrill Of It All (USA 7″ Mix 3:20) **

CD5: Siren
01. Love Is The Drug
02. End Of The Line
03. Sentimental Fool
04. Whirlwind
05. She Sells
06. Could It Happen To Me?
07. Both Ends Burning
08. Nightingale
09. Just Another High
Bonus Tracks:
10. Love Is The Drug (USA 7″ Mix 3:00) **
11. Sultanesque
12. Both Ends Burning (7″ Mix 3:58) **
13. For Your Pleasure – Live **

CD6: Manifesto
01. Manifesto
02. Trash
03. Angel Eyes (***rock version***)
04. Still Falls The Rain
05. Stronger Through The Years
06. Ain’t That So
07. My Little Girl
08. Dance Away (***ballad Version***)
09. Cry, Cry, Cry
10. Spin Me Round
Bonus Tracks:
11. Trash 2
12. Dance Away (Single Version)
13. Dance Away (Canadian Extended 12″ Mix)
14. Angel Eyes (Single Version)
15. Angel Eyes (12″ Single Version)

CD7: Flesh And Blood
01. The Midnight Hour
02. Oh Yeah
03. Same Old Scene
04. Flesh And Blood
05. My Only Love
06. Over You
07. Eight Miles High
08. Rain Rain Rain
09. No Strange Delight
10. Running Wild
Bonus Tracks:
11. Oh Yeah (7″ Version) **
12. Manifesto (Remake)
13. South Downs
14. Lover
15. Jealous Guy
16. To Turn On You (1981 B-Side Version) **

CD8: Avalon
01. More Than This
02. The Space Between
03. Avalon
04. India
05. While My Heart Is Still Beating
06. The Main Thing
07. Take A Chance With Me
08. To Turn You On
09. True To Life
10. Tara
Bonus Tracks:
11. Avalon (7″ Single Version) **
12. Always Unknowing
13. Take A Chance With Me (7″ Single Version) **
14. Take A Chance With Me (USA 7″ Mix) **
15. The Main Thing (12″ Single Version)
16. The Main Thing – Remix
** = never been available on CD

The James Bond of Rock and Roll: Bryan Ferry

Audio: Bryan Ferry Talks With Terri Hemmert

Vintage Bryan — Ten Great Bryan Ferry Tracks

Video: The Making Of Bryan Ferry’s New Album, ‘Olympia’

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Top 10 Eddie Van Halen Solos [VIDEOS]

Staff Writer — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:59:24 +0000

Eddie Van Halen is one of the greatest and most influential guitarists to ever play a note – and he remains an absolute shredder. Where were you when you heard “Eruption” for the first time? Celebrate his career with the top 10 solos he ever played.

10. “Spanish Fly”

Eddie proved himself a bona fide shredder with the first Van Halen album, but critics questioned whether he could sound as good on an acoustic guitar. Safe to say he did so with the furious finger-tapping and unimaginably clean chops he shows on “Spanish Fly.” Have you ever heard an acoustic guitar played so fast?

9. “Hot for Teacher”

Well of course one of the fastest, wildest Van Halen songs is going to feature an Eddie shred-fest! More effortless chops abound for the blues-driven “Hot for Teacher” solo – and don’t forget the shreds at the very end!

NEXT: 8-7