Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Chicago Chosen for Rock Hall

[jrny84]

http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/musi ... me-n481631

N.W.A., Deep Purple and Chicago are among the musicians chosen to join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, organizers announced on Thursday.

Singer Steve Miller, who crosses multiple genres from blues to pop, and 1970s rock band Cheap Trick will round out the five inductees, which were chosen by fans and more than 800 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.

Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Cleveland, Ohio-based attraction 25 years after the release of their first recording.

Pop singer Janet Jackson, progressive rock band Yes and Britain's The Smiths were among those on the short list but who failed to make the cut.

Formed by five rappers including Dr Dre and Eazy-E in the troubled Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, N.W.A. revolutionized the music scene in the mid 1980s with lyrics drawn from the violence, crime and anti-police sentiments that the rappers themselves experienced growing up.

They went on to sell more than 100 million albums and their story was chronicled in this summer's hit movie "Straight Outta Compton," which has been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award.

Deep Purple, formed in England in 1968, are regarded as heavy metal pioneers thanks to their ear-splitting live shows, ground-breaking albums and flagship track "Smoke On The Water."

Cheap Trick "display a musical consistency over almost 40 years," Hall of Fame organizers said in a statement, while Miller, 72, has moved from blues to pop and back again, producing classic hits like "Fly Like an Eagle" and "Take the Money and Run."

Chicago, who broke onto the music scene in the late 1960s, fused jazz and rock to produce hits like "25 or 6 to 4" and the romantic ballad "If You Leave Me Now."

The 2016 induction ceremony will be held in New York on April 8.

[jrny84]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... 217?page=3

Chicago on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Reuniting With Peter Cetera

"I guess if a reunion with Peter was ever going to happen, this would be a prime opportunity," says co-founder Robert Lamm

By Andy Greene December 17, 2015

Robert Lamm
"We love to play and we're ready and willing to play if that's what is required or desired," says Lamm of his plans for the big night. Zane Roessell/Getty

Chicago has been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ever since their debut album, The Chicago Transit Authority, celebrated its 25th birthday in 1994. But they never even got onto the ballot until this year, a situation that enraged their passionate fan base to no end. To Chicago co-founder/keyboardist Robert Lamm, however, it was never that big of a deal. "If you're nominated for a Grammy and you don't get it, you don't have a heart attack," he says by phone just a few hours after learning he'd gotten in. "You just move on and keep working. That's really what my attitude always was.


talking heads rock and roll hall of fame26 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Reunions That Actually Happened »
We spoke with Lamm about the big news, sharing the stage with N.W.A, dealing with brutal rock critics and the possibility of reuniting with former Chicago frontman Peter Cetera for the first time since Cetera left the band in 1985.

Congrats on the big news. Who told you?
I got a call from Peter Schivarelli, Chicago's manager, about this and some other issues. We're about to ramp up and play a New Year's Eve show for NBC in Chicago and then go on to Asia, so we have some production things we're talking about. The good news came in, and it's quite gratifying.

Are you surprised?
I can't say I'm 100 percent surprised since we did get word that we'd been nominated. Heaven knows we've been eligible for a long time, so that it was always something that was possible. Frankly, I was very surprised that we'd been nominated.

Why?
It's been so long that we've been eligible. I think that the body of work, even just considering the work we did on the first album and beyond, certainly changed the face of pop music and is considered influential. As a composer, I can tell you that a number of songs that Chicago recorded have been sampled a number of times by contemporary artists, so that's an indication that the music seems timeless.

How often did you hear from fans that were upset you weren't in?
For years now, whenever the inductees were announced there was always a number of DJs or entertainment reporters who would make the point of, "What's going on here? Why aren't these guys in the Hall of Fame?" That was endorsed by our fans to the degree that we know what our fans are thinking.

Did it personally bother you that you didn't get in all those years?
Thankfully, we've never stopped touring and for at least the first 40 years, we recorded pretty steadily when we weren't touring, so we were always busy looking ahead to what was next.

There seems to be a theme from your whole career that you've always been a fan's band. The fans love you, but the rock-critical elite has never embraced you. Do you understand why that happened?
It goes in and out. When you have a long career and you've weathered the storms of different trends in music and the changing of the guard as far as tastemakers are concerned, you project a large target to be criticized or ignored, or sometimes actually praised. We've had a taste of all of that.

And through all of it, you guys simply plowed ahead.
At some point, I'm guessing it was maybe 10 or 15 years ago, we all sort of looked at each other and had this conversation of, "Well, I guess music is what we're going to be doing for the rest of our lives."

Robert Lamm
Lamm in 1974. "The specialness and avant-garde-ness of the first album was fully embraced by critics all over the world," he says of Chicago's 1969 debut. ABC/Getty

Do you think part of it was you simply had too many hits in a short time period and that turned the critics off?
I do. The specialness and avant-garde-ness of the first album was fully embraced by critics all over the world. Frankly, we built a career on that one album. We did subsequent albums and kept doing albums regardless of what critics said. We performed all over the world and accumulated a following. By the fifth album, the music became more mainstream. By the mid- or late 1970s, pop music itself had become more mainstream until punk emerged. Then it really took a left turn in terms of what critics liked. Critics are listening for what's new or different or fresh. I completely get it. By the 1980s, it was power-ballad land for us since that is what enabled us to maintain a career. But critics couldn't pigeonhole us and I think that frustrated them.

Did they tell you the names of your fellow inductees?
No. Can you tell me?

Sure. One is Cheap Trick. Are you fans of them?
Sure. At least their one big album, the live one, is terrific.

Deep Purple, Steve Miller Band, N.W.A.
Wow. That's great company. I loved Straight Outta Compton, the movie. That was really a long time coming and beautifully done, a historic document, well-directed, well-acted. It really kind of puts that music in the forefront. It takes it out of a genre and places it firmly in pop music. It's great. I'm very happy with that one.

Did you ever imagine you'd be playing on the same bill as them?
[Laughs] We've played with an amazing variety of artists. It would not have surprised me, and here we are.

I'm sure Steve Miller is someone you've met over the years.
Actually, very early on, he played some dates as our opening act when we were virtually at the level of an opening act ourselves. In the beginning of our career, we opened for Jimi Hendrix and had Steve Miller open for us. Bruce Springsteen opened for us. We've been privileged to hear all these sorts of artists.

Have you ever been to an induction ceremony?
No, I haven't. I'm hearing a rumor. ... Do the artists that get inducted wear tuxedos?

Many do. Others just dress how they're comfortable.
How would you dress if you were inducted?

I've never thought about it. Probably a tux, but maybe not a traditional one.
Maybe just rock finery. I get it.

The inductees usually perform. Are you guys going to do that?
I honestly don't know. We love to play and we're ready and willing to play if that's what is required or desired.

"By the 1980s, it was power-ballad land for us since that is what enabled us to maintain a career."

Bands usually play with ex-members. Do you think that might happen?
Yeah, sure.

You're open to playing with Peter Cetera?
Absolutely. I talk to Peter from time to time. I know he hasn't played bass in many, many years, as fine a bass player as he was. He'd certainly sing, at least I imagine.

Has he played with you guys even a single time since 1985?
[Softly] No. Not one. Not one.

The fans will be thrilled if that happens.
There were opportunities and discussions over the years about doing some things together, but it never happened. I guess if it was ever going to happen, this would be a prime opportunity. And personally, I'd find it very moving.

That's one of the best parts about these nights, seeing people come together after so many years apart.
Sure. Sure. Where does the ceremony take place?

They rotate it, but this year they're doing it in New York.
Wow, that's great! That's my hometown.

There's usually a big all-star jam at the end of the night. Is there one Chicago song you think would work for that?
Well, especially for guitarists, I think "25 or 6 to 4" would be the perfect jam tune.

Do you think any of your songs could work with N.W.A?
I wonder what they would play? I've had "26 or 6 to 4" used by a couple of rap artists who rap over the tune. Young Buck, I think, did one. I can't recall the others. If we're talking about an N.W.A tune, I'd have to put on the album and check it out.

That should do it. I'll see you in April on the big night.
I'm very excited. I can't wait.

[DracIsBack]

My theory is that this paves the way for Journey to get their due. The more of the fan favorite/critical hated bands in the hall voting, paves the way.

[jrny84]

N.W.A, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple & Steve Miller Are 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

http://www.billboard.com/articles/colum ... -inductees

With the induction of Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple and Steve Miller -- along with relative rookies N.W.A -- as its class of 2016, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is bringing some pre-holiday joy to fans who have felt those acts have been slighted and deserving recognition sooner than this.

The five acts, along with other honorees to be announced later, will be feted at the 31st annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 8 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the second time the event has been held at the arena. HBO will again film the ceremony for broadcast later in the spring, most likely in May.

Tickets will go on sale to the public during February, with Rock Hall members receiving early access to a limited number of tickets.

Billboard Cover: Kendrick Lamar Interviews N.W.A About Coming 'Straight Outta Compton' & Changing the World

The four classic rock acts have been among those often cited by critics who have charged the Rock Hall with being too elitist and dismissive of some of rock's massively popular groups -- particularly from the '70s. The class of 2016 begins to fill in some of those perceived "holes" in the Hall's ranks, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President and CEO Joel Peresman tells Billboard that changes made in the nominating process, particularly cutting the nominating committee in about half, may have created more of a portal for these acts.

"Before, when we had more than 40 people on the committee, there was just so little time for more than just going around the room and giving your list," Peresman says. "This year, there was more free-form discussion where people could truly be advocates and ask more and better questions. [The committee] could dig a little deeper into the importance and the impact of these bands and discuss them in greater depth and make more of a case that maybe helped get them on the ballot."

Despite being eligible before, it was the first year on the ballot for Cheap Trick, Chicago (which won the public fan vote, tallying nearly 37.7 million nods) and Miller, while Deep Purple and N.W.A have appeared before. The original quartet and septet lineups, respectively, of Cheap Trick and Chicago are being inducted, while the Deep Purple roster will encompass the group's first three lineups, including three teams of singers and bass players. Some of the intriguing reunion possibilities for the ceremony include Chicago with singer/bassist Peter Cetera for the first time since 1985 and with drummer Danny Seraphine since 1990, Cheap Trick with estranged drummer Bun E. Carlos, and Deep Purple with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who's been gone since 1993.

The members of Deep Purple, of course, have been particularly caustic in their comments about the Rock Hall, with bassist Roger Glover telling Billboard this year that "it's not something we care about, to be honest," and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore saying last year that he likely would not attend the ceremony. But Peresman says the induction news was greeted with enthusiasm by the band's management. "It's very interesting that people have certain opinions about it when they're not inducted, and for the most part they put that past them and realize what an honor it is and really embrace it."

This year's class certainly gives hopes to fans of other bands -- notably the Moody Blues, Journey, Yes (which was on this year's ballot) but also many others -- who have been campaigning for their favorites' inclusions. Whether that pans out, of course, remains to be seen. "This was the result that came out of this particular year's meeting. We'll see how that goes next year," Peresman says. "Once it gets out of the

[tj]

I will be interested to see the video that comes out from this past weekend's induction. For all of the drama that Journey has had over SP, Chicago is one to consider when former member squabbles comes up. From everything that I have read over the years, Peter Cetera has been a pretty big jerk about the guys in the band not wanting to just let him have his way back in 84.

The guys in Chicago just let him go and moved on, not to the same level of success as with him, but they are still going 30+ years after that and have made some good music and a good living since he left.

[jrny84]

Steve Miller: This Whole Industry Is F--kin' Gangsters and Crooks


Rocker blasts Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, record labels and music industry in candid Q&A

BY DAVID BROWNE April 11, 2016

Steve Miller blasted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and says that "this whole industry fuckin' sucks" in a candid interview.
Steve Miller's gripes against the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — for which the rocker was inducted Friday night — extended past the podium into the backstage area later that night. "The whole process is unpleasant," Miller told reporters. "The whole process needs to be changed from the top to the bottom." Talking to Rolling Stone, Miller widened his targets, throwing barbs not just at the Rock Hall — though there were many choice words about that — but at his record label rep ("I wanted to pull him by his necktie and kick him in the nuts") and the industry in general.

SIDEBAR
Steve Miller; Rock Hall of Fame Rock Hall Prez Responds to Steve Miller's Caustic Comments »
Was the Hall of Fame experience what you thought it would be?
Uh. No. No, it wasn't. It was nice. The whole experience should be completely redesigned and become much more artist-friendly.

In what way?
Starting from who you can invite, what you can do, how long you can play, what you can say. The whole thing is sort of an amateur production and doing this is harder than doing a 20-city tour.

What do you mean by "amateur production"?
A hundred thousand phone calls; the contract work. The licensing still isn't signed and isn't complete. Everybody is kind of a dick and an asshole. And every artist you talk to will tell you that. You're lucky that everybody didn't fucking walk out. It was very, very close. If you're an investigative reporter, get fucking busy. K? Got enough?

Tell me what you're working on.
Tell you what? What more do you want to know?

What are you up to now?
Let's see. I'm going to San Diego and playing five gigs. And then I'm going to do some work at the Metropolitan Museum and musical instrument department at their musical gallery. And I'm working on music education for Little Kids Rock. Then I'm going to take a couple of weeks off and going to do a 50-city tour.

Do you think about recording any new albums?
No. I don't think about it at all. There is no record business. I record a lot of things. There is no record business. There's no reason for me to spend any money producing stuff that a record company... All the people that were sitting in the front row tonight, like the guy that came from my record company, I wanted to pull him by his necktie and kick him in the nuts.

Really?
Yeah. He's made a billion dollars off my work over the last 50 years and the motherfucker just came over and introduced himself tonight. That cheery little thing. You know he won't do any contract work, he won't clean anything up, he won't get anything done.

This whole industry fucking sucks and this little get-together you guys have here is like a private boys' club and it's a bunch of jackasses and jerks and fucking gangsters and crooks who've fucking stolen everything from a fucking artist. Telling the artist to come out here and tap dance.

I came out here for my fans. I came out for the people who take it seriously. And if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants to be taken seriously, they need to put their books out in the public. They need to fucking become transparent. They need to stop lying. They need to stop all the bullshit and they need to clean it up and they need to expand it. They need to include a lot more people. And the most important thing is the fucking board of this organization really needs to enlarge their gene pool. I think you understand.



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[jrny84]

Black Keys: We Regret Inducting Steve Miller After Rock Hall Insults

"He said, 'The whole process was unpleasant,'" Dan Auerbach says. "And for Pat and I, the most unpleasant part was being around him"

BY JASON NEWMAN April 13, 2016

Black Keys' Dan Auerbach says the band regrets inducting Steve Miller into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and were "disappointed" in him.
Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach has had multiple "sleepless nights" since inducting Steve Miller into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last Friday. Miller has become the unlikely focal point of the ceremony after calling the music industry "fuckin' gangsters and crooks" and lobbing verbal grenades at his record label rep ("I wanted to pull him by his necktie and kick him in the nuts") and the Hall of Fame itself ("Everybody is kind of a dick and an asshole.")

SIDEBAR
Steve Miller; Rock Hall of Fame Rock Hall Prez Responds to Steve Miller's Caustic Comments »
But while many on social media have applauded the 72-year-old rocker's candor, Auerbach, who grew up a huge Miller fan, sees it differently. "He said, 'The whole process was unpleasant,'" Auerbach tells Rolling Stone. "And for [Black Keys drummer] Pat [Carney] and I, honestly, the most unpleasant part was being around him." The group left Barclays Center midway through Miller's performance and never came back.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the typically jovial Auerbach sounded despondent, using the word "disappointed" numerous times to describe his encounter with Miller and experience that night. For the first time in the Rock Hall's 30-year history, an artist has essentially recanted his induction speech, with the guitarist-singer, speaking on behalf of the group, wanting to explain his side of Friday night.

What do you think about what's happened the past four days?
Um, well, I guess Pat and I definitely... [Pauses] I guess we felt, I don't know, we read a lot of things and we got a really uncomfortable feeling when we first met Steve. He had no idea who we were. No idea. The first thing he told us was, "I can't wait to get out of here." He knew that we signed up to do this speech for him. And he made no effort to even [laughs uncomfortably] — he didn't even figure out who we were. I don't live in New York City. This is like three days out of my life flying from Nashville and leaving my kids at home.

It was just a real eye-opener for us. Because as we get older, I hope that when I'm in my twilight years, I can look back and be grateful to the people who have appreciated me and to be able to give back. Because music is about sharing and passing on inspiration and that was his opportunity to do that; not just lashing out in a way that was just completely unfocused.

"I just had a couple sleepless nights. He really disappointed us."
What was your initial reaction when you realized that he didn't know or care who you were?
Pat and I were both definitely disappointed, to say the least. But you never really know what to expect when you meet quote unquote "superstars." Rock & roll superstars, it used to be different for them. Playing stadiums and selling millions and millions of albums. It's almost like he doesn't have respect for the younger generations and how hard it is in the business today. When he made his first record, he did it at Olympic Studios with Glyn Johns. Pat and I made our first record in a basement with broken gear.

But we were there for the same reasons. Because we love music and because I felt like we had a connection just because I come from a place where I love blues music and so does he. And at least we had that connection, but that ended up not mattering in the end.

After he found out who you were, did he make any attempt before or after your speech to say anything to you?
A very mild attempt and it was disingenuous. It almost made it feel worse. He said, "The whole process was unpleasant." And for Pat and I, honestly, the most unpleasant part was being around him.

You told Rolling Stone after the event, though, that you said, in response to him asking who you were, "That's why we love you. You don't pay attention to anything that's going on in the business."
Yeah, we didn't want to stir any shit. We realized right away that he didn't care, so we were trying to tiptoe around him. But the more we keep hearing about it, the more I just wanted to let people know how we felt about the whole situation.

Looking back on the whole event and its aftermath, do you regret accepting the invitation to induct him?
Uh, yeah. Pat and I both regret it. [Long pause.] It's unfortunate. Of course there are problems in the music industry. Of course. But we were there, unpaid, on our own free will, to come celebrate his achievements and spread the joy of rock & roll. To inspire kids to pick up guitars. To play music. And it felt like we were doing the opposite.

Was there anything he said to us or backstage that rang true?
Listen, I just want people to know that he's allowed to say whatever he wants, of course. But he does not speak for me. He does not speak for Pat. And some of the things he said is just [pauses, sighs] I don't know. I really don't know. It's weird. He called the whole thing "a boys' club." The Steve Miller band has had 35 members and no women. It was just very disappointing. And I'm not looking for anything, really. I just wanted people to just know how Pat and I felt. That's all.

Did you stick around after the induction to...
[Replies immediately] We were so disappointed that as soon as we got offstage, we left while he was playing. We left immediately. We walked right outside and left the fucking building. I went back home and picked up my guitar.

"I hated the feeling in my gut of being connected to that negativity."
What was the conversation like between you and Pat after you guys go offstage?
You know Pat and I, we don't do that kind of shit! We don't do speeches. We've never done a speech! We put ourselves out there to begin with. That's not our comfort zone. So we weren't wanted by him there, so we sure as fuck weren't going to hang around. That's about what it was like.

Everybody at the Rock Hall was great. It's always so easy for a fucking artist to rag on a big institution. It really is. And a lot of times you have to do that and it's necessary. But me personally, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has only ever really brought me joy since I was a teenager! I used to go there with my dad [when] they would do workshops. They're responsible for a lot of really positive things in my life. So when they asked us to do this, as much as I wanted to do it for Steve Miller, I wanted to do it for the Rock Hall. Because it has been a form of inspiration for me. It really has. I don't care if it sounds corny or not, but they have been. It just all felt pretty terrible.

You know what happens in this business, the longer Pat and I are in it? When you get wealthy, when you get famous, it doesn't change you. It only amplifies who you are deep down inside. If you're just a grumpy guy, then you're just an extra grumpy guy [laughs]. But we learned just as much from that as we do from meeting nice people.

So it was a "teachable moment."
Yeah, of course! Of course. I just want to know that I can look back and be grateful to people and help people to be excited about music. I guess that's what it should have all been about. We were genuine fans and we didn't sugarcoat it! We didn't sugarcoat it! We definitely feel the connection because we were from the Midwest and we're making blues-based music. I don't know. It was just, I don't know. I just had a couple sleepless nights. He really disappointed us.

Anything else to add?
There's a time and a place to stand up and be angry. But when people are honoring you for how great you are, that's not the fucking time or place. It was the only story everyone talked about. It overshadowed Kendrick [Lamar]'s message of positivity and it's totally unfortunate. And I hated being a part of that. I hated the feeling in my gut of being connected to that negativity.

Would you induct someone again if asked?
[Laughs] Oh, I don't know. I don't know, man. I really don't know. I think I'd rather stay at home and hang out with my kids, to be honest.


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[tj]

Wow! All the way around.

I have read a lot of negative things about the R&R HOF over the years, so I wasn't surprised by Miller's comments. I understand the inductors perspective, too, though. It sounds like Miller isn't that far off, just picked the wrong time to say it.

Also, do the inductees not have a say in who introduces them? What's up with that? That alone tells me Miller's comments aren't too far off.

I understand that there are a lot of egos involved. Who within a band gets in (even people who have been in bands 20+ years don't make it, while others who were a short time do), which bands get voted in, etc. are all things that come up. But a guy who's worked with hundreds of musicians over 50 years, many of them in the HOF themselves, gets introduced by people he's never heard of? Seems like he ought to be able to choose someone he at least knows.

Seems sort of like Johnny Unitas being inducted into the Pro Football HOF by RG III or Johnny Manziel, just because they are the current flavor of the day.

[Marzdog]

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has and is one. With that said, Dan Auerbach is an asshole. He knows NOTHING about Steve Miller or the Steve Miller Band, only what he read on the teleprompter for his speech. On his BEST day, he couldn't hope to carry SM's jock.

The RRHOF is a joke, everyone knows it, and hopefully, someone in the future talks to SM and asks "wtf happened?" and decides to pull out, not recognize the hall for their "induction."

It comes down to people being pissed because of what SM said, and if you listen to what he says here (https://youtu.be/umI7MkgwS7M), you can't (as a fan of music and most likely not a fan of how your favorite band isn't in RRHOF) disagree with what he's saying.

Also, do the inductees not have a say in who introduces them? What's up with that? That alone tells me Miller's comments aren't too far off.

From Kenny Lee Lewis of the Steve Miller Band:

"Also Steve did have a very big rock star selected to induct him who is a friend of his but the RRHOF said "No. You don't get to pick who inducts you. We pick them." So Steve honestly did not know who the Black Keys were and frankly didn't care and was extremely disappointed before he even showed up."