Classic Rock

welcome

Have you got a favourite Rolling Stones song? I do. Well, I’ve got two – Gimme Shelter and Wild Horses – depending upon my mood. They’re both perfect Stones songs, in my book, highlighting just two facets of the Greatest Rock’N’Roll Band In The World. This issue we talked to a whole heap of stars to discover what they considered to be the best songs from Mick, Keef and co. Discover the choices of Billy Gibbons, Slash, Ian Anderson and more from p44. It’s been a long time coming, but this month I’m delighted to say we managed to collar restless creative spirit Robert Plant for The Classic Rock Interview (p26), in which the music legend takes us through his solo career, his new podcast passion and what he’s up to…

this month’s contributors

MICK WALL A former editor of Classic Rock, Mick also wrote the cover stories for the first five issues, while this month we have an exclusive extract from his brand-new book Two Riders Were Approaching – a vivid account of the Jimi Hendrix story, published by Trapeze on November 19. Read a taster on page 68. ROB HUGHES Rob has been a contributor to these pages for more than a decade now. This month he managed to satisfy not one but two long-standing ambitions by getting to interview Robert Plant (p26) and Robbie Robertson (p56) – not at the same time though, obviously. When not cosying up with rock legends, Rob can be heard twice weekly as guest of BBC 6Music’s Marc Riley, with whom he also presents The A-Z Of David Bowie…

classic rock

Editor Siân Llewellyn Now playing: R.E.M., Monster 25th Anniversary Edition Art Editor Darrell Mayhew Deflore & Jaz Coleman, Party In The Chaos Features Editor Polly Glass Lionize, Panic Attack Production Editor Paul Henderson Anything with Ginger Baker on it Reviews Editor Ian Fortnam Mott The Hoople, Live At Hammersmith 1973 Online Editor Fraser Lewry Sleep Token, Sundowning News/Live Editor Dave Ling Dan Reed Network, Slam Contributing writers Marcel Anders, Geoff Barton, Tim Batcup, Mark Beaumont, Max Bell, Essi Berelian, Simon Bradley, Rich Chamberlain, Stephen Dalton, Rich Davenport, Johnny Dee, Malcolm Dome, Lee Dorrian, Mark Ellen, Claudia Elliott, Paul Elliott, Dave Everley, Jerry Ewing, Hugh Fielder, Eleanor Goodman, Gary Graff, Michael Hann, John Harris, Nick Hasted, Barney Hoskyns, Jon Hotten, Rob Hughes, Neil Jeffries, Emma Johnston, Jo Kendall, Dom Lawson, Dannii Leivers, Ken McIntyre, Lee Marlow, Gavin Martin, Alexander Milas, Paul Moody, Grant Moon, Luke Morton,…

ginger baker

DRUMMER GINGER BAKER has died at the age of 80. The news was confirmed on his Facebook page with a message that reads: “We are very sad to say that Ginger has passed away peacefully this morning. Thank you to everyone for your kind words to us all over the past weeks.” He was admitted to hospital in late September, with his family saying at the time that he was in a critical condition. Baker had suffered ill health in recent years, and was forced to cancel a number of live shows in February 2016 after a fall and being diagnosed with a serious heart condition which required surgery. He later thanked doctors, and was back playing again at the Jack Bruce charity fundraising concert in London in October of that…

ginger

“As a young musician, few drummers stood taller or were a bigger musical influence than Ginger Baker. I will never forget the awesomeness of seeing him perform with Cream at Massey Hall on June 5, 1968.” Neil Peart “Fly free, Ginger… We have crazy, happy memories of your time with us.” Hawkwind “Ginger created an inimitable style of playing. Beneath his somewhat abrasive exterior, there was a very sensitive human being with a heart of gold. He’ll be missed.” Steve Winwood “Ginger Baker was a great and unique musician and an innovator – he will be sorely missed.” Dave Davies “This man I’d never met, this traveller, rule breaker, this man who showed the very many that change is possible, will live forever. Something beautiful has passed.” Bill Ward “When I sought to form a group, my advert said: ‘Wanted:…

rip

Larry Junstrom June 22, 1949 – October 6, 2019 Lynyrd Skynyrd have lamented the passing of their original bassist, calling him “the big man, on the big bass with the even bigger heart”. Junstrom was a member of the pre-Skynyrd band My Backyard, who he left in 1971. He spent most of his career with .38 Special, who described him as “truly one of a kind, a congenial travelling companion and a great friend to all”. Barrie Masters Died October 2, 2019 The immensely popular frontman of Eddie And The Hot Rods has died unexpectedly at the age of 63. Known for their Top Ten single Do Anything You Wanna Do, the Hot Rods offered the Sex Pistols their big break with a support slot at London’s 100 Club, though Masters once told Classic Rock…