Whitesnake have released a promo video for a track called Love Will Set You Free from their upcoming album Forevermore:

[update] We are being told that for whatever reason this video is not available in some countries. If that’s the case with you, try this link. [/update]

The new album, titled Forevermore, will be released on March 25 in Europe and March 29 in North America via Frontier Records. Preorder the album from a store near you:

Audio CD:

CD + bonus DVD in digipak case:

Double LP:

Fan pack:

Thanks to Yvonne Osthausen for the update.

This year Sunflower Jam is taking it up a couple of notches. First of all, it will be held at the Royal Albert Hall, on July 8. Second, the lineup they have so far secured for the event looks pretty spectacular:

• Jon Lord
• Rick Wakeman
• Keith Emerson
• Joe Bonamassa
• Newton Faulkner
• Deep Purple with special guests

Sunflower Jam is a charitable event which has become an annual tradition for the past few years. It raises funds for the advancement of public health in the UK through alternative therapies.

Thanks to George Kikonishvili for the info.

Universal Music will release a “deluxe” edition of Rainbow Rising on February 28 in the UK and on March 8 in North America. The new edition will come on 2 discs. The first one will contain two different mixes of the album, known as the “New York mix” and “Los Angeles mix”. The second disc will contain rough mixes/demos for the album, plus two tracks from the tour rehearsals at the Pirate Sound studios. The album will be packaged in a fold out double digipak with a 16 page colour booklet.

Disc 1:

1. Tarot Woman
2. Run With The Wolf
3. Starstruck
4. Do You Close Your Eyes
5. Stargazer
6. A Light In The Black
7. Tarot Woman
8. Run With The Wolf
9. Starstruck
10. Do You Close Your Eyes
11. Stargazer
12. A Light In The Black

Disc 2:

1. Tarot Woman
2. Run With The Wolf
3. Starstruck
4. Do You Close Your Eyes
5. Stargazer
6. Coming Home
7. Stargazer
8. A Light In The Black
9. Man On The Silver Mountain

Order it from a store near you:

Thanks to Blabbermouth and Simon Robinson for the info.

Classic Rock Revisited has a tribute for Gary Moore with quotes from many rock musicians.

Steve Morse:

On the last date of our tour a couple of months ago, Gary was playing on Roger’s MP3 player backstage through an amplified speaker. It was Gary and our Don Airey, I think, playing with Colosseum II. They sounded great, of course. Don always spoke fondly of his playing, and I’m a fan as well. His playing was lively, energetic, but tasteful at the same time. I never knew him but all of us in Purple were shocked at the loss.

Joe Lynn Turner:

Gary Moore was one of the greats. He had his roots in the blues and the power of rock, which is a brilliant combination. I have played with some of the best guitarists in the business and when asked if wanted to do a project with someone else, I always said, “Gary Moore.” Maybe it’s little known but I am a guitarist myself. I became a singer by pure accident. So, I can really appreciate Gary’s playing from a musician’s point of view. He was an amazing talent and let’s not forget his voice, which was pure and honest like his playing. I had the great fortune to meet Gary while in Denmark during the Rainbow days. He was a great guy and very down to earth, which is impressive to say the least. We shall greatly miss him for he was an original who stood out from the rest. I send my sympathies to his family and friends and to the rock world who is truly saddened by this loss. RIP Gary.

Bob Daisley:

Gary was one of the greatest guitar players ever and a nice bloke with it. He was a brilliant technician and musician but above all, his playing came straight from the heart and soul. I have many fond memories of our years together. mere words can never convey such sadness in such loss. Long live Gary Moore and may he rest in peace, we’ll miss you mate.

Neil Murray:

My memories of Gary will be of someone who was dedicated to playing the guitar as well as he possibly could and with total focus, energy and intense commitment. I don’t think I ever heard him play a wrong note and he was able to effortlessly become Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Carlos Santana or Jimi Hendrix if he felt like it. He was a very funny, down-to-earth guy and for over 10 years we seemed to share identical, wide-ranging taste in music, more so than anyone else I’ve played with. I wish I’d had the opportunity to play blues with him but that came later in his career. I do remember that in the mid-70s he was very casual about how he looked after the priceless Peter Green Les Paul – then again, he could make just about any guitar sing and cry. His passing is a giant loss for music.

Read more quotes at Classic Rock Revisited.

As you have probably heard by now, Gary Moore has passed away this Sunday, February 6, in his hotel room in Spain. His death was ruled out to be of natural causes, heart attack being the prime suspect. He was 58. Both Ian Paice and Don Airey played in his band in the 1980s.

Roger Glover writes on his webstite:

I am deeply shocked and saddened about Gary’s passing. He was truly one of the great guitarists, had a huge talent, and was a musical force beyond par. I am a fan.

My heartfelt condolences go to his family, friends, and fans all over the world.

RG

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.

The new CD of a Russian band Pushking called The World as We Love It is finally out and on sale. We wrote about this project almost two years ago. The album features contributions from several members of the Purple family as well as other rock luminaries spread across 19 tracks:

1. Intro
2. Nightrider (vocals, guitar: Billy F.Gibbons)
3. It will be O.K. (vocals: Billy F.Gibbons, guitar: Nuno Bettencourt)
4. Kukarracha (vocals: Joe Lynn Turner, Graham Bonnet, Eric Martin, Paul Stanley, Glenn Hughes, guitar: Steve Lukather)
5. Stranger’s song (vocals: John Lawton, guitar: Steve Stevens)
6. Cut the wire (vocals: Paul Stanley, guitar: Stevie Salas)
7. My reflection after seeing the Shindler’s list movie (vocals: Koha, guitar: Steve Vai)
8. Trouble love (vocals: Alice Cooper, guitar: Keri Kelli)
9. Why don’t you (vocals: Glenn Hughes, guitar: Dobro Al Perkens)
10. God made us free (vocals: Graham Bonnet, guitar Dobro Al Perkens)
11. Tonight (vocals: Glenn Hughes, guitar: Joe Bonamassa)
12. I believe (vocals: Jeff Scott Soto)
13. Open letter to God (vocals: Eric Martin)
14. Head shooter (vocals: Joe Lynn Turner)
15. I love you (vocals: Dan McCafferty)
16. Heroin (vocals: Jorn Lande, guitar: Alex de Rosso)
17. My simple song (vocals: Dan McCafferty)
18. Nature’s child (vocals: Udo Dirkschneider)
19. Private own (vocals: Glenn Hughes, guitar: Matt Filippini) 

Order it from a store near you:

Thanks to Gustavo Solinas for the info.

Ian Paice will be making guest appearance on a new space theme concept album called Seeking Major Tom. Comprised of 18 interpretations of “classic intergalactic rock anthems” (you can start making guesses), the release will also feature guest appearances by Brian May, Steve Howe, Peter Frampton and Zakk Wylde. William Shatner (of Star Trek fame) is also attached to the project, although it’s not clear in exactly what capacity. The release is due later this year on Los Angeles-based Cleopatra Records.

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info.

During his recent “Rock Meets Classic” orchestra tour Ian Gillan gave an interview to More Metal which was recorded in Berlin on January 23. He also gets a gold record for “The Definite Smoke On The Water Show” CD. This CD was released in 2007 for the Guitar World Record (which we have announced).
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Whitesnake have confirmed a number of new live dates. Two dates have been announced for the US, including headlining the M3 festival in Maryland on May 14. In June they’re off to Europe, traversing Russia, Scandinavia (including appearance at the Sweden Rock Festival), UK, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. On some dates they will be supporting Judas Priest.

Black Country Communion have confirmed a UK tour in July. After appearance at the High Voltage Festival in London on July 24th, they will play the Academy circuit in Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester. A special ticket pre-sale will be available to O₂ Academy Priority subscribers from Wednesday, February 2nd at 9:00AM GMT. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 4th at 9:00AM GMT.

Full details in our calendar.

Steve Morse talked to the Guitar Techniques in an interview that deals with technical aspects of guitar playing. If you ever wanted to know what his favourite picks are, without what pedals he can’t live and which guitar he would save from a fire, here is your chance: What strings do you use, Steve Morse?

Ritchie Blackmore spoke to the Guitar International magazine about his last album, Autumn Sky:

Matt: Besides playing guitar on the record, you also play the mandola and mandolin. Both are stringed instruments, but are tuned and strung different to the guitar. Is it tricky to change your mind set when going from one instrument to the other, because of the different tunings, and do you prefer to record each one separately when you get into the studio, recording all the Mandola parts consecutively before moving onto the guitar parts for example?

Ritchie: I have to readjust whenever I pick up the mandola and the mandolin as they are tuned in 5ths, and I have to feel my way around the instrument. When I’m playing a mandolin and the mandola, I don’t know sometimes what chord I’m playing or what key I’m in, but I find that refreshing because it’s a sense of adventure not knowing exactly what I’m playing. I tend to go to different places that are not familiar. Also, when I used to play the cello, play the same way, and that’s how I got the riff for “Gates of Babylon,” which I wouldn’t have gotten to by writing on the guitar.

Read Above the Autumn Sky on guitarinternational.com.

Once you’re at it, check out a couple of historic Blackmore interviews on their site. The infamous one from 1996:

Here’s the double-edged sword: What do you think of Steve Morse?

Ahh, the big question [Laughs]. I was a big fan of his when he was in the Dixie Dregs. I heard a thing he played around 1981, and I couldn’t believe how good it was. I thought, who is this guy? Very fast country player, brilliant stuff. So I went to my room and brooded for half an hour and got drunk, because I realized that there’s always other players out there that can blow you away. I was really impressed.

I hear from a lot of people that he may be a jack of too many trades, but I’m still a big fan of his. He’s always got the guitar, so that’s his ticket to life. I can relate to that. I took up the guitar because I felt so inadequate. Maybe I could play the guitar, and be somebody and do something, and mean something. I have the feeling he did the same thing and I can relate to a man like that. Of course, I don’t know about the band he’s with [Laughs]. He’ll figure it out.

And a long one from circa 1975:

You didn’t want to simply leave Deep Purple for say, six months, do a solo album, and then return?

RB: No. Originally I was, but then I thought, well, this is silly because there is such a difference between when I was back with Purple than when I’m working with this lot. There’s a community thing. We understand each other’s humor, each other’s jokes. And basically the guys are quiet. I’m quiet, maybe moody.

With Purple, they had a different sense of humor than what I liked. I was more into the practical jokes, a very dry sense of humor. They were more into verbal, witty jokes, and you’d be surprised how that can destroy a relationship in a way because I never laughed when they did and vice versa…