Music News

Stevie Wonder is to perform 'Songs In The Key of Life' in full at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park.
The 'Superstition' hitmaker will take to the stage on July 10 to play his acclaimed 1976 LP in its entirety for the first time in the UK to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the LP.
Released in 1976 on the legendary label Motown Records, the record includes iconic hits such as 'Sir Duke', 'Isn't She Lovely' and 'I Wish', and it has been cited as a major influence of artists such as Sir Elton John, Prince, Michael Jackson, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams
It was crowned Grammy Album of the Year in 1977 and it followed an unsurpassed trio of albums from Stevie - 'Talking Book', 'Innervisions' and 'Fullfillingness' First Finale' - all released in the first four years of the 1970s.
Together, the albums made the 25-time Grammy winner the only artist to have ever received Album of the Year awards in three out of four consecutive years.
Elton loves the album so much that he takes a copy of it wherever he goes.
He said: "Let me put it this way: wherever I go in the world, I always take a copy of 'Songs In The Key of Life'. For me, it's the best album ever made and I'm always left in awe after I listen to it. When people in decades and centuries to come talk about the history of music, they will talk about Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder."
Speaking about the booking of Stevie for the festival, Daniel Mathieson - Head of Experiential and Partnership Marketing for Barclaycard - said: "The line-up for Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park just gets better and better. We're thrilled that music legend and multi-Grammy Award winner Stevie Wonder, who has been performing to worldwide audiences for more than 50 years, is joining the stellar list headlining on the 10 July."
Stevie, 65, joins previously announced BST at Hyde Park headliners Massive Attack, Florence + The Machine, Mumford & Sons, Take That and Carole King.
Tickets for Stevie's show go on general sale at www.bst-hydepark.com from Friday (18.03.16).
Barclaycard exclusive presale tickets are on sale now and the AEG/BST Hyde Park presale starts at 9am on Thursday (17.03.16).

The Stone Roses are reportedly set to release their first album in over 20 years.
The group - which includes Ian Brown, John Squire, Gary "Mani" Mounfield and Alan "Reni" Wren - are said to be gearing up to release their third studio LP as a follow up to 1994's 'Second Coming'.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Ian Brown and the lads have been busy getting their next album ready. It will be album number three. It's a long time coming but they feel the time is right now. They've been back in the studio. Everyone is very excited about it."
Meanwhile, the 'I Wanna Be Adored' rockers previously excited fans when they announced two stadium gigs in their hometown of Manchester, which sold out in just 10 seconds.
The quick uptake prompted the group to add two more dates in June 2016 alongside their scheduled performance at T in the Park festival in Scotland later this year.
The band are also reportedly on the wish list of Glastonbury Festival organisers, Michael and Emily Eavis.
An insider shared: "The Stone Roses were asked to play Glasto this year, firstly instead of The Who and then as a replacement for Foo Fighters when they cancelled.
"Eavis only has a couple of headline acts left on his wishlist and The Stone Roses are definitely one of them."

All Saints have finally made the album they've always wanted to make.
The reformed girl group - Shaznay Lewis, Melanie Blatt and Nicole and Natalie Appleton - are proud of their comeback record 'Red Flag' and admitted they never thought they would get to make it.
Melanie told The Observer Music magazine: "It's the album I've always wanted us to make. It's just nice to feel like that after years of being in the industry and not really loving it too much. This is just perfect.
"The fact that we made this album, that's it, that's the main thing. Who'd have thought after 20 years we'd make this album? From even where we were four years ago, it's incomprehensible."
And they revealed that they kept working on the album until they were 100 per cent happy with it.
Nicole said: "Every time we walked out of the studio, we kept saying, 'it's a wrap'. And we'd all cheer and then the next day we'd be back in there and I'd be like, I knew we weren't finished...'"
Natalie added: "That's never happened before. We didn't want to let it go."

Matt Bellamy doesn't think it fits with Muse for him to speak on stage.
The frontman admits the dark themes of the songs would mean he had to become a "hammy character" if he were to chat away to his audience in order to fit in with the mood of the music.
He said: "That's the one stagecraft skill I've somehow avoided. I don't know how I've managed to get away with it.
"There's definitely a feeling when I've attempted to talk that I've broken the fourth wall.
"I look at great public speakers like Bono, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen and the character inbetween the songs is the same person you're getting in the songs, whereas if I was to talk in the way the songs are talking, it would probably be a little bit too hammy."
However, the rocker also admitted he just isn't that great about opening up in public.
He added: "I think I'm making excuses because I'm not a great public speaker."
Whereas Muse's recent albums have all been based around particular themes, Matt thinks his upcoming music will be different.
He told Q magazine: "My focus won't be a large body of work. For a number of years I'm not going to attempt to make a full collection of work that has a very clear theme.
"I feel like I've done that. I think the albums before 'Drones' were each trying to improve on that. I'd like to be a bit more sporadic and random."

Jay Z thinks Peter Andre is a great singer.
The 'Mysterious Girl' hitmaker found an unlikely fan in the '99 Problems' rapper when he was recording with the Fugees in the late 1990s and admits the rap mogul's compliment meant "so much" to him.
Peter said: "I didn't write anything with him but he was in the studio with us when I was working with Pras and Wyclef from the Fugees. It was about 12 or 13 years ago.
"He will never remember but the words he said to me, which meant more than anything, were, 'You can sing.'
"And that meant so much from someone like him because I was doing more soul-based stuff then."
However, Peter admits he had no idea who Jay was at the time.
He said: "The Fugees were producing but Jay Z sat in on the whole session.
"I have to be honest, at the time I didn't know who he was because it was just before 'Hard Knock Life' was released.
"He played us the whole album and I was thinking, 'This is really good'. Then I didn't think any more of it until it became so huge worldwide."
Peter also revealed he has spent some time "hanging out" with Chris Brown because they were fans of one another's music.
He told heat magazine: "Just two years ago, I was in the studio in LA with Chris Brown.
"He was listening to my 'Angels & Demons' album and I was listening to his album. We were hanging out, we exchanged numbers and we were in touch. It was weird."

Alesha Dixon wants a Mis-Teeq reunion.
The 'Britain's Got Talent' judge would love to work with Sabrina Washington and Su-Elisa Nash again at some point, despite their group going their separate ways in 2005.
Asked about the possibility of a Mis-Teeq reunion, Alesha said: "I'd love the girls and I to get together in some shape or form. I'd never rule it out."
For the time being, Alesha is having a great time working with Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Amanda Holden on 'BGT' and feels "lucky" they have a more stable than 'The X Factor', which has seen numerous changes of judge in recent years.
She said: "There's too much emphasis on forever-changing panels. It gets a little bit boring.
"The 'BGT' formula works - we're enjoying it.
"We are really lucky that we have had the consistent panel.
"I think whatever happens in the future, the four of us have had fun working together. We have had great times.
"We don't worry, we are in the moment and we are enjoying it."
And the former 'Strictly Come Dancing' judge has no interest in joining 'The X Factor' panel.
She told heat magazine: "I think I've got quite a lot of jobs to contend with at the moment."

The Vamps are "excited" to debut their new material on their UK tour.
The quartet - which comprises James McVey, Bradley Simpson, Connor Ball and Tristan Evans - are looking forward to showcasing some of their newer material to their "home" fans for the first time when their run of shows kicks off later this month.
James said: "We're very excited. It's very, very exciting.
"We love touring the UK because it's home. And we've got a whole new album worth of material we've not gigged over here yet, so we are very very excited.
"We're going into rehearsals tomorrow to put the set together."
Though the group only released their second album, 'Wake Up', in November, they are already looking ahead to the follow-up record and have started writing new songs.
However, it is still too early to know how the record will sound.
Bradley told BANG Showbiz: "We have started writing it but it is an open book at the moment, so I guess we will see how we feel and how it develops."
The Vamps' 2016 tour kicks off in Birmingham on March 25, and runs until April 16.

Keith Emerson has died.
The rock legend - who is arguably most well known as part of progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer - has sadly passed away at the age of 71.
A post on the band's official Facebook page reads: "We regret to announce that Keith Emerson died last night (10.03.16) at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, aged 71. We ask that the family's privacy and grief be respected."
The late star inspired and captivated fans as the keyboardist of the group, whilst also being known for his many solo albums and his time with The Nice in the 60s.
In a statement, bandmate Carl Palmer said: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music Keith Emerson. Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come.
"He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz. I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humour, compelling showmanship and dedication to his musical craft."
The group last performed together in 2010, with their final concert taking place at London's High Voltage Festival to mark 40 years since the group was founded.

Sister Sledge want to work with Nile Rodgers again.
The Chic guitarist co-wrote the soul group's biggest ever single 'We Are Family' in 1979 and produced the smash album of the same name with his late musical partner Bernard Edwards which also contained the iconic tracks 'Lost In Music', 'He's The Greatest Dancer and 'Thinking Of You'.
Singer Joni Sledge would love to get in the recording studio with Nile again because he's a "musical genius".
Asked if they'd collaborate with the 'Get Lucky' hitmaker again, Joni exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "Why not? I love Nile he's great. He's got his own style he's great to work with. And he is a musical genius it would be nice to work with him again."
The group - also comprised of Joni's siblings Kim and Debbie Sledge - have listened to Nile's forthcoming new Chic LP 'It's About Time' and have told fans to expect more of his "signature vibe" and trademark guitar riffs played on his 'Hitmaker' Fender Stratocaster.
Joni, 59, said: "I have heard the new Chic album. It is very reminiscent of the past and reminds me of his whole signature vibe. As a matter of fact I think the single was very similar to a song we did with him called 'Love Sublime'."
"You can expect some incredible rhythms, some world influences. Some very personal accounts and a lot of upbeat things, a lot of dancing, fun and harmony."
The forthcoming Chic record is expected to feature collaborations with Sir Elton John, Chaka Khan, Miley Cyrus and Janelle Monae among others.
And Nile also teased that there could be another Pharrell song on their.
He previously hinted: "Maybe, Pharrell ... maybe. I think maybe is a really good answer to that question! I want to leave some surprises until the album is out."
Sister Sledge will perform at Women of the World festival at London's Southbank Centre on Sunday March 13.
They also have a new track out in April, 'Women are the Music of the World'.