LEGENDARY GUITARIST
S T E V E C R O P P E R
ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM
‘FRIENDLYTOWN’
OFFICIALLY RELEASED
AUGUST 23RD ON MASCOT LABEL GROUP
FEATURING
BILLY F GIBBONS
BRIAN MAY
TIM MONTANA
FIRST SINGLE
“TOO MUCH STRESS”
featuring BRIAN MAY
EXCLUSIVE
ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
CLICK BELOW
TO LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW
Not many people start new bands in their 80s, but legendary guitarist, producer, and songwriter Steve Cropper isn’t slowing down any time soon. The triple-threat musician, recently nominated for his first solo GRAMMY for the debut album from his tight and tuneful rock n’ soul quintet, Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour, has announced details of his highly anticipated sophomore album, ‘Friendlytown,’ due out August 23rd on the Mascot Label Group.
In conjunction with the album announcement, Cropper has released the album's first single, “Too Much Stress feat. Brian May,” giving fans a tantalizing taste of the new music. This groovy mid-tempo number features gospel-style backing vocals and a trifecta of the baddest rock guitar players. Brian May sings the duet vocal together with Roger C. Reale and the backing vocals while May and Gibbons trade back-to-back solos. The Queen’s axeman’s trademark snarling tone and lyrical licks perfectly complement Gibbons’ searing blues-based style, with Cropper holding it all down with some signature slinky rhythm guitar work.
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THE NEW ALBUM
BY
STEVE CROPPER
and
The Midnight Hour
entitled
FRIENDLYTOWN
Available August 23rd Via Mascot Label Group
Featuring
Billy F Gibbons, Brian May and Tim Montana
First Single
“Too Much Stress feat. Brian May” Available Now
Pre-order Friendlytown at
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT
STEVE CROPPER
VISIT
Official website
https://www.facebook.com/stevecropper
Facebook
https://x.com/OfficialCropper?mx=2
Twitter
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Steve+Cropper
YouTube
https://www.instagram.com/thestevecropper/
Instagram
DISCOGRAPHY
1969: With a Little Help from My Friends
1969: Jammed Together (with Albert King and Pops Staples)
1971: This Is ... Steve Cropper & His Friends (compilation of With a Little Help from My Friends and Jammed Together, released in France only)
1981: Playin' My Thang
1982: Night After Night
1998: The Interview — Play It, Steve!
2008: Nudge It Up A Notch (with Felix Cavaliere)
2010: Midnight Flyer (with Felix Cavaliere)
2011: Dedicated — A Salute to the 5 Royales
2017: Steve Cropper, Lou Marini and the Original Blues Brothers Band — The Last Shade of Blue Before Black
2018: Telemasters (with Arlen Roth)
2021: Fire It Up
Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour
2024: Friendlytown
Collaborations
With Alabama
- Southern Star (RCA Records, 1989)
With Jimmy Barnes
- Soul Searchin' (Liberation Music, 2016)
With William Bell
- The Soul of a Bell (Stax Records, 1967)
- Bound to Happen (Stax Records, 1969)
With Barbi Benton
- Something New (Polydor Records, 1976)
With Stephen Bishop
- Bish (ABC Records, 1978)
With Frank Black
- Honeycomb (Cooking Vinyl, 2005)
- Fast Man Raider Man (Cooking Vinyl, 2006)
With Bobby and the Midnites
- Where the Beat Meets the Street (Columbia Records, 1984)
With Booker T. & the M.G.'s
- Green Onions (Stax Records, 1962)
- Soul Dressing (Stax Records, 1965)
- And Now! (Stax Records, 1966)
- In the Christmas Spirit (Stax Records, 1966)
- Hip Hug-Her (Stax Records, 1967)
- Doin' Our Thing (Stax Records, 1968)
- Soul Limbo (Stax Records, 1968)
- UpTight (Stax Records, 1969)
- The Booker T. Set (Stax Records, 1969)
- McLemore Avenue (Stax Records, 1970)
- Melting Pot (Stax Records, 1971)
- Universal Language (Asylum Records, 1977)
- That's the Way It Should Be (Columbia Records, 1994)
With Ronnie Baker Brooks
- Times Have Changed (Provogue Records, 2017)
With Billy Burnette
- Try Me (Curb, 1985)
With Jimmy Buffett
- Hot Water (MCA Records, 1988)
With Brian Cadd
- White On White (Capitol Records, 1976)
With Cate Brothers
- Cate Bros. (Asylum Records, 1975)
- In One Eye and Out the Order (Asylum Records, 1976)
With Chicago
- Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three (Chicago Records, 2011)
With David Clayton-Thomas
- David Clayton-Thomas (Columbia Records, 1972)
With A. J. Croce
- Just Like Medicine (Compass Records, 2017)
With Patti Dahlstrom
- Your Place or Mine (20th Century Records, 1975)
With Delaney & Bonnie
- Home (Stax Records, 1969)
- D&B Together (Columbia Records, 1972)
With Ned Doheny
- Hard Candy (Columbia Records, 1976)
- Prone (CBS Records, 1979)
With Yvonne Elliman
- Rising Sun (RSO Records, 1975)
- Night Flight (RSO Records, 1978)
- Yvonne (RSO Records, 1979)
With José Feliciano
- Compartments (RCA Victor, 1973)
- For My Love... Mother Music (RCA Victor, 1974)
With Eddie Floyd
- Knock on Wood (Stax Records, 1967)
- Down to Earth (Stax Records, 1971)
With Peter Frampton
- Where I Should Be (A&M Records, 1979)
With Richie Furay
- I've Got a Reason (Asylum Records, 1976)
With Art Garfunkel
- Breakaway (Columbia Records, 1975)
With Cyndi Grecco
- Making Our Dreams Come True (Private Stock Records, 1976)
With Richie Havens
- The End of the Beginning (A&M Records, 1976)
With Levon Helm
- Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars (ABC Records, 1977)
- Levon Helm (ABC Records, 1978)
With Chris Hillman
- Slippin' Away (Asylum Records, 1976)
With Rebecca Lynn Howard
- Rebecca Lynn Howard (Universal Music, 2000)
With Etta James
- Seven Year Itch (Island Records, 1988)
- The Right Time (Elektra Records, 1992)
With Wynonna Judd
- Tell Me Why (Curb Records, 1993)
With Albert King
- Born Under a Bad Sign (Stax Records, 1967)
- Years Gone By (Stax Records, 1969)
With B.B. King
- King of the Blues: 1989 (MCA Records, 1988)
With Al Kooper
- White Chocolate (Sony Records, 2008)
With John Lennon
- Rock 'n' Roll (Apple Records, 1975)
With Ann-Margret
- Born to Be Wild (Cleopatra Records, 2023)
With Craig Morgan
- Craig Morgan (Atlantic Records, 2000)
With Aaron Neville
- The Tattoeed Heart (A&M Records, 1995)
With Wayne Newton
- Tomorrow (Chelsea Records, 1976)
With Harry Nilsson
- Flash Harry (Mercury Records, 1980)
With John Oates
- 1000 Miles of Life (Phunk Shui Records, 2008)
With Nigel Olsson
- Nigel Olsson (The Rocket Record Company, 1975)
With Roy Orbison
- Mystery Girl (Virgin Records, 1989)
With Dolly Parton
- Heartbreak Express (RCA Records, 1982)
With Wilson Pickett
- In the Midnight Hour (Atlantic Records, 1965)
- The Exciting Wilson Pickett (Atlantic Records, 1966)
With Michel Polnareff
- Michel Polnareff (Atlantic Records, 1975)
With John Prine
- Common Sense (Atlantic Records, 1975)
With Otis Redding
- Pain in My Heart (Atco Records, 1964)
- The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (Atco Records, 1965)
- Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (Stax Records, 1965)
- The Soul Album (Stax Records, 1966)
- Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (Stax Records, 1966)
- King & Queen (Stax Records, 1967)
- The Dock of the Bay (Stax Records, 1968)
With Bruce Roberts
- Bruce Roberts (Elektra Records, 1977)
With Leon Russell
- Will O' the Wisp (Shelter Records, 1975)
With Sanford & Townsend
- Duo-Glide (Warner Bros. Records, 1977)
With Leo Sayer
- Here (Chrysalis Records, 1979)
With Guy Sebastian
- The Memphis Album (Sony BMG, 2007)
With Neil Sedaka
- The Hungry Years (The Rocket Record Company, 1975)
- Steppin' Out (Polydor Records, 1976)
With Paul Shaffer
- Coast to Coast (Capitol Records, 1989)
With Paul Simon
- Songs from The Capeman (Warner Bros. Records, 1997)
With Broderick Smith
- Suitcase (Mushroom Records, 1992)
With The Soul Children
- Soul Children (Stax Records, 1968)
With Mavis Staples
- Mavis Staples (Volt Records, 1969)
- Only for the Lonely (Volt Records, 1970)
With Ringo Starr
- Ringo (Apple Records, 1973)
- Goodnight Vienna (Apple Records, 1974)
- Vertical Man (Mercury Records, 1998)
With Rod Stewart
- Atlantic Crossing (Warner Bros. Records, 1975)
- A Night on the Town (Warner Bros. Records, 1976)
- Foot Loose & Fancy Free (Warner Bros. Records, 1977)
- Every Beat of My Heart (Warner Bros. Records, 1986)
With Livingston Taylor
- Man's Best Friend (Epic Records, 1980)
With Carla Thomas
- Memphis Queen (Stax Records, 1969)
With Mickey Thomas
- As Long as You Love Me (MCA Records, 1977)
With The Manhattan Transfer
- Pastiche (Atlantic Records, 1978)
With Wendy Waldman
- The Main Refrain (Warner Bros. Records, 1976)
With Dale Watson
- Jukebox Fury (Cleopatra Records, 2022)
With Jerry Lynn Williams
- Gone (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)
THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER
BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.
The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.
Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.
The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.
https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/
Gold Award Winner
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