Deep Purple confessed, “We pulled a fast one on our fans.”
Many bands have jumped on the bandwagon of a goodbye, farewell, last time you will see, end of the road, peace out tour.
The Big Good-Bye Bands
The Who has done four or more; Kiss dragged it out until they finally did it. Motley Crue flipped-flopped on their promise to hang it up. Eagles, after hell froze over, took a long goodbye to fans.
Some have many of them, and they make a lot of money with higher-priced tickets and merchandise. Many fans and people in the industry feel it’s a fun way to make lots of money.
Deep Purple Comes Clean About The Whole Idea Of Good-Bye
Deep Purple, which started in the late 1960s, is one of the pioneers of heavy metal and hard rock and roll.
Deep Purple was in town most recently in the MotorCity with YES at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater. They continue touring there, with shows on the East Coast and then in the UK, Netherlands, and Germany.
Lead singer Ian Gillan recently confessed that their 2017 tour, which was supposed to be their final tour, was just a lie to sell concert tickets.
During a recent interview, Gillan said it was a joke in 2017. “Because it was the promoters. And someone said, ‘We’ve got to sell some more tickets’. And it’s the good old standby, the farewell tour. So I said, ‘OK, we’ll call it the ‘goodbye’ tour, but let’s call it ‘the long goodbye,’ and emphasize the word ‘long,’ so it’s an enigmatic phrase.”
The trick worked, and more tickets were sold. Now, seven years later, Gillan says that even today, the band does not intend to quit any time soon.
Aerosmith Was On A Peace Out Farewell Tour
I give Aerosmith a pass on this one, as the tour was getting underway. The band had never said goodbye before, so this one was on the up and up.
Aerosmith has canceled its farewell tour due to lead singer Steven Tyler’s vocal cord injury. However, the band will still get in the studio to make some future magic.
Ted Nugent’s ‘Adios Mofo ’23 Tour’
Ted is still doing shows, just not full-blown-out massive tours.
“The musical dream will continue, but I’m not going on tour anymore because hotels are in jail. [Laughs] A hotel room is a jail for me. Plus, Ted’s hunting dogs miss him when out on the road. Ted also doesn’t charge outrageous sums of money to see a show.
Foreigner’s ‘Historic Farewell Tour’
Foreigner will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on October 19, 2024.
Foreigner is still on an open-ended farewell tour that could continue into 2025. The band may also perform occasionally or have residencies after the tour. Mick Jones, the only remaining founding member of the band, has said that he’s comfortable with the decision to retire because the band members have given so much to the band and want to spend more time with their families.
Foreigner Lou Gramm was recently on stage with Bret Michaels’ Parti Gras. I saw this live and must say Lou Gramm’s voice was impressive. No backtracks were needed for this guy, as he hit high notes like the good old days.
List Of Some Of The Most Expensive Records Ever Sold
Some of The Most Expensive Records Ever Sold will astound you with how much they went for.
Whether you are new to collecting records or a seasoned vinyl hoarder like me, one of the joys of expanding your collection is finding a bargain. Whether that means picking up an album in a sale or digging through the crates in your local charity shop, Salvation Army bins, or garage sale finds, you never know when or where you might uncover something rare.
There is plenty of folklore surrounding the community of record collectors—tales of “Holy Grail” discoveries that often motivate music enthusiasts to keep digging.
One Really Rare Find Was Here In Michigan
Denise and Dan Zieja have a vast record collection, which is an understatement. Good friends of mine have more than one incredible story from the local record store Melodies & Memories in Eastpoint, MI.
One treasure came as a test pressing from an artist-turned-producer named Frank Wilson.
Only 250 demo copies of this single by Motown soul singer and producer Frank Wilson were ever pressed, and only around five are reported to have survived when Motown boss Berry Gordy destroyed the rest.
Stories about the reason for their destruction vary. Still, rumor has it that Gordy wasn’t too happy about the prospect of one of his best producers launching a singing career, ordering the demos to be trashed, and dating his daughter, maybe?
It’s also said that Wilson felt the same way and decided against releasing the single, but either way, a handful slipped through the net, and the exact number of surviving copies isn’t known for sure. Gordy is said to possess one of them.
Several decades later, an incredibly rare test pressing of “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” ended up in the hands of Dan & Denise Zieja,
“Everybody wanted to know about it, but we always knew that it had to stay in Detroit, that it had to stay where it belongs,” Denise Zieja said. “I got offers from all over the world, including here at home, from Third Man Records owner Jack White.
Jack White Gets A Rare Record
When Jack White a known vinyl collector learned about the existence of the rare Frank Wilson recording he expressed interest in purchasing it from the family.
White officially acquired the 45 single, and on Record Store Day at Third Man Records in Detroit’s Cass Corridor, they also pressed a limited amount of copies of the single on purple vinyl.
The Beatles: 'Til There Was You' (10” acetate)
Said to be the ‘Holy Grail’ for collectors of Beatles records, a 10” acetate of an early demo by the Fab Four featuring the songs ”Til There Was You’ and b-side ‘Hello Little Girl’ (misspelled on the disc as ‘Hullo Little Girl’) the test disc bears the handwriting of Beatles manager Brian Epstein and, as you can see from the label below, was recorded and pressed at none other than 363 Oxford Street, home of our store in London’s west end. How’s that for a piece of history?
The Beatles: Yesterday & Today - $125,000
the infamous “butcher” cover, with John, Paul, George and Ringo draped in dismembered dolls and pieces of meat. It was swiftly withdrawn and replaced with much more tame artwork
One of the other rare items is this Beatles compilation from 1966, released only in North America. One of the reasons for its relative scarcity is that the early versions featured the infamous “butcher” cover, with John, Paul, George, and Ringo draped in dismembered dolls and pieces of meat. It was swiftly withdrawn and replaced with much more tame artwork, but the original remains a sought-after item for Beatles collectors and a mint edition sealed copy became the most expensive copy of the record in history when it sold at auction in February 2013 for $125,000
John Lennon & Yoko Ono: Double Fantasy - $150,000
John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy, sold in 1999 for an astonishing $150,000
A copy of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy sold in 1999 for an astonishing $150,000; the scary detail that made it so valuable was that Lennon signed it just hours before his death on December 8th, 1980. As such, it may well be the last record Lennon ever signed, and it became one of the five most expensive records ever sold as a result.
Elvis Presley: 'My Happiness' - $300,000
Portrait of American singer and actor Elvis Presley (1935 – 1977) as he holds a twelve string guitar, mid 1950s . (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
If you know Jack White of White Stripes, The Dead Weather, and The Raconteurs, you may also know he’s a huge vintage gear and vinyl collector. His studio and label, Third Man, specialize in vintage recording techniques and unusual vinyl releases, so it’s perhaps not too much of a surprise to learn that he is the proud owner of one of the three most expensive records in the world.
White bought the test pressing of Elvis Presley’s first recording at auction in December 2015, using it to make a limited edition facsimile, which he duly released through Third Man Records. The facsimile was complete with all the pops and scratches and even a plain brown paper bag as a sleeve—because, he said, “that’s what Elvis would have walked out of Sun Records with.”
The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) - $790,000
Ringo Starr’s copy bears the number ‘0000001’.
Beatles Ringo Starr was known to own the first copy of the band’s self-titled double album from 1968 since the records were printed with serial numbers in sequence, and Starr’s copy bears the number ‘0000001’. He eventually sold his copy at Julien’s auction in the U.S. for $790,000 Reportedly, there were twelve copies of Number One distributed to the Beatles themselves, to some friends, and to Capitol Records officials. Copies numbered 2 through 25 were also given to friends of the Beatles and Capitol employees.
Wu-Tang Clan: Once Upon a Time in Shaolin - $2 million
By far the most expensive record ever sold is this 2015 album by Wu-Tang Clan
By far, the most expensive record ever sold is this 2015 album by Wu-Tang Clan, of which this is the only copy ever produced. The record also comes with a contract that stipulates that the buyer may not attempt to sell or make money from it for 100 years, although the owner may release the album for free should they wish to.
The buyer turned out to be Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli; He paid the asking price of $2 million.
Born in Mt Clemens, Screamin’ Scott has been a part of the Detroit airwaves for 30-plus years. With 40 years of experience in radio. When he’s not out on the streets for WCSX, you can find him devoting time to local charities with his, “Screamin Angels”; and for 16 years with Rock 4 Tots charity. And last 10 years with his local band, "Chit!." Screamin Scott likes to write about nostalgic Detroit area memories, classic rock, and local metro Detroit topics.
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