The Waterboys announce 'Rips From The Cutting Room Floor' - Companion Album to 'Life, Death And Dennis Hopper'

Get the breaking news on the release of The Waterboys' forthcoming Rips From The Cutting Room Floor, a companion album to the band's Life, Death And Dennis Hopper masterwork released earlier this year (read my review of the album HERE)...Robert Kinsler

The Waterboys announce Rips From The Cutting Room Floor Companion Album to Life, Death And Dennis Hopper Out December 5, 2025 via Sun Records  First Single “The Next Time I Saw Elvis” Out Today Stream the new single HERE and pre-order the album HERE

August 29, 2025 — The Waterboys today announce Rips From The Cutting Room Floor, a companion disc to their acclaimed Life, Death And Dennis Hopper containing extra tracks and vignettes, and arriving December 5th via Sun Records. The first single, “The Next Time I Saw Elvis,” will be released on all streaming platforms today, with the album now available for pre-save and pre-order. “These are tracks that didn’t make the album,” says bandleader Mike Scott. “Not because of quality control reasons, but because they broke the narrative. But we want to share them with people and they make a cool little record on their own.”  Rips From The Cutting Room Floor offers listeners a kaleidoscopic view of the creative universe Mike Scott and his band conjured during the making of their audacious opus released in the spring of 2024. Featuring 16 tracks and pressed on hot pink vinyl exclusively through Sun Records, the album traces tangents of Hopper’s mythos and the strange, wild world he inhabited — a vivid addendum to the story of America’s rebel icon. The new single, “The Next Time I Saw Elvis,” recounts a legendary 1956 encounter between Hopper and Presley in Hollywood. Brought to life with Henry Dobson Jr.’s charismatic lead vocal, the track features Ralph Salmins on drums, Aongus Ralston on bass and rhythm guitar, Famous James on piano, and a searing lead guitar solo from Scott himself — all channeling the swagger and electricity of that unforgettable moment. Watch "The Next Time I Saw Elvis" video here.

Among the other highlights: “On The Set Of The Last Movie,” a full-length instrumental steeped in transcendental blues; “Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Arrival In Taos,” which imagines the surrealist auteur’s creative clashes with Hopper in New Mexico; and “Flipside Of The American Dream” and “Still Raging On,” two alternate drafts of the main album highlight "Ten Years Gone" — plus audio of two spoof TV adverts. “Dennis made a lot of TV ads in his later life,” says Scott, “and brought a real artistry and creative sparkle to them. As such they’re ripe for spoofing and having some fun with, and so we did!” Recorded with longtime Waterboys collaborators and an eclectic cast of contributors, the tracks pull back the curtain on the wild ride of Life, Death And Dennis Hopper while standing as essential, standalone works of musical storytelling. Many of these songs were recorded in a burst of inspiration after Scott acquired a vintage mellotron, sparking new textures and creative momentum. “The mellotron is like an early sampler — a magic machine,” Scott explains in his notes. “Once it arrived, these songs came to life.” For more information about The Waterboys, visit the band’s website HERE. Rips From The Cutting Room Floor tracklisting: Western Rollcall The Next Time I Saw Elvis Cinema, C'est La Vie On The Set Of The Last Movie Alejandro Jodorowsky's Arrival In Taos Crystal Morning New Mexico Funkout At The Mud Palace Cowboy Bill, Guy Grand & Kansas Still Raging On Flipside Of The American Dream Thank You Mr Schneider The Counterculture Holdout Stanley In I Love The Movies Dennis In Ameridreams A Few Words About Dennis Hopper Golf, They Say (James Version) The Waterboys 2025 North American Tour Dates 9/4 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 9/5 – Red Bank, NJ – The Vogel at Count Basie Center for the Arts 9/6 – New York, NY – Webster Hall (Sold Out) 9/7 – Boston, MA – Seisiún Fest 2025 9/9 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre 9/10 – Montréal, QC – Beanfield Theatre 9/11 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall (Sold Out) 9/12 – Columbus, OH – The Athenaeum Theatre 9/14 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond 2025 9/15 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East 9/16 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall (Sold Out) 9/17 – Minneapolis, MN – Uptown Theater 9/20 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom (Sold Out) 9/21 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre 9/23 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater (Sold Out) 9/25 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore (Sold Out) 9/26 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether 9/27 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up (Sold Out) 9/28 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom 9/30 – Santa Fe, NM – Lensic Performing Arts Center 10/2 – Austin, TX – The Paramount Theatre 10/3 – Dallas, TX – Longhorn Ballroom 10/4 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre For a full list of shows and ticket information, visit https://mikescottwaterboys.com/waterboys-shows.php.  About Sun Records:  Established in 1952 by Sam Phillips, Sun Records is renowned for discovering music legends including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The label moved to Nashville in 1969 where it continued cultivating acclaimed artists Jeannie C. Riley, The Dixie Cups, Linda Martell, and many others. As a member of the newly-formed Sun Label Group under Primary Wave, Sun Records continues to foster musical innovation while honoring its rich history of shaping American music culture. For more information, visit https://sunrecords.com.

New music: Johnnie Johnson, Cheap Trick, Florence + The Machine, The Flashcubes

In this column I feature a review of a full-length album featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson as well as advance singles from Cheap Trick, Florence + the Machine and The Flashcubes.

Artist: Johnnie Johnson

Title: I'm Just Johnnie (Missouri Morning Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Chuck Berry, Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Rivers
Tell me more: More than two decades after his death at the age of 80, legendary rock 'n' roll pianist Johnnie Johnson's final collection of new recordings will be released by Missouri Morning Records on Aug. 29. The terrific Gene Ackmann-produced collection kicks off with the uptempo blues blaster "I'm Just Johnnie," featuring Johnson on lead vocals and piano. The inspired collection continues with a slew of great tracks including the Chicago-blues flavored "I Get Weary" (featuring St. Louis singer Charles Glenn), a buoyant "Every Day I Have the Blues" with Johnson sharing both lead vocals and masterful piano playing duties with Bruce Hornsby, and a lively take on "Let The Good Times Roll" featuring vocalist Kenny Rice and slide guitar virtuoso Bonnie Raitt. Late disc standouts include the blues-meet-jazz nugget "Three Handed Woman," the nuanced instrumental "Blues In G," and aptly-pegged "Johnnie Johnson Blues." The two-disc set includes a second disc of interviews with Johnson and Radio Hall of Fame and SiriusXM DJ Pat St. John discussing Johnson's career in one of the last interviews he gave before his passing on April 13, 2005. Johnson's signature piano playing is heard on a parade of Chuck Berry's beloved originals including "Maybellene," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Nadine," "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man," "Carol" and Too Much Monkey Business." Berry and Johnson played and toured together on and off, from 1952 until 1973. Information: johnniejohnson.net.

Advance Singles

Artist: Cheap Trick

Single title: "Twelve Gates" from the forthcoming album All Washed Up (BMG)

You might like if you enjoy: Cheap Trick, The Smithereens, The Beatles
Tell me more: Cheap Trick's shimmering new single "Twelve Gates" is the first music off the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band's forthcoming 21st studio album All Washed Up (arriving via BMG on Friday, Nov. 14). The song is a sumptuous listen, with singer Robin Zander's signature tenor vocals draped in a Beatlesque soundscape sure to please fans of the band. The 11-track All Washed Up will be available digitally as well as on standard black vinyl and audio CD. A limited-edition exclusive "Orange Marble" LP variant of the album, limited to 1,000 units, will be available to pre-order via the band's new D2C store. Information: cheaptrick.com.

Artist: Florence + the Machine

Single Title: "Everybody Scream" is the title track off Everybody Scream (Republic Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Florence + the Machine, Lady Gaga, Danny Elfman
Tell me more: "Everybody Scream" is the title track from the sixth album from Florence + the Machine. The album is set for release on Oct. 31. The dramatic single, as well as an accompanying video directed by Autumn de Wilde are available now. Florence Welch wrote and produced the album over the past two years with a close-knit circle of collaborators. Listen to the single via the following link: https://florence.lnk.to/everybodyscream-song. For more information or to pre-order Everybody Scream, visit florenceandthemachine.net.

Artist: The Flashcubes

Single Title: "If These Hands" (Big Stir Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Badfinger, Raspberries
Tell me more: Syracuse, New York-based power pop legends are set to issue the infectious new single "If These Hands," a track set for release on Aug. 29 as part of the highly-anticipated Make Something Happen! A Tribute to the Flashcubes. "If These Hands" and several other Flashcubes recordings will appear alongside 21 covers of their classics by other artists on the set coming courtesy of Big Stir Records. Information: BigStirRecords.com.

Robert Kinsler

Omnivore Recordings announce 'Spike Jones In Stereo: A Spooktacular In Screaming Sound!' out Sept. 26

Omnivore Recordings has announced a very special reissue coming next month. Read on to see the official media release...Robert Kinsler

Omnivore Recordings Announce Spike Jones In Stereo: A Spooktacular In Screaming Sound! Out September 26  The Revolutionary 1959 Stereo Extravaganza Returns After Nearly 50 Years on Slime-green Vinyl and CD Features vocals by Paul Frees, Thurl Ravenscroft, George Rock, and Loulie Jean Norman Liner Notes Feature New Interviews with Spike’s Children: Multi Grammy-winning Engineer Leslie Ann Jones, Emmy-winning Producer-director Spike Jones Jr., Linda Lee Jones, and Gina Jones Omnivore Recordings has announced the release of Spike Jones In Stereo: A Spooktacular In Screaming Sound! on September 26, available on CD and slime-green vinyl. Originally issued in 1959, this landmark stereo recording returns to physical formats for the first time in nearly 50 years, fully remastered and presented with new liner notes.   Since the early 1940s, Spike Jones’ endlessly inventive recordings had made an art out of honking car horns, gunshots, burps, sneezes, hiccups, and all other manner of musical insanity. But, in 1959, monsters were big Hollywood business. Spike Jones In Stereo: A Spooktacular In Screaming Sound! appeared on Warner Bros. Records later that year.   Spike’s longtime arranger, Carl Brandt, commented “The Spooktacular was a complicated album. We finally broke it down and ended up scoring it like a movie, because it had to be done in bits and pieces.” And, the results were astounding. Taking advantage of the new format of stereo (just beginning to take hold across the country), In Stereo pushed the audio separation to its limits.   Credited to Spike Jones And The Band That Plays For Fun, vocals were handled by then and future super-stars. Paul Frees was not only the “voice” of Boris Badenov and original Pillsbury Doughboy, but thrilled and chilled the millions who rode Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion as its unseen Ghost Host and tour guide. Thurl Ravenscroft was grrreat as Tony The Tiger, and became beloved after singing the iconic “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from 1966’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas. George Rock helped propel Jones to #1 in both 1948 and 1949 singing “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth,” and Loulie Jean Norman, who sang in Disney’s Alice In Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1955), later “sang” the wordless theme for the 1966–69 television series Star Trek.   Spike Jones In Stereo became a classic, even appearing in horror magazine advertisements through the mid-’70s. Its stature only grew with appreciation from Dr. Demento and “Weird Al” Yankovic, who said “If I’ve got any kind of goal, it’s to aspire to be in this generation what Spike was in his.”   So, prepare yourself to (re)discover Spike Jones In Stereo—newly remastered, available on LP for the first time in nearly 50 years, and on CD. (Plus the LP comes pressed on slime-green vinyl! Spooky!) “This album will make you laugh. It’s never not funny,” Leslie Ann Jones shares in the new liners from Joe Marchese (theseconddisc.com)—which also feature new interviews with Spike’s other children, Linda Lee Jones and Spike Jones, Jr. “His music was always multi-generational. I think he would be very pleased now that it’s still reaching new audiences.” From all us at Omnivore Records, Fangs for the memories, Mr. Jones.   Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/b5CGt43nbwA Pre-order: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/spike-jones-in-stereo   Spike Jones In Stereo: A Spooktacular In Screaming Sound! Tracklist: 1. I Only Have Eyes For You [Vocal By Dracula And Vampira] 2. Poisen To Poisen [Interview With A Famous Poisenality] 3. Teenage Brain Surgeon [Vocal By The Mad Doctor] 4. (All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings [Vocal By Dracula And Vampira] 5. Everything Happens To Me [Lament By Frankenstein] 6. Monster Movie Ball [Vocal By The Fiend-ager] 7. Tammy [Vocal Duet By Dracula And Vampira] 8. My Old Flame [Vocal By I.M. Arson] 9. a. This Is Your Death [Featuring Dr. Jekyll And Other Ghouls] / b. Two Heads Are Better Than One [Beatnick Duet] 10. Spooktacular Finale [Vocal By The Entire Ghastly Cast]

'Play On: A Raspberries Tribute' coming Sept. 12; Rick Springfield, Lou Gramm, John Waite, Marshall Crenshaw & more featured!

A stellar lineup of top-tier musicians are slated to appear on a forthcoming two-disc tribute to Raspberries. The news of the upcoming release of Play On: A Raspberries Tribute comes on a particularly notable day; today (Aug. 11, 2025) would have been Raspberries lead singer/keyboardist/guitarist Eric Carmen's 79th birthday....Robert Kinsler

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – PLAY ON: A RASPBERRIES TRIBUTE

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAMER LOU GRAMM (FOREIGNER), RICK SPRINGFIELD, JOHN WAITE, VICKI & DEBBI PETERSON (BANGLES), MARSHALL CRENSHAW, BIRD STREETS AND THE LEMON TWIGS ARE AMONG THE ARTISTS FEATURED ON “PLAY ON: A RASPBERRIES TRIBUTE.”

"Raspberries is the sound of love at first sight."

Slated for release on September 12^th, 2025, Play On: A Raspberries Tribute (Think Like A Key) is a new tribute album celebrating power pop icons, Raspberries with a blockbuster 37 tracks covering almost the entirety of the group's four-album catalog.

Assembling chart-topping legends (four of whom scored # 1 records), indie favorites, and rising stars, the 2-CD set features Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Rick Springfield, John Waite, Vicki and Debbi Peterson (Bangles), The Lemon Twigs, Marshall Crenshaw, Kasim Sulton and Willie Wilcox (Utopia), Cherie Currie (The Runaways), The Chefs (featuring Stan Lynch from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Dan Baird of Georgia Satellites,) The Hudson Brothers, Shoes, and Karla DeVito (Meat Loaf), among those paying homage to the '70s power pop heroes.

Rick Springfield headlining a night of fun-filled melodic rock at
Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, CA on Aug. 2, 2018. 
Photo: Robert Kinsler

"I loved the Raspberries and how they blended pop with the darker Small Faces screaming and always loved Eric's writing, not just the power pop, but the ballads too. His voice could kick ass on both!"–Rick Springfield

The project has received the blessing of the band, with Raspberries founding member Jim Bonfanti providing drums on four tracks

("I Wanna Be With You," "Tonight," "If You Change Your Mind," and "I Don't Know What I Want") and Eric Carmen who contributed the classic count-in on "Tonight."

Ken Sharp and Fernando Perdomo produced the compilation. Housed in a deluxe 6-panel digipak with a 20-page booklet featuring liner notes by renowned music journalist Howie Edelson, offering his spirited take on the band's enduring legacy, Play On: A Raspberries Tribute proves that great pop-rock is truly eternal.

   Strictly limited to 200 copies, the Play On exclusive bundle—available only through the label’s website                                       (tlak.rocks/playon)—includes:

• 2 collectible Raspberries postcards signed by band members Dave Smalley and Scott McCarl
• An exclusive 7" 45 RPM vinyl single with picture sleeve featuring “Go All The Way” by Rick Springfield b/w “Tonight” by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lou Gramm (Foreigner)

All profits from the 7” will benefit the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation animal rescue (www.lindablairworldheart.org).

Alongside Badfinger and Big Star, Raspberries are hailed as the architects of power pop. Tallying the smash hits "Go All The Way," "I Wanna Be With You," "Let's Pretend," and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," the group's electrifying sound was a thrilling combination of Beatlesque and Beach Boys melodicism hot-wired to the slashing power chord dynamite of The Who and Small Faces in one incredible package. Unabashed fans of the band include John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Stanley (KISS), Tom Petty, Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), and Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses). Springsteen cited the band as a pivotal inspiration when writing and recording 1980's The River. Decades later, he penned the liner notes for the Raspberries Live On Sunset Strip CD/DVD, sharing his love for the band.

The 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy spotlighted the band's biggest hit, "Go All The Way," introducing Raspberries to a new generation of music fans. 2025 saw the publication of a new super-sized 820+ page edition of Overnight Sensation: The Story of Raspberries by New York Times best-selling author Ken Sharp. 

Pre-sale: 8/12 (tlak.rocks/playon)

Street date: 9/12

AUDIO TEASER:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2KUH3d_ZIc

TRACKLISTING

DISC ONE

1.  “Go All The Way” - Rick Springfield

2.   “I Wanna Be With You” - Vicki and Debbi Peterson (The Bangles)

3.   “Let’s Pretend” - The Lemon Twigs

4.   “Come Around And See Me” - Katie Ferrara

5.   “Goin’ Nowhere Tonight” - The Caulfields

6.   “Don’t Want To Say Goodbye” - Robin Taylor Zander

7.   “Might As Well” - Jesse Bryson feat. The Kennedys

8.   “It Seemed So Easy” - The Spongetones

9.   "I Saw The Light" - Adelaide Estep

10 “Ecstacy” - Eric Dover (Jellyfish/Imperial Drag) feat. Eric Singer of KISS on drums

11 “On The Beach” - Darian Sahanaja (Brian Wilson band)

12 “If You Change Your Mind” - Ken Sharp

13 “Nobody Knows” - Chris Price

14 “I Reach For The Light” - Bird Streets

15 “Drivin’ Around” – Popdudes

16 “Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak” - P-Hux

17 “Waiting” - Olivia Rubini

18 “I Can Remember” - Karla DeVito (Meatloaf)

DISC TWO

1.   “Tonight” - Lou Gramm (Foreigner)

2.   “Play On” - The Lemon Twigs

3.   “I Don’t Know What I Want” - John Waite

4.   “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” – Shoes

5.   “All Through The Night” - The Hudson Brothers

6.   “Should I Wait” - Marshall Crenshaw

7.   “Cry” - Kasim Sulton (Utopia)

8.   “Making It Easy” – Brasko

9.   “Last Dance” - Evan Stanley

10 “I Can Hardly Believe You’re Mine” - John Powhida

11 “Rose Colored Glasses” - Rob Bonfiglio (Brian Wilson band)

12  “I’m A Rocker” - Ken Sharp (feat. Wally Stocker of The Babys)

13  “Party’s Over” - The Chefs (feat. Stan Lynch from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Dan Baird of Georgia Satellites)

14  “Cruisin’ Music” - Ronnie D’Addario

15  “Starting Over” - Tori Holub

16  “Hands On You” - Cherie Currie (The Runaways)

17  “Every Way I Can” - The Toms

18  “With You In My Life” - Willie Wilcox (Utopia)

19  “Please Let Me Come Back Home" - Bambi Kino (feat. members of Nada Surf and Guided by Voices)