NEWS

A Letter from Rod's Producers
We're Cheryl Pawelski and Andy Zax, the producers who've been overseeing Rhino/Warner Bros.'s ongoing work on Rod's catalog. We wanted to take a moment to introduce ourselves and tell you a little bit about what we have planned for the coming months.   We know that hardcore Rod fans have been eagerly awaiting news about upcoming projects, and we truly appreciate your enthusiasm and excitement, as well as your patience. Because Rod is the global icon that he is, and because his music means many things to many groups of people, we've created a diverse slate of releases that are tailored to different audiences. We began last fall with the release of "The Definitive Rod Stewart"/"Some Guys Have All The Luck," and continued with the expanded "Unplugged...and seated" earlier this year.   While both of those releases had some new audio content (and a lot of new DVD content), we're pretty sure that a many of you may have been thinking: "Is that it? What about unreleased material? What about B-sides and remixes and compilation tracks and live stuff? Aren't you going to do something with all of that?"   In a word: yes!   We've spent the last year going through every single Rod Stewart tape held by the Warner Music Group, as well as Rod's manager Arnold Stiefel's private warehouse of unexplored material, and over the next 18 months we'll be deluging you with the results of our labors.      On June 30th, we'll be releasing 2 CD Collectors' Editions of Atlantic Crossing and A Night On The Town. Each of these has been carefully remastered from first-generation tapes (especially notable in the case of A Night On The Town, as we managed to find the original album master which had been missing since 1976--the improvement in quality is massive). Each includes pertinent non-LP material from the period, as well as an entire disc of previously unreleased outtakes and alternate versions. (Collectors Editions of Foot Loose And Fancy Free and Blondes Have More Fun will follow in early 2010.)   Even before that, we'll be rolling out expanded digital editions of Rod's 1980-2001 albums May 19th (for the US & Canada, the rest of the world to follow shortly thereafter). These are intended for a more general, less-hardcore audience, and although they do include some things you won't have heard before (we're especially partial to a 1980 studio rough in which Rod and the band discover the seeds of something that would blossom into "Young Turks" the following year), we want to make sure that you know that this is just the tip of the iceberg:  the bulk of the unreleased and rare material will be arriving in different ways, and it will be available on CD.   We feel pretty confident in saying that for serious Rod aficionados, the biggest event of 2009 will be the release of a brand new boxed set.  We're sworn to secrecy about the details for a little while longer, but we're really excited about this box, and we think that you will be, too.    But wait!--as they say on TV--That's not all! 2010 will see the arrival of a decades-spanning 4CD live retrospective. We're also planning a series of internet-only CD releases designed with the serious Rod Stewart fan in mind. There will be volumes devoted to b-sides and remixes, an Out Of Order Collectors' Edition, the long-delayed debut of the legendary lost album Once In A Blue Moon, and more.   By the time we get finished, we hope you'll feel like we've given Rod's catalog the care and attention that it has long deserved.   We're really looking forward to the next 18 months, and we hope that you enjoy hearing all of this music as much as we enjoyed putting it all together. We hope you'll let us know what you think.   In Rod We Trust!   -CP/AZ Click HERE to listen to Too Much Noise (Early Version of Stone Cold Sober) From Atlantic Crossing Collector's Edition (Disc 2) Click HERE to listen to The Ball Trap (Early Version) From A Night of the Town Collector's Edition (Disc 2)
ROD STEWART AND JEFF BECK ON STAGE TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 25 YEARS
(Los Angeles, CA - April 22, 2009) For the first time in over 25 years, last night recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Jeff Beck was joined by former band mate and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart for a surprise two song performance at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.  The duo performed their 80's hit remake "People Get Ready" and "I Ain't Superstitious," originally recorded in 1968 during Stewart's tenure as the vocalist in The Jeff Beck Band.  Beck and Stewart were visibly moved as the SRO audience cheered as they witnessed this historic reunion.
ROD STEWART, UNPLUGGED... AND UNFORGETTABLE
Warner Bros. Spotlights Stewart's Intimate 1993 Acoustic Performance With Remastered Collector's Edition, Including Two Bonus Songs, Plus the Original Broadcast on DVD for the First Time Ever Available March 10 From Rhino Records LOS ANGELES -- More than 20 years after Rod Stewart achieved superstardom, the shag-topped rocker took to the stage at Universal Studios in Los Angeles for a performance filmed for MTV's Unplugged series. The stellar concert featured a reunion with guitarist Ron Wood -- with whom Stewart played in the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces -- and resulted in a hit album that peaked at #2 on the Billboard album charts and contained a Top 10 cover of Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately." Warner Bros. captures the excitement and emotion of Stewart's ebullient performance with a Collector's Edition that contains a remastered and expanded version of the original album. Also included is the DVD debut of the performance, which aired on MTV but has never been released in any format. The CD features two songs that did not appear on the original album. UNPLUGGED. . .AND SEATED will be available March 10 from all retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for suggested list prices of $24.98 (CD/DVD) and $11.99 (digital/audio only). Recorded February 1993, UNPLUGGED. . .AND SEATED encompasses many of Stewart's most beloved songs, such as "Maggie May," "Every Picture Tells A Story," "Tonight's The Night," and "Hot Legs." The Collector's Edition includes two tracks on the CD not included on the original: "Gasoline Alley," the B-side of the single  "Have I Told You Lately"; and the previously unissued "Forever Young." For the performance, Stewart took his position on a stool in the middle of a small army of musicians -- nine core players, three male backing vocalists, and a full string section. The intimate setting put the focus on Stewart and his ability to fully inhabit a song, while also illuminating the songs that had come to define him; those he'd written himself ("Mandolin Wind"), and those he'd made his own ("Have I Told You Lately" written by Van Morrison). This was a special occasion in another way, marking the reunion of Stewart and his longtime friend Ron Wood. Since the breakup of the Faces in 1975, the former partners had seldom performed together, with Wood joining the Rolling Stones fulltime. Near the end of the show, the duo lead a spirited version of the Faces' classic rave-up, "Stay With Me," that peaks with Stewart jumping off his seat. The show closes with a triumphant cover of "Having A Party," originally recorded by Sam Cooke, one of Stewart's idols. For additional information regarding UNPLUGGED. . .AND SEATED (COLLECTOR'S EDITION), please contact Lellie Capwell in the WMG Media Relations Department at 818-238-6246 or Lellie.Capwell@wmg.com UNPLUGGED. . .AND SEATED (COLLECTOR'S EDITION) Track Listing CD 1. "Hot Legs" 2. "Tonight's The Night" 3. "Handbags And Gladrags" 4. "Cut Across Shorty" 5. "Every Picture Tells A Story" 6. "Maggie May" 7. "Reason To Believe" 8. "People Get Ready" 9. "Have I Told You Lately" 10. "Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda)" 11. "The First Cut Is The Deepest" 12. "Mandolin Wind" 13. "Highgate Shuffle" 14. "Stay With Me" 15. "Having A Party" 16. "Gasoline Alley"* 17. "Forever Young"* DVD 1. "Hot Legs" 2. "Tonight's The Night" 3. "Cut Across Shorty" 4. "Reason To Believe" 5. "Every Picture Tells A Story" 6. "Maggie May" 7. "People Get Ready" 8. "Handbags And Gladrags" 9. "Have I Told You Lately" 10. "Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda)" 11. "Mandolin Wind" 12. "Stay With Me" 13. "Having A Party" * Bonus Tracks
New dates have been posted for Florida, Singapore, China, Japan and Ireland!
Extensive Revamp Of The Grammy ® Winning Singer/Songwriter’s Warner Bros. Catalog Begins With The Definitive Rod Stewart Collections   Career-Spanning, New Two-CD Compilation Mines Hits, Essential Favorites And Includes Previously Unreleased Track From One of Music’s Most Enduring Legends   Special Three-Disc Deluxe Edition Boasts A Bonus DVD With Rare And Never-Before-Seen Videos   The Definitive Rod Stewart Available November 18 LOS ANGELES - With an estimated 250 million in album and single sales, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart arguably possesses one of rock’s greatest and most distinctive voices. For many years, he called Warner Bros. home, first as lead singer of the influential band the Faces and later as an internationally successful solo artist. This fall, Warner Bros. will launch a comprehensive catalog release campaign that focuses on Stewart’s solo years with Warner Bros., featuring Collector's Editions of some of the artist’s biggest-selling albums, a trio of boxed sets spotlighting studio, live and rare recordings, as well as compilations of Stewart’s duets, soundtrack contributions and more. Warner Bros. launches the singer/songwriters' catalog revamp with the November 18 release of THE DEFINITIVE ROD STEWART available in two versions: a standard two-CD edition and a deluxe edition that includes a bonus DVD of music videos. As one of Billboard magazine's most successful chart artists of all time, the newly assembled collection offers 30 of his greatest, showcasing not only his unmistakable rasp, but also his evocative songwriting and unique ability to inhabit a song. The collections will be available at all retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for suggested list prices of $19.98 (standard edition), $24.98 (deluxe edition), and $14.99 (digital). Arranged chronologically, Stewart’s early solo years are represented by several cuts ("Maggie May" "You Wear It Well") from the unforgettable classics, Every Picture Tells A Story (1971) and Never A Dull Moment (1972). The opening disc also includes "Stay With Me," a nod to Stewart’s time with the Faces. The second half of the disc shifts to Stewart’s Warner Bros. years with the stadium-swooning ballad, "Sailing," the #1 smash "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)," the Top 10 hit "You’re In My Heart" and "Da Ya Think I’m Sexy" from the #1 album Blondes Have More Fun (1978). The second disc concentrates on music Stewart made during the '80s and '90s, including "Infatuation," "Some Guys Have All The Luck," "Love Touch," "Forever Young" and "Motown Song" from the Top Ten album Vagabond Heart (1991). Among the other highlights is a rare studio version of Tom Waits' "Tom Traubert’s Blues," as well as a cover of Waits' "Downtown Train" that Stewart took to #1, and "Have I Told You Lately" and "Reason To Believe"—a pair of standout performances recorded for MTV’s Unplugged series. The collection concludes with a previously unreleased track, "Two Shades Of Blue," recorded in 1998 during the When We Were The New Boys session and features a sample of Borodin's "Prince Igor," which was also the main melody for "Stranger In Paradise" from Kismet. The deluxe version of THE DEFINITIVE ROD STEWART features a bonus DVD with 14 music videos for some of the artist’s most beloved songs. Spanning 1975 to 1998, the video collection includes some never-before or rarely seen videos such as "Sailing," "The Killing Of Georgie (Part I & II)" from A Night On The Town and "She Won’t Dance With Me," along with MTV-era staples like “Hot Legs,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” “Young Turks,” amongst others. Rod Stewart began his musical career in the mid-60s, and came to the forefront of the British pop music scene in 1968 with the Jeff Beck Group. He then teamed with the Small Faces (who subsequently changed their name to the Faces), and later released critically acclaimed solo records, including Every Picture Tells a Story, which made him world- famous. By the mid-'70s he’d gone solo for good, continuing a career of multiplatinum albums and chart-topping singles. Stewart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, a fitting tribute to a masterful songwriter and peerless vocalist. Between 2002 and 2005, Stewart released four Grammy ®-winning volumes of the The Great American Songbook, which comprise the biggest selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history, with a total of 17.5 million copies worldwide. Beginning with It Had To Be You…The Great American Songbook in 2002, followed by As Time Goes By…Volume II in 2003. Stardust…Volume III earned Stewart his first Grammy ® and entered the chart at #1 in 2004. Thanks For the Memory…The Great American Songbook Volume IV (2005) rounds out the Songbook series. 2006 saw the release of Still The Same…Great Rock Classics of Our Time, his first rock album in over eight years, which featured songs by his contemporaries and a return to his roots.   THE DEFINITIVE ROD STEWART Track Listing DISC ONE 1.     “Maggie May” 2.     “Mandolin Wind” 3.     “Every Picture Tells A Story” 4.     “Stay With Me” – the Faces 5.     “You Wear It Well” 6.     “Sailing” 7.     “The Killing Of Georgie, Parts 1 & 2” 8.     “Tonight's The Night” 9.     “The First Cut Is The Deepest” 10.  “You’re In My Heart” 11.  “I Was Only Joking” 12.  “Hot Legs” 13.  “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” 14.  “Passion” 15.  “Young Turks”   DISC TWO 1.     “Tonight I’m Yours” 2.     “Baby Jane” 3.     “Infatuation” 4.     “Same Guys Have All The Luck” 5.     “Love Touch” 6.     “Forever Young” 7.     “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” 8.     “Downtown Train” 9.     “This Old Heart Of Mine” – with Ronald Isley (1989 Version) 10.  “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” – (1989 Version) 11.  “Rhythm Of My Heart” 12.  “The Motown Song” – with the Temptations 13.  “Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda)” 14.  “Have I Told You Lately” – Unplugged Version 15. “Reason To Believe” – with Ronnie Wood (Unplugged Version) 16.  “Two Shades Of Blue” – previously unreleased (1998)** DISC THREE (DVD) – DELUXE EDITION only 1.     “Sailing” 2.     “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” 3.     “The Killing Of Georgie, Parts 1 & 2 4.     “The First Cut Is The Deepest” 5.     “You’re In My Heart” 6.     “Hot Legs” 7.     “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” 8.     “Ain’t Love A Bitch” 9.     “She Won’t Dance With Me” 10.  “Young Turks” 11.  “Tonight I’m Yours” 12.  “Baby Jane” 13.  “If We Fall In Love Tonight” 14.  “Ooh La La” **Previously unreleased
Warner Bros. will be launching an extensive reissue campaign of Rod Stewart's legendary catalog, beginning with the November 18 release of The Definitive Rod Stewart, which spans material recorded between 1971 and 2004, and will be available in two versions: a standard two-CD edition and a deluxe edition that includes a bonus DVD of music videos.   Arranged chronologically, Rod’s early solo years are represented by several cuts ("Maggie May" "You Wear It Well") from the unforgettable classics, Every Picture Tells A Story (1971) and Never A Dull Moment (1972). The opening disc also includes “Stay With Me,” a nod to Stewart’s time with the Faces. The second half of the disc shifts to Stewart’s Warner Bros. years with the stadium-swooning ballad, “Sailing,” the #1 smash “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright),” the Top 10 hit “You’re In My Heart” and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” from the #1 album Blondes Have More Fun (1978). The second disc concentrates on music Stewart made during the ’80s and ’90s, including “Infatuation,” “Some Guys Have All The Luck,” “Love Touch,” “Forever Young” and a previously unreleased track entitled “Two Shades Of Blue,” recorded in 1998 during the When We Were The New Boys session. The deluxe version of The Definitive Rod Stewart features a bonus DVD with 14 music videos for some of Rod’s most beloved songs. Spanning 1975 to 1998, the video collection includes some never-before or rarely seen videos such as “Sailing,” “The Killing of Georgie (Part I & II)” from A Night On The Town and “She Won’t Dance With Me,” along with MTV-era staples like “Hot Legs,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” “Young Turks,” amongst others. Here is the complete track listing: DISC ONE 1.     “Maggie May” 2.     “Mandolin Wind” 3.     “Every Picture Tells A Story” 4.     “Stay With Me” – the Faces 5.     “You Wear It Well” 6.     “Sailing” 7.     “The Killing Of Georgie, Parts 1 & 2” 8.     “Tonight's The Night” 9.     “The First Cut Is The Deepest” 10.  “You’re In My Heart” 11.  “I Was Only Joking” 12.  “Hot Legs” 13.  “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” 14.  “Passion” 15.  “Young Turks”   DISC TWO 1.     “Tonight I’m Yours” 2.     “Baby Jane” 3.     “Infatuation” 4.     “Same Guys Have All The Luck” 5.     “Love Touch” 6.     “Forever Young” 7.     “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” 8.     “Downtown Train” 9.     “This Old Heart Of Mine” – with Ronald Isley (1989 Version) 10.  “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” – (1989 Version) 11.  “Rhythm Of My Heart” 12.  “The Motown Song” – with the Temptations 13.  “Have I Told You Lately” – Unplugged Version 14.  “Reason To Believe” – with Ronnie Wood (Unplugged Version) 15.  “Two Shades Of Blue” – previous unreleased (1998)** DISC THREE (DVD) – DELUXE EDITION only 1.     “Sailing” 2.     “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” 3.     “The Killing Of Georgie, Parts 1 & 2 4.     “The First Cut Is The Deepest” 5.     “You’re In My Heart” 6.     “Hot Legs” 7.     “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” 8.     “Ain’t Love A Bitch” 9.     “She Won’t Dance With Me” 10.  “Young Turks” 11.  “Tonight I’m Yours” 12.  “Baby Jane” 13.  “If We Fall In Love Tonight” 14.  “Ooh La La” **Previously unreleased
With 10 sellout shows, Rod Stewart's tour through Australia and New Zealand was a total triumph!!! Check out The New Zealand Hearld's writeup on the tour below: 5:00AM Tuesday February 19, 2008 By Joanna Hunkin  Anyone who has ever questioned how Rod Stewart pulls so many hot young things obviously hasn't seen him in the flesh. The man oozes charisma and, dare I say it, sex appeal, even at 63. Starting his month-long Australasian tour at the Vector Arena last night in the first of two Auckland shows, the raspy-throated Brit took the audience on an aural tour of the musical history of the late 20th century. Playing a variety of his own hit singles and unique covers of other people's work, Stewart narrated the journey with sporadic commentary, including details of when the songs were recorded and who wrote them. "This next song's by Van Morrison," he said, introducing Have I Told You Lately. "A great songwriter. And a miserable person." Despite spending most of this century recording his Great American Songbook series, Stewart returned to his roots for the sold-out show, playing favourites including Sailing, You Wear It Well, Maggie May and Hot Legs complete with a candid photo of Stewart wearing his wife's stilettos and a nurse costume at a New Year party three years ago. And yes, he sang Do Ya Think I'm Sexy. He also drew on his latest album, Still the Same: Great Rock Classics of Our Time from 2006, playing iconic songs by artists such as Morrison, Cat Stevens and Bonnie Tyler. Standout moments included an extended version of The Rhythm of My Heart and Sam Cooke's Twisting the Night Away. Accompanied by three back-up singers - each of whom could give Tina Turner a run for her money - and an eight-piece band, Stewart was happy to share the stage and showcase the group's talents, often wandering off stage while players took their turn in the limelight. He also incorporated his passion for soccer into the two-hour show. As well as having various clips of Celtic FC and the team's logo emblazoned on the stage floor, Stewart displayed his own soccer skills, kicking balls high and wide into the audience throughout the evening. At times the dancing was comical - the vision of Stewart spanking his own derriere will never be forgotten - and the overuse of sequins was somewhat bewildering. But Stewart is no joke. The 63-year-old performed every track with gusto, his gritty vocals remaining pitch-perfect and tender. He may be a showman of old ... but he is definitely not an old showman.
Rod Stewart was recently honored in New Zealand for his 6 x Platinum sales across the “American Songbook” titles and the “Still The Same” album.   Pictured here during the disc presentation, from left to right are: Terry Anderson Buyer for NZ largest music retailer The Warehouse, Scott Morrison SONYBMG Publicity & Promotions Manager, Lynn Anderson, Noel Barkley SONYBMG NZ Director of sales, Kim Boshier SONYBMG NZ Director OF Marketing, Teresa Hooper The Warehouse assistant buyer.
New Tour dates announced!
Rod is currently touring in New Zealand and Australia and will finish International tour in Denmark on June 12th. On-Sale dates for Rod's US tour have been announced. View them here.
Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster Married
Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart married at sunset on Saturday, June 16 in a cloistered medieval abbey at La Cervara near Portofino, Italy. The couple exchanged vows in the presence of 100 family and friends. A reception followed overlooking the exquisite coast of Santa Margherita. Dinner, dancing, and fireworks lasted until the early hours as the newlyweds, who succeeded in keeping their special day private, went off on a Mediterranean holiday.
Rod Stewart is touring Europe! Check the tour section for a complete set of dates!
New video performance footage has been added. Visit the media section to view live performances of "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" and "Have you ever Seen the Rain!" Only on RodStewart.com!
Rod Stewart Rocks Times Square!
Rod Stewart rocked Times Square last week at the Nokia Theatre in NYC! If you missed this landmark event don’t worry. You can watch the entire live concert exclusively at MSN Music.  Watch all the live performances off his new album "Still The Same...Great Rock Classics Of Our Time" including "Fooled Around and Fell in Love", "Have you ever Seen the Rain", "It's a Heartache" and more!
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New Album Out Now!
Rod Stewart's new album is in stores now and we've got the inside scoop for you! "Still The Same...Great Rock Classics Of Our Time" is an exciting dive deep into the most well-known and favorite rock songs originally recorded by artists such as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and John Fogerty. Rod lends his raspy vocals to these classic hits and carves out a niche for himself in unique takes on songs like Bonnie Tyler's "It's A Heartache," "Fooled Around And Fell In Love", Bob Seger's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" and many more. Pick up the album now!

EVENTS

MEDIA

Have You Ever Seen The Rain

Fooled Around And Fell In Love

BIO

ROD STEWART
STILL THE SAME…GREAT ROCK CLASSICS OF OUR TIME

With the release of STILL THE SAME…GREAT ROCK CLASSICS OF OUR TIME, Rod Stewart returns to his roots. A landmark recording of great songs by his contemporaries, and Stewart's first rock album in over eight years, STILL THE SAME…follows the unprecedented success of his Grammy-award winning Great American Songbook series. The four volumes of The Great American Songbook released between 2002 and 2005, comprise the biggest selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history, with a total of fifteen million copies worldwide.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart has one of the greatest and most distinctive voices in rock history. Throughout his almost forty-year career, he has applied that unmistakable tone to material by everyone from the Rolling Stones to Tom Waits. Just as the often-imitated “Songbook” albums focused on unforgettable compositions from the ‘30s and ‘40s, STILL THE SAME… concentrates on music from an unprecedented era – the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, when rock songwriting was truly breaking through to new heights.
On STILL THE SAME…, Stewart takes ownership of a thoughtfully chosen set of songs crafted by such masters as Bob Dylan (“If Not For You”), Van Morrison (“Crazy Love”), Bob Seger (“Still the Same”), and John Fogerty (“Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” the first radio single from the album). Several of Stewart’s other selections sound like they were written for his signature, inimitable rasp in the first place, like Bonnie Tyler’s “It’s a Heartache” and “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” a 1976 hit for Elvin Bishop.
“We’ve chosen tracks very carefully to go with my voice,” says Stewart. “We felt that these were songs that were due for a revisit, and made sure that they blend together as a single piece of work.”

Produced by John Shanks - winner of the 2005 “Producer of the Year” Grammy award, who has worked with such artists as Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge - and co-produced by Clive Davis, STILL THE SAME… features a lean band of top-notch session musicians including Kenny Aronoff and Dean Parks. (“We had a really well-rounded band,” says Stewart, “and a pretty good singer, too!”) The range of its production is displayed in sounds from the soaring Badfinger hit “Day After Day” to the most contemporary song included, the Pretenders’s 1994 ballad “I’ll Stand By You.”

Having developed a whole new audience through the “Songbook” series, with STILL THE SAME…GREAT ROCK CLASSICS OF OUR TIME, Rod Stewart has once again changed his tune.
* * *

It starts, of course, with the voice. A voice that best-selling author Chuck Klosterman referred to in Spin magazine as "the single greatest male singing voice of the rock era." A voice so distinctive, said "Songbook" III and IV producer Steve Tyrell, that "he sings just two notes and you know it’s Rod Stewart."

Rod Stewart and his characteristically throaty, impressively expressive, and surprisingly versatile voice had been knocking around the London club scene with groups like Steampacket and Long John Baldry’s band before he connected with ace guitarist Jeff Beck in 1968. Their collaborations in the Jeff Beck Group brought Stewart to the spotlight on the blazing Truth and Beck-Ola albums (both of which were just reissued in expanded, re-mastered editions). But it was when Stewart joined forces with the greatest party band in rock history, the magnificent Faces, that he truly hit his stride.

For about a half-dozen years, Stewart went back and forth between recording and touring with the Faces ("punk prototypes," as Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy has called them) and launching his own wildly successful solo career. After his first two albums on his own—1969’s The Rod Stewart Album and 1970’s Gasoline Alley—revealed the range and artistry of a vocalist previously best known as a shouter, everything came together for Every Picture Tells a Story in 1971. Universally acknowledged as one of the greatest rock albums of all time, it includes Stewart’s soulful, commanding takes on folk, R&B, and blues material; the astonishing title track; and the international Number One smash, "Maggie May." The album also demonstrated that along the way, he had become a top-flight songwriter.

In the years that followed, Stewart solidified his standing as a superstar. "Tonight’s the Night" proved an even bigger hit than "Maggie May," and while other rockers lost ground to a global outbreak of disco fever in 1978, Stewart simply responded with another Number One hit, the notorious "Do Ya Think I’m Sexy."

Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Rod Stewart remained a consistent presence on the charts, with smashes like "Young Turks," "Forever Young," "Downtown Train," and the massive "All for Love" trio alongside Sting and Bryan Adams. His Unplugged…and Seated set reunited him with Faces mate Ron Wood, and resulted in a big hit with his intimate version of Van Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately.” As the century turned, Stewart underwent throat surgery to remove a benign cancerous node, and also tackled some of his most ambitious material—from contemporary Brit-pop on When We Were the New Boys to new-school R&B on Human.

But no one would have predicted that the next move for this rock & roll icon would be an album titled It Had to Be You…The Great American Songbook, a collection devoted to the craft and elegance of songs like "The Way You Look Tonight" and "These Foolish Things." Stewart maintained, however, that the project was actually a long time coming. "It wasn’t a sudden impulse or urge," he said, "it’s something I’d been wanting to do for as far back as I can remember."

And the more you think about it, the more logical a step it actually was. Rod Stewart has always been a remarkable interpretive singer—throughout his career, he’s recorded songs by the finest contemporary songwriters, from Bob Dylan to Curtis Mayfield, from John Lennon and Paul McCartney to Cat Stevens. Aside from that unique vocal tone, perhaps his greatest strength is his ability to put across a great set of lyrics clearly and directly.

“I prefer doing slower numbers," Stewart said as far back as 1970, in an interview with Rolling Stone at the height of the Faces’ popularity. "For a vocalist, a slower number lends itself better than anything else. In opportunities for phrasing, it’s much more free." Certainly, his cosmopolitan, jet-set persona meshed easily with the sophistication and sexiness exemplified by America’s pop classics.

If anyone still argued that this new iteration of Rod Stewart—complete with bow tie rakishly undone in the cover photo—seemed at all far-fetched, the public immediately said otherwise. It Had to Be You…The Great American Songbook entered the charts at Number Four, Stewart’s highest perch in years, and went on to sell more than five million copies. Not that anyone knew what the public response would be—“Rod was doing it out of sheer determination,” said manager Arnold Stiefel. “As he said to me, we’ve waited 20 years to sing these songs and I’m going to give them my all, and if the album sells 25,000 copies, so be it.”

"The key to it all is trying to put my own stamp on these songs,” said Stewart, “because they have been done so many times—just not by someone who sang ‘Hot Legs’ and ‘Maggie May!’"

In explaining the unprecedented success of the “Songbooks,” some claimed it was simply because Stewart’s singing was better than ever. Said Ringo Starr, whose 1970 Sentimental Journey is probably the first standards album recorded by a rocker, "Rod had that operation, and he still does the hoarse thing, but it’s so mellow now, it’s more musical for me."

As Stewart took to the road behind It Had to Be You…The Great American Songbook, he continued to strengthen a following for this material. The "From ‘Maggie May’ to the Great American Songbook Tour" (captured on the One Night Only! Live at Royal Albert Hall DVD) was completely sold out for three years in a row. In 2003, he released As Time Goes By…The Great American Songbook Volume II. This time, he entered the charts at Number Two. Duets with Cher and Queen Latifah helped expand his audience—which, judging from concert attendance, now included both the parents and the children of the baby boomers who grew up with Rod—even further.

With 2004’s Stardust…The Great American Songbook Volume III, the "Songbook" series established itself as a truly historic phenomenon. The album entered the charts at Number One—the first chart-topping debut of Stewart’s career, and his first Number One in more than 25 years. Guests on Stardust included Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder, adding a more modern edge to these beloved tunes. The tour was one of the year’s five biggest, and Stewart—who just a few years earlier seemed well past his days atop the charts—was, according to Rolling Stone, the sixth highest-grossing artist of the year. And to cap it all off, there was that long-awaited Grammy for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal," Stewart’s first trophy after 14 nominations over the years.

With Thanks for the Memory…The Great American Songbook Volume IV, he took the approach into new and surprising directions. In addition to streamlining the arrangements, he shook up the “Songbook” formula by adding some different flavors into the mix, especially a duet with Chaka Khan on Sam Cooke’s "You Send Me"—"It’s like treading on hallowed ground," said Stewart, a lifelong Cooke fan —and songs alongside Elton John and Diana Ross.

Everyone involved in the “Songbook” albums points to one element that sustained the idea beyond a one-off novelty, and that’s Stewart’s own growing confidence. Since establishing a natural fit with this material on It Had to Be You…, the raspy-voiced legend refined his selections and arrangements with each volume, while retaining the fluid phrasing and light touch that have won over millions of listeners.

Producer Steve Tyrell said that it’s no surprise that Stewart’s vocal technique kept improving with each go-round. "You must become a better singer when you sing these songs," he said. "They take your voice to places that contemporary music doesn’t go. It’s like going to some kind of University of Higher Music."

The Great American Songbook series pushed Rod Stewart’s career into uncharted territory—he’s selling more records than ever and cultivating a new and growing audience in his fifth decade as a performer. "Rod has become an inspiration to all artists," says Arista/J Records founder/BMG U.S. Chairman & CEO Clive Davis, "showing how long a truly great career can soar when one is willing to broaden and reinvent oneself."

After Thanks for the Memory…The Great American Songbook Vol. IV, there was talk about recording a collection of soul classics. Clive Davis, however, came up with the idea of revisiting the rock songs that Stewart’s fans had grown up with. The triumphant result is STILL THE SAME…GREAT ROCK CLASSICS OF OUR TIME, on which Stewart takes all of the lessons learned from the “Songbooks” and applies them to the kind of songs he has always loved to sing – powerful, emotional, and heartfelt.

“I still listen to the ‘Songbook’ albums all the time,” says Stewart. “The attitude that I took from doing that series is that I’m standing on the shoulders of giants, and so this time I just wanted to be sure that I was bringing something else to the table – a twist and turn of the phrase, things like that.”

Though Stewart reveals that he has recently started picking up his acoustic guitar and writing songs again, he still enjoys this chapter of his singing career. “I love doing these concept records,” he says. “Realistically, there’s not many songwriters at my age still trying to release albums of their own music - when you get older, I think you just have to go about it in a different way.”

From brash pub-rocker to sophisticated balladeer, from soul man to folk troubadour to rock & roll shouter, Rod Stewart has been able to change sound and style over and over again. But one thing that’s never changed is the power of his singing. Four decades later, that truly is still the same.

“I can’t wait until January and our first gig in America,” says Stewart. “I love what I do.”

DISCOGRAPHY

Rod Stewart Still The Same...
Great Rock Classics Of Our Time



Track List:
1. Have You Ever Seen The Rain
2. Fooled Around And Fell In Love
3. I'll Stand By You
4. Still The Same
5. It's A Heartache
6. Day After Day
7. Missing You
8. Father & Son
9. The Best Of My Love
10. If Not For You
11. Love Hurts
12. Everything I Own
13. Crazy Love

Thanks For The Memory...
The Great American Songbook: Volume IV




Track List:
1. I've Got a Crush on You - featuring Diana Ross
2. I Wish You Love - featuring Chris Botti
3. You Send Me - featuring Chaka Khan
4. Long Ago and Far Away
5. Makin' Whoopee- featuring Elton John
6. My One and Only Love
7. Taking a Chance on Love
8. My Funny Valentine
9. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
10. Nevertheless - featuring Dave Koz
11. Blue Skies
12. Let's Fall in Love - featuring George Benson
13. Thanks for the Memory

Stardust...
The Great American Songbook: Volume III




Track List:
1. Embraceable You
2. For Sentimental Reasons (feat Dave Koz)
3. Blue Moon (feat Eric Clapton)
4. What A Wonderful World (feat Stevie Wonder)
5. Stardust
6. Manhattan (duet with Bette Midler)
7. S'Wonderful (feat Dave Grusin)
8. Isn't It Romantic (feat Dave Koz)
9. I Can't Get Started
10. But Not For Me
11. Kiss To Build A Dream On (feat Arturo Sandoval)
12. Baby, It's Cold Outside (duet with Dolly Parton)
13. Night And Day
14. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square

As Time Goes By...
The Great American Songbook: Volume II




Track List:
1. Time After Time
2. I’m In The Mood For Love
3. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
4. Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered (Duet with Cher)
5. 'Till There Was You
6. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
7. Where Or When
8. Smile
9. My Heart Stood Still
10. Someone To Watch Over Me
11. As Time Goes By (Duet with Queen Latifah)
12. I Only Have Eyes For You
13. Crazy She Calls Me
14. Our Love Is Here To Stay

It Had to Be You...
The Great American Songbook




Track List:
1. You Go To My Head (feat Dave Koz)
2. They Can't Take That Away From Me (feat Arturo Sandoval)
3. The Way You Look Tonight
4. It Had to Be You (feat Michael Brecker)
5. That Old Feeling (feat Arturo Sandoval)
6. These Foolish Things (feat Dave Koz)
7. The Very Thought of You
8. Moonglow (feat Arturo Sandoval)
9. I'll Be Seeing You
10. Everytime We Say Goodbye (feat Dave Koz)
11. The Nearness of You
12. For All We Know
13. We'll Be Together Again
14. That's All

LINKS