Stones Open the Vault, Clapton Books the Royal Albert Hall, and Richard Thompson Delivers Album No. 20
Written by Jarvis Prime on October 17, 2026
Your weekend rundown from Pretoria Fields Radio: new music from rock's old guard, a farewell to a prog-rock voice, a Billy Joel anniversary, and big news from the radio business.
Good morning, south Georgia, and happy Saturday. Pour that second cup of coffee, because the rock and roll world had a busy week, and we've rounded it up for you.
First up, the Rolling Stones. They've announced Foreign Tongues, Loose Lips, a deluxe edition of Foreign Tongues, the studio album they released in July. It's due November 27 and adds five previously unreleased tracks: "Where There's A Will," "Who You Callin' Crazy," "Human Tide," "Bad Luck Hideaway" and "She Still Comes Around." One of the five is a Mick Jagger and Keith Richards duet, and the band says to expect blues, country and that familiar rhythm-driven Stones sound. It'll come out on vinyl, on a 2CD set and on digital.
Eric Clapton is heading back to one of his favorite rooms. Slowhand has announced four nights at London's Royal Albert Hall next May, on the 20th, 21st, 23rd and 24th, with a warm-up show in Birmingham, England, on May 17. Tickets went on sale Friday.
On the new-music shelf, Richard Thompson released Hippies, Thugs and Heroes this week on New West Records. It's his 20th solo studio album. He co-produced the 12 songs with James Frazee and recorded them near his home in Weehawken, New Jersey, cutting most of them in just two to four takes. The lead single is "Cocaine Walking, Booze Talking." Also out this week for the Americana crowd: a deluxe reissue of Dave Alvin's Blackjack David and new music from Bruce Cockburn, The Blood Of Others.
Blondie fans, there's news for you too. The band has announced High Noon, their 12th studio album and their first new music in nine years, and they've shared the first single, "Spectral Eyes." Pink Floyd has released newly restored hi-res footage of "Echoes" from the 1973 surf film Crystal Voyager, and an orange vinyl reissue of Meddle is on the way for National Album Day. U2 has also announced a world tour that opens with six Latin American shows in February and March.
Some sad news to pass along: David Surkamp, the frontman of the American progressive rock band Pavlov's Dog, has died at 73. He had led the band since 1972.
Now for a little time travel. Billy Joel's Storm Front came out in October 1989, and many references put the release on this date, October 17. That's the record that gave us "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "I Go to Extremes," and it went all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
And from our side of the microphone: Cumulus Media, one of America's biggest radio companies, has completed its Chapter 11 restructuring after getting FCC approval and is now privately owned, with its management team staying on. Meanwhile, a new Nielsen report says radio reaches more Americans each month than any other platform it measures. We're glad you're one of them. Stay tuned, and thanks for listening to Pretoria Fields Radio.
— The Pretoria Fields Radio news desk
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