Sunday, June 26, 2011

This Date in Rock Music History: June 26

1955:  Decca Records announced that Bill Haley & the Comets had sold three million records in 13 months.
1955:  Elvis Presley played the first of three concerts at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.  (Note:  several websites claim Presley played at Kessler Air Force Base.  There is no such base in Mississippi--the correct spelling is Keesler.)
1961:  Little did we realize it at the time, but a group that would enjoy tremendous success in the '70s and '80s was first introduced on this date.  The Spinners debuted on the chart with their first single, "That's What Girls Are Made For".

1961:  The Marcels performed on the television show American Bandstand with their #1 smash "Blue Moon".
1961:  "Quarter To Three" by Gary U.S. Bonds hit #1.  
1963:  John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote "She Loves You" at Turk's Hotel in Newcastle, England.
1964:  The Beatles released the album A Hard Day's Night in the United States.
1964:  The Beatles played two concerts at Town Hall in Dunedin, New Zealand.
1965:  The Four Tops held on to #1 for the fourth week on the R&B chart with "I Can't Help Myself".





1965:  "Mr. Tambourine Man" by the Byrds reached #1 in a super Top 10.  The Four Tops fell to 2 after three weeks at #1 with "I Can't Help Myself",  Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs remained at #3 ("Wooly Bully") with the Rolling Stones climbing from 26 to 4 with "Satisfaction".  The rest of the Top 10:  Herman's Hermits at #5 with "Wonderful World", Elvis had song #6--"Crying In The Chapel", the Yardbirds moved up two with "For Your Love", Patti Page had #8 with "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte", the Beach Boys' former #1 "Help Me Rhonda" was at #9 and Johnny Rivers moved from 15-10 with "Seventh Son".
1966:  The Beatles returned to Hamburg, Germany for two concerts at Ernst Merck Halle, with a press conference in between.  Hamburg was the city whose clubs gave the group their start in the early 1960's.
1969:  Joni Mitchell was a guest on The Mama Cass Television Program on ABC-TV.




1971:  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds moved from 19-8 with "Don't Pull Your Love".
1971:  Emerson, Lake & Palmer topped the U.K. Album chart with Tarkus.
1971:  Stanley, Idaho's Carole King reached #1 for the first of five weeks on the Easy Listening chart with "It's Too Late".
1973:  Keith Richards' troubles continued as police raided his home in London.  They found guns, ammunition, Mandrax and Chinese heroin and arrested Richards once again.




1974:  Bad Company released their fantastic debut album.
1975:  Bob Dylan released the album The Basement Tapes on Columbia Records.
1975:  Sonny and Cher divorced.
1976:  Neil Diamond moved from 55 to 24 with "If You Know What I Mean".






1976:  America registered the #1 Adult song on this date with "Today's The Day".
1977:  Elvis Presley performed for the final time at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.













1980:  The Eagles were in concert in Cedar Falls, Iowa.











1981:  Monday was the usual date of release for singles, but radio stations began receiving Foreigner's new 45 "Urgent" on a Friday so they could play it over the weekend.  I know because I "camped out" at the post office box waiting to receive it so I could take it back to KFXD and be one of the first in the nation to play it (which we were).  (Note:  some websites falsely say the song was released Monday, June 22.  The album '4' was released July 2, while "Urgent" was released Friday the week before.)
1982:  "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor moved from 42 to 19 on this date.






1982:  Asia spent a second week at #1 on the Album chart with their self-titled debut.  Tug of War by Paul McCartney held on to 2 and Van Halen remained at #3 with Diver Down.  Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I was #4 followed by Human League's Dare and Willie Nelson's Always on My Mind.  The rest of the Top 10:  Toto IV was #7, Aldo Nova came in eighth, Rick Springfield remained at #9 with Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet and American Fool by John Cougar (Mellencamp) first entered the Top 10 of the Album chart at #10.
1982:  Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder held down #1 for a sixth week with "Ebony And Ivory".
1986:  James Hetfield, guitarist of Metallica, broke his wrist skateboarding.  The group was forced to cancel one date and Hetfield only sang vocals (with John Marshall taking his place on guitar) for the remainder of the tour. 
1993:  Ronald Isley married Angela Winbush.



1993:  Janet Jackson monopolized the Singles chart as "That's The Way Love Goes' remained at #1 for the seventh week in a row.
2000:  It's pretty bad when you have your own mother against you.  Eminem gave his deposition in a $10 million civil suit filed by his mother, Deborah Mathers-Briggs.  Ms. Mathers-Briggs claimed that Eminem defamed her character in songs and interviews.  You think?
2003:  In today's segment of "Inmates Run Rap Music", Mystikal (real name Michael Tyler) pleaded guilty to sexual battery in a Baton Rouge, Louisiana courtroom.  He was sentenced to six years behind bars.  (Note:  some websites falsely say this happened on June 27.  According to 'Billboard', he pleaded guilty on Thursday, June 26.)
2005:  Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Garbage and James Blunt were among the performers on the final day of the Glastonbury Festival in England.
2006:  B.B. King performed for U.S. president George W. Bush at the White House.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly list the date as January 26--it was June 26, according to the official website for George W. Bush as well as 'CBS News'.)




2012:  Maroon 5 released the album Overexposed.  (Note:  several websites report the album was released June 20.  According to 'Rolling Stone', it was released June 26.)








Born This Day:
1910:  Colonel Tom Parker (Andreas van Kuijk), Elvis Presley's manager, was born in Breda, Holland; died of a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada January 21, 1997. 

1938:  Billy Davis, Jr. of the 5th Dimension was born in St. Louis, Missouri.  (Note:  some websites insist Davis was born in 1940.  Not true, according to Billy himself in the book he co-wrote with wife Marilyn McCoo, 'Up, Up And Away'.  Billy states he was born in 1938.)
1941:  Brenton Wood ("Gimme' Little Sign") was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.
1942:  Larry Taylor, bass guitarist with Canned Heat, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1943:  Georgie Fame (real name Clive Powell), a keyboard player with Van Morrison and later a solo artist ("The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde" from 1968), was born in Leigh, Lancashire, England.



1946:  Brenda Holloway ("Every Little Bit Hurts" from 1964) was born in Atascadero, California.  (Note:  Several websites report Brenda was born on June 21.  According to the book 'California Soul:  Music of African Americans in the West' by Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje and Eddie S. Meadows, she was born on June 26.)  
1950:  Junior Daye of Sweet Sensation ("Sad Sweet Dreamer" from 1974) was born in Kingston, Jamaica.
1955:  Mick Jones, guitarist of the Clash, was born in Wandsworth, London, England.  (Note:  some websites claim Jones was born in Brixton, London, England.  According to the book 'The Clash:  Strummer, Jones, Simonon, Headon' by the Clash, Jones was born in Wandsworth.)    





1956:  Chris Isaak was born in Stockton, California.
1957:  Patty Smyth of Scandal before going solo ("Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" duet with Don Henley)
1959:  Stef Burns, guitarist of Huey Lewis and the News, was born in Oakland, California.
1960:  Chris Duffy of Waterfront ("Cry" from 1989). 
1961:  Terri Nunn, singer with Berlin, was born in Los Angeles, California.
1969:  Colin Greenwood, bass guitarist for Radiohead, was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.
1969:  Mark Decloedt, drummer of EMF, was born in Gloucester, England.  

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