Tuesday, December 13, 2011

This Date in Rock Music History: December 14

1956:  Bill Haley starred in the movie Don't Knock the Rock which opened in theaters (it had premiered December 12 in New York City.)
1959:  The Kingston Trio took over at #1 on the Album chart with Here We Go Again!".
1962:  Bill Wyman made his live debut with the Rollin' Stones (as they were known back then) at the Ricky Tick Club in the Star and Garter Hotel in Windsor, England.







       "Maria" from the classic movie 'West Side Story'...

1962:  The Singing Nun was #1 on the Album chart again with In the Wind from Peter, Paul & Mary leading three albums by the amazing trio in the Top 10.  The Second Barbra Streisand Album was third followed by Trini Lopez at PJ's and Elvis' Golden Records, Volume 3 by Elvis Presley.  The rest of the Top 10:  The landmark Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul by Ray Charles, the self-titled Peter, Paul and Mary at #7 after 86 weeks, Surfer Girl moved from 13-8 for the Beach Boys, the incredible Soundtrack to "West Side Story" was #9 after 112 weeks of release and (Moving) by Peter, Paul & Mary was 10th.
1963:  Dinah Washington, who dominated the R&B charts with 34 Top 10 hits from 1944-1961, died in Detroit, Michigan from drugs at age 39.



1963:  "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles rose to #1 in the U.K., knocking "She Loves You", also by the Beatles, out of the top spot  The Beatles became the first act to replace themselves at #1.






1964:  Petula Clark released the single "Downtown".
1966:  Elvis Presley's movie Spinout premiered in theaters.
1966:  Chad & Jeremy were guest stars on the popular television show Batman on ABC.
1967:  Brian Jones, guitarist of the Rolling Stones, collapsed and was admitted to a hospital in London.






            This classic by the Chambers Brothers propelled them to the Top 10...

1968:  Cheap Thrills by Big Brother & the Holding Company remained atop the Album chart.  Feliciano!  by Jose Feliciano continued to be runner-up and Electric Ladyland from the Jimi Hendrix Experience was third.  Glen Campbell moved from 16 to 4 with Wichita Lineman.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Second by Steppenwolf, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly edged up to 6, Time Peace/The Rascals' Greatest Hits was #7, Wheels of Fire from Cream, Gentle On My Mind by Glen Campbell came in ninth and The Time Has Come by the Chambers Brothers dropped to #10.
1968:  Marvin Gaye celebrated the new R&B #1 with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".
1968:  The great song "Wichita Lineman" took over at #1 on the Adult chart for Glen Campbell.




1968:  Marvin Gaye moved to the #1 position with his version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".  Diana Ross & the Supremes yielded with "Love Child" and Stevie Wonder was stuck at 3 with "For Once In My Life".  Dion's great song "Abraham, Martin And John" moved from 7 to 4.  The rest of a solid Top 10:  "Who's Making Love" from Johnnie Taylor, the Beatles' record-breaking "Hey Jude", Glen Campbell edged up with "Wichita Lineman", the Classics IV were at 8 with "Stormy", Bobby Vinton entered the list with his 32nd hit but only 8th Top 10--"I Love How You Love Me" while Steppenwolf was descending with "Magic Carpet Ride".
1972:  Ringo Starr's movie about Marc Bolan of T. Rex--Born to Boogie, also starring Elton John, debuted in London.
1974:  David Crosby and Graham Nash played a fundraiser for the United Farm Workers in San Francisco, California.
1974:  The Three Degrees had the adult chart measured and moved their song "When Will I See You Again" to #1.
1974:  Elton John was red-hot as his remake of "Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds" rose from 36-9.  Paul McCartney, one of the writers of that song, had the other new Top 10 with his double-sided "Junior's Farm"/"Sally G".






BTO arrived on the scene with 'Not Fragile', which included "Rock Is My Life and This Is My Song".

1974:  Elton John remained at #1 on the Album chart with his Greatest Hits album for the third week.  It's Only Rock 'N Roll from the Rolling Stones was stuck on 2 and Not Fragile by BTO came in third.
1976:  Led Zeppelin began rehearsing for their first tour of the United States in two years.  However, due to the death of Robert Plant's son, the tour was cut short after a couple of months, and the band remained out of the public light for several more years.






1980:  Yoko Ono, John Lennon's widow, asked for a 10-minute silent vigil around the world for the beloved star who had been shot to death six days earlier.  Over 100,000 people crammed Central Park in New York City to pay tribute.
1981:  The Police played the first of three nights at Wembley Arena in London.





1982:  Bob Seger released his great single "Shame On The Moon".
1985:  James Taylor married actress Kathryn Walker in New York City.
1985:  Whitney Houston scored her first #1 in the U.K. with "Saving All My Love For You".





  Streisand does an amazing job with "Somewhere" from her 'Broadway' Album...

1985:  Two new albums debuted in the Top 10.  Barbra Streisand moved from 13-7 with The Broadway Album while Rush entered the list with Power Windows.
1986:  Elton John recorded a live version of "Candle In The Wind" with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia.
1991:  Amy Grant registered week #3 at the top of the Adult Contemporary chart with "That's What Love Is For".





1991:  Michael Jackson debuted at #1 on the Album chart with Dangerous.  Former #1 Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks, however, continued at #2 while the previous #1, Achtung Baby by U2, dropped to 3 in its second week.  Too Legit to Quit by Hammer was behind them with Michael Bolton's Time, Love & Tenderness, Nevermind from Nirvana, Use Your Illusion II by Guns N' Roses, the self-titled Metallica debut, Cooleyhighharmony by Boyz II Men moved from 13-9 and Mariah Carey chalked up another week in the Top 10 for her second album Emotions.




1992:  Arrested Development released the single "Mr. Wendal".
1995:  U.S. President Bill Clinton had classified documents released that revealed that the FBI had indeed spied on John Lennon and his antiwar activities during the Nixon Administration in an attempt to have Lennon deported, just as Lennon had claimed.
1995:  The television special Frank Sinatra:  80 Years My Way was shown on ABC.





1996:  One of The Top Songs of the 90's--"Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton continued at #1.











1997:  Kurt Winter, guitarist and songwriter of the Guess Who, died of kidney failure at the age of 51. (Note:  'Allmusic.com' and other websites report that Kurt died on December 13.  This is incorrect, according to the book 'Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door' by Nick Talevski, the newspaper 'The Winnipeg Free Press', as well as the 'BBC' and other reputable sources.  Winter died December 14.)
1998:  Billy Preston pleaded guilty to insurance fraud in a Los Angeles court and agreed to testify against six other defendants.
1999:  Paul McCartney returned to the place where it all started, playing a show before 300 at the cramped Cavern Club in Liverpool.  It was the first time he had performed there since 1963.
2003:  Dido had the #1 album in the U.K. with Life for Rent.
2003:  Alicia Keys had the top U.S. album with The Diary of Alicia Keys.
2004:  Thousands of mourners attended a memorial for the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell in Arlington, Texas.  Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wylde were among the attendees.
2005:  Andy Bell of Erasure announced he was HIV-positive. (Note:  some websites claim this date was December 17, but it was on December 14, according to 'People' magazine and 'MTV'.
2005:  Jimmy Page, guitar legend from Led Zeppelin, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his work with street children from Brazil.
2006:  Ahmet Ertegun, president of Atlantic Records, died at age 83 in a hospital in New York City after being in a coma from injuries suffered in a fall over a month earlier.
2010:  Barbra Streisand was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in Sacramento.

Born This Day:  
1911:  Spike Jones ("All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" was born in Long Beach, California); died from emphysema from years of heavy smoking on May 1, 1965 in Beverly Hills, California.

1932:  Charlie Rich ("The Most Beautiful Girl" and "Behind Closed Doors" from 1973) was born in Colt, Arkansas; died of a pulmonary embolism July 25, 1995 in Hammond, Louisiana.
1937:  Warren Ryanes of the Monotones was born in Newark, New Jersey; died June 16, 1982.
1938:  Gary Usher, songwriter ("In My Room" with the Beach Boys) and producer who worked with the Byrds, was born in Los Angeles; died of cancer in Los Angeles May 25, 1990.
 1943:  Frank Allen, bassist for the Searchers, was born in Hayes, West London, England.
1946:  Joyce Vincent-Wilson of the group Dawn was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1946:  Jackie McAuley, keyboardist of Them ("Gloria"), was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.
1947:  Patty Duke, actress who had a hit with "Don't Just Stand There" in 1965, was born in Queens, New York.  (Note:  some websites state that Duke was born in Elmhurst--Elmhurst is a neighborhood, not a city.)
1949:  Cliff Williams, bass guitarist for AC/DC, was born in Romford, Essex, England.
1975:  Brian Dalyrimple of Soul for Real ("Candy Rain" from 1995)

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