This Date in Rock Music History: July 10

1958:  The Everly Brothers recorded "Devoted To You".



1961:  "Tossin' And Turnin'" moved to #1 for Bobby Lewis.  "The Boll Weevil Song" from Brook Benton was #2, followed by the former #1 "Quarter To Three" by Gary U.S. Bonds and Dee Clark's "Raindrops" at #4.
1963:  "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" by Rolf Harris had a hold on #1 on the Easy Listening chart.












1964:  The Beatles released the album A Hard Day's Night worldwide and the single "A Hard Day's Night" in the U.K.  The single was released July 13 in the United States.








1964:  Another Motown act released the song that would become their first big hit on this date--the Four Tops sent "Baby, I Need Your Loving" to radio stations.
1964:  Over 200,000 people lined the streets as the Beatles were en route to a reception in Liverpool, England to attend the premiere of their movie A Hard Day's Night at the Odeon Cinema.








1965:  The popular duo Sonny & Cher were unheard of until  their first single debuted on the chart July 10 and people began to take notice.  They would score 20 hits over the next eight years.  (Note:  some websites naively say that "I Got You Babe" was released either July 9 or July 10.  The song debuted on July 10.  It is physically impossible for a song to be released as a single, mailed to radio stations, listened to and added by stations to their playlists, reported to the trade papers, and printed and published, all in one day, much less the same day.  The song was released July 5 and debuted on the chart July 10.)
1965:  Herman's Hermits made an incredible move from 42 to 13 with "I'm Henry VIII, I Am".










1965:  The Four Tops racked up a sixth week at #1 on the R&B chart with "I Can't Help Myself".













1965:  The Rolling Stones hit #1 for the first time with "Satisfaction", knocking the Four Tops to 2 with "I Can't Help Myself".  
1966:  The Stones appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in a rerun of their February 13 performance.
1966:  The Shangri-Las, Johnny Tillotson, the Tymes, the Jive Five and the Castiles (with vocalist Bruce Springsteen) performed at the Surf 'n See Club in Seabright, New Jersey.

1967:  The Monkees released the single "Pleasant Valley Sunday".
1967:  Bobbie Gentry recorded "Ode To Billie Joe" in Studio C in the Capitol Tower in Hollywood, California.
1968:  Guitarist Eric Clapton announced that Cream would split after a farewell tour.
1968:  What a show this was--the Supremes and Stevie Wonder at the San Diego Sports Arena in California.
1969:  The Temptations TV special aired on syndicated television.
1969:  Brian Jones, former member of the Rolling Stones, was buried at Priory Road Cemetery in Cheltenham, England, following a funeral at the Hatherly Road Parish Church in Cheltenham attended by the Rolling Stones (except lead singer Mick Jagger, who was filming the movie Ned Kelly in Australia).
1971:  Smokey Robinson and the Miracles performed "The Tears Of A Clown" on American Bandstand.







1971:  Carole King of Stanley, Idaho (above) remained at #1 for the fourth straight week with "It's Too Late"/"I Feel The Earth Move".  The Raiders, from Boise, Idaho, held on to #2 with hit #19 for that great group--"Indian Reservation".  Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were still at 3 with "Treat Her Like A Lady" followed by the Carpenters and "Rainy Days And Mondays".  The rest of the Top 10:  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds at #5 with "Don't Pull Your Love", "You've Got A Friend" by James Taylor, Jean Knight moved from 12-7 with "Mr. Big Stuff", the Honey Cone were at 8 with "Want Ads", Jerry Reed remained at #9 with "When You're Hot, You're Hot" and Carly Simon entered the Top 10 with "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be".






1971:  Carole King made it three weeks in a row at #1 on the Adult chart with "It's Too Late".
1971:  Tapestry by Carole King was #1 on the Album chart for a fourth consecutive week.  She was just getting rolling.  The self-titled Carpenters album was runner-up while Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones was stuck at 3.  Paul & Linda McCartney held down #4 with Ram while the Soundtrack to "Jesus Christ Superstar" placed #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  James Taylor with Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, Jethro Tull's Aqualung at 7, Aretha Live at Fillmore West, 4 Way Street from CSNY at #9 and Marvin Gaye's great album What's Going On reached the Top 10.







1972:  Nilsson released the album Son of Schmilsson, with the contributions of ex-Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr, in the United States.  The album was released July 28 in the U.K.
1972:  Chicago released the album Chicago V on Columbia Records.
1974:  Gladys Knight & the Pips starred in a summer series on NBC-TV that ran for four episodes.
1974:  The United States Office of Immigration and Naturalization Services ordered John Lennon to leave the country within 60 days. 
1975:  Cher filed for a divorce from Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band, only 10 days after their marriage.
1976:  Rod Stewart's A Night on the Town paced the U.K. Album chart.
1976:  The Carpenters hit #1 on the Adult chart with "I Need To Be In Love".







1976:  Starland Vocal Band reached #1 with their first single "Afternoon Delight".  "Kiss And Say Goodbye" from the Manhattans moved from 9-2 and would threaten.  The Brothers Johnson were right behind, moving from 8-3 with "I'll Be Good To You".  The Captain & Tennille had #4--"Shop Around".  The rest of the Top 10:  Andrea True Connection had song #5--"More, More, More", Wings fell to 6 with their former #1 ("Silly Love Songs"), Dorothy Moore was at 7 with "Misty Blue", Gary Wright was following up "Dream Weaver" with another Top 10--"Love Is Alive", Hall & Oates fell to position #9 with "Sara Smile" and the Beatles registered their 31st Top 10 song, six years after their breakup, with "Got To Get You Into My Life".
1979:  Chuck Berry received a four month sentence in prison for income tax evasion.
1980:  U2 was in concert at the Clarendon Hotel in London.
1981:  Jerry Lee Lewis had an emergency operation on his stomach to repair a massive abdominal infection.  He had been operated on in June of 1984 and would go under the knife again in 1985.
1986:  Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead went into a diabetic coma.  He came out of it five days later.
1987:  John Hammond, producer and record company executive for Columbia Records, died at the age of 76 after a series of strokes in Manhattan, New York.  Hammond signed Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Ray Vaughan and produced Benny Goodman, Billie Holliday and Count Basie.

1989:  The Monkees were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1991:  Pearl Jam were at the Avalon in Boston, Massachusetts.
1993:  Bob Seger married Juanita Dorricott.

1993:  SWV (Sisters With Voices) took over at #1 with "Weak", replacing Janet Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes" after eight weeks.  UB40 moved to #4 with "Can't Help Falling In Love" and H-Town's "Knockin' Da Boots" was #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Robin S with "Show Me Love", Rod Stewart's 47th hit--"Have I Told You Lately" was at #7, "Dre Day" by Dr. Dre remained at 8, Expose was up to 9 with "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)" and Duran Duran closed out the list with "Come Undone".
1997: Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders married Lucho Brieva.
1998: Sheena Easton was available. She filed for divorce from husband Timothy Delarm.
2002: Dolly Parton began a tour, her first major tour in 10 years, at the Irving Plaza in New York City.
2004:  Pink, the Black Eyed Peas, the Darkness, and Muse helped kick off the T in the Park Festival in Balado, Scotland.
2008:  Beatles memorabilia fetched a pretty penny at Christie's Memorabilia auction in London.  The drum skin that was featured on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper album sold for $1.1 million, John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "Give Peace a Chance" sold for $832,257 (421,250 pounds) and a pair of Lennon's prescription tinted sunglasses fetched $79,000.  A rare reel-to-reel master recording of Jimi Hendrix Experience's performance at the Woburn Music Festival in 1968 attracted a buyer at $95,000, Hendrix's Marshall amplifier at that concert raised $50,000 and a pair of his flashy flared pants brought in $49,000.

2009:  Robert Plant was honored with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire medal by Prince Charles of England at Buckingham Palace.


Born This Day:
1937:  Sandy Stewart ("My Coloring Book" in 1963) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1937:  Gene Simmons ("Haunted House" from 1964) was born in Tupelo, Mississippi; died August 29, 2006 in Tupelo after a long illness.  Gene Simmons of KISS chose his stage name in tribute to the singer.  (Note:  one website claims Jumpin' Gene died August 28.  He died Tuesday, August 29 according to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times'.)
1943:  Jerry Miller of Moby Grape was born in Tacoma, Washington.

1947:  Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody and singer of the story "Alice's Restaurant" and "The City Of New Orleans", was born in Brooklyn, New York.  (Note:  some websites say Guthrie was born in Coney Island, New York.  Coney Island is not a city, but rather a section of Brooklyn, and Coney Island will never be shown on an official birth certificate for Guthrie.  He was born in Brooklyn.  Some websites say he was born June 10, while others say he was born August 10.  Arlo was born July 10, according to 'MTV'.)
1949:  Dave Smalley of the Young Rascals and the Raspberries, was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania. (Note:  some websites report Smalley was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania.  The newspaper 'The News-Herald' was located in Franklin, but it reported Smalley's birth in Oil City.)
1949:  Ronnie James Dio, lead singer of Black Sabbath, was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; died of stomach cancer May 16, 2010 in Houston, Texas.  (Note:  some websites report Dio was born in Cortland, New York.  According to 'Billboard', he was born in Portsmouth and moved with his family to Cortland when he was very young.  Numerous websites report he died in Los Angeles.  Ronnie died at the M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston where he had been treated for about six months.)








1949:  Greg Kihn ("Jeopardy" and "The Breakup Song") was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  (Note:  some websites report Greg was born in 1950.  While there are no reputable sources on his birth year, our best research indicates that he was born in 1949.)
1954:  Neil Tennant  of the Pet Shop Boys was born in West Lothian, Scotland.  (Note:  some websites claim Tennant was born in Gosforth, England, while others say he was born in North Shields, England, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, or North Shields, Northumberland, England.  According to the newspapers 'The Independent' and 'The Guardian',  Neil was born in West Lothian.)
1959:  Sandy West, drummer of the all-girl group the Runaways, was born in Long Beach, California; died of lung cancer in San Dimas, California October 21, 2006.
1970:  Jason Orange, singer for Take That, was born in Crumpsall, Manchester, England.







1980:  Jessica Simpson was born in Abilene, Texas.

Record for Top 10 Hits Out of the Gate

It may seem easy to the casual listener, but anyone who's ever picked up an instrument or tried to write the music for a song knows it isn't.  The odds of writing a song and ever hearing it on the radio are probably very near about 500,000 to 1.  So when a new artist not only can get radio to play their song but reaches the Top 10, it's a very big deal.  Even after one song, that certainly doesn't guarantee future success.

The following artists have followed up their intial Top 10 hits with many more.  Who do you think holds the Rock Era record for the most consecutive Top 10 songs to begin a career?  How many can you guess?  I will tell you that the record is 13, although that artist had been in a group prior to going solo.  Further, I will say that the majority of artists to achieve six Top 10's or more to open their career have been solo artists.

The Top Instrumentals of the Rock Era, Part 5

 You will find several lists of the top instrumentals so this one is far from being the only one.  I tried to base it on what the public thinks, leaving my personal bias out of it.  For it doesn't matter what a so-called "expert" or professional in the music business thinks.  History will always record what the public believes.


So I base a good deal of this list on chart performance at the time, single and album sales to this point in history, and how the song holds up today.  I have put a considerable amount of time and effort into coming up with this list.  Although I believe it contains The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*, it doesn't start getting great until the top 85 or so.  


What is great about instrumentals is that the songwriter is free to focus solely on the music.  Artists today have gotten away from that--when you strip the song from its jive and 21st century sound effects, all you have is the music.  By listening to these instrumentals, hopefully we'll get back to what matters when composing a song. 


 Of course, I do realize that beginning in the 1980's, we as a society began cutting music programs to the bone so really we have only ourselves to blame for the poor quality of "music" these days.  I know my own knowledge of music (I play the saxophone, clarinet and have played piano since age 5 and was in a group of 12 that was selected to sing at our church's world conference in Portland, Oregon and then toured throughout the country...) would not have been as great were it not for music education in the schools.  I hope we can get back to providing more funds for that, to stimulate our children's interest in music.

Getting back to the other "lists" you may see on the web.  They are great, but what is a music site without music?!  Thus, you actually get to hear the songs that are in the list.  Many I was not familiar with until I started researching for this special.


For navigation, the song titles are below the embedded YouTube video.  For ease of use, I have divided the rather large list including videos into 10 segments of 10 songs each.  Part Six will be on the blog July 12.  I strongly recommend playing each song in order--with any luck (if I've done my homework (and I have!)), each one should sound better than the last.  At least that's the goal.


Enjoy!

60.   "Outa-Space" by Billy Preston





"Outa-Space" is from the album "I Wrote a Simple Song".  Preston achieved the sound by running the sound from a clavinet through a wah wah pedal, improvising and calling out the chord changes to the backing band.  Preston wanted it released as a single but could only get it on the B-side to the title track from the album.  Well, once again, the record company was wrong.  As soon as radio DJ's received the song, they flipped it over and loved the song they started playing it instead.  "Outa-Space" reached #2 on the popular chart and was a #1 R&B hit.  The song won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental and sold over a million copies.  In the 90's, Intel used this song to promote the MMX-based Pentium processors.





Preston's keyboard wizardry has been recognized the world over, being invited to play on albums by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, the Jackson 5, Peter Frampton, Richie Sambora, Sly Stone, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Norah Jones, just to name a few.







59.   "Smokie" by Bill Black's Combo



Bill Black's Combo made several albums and had 19 hits.  "Smokie" reached #17 on the popular chart and was a #1 R&B record.

Bill Black learned music at the age of 14 on an instrument made by his father--a cigar box with a board nailed to it and strings attached. He soon began playing an upright bass fiddle and developed his "slap bass" technique. in 1952, Black began playing with guitarist Scotty Moore and the two played in bands with Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. In 1954,Black and Moore were asked by Sam Phillips of Sun Records to start a trio with Elvis Presley that would be known as "Elvis Presley and the Blue Moon Boys".  The group released five singles, toured the South and appeared regularly on the Louisiana Hayride.

RCA bought the recording contract and promoted the songs as being from Elvis Presley.  Black played on classics like "Heartbreak Hotel", "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock".  He was one of the first to use the Fender Precision bass (today's bass guitar).







58.   "Penetration" by the Pyramids



This single peaked at #18 but rather than being forgotten, has picked up steam over the years--it has withstood the test of time and even sounds fresh today.  





The Pyramids formed in Long Beach, California in 1961.  Their manager, John Hodge, suggested they wear Beatle wigs to their concerts and then through the wigs to the crowd halfway through the show to reveal their bald heads.  Hired girls would then rush the stage.  Occasionally, they would arrive at their shows on the back of an elephant or in a helicopter.  Soon, the Pyramids appeared on "Bandstand" and "Hullabaloo". They appeared in the movie "Bikini Drag" singing two songs and also backing up Frankie Avalon and Little Stevie Wonder.







57.   "Theme From 'The Apartment'" by Ferrante & Teicher

This great instrumental is from the movie "The Apartment" starring Jack Lemmon & Shirley MacLaine.  It reached #10 on the popular chart and #1 on the Easy Listening chart.  

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith tells how Ferrante and Teicher used to rehearse in the home of his grandmother, Constance Neidhart Tallarico. The Grand Twins of the Twin Grands were a major force in the early 60's, performing with orchestras on their versions of standards by Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers. They posted 11 hits in their career and they are one of only two acts of the Rock Era to place three songs in The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era* (Herb Alpert has five, four with the Tijuana Brass).

56.   "Songbird" by Kenny G.







"Songbird" was the third song from the album Duotones. The song reached #4 on the popular chart, #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #23 on the R&B chart.  The daytime soap opera "Days of Our Lives" played the song in its daily episodes.  It was featured in the great movie "Pretty Woman" starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.  It has since been featured in several other movies, on The Weather Channel in the 1980's and in various commercials.





In 2003, Kenny G became the #25 best-selling American artist with 48 million in sales.  In addition to being a major recording act the "G" Man is an expert golfer; he teamed with Phil Mickelson to share the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2001.




55.   "The Rockford Files" by Mike Post


"The Rockford Files" is the theme song by the popular television show starring James Garner.  That show was ranked by TV Guide as the #39 television show of all-time.  "The Rockford Files" theme went to #10 and won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement.

Post has scored over 1,000 hours of film, composed music for the television shows "The Rockford Files", "Hill Street Blues", "NYPD Blue" and "L.A. Law" and has won five Grammy Awards.  He began his career as a session musician for Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin and Sonny & Cher--that's him on guitar in "I Got You Babe".  He was also a member of The First Edition, Kenny Rogers' group.  He won his first Grammy at age 22 for Best Instrumental Arrangement on "Classical Gas" for Mason Williams.  From there, he became the youngest music director ever for a television program, hired at the age of 24 for "The Andy Williams Show". 


 Post was also the arranger for "The Mac Davis Show" in the mid-70's.  He arranged several albums for Ray Charles and produced the album 9 to 5 for Dolly Parton.  He wrote the "Theme from 'Hill Street Blues'" that he also recorded and "Theme from 'The Greatest American Hero'" for Joey Scarbury.




54.   "Calcutta" by Lawrence Welk






"Calcutta" was the fifth incarnation of a song called "Tivoli Melody" in 1958 by Heino Gaze.  Lawrence Welk's version hit #1 for two weeks in 1960.



Welk had a popular television show called "The Lawrence Welk Show" that aired nationally for 27 years and another 11 years in syndication after that.







     53.   "Hocus Pocus" by Focus



"Hocus Pocus" was originally recorded in 1971, but it didn't chart until a faster version was recorded.  It reached #9 in June of 1973.  Guitarist Jan Akkerman joined the group for six months in 1973 and it is his work you hear on "Hocus Pocus".  Akkerman was chosen Best International Guitarist in a 1973 poll in Melody Maker magazine.  Flute, accordion, yodeling and various other vocal sounds are also heard on the song.  "Hocus Pocus" was featured in a Nike commercial in 2010.





Focus was a Dutch progressive rock band.  A performance at the Reading Festival in August of 1972 and appearance on the Dutch national television rock show "The Old Grey Whistle Test" gave them the exposure they needed to launch a career.  The group have reformed and found new fame due to the Nike commercial.  Akkerman continues to record solo albums and tour--he is reticent to do "Focus" but the audience is happy when he relents.

52.  "Whipped Cream" by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

All trumpets are by Alpert, dubbed and overdubbed, sometimes four and five times to give the song that unique sound associated with the Tijuana Brass.  The album of the same title reached #1 for eight weeks and spent an incredible 61 weeks in the Top 10.











The band that performed on the album was not actually a group but rather a gathering of the top west coast musicians hand picked by Alpert.  The group won six Grammy Awards, 15 of their albums were gold and 14 of them went platinum.  Alpert continues to play trumpet but also spends a good deal of time these days as an expressionist painter and sculptor.  

51.  "Music to Watch Girls By" by Bob Crewe Generation

"Music To Watch Girls By" was originally a Diet Pepsi commercial.  It reached #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #15 on the popular chart.







In addition to his hits with The Bob Crewe Generation and the Rays ("Silhouettes"), Crewe co-wrote and produced several hits for the 4 Seasons ("Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Rag Doll" "Let's Hang On!", "Walk Like a Man" and "Ronnie"), and also wrote for Michael Jackson, Frankie Valli ("Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" and "My Eyes Adored You"), Bobby Darin, Roberta Flack, Labelle ("Lady Marmalade"), Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Lesley Gore, Freddy Cannon, Peabo Bryson, the Walker Brothers ("The Sun Ain't Gonna' Shine Anymore") and Patti LaBelle. 

The #32 Album of All-Time in the Rock Era: "Cosmo's Factory" by CCR

When you realize that Creedence Clearwater Revival had 20 hits from just seven albums in just four years, that should spark some amazement.  These weren't just minor hits; nearly every one of those is still played on the radio 40 years later.  Two things are especially clear--1) the supergroup put out an incredible amount of great material in a short time and 2) their albums must be pretty darn good.

It is there that we pick up with the Top 100 Albums of the Rock Era*.  Pendulum, Bayou Country, Willy and the Poorboys and Green River just missed the Top 100*, but CCR's best album Cosmo's Factory lands right here at #32.  On the strength of a never-ending flow of singles that kept the album fresh and first and foremost in listener's minds, Cosmo's Factory moved from 14-3 on the album chart in its second week and rose to #1 three weeks later.  The album then remained there for nine weeks.  They spent three weeks at #2 and two at #3.  As the competition was fierce in those days, it was tough to keep an album in the Top 10 for a substantial length of time so 19 weeks was a good number.  Never make the mistake some rating services do of merely comparing the numbers, you must also look at competition. 

Keep in mind that Woodstock was still the buzz and the Soundtrack to that monumental event was out at the same time as Cosmo's Factory.  Other albums were the incredible Deja Vu from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young that we've already paid homage to in The Top 100 Albums* at #65 and yet another contender was Tommy from the Who.  CCR spent a total of 88 weeks on the chart with this album, which has sold four million copies to date.  Many people bought the compilation album Chronicle which contains all of the hits from this album instead of getting Cosmo's.  They should have bought Cosmo's Factory, for they get far more from CCR at their peak. 




Simply put, it's an incredible album.  Again, how does a group put so many great songs on one studio album?  The Track Rating* of 9.41 is through the roof.  And it's no wonder, with six hit songs.  At the time, Creedence was one of the only ones besides the Beatles that could pull off double-sided hits, which meant that radio stations turned over the 45's and played the "B-sides" as well, making them hits in addition to the single.  This happened three consecutive times with this album.  "Travelin' Band" (#2 for two weeks) was the first release, but the B side "Who'll Stop the Rain" became a huge hit as well.  "Up Around the Bend" was a Top Five smash, but "Run Through the Jungle" enjoyed the ride up the charts as well.  The third single was "Looking Out My Back Door", but "Long as I Can See the Light" also received enough airplay to be included on the singles chart.  It is probably a testament to the overwhelming popularity of this group that 39 years later, "Long as I Can See the Light" was the song chosen to play over the closing credits of the great movie "State of Play".  The songs I have just mentioned provided ample airplay that are a big factor for Cosmo's Factory being included in The Top 100*.

But none of those statistics would have place it at #32; it needed more than radio airplay and chart numbers.  As CCR fans know, the album contains incredible tracks that radio missed the boat on--like "Ramble Tamble" and "Before You Accuse Me", which highlight the group's talent by switching to blues without missing a beat.  "Ooby Dooby" became one of the group's most requested concert numbers, making that first side an absolute out-of-the ballpark winner.  And, "My Baby Left Me", which too is a great song, is the only non-hit on the second side that gives you 11 minutes of pure rock and roll joy on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".  I love Marvin Gaye's music and he had a huge hit with the song but I can tell you being in the business that CCR had the more popular hit on this one. 


 If you just listen to radio as a backdrop, not really listening, you know CCR songs are good but when you listen carefully, you can hear the talent, the incredible talent of the band.  The group shines on this album, especially John Fogerty on guitar and vocals and drummer Doug Clifford (hard to top "Travelin' Band"!).  I never had the good fortune to be able to see them live and I will always regret it because I'm told they were one of the best live bands in history.


The album got its name from the Berkeley warehouse where the group rehearsed.  Fogerty was so insistent upon working every day that drummer "Cosmo" Clifford began calling the place "the factory".  Cosmo's Factory reached #1 in six countries (Australia, Canada, France, Norway, the U.S. and U.K.). 


Cosmo's Factory:
(All songs by J.C. Fogerty unless otherwise noted.)

Side one
1.  "Ramble Tamble" --7:09
2.  "Before You Accuse Me" (Ellas McDaniel) --3:24
3.  "Travelin' Band" --2:07
4.  "Ooby Dooby" (Wade Moore, Dick Penner) --2:05
5.  "Lookin' Out My Back Door" --2:31
6.  "Run Through the Jungle" --3:09

Side two
1.  "Up Around the Bend" --2:40'
2.  "My Baby Left Me" (Arthur Crudup) --2:17
3.  "Who'll Stop the Rain" --2:28
4.  "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) --11:05
5.  "Long as I Can See the Light" --3:33

CCR was in the company of a few select supergroups (Beatles and Led Zeppelin) that never changed members. What you saw was what you got and this band had "it". John Fogerty played guitar, piano, saxophone, harmonica, sang lead vocals and was the producer and arranger of the album. Of course Doug Clifford on drums, Stu Cook played a solid bass and John's brother Tom played rhythm guitar for the group. The group had no guest musicians or "songs featuring so-and-so"; they were good enough to achieve the sound by themselves.

Russ Gary was the engineer while Bob Fogerty provided cover art, design and photography. Cosmo's Factory was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California from 1969-1970. It was released in July of 1970 on Fantasy Records.

And this great accomplishment is next in The Top 100 Albums at #32--Creedence Clearwater Revival's Cosmo's Factory.

This Date in Rock Music History: July 9

1955:  History unfolded as "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets became the first Rock & Roll #1 on This Day in Rock Music History*.  Thus beginneth the Rock Era!












1956:  A 26-year-old Dick Clark began one of the longest runs in hosting a television series when he debuted as host of Bandstand on a TV station in Philadelphia.  The show was eventually picked up by ABC-TV and would change its name to American Bandstand.
1957:  Bobby Helms recorded "My Special Angel".
1957:  The Elvis Presley movie Loving You premiered at the Strand Theater in Memphis, Tennessee.  It opened nationwide on July 30.  (Note:  some websites claim the movie premiered July 10.  The correct date is July 9, according to the book 'Elvis Presley:  Silver Screen Icon' by Steve Templeton and numerous Presley fan sites.)  

1960:  Chubby Checker released the single "The Twist" on Parkway Records.  (Note:  some websites report the single was released July 10, but according to the newspaper 'The Washington Post', it was released July 9.)
1962:  Bob Dylan recorded the second session of the album (including "Blowin' In The Wind") that would be called The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

1963:  Martha and the Vandellas released the single "Heat Wave" on Gordy Records.

1964:  The Animals' classic "The House Of The Rising Sun" fended off all challengers in attaining the #1 spot in the U.K.
1965:  The Who performed at the Locarno Ballroom in Basildon, England.
1966:  The Temptations made it six weeks at #1 on the R&B chart with "Ain't Too Proud To Beg".

1966:  "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles became one of the first songs to return to #1 after it had fallen previously.  "Red Rubber Ball" by the Cyrkle was #2 and Frank Sinatra's former #1 "Strangers In The Night" fell to 3.  Tommy James & the Shondells' first big hit "Hanky Panky" was up to #4 while Dusty Springfield was still at 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Troggs moved from 47-6 with "Wild Thing", the Capitols remained at 7 with "Cool Jerk", Syndicate of Sound was at #8 with "Little Girl", the Stones fell with "Paint It Black" and the Association had another Top 10 smash with "Along Comes Mary". 
1968:  The Temptations appeared in concert without David Ruffin for the first time at Valley Forge Music Fair.







1969:  The Beatles recorded "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" for the White Album at Abbey Road Studios in London.
1969:  Gladys Knight & the Pips performed on The Tonight Show.

1972:  Paul McCartney & Wings made their live debut at the Centre Culturel de Châteauvallon in Ollioules, France.

1972:  Three Dog Night, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Faces with Rod Stewart, Humble Pie and the J. Geils Band performed at the Concert 10 Festival at the Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

1977:  Kenny Loggins released his first solo single "I Believe In Love" to radio stations.
1974:  Crosby, Stills and Nash began a reunion tour at the Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington.
1977:  The Emotions were flying up the charts with "Best Of My Love", which climbed from 30-14 on this date.
1977:  The Emotions had already been at #1 for four weeks on the R&B chart with "Best Of My Love".







1977:  Alan O'Day reached #1 after 15 weeks with "Undercover Angel". Shaun Cassidy climbed to 2 with his remake of "Da Doo Ron Ron" while Barry Manilow was up to 3 with "Looks Like We Made It".  Bill Conti tumbled with "Gonna' Fly Now" as stations rushed to add the Maynard Ferguson version instead and Andy Gibb's "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" reached #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Got To Give It Up" from Marvin Gaye, Hot with "Angel In Your Arms" at 7, Steve Miller came in eighth with "Jet Airliner", likable Jimmy Buffett had song #9--"Margaritaville" and Barbra Streisand had her 23rd hit but only her fifth Top 10 with "My Heart Belongs To Me".







1977:  The Fleetwood Mac album Rumours had been out 20 weeks, with half of those at #1.  Barry Manilow gave a hint of what he could do live with the release of his live album at #2, Peter Frampton's follow-up to the blockbuster Frampton Comes Alive--I'm In You was up to #3 and the Commodores' self-titled album fell to 4.  The rest of the Top 10:  the Steve Miller Band with their great album Book of Dreams, Marvin Gaye at the London Palladium was at #6, Cat Stevens remained at #7 with Izitso, Foreigner's debut was at #8, Heart had a hit album with Little Queen and Kiss debuted at #10 with Love Gun.
1978:  The Rolling Stones crashed the Quiet Knight club in Chicago to jam with Muddy Waters.
1979:  The Pretenders began a tour of the U.K. at the Smartyz in Chester, England.  (Note:  several websites claim the group performed at the Smatyz in Chester.  There is no club by that name in Chester.  The correct name of the club is Smartyz.)  
1983: Wham's debut album Fantastic reached #1 in the U.K.










                                       Men At Work at rest...


1983:  Some very good albums here in the top 10 albums on this date.  Thriller by Michael Jackson had spent 17 weeks at #1 before losing out to the Soundtrack to "Flashdance".  Now, after two weeks, Thriller returned to #1.  Def Leppard's great Pyromania album was #3 with Synchronicity from the Police firing up from 17 to 4.  The rest of the Top 10:  David Bowie at 5 with Let's Dance, Men at Work with Cargo at #6, Journey placed Frontiers at #7, Bryan Adams' breakthrough Cuts Like a Knife was #8, Prince's fine 1999 album was up to #9 after 34 weeks and H2O from Hall & Oates landed at 10.






 
                                            Kajagoogoo was all Ga-Ga about their Top 10...

1983:  The Police reached #1 in six weeks, about as quick as you could back then with the stronger competition, with "Every Breath You Take".  Eddy Grant was still at 2 with "Electric Avenue" and Irene Cara finally fell from #1 after six weeks with "Flashdance".  Sergio Mendes had his first hit in 14 years--"Never Gonna' Let You Go" while Kajagoogoo was at 5 with "Too Shy".  The rest of the Top 10:  Michael Jackson had the #6 song with "Wanna' Be Startin' Somethin'", Culture Club fell with "Time (Clock Of The Heart)", the Kinks had a comeback brewing with their first Top 10 since "Lola" (13 years previous) called "Come Dancing", Styx fell to 9 with "Don't Let It End" and Madness had their first hit "Our House" at #10.
1986:  Queen performed at St. James' Park in Newcastle uponTyne, England.
1988:  Glenn Medeiros had the top U.K. song with "Nothing's Gonna' Change My Love For You".
1988:  "Make It Real" by the Jets was the #1 Adult Contemporary song.






1988:  "Paradise" by Sade was #1 on the R&B chart.

                            Billboard and Joel Whitburn list this as Cheap Trick's best song... (???)

1988:  Out of all the great Cheap Trick tracks, the one the reached #1 was "The Flame".  Pebbles was at 2 with "Mercedes Boy", Def Leppard had their fourth hit from Hysteria--"Pour Some Sugar On Me" and Australia's INXS climbed from 9 to 4 with their great song "New Sensation".
1988:  OU812 by Van Halen returned for a third week at the top of the Album chart.  Hysteria by Def Leppard held on to #2, Faith from George Michael was hanging around at 3 and the Soundtrack to "Dirty Dancing" was #4.  The highly underrated Scenes From the Southside by Bruce Hornsby & the Range was up to #5.  The rest of the Top 10: Open Up and Say...Ahh! by Poison was #6, Appetite for Destruction was climbing back up after 46 weeks, Sade's fine album Stronger Than Pride was next, Tracy Chapman's debut was beginning to be discovered at #9 and More Dirty Dancing from the movie was #10.
1993:  The Rolling Stones holed up at Ron Wood's house in St. Kildare, Ireland to begin a month-long recording session.
1994:  All-4-One made it eight consecutive weeks at #1 with "I Swear".



1994:  Elton John moved into the Top 10 with "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", his 60th career hit and 26th Top 10 song.
1995:  The Grateful Dead appeared in concert with leader Jerry Garcia at Soldier Field in Chicago for what turned out to be Garcia's last show  He died of a heart attack the following month.








1996:  For anyone wondering where Deep Purple's song "Smoke On The Water" was written--It was Montreux, Switzerland following a nightclub fire, and on this date, the great group played that famous song at the Auditorium Stravinski in Montreux for the first time.
1998: Troubled Scott Weiland was served a warrant when he neglected to show up in court for the second time for his trial on drug possession charges.  The fugitive was picked up July 21.

1998: Session musician, songwriter and producer Robert "Waddy" Wachtel was arrested for investigation of possessing child pornography.
1998: Janet Jackson set a record when her concert at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. grossed $875,000. Yanni held the previous mark of $860,300, set earlier in the year.
1999: The marriage between Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall was annulled in a London court.

                                             Babyface, one of the good guys in the Rock Era...

1999: Indiana renamed a 25-mile stretch of Interstate Route 65 as "Kenneth Babyface Edmonds Highway". Later that day, Babyface donated $50,000 to establish a "Save the Music" campaign in the state.
1999:  Sir Elton John had a pacemaker installed at a London hospital.








2000:  Vertical Horizon topped the chart with "Everything You Want".

2001: Singer A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys entered a treatment center for alcohol abuse and depression. The group temporarily halted their Black & Blue Tour, resuming it August 24th.
2003:  The Eagles performed for a second night at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

2003:  Chapter II by Ashanti reached #1 on the Album chart.
2006:  Lilly Allen led the way on the U.K. Singles chart with "Smile".
2006: Muse owned the top U.K. album with Black Holes and Revelations.
2012:  Tim Cross, keyboardist, arranger and producer who worked with Hall & Oates among others, died of lung cancer.
2015:  Michael Masser, songwriter who wrote "Greatest Love Of All", "Saving All My Love For You", "Didn't We Almost Have It All" and "All At Once" for Whitney Houston, "Theme From 'Mahogany'", "Touch Me In The Morning" and "Last Time I Saw Him" by Diana Ross, "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" for Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson, "If Ever You're In My Arms Again" for Bryson, "Nothing's Gonna' Change My Love For You" for Glenn Medeiros, "Miss You Like Crazy" for Natalie Cole, and many others, died at age 74 in Rancho Mirage, California, the result of deteriorating health after suffering a stroke three years before.

Born This Day:
1925:  Alan Dale, who reached #7 in 1955 with his version of "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" and also had his own radio and television show, was born in New York City; died April 20, 2002 in Brooklyn.  (Note:  several websites lazily say Dale was born in the all-encompassing New York City.  NYC is of course made up of five independent boroughs.  Dale was born in Brooklyn, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times'.)
1927:  Ed Ames ("My Cup Runneth Over) and a member of the Ames Brothers, was born in Malden, Massachusetts.
1929:  Lee Hazlewood, singer, writer of "These Boots Are Made For Walking" for Nancy Sinatra, and producer, was born in Mannford, Oklahoma; died of renal cancer on August 4, 2007 in Henderson, Nevada at the age of 78.
1941:  Donald McPherson of the Main Ingredient was born in Indianapolis, Indiana; died July 4, 1971 of leukemia in the Bronx, New York.

1946:  Bon Scott, original lead singer of AC/DC, was born in Forfar, Scotland; died February 19, 1980 in Lambeth, England from acute alcohol poisoning.  (Note:  several websites insist Scott was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland, but as you can plainly see from Scott's death certificate above, he was born in Forfar.  Many sites report Scott died in London which implies the city of London.  Scott died in the London borough of Lambeth as you can see above.)  
1946:  Joe Miceli of John Fred and His Playboy Band ("Judy In Disguise" in 1968) (Note:  some websites report Joe Micelli of John Fred and His Playboy Band was born on July 9.  The group never had a member by that name--the correct spelling is Miceli.)
1947:  Mitch Mitchell, drummer of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was born in Ealing, Middlesex, England; died November 12, 2008 in Portland, Oregon of natural causes, although Mitchell had been in ill health for several years of alcohol-related causes.  (Note:  some websites report Mitchell was born in London while others say he was born in Greenwich, London.  According to the newspapers 'The Guardian' and 'The Telegraph', Mitchell was born in Ealing.)
1950:  Gwen Guthrie ("Ain't Nothing Goin' But The Rent" from 1986) was born in Okemah, Oklahoma; died February 3, 1999 of uterine cancer in Newark, New Jersey.   
1954:  Debbie Sledge of Sister Sledge ("We Are Family" from 1979) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1957:  Marc Almond of Soft Cell ("Tainted Love") was born in Southport, Lancashire, England.

1959:  Jim Kerr,  founder, lead singer and songwriter of Simple Minds, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
1965:  Frank Bello, bass guitarist of Anthrax, was born in the Bronx, New York.





 

1975:  Jack White (real name John Gillis) of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs was born in Detroit, Michigan

1975:  Isaac Brock, singer and guitarist with Modest Mouse, was born in Helena, Montana.

1976:  Dan Estrin, guitarist with Hoobastank, was born in Los Angeles.