This Date in Rock Music History: July 31

1959:  Neil Sedaka recorded four takes of the song "Oh Carol!" that he had written for Carole King.

1959:  Cliff Richard ruled the U.K. chart with "Living Doll".
1961:  "The Boll Weevil Song" by Brook Benton was #1 on the Easy Listening chart for the third week.

1961:  Bobby Lewis made it four weeks in a row at #1 with "Tossin' And Turnin'".  Chris Kenner's "I Like It Like That" was #2 with "The Boll Weevil Song" from Brook Benton trailing.  Brenda Lee had #4 with "Dum Dum".  The rest of the Top 10:  Del Shannon moved up with "Hats Off To Larry", Gary, "U.S." Bonds dropped with "Quarter To Three", the Mar-Keys moved from 12-7 with their great instrumental "Last Night", Connie Francis had the #8 song--"Together", Chubby Checker had song #9 with "Let's Twist Again" and another instrumental, "Yellow Bird" by the Arthur Lyman Group, was #10.












1964:  Martha & the Vandellas released the single "Dancing In The Street".
1964:  The Rolling Stones' concert in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was stopped after 12 minutes when violence broke out in the crowd.  But they're such a calming influence.
1964:  Jim Reeves died at the age of 40 when his light plane, a single-engine Beechcrafter, crashed outside of Nashville, Tennessee.











1965:  The Yardbirds performed at the Cleethorpes Jazz Festival in England.
1965:  The Who were at Wilton Hall in Bletchley, England.
1965:  Sonny & Cher had a healthy move with "I Got You Babe", which moved from #57 to #22.
1965:  The Four Tops had one of the top R&B songs of All-Time with "I Can't Help Myself", which on this date topped the chart for the ninth consecutive week.
1966:  Cream played their first major concert in Windsor, England, at the sixth annual National Jazz and Blues Festival.  Georgie Fame and Bluesology, featuring a young Elton John, also performed on the closing night.  It is no longer called that, and has since moved to its permanent home in Leeds and Reading, but the Festival has always been amazing.
1966:  The Doors opened for the Turtles for a second night at the Fifth Estate in Phoenix, Arizona.  (Note:  some websites say the performances were in Tempe, Arizona while others say they were in Scottsdale, both of which are suburbs of Phoenix.  According to the official Doors website, the shows were in Phoenix.)








1967:  Another special time in the Rock Era as on this date, Bobbie Gentry released "Ode To Billie Joe".










1968:  There must have been magic in the air.  After two session spent rehearsing, the Beatles recorded "Hey Jude" on this date at Trident Studios in London.
1968:  Tommy James & the Shondells rocked the U.K. with the #1 song "Mony Mony".
1969:  Elvis Presley played a private concert in Las Vegas for the press and friends including Dick Clark, Burt Bacharach and Wayne Newton before kicking off his four-week, $1.5 million run at Las Vegas International Hotel.
1971:  The documentary film Gimme Shelter, which includes footage of the disastrous concert at Altamont, California, premiered at the Rialto Cinema in London.
1971:  Pink Floyd left London for a tour of the Far East that took them to Japan and Australia.

1971:  James Taylor had the #1 Easy Listening song with "You've Got A Friend".
1971:  "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight remained the top R&B song for a fifth week.











                                                  It's not the haters but the good people whose story lives...

1971:  James Taylor reached #1 for the first time with "You've Got A Friend", bumping "Indian Reservation" by Paul Revere & the Raiders from Boise Idaho.  Stanley, Idaho's Carole King was still in the top three with "It's Too Late", Jean Knight climbed up with "Mr. Big Stuff and Tommy James had #5 with "Draggin' The Line".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Bee Gees were at 6 with "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds were on their way down with "Don't Pull Your Love", John Denver had song #8 with his first hit "Take Me Home, Country Roads", the Grass Roots were up one with "Sooner Or Later" while Tom Clay exploded up the chart from 26-10 with "What The World Needs Now Is Love/Abraham, Martin And John".

                                              Jethro Tull had a Top 10 album...


1971:  Tapestry by Carole King was #1 for the seventh week, holding off Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon by James Taylor.  Here's two opposites:  Sticky Fingers from the Rolling Stones at #3 and Jesus Christ Superstar at #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Ram from Paul & Linda McCartney at #4, What's Going On by Marvin Gaye at #6, the self-titled Carpenters album, Aqualung by Jethro Tull, Stephen Stills 2 moving up to #9 and the third solo release from Rod Stewart, Every Picture Tells a Story, at #10.











1972:  Monday fell on this date and of course that meant new releases.  Chicago sent "Saturday In The Park" for consideration.













 

1972:  Elton John released the single "Honky Cat" on Uni Records.















1973:  Stevie Wonder released the single "Higher Ground".  (Note:  some websites naively say the single was released August 3.  "Higher Ground" debuted on the charts on August 5, 1973.  Since the deadline for reporting new additions to radio station playlists is Wednesday, which would have been on August 2 in 1973, it is physically impossible for the single to be released on August 3 in time to debut on the Singles chart on August 5.) 













1976:  Breezin' by George Benson made it to #1 on the Album chart, dethroning Frampton Comes Alive...briefly.  Wings at the Speed of Sound was the #3 album, followed by Chicago X and Jefferson Starship's Spitfire.  The rest of the Top 10:  Beautiful Noise by Neil Diamond, the self-titled Fleetwood Mac still in the Top 10 after 53 weeks, Rock 'N' Roll Music by the Beatles at #8 six years after their breakup, Fly Like An Eagle from Steve Miller Band and people were discovering there was much more to the album The Dream Weaver by Gary Wright than its #1 title song--it moved from 16-10.
1976:  "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" from Lou Rawls set the pace on the R&B chart for the second straight week.








1976:  Lou Rawls had a lot of fans that liked his "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", taking it to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1977:  Starland Vocal Band began their summer replacement television series on CBS.
1979:  Donny Osmond and his wife celebrated the birth of Donny Jr.
1979:  James Taylor gave a free concert before 250,000 in New York City's Central Park to benefit the city's campaign to restore the park's Sheep Meadow.
1980:  John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas was arrested for possession of cocaine and sentenced to five years in prison.

1981:  Debbie Harry released her solo album Koo Koo.  (Note:  some websites claim the album was released July 27, and others say it was released August 8, but according to the book 'Punk Diary:  The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock:  1970-1982' by George Gimarc, it was released July 31.)









1982:  Survivor stayed tough at #1 with "Eye Of The Tiger" while "Rosanna" by Toto endured a fifth week at #2.  John Cougar (Mellencamp) was still at #3 with "Hurts So Good", Fleetwood Mac had #4 with "Hold Me" and the Steve Miller Band had their first Top 10 in five years with "Abracadabra".  The rest of the Top 10:  Chicago moved from 11 to 6 with one of their biggest hits, "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", the Human League was at #7 with "Don't You Want Me", Air Supply was still on a roll with another Top 10--"Even The Nights Are Better", the Motels were steady at 9 with "Only the Lonely" and REO Speedwagon had #10--"Keep The Fire Burnin'".

1984:  Bruce Springsteen released his single "Cover Me".
1984:  Something didn't click...Eric Clapton left Roger Waters' tour in Canada after just two weeks.  Venues were undersold until Waters did the tour in 1985 without Clapton.
1985:  The Eurythmics rose to #1 in the U.K. with "There Must Be An Angel".
1991:  Bryan Adams topped the U.K. Charts with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You", a song that would break all records with 16 weeks at #1.
1993:  Janet Jackson moved from 57 to 20 with "If".
1995:  Aerosmith fired their manager Tim Collins.
1999:  Christina Aguilera reached #1 with "Genie In A Bottle".
2003:  In today's segment of "Inmates Run Rap Music" we have not a rapper but the actual founder of Death Row rap records, Suge Knight, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison for punching a parking valet while already being on probation.
2004:  Lubbock, Texas celebrated "Mac Davis Day" and named a street in his honor.

2004:  Simon & Garfunkel closed out their European reunion tour with a free concert at the historic Colosseum in Rome in front of 600,000 fans.
2010:  Mitch Miller ("The Yellow Rose Of Texas" in 1955) died after a short illness at the age of 99 in Manhattan, New York.  (Note:  some websites report Mitch died in the more general New York City, but according to the newspaper 'The New York Times', he died in Manhattan.)

Born This Day:

1923:  Ahmet Ertegun, founder and president of Atlantic Records and the Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, was born in Istanbul, Turkey ; died December 14, 2006 in Manhattan, New York after falling and slipping into a coma.
1932:  Morey Carr of the Playmates was born in Waterbury, Connecticut; died of lung cancer in 1997.

1934:  Barry DeVorzon who co-wrote "Nadia's Theme", "Bless The Beasts And The Children" and many others, was born in New York City.
1937:  Bonnie Brown of the Browns ("The Three Bells" from 1956) was born in Sparkman, Arkansas; died July 16, 2016 of lung cancer in Little Rock, Arkansas.
1939:  John West, keyboard player of Gary Lewis & the Playboys
1942:  Daniel Boone (real name Peter Lee Stirling), who did "Beautiful Sunday" in 1972, was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.

1943:  Lobo (Roland Kent Lavoie) was born in Tallahassee, Florida.

1946:  Gary Lewis (Gary Lewis & the Playboys), son of Jerry Lewis, was born in Los Angeles, California.  (Note:  some websites claim Lewis was born in Los Angeles, while others say he was born in Newark, New Jersey, and one says he was born in 1945.  According to the book "Billboard Book of Number One Hits' by Fred Bronson, Lewis was born July 31, 1945 in New York City.)
1946:  Brian Rading, co-founder and former bassist with the Five Man Electrical Band, was born in Quebec, Canada; died June 8, 2016 of throat cancer in Hull, Ontario, Canada.  (Note:  several websites incorrectly say Brian died on June 20.  The death was reported on June 20, but he died June 8, according to ABC News.)
1946:  Bob Welch, a one-time member of Fleetwood Mac and later a solo performer, was born in Los Angeles, California; committed suicide June 7, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee.  (Note:  some websites show he was born in 1945, but the newspaper 'The Washington Post" reported that he was born in 1946, and a post from Welch's MySpace page in 2009 confirmed that he was born in 1946. 
1947:  Karl Green, guitarist of Herman's Hermits, was born in Davyhulme, Manchester, England.  (Note:  some websites report Karl was born in Salford, England.  While is family lived there, he was born in a hospital in Davyhulme, Manchester, the official place of birth.)
1951:  Carlo Karges, guitarist and songwriter of Nena ("99 Luftballoons" from 1984), was born in Hamburg, Germany; died January 30, 2002 in Hamburg of liver failure. 

1953:  Hugh McDowell, cello player of ELO, was born in Hampstead, London.
1957:  Daniel Ash, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of Love & Rockets, was born in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England.












1958:  Bill Berry, drummer of R.E.M., was born in Duluth, Minnesota.
1963:  Norman Cook, rapper of the Housemartins and record producer, was born in Bromley, Kent, England.
1964:  Jim Corr, singer, songwriter and guitarist of the Corrs ("Breathless" from 2000) was born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland.
1978:  Will Champion, drummer of Coldplay, was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England.

"Coach" Stephen Kinsey Fund

This has nothing to do with music; the story is featured on our sister blog Blue Through and Through.  Some things are more important than music, and some things are more important than sports.

Bronco Nation has started a fund for Stephen Kinsey, the young boy from Texas who was flown up to Boise last year as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation program.

Kinsey, 13, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in November, 2009 and had his first chemo treatment on Christmas Day of that year. He was flown to Boise along with mother Betsy, father Bryan and siblings Bethany, 10, and Jonathan, 5, for the Boise State-Hawai’i football game last season.

Kinsey was given a sideline pass, was named honorary Boise State football assistant coach, and showered with gifts from Boise State including Bronco bedding, a Bronco jersey with his name on the back, a piece of the famous Blue Turf and a helmet autographed by members of the 2010 Boise State football team.   

All three of the Kinsey children have serious medical issues.   Bethany has a pacemaker and Type 1 diabetes. Jonathan has a pacemaker and asthma.

At the beginning of Stephen's treatment, the doctors told the family that Stephen would have 3-5 years of chemo, if the treatment followed the normal plan. The chemo is causing Stephen to show the beginning signs of diabetes, and as he has one kidney, the doctors have had to reduce the amount of chemo he is receiving. So far the chemo has killed the original tumor, but Stephen still has cancer cells all throughout his body (in his blood).  This current treatment is keeping the cancer the same, and not getting worse, and it is not getting any better either.  His body is getting tired.

The biggest financial need that the Kinsey's have is a second vehicle, specifically a van. Only the father, Bryan, is able to work, because of all the medical appointments.  Having a second vehicle would help with the crazy schedule. Another major financial need are the medical related expenses that occur with all treatments.  Co-payments for numerous hospital and doctor visits, tests and medications not covered by insurance, parking, gas, food, and Lysol wipes and disinfectants needed due to Stephen’s compromised immune system.  Financially, even though they have medical insurance, they are in a severe financial situation.

Both an account at Wells Fargo bank and a PayPal account has been set up for contributions.  Donations may now be deposited into a Wells Fargo business banking account named, "Kinsey Family Donate".  Account number is  5012763511.  It can be done either online from your bank or at any Wells Fargo bank location.  You can contribute by sending money via PayPal at:

Kinseyfamilydonate@gmail.com.  

Disclaimer: The account is not set-up as a charity, so deposits can't legally be deducted from your income taxes, just like it would be if you just wrote a check to help out.

Hits List: Grass Roots

This Los Angeles band put together an impressive string of hits in the 60's and early 70's.  Here is the complete Hits List:






1966:  "Mr. Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man)"
           "Where Were You When I Needed You" (#28)
           "Only When You're Lonely" (#96)
1967:  "Tip of My Tongue" 
           "Let's Live for Today" (#8)
           "Things I Should Have Said" (#23)
           "Wake Up, Wake Up"
1968:  "Melody For You"
           "Feelings"
           "Midnight Confessions" (#5)





1969:  "Bella Linda" (#28)
          "Melody For You" (Re-release)
          "Lovin' Things" (#49) --highly underrated song
          "The River Is Wide" (#31)
           "I'd Wait a Million Years" (#15) --underrated song
           "Heaven Knows" (#24)
1970:  "Walking Through the Country" (#44)
           "Baby Hold On" (#35)
           "Come On and Say It" (#61)
           "Temptation Eyes" (#15) --highly underrated song
1971:  "Sooner or Later" (#9)
           "Two Divided By Love" (#16)
1972:  "Glory Bound" (#34)
           "The Runway" (#39)
            "Anyway the Wind Blows"
1973:  "Love Is What You Make It" (#55)
           "Where There's Smoke There's Fire"
           "We Can't Dance To Your Music"
           "Stealin' Love (In the Night)"
1975:  "Mamacita" (#71)
           "Naked Man"
1976:  "Out in the Open"
1982:  "Here Comes That Feeling Again"
           "She Don't Know Me"
           "Powers of the Night"

Hits List: Carole King

Stanley, Idaho's Carole King made her living mostly from songwriting in the 1950's and early 1960's with then-husband Gerry Goffin.  She became a great artist, most noted for her sterling album Tapestry in 1971.  Here is the complete Hits List of legendary Carole King.





1958:  "Right Girl"
1962:  "It Might As Well Rain Until September" (#22, #3 U.K., #12 Canada)
1964:  "He's a Bad Boy" (#94)





1971:  "It's Too Late"/"I Feel the Earth Move" (#1, #1 Adult Contemporary, #6 U.K., #8 Canada)
           "So Far Away"/"Smackwater Jack" (#14, #3 AC, #17 Canada)
1972:  "Sweet Seasons" (#9, #2 AC, #12 Canada)
           "Been to Canaan" (#24, #1 AC, #15 Canada)
1973:  "Believe in Humanity" (28, #44 Canada)
           "You Light Up My Life" (#67, #6 AC, #44 Canada)
           "Corazon" (#37, #5 AC, #28 Canada)
1974:  "Jazzman" (#2, #4 AC, #5 Canada)
1975:  "Nightingale" (#9, #1 AC)
1976:  "Only Love Is Real" (#28, #1 AC, #53 Canada)
           "High Out of Time" (#76, #40 AC)
1977:  "Hard Rock Cafe" (#30, #8 AC, #23 Canada)
           "Simple Things" (#37 AC)
1978:  "Morning Sun" (#43 AC)





1980:  "One Fine Day" (#12, #11 AC, #86 Canada)
1983:  "One to One" (#45, #20 AC)





1989:  "City Streets" (#14 AC, #92 Canada)
1992:  "Now and Forever" (#18 AC)
2001:  "Love Makes the World"
2007:  "Girl Power"

Hits List: Sonny & Cher

They were the consummate duo of opposites.  Sonny went on to become a respected Congressman, Cher went on to become...well-Cher.  Here is the complete Hits List of Sonny & Cher:





1965:  "I Got You Babe" (#1, #4 Canada, #1 U.K.)
            "Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love" (#2)
           "Laugh At Me" (#10, #26 Canada, #9 U.K.)
           "Baby Don't Go" (#8, #1 Canada, #11 U.K.)
           "Just You" (#20, #15 Canada)
           "Sing C'est La Vie"
           "But You're Mine" (#15, #17 U.K.)
           "The Letter" (#75, #24 Canada)
           "The Revolution Kind" (#70, #35 Canada)
1966:  "What Now My Love" (#14, #16 Canada, #13 U.K.)
           "Have I Stayed Too Long" (#49, #42 U.K.)
           "Little Man" (#21, #6 Canada, #4 U.K.)
           "Living for You" (#87, #44 U.K.)





1967:  "The Beat Goes On" (#6, #9 Canada, #29 U.K.)
           "A Beautiful Story" (#53)
           "Plastic Man" (#74)
           "It's the Little Things" (#50)
           "Good Combination" (#56)
           "A Beautiful Story" (#53)
           "My Best Friend's Girl Is Out of Sight"





1971:  "All I Ever Need is You" (#7, #1 Adult Contemporary, #10 Canada, #8 U.K.)
1972:  "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done" (#8, #4 AC, #4 Canada)
           "When You Say Love" (#32, #2 AC)
1973:  "Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs Part 1 (#77)      

Hits List: Del Shannon

Del Shannon will forever be remembered if for no other reason that he gave us "Runaway", one of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era*.  Del was one of the biggest acts of the early 60's in the U.K.  Here is his complete Hits List:

1961:  "Runaway" (#1, #1 U.K.)
           "Hats Off to Larry" (#5, #8 U.K.)
           "So Long Baby" (#28, #10 U.K.)
           "Hey!  Little Girl" (#38, #2 U.K.)
1962:  "I Won't Be There"
            "Ginny in the Mirror"
            "Cry Myself to Sleep" (#99, #29 U.K.)
           "The Swiss Maid" (#64, #2 U.K.)
           "Little Town Flirt" (#12, #4 U.K.)
1963:  "Two Kind of Teardrops" (#50, #5 U.K.)
           "From Me to You" (#77)
           "Two Silhouettes" (#23 U.K.)
           "Sue's Gotta' Be Mine" (#71, #21 U.K.)
1964:  "That's the Way Love Is"
            "Mary Jane" (#35 U.K.)
            "Handy Man" (#22, #36 U.K.)
           "Do You Want to Dance" (#43)
           "Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)" (#9, #3 U.K.)
1965:  "Stranger in Town" (#30, #40 U.K.)
           "Break Up" (#95)
           "Move It On Over"
1966:  "The Big Hurt" (#94)
            "Under My Thumb"
1967:  "She"
            "Runaway" (re-make)
1969:  "Comin' Back To Me"

1981:  "Sea of Love" (#33)
1985:  "In My Arms Again"

The #11 Album of All-Time in the Rock Era--"Ropin' the Wind" by Garth Brooks

This album finds itself one spot out of the All-Time Top 10*.  It belongs there.

Garth Brooks released his third album Ropin' the Wind on the heels of No Fences, which at the time was the top country album ever made.  This one topped it.  Ropin' the Wind was not to be denied, spending four separate runs at #1, a total of 18 weeks.  The album accomplished the then-rare feat of debuting at #1. 






The singles were "Rodeo", "Shameless", "What She's Doing Now", "Papa Loved Mama" and "The River" but this album is so much more than that.  "Against the Grain", the album's lead track, is excellent.  "Shameless" is an outstanding Brooks version of the Billy Joel song which Garth sings with great passion.  "We Bury the Hatchet" is great comic relief, "Burning Bridges", "Cold Shoulder" and "Lonesome Dove" are also excellent, which means the album is a perfect 10-10, out-of-the-park home run.


Brooks was at his absolute peak on this album; the music is sensational and his vocal style is amazing.  One could argue a long time about this album being in the Top 10.  The fact is that as sales and airplay figures are updated from time to time, these albums in the Top 13 or so are so close that they will shift up and down.




Ropin' the Wind:
1.    "Against the Grain" (Bruce Bouton, Larry Cordle, Carl Jackson) --2:22
2.    "Rodeo" (Larry Bastian) --3:53
3.    "What She's Doing Now" (Pat Alger, Garth Brooks) --3:26
4.    "Burning Bridges" (Stephanie C. Brown, Brooks) --3:35
5.    "Papa Loved Mama" (Kim Williams, Brooks) --2:51
6.    "Shameless" (Billy Joel) --4:19
7.    "Cold Shoulder" (Kent Blazy, Williams, Brooks) --3:55
8.    "We Bury the Hatchet" (Royal Wade Kimes, Brooks) --3:05
9.    "In Lonesome Dove" (Cynthia Limbaugh, Brooks) --4:48
10.  "The River" (Victoria Shaw, Brooks) --4:25



Brooks got help from Chris Leuzinger on electric guitar, Mark Casstevens on acoustic, Bruce Bouton on lap & pedal steel guitars and Dobro Jerry Douglas played the Dobro, Mike Chapman was on electric bass, Edgar Meyer played acoustic bass, Bobby Wood played keyboards and Milton Sledge was on drums and percussion.  Sam Bush played mandolin on the album, Rob Hajacos played fiddle, and Trisha Yearwood, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle and Susan Ashton sang backing vocals.


Ropin' the Wind was recorded from 1990-1991 at Jack's Tracks Recording Studios.  The album was released September 10, 1991 on Liberty Records.

Garth Brooks comes in at #11 All-Time with Ropin' the Wind.

In this segment of Match 3, there are three columns.  The first contains song titles, the second column lists artists and the third column lists names of albums.  Match the song with the artist who recorded it and the studio album that it was released on.


Title                                               Artist                                       Album
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"     Gary Wright                            Silk Degrees
"Sweet Child O' Mine"                Paul McCartney & Wings     Not Fragile
"Listen to What the Man Said"  Guns N' Roses                       Dream Weaver
"Love Is Alive"                              Boz Scaggs                           Venus and Mars  
"Lowdown"                                   Bachman-Turner Overdrive  Appetite for Destruction


(Click on "Read More" for the answer.)

New Featured Unknown/Underrated Song--"Diamonds and Rust" by Joan Baez

Every week or so, Inside the Rock Era is presenting great songs that for one reason or another, was not a Top 10 hit.  These are not mentioned casually; the songs I choose are carefully selected--the people that are aware of them realize they are great tracks.  So please listen to them--they too deserve their place in the history of the Rock Era.


This one features the beautiful singing and lyrics of Joan Baez--that alto voice is so haunting.  The song only reached #35 in 1975.

Discography: Def Leppard

One of the only hard rock or metal groups who knew how to incorporate the all-important melody into a song, Def Leppard was on fire in the mid-80's.  Here is their complete album Discography:


1980:  On Through the Night (#51, #15 U.K.)
1981:  High 'n' Dry (#38, #26 U.K., #31 Sweden)





1983:  Pyromania (#2, #18 U.K., #4 Canada, #23 Sweden)





1987:  Hysteria (#1, #1 U.K., #1 Canada, #2 Sweden)
1992:  Adrenalize (#1, #1 U.K., #1 Canada, #5 Sweden)
1996:  Slang (#14, #5 U.K., #12 Canada, #5 Sweden)
1999:  Euphoria (#11, #11 U.K., #9 Canada, #7 Sweden)
2002:  X (#11, #12 U.K., #14 Canada, #15 Sweden)
2008:  Songs From the Sparkle Lounge (#5, #10 U.K., #7 Canada, #26 Sweden)





Live Albums:
2011:  Mirrorball (#16, #44 U.K., #15 Canada)


Compilations:
1993:  Retro Active (#9, #6 U.K., #1 Canada, #12 Sweden)
1995:  Vault:  Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) (#15, #3 U.K., #1 Canada, #10 Sweden)
2004:  Best of Def Leppard (#6 U.K., #19 Sweden)
2005:  Rock of Ages:  The Definitive Collection (#10, #3 Canada)

This Date in Rock Music History: July 30

1954:  Elvis Presley performed at the Overton Park Shell in Memphis, Tennessee.
1956:  Brenda Lee recorded "Jambalaya" during her first recording session in Nashville, Tennessee.
1957:  The Elvis Presley movie Loving You opened in theaters nationwide.
1960:  Elvis Is Back was the #1 album in the U.K.




1962:  The 4 Seasons released the single "Sherry".1963:  Bob Dylan recorded two songs for the WNEW-TV program "Songs of Freedom".

1966:  The Who and the Yardbirds headlined day two at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor, England.









1966:  "Somewhere My Love" by Ray Coniff was the new #1 song on the Easy Listening chart.
1966:  Napoleon XIV jumped from #50 to11 with "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!"










1966:  "Wild Thing" by the Troggs was the new #1 song as "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James & the Shondells dropped after three weeks at the top.  "Lil' Red Riding Hood" by Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs was #3, "The Piped Piper" by Crispian St. Peters remained at 4 and the Mamas and the Papas rose to #5 with "I Saw Her Again".  The rest of the Top 10:  Paul Revere & the Raiders from Boise, Idaho with "Hungry", the Lovin' Spoonful jumped up from 21-7 with "Summer In The City", Tommy Roe moved up with "Sweet Pea", the Rolling Stones entered the Top 10 with "Mother's Little Helper" and Ray Coniff & the Singers had song #10--"Somewhere, My Love".
1967:  The Who performed at the Miami Beach Convention Hall in Miami, Florida.
1968:  The Beatles' Apple Boutique in London closed after seven months.
1968:  The Ventures recorded one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*--"Hawai'i Five-O".
1969:  The Beatles worked on overdubs for "Come Together", "Polythene Pam/She Came In Through the Bathroom Window", "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight" and began work on the Side Two medley.  Originally, Paul McCartney told the tape operator (John Kurlander) to get rid of "Her Majesty", but Kurlander put it at the end of the tape, nearly 20 seconds after "The End".  McCartney liked this approach and told Kurlander to keep the song, including the 20-second pause.
1970:  The Rolling Stones fired manager Allen Klein.
1977:  Barbra Streisand collected another #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "My Heart Belongs To Me".







1977:  Andy Gibb made it to #1 with "I Just Want To Be Your Everything".  Peter Frampton was in the runner-up spot with "I'm In You" while the previous #1 "Looks Like We Made It" by Barry Manilow slid to 3.  Barbra Streisand edged up with "My Heart Belongs To Me".  The rest of the Top 10:  Shaun Cassidy with "Da Doo Ron Ron", the Emotions made a nice move (10-6) with "Best Of My Love", Peter McCann's "Do You Wanna' Make Love" was song #7, Jimmy Buffett maintained with "Margaritaville", Rita Coolidge had her first hit with "Higher And Higher" and Pablo Cruise entered the Top 10 with their first hit "Whatcha Gonna' Do?".








                   Crosby, Stills & Nash enjoyed a comeback in 1977...

1977:  After spending 10 weeks at #1 in its first two trips at the top, Rumours by Fleetwood Mac spent a second week in its third reign at the #1 position on the Album chart.  Peter Frampton remained at #2 with I'm In You, Streisand Superman by Barbra Streisand came in third, Love Gun from KISS was #4 and Barry Manilow Live was #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  CSN from Crosby, Stills & Nash, Book of Dreams by the Steve Miller Band, Here At Last...Bee Gees...Live at #8, the Commodores' self-titled release and JT by James Taylor entered the Top 10 at #10.
1978:  Fleetwood Mac, the Steve Miller Band, Bob Welch, and the Sanford-Townsend Band appeared at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1983:  Donna Summer moved to #1 on the R&B chart with "She Works Hard For The Money".












1983:  "Every Breath You Take" by the Police spent a fourth week at #1 with Eddy Grant posting a fifth consecutive week at #2 with "Electric Avenue".  Irene Cara's #1 song of six weeks ("Flashdance...What a Feeling") was still hanging around at #3 and Sergio Mendes came in fourth with "Never Gonna' Let You Go". The rest of the Top 10:  Duran Duran with "Is There Something I Should Know", the Eurythmics moved from 11 to 6 with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", Michael Jackson had #7--"Wanna' Be Startin' Somethin'", Donna Summer with "She Works Hard For The Money", Stevie Nicks had #9 with "Stand Back" and Madness slipped with "Our House".
1986:  Reportedly, RCA Records let go of John Denver, one of RCA's biggest-ever artists, after the singer recorded "What Are We Making Weapons For?"  The new owner of RCA was General Electric, one of the largest defense contractors in the United States.








1988:  "Roll With It" by Steve Winwood was the new #1 song, displacing Richard Marx's "Hold On To The Nights".  Breathe moved to 3 with "Hands To Heaven".












1988:  Hysteria by Def Leppard, which had crawled to the top of the Album chart the week before in its 49th week, remained at #1.
1991:  Mariah Carey, Debbie Gibson, Jon Bon Jovi and the Black Crowes performed at the eighth birthday party of WHTZ Radio in New York City.
1992:  Smokey Robinson sang a medley of hits at the funeral for Mary Wells ("My Guy" from 1964), who died on July 26.
1993:  Don Myrick, saxophonist who was part of that great sound in Earth, Wind & Fire, was fatally shot in Los Angeles by a Santa Monica policeman when he mistook a butane lighter in Myrick's hand for a weapon.  Myrick was 52.

1994:  Crowded House, Del Amitri, Rage Against the Machine, Blur, Bjork, Oasis, Chumbawamba, Manic Street Preachers, the Crash Test Dummies, and Aimee Mann performed at the first T in the Park Festival at Strathclyde Park in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
1995:  R.E.M., the Cranberries and Radiohead were at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, England.
2003:  The Rolling Stones, Guess Who, AC/DC, Rush, the Isley Brothers and Justin Timberlake performed at a one-day festival at Downsview Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to give a boost to tourism after the outbreak of the SARS virus.  The crowd was estimated at 450,000.
2003:  Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records who discovered Elvis Presley and worked with Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, B.B. King and Jerry Lee Lewis, died at the age of 80 of respiratory failure at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
2004:  Ronald Isley suffered a minor stroke while in London.








2006:  The popular British show Top of the Pops ended on BBC-TV after 42 years on the air.
2006:  Shakira with Wyclef Jean led the way in the U.K. with "Hips Don't Lie".


Born This Day:
1930:  Christine McGuire of the McGuire Sisters ("Sincerely") was born in Middleton, Ohio. 
1933:  Edd "Kookie" Byrnes ("Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" with Connie Stevens from 1959) was born in New York City.
1936:  Buddy Guy was born in Leftsworth, Louisiana.







1941:  Paul Anka was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

1945:  Famed saxophone player David Sanborn was born in Tampa, Florida.
1946:  Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond of Jethro Tull was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
1949:  Andy Scott, guitarist of Sweet, was born in Wrexham, Wales.
1957:  Rat Scabies (real name Chris Millar), drummer of the Damned, was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England.  (Note:  'Allmusic.com' and other websites naively say he was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, London, England.  London did not become a county until 1974, long after Millar was born.  At the time of his birth in 1957, Kingston-upon-Thames was in the county of Surrey, and that is the county you will find on his official birth certificate.)








1958:  Kate Bush was born in Bexleyheath, Kent, England. 
1972:  Brad Hargreaves, drummer of Third Eye Blind, was born in Marin County, California.
1977:  Ian Watkins, singer of Lostprophets, was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales. (Note: some websites report he was born in Pontypridd, Wales. While unfortunately there are no credible sources for either, our best research indicates that Ian was born in Merthyr Tydfil and later moved to Pontypridd.)