This Date in Rock Music History: October 8

1955:  Chuck Berry continued to own the top R&B song with "Maybellene", now in its 10th week at #1.

1957:  Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the song "Great Balls Of Fire" at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
1962:  The Beatles recorded a session at EMI House in Manchester Square in London, to be played on Radio Luxembourg's Friday Spectacular show on October 12.
1963:  "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton held the #1 spot on the Easy Listening chart for the fifth straight week.
1964:  The Beatles recorded "She's a Woman" in seven takes at the EMI Studios in London.  The sixth take was deemed to be the best, and the group spent a second session that night adding overdubs.
1964:  Roy Orbison topped the U.K. chart with "Oh Pretty Woman".
1965:  The Rolling Stones, Spencer Davis Group, Unit Four + 2 and the Checkmates were in concert at the ABC, Stockton on Tees, England.
1966:  Ginger Baker, drummer of Cream, collapsed during a concert at Sussex University in England after playing a 20-minute drum solo.  He recovered at a local hospital.

1966:  The Temptations had the top R&B song for a third week with "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep".
1966:  Revolver by the Beatles was the #1 album for the fifth straight week.  The Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago" was #2 followed by Somewhere My Love from Ray Conniff & the Singers and What Now My Love by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" in its 82nd week, Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass was #6, the Rolling Stones were stationary at #7 with Aftermath, Frank Sinatra's Strangers In the Night was #8, the Best of the Beach Boys came in ninth and Sinatra At the Sands from Frank Sinatra moved into the Top 10.



                             Los Bravos with the #4 song of the week...

1966:  "Cherish" by the Association continued to set the example in a third week at #1.  The Four Tops, however, were up from 7-2 with "Reach Out I'll Be There).  Question Mark & the Mysterians were close behind with "96 Tears" while "Black Is Black" by Los Bravos held down #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" from the Temptations, the Monkees traveled from 18 to 6 with "Last Train To Clarksville", Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry" took a turn up to #7, the Supremes' former #1 "You Can't Hurry Love", Count Five was up from 15 to 9 with "Psychotic Reaction" and the 4 Seasons collected their 11th Top 10 and 31st hit with "I've Got You Under My Skin".

1967:  Jimi Hendrix and Arthur Brown were at the Saville Theatre in London.
1968:  The Beatles recorded "I'm So Tired" and "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" for the upcoming White Album.
1968:  Cass Elliot debuted as a solo artist at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.













1969:  Steam released the single "(Na Na Hey Hey) Kiss Him Goodbye".  (Note:  one naive website claims the song was released in November.  Steam debuted on the Singles chart with their hit on October 18.  It is physically impossible for a song to be included on the Singles chart if it has not yet been released as a single.)







1970: Lynn Anderson released the great single "Rose Garden".
1971:  John Lennon released the single "Imagine" in the U.K.

1973:  The Steve Miller Band released the single "The Joker".
1977:  Steve Hackett announced that he was leaving the group Genesis for a solo career.










1977:  Barry White remained at #1 on the R&B chart with "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me".
1977:  "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon was #1 on the Easy Listening chart for the fifth week.
1977:  "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel was a big mover, advancing from #51 to #32.
1977:  "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco was #1 again with K.C. and the Sunshine Band coming in second--"Keep It Comin' Love".  A newcomer was rocketing up the charts however--Debby Boone (daughter of Pat) was up from #15 to #3 with "You Light Up My Life".  Carly Simon was able to climb to 4 with "Nobody Does It Better" and Shaun Cassidy now had song #5 with "That's Rock 'N' Roll".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Emotions' former #1 "Best Of My Love", Heatwave's first hit "Boogie Nights" was at #7, Foreigner and "Cold As Ice", the Commodores saw "Brick House" rise up to #9 and Andy Gibb's former #1 was still at #10--"I Just Want To Be Your Everything".

1977:  Rumours by Fleetwood Mac had already set a Rock Era record, but it needed to accumulate a few more weeks to top stave off two famous soundtrack albums that were yet to be released.  On this date, the Mac registered its 22nd week at #1. 
1979:  Supertramp released the single "Take The Long Way Home" from their epic album Breakfast In America.
1982:  R.E.M. was in concert at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City.
1983:  The Police held on to #1 on the Album chart for a 12th week with Synchronicity.  Thriller by Michael Jackson (the #2 album) had spent 20 weeks at #1 but it wasn't done rewriting the Rock Era record book.  The Soundtrack to "Flashdance" was third with Billy Joel's excellent An Innocent Man moving to #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Def Leppard and their breakthrough album Pyromania, Quiet Riot with Metal Health at #6, Bonnie Tyler was up with Faster Than the Speed of Night, Robert Plant's solo release The Principle of Moments was in the #8 position, Fixx and Reach the Beach, and Air Supply's Greatest Hits held the #10 spot.

1983:  "True" by Spandau Ballet was awarded the #1 spot on the Adult Contemporary chart.








1984:  Yes released their first single in 11 years--"Owner Of A Lonely Heart".
1985:  Litle Richard had a serious car accident in West Hollywood in which he fell asleep and ran into a telephone pole.

1987:  Chuck Berry was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1988:  Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was a guest on Saturday Night Live.
1988:  U2 hit #1 in the U.K. for the first time with "Desire".
1988:  Phil Collins climbed up to #1 on the AC chart with "Groovy Kind of Love".
1988:  Another song from Hysteria by Def Leppard was rising up the chart and on this date, "Love Bites" gave them a #1 song.  






1988:  After a record-shattering 741 weeks on the Album chart, Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd dropped out of the Top 200 on this date.
1988:  Appetite For Destruction from Guns N' Roses spent a third and final week at #1 on the Album chart while Hysteria by Def Leppard was still #2 after 60 weeks.  The debut from Tracy Chapman settled in at #3 while the "Cocktail" Soundtrack was #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Simple Pleasures from Bobby McFerrin, ...And Justice For All by Metallica moved from 13 to 6, Roll With It by Steve Winwood, Bon Jovi debuted at #8 with New Jersey, George Michael's Faith and He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper by D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince was #10.
1992:  The United States Postal Service announced that stamps honoring Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Otis Redding, Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter and Dinah Washington would be in included in a commemorative stamp booklet.
1994:  Elvis Aaron Presley - The Tribute was featured as a pay-per-view special.
1994:  Boyz II Men had the #1 R&B song for the eighth week in a row with "I'll Make Love To You".

                   Sheryl Crow reached #2 with her first hit...

1994:  The Boyz were hot--"I'll Make Love To You" spent a seventh week at #1 for Boyz II Men.  Sheryl Crow was up to the runner-up spot with her first hit "All I Wanna' Do".  Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey slipped down with their remake of "Endless Love" and Babyface found himself at #4 with "When Can I See You".  The rest of the Top 10:  John Mellencamp had his 10th Top 10 and 25th career hit "Wild Night" with help from Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Changing Faces were at 6 with "Stroke You Up", Lisa Loeb & Nine Stores were down with their former #1 "Stay (I Missed You)", Aaliyah remained at #8 with "At Your Best (You Are Love)", Immature were still at 9 and Real McCoy bounced into the Top 10 with "Another Night".
1996:  Jimmy Chamberlin, former member of the Smashing Pumpkins, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct related to the death of Jonathan Melvin from heroin.

2000:  Radiohead had the #1 album in the U.K. with Kid A.
2000:  Christina Aguilera had the top song with "Come On Over Baby".
2003:  Some people never change.  Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong ("Santa Claus & His Old Lady") began serving a nine-month jail term at the Taft Correctional Institution for selling drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
2004:  Stevie Wonder, Usher, Mary J. Blige and Reba McEntire performed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in a tribute to the late Ray Charles in Los Angeles.

2004:  Blondie, Sonic Youth, Joan Jett, the Strokes and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age performed at a charity tribute to the Ramones at the Spirit Club in New York City.  All proceeds were donated to the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Research Center and the Lymphoma Research Foundation (Both Joey and Johnny Ramone had died of cancer.)
2004:  In today's episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Beanie Sigel was sentenced to one year in federal prison on a gun-possession charge.
2005:  Drummer Bill Berry, who left R.E.M. in 1997, reunited with the group at a roadie's wedding, and the group played eight songs at Kingpins Bowl and Brew in Athens, Georgia.
2010:  Neil Sedaka was honored with the Silver Heart Award from Britain's Variety Club in Manchester for outstanding service to the music industry.

2011:  Roger Williams, who released 116 albums in his career and played before nine U.S. presidents, died just one week after his 87th birthday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born This Day:
1934:  Doc Green, baritone of the Drifters, was born in Harlem, New York; died at his home in Queens of cancer on March 10, 1989.
1940  Fred Cash of the Impressions was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1941:  George Bellamy, rhythm guitarist of the Tornadoes ("Telstar") was born in Sunderland, England.
1942:  Buzz Clifford ("Baby Sittin' Boogie" from 1961) was born in Berwyn, Illinois.  (Note:  some sources show his birth as 1941, but both 'Billboard' and 'allmusic.com' state 1942.)
1945:  Butch Rillera, a later drummer of Redbone
1945:  Ray Royer, guitarist of Procol Harum, was born in The Pinewoods, Essex, England.
1947:  Tony Wilson, bassist of Hot Chocolate, was born in Trinidad.

1948:  Johnny Ramone, elite guitarist of the Ramones, was born in Long Island, New York; died September 15, 2004 of prostate cancer.  
1949:  Hamish Stuart, singer and guitarist with the Average White Band, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
1950:  Robert "Kool" Bell, singer-songwriter, bassist, and founding member of Kool & the Gang, was born in Youngstown, Ohio.
1952:  Clifford Adams, trombone player of Kool & the Gang, was born in Trenton, New Jersey.
1953:  Cathy Carson of Hot ("Angel In Your Arms" from 1977)
1963:  Steve Perry, songwriter, lead singer, and rhythm guitarist of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, was born in Syracuse, New York.
1967:  Teddy Riley, singer-songwriter and keyboardist with Blackstreet, was born in Harlem, New York.
1985:  Bruno Mars, singer-songwriter and producer, was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i.

Five Best: Mamas & Papas

The great folk-rock sound of the Mamas & Papas was one of the strongest forces of the 1960's.  Here are their Five Best:

 

1.  "California Dreamin'"

 

2.  "Monday, Monday"

 

3.  "I Saw Her Again"

 

4.  "Dedicated to the One I Love

 

5.  "Creeque Alley"

Five Best: O'Jays

This great Philadelphia group put out hits well into the 2000's.  Honorable Mention for "Put Your Hands Together" and "Living for the Weekend".  Here are their Five Best*:

1.  "Love Train"

 

2.  "Back Stabbers"

 

3.  "Use Ta Be My Girl"

 

4.  "I Love Music"

 

5.  "For the Love of Money"

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "As" by Stevie Wonder

It starts out as a love song but the genius of Stevie Wonder turns it into so much more, a message for all-time.  Today's featured song on Inside the Rock Era's salute to The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era* is the unbelievable track from Stevie's masterpiece Songs in the Key of Life--"As".  They don't get much better than this, folks.

"As"

Words and Music by Stevie Wonder

As around the sun the earth knows she's revolving
And the rosebuds know to bloom in early May
Just as hate knows love's the cure
You can rest your mind assure
That I'll be loving you always
As now can't reveal the mystery of tomorrow
But in passing will grow older every day
Just as all is born is new
Do know what I say is true
That I'll be loving you always

Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky---Always
Until the ocean covers every mountain high---Always
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea---Always
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream

Did you know that true love asks for nothing
Her acceptance is the way we pay
Did you know that life has given love a guarantee
To last through forever and another day
Just as time knew to move on since the beginning
And the seasons know exactly when to change
Just as kindness knows no shame
Know through all your joy and pain
That I'll be loving you always
As today I know I'm living but tomorrow
Could make me the past but that I mustn't fear
For I'll know deep in my mind
The love of me I've left behind Cause I'll be loving you always

Until the day is night and night becomes the day---Always
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away---Always
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4---Always
Until the day that is the day that are no more
Did you know that you're loved by somebody?
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left---Always
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself
I'll be loving you forever
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through---Always
Until the day that you are me and I am you---Always
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky~~~~~Always

We all know sometimes lifes hates and troubles
Can make you wish you were born in another time and space
But you can bet you life times that and twice its double
That God knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed
so make sure when you say you're in it but not of it
You're not helping to make this earth a place sometimes called Hell
Change your words into truths and then change that truth into love
And maybe our children's grandchildren
And their great-great grandchildren will tell
I'll be loving you

Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky--Loving you
Until the ocean covers every mountain high--Loving you
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea--Loving you
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream--Be loving you
Until the day is night and night becomes the day--Loving you
Until the trees and seas up, up and fly away--Loving you
Until the day that 8x8x8x8 is 4--Loving you
Until the day that is the day that are no more--Loving you
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left--Be loving you
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself--Loving you
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through--Loving you
Until the day that you are me and I am you--
Now ain't that loving you
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
Ain't that loving you
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
And I've got to say always
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea~~Always
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream-Um Always
Until the day is night and night becomes the day-Always
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away-Always
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4~~~~~Always
Until the day that is the day that are no more-Alwyas
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left-Always
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself-~~Always
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through-Always
Until the day that you are me and I am you
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream
Until the day is night and night becomes the day
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4
Until the day that is the day that are no more
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through
Until the day that you are me and I am you

This Date in Rock Music History: October 7

1957:  RCA Victor Records announced that 500,000 advance orders for Elvis' Christmas album had been received.

1957:  "Honeycomb" by Jimmie Rodgers was the #1 R&B song.
1959:  Connie Stevens starred in Hawai'i'an Eye on ABC TV.  The series would last four years.
1961:  The Biggest Show of Stars tour, featuring the Platters, the Drifters, Del Shannon, Dee Clark, Gary U.S. Bonds, the Clefftones and Curtis Lee, performed at the Wichita Forum in Wichita, Kansas.
1963:  The Rolling Stones recorded the song "I Wanna' Be Your Man" that their friends John Lennon and Paul McCartney had written for them at DeLane Lea Studios in London.
1964:  The Beatles appeared on the television show Shindig!, performing "I'm A Loser", "Kansas City" and "Boys".

1966:  Johnny Kidd of the Pirates died in a car accident in Radcliffe, England at the age of 27.
1967:  After a dispute over a hotel charge, Cass Elliot of the Mamas & Papas spent the night in a jail in London.
1967:  The Beatles turned down an offer of $1 million to give a second concert in Shea Stadium.  
1967:  Jackie Wilson topped the R&B chart with the original version of "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher".

1967:  Aretha Franklin was on fire with "A Natural Woman", which jumped from 70 to 38 on this date.
1967:  The Young Rascals had the highest debut in the Top 10 with "How Can I Be Sure".







                          Hendrix had his top album...


1967:  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles made it 15 weeks at #1 on the Album chart out of just 16 weeks of release.  Ode To Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry was second with The Doors at #3.  The Rolling Stones achieved the #4 album with Flowers and Aretha Arrives from Aretha Franklin was in the fifth position.  The rest of the Top 10:  Headquarters from the Monkees, The Byrds' Greatest Hits, Groovin' by the Young Rascals at #8, Jefferson Airplane with Surrealistic Pillow and the Jimi Hendrix Experience were at 10 with Are You Experienced?
1968:  Jose Feliciano sang the United States national anthem at the World Series.

1969:  The Jackson 5 released their first single "I Want You Back".
1970:  Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones was one of the stars in the movie Ned Kelly, which premiered in England.









1971:  Michael Jackson released the single "Got To Be There".
1972:  James Brown had the #1 R&B song for the fourth week with "Get On The Good Foot".
1972:  Three Dog Night ruled the Easy Listening chart with "Black & White".






            Eric Carmen and the Raspberries were in the Top 5...

1972:  Mac Davis remained at #1 for the third week with "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me".  Michael Jackson was on the verge of his first solo #1 song with "Ben".  The O'Jays closed to #3 with "Back Stabbers", the Main Ingredient was at #4 with "Everybody Plays The Fool" and the Raspberries reached #5 with "Go All The Way".






1974:  Neil Sedaka released the single "Laughter In The Rain".









1974:  Barry Manilow released the first single of his career--"Mandy".









1974:  Helen Reddy released the single "Angie Baby".
1974:  Elite guitarist Steven Stills backed his wife, Veronique Sanson, in her debut at the Olympia in Paris, France.
1975:  A U.S. Appeals Court ruled that John Lennon could stay in America, saying a 1968 arrest for marijuana was an invalid reason to force him to leave the country.  The truth is that the Republican Nixon Administration was trying to get him deported in retaliation for his protests against the government.






1978:  Dire Straits released their landmark debut album.

1978:  There was an amazing new group introduced to us on this date.  Formerly, they had been the backing musicians for Boz Scaggs.  Now, Toto had a hit song with their first single release--"Hold The Line".
1978:  The Rolling Stones were on Saturday Night Live.
1978:  The "Grease" Soundtrack was the #1 album in the U.K.

1978:  Boston scored the #1 album with Don't Look Back, the follow-up to their monumental debut.  The "Grease" Soundtrack was second, Foreigner's Double Vision was #3 and the Who remained at #4 with Who Are You.  The rest of the Top 10:  Some Girls from the Rolling Stones, the self-titled A Taste of Honey, Nightwatch from Kenny Loggins, the Soundtrack to "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", Blam!! by the Brothers Johnson at #9 and Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg combined for the #10 album--Twin Songs of Different Mothers.
1978:  The great-sounding "Love Is In The Air" by John Paul Young was the #1 Easy Listening song.




                            The Little River Band's timeless classic...

1978:  Exile had a hold on #1 with their great song "Kiss You All Over".  A Taste of Honey's former #1 "Boogie Oogie Oogie" was at #2 with Nick Gilder's "Hot Child In The City" in pursuit.  Boston was up to #4 with "Don't Look Back" while the second collaboration of John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John from Grease ("Summer Nights") was song #5.  The rest of an excellent Top 10:  "Reminiscing" from Little River Band, "Hopelessly Devoted To You" by Olivia Newton-John, John Paul Young edged up with "Love Is In The Air", Anne Murray moved into the Top 10 with "You Needed Me" and Kenny Loggins had the #10 song "Whenever I Call You Friend", with help from friend Stevie Nicks.
1980:  Dusty Springfield performed onstage for the first time in eight years at the Grand Finale club in New York City.
1986:  Run D.M.C. spoke and performed for 4,000 children at an anti-crack rally in New York City.
1989:  Jefferson Starship set a precedent with a unique promotion--for their concert on this date, the admission charge was a can of food, which would go to the San Francisco Food Bank.
1989:  The Pet Shop Boys owned the top U.K. album with The Seeds of Love.
1989:  Soul II Soul secured the #1 spot on the R&B chart with "Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)".

1989:  Janet Jackson had her sixth Top 10 out of nine releases and second #1 with "Miss You Much".  Madonna moved up with "Cherish" while previous #1 "Girl I'm Gonna' Miss You" by Milli Vanilli was third.  Warrant dropped with "Heaven" and Cher was down with her song "If I Could Turn Back Time".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Rolling Stones moved into the list with their 23rd and final Top 10 song out of 56 releases--"Mixed Emotions", the Cure were up to 7 with "Love Song", "18 and Life" was the title of the #8 song by Skid Row, Young MC moved up with "Bust A Move" and prolific and popular songwriter Babyface kept "It's No Crime" for himself, moving up to #10.





1989:  After peaking at #4 on March 25 and then dropping out of the Top 10, Paula Abdul completed an amazing run to the top with her album Forever Your Girl, in its 64th week of release.  Girl You Know It's True by Milli Vanilli was toppled and Steel Wheels, the best Rolling Stones album in well over a decade, was #3.  New Kids On the Block were Hangin' Tough at #4 and Motley Crue had #5 with Dr. Feelgood.  The rest of the Top 10:  Full Moon Fever from Tom Petty, the self-titled Skid Row, Repeat Offender, the great album by Richard Marx, was #8, Aerosmith moved from 23 to 9 with Pump and Fine Young Cannibals were down with The Raw & the Cooked.

1989:  "Cherish" by Madonna was the new #1 song on the Adult Contemporary chart, which had become the more reliable one.
1995:  Tone Loc ("Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing" in the late 80's) was arrested in Los Angeles for taking $80 from a pizza place.
1995:  Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA attended the premiere of their new musical Kristina Fran Duvemala at the Storan Theatre in Malmö, Sweden.





1995:  An album by a newcomer from Canada first reached #1 on this date.  Jagged Little Pill was the name of the album from Alanis Morissette, and it would go on to become one of The Top 10 Albums of the Rock Era*.
1996:  Bruce Springsteen sold out an acoustic performance in Charlotte, North Carolina in eight minutes.

2001:  Peter Criss performed with KISS for the final time in Charleston, South Carolina prior to the reunion tour in 1995.
2003:  Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears announced that they were reforming.
2004:  Melissa Etheridge announced that she was cancelling her tour to undergo surgery and treatment for breast cancer.
2005:  Boy George of Culture Club was arrested after police found over 3.5 grams of cocaine in his New York City apartment.  
2006:  In today's segment of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Jadakiss was arrested in Yonkers, New York for gun and drugs possession.  Police found not only marijuana but a stolen .38 revolver in his car.
2007:  And you get a bonus segment of Inmates Run Rap Music.  Lil' Wayne was arrested after a concert in Boise, Idaho on a Georgia warrant from a drug possession charge.
2007:  Bruce Springsteen landed the top U.K. album with Magic.


 Born This Day:
1927:  Al Martino ("I Love You Because" from 1963) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died October 13, 2009 in Springfield, Pennsylvania.
1939:  Colin Cooper, lead singer, harmonica player, and co-founder of Climax Blues Band, was born in Durham, England; died July 3, 2008 of cancer.
1941:  Tony Silvester, a founding member of Main Ingredient ("Everybody Plays the Fool" in 1972), was born in Colon, Panama; died November 26, 2006 after a six-year battle with multiple myeloma.
1941:  Martin Murray, founding member and rhythm guitarist of the Honeycombs ("Have I the Right" from 1964), was born in London.
1943:  Dino Valenti (real name Chester Powers), songwriter of "Get Together" for the Youngbloods and lead singer of Quicksilver Messenger Service in later years, was born in Danbury, Connecticut; died November 16, 1994 in Santa Rosa, California.
1945:  Kevin Godley, drummer of 10cc, was born in Prestwich, Lancashire, England.  (Note:  some sources state his birthplace as Manchester, but he was born in Prestwich, a town outside of Manchester.)
1949:  Dave Hope, bass guitarist of Kansas
1950:  David Taylor, bass guitarist of Edison Lighthouse ("Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes")

1951:  John Mellencamp was born in Seymour, Indiana
1953:  Tico Torres, drummer of Bon Jovi, was born in New York City.

1968:  Toni Braxton was born in Severn, Maryland.  (Note:  some sites show her birth year as 1967, but both 'The Baltimore Sun' newspaper and 'Billboard' state her birth year as 1968.)

1968:  Thom F. Yorke, lead vocalist and main songwriter of Radiohead, was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England.
1969:  Leeroy Thornhill, keyboardist of the Prodigy, was born in Barking, Greater London.
1976:  Taylor Hicks was born in Birmingham, Alabama.

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations

The Temptations raised social awareness to a new level with this theme of the times and a warning for the future.  Great, great song from the Tempts, featuring that memorable bass line from Melvin Franklin ("...and the band played on...")--"Ball of Confusion".

"Ball of Confusion"

by the Temptations
 

Written By Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong


1, 2... 1, 2, 3, 4, Ow!
[Eddie:]
People moving out, people moving in. Why, because of the color of their skin.
Run, run, run but you sure can't hide. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Vote for me and I'll set you free. Rap on, brother, rap on.

Dennis: Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the...(preacher.)
And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the...(teacher.)
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation.
Ball of confusion. Oh yeah, that's what the world is today. Woo, hey, hey.

[Paul:]
The sale of pills are at an all time high.
Young folks walking round with their heads in the sky.
The cities ablaze in the summer time.
And oh, the beat goes on.

[Dennis:]
Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul.
Shooting rockets to the moon, kids growing up too soon.
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything.

[Melvin:]
And the band played on.
So, round and around and around we go.
Where the world's headed, nobody knows.

[Instrumental]

Oh, great googalooga, can't you hear me talking to you.
Just a ball of confusion.
Oh yeah, that's what the world is today.
Woo, hey, hey.

[Eddie:]
Fear in the air, tension everywhere.
Unemployment rising fast, the Beatles new record's a gas.

[Dennis:]
And the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation.

[Melvin:]
And the band played on.

Eve of destruction, tax deduction, city inspectors, bill collectors,
Mod clothes in demand, population out of hand, suicide, too many bills,
Hippies moving to the hills. People all over the world are shouting, 'End the war.'

[Melvin:]
And the band played on.

[Instrumental]

Great googalooga, can't you hear me talking to you.
Sayin'... ball of confusion.
That's what the world is today, hey, hey.
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya.

Sayin'... ball of confusion.
That's what the world is today, hey, hey.
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya.
Sayin'... ball of confusion.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 6

1958:  "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day ("Rock-In Robin" on some 45's) was #1 on the R&B chart.

1958:  "Tom Dooley" by the Kingston Trio raced up from #83 to #37 on this date.
1962:  After their first single "Love Me Do" had been released the day before, the Beatles signed records at Dawson's Music Shop on Church Street in Widnes, Cheshire, England.  It was one of only three official autograph sessions the Beatles did in their career.  The four Beatles signed their names on the single's red and silver label.  Copies today are rare today and extremely valuable due to the limited duration of the signing.

1962:  "Sherry" by the 4 Seasons was the #1 R&B song.
1963:  The Yardbirds were in concert at Studio 51 at Leicester Square in London.
1964:  The Beatles recorded 13 takes of "Eight Days A Week" in two sessions at the EMI Studios on Abbey Road in London.  Afterwards, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr went to the Ad Lib Club in London, where they spent time with Mick Jagger, the Ronettes, and Cilla Black. 




 

1966:  The Supremes released the single "I Hear A Symphony".  (Note:  some websites show different dates for the release, but Mary Wilson, in her book 'Dreamgirl and Supreme Faith:  My Life as a Supreme' said the date of release was October 6.) 



 

 1967:  Police in San Francisco closed down the Matrix Club (3838 Fillmore) during a performance by Big Brother & the Holding Company.
1967:  The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded a show for Top Gear on BBC Radio.  Stevie Wonder, who was also on the show, jammed with the group.

1969:  For the first time in the history of the Beatles, a George Harrison song was released as the featured song on a 45 ("Something").  It was released on October 31 in the U.K.

1969:  A great day for new singles--Three Dog Night released the single "Eli's Coming".















1969:  Blood, Sweat & Tears released the single 'And When I Die".

1973:  The great song "All I Know" by Art Garfunkel was the #1 Easy Listening song.









1973:  Eddie Kendricks' great R&B song "Keep On Truckin'" led the way in that genre.
1973:  Cher had the #1 song with "Half Breed".  Paul Simon moved to #2 with "Loves Me Like A Rock", Marvin Gaye's former #1 (Let's Get It On") was third followed by the previous #1 "We're An American Band" by Grand Funk.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Higher Ground" from Stevie Wonder, "That Lady" by the Isley Brothers, the Allman Brothers Band had their biggest hit with "Ramblin' Man", the Rolling Stones collected their 30th career hit and 15th Top 10 when "Angie" reached #8, Helen Reddy slipped with "Delta Dawn" and former Temptations member Eddie Kendricks said "Keep On Truckin'".










1978:  Benny Andersson and Frida Lyngstad of ABBA were married.
1979:  Lobo again had the #1 Adult Contemporary song with "Where Were You When I Was Falling In Love".
1979:  Michael Jackson registered a fifth week at #1 on the R&B chart with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".







1979:  Robert John rose all the way to #1 with "Sad Eyes".  Michael Jackson moved into the #1 position with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", Herb Alpert attempted to get his second career #1 song with "Rise", the previous #1 "My Sharona" from the Knack was #4 and the Commodores were back with "Sail On".  The rest of the Top 10:  Little River Band with "Lonesome Loser", Dionne Warwick remained at 7 with her comeback hit "I'll Never Love This Way Again", M's "Pop Muzik" moved into the Top 10, Earth, Wind & Fire's great ballad "After The Love Has Gone" was now #9 and Donna Summer continued her streak with her sixth consecutive Top 10 song--"Dim All The Lights".






                            Neil Young gets his fourth Top 10 album...

1979:  Led Zeppelin once again reigned high above the rest with one of The Top Albums of the Rock Era*--In Through the Out Door.  Get the Knack, the previous #1 from the Knack, was still at #2 with Bob Dylan remaining at #3 with Slow Train Coming.  The Commodores' Midnight Magic was working and Michael Jackson's breakthrough album Off the Wall scaled up to #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Supertramp, in their 28th week with Breakfast In America, Chic's Risque, Foreigner's third album Head Games was up from #19 to #8, Rust Never Sleeps debuted in the list for Neil Young & Crazy Horse and First Under the Wire from the Little River Band was #10.
1980:  Johnny Lydon, ex frontman of the Sex Pistols, was arrested in Dublin, Ireland for his part in a barroom brawl.  Lydon was thrown in his cell at Mountjoy prison.

1981:  Journey released their great single "Don't Stop Believin'".










1981:  Don Henley and Stevie Nicks released their great collaboration "Leather And Lace".

1983:  Barry Manilow played a benefit concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, attended by Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
 1984:  "Let's Go Crazy" from Prince was #1 on the R&B chart.
1984:  The Cars continued to own the #1 Adult Contemporary song with "Drive".
1984:  The count reached 10 for weeks at #1 for Prince's excellent Purple Rain album.  The previous #1 from Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A., however, had been in the Top Three every week since being dethroned and was not going away.  Sports by Huey Lewis & the News, itself a #1 album, was now moving back up after 53 weeks of release!  Private Dancer from Tina Turner was now at 4 and the Cars held steady with Heartbeat City.  So great were these five albums that they had made up the Top Five in various order for the past seven weeks.  Another note:  the debut album from Madonna reached the Top 10 for the first time--in its 58th week of release.

                       A second smash from Born in the U.S.A...

1984:  Prince remained on top with "Let's Go Crazy" as he had the #1 song, the #1 R&B song and the #1 album.  Stevie Wonder's 52nd career hit was now just one step away--"I Just Called To Say I Love You".  The Cars were in neutral with "Drive", John Waite dropped with "Missing You" and Cyndi Lauper was on her way down with "She Bop".  The rest of the Top 10:  Chicago reached the Top 10 with "Hard Habit To Break", Sheila E. was up to #7 with "The Glamorous Life", Madonna's "Lucky Star", Scandal was at #9 with "The Warrior" and Bruce Springsteen maintained with "Cover Me".
1990:  Paul Young made it three weeks in a row at #1 on the AC chart with his remake of the Chi-Lites tune "Oh Girl".
1990:  Pebbles climbed to the top of the R&B chart with "Giving You The Benefit".
1990:  The Righteous Brothers had the highest-debuting song ("Unchained Melody"), 25 years after it was a huge hit.





1990:  M.C. Hammer tied the "Dirty Dancing" Soundtrack and More of the Monkees with the 18th week at #1 on the Album chart for Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em.  That would rank #7 for the Rock Era but the Hammer wasn't done.  Wilson Phillips had one of the top #2 albums of the Rock Era with their debut, holding off Mariah Carey with a debut of her own.  Blaze of Glory/Young Guns II by Jon Bon Jovi was fourth but George Michael's masterpiece Listen Without Prejudice moved from 22 to 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Bell Biv DeVoe with Poison, Queensryche and Empire, the "Graffiti Bridge" Soundtrack from Prince, the "Ghost" Soundtrack moved from 15 to 9 and Flesh & Blood from Poison came in #10.
1994:  Glenn Frey underwent colon surgery to relieve pain from an inflamed colon that had forced the Eagles to put their reunion tour on hold.




1996:  Faith Hill married Tim McGraw in a small family ceremony in Rayville, Louisiana.








1998:  Alabama earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (7060 Hollywood Boulevard).
2004:  Rascal Flatts rose to #1 on the album chart with Feels Like Today.






Born This Day:
1917:  Bob Neal, early manager of Elvis Presley and who also managed Johnny Cash, was born in the Belgium Congo; died May 9, 1983 in Nashville, Tennessee.

1946:  Millie Small ("My Boy Lollipop") was born in Clarendon, Jamaica.
1949:  Thomas McClary, guitarist and singer of the Commodores, was born in Eustis, Florida.
1949:  Bobby Farrell of Boney M ("Rivers of Babylon") was born in Oranjestad, Aruba; died December 30, 2010 in his hotel room in St. Petersburg, Russia after a performance.

1951:  Kevin Cronin, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of REO Speedwagon, was born in Evanston, Illinois.
1954:  David Hidalgo, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of Los Lobos, was born in Los Angeles.
1961:  Tim Burgess, drummer of T'Pau, was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England.
1964:  Matthew Sweet, singer-songwriter, session musician, collaborater with numerous artists and actor (an extra in Terms of Endearment) was born in Lincoln, Nebraska.
1966:  Tommy Stinson, bassist of the Replacements and later Guns N' Roses, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.