This Date in Rock Music History: March 4

1959:  Peter Gunn by Henry Mancini won Album of the Year at the first Grammy Awards.  "Volare" by Domenico Modugno took Record of the Year honors.








1963:  The Beach Boys released the single "Surfin' U.S.A."

1964:  The Rolling Stones performed the Buddy Holly song "Not Fade Away" on Top of the Pops on BBC-TV.  (Note:  numerous websites state that this occurred on February 27, with some saying the show aired on March 10.  'Top of the Pops' did not air on either February 27 or March 10--the show aired on Wednesday nights, on February 5, 12, 19 and 26 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25.  'TV.com' and other sources confirm that the correct date is March 4.)

1967:  The Spencer Davis Group announced the Steve Winwood and his brother Muff were leaving the group following their concert on April 2.  (Note:  one website lists this date as March 11.  Although there are no credible sources for either date, our best research indicates that the group made this announcement on March 4.)
1967:  The Rolling Stones weren't breaking up--they had their 16th hit and fourth #1 with "Ruby Tuesday".  





1967:  It was Monkees Mania as the group had dominated the Album chart for 17 weeks, 13 with their self-titled debut and now four with More of the Monkees.  The Rolling Stones tried to do something about it, rising above the rest of the competition to move from 21-3 with Between the Buttons.  The Stones, however, wouldn't top the Monkees with this effort.
1968:  Simon & Garfunkel were in concert at Usher Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland.
1968:  Eddie Kendricks and Otis Williams of the Temptations were involved in a serious car crash that sent both to a hospital in Somerset, Pennsylvania.  (Note:  several websites state that the two were sent to a hospital in Sommerset, Pennsylvania.  There is no such town or township.  The correct spelling of the borough is Somerset.)

1969:  Sonny & Cher celebrated the birth of daughter Chastity.

"Gimme Shelter", one of the hottest rocks for the Rolling Stones...

1972:  We loved the new sound of Don McLean; his American Pie topped the Album chart for the seventh week.  The Concert for Bangla Desh by George Harrison and Music from Stanley, Idaho's Carole King, swapped spots while Yes held tight to #4 with Fragile.  Hot Rocks 1964-1971, the compilation album by the Rolling Stones was next.  The rest of the Top 10:  Nilsson Schmillson from Nilsson, Faces were at #7 with A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...To a Blind Horse, Led Zeppelin IV was moving back up now, the debut solo album from Paul Simon moved from 15 to 9 and Bread's solid album Baby I'm-A Want You moved into the Top 10.
1972:  "Without You" by Nilsson led the way for the fourth week on the Adult chart.







                           One of 11 Top 5 songs for the Carpenters...

1972:  Nilsson towered over the competition with "Without You", spending a third week at #1.  The Carpenters would have to settle for a solid #2 this time with "Hurting Each Other".  Climax remained third with "Precious And Few", the Osmonds edged up with "Down By The Lazy River" and Bread was up to 5 with "Everything I Own".  The rest of the Top 10:  Robert John's remake of the Tokens classic "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", Neil Young moved from 13 to 7 with "Heart Of Gold", Al Green's big hit "Let's Stay Together", Stanley, Idaho's Carole King with "Sweet Seasons" and T. Rex invaded the Top 10 with "Bang A Gong (Get It On)".












1974:  Joni Mitchell released the single "Help Me".



1974:  Marvin Hamlisch released the single from the all-time classic movie The Sting--"The Entertainer".
1976:  Hall & Oates recorded "Rich Girl".

1977:  The Rolling Stones recorded the album Love You Live on March 4 and 5 in two unannounced dates at the El Mocambo Tavern in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1978:  The Internal Revenue Service in the United States carried out a dawn raid at Jerry Lee Lewis's home and took over $170,000 worth of cars to pay of a tax debt.
1978:  For a fifth week, "(What A) Wonderful World" by Art Garfunkel, James Taylor and Paul Simon was the #1 Adult song.
1978:  England Dan & John Ford Coley moved from 70 to 50 with "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again".





            
                                               Newcomer Samantha Sang...

1978:  Andy Gibb and the Bee Gees swapped places with "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" taking over for "Stayin' Alive" at #1, the only time in the Rock Era that one brother has taken over at #1 from another.  Dan Hill moved into position with "Sometimes When We Touch", Samantha Sang and the Bee Gees were at #4 with "Emotion" and "Night Fever" from the Bee Gees moved from 8-5.  This was the closest that anyone has ever gotten to the magical time of 1964 when the Beatles had the top five songs.  The Bee Gees had two this week and wrote two others.

         "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton helped fuel sales of 'Slowhand'.

1978:  Magical times in music.  Rumours by Fleetwood Mac had just set the Rock Era record of 31 weeks at #1 on the Album chart and the LP that supplanted it, the "Saturday Night Fever" Soundtrack, was generating huge sales and seven weeks at #1.  Billy Joel's superb album The Stranger, which sent him on his way towards superstar status, was second.  Jackson Browne was up to 3 with Running on Empty while Queen's News of the World trailed.  The rest of the Top 10:  Slowhand from Eric Clapton, Styx remained sixth with The Grand Illusion, Earth, Wind & Fire were on the way down with All 'N All, Steely Dan's magnificent Aja, Rod Stewart tripped with Foot Loose & Fancy Free and George Benson's live Weekend in L.A. was generating the buzz.
1979:  Randy Jackson of the Jackson Five broke both legs in a car accident, then almost died in the hospital emergency room when a nurse inadvertently injected him with methadone.






1986:  Howard Greenfield, songwriter who teamed with Neil Sedaka to write "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" and "Calendar Girl", wrote "Crying In The Rain" with Carole King, and also composed the theme to the popular television show Bewitched, died of complications from AIDS in Los Angeles at age 49.
1986:  Richard Manuel of the Band committed suicide in Winter Park, Florida at age 41.







1989:  "The Living Years" by Mike + the Mechanics was the #1 Adult Contemporary song for the third consecutive week.
1989:  Eighteen year-old Debbie Gibson moved into the top spot overall with "Lost In Your Eyes".  Sheena Easton was next with "The Lover In Me", former #1 "Straight Up" finally relinquished its spot after three weeks and Mike & the Mechanics moved from 9 to 4 with "The Living Years".
1992:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers were in concert at The Hummingbird in Birmingham, England.
1993:  She even had a child with him.  Whitney Houston gave birth to Bobby Brown's daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown.

1993:  Patti Labelle was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1995:  "Candy Rain" by Soul for Real topped the R&B chart.











                                               "I Alone" from Live...

1995:  Garth Brooks was as hot as anyone in the world and nearly as hot as anyone has ever been--his new compilation The Hits topped the Album chart for an eighth week.  Boyz II Men remained ready with II and Dookie from Green Day was still at #3 after 54 weeks.  Van Halen fell down with Balance while the album Eagles' fans had been waiting for for 15 years, Hell Freezes Over, was out and doing well.  The rest of the Top 10:  Cracked Rear View from Hootie & the Blowfish, TLC was generating excitement with Crazy SexyCool, newcomer Live had the amazing album Throwing Copper which moved from 12-8, the Cranberries held still with No Need To Argue and Pearl Jam's Vitalogy stood 10th.







1997:  Savage Garden released their great self-titled debut album.
2001:  Glenn Hughes of the Village People died of lung cancer in his apartment in Manhattan, New York at age 50.  (Note:  MTV reports that Hughes was 51, but Hughes was born July 18, 1950, meaning he was 50 at the time of his death.  The newspapers 'The New York Times', 'The Los Angeles Times', and 'The Guardian' all confirm that Hughes was 50.)
2001:  Shaggy and Rikrok had the #1 song in the U.K. with "It Wasn't Me".
2009:  Britney Spears began her first world tour in five years at the New Orleans Arena in Louisiana.



2011:  Johnny Preston ("Running Bear" from 1959) died at the age of 71 of heart failure in Beaumont, Texas.
2015:  Shania Twain announced that she would tour for the first time in 11 years.









Born This Day:

1925:  Paul Mauriat, arranger and conductor ("Love Is Blue" from 1968), was born in Marseille, France; died November 3, 2006 in Perpignan, France.
1936:  Eric Allendale, songwriter and trombonist of the Foundations ("Build Me Up Buttercup") was born in Dominica, West Indies; died August 23, 2001 after suffering a stroke in 1999.








1944:  Bobby Womack ("Lookin' For A Love" from 1974) was born in Cleveland, Ohio; died June 27, 2014 in Tarzana, California.











1948:  Shakin' Stevens (real name Michael Barratt), who scored numerous hits in the U.K. such as the #1 songs "This Ole House" and "Green Door" from 1981, was born in Ely, Cardiff, Wales.
1948:  Chris Squire, bass guitarist for Yes ("Owner Of A Lonely Heart" from 1984), was born in London.









1950:  Emilio Estefan, musician and producer of Miami Sound Machine and husband of Gloria Estefan, was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
1951:  Chris Rea ("Fool if You Think It's Over" from 1978) was born in Middlesbrough, England.
1951:  Pete Haycock, singer and guitarist with the Climax Blues Band and later a reorganized ELO, was born in Stafford, Staffordshire, England; died October 30, 2013 of a suspected heart attack in Frankfurt, Germany.
1954:  St. Clair L. Palmer of Sweet Sensation ("Sad Sweet Dreamer" from 1975) was born in St. Kitts, British West Indies.
1955:  Boon Gould, founding member and guitarist of Level 42, was born in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.





1963:  Jason Newsted, bassist of Metallica from 1986-2001, was born in Battle Creek, Michigan.
1967:  Evan Dando, guitarist and lead vocalist of the Lemonheads, was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
1971:  Fergal Lawlor, drummer and co-founder of the Cranberries, was born in Limerick, Ireland.