Wednesday, November 7, 2012

This Date in Rock Music History: November 8

Lots of drummers born on this date, and other important music news--here we go!

1953:  Buddy Holly began his radio show (called The Buddy and Jack Show, with Jack Neal, on KDAV in Lubbock, Texas.

1957:  The Elvis Presley movie Jailhouse Rock opened nationally in theaters.  (Note:  numerous websites claim that the movie opened in theaters on October 21, but the book 'Elvis Presley:  Silver Screen Icon' by Steve Templeton states that the movie premiered in Memphis, Tennessee on October 17, but opened nationally on November 8.)
1958:  The Soundtrack to "South Pacific" took over as the #1 album in the U.K.  It would set the Rock Era record in the U.K. with 115 weeks at #1.
1961:  Brian Epstein called the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England to purchase a ticket to see the Beatles perform.  He became their manager shortly after seeing the group.








1961:  Chubby Checker, who had already seen "The Twist" go to #1, re-released it on this date.









1961:  The Tokens released the single "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".









Drag City by Jan & Dean on Grooveshark
1963:  Jan & Dean released the single "Drag City".
1963:  Dusty Springfield began her first tour as a solo artist, performing with the Searchers, Freddie & the Dreamers and Brian Poole & the Tremeloes in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1963:  Bobby Vee, the Ronettes and Little Eva were in concert in Teaneck, New Jersey on the first date of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour.
1964:  The Beatles performed two concerts at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, England.  Mary Wells was among the opening acts.

1965:  The Vogues released the single "Five O'Clock World".
1965:  The Beatles recorded "Think For Yourself", a George Harrison song written for their upcoming album Rubber Soul.
1965:  The Dave Clark Five performed for Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium.







1966:  The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed at the Big Apple Club in Munich, Germany.
1967:  Nilsson recorded the song "Everybody's Talkin'" in one take.
1967:  The movie How I Won the War starring John Lennon opened in the United States.
1967:  The Foundations had the top U.K. song with "Baby, Now That I've Found You".
1968:  John Lennon granted a divorce to Cynthia Powell Lennon.
1968:  Aretha Franklin broke her leg in a fall in a hotel in Honolulu, Hawai'i, causing her to perform two concerts in a wheelchair.
1969:  "Baby, I'm for Real" by the Originals replaced "I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations as the top R&B song.






 

                                                                       BS & T come back into the Top 10...


1969:  Abbey Road by the Beatles was #1 again on the Album chart with Green River from CCR providing the closest competition.  Johnny Cash At San Quentin was third followed by the Blind Faith album and I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!  by Janis Joplin.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Rolling Stones with Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2), the debut from Crosby, Stills & Nash, Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul at #8, the self-titled Santana and Blood, Sweat & Tears re-entered the Top 10 in its 41st week.
         
                                                                      Reminiscing of those summer days...

1969:  The 5th Dimension achieved their second career #1 with "Wedding Bell Blues", which sent "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley to #2.  The Beatles roared from 10 to 3 with "Come Together" while the former #1 "I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations remained at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Smith and "Baby It's You", another former #1, "Sugar, Sugar" from the Archies, "Hot Fun In The Summertime" from Sly & the Family Stone, Blood, Sweat & Tears moved from 17-8 with "And When I Die", the Beatles scored their 30th Top 10 song in just five years with "Something" and the Flying Machine landed at #10 with "Smile A Little Smile For Me".



1971:  Don McLean released the epic single "American Pie".












1971:  The album Led Zeppelin IV appeared in music stores.  The album did not contain the name of the group at all, just four bizarre runic symbols, which led many to call the album Four Symbols(Note:  although some websites report the release as November 12, it was in fact November 8, as cited in the book 'From A Whisper to A Scream:  The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin' by Dave Lewis.)
1971:  Paul McCartney launched his new group Wings with a party at the Empire Ballroom in London.


1975:  The Carpenters released their remake of the Marvelettes' song "Please Mr. Postman".














1974:  Ivory Joe Hunter ("Since I Met You Baby" from 1957) died of lung cancer in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 60.
1975:  Elton John was named the godfather to John and Yoko Lennon's son Sean.





1975:  "Low Rider" by War was the new #1 on the R&B chart.
1975:  The Captain & Tennille followed up "Love Will Keep Us Together" with another #1 on the Easy Listening Chart--"The Way I Want To Touch You".






1975:  Nowadays, it is commonplace because of the lack of competition but on this date, Elton John's Rock of the Westies became just the second album in the history of the Rock Era to debut at #1, following Elton's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.  After finally scoring a #1 album with Red Octopus, Jefferson Starship had to relinquish the spot after one week.  Wish You Were Here from Pink Floyd was third followed by Prisoner of Disguise from Linda Ronstadt.  The rest of the Top 10:  Windsong from John Denver, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, Jethro Tull remained at #7 with Minstrel in the Gallery, George Harrison's Extra Texture, David Crosby & Graham Nash teamed for the #9 album Wind on the Water and Paul Simon had a winner on his hands with Still Crazy After All These Years, a Top 10 entrant after just three weeks.






Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word by Elton John on Grooveshark
1976:  Elton John released the single "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word".
1977:  Suzi Quatro debuted on Happy Days on ABC-TV as Leather Tuscadero.
1980:  The #1 album in the U.K. was Guilty by Barbra Streisand.
1985:  The Sting concert movie Bring On the Night opened in theaters.
1986:  Berlin achieved a #1 song in the U.K. with "You Take My Breath Away".
1986:  The Police had the top album in the U.K. with Every Breath You Take--the Singles.








1986:  Carly Simon was enjoying a big comeback with "Coming Around Again", which moved from 97 to 78 on this date.
1986:  Jason Newstead, new bassist with Metallica, performed live with the group for the first time.
1986:  Although they had several other songs that were better, Boston amazingly had their first and only #1 song on this date with "Amanda".  That's why the competition is always critical in analyzing chart peaks.
1986:  Sun Valley, Idaho's Peter Cetera teamed with Amy Grant for the #1 Adult Contemporary song "The Next Time I Fall".
1987:  Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys married Dean Martin's daughter, Gina.








1993:  Celine Dion released the single "The Power Of Love".
1994:  Sonny Bono was elected to the United States House of Representatives from California.
1995:  Michael Jackson teamed with Sony Corporation of America to create the third-largest music publishing company in the world with over 100,000 songs.







1997:  Jewel's album Pieces of You re-entered the Top 10 after 89 weeks of release.
1998:  Robbie Williams scored his second #1 album in the U.K. with I've Been Expecting You.
2003:  Duran Duran reunited for a 25th Anniversary Tour, beginning at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
2008:  AC/DC registered the #1 album with Black Ice.
2009:  Mark Owen of Take That married Emma Ferguson at Cawdor Parish Church near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.


Born This Day:
Patti Page
1927:  Patti Page (real name Clara Ann Fowler), who had 43 hits in the early years of the Rock Era, including "Let Me Go Lover" and "Allegheny Moon", was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma; died January 1, 2013 in Encinitas, California.  (Note:  many websites show her birthplace as Muskogee.  She later lived in several towns including Muskogee, but she was born in Claremore, according to 'The Los Angeles Times' and several other newspapers.)
1942:  John Perez, drummer with the Sir Douglas Quintet ("She's About a Mover") 
1944:  Robert Nix, drummer of the Classics IV and the Atlanta Rhythm Section, was born in Blakely, Georgia; died May 20, 2012 in Memphis, Tennessee.
1944:  Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney & Bonnie ("Never Ending Song of Love" from 1971) was born in Alton, Illinois.  (Note:  some websites report her birthplace as Acton, Illinois--there is no such town.)
1945:  Don Murray, drummer of the Turtles, was born in Glendale, California; died March 22, 1996 for post-operative complications from ulcer surgery in Santa Monica, California.
1945:  Butch Rillera, drummer of Redbone ("Come And Get Your Love" from 1973)

1946:  Roy Wood, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and founder of the Move and Electric Light Orchestra, was born in Birmingham, England.
1946:  John Martin, drummer of Dr. Feelgood









1947:  Minnie Riperton ("Lovin' You" from 1975) was born in Chicago, Illinois; died July 12, 1979 at the age of 31 from breast cancer.











1949:  Bonnie Raitt was born in Burbank, California.
1949:  Alan Berger, bass guitarist with Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes
1951:  Gerald Alston, singer with the Manhattans ("Kiss And Say Goodbye" and "Shining Star" with the Manhattans), was born in Henderson, North Carolina.









1954:  Rickie Lee Jones ("Chuck E's In Love" from 1979) was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1954:  Ricky Lawson, drummer who worked with Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston,  Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Phil Collins, Quincy Jones, Eric Clapton, Toto, Steely Dan, Bette Midler, George Benson, and many others, was born in Detroit, Michigan; died December 23, 2013 in Long Beach, California.
1959:  Alan Frew, lead singer of Glass Tiger, was born in Coatbridge, Scotland. (Note:  some websites report Frew was born on August 11, but according to the official website for the Thunder Bay Blues Festival, where Frew played in July of 2015, he was born on November 8).
1957:  Porl Thompson, guitarist, saxophonist and keyboardist of the Cure, was born in Wimbledon, London, England.
1958:  Terry Lee Miall, drummer of Adam and the Ants, was born in London.







1961:  Leif Garrett ("I Was Made For Dancin'" from 1979) was born in Hollywood, California.
1970:  Diana King ("Shy Guy" from 1995) was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

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