This Date in Rock Music History: September 2

1957:  Elvis Presley had the #1 R&B song with "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear".
1965:  The Beatles earned a Gold record for the single "Help!"
1965:  The Rolling Stones recorded a performance for the BBC-TV show Ready Steady Go!  (Note:  several websites claim that the Rolling Stones and Manfred Mann appeared on 'Ready Steady Go!' on this date.  The program aired on Fridays, which fell on September 3 and September 10 in 1965.  The Stones and Manfred Mann appeared on the show on September 10, according to 'TV.com', with footage of the Stones taped on September 2.)

1967:  After five short weeks, "Ode To Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry was #1.  The Beatles' former #1 "All You Need Is Love" remained at #2 but the Supremes were up big (8-3) with "Reflections".  "Light My Fire" by the Doors completed as good a Top Four as you will ever find in music at the same time.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Baby I Love You" from Aretha Franklin, "Come Back When You Grow Up" moved from 14 to 6 for Bobby Vee, "Cold Sweat" remained at position #7 for James Brown, the Monkees slid down with "Pleasant Valley Sunday", the Temptations maintained at #9 with "You're My Everything" and Stevie Wonder was at 10 with "I Was Made to Love Her".





1967:  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles was the #1 album for the 10th week in a row.  Headquarters by the Monkees was second followed by Flowers from the Rolling Stones.  The Doors was at #4 with Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow at #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Young Rascals with Groovin', which moved from 18 to 6, Release Me from Engelbert Humperdinck, Insight Out from the Association at #8, Aretha Franklin's I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You at #9 and the Temptations jumped in at #10--With a Lot O' Soul.










1970:  Genesis put out an ad in Melody Maker, looking for applications.  Drummer Phil Collins responded and eventually got the job.
1972:  The Eagles were on their first tour as a group; they played at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin.
1972:  Gilbert O'Sullivan spent a sixth week at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Alone Again (Naturally)".
1972;  Gilbert O'Sullivan had already spent four weeks at #1 but after a week away, "Alone Again (Naturally)" moved back to the top spot, one of the few times in the Rock Era that this has happened.  The Hollies were up with "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)" and Al Green owned #3--"I'm Still In Love With You".  The former #1 from Looking Glass ("Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)") was now at 4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Argent with "Hold Your Head Up", Mac Davis was up to #6 with his big crossover "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me", the Carpenters held down #7--"Goodbye To Love", Jim Croce had song #8 with "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", Gary Glitter moved from 17 to 9 with "Rock And Roll Part 2" and the O'Jays were in the Top 10 with "Back Stabbers".

 
1974:  Elton John released the single "The Bitch is Back".











1978:  Teddy Pendergrass gave a "Ladies Only" concert at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.  What guys wouldn't give to have been Teddy on that night.
1978:  The Grateful Dead performed before 66,000 at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
1978:  Boston's second album Don't Look Back debuted at #10.
1978:  The Commodores held on to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Three Times A Lady".











  1978:  Boston moved from 36 to 19 with the title track "Don't Look Back".











                                         Ms. King had an exciting song in the Top 10 on this date...

1978:  Frankie Valli made it two weeks at #1 with "Grease" while the former #1 "Three Times A Lady" by the Commodores remained at #2.  A Taste of Honey crawled up with "Boogie Oogie Oogie" and Foreigner was at #4 with "Hot Blooded".  Another song from Grease, "Hopelessly Devoted To You" by Olivia Newton-John, was #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Miss You" from the Rolling Stones, Exile's classic "Kiss You All Over" debuted in the Top 10, Andy Gibb was up to 8 with "An Everlasting Love", Walter Egan had song #9--"Magnet And Steel" and Evelyn "Champagne" King moved in with "Shame".

1978:  George Harrison married Olivia Trinidad Arias in a private ceremony.  Olivia was with him until the day he died.












1985:  Starship released the single "We Built This City".
1987:  Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Tracy Chapman and Peter Gabriel performed at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the Amnesty International Tour.
1989:  "It's No Crime" by Babyface was the #1 R&B song.
1989:  "Right Here Waiting" from Richard Marx was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for a fifth week.  It ranks as the sixth Top AC song of the 1980's.








      
                                 Estefan was rapidly climbing the charts...

1989:  Paula Abdul registered her third consecutive #1 song with "Cold Hearted" as Richard Marx slipped to 2 after three weeks at the top with "Right Here Waiting".  New Kids on the Block were "Hangin' Tough" at #3 and Gloria Estefan's great song "Don't Wanna' Lose You" was #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Jeff Healey Band moved from 10-5 with "Angel Eyes", Warrant moved from 15-6 with "Heaven", Karyn White had a "Secret Rendezvous" at #7, Surface entered the Top 10--"Shower Me With Your Love", Don Henley's  "End Of The Innocence" was at 9 and Jody Watley with Eric B. & Rakim came in 10th with "Friends".






1989:  The great album Repeat Offender moved into the #1 slot for Richard Marx.  
1993:  Neil Young and Pearl Jam performed Young's song "Rockin' In The Free World" at the MTV Video Music Awards.
1995:  Michael Jackson reigned on the R&B chart with "You Are Not Alone".








1995:  Michael Jackson debuted at #1 with "You Are Not Alone", holding off the hot song "Gangsta's Paradise" from Coolio and the great movie Dangerous Minds.  Seal's "Kiss From A Rose" was #3 with TLC's "Waterfalls" completing an excellent Top Four.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Boombastic/Summer Time" from Shaggy, All-4-One with "I Can Love You Like That", Vanessa Williams at 7 with "Colors Of The Wind", Blues Traveler secured the 8th spot with "Run-Around", "He's Mine" from MoKenStef and "Only Wanna' Be With You" by Hootie & the Blowfish gave the group their third Top 10 song from the album Cracked Rear View.

                                                       Toni Braxton takes top honor...

2000:  Toni Braxton won the Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul show in Santa Monica, California.  Destiny's Child, Angie Stone and Mary J. Blige each captured two statuettes each.
2003:  The Clash received a lifetime achievement award at the GQ Men of the Year awards in London.
2004:  Ciara and Petey Pablo had the #1 song with "Goodies".
2005:  Kanye West blasted U.S. President George W. Bush in his appearance at A Concert for Hurricane Relief, saying he "doesn't care about black people" and did not respond quickly enough to flooding as a result of Hurricane Katrina.




2012:  Mark Abrahamian, guitarist who worked with Starship, Christopher Cross, John Cafferty, Pat Travers and Tommy Tutone, died of a heart attack at age 46 after a Starship concert in Norfolk, Nebraska.

Born This Day:1938:  Jimmy Clanton ("Just A Dream") was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  (Note:  several websites claim Clanton was born in 1940.  In an interview with Norman N. Night at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Clanton said the 1940 date was wrong and that he was born in 1938.) 
1939:  Bobby Purify of the brother duo James & Bobby Purify ("I'm Your Puppet") was born in Tallahassee, Florida; died December 29, 2011.
1939:  Sam Gooden of the Impressions was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 





1943: Joe Simon ("The Chokin' Kind") was born in Simmesport, Louisiana.
1943:  Rosalind Ashford of Martha and the Vandellas was born in Detroit, Michigan.








1946:  Billy Preston was born in Houston, Texas; died June 6, 2006 in Scottsdale, Arizona after falling into a coma the previous November.  (Note:  many sources incorrectly show his birthday as September 9--this was pointed out by his website following his death.)
1951:  Mik Kaminski, violin player of ELO, was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.  (Note:  several websites incorrectly say Kaminski was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.  In 1951, when Kaminski was born, Harrogate was in the county of West Riding of Yorkshire, and was not included in the new county of North Yorkshire until 1974.)
1956:  Fritz McIntyre, keyboardist of Simply Red, was born in Birmingham, England.
1958:  Jerry Augustyniak, drummer of 10,000 Maniacs, was born in Sloan, New York.  (Note:  some websites report Jerry was born in Jamestown, New York.  Although none of the credible sources we look at have information regarding his birthplace, our best research indicates that he was born in Sloan.)

1969:  K-Ci Hailey of Jodeci and later a member of the duo K-Ci & Jo Jo (Note:  various websites show his birth as Charlotte, North Carolina, while others say he was born in Monroe, North Carolina, and still others in Charlotte, North Carolina.  There are no credible sources for any of these, so we will leave his birthplace blank until he steps up and tells the world where he was born.) 
1975:  Tony Thompson, lead singer of Hi-Five, was born in Waco, Texas; died June 1, 2007 from the “inhaling a toxic amount of Freon" near an air conditioning unit outside an apartment complex in Waco.

Hal David Has Died

2012:  Hal David, who with Burt Bacharach was one of the most successful songwriters of the Rock Era, died of a stroke at the age of 91 in Los Angeles.  David and Bacharach's hits include "(They Long to Be) Close To You", "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", "This Guy's in Love with You", "One Less Bell to Answer", "What the World Needs Now Is Love", "The Look of Love", "Do You Know the Way to San Jose", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "Walk On By".  David was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.

This Date in Rock Music History: September 1

1953:  Buddy Holly and Bob Montgomery auditioned for KDAV's Sunday Party in Lubbock, Texas.  The duo began a Sunday afternoon slot that became The Bob and Buddy Show.

1956:  Jerry Lee Lewis (19 years old at the time) pulled up to Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee hoping for an audition with owner Sam Phillips.  Phillips was on vacation so Lewis recorded some demos to pass on to Phillips when he got back.
1957:  Buddy Holly & the Crickets, the Everly Brothers, the Drifters and Frankie Lymon performed as The Biggest Show of Stars tour began at the Paramount in Brooklyn, New York.  
1958:  "Little Star" from the Elegants was #1 on the R&B chart.  
1965:  Glen Campbell, the Kinks, James Brown and Booker T. & the M.G.'s appeared on Shindig!.
1966:  The Byrds began an 11-day run at the famous Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles.

1967:  Boz Scaggs joined the Steve Miller Band.
1967:  The Beatles met at Paul McCartney's house in London to decide strategy following the death of manager Brian Epstein.  The group decided to postpone their trip to India and instead begin the already-delayed production of the movie Magical Mystery Tour.
1967:  Roy Orbison and Sheb Wooley starred in the movie The Fastest Guitar Alive, which opened on this date.
1973:  Elton John and Steely Dan shared a bill at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California.
1973:  Rod Stewart rose to the top of the U.K. Album chart with Sing It Again.

1973:  "Let's Get It On" from Marvin Gaye remained #1 for a fourth week on the R&B chart.

1973:  Some of The Top Albums of 1973* were out on this date.  Chicago VI remained at #1, Pink Floyd moved back up to #2 with The Dark Side of the Moon, Foreigner from Cat Stevens was fourth while the Allman Brothers Band moved from 13 to 4 with the biggest album they would ever have--Brothers and Sisters.  The rest of the Top 10:  Touch Me in the Morning from Diana Ross, A Passion Play from Jethro Tull dropped from 2, Machine Head by Deep Purple had been out a year and was moving up to #7, We're An American Band from Grand Funk moved from 15 to 8, Made in Japan by Deep Purple was #9 and Fresh by Sly & the Family Stone completed the list.
1974:  The Osmonds were on top in the U.K. with "Love Me for a Reason".
1977:  Blondie signed a recording contract with Chrysalis Records.
1977:  The Eagles played at the Alpine Music Theater in East Troy, Michigan.
1978:  Styx released the album Pieces of Eight on A&M Records.

1979:  INXS appeared live for the first time at the Oceanview Hotel in Toukley, New South Wales, Australia.

1979:  U2 released the EP U2-3 in Ireland.  (Note:  one website claims the EP was released September 22, but according to both the official website for U2 and the book 'Breaking Records:  100 Years of Hits' by William Ruhlmann, the album was released September 1.) 
1979:  Van Morrison, Talking Heads, Squeeze and the Undertones performed at the  Royal Highland Exhibition Centre during the Edinburgh Rock Festival in Scotland.








 
1979:  Chic registered week #6 at #1 on the R&B chart with "Good Times".

                                         The Cars' second album hit the Top 3...


1979:  Get the Knack by the Knack occupied the top spot on the Album chart for the fourth week.  The former #1 album Breakfast in America by Supertramp spent its ninth straight week at either #2 or #3 since it fell, highly impressive.  Candy-O by the Cars remained at 3 while I Am by Earth, Wind & Fire came in fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Million Mile Reflections from the Charlie Daniels Band, the great album Discovery from ELO, Risque by Chic moved from 32 to 7, Rust Never Sleeps from Neil Young & Crazy Horse, meanwhile, was up just one, Donna Summer's former #1 album Bad Girls was now at 9 and Midnight Magic from the Commodores entered the Top 10.
1979:  Maxine Nightingale scored a seventh week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Lead Me On".




1979:  The 42nd career hit for Dionne Warwick was her first Top 10 in five years, launching a big comeback for her.  On this date, "I'll Never Love This Way Again" moved from 14 to 10.
1980:  Stevie Wonder opened a six-night sold-out series of shows at Wembley Arena in London.  Paul McCartney was one of the many fans in the audience.
1980:  Fleetwood Mac finished a nine-month tour at the Hollywood Bowl in California.
1983:  Lead guitarist Mick Jones was fired from the Clash.
1984:  Lionel Richie's third #1 Adult Contemporary song from his album Can't Slow Down, "Stuck On You", landed its fifth week at the top.

 
1984:  Tina Turner scored one of the biggest comebacks of the Rock Era, hitting #1 on this date with "What's Love Got To Do With It".  It had been 13 years since she and former husband Ike had hit the Top 10 with their remake of the CCR song "Proud Mary".  John Waite moved up to #2 with "Missing You", Lionel Richie was stuck on 3 with "Stuck On You" and Ray Parker, Jr. dropped with his former #1 "Ghostbusters".  Prince's former #1 "When Doves Cry" was at position #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Newcomer Cyndi Lauper with "She Bop", Corey Hart came in seventh with "Sunglasses At Night", Prince had another Top 10--"Let's Go Crazy", which moved from 16 all the way to 8, Huey Lewis & the News posted their fourth straight Top 10 from the album Sports ("If This Is It") and Peabo Bryson remained at 10 with "If Ever You're In My Arms Again".
1988:  Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, who had just played several successful dates in London in January, began an American tour together at the Startplex Amphitheatre in Dallas, Texas  (Note:  some sources  state the start of the tour was September 10.  Although no credible sources exist for either date, our best research indicates it started September 1.)
1990:  Fleetwood Mac performed at Wembley Stadium in London.
1990:  Prince topped the U.K. Album chart with Graffiti Bridge.
1990:  The fastest-rising song on this date was "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers, a song which had reached #4 25 years previously, but had gained newfound popularity after being featured in the movie Ghost.
1992:  Gloria Estefan and husband Emilio organized a relief organization for victims of Hurricane Andrew in Miami, Florida.


1995:  The United States Postal Service honored Louis Armstrong with his own postage stamp.  
1995:  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Cleveland, Ohio with a seven-hour concert featuring dozens of artists.
1998:  David Bowie opened Bowienet, which offers basic Internet services and keeps fans informed with Bowie news and releases.

1999:  Van Morrison was the first inductee into the Irish Music Hall of Fame in Dublin.
2000:  A judge awarded Herb Reed of the Platters an injunction against another group posing as the Platters.
2002:  Atomic Kitten began four weeks at #1 in the U.K. with their remake of the Blondie smash "The Tide Is High".
2002:  Coldplay had control of the U.K. album chart with A Rush of Blood to the Head.
2003:  Elton John had the top U.K. song with "Are You Ready for Love".
2005:  Barry Cowsill, bassist for the Cowsills, died from injuries suffered during Hurricane Katrina at the age of 51.  His body was not recovered until December 28 from Chartres Street Wharf in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He had left several urgent phone messages for his sister Susan on September 1.
2008:  Likable musician ("Amos Moses" and "When You're Hot, You're Hot") and actor (Smokey and the Bandit) Jerry Reed died at the age of 71 from complications from emphysema in Brentwood, Tennessee.
2009:  Jake Brockman, keyboardist with Echo and the Bunnymen, died at the age of 53 when his motorbike collided with an ambulance on the Isle of Man.

2012:  Hal David, who with Burt Bacharach was one of the most successful songwriters of the Rock Era, died of a stroke at the age of 91 in Los Angeles.  David and Bacharach's hits include "(They Long To Be) Close To You", "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head", "This Guy's in Love With You", "One Less Bell To Answer", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "The Look Of Love", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and "Walk On By".  David was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.

Born This Day:

1927:  Tommy Evans of the Drifters
1933:  Marshall Lytle, double bassist and guitarist with Bill Haley & His Comets, was born in Old Fort, North Carolina; died of lung cancer May 25, 2013 in New Port Richie, Florida.
1944:  Archie Bell of the Drells ("Tighten Up") was born in Henderson, Texas.

1946:  Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees was born in Douglas, the Isle of Man, United Kingdom.  (Note:  'Billboard' magazine and other websites claim Gibb was born in Manchester, England.  According to the book 'The Bee Gees:  The Biography' by David N. Meyer, Barry was born in Douglas, then moved with his family to Manchester in 1955.)  
1948:  Greg Errico, drummer of Sly & the Family Stone, and later a producer, was born in San Francisco, California.

1957:  Gloria Estefan was born in Havana, Cuba.
1984:  Joseph Mark Trohman, singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer of Fall Out Boy, was born in Hollywood, Florida.

This Date in Rock Music History: August 31

1957: Elvis Presley performed at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

1959: Bobby Vee appeared on the music charts for the first time as "Suzie Baby" debuted.

1961:  Ray Charles released the single "Hit The Road Jack".
1963:  Little Stevie Wonder spent a fifth week at #1 on the R&B chart with "Fingertips - Pt. 2".
1963:  Peter, Paul & Mary remained at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Blowin' In The Wind".









1963:  The Angels sang that "My Boyfriend's Back", and it took them all the way to #1.  









1964:  J. Frank Wilson released the single "Last Kiss".










1964:  Manfred Mann released their first single "Do Wah Diddy Diddy".
1965:  The Beatles wrapped up their tour of North America with two shows at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California.  The group performed before 11,700 and 17,000 fans, respectively.
1967:  The Beatles announced that they would manage their own affairs after the death of Brian Epstein.
1968:  Guitarist Danny Kirwan joined Fleetwood Mac.
1968:  Jefferson Airplane, the Move, T. Rex, Fairport Convention and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown performed at the first Isle of Wight Festival in England.
1968:  Mason Williams had the #1 Easy Listening song for the third week--"Classical Gas".
1968:  Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's partnership paid off as they scored their second #1 R&B song of the year--"You're All I Need to Get By".
1968:  Wheels of Fire by Cream continued to set the pace on the album chart.  Time Peace/The Rascals' Greatest Hits was #2 and the Doors' release Waiting for the Sun was at position #3.  Aretha Now by Aretha Franklin was #4 with Johnny Rivers moving up to 5 with Realization.  Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass had an entry in the Top 10 (which they did nearly ever week of the 60's)--The Beat of the Brass.  The rest of the Top 10:  Bookends, the great album from Simon & Garfunkel was #7, the self-titled Steppenwolf made its way onto the list, Feliciano!  by Jose Feliciano, and Disraeli Gears, another album from Cream, was at #10.
1968:  Jeannie C. Riley's "Harper Valley P.T.A. set a Rock Era record on this date with the biggest jump of all-time, moving from #81 to #7.

1968:  Younger music fans ask why the 60's was such a great decade--show them this Top Five on this date.  All these songs were out at the same time.  The Rascals spent a fourth week at #1 with "People Got to Be Free", Steppenwolf was at #2 with "Born to Be Wild", Jose Feliciano edged up with "Light My Fire", the Doors were at #4 with "Hello, I Love You" and Cream had song #5--"Sunshine of My Love".
1969:  Bob Dylan appeared in concert for the first time since his motorcycle accident in 1966 at the Isle of Wight Pop Festival in England.

1969:  The Chicago Transit Authority, later shortened to Chicago, played for a second day at the Texas International Pop Festival at the Dallas International Motor Speedway.  Led Zeppelin, Santana, Sam & Dave, Delaney, Bonnie & Friends, and The Incredible String Band also performed.  Grand Funk and B.B. King did sets on all three days of the Festival.  Let me get this straight--Led Zeppelin didn't want to do Woodstock because "they would be just another band on the bill", but they did the Texas Pop Festival?   

1970:  R. Dean Taylor released the single "Indiana Wants Me".









1973:  The Rolling Stones released the album Goat's Head Soup.
1974:  The Partridge Family television show ended.
1974:  John Lennon testified in federal court that the Nixon administration tried to have him deported due to his anti-war demonstrations at the 1972 Republican convention in Miami, Florida.
1974:  Roberta Flack held on to #1 on the R&B chart for the fifth straight week with "Feel Like Makin' Love".

1974:  Paul Anka remained at #1 with "(You're) Having My Baby" while Eric Clapton's biggest career hit "I Shot the Sheriff" was at #2.  Rufus was a strong #3 with "Tell Me Something Good" while Paper Lace was down with their former #1 "The Night Chicago Died".  The rest of the Top 10:  Roberta Flack with "Feel Like Makin' Love", Donny & Marie Osmond had song #6--"I'm Leaving It (All) Up to You", Jim Stafford held steady with "Wildwood Weed", Andy Kim's great song "Rock Me Gently" was at #8, Barry White moved up from 15 to 9 with "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" and Helen Reddy's ninth career hit became her fourth Top 10--"You and Me Against the World".
1976:  A judge handed down his decision that George Harrison was guilty of "unconscious plagiarism" of the Chiffons song "He's So Fine" for his 1970 hit "My Sweet Lord".
1980:  Karen Carpenter married Thomas Burris in Beverly Hills, California.
1983:  Lionel Richie released the single "All Night Long".
1984:  Prince's movie Purple Rain opened in theatres.
1985:  Aretha Franklin made it five weeks at the top of the R&B chart for "Freeway of Love".

 
                       Newcomer Parr made a bid for #1...

1985:  Huey Lewis & the News returned for an encore week at #1 with "The Power of Love" from the movie Back to the Future.  Another movie song, "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" from John Parr moved up to challenge while Aretha Franklin made a huge comeback as her 73rd career hit ("Freeway of Love") was her first Top 10 in 12 years.  Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero" was up to #4 and Bryan Adams was on the move with "Summer of '69".  The rest of the Top 10:  Tears for Fears and "Shout", Canada's Corey Hart with "Never Surrender", Kool & the Gang entered the Top 10 with the classic "Cherish", Billy Joel was up to #9 with his 27th hit "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" and Dire Straits had a hot song at #10--"Money for Nothing".

1987:  Billy Idol released his remake of the great Tommy James & the Shondells song "Mony Mony".
1987:  Michael Jackson released his video "Bad" on CBS-TV.
1987:  The album Bad set a Rock Era record when 2.25 million units were shipped to music stores.
1988:  Julianne Phillips filed for divorce from Bruce Springsteen.
1988:  Bob Seger and wife Annette filed for a divorce.

1989:  The Rolling Stones went on tour for the first time in eight years, performing at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1991:  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat was the #1 album in the U.K.
1991:  It used to be rare but by now it happened all the time as there weren't many great albums.  Metallica debuted at #1 with their self-titled release (commonly called "The Black Album").

1991:  The movie Robin Hood starring Kevin Costner was doing well and so was the song--"(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams was #1 for a fifth week on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1991:  Bryan Adams spent a sixth week at #1 with one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*--"(Everything I Do) I Do It For You".  Roxette was up to 2 with "Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)".  KLF had song #7--"3 A.M. Eternal" and the Scorpions were singing about a "Wind of Change" at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Paula Abdul's "The Promise of a New Day", Amy Grant was on her way down with the former #1 "Every Heartbeat", Hi-Five was up to 8 with "I Can't Wait Another Minute", Boyz II Men's first single release "Motownphilly" became their first Top 10 and C+C Music Factory entered the Top 10 with "Things That Make You Go Hmmmm".

1996:  "Macarena" by Los Del Rio had been out for 37 weeks, but it was just getting started, spending a fifth week at #1.  Donna Lewis had a strong #2 with "I Love You Always Forever".
1997:  James Brown became the first American artist to perform in Lebanon.
1997:  Oasis owned the top U.K. album with Be Here Now.
2000:  Harold Lee Clayton, who wrote "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" for the S.O.S. band, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles, California.
2003:  Poison was determined to continue their tour after a fire destroyed their instruments and stage equipment.
2003:  Darkness reached #1 on the U.K. album chart with Permission to Land.
2003:  Elton John had the top song in the U.K. with "Are You Ready for Love".
2004:  Carl Wayne, lead singer of the Move, died at the age of 61 from oesophageal cancer.
2006:  Panic! at the Disco won the Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies".
2008:  The Verve had the #1 album in the U.K. with Forth.



Born This Day:
1939:  Jerry Allison, drummer with the Crickets, was born in Hillsboro, Texas.
1940:  Wilton Felder, founding member, saxophone player and bassist with the Jazz Crusaders (which later became the Crusaders), who also played with the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, America, and Seals & Crofts, was born in Houston, Texas.

1945:  Van Morrison was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
1948:  Rudolf Schenker, guitarist and founder of the Scorpions, was born in Hannover, Germany.
1957:  Gina Schock, drummer of the Go-Go's, was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
1957:  Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze ("Tempted" from 1981) was born in London.
1959:  Tony DeFranco of the DeFranco Family ("Heartbeat--It's a Lovebeat" from 1973) was born in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.
1963:  Larry Waddell, keyboardist of Mint Condition
1969:  Jeff Russo, founding member, songwriter, guitarist and vocalist with Tonic 

1970:  Debbie Gibson was born in Brooklyn, New York.

One Hit Wonder Spectacular Set for March of 2013

A few weeks ago, we hinted that a new music special was coming, a salute to the great "One-Hit Wonders" of the Rock Era.  Several people have done them because they're cool.  When you reflect on all the great songs that were the only significant hit for their respective artists, it makes for a great chart.

But, as you know by know, Inside the Rock Era doesn't merely do a list--we make it an event.  Not only do see a simple listing of songs, but you get to know the artists and the songs and the story behind them.  And you get to hear the music!  After all, that's what's important.  Any child of six can make a list.  We go considerably deeper than that.

We listened to, looked at, and analyzed all of the One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era, and found 500 that are worthy of attention.  The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era* begins in March of next year on Inside the Rock Era.  Don't miss it!

In Concert: B.T.O.: "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"

I was so lucky to see these guys in their prime at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa.  The opening acts?  Trooper from Canada and a new group called Heart!  Always loved that great all-guitar sound of B.T.O.

This Date in Rock Music History: August 30

1959:  Carole King married songwriting partner Gerry Goffin.

1961:  The Paris Sisters released the single "I Love How You Love Me".
1962:  The Beatles played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England in the afternoon and then joined Gerry and the Pacemakers at the Riverpark Ballroom in Chester.

1965:  Bob Dylan released the acclaimed album Highway 61 Revisited on Columbia Records.
1965:  The Beatles performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California, their third appearance there, having played August 23, 1964 and the previous night, August 29, 1965. 

1968:  The Byrds released their album Sweetheart of the Rodeo on Columbia Records.  (Note:  some websites report that the album was released July 22.  Johnny Rogan, in his book 'The Byrds:  Timeless Flight Revisited:  The Sequel' , states that the album was released August 30.)
1969:  Chicago (then called Chicago Transit Authority), Canned Heat, Janis Joplin, and Sam & Dave played on the opening day of the three-day Texas International Pop Festival at the Dallas International Speedway in Lewisville, Texas.  Grand Funk Railroad and B.B. King played all three days of the Festival. 
1969:  A crowd of over 150,000 enjoyed the Isle of Wight Festival.  The Moody Blues, the Who, Bob Dylan, the Band, Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, the Nice, Blodwyn Pig, Aynsley Dunbar, Pretty Things and Gypsy were among the performers.
1969:  Zager & Evans reached #1 in the U.K. with "In The Year 2525".























                                                                 The Archies with the #1 bubblegum rock song of all-time...


1969:  The Rolling Stones enjoyed a second week at #1 with "Honky Tonk Women".  Johnny Cash was still at 2 with "A Boy Named Sue" while the Archies moved from 14-3 with "Sugar, Sugar".  Jackie DeShannon was up to #4 with "Put A Little Love In Your Heart".  The rest of an excellent Top 10:  Neil Diamond with "Sweet Caroline", the Youngbloods had song #6 with "Get Together", CCR remained at seven with "Green River", Zager & Evans' former #1 "In The Year 2525" was #8, Bob Dylan achieved his fourth Top 10 record "Lay Lady Lay" (It would be his last) and Tommy James and the Shondell's big hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion" was at #10.
1970:  The Rolling Stones began a European tour at the Baltiska Hallen in Malmö , Sweden.




















1970:  Jimi Hendrix appeared on the final night at the Isle of Wight Pop Festival in England.  It was a star-studded finale that also featured the Moody Blues, Donovan, Jethro Tull, Joan Baez, Free, Leonard Cohen, Pentangle, and Kris Kristofferson (playing a second set at the Festival).  Richie Havens, the artist who opened Woodstock one year earlier, closed the Isle of Wight Festival.  Four-day attendance was estimated at between 600,000 and 700,000, and is cited as the largest crowd ever to attend a rock festival.

1972:  John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed in their "One To One" concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack and Sha Na Na joined them.  Lennon purchased $60,000 worth of tickets to the charity event to give to fund-raisers.
1973:  The Doors officially broke up.

1974:  The Eagles appeared at the Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York.




















1975:  Her father had 60 career hits, but on this date Natalie Cole debuted with her first--"This Will Be".
1975:  Rod Stewart earned his fifth #1 album in the U.K. with Atlantic Crossing.
1975:  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds registered a #1 hit on the Easy Listening chart with "Fallin' in Love".
1975:  John Denver moved from 49 to 20 with "I'm Sorry".

























1975:  K.C. and the Sunshine Band reached #1 with their first release "Get Down Tonight".  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds fell dropped with "Fallin' In Love" while "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell was #3.  
1975:  Elton John's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, the first album to debut at #1, returned to that position after falling the week before.  

1980:  Cher made a surprise appearance with her band Black Rose at a concert in New York City's Central Park.



































1980:  Christopher Cross rode the wind to #1 with "Sailing".  Diana Ross was up to #2 with "Upside Down" while the previous #1 from Olivia Newton-John--"Magic" was third.  

1981:  It was a great conclusion to the annual Reading Rock Festival in the U.K.--.38 Special, the Kinks, the Thompson Twins and Wishbone Ash performed.









1983:  Huey Lewis and the News released the single "Heart And Soul".
1984:  A London auction of Beatles memorabilia at Sotheby's netted over $271 thousand.

1986:  Another great song first hit #1 on this date--"Higher Love" from Steve Winwood.  
1988:  Brenda Lee sued MCA Records for $20 million in unpaid royalties.  It was becoming all too common, as artists discovered, often years later, that their record companies had not been honest with them in reporting record sales.  
1988:  Papa Dee Allen of War died at the age of 57 after suffering a massive heart attack on stage in Solano County, California.
1989:  Billy Joel fired his manager Frank Weber, who was his former brother-in-law also.  An audit revealed serious discrepancies in Weber's work concerning in particular his bookkeeping, and Joel sued him later that year for $90 million.  (Note:  some websites report this happened on August 27.  According to the book 'Billy Joel:  The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man' by Hank Bordowitz, Joel fired Weber on August 30.1991:  Jan Berry of Jan & Dean married Gertie Filip onstage during a concert at the Stardust Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1992:  Nirvana headlined the final day of the annual Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1993:  Billy Joel was the first musical guest on the premiere of The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS-TV.
1994:  Usher released his self-titled debut album on LaFace Records.
1995:  James Taylor and Carly Simon (who divorced in 1983) reunited for their first concert together in 16 years at the scenic Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.
1999:  R.E.M. was in concert at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Georgia.
1999:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined the final day of the Reading Festival in Reading, England.

2003:  Michael Jackson was in concert at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles to celebrate his birthday, which was the day before.
2003:  Michael Stipe of R.E.M. joined Radiohead onstage to perform "Karma Police" at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
2003:  Blu Cantrell and Sean Paul had the top U.K. song with "Breathe".

2007:  The Meat Loaf documentary In Search of Paradise premiered at the Montreal Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Born This Day:
1935:  Papa John Phillips was born in Paris Island, South Carolina; died of heart failure in Los Angeles on March 18, 2001.
1941:  John McNally, guitarist and a founding member of the Searchers, was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.
1944:  Charles Colbert of the American Breed ('Note:  several websites report that Charles was born in Chicago, Illinois.  According to the book 'Chicago Soul' by Robert Pruter, Colbert was born in Argo.)
1950:  Micky Moody, guitarist of Whitesnake, was born in Middlesbrough, Cleveland, England.  (Note:  some websites naively say Moody was born in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England.  At the time of his birth in 1950, Middlesbrough was in the county of Cleveland.  In fact, Middlesbrough did not become a part of North Yorkshire until 1996, 46 years after he was born, and you will never find North Yorkshire listed as the county of Micky's birth on his official birth certificate.) 
1953:  Horace Panter, bassist of General Public, was born in Croydon, Surrey, England.
1954:  Ronald Beitle, drummer of Wild Cherry
1958:  Martin Jackson, drummer of Swing Out Sister, was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England. 
1963:  Paul Oakenfold was born in London.  (According to his agent, Global Talent Booking, Paul was born in Greenhithe, Kent, England.
1986:  George Ryan Ross III, lead guitarist for Panic!  at the Disco, was born in Las Vegas, Nevada.