This Date in Rock Music History: November 2

1959:  "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin was #1 for the fifth consecutive week.

1963:  Dion walked out of a taping of the British television show Ready Steady Go!, complaining that the go-go dancers were distracting him.  Welcome to the club.

1964:  The Lettermen released the single "Goin' Out of My Head"/"Can't Take My Eyes Off You".
1964:  Cliff Richard, Brenda Lee, Cilla Black and the Bachelors performed for Queen Elizabeth of Britain in London.
1966:  Boise, Idaho's Paul Revere & the Raiders appeared on the popular Batman show on ABC-TV.

1967:  The Beatles finished recording their next single "Hello Goodbye" at Abbey Road Studios in London.




 

1968:  Cream was in concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City during their farewell tour.  They were presented with a platinum disc honoring a million sales of their album Wheels of Fire.
1968:  The Doors performed two shows at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Columbus, Ohio.
1968:  James Brown had the #1 R&B song for a fifth week with "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud".
1968:  Mary Hopkin reached #1 on the Easy Listening chart with the great song "Those Were The Days".
1968:  Dion had a big solo hit as "Abraham, Martin And John" moved from 66 to 35.




    
        One of the best the Grass Roots gave us...

1968:  "Hey Jude" made it six weeks at #1 for the Beatles.  Apple Records labelmate Mary Hopkin climbed to #2 with "Those Were The Days".  "Little Green Apples" fell for O.C. Smith while The Crazy World of Arthur Brown slipped down with "Fire".  The rest of a solid Top 10:  "Midnight Confessions" from the Grass Roots at #5, the Turtles with "Elenore", Gary Puckett from Twin Falls, Idaho & the Union Gap with "Over You", Johnny Nash entered the Top 10 with "Hold Me Tight", Diana Ross & the Supremes bounced up from19 to 9 in only their third week of release with "Love Child" and Cream scored their second Top 10 with "White Room".
1969:  The Archies had the top U.K. song with "Sugar, Sugar".





1970:  Tony Orlando & Dawn released the single "Knock Three Times".
1971:  Bob Dylan released Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Volume 2.










1973:  He'd been playing cocktail bars up to this time.  But that was soon going to change.  On this date, Billy Joel released his first career single--"Piano Man".
1973:  Ringo Starr released the album Ringo, with all four members of the Beatles performing on the record.
1973:  John Lennon released the album Mind Games in the U.S.
1973:  The show Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments was shown on CBS-TV.

1974:  George Harrison went on the road for the first time in eight years, as the Beatles had ceased touring in 1966.  Harrison became the first former Beatle to tour as a solo artist, opening his show in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

 

1974:  So Far, the greatest hits package from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young took over as the #1 album, followed by Stanley, Idaho's Carole King with Wrap Around Joy.  The previous #1 Can't Get Enough from Barry White fell, John Lennon's new album Walls and Bridges moved from 12-4 and Not Fragile, the great album from Bachman-Turner Overdrive, was #5.  





             
                      The great sound of BTO...

1974:  Stevie Wonder reached the mountain top with "You Haven't Done Nothin'", the third #1 for him in the last two years and 35th career hit.  Bachman-Turner Overdrive was motoring up with "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" while Stanley Idaho's Carole King hit #3 with "Jazzman".  Elton John slid up with "The Bitch Is Back" while Bad Company's first hit "Can't Get Enough" was up to #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  John Lennon with "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night", moving up from 12 to 6, Tony Orlando & Dawn's "Steppin' Out", although few stations played it, Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Sweet Home Alabama", Mac Davis with Stop And Smell The Roses" at #9 and America had another Top 10 with "Tin Man".
1977:  The Santa Monica Superior Court ordered Bob Dylan to return his children to his estranged wife Sara.  (Note:  many websites show the date as November 3.  That was the date the newspaper was printed that showed the story.  According to 'The Los Angeles Times', the correct date is November 2.)
1979:  The Who movie Quadrophenia opened in theaters.
1979:  Mick and Bianca Jagger divorced.
1979:  Def Leppard opened for AC/DC at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.




1981:  Hall & Oates released the single "I Can't Go For That".  (Note:  Some websites report the date of release as December 14.  Unless there were some mighty clairvoyant chart makers, this is not only funny, but impossible, for the song debuted on the chart on November 14.) 
1984:  Marvin Gaye, Sr. was sentenced to a six-year suspended sentence and five years probation for the manslaughter of his son Marvin Gaye.
1985:  Simple Minds reached #1 on the U.K. Album chart with Once Upon a Time.







                             A-ha's "Take On Me"...

1985:  Stevie Wonder had #1 with "Part-Time Lover" while "Miami Vice Theme" from Jan Hammer moved to challenge.  The previous #1 "Saving All My Love For You" by Whitney Houston fell to #3 and Tears for Fears stepped up with "Head Over Heels".  The rest of the Top 10:  The former #1 "Take On Me" from A-ha, Glenn Frey moved up nicely with "You Belong To The City", Starship scored their fifth Top 10 song and first in seven years with "We Built This City", which moved from 13-7, Sting had a solo hit with "Fortress Around Your Heart", Loverboy moved to #9 with "Lovin' Every Minute of It" and ABC joined the party with "Be Near Me".

1987:  Expose released their great song "Seasons Change".
1987:  Eric Clapton played the Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.










1988:  Def Leppard released their sixth single from the monumental album Hysteria--"Armageddon It".
1990:  Graffiti Bridge, the fourth Prince movie, opened in theaters.
1991:  "Emotions" by Mariah Carey took over at #1 on the R&B chart, her third R&B #1.
1991:  Karyn White's "Romantic" was the new #1 song.  
1991:  Michael Bolton had the #1 Adult Contemporary song with his remake of the Percy Sledge classic "When A Man Loves A Woman".
1991:  Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks was #1 on the Album chart for a fourth week.





1995:  Florence Greenberg, a housewife who moved from releasing an improbable hit record by teenage group the Shirelles ("Dedicated To The One I Love") to owning one of the top independent record labels of the 60's (Scepter Records), died of heart failure from complications of a stroke in Hackensack, New Jersey at the age of 82.  (Note:  some websites erroneously place the date of death as November 1.  According to 'The New York Times', Greenberg died on Thursday, November 2.)








1999:  Jewel released the album Joy:  A Holiday Celebration featuring songs of the season like "Oh Holy Night".
2003:  Sean "P Diddy Daddy Puffy Puff Daddy Combs" ran in the New York City Marathon.
2003:  R.E.M. led the way on the U.K. Album chart with their greatest hits package In Time.








2005:  Destiny's Child owned the top album with #1's, their greatest hits collection.


Born This Day:
1937:  Earl "Speedo" Carroll of the Cadillacs and Coasters was born in New York City; died following a stroke in New York City on November 25, 2012.
1938:  Jay Black (real name David Blatt) of Jay & the Americans ("Come a Little Bit Closer") was born in New York City.






1944:  Keith Emerson, elite keyboardist with Emerson, Lake & Palmer, was born in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England.









1945:  J.D. Souther ("You're Only Lonely" was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1946:  Len "Chip" Hawkes, bassist and vocalist of the Tremeloes ("Silence Is Golden"), and father of Chesney Hawkes, was born in Shepherd's Bush, London.  (Note:  several websites show his birth year as 1945, but according to 'Billboard', 'Allmusic.com' and 'MTV', he was born in 1946.)
1947:  Dave Pegg, bassist and multi-instrumentalist of Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull and also a record producer, was born in Acocks Green, Birmingham, England.






1952:  Maxine Nightingale ("Right Back Where We Started From" was born in Wembley, London, England.
1956:  Chris "Fred" Fairbrass of Right Said Fred ("I'm Too Sexy")  (Note:  some websites claim his birthdate is November 3, but according to the official website for the group, Chris was born on November 2.)
1957:  Carter Beauford, drummer of the Dave Matthews Band, was born in Charlottesville, Virginia.

1961:  K.D. Lang was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  (Note:  many websites incorrectly state that she was born in Consort, but according to the books 'Prairie People:  A Celebration of My Homeland' by Robert Collins and 'The New Generation of Country Musivc Stars:  Biographies of 50 Artists Born After 1940' by David Dicaire, she was born in Edmonton, and moved to Consort with her family when she was nine months old.)

1963:  Bobby Dall, bassist of Poison, was born in Miami, Florida.  (Note:  some websites report that Dall was born in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  It was drummer Rikki Rockett of the group that was born in Mechanicsburg, not Dall.)
1969:  Reginald Arvizu, bassist and vocalist of Korn, was born in Bakersfield, California.  (Note:  some websites show his birthplace as Los Angeles Country, but according to Reginald himself, he was born in Bakersfield and relocated to Huntington Beach.)
1975:  Chris Walla, guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie, was born in Bothell, Washington.
1978:  Nelly (who really is Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr.) was born in Austin, Texas.  (Note:  some websites show his birthplace as St. Louis, Missouri, but according to 'The New York Times', although Nelly grew up in St. Louis, he was born in Austin, where his father was stationed in the U.S. Air Force.)

Featured Top Unknown/Underrated Song*: Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir"

One of the great AOR (album-oriented rock) songs here from the album Physical Graffiti:

 

"Kashmir"

Led Zeppelin

 

Written by John Bonham, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant

 

 

Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dream
I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been
To sit with elders of the gentle race, this world has seldom seen
They talk of days for which they sit and wait and all will be revealed

Talk and song from tongues of lilting grace, whose sounds caress my ear
But not a word I heard could I relate, the story was quite clear
Oh, oh.

Oh, I been flying... mama, there ain't no denyin'
I've been flying, ain't no denyin', no denyin'

All I see turns to brown, as the sun burns the ground
And my eyes fill with sand, as I scan this wasted land
Trying to find, trying to find where I've been.

Oh, pilot of the storm who leaves no trace, like thoughts inside a dream
Heed the path that led me to that place, yellow desert stream
My Shangri-La beneath the summer moon, I will return again
Sure as the dust that floats high in June, when movin' through Kashmir.

Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails, across the sea of years
With no provision but an open face, along the straits of fear
Ohh.

When I'm on, when I'm on my way, yeah
When I see, when I see the way, you stay-yeah

Ooh, yeah-yeah, ooh, yeah-yeah, when I'm down...
Ooh, yeah-yeah, ooh, yeah-yeah, well I'm down, so down
Ooh, my baby, oooh, my baby, let me take you there

Let me take you there. Let me take you there

Up tomorrow...

A great Southern rock & roll band that endured tremendous tragedy to land a spot in The Top 100 Artists of the Seventies*...

Join us tomorrow on Inside The Rock Era!

Calendar Correction

Here's more bad information floating around on the Internet.  Many websites claim that "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley was certified as having sold three million copies back in 1958.  This simply isn't true.  It didn't happen until 1992, and anyone can check out the RIAA Gold & Platinum Database to verify that the correct date that "Hound Dog" went over three million was March 27, 1992.)
 

Jackson Browne, The #69 Artist of the Seventies*

Born in Germany as his father was stationed there, Browne moved to Greenwich Village, New York in 1966.  He played in several bands, then became a staff writer for Nina Music, the publishing company for Elektra Records.  Jackson backed Tim Buckley and Nico in Greenwich Village clubs.  Browne and Nico became romantically involved, and Browne worte and played guitar on several of the songs on Nico's album Chelsea Girl.

Browne then moved to Los Angeles, where he met Glenn Frey of the Eagles.  Several of Jackson's songs were recorded by other artists, including the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, the Byrds, Joan Baez, Gregg Allman, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Tom Rush.

Browne had made quite an impression in a short time, and in 1971, he signed with manager David Geffen's Asylum Records.  The following year, Browne released his self-titled debut album, which was later called Saturate Before Using.  The single "Doctor My Eyes" gave Browne instant credibility, reaching #8 and carrying the album to Platinum status.

 

 

 

 

 

Browne toured with Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell to promote the album.  Although Rock Me On the Water" only reached #48 as a follow-up, it is a Top Track* on the album.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Browne released the album For Everyman in 1973.  The album contained Jackson's version of the song he wrote with Frey that had already been a hit for the Eagles, "Take It Easy".  Like Saturate Before Using, For Everyone also sold over one million copies, and it did it without a hit song.  Browne was able to achieve this because he was gaining a reputation as a magnificent songwriter.  We feature "These Days" from the album. (Please click on the "Play" icon at the top left portion of the video...)



 

The following year, Jackson released one of his best career albums, Late for the Sky.  It made it to #14 on the Album chart, again without benefit of a hit song.  His insightful lyrics and one-of-a-kind melodies attracted significant attention from his peers and from his ever-growing legion of fans.  This is the great song "Before The Deluge".





 

Another amazing song on the album is "Fountain Of Sorrow".

 

The title song to Late for the Sky was featured in the movie Taxi Driver. 






 

 
"For A Dancer" helped give Browne another Platinum album.









 

In 1976, Browne released the album The Pretender.  The single "Here Come Those Tears Again" reached #15 on the Adult chart and #23 overall, and helped the album sell over three million copies in the U.S. alone.






 

The next year, Browne recorded his next album while on tour.  He recorded live shows for the album, and also recorded on buses, in hotel rooms, and back stage.  He called his album Running on Empty.  The title song hit #11.






 

"Running On Empty" helped take the album to new heights for Browne--seven million copies sold.  Another of the songs recorded live was "Load Out/Stay", a brilliant song that found its way to #10 in New Zealand and #20 in the United States. 

Browne became active in causes he believed in.  After the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979, Browne and several other top artists founded the antinuclear organization Musicians United for Safe Energy.

Browne sold 13 million albums in the U.S. alone for his decade's work. 

Browne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.  Browne received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Occidental College in Los Angeles for "a remarkable musical career that has successfully combined an intensely personal artistry with a broader vision of social justice".

In 2002, Jackson received the John Steinbeck Award, given to artists who exemplify the environmental and social values that Steinbeck believed in.  Browne also received the Courage of Conscience Awards from The Peace Abbey.  In 2007, Jackson received the Chapin-World Hunger Year Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award.  The next year, Browne received the NARM Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award. 

This Date in Rock Music History: November 1

1955:  The Famous Flames, led by lead singer James Brown, recorded their first demo, singing "Please, Please, Please" at a radio station in Macon, Georgia.


1960:  Elvis Presley released the single "Are You Lonesome Tonight".

1962:  The Beatles performed at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany to begin a second residency.
1963:  Actor Lorne Greene (Bonanza) recorded the single  "Ringo".
1963:  Fans waited in line for more than two days to get tickets to the Beatles shows at the Odeon Theatre in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.  Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers, the Brooks Brothers and the Vernon Girls opened for the group.  The Beatles played two concerts in Cheltenham, the first stop on the band's first headlining tour of the U.K.
1964:  The Beach Boys landed in London for their first trip to the U.K.

1964:  The Dave Clark Five performed the song "Glad All Over" on The Ed Sullivan Show.
1968:  George Harrison became the first Beatle to release a solo album in the U.K. with the Soundtrack to "Wonderwall".  Harrison released the album in the United States on December 2.
1969:  Faces signed a contract with Warner Brothers records.
1969:  Temps were hot again as the Temptations held on to #1 on the R&B chart for a fifth week with their great song "I Can't Get Next To You".
1969:  "Wedding Bell Blues" by the 5th Dimension rang in a new week by taking over the #1 position on the Easy Listening chart.

1969:  CCR had the highest debuting song--"Fortunate Son" at #58.









 1969:  "Suspicious Minds" gave Elvis Presley his 18th and final #1 song, his first since 1962.  The 5th Dimension came in second with "Wedding Bell Blues" while the former #1 smash "Sugar, Sugar" by the Archies was still hanging around at #3.  The previous #1--"I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations, fell to fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Baby It's You", the great song from Smith, Sly & the Family Stone dropped with "Hot Fun In The Summertime", Bobby Sherman fell with "Little Woman", Oliver's former #1 "Jean" was now at #8, "Tracy" by the Cuff Links and the Beatles scored their 29th Top 10 and 60th career hit with "Come Together".
1969:  Abbey Road by the Beatles moved into the #1 position on the Album chart after just three weeks of release, giving the group their 13th #1 album.  Green River from CCR had held the spot for four weeks and fell to #2.  The Rolling Stones were at #3 with Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) and Blind Faith was at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Johnny Cash At San Quentin, I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! by Janis Joplin moved from 16-6, the great debut from Crosby, Stills & Nash moved from 11-7, Hot Buttered Soul from Isaac Hayes, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida from Iron Butterfly fell to #9 and the self-titled Santana was #10.

1970:  The Festfolk Quartet, which would go on to become one of the top groups in the history of the Rock Era (ABBA), performed their first show at a restaurant in Gothenburg, Sweden.
1970:  Matthews Southern Comfort rose to #1 in the U.K. with their version of the Joni Mitchell song "Woodstock".
1972:  The documentary film Elvis On Tour opened in theaters.

1975:  Wings opened the Australian leg of their world tour at the Entertainment Centre in Perth, Australia.









          Springsteen had finally arrived.


1975:  Jefferson Starship scored the first #1 album of their career as Red Octopus took over from John Denver's Windsong.  Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here slipped to #3 while One of These Nights by the Eagles was moving back up.  Prisoner in Disguise from Linda Ronstadt came in fifth while the breakthrough for Bruce Springsteen--Born to Run, was #6.  The rest of the Top 10:  Minstrel in the Gallery by Jethro Tull, George Harrison with Extra Texture (Read All About It), Rod Stewart edged up with Atlantic Crossing and David Crosby & Graham Nash combined for the #10 album Wind on the Water.
 
         Natalie's first Top 10--"This Will Be" (long version)...

1975:  Including his collaboration with Neil Sedaka on "Bad Blood", Elton John scored his sixth career #1 as "Island Girl" moved from 8 to 1 after just four weeks of release.  The bridesmaid, the double-sided "Calypso" and "I'm Sorry" by John Denver, continued in that position while Jefferson Starship had one of their biggest hits with "Miracles".  The Eagles were stationary with "Lyin' Eyes" and the Spinners completed a great Top 5 with "Games People Play".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Who Loves You", the comeback hit for the 4 Seasons, Morris Albert and "Feelings", "Bad Blood" from Neil Sedaka and Elton, Linda Ronstadt's double-sided "Heat Wave"/"Love is a Rose" was #9 and Natalie Cole entered the Top 10 for the first time with "This Will Be".
1980:  Barbra Streisand's "Woman in Love" continued to top the Adult Contemporary chart for a fourth week.

1980:  Diana Ross was getting attention with her new release "It's My Turn", the title track from the movie, which moved from 86 to 63.








1983:  The Rolling Stones released the single "Undercover of the Night".
1986:  10 years since their debut album, Boston scored its third straight #1 album with Third Stage.  






 
                               Baker with a big hit...

1986:  Cyndi Lauper held on to #1 with "True Colors" with Tina Turner's "Typical Male" peaking at #2.  Robert Palmer was there with "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and Boston moved up to 4 with "Amanda".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Human" by the Human League, Madonna's 10th consecutive Top 10 "True Blue" moved from 13-6, Janet Jackson dropped with "When I Think Of You", Anita Baker was at 8 with "Sweet Love", Eddie Money had one of his biggest hits as "Take Me Home Tonight" moved from 15-9 and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jame closed out the group with "All Cried Out".

1991:  Nirvana released the album MTV Unplugged in New York.
1991:  Eddie Kendricks (lead singer of the Temptations and a solo star ("Keep On Truckin'") returned home from a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia after having a lung removed due to cancer.  Kendricks, a lifelong smoker, vowed to give up the addiction, but it was too late--he died the following October at age 52.
1992:  "I Will Here For You" by Michael W. Smith was the #1 Adult Contemporary song.


1993:  The Gin Blossoms released the single "Found Out About You".
1993:  In today's episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Flavor Flav (what a catchy name--not!) was arrested for attempted murder and possession of a weapon.








1994:  Boyz II Men released the single "On Bended Knee".
1994:  Megadeth released the album Youthanasia.
1997:  Aqua moved to #1 in the U.K. with "Barbie Girl".








1997:  Paula Cole debuted on the chart at #19 with "I Don't Want To Wait".









           One-half of a dynamite double-sided smash...

1997:  "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John was #1 for a fourth week.  Usher would have to settle for having one of the top #2's of the Rock Era with "You Make Me Wanna'".  LeAnn Rimes was behind them with "How Do I Live" while Boyz II Men remained at #4 with "4 Seasons Of Loneliness".  The rest of the Top 10:  Allure and 112 with "All Cried Out", "My Love Is The Shhh!" by Somethin' for the People with Trina & Tamara, Jewel's blockbuster double-sided "Foolish Games" and "You Were Meant for Me" at #7, the Backstreet Boys were still at #8 after 19 weeks with "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)", Mariah Carey's "Honey" dripped down to #9 and Chumbawamba's great song "Tubthumping" was #10.
2000:  Robbie Williams offered to donate his bone marrow to save the life of a fan after meeting with Johanna MacVicar, who had leukemia.  Williams asked his fans to sign up as potential donors after being told of the severe shortage of male donors.


2003:  Bruce Springsteen joined Michael J. Fox to perform "Light of Day", Springsteen's  title song from the 1987 movie that starred Fox, for the opening night of a two-day benefit for Parkinson's Disease at the Stone Pony in New Jersey.
2003:  In Episode Two of Dangerous Inmates Run rap Music, both members of the duo Mobb Deep were arrested for possession of marijuana, crack and an illegal handgun.
2004:  Terry Knight, former manager of Grand Funk Railroad, was murdered at his home while defending his daughter in Killeen, Texas.  Knight was 61.
2005:  Lyle "Skitch" Henderson, a conductor who worked with Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and also was the leader of The Tonight Show orchestra, died of natural causes in New Milford, Connecticut at the age of 87.
2005:  Westlife had the top U.K. song with "You Raise Me Up".
2006:  The best album of the times was the Soundtrack to "Hannah Montana".  The Rock has fallen fast.
2008:  Jimmy Carl Black, singer and drummer of the Mothers of Invention, who also worked with The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Turtles, Joe Cocker and the Grateful Dead, died of lung cancer in Siegsdorf, Germany at the age of 70.
2008:  Kenny Chesney had the top album with Lucky Old Sun.
2010:  Tom Jones was given the British Music Industry Trust Award in London.

Born This Day:
1936:  Andre Williams (real name Zeffrey Williams), who was a producer and songwriter for Motown, was born in Bessemer, Alabama.  (Note:  several websites claims Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois, but according to the Michigan Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he was born in Besemer, then moved to Chicago with his family when he was a child."
1937:  Bill Anderson ("Still" from 1963) was born in Columbia, South Carolina.

1940  Barry Sadler ("The Ballad of the Green Berets") was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
1946:  Rick Grech, bass guitarist for Traffic who also appeared on an album by Blind Faith, was born in Bordeaux, France; died of kidney and liver failure as a result of alcoholism in Leicester, England on March 17, 1990.
1947:  Bob Weston, a guitarist for Fleetwood Mac in their early days, who also played for Graham Bond and Long John Baldry, was born in Plymouth, Devon, England; died January 3, 2012 of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

1949:  David Foster, musician, composer, arranger and producer, who has worked with the Bee Gees, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Gordon Lightfoot, Madonna, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Jackson and scores of others, was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.






1950:  Dan Peek, guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist for the group America, was born in Panama City, Florida; died in his sleep in Farmington, Missouri on July 24, 2011.
1951:  Ronald Bell, keyboardist of Kool & the Gang, was born in Youngstown, Ohio.
1954:  Chris Morris, guitarist of Paper Lace ("The Night Chicago Died" from 1974), was born in Nottingham, England.
1959:  Eddie MacDonald, bassist for the Alarm, was born in St. Asaph, Wales.



1962:  Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
1962:  Mags Furuholmen, guitarist and keyboard player of A-ha, was born in Oslo, Norway.







1963:  Rick Allen, drummer of Def Leppard, was born in Dronfield, Derbyshire, England.
1981:  LaTavia Roberson of Destiny's Child was born in Houston, Texas.

Up next in The Top 100 Artists of the Seventies...

His introspective and cerebral lyrics have amazed music lovers for years, and tomorrow, his music from the Seventies will be in the spotlight.

Join us tomorrow on Inside The Rock Era!

Guess Who, The #70 Artist of the Seventies*

Another artist which got their start in the 60's, the Guess Who continued right where they left off in the early part of the Seventies. Make no mistake--add in their 60's music and the Guess Who are one of The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era*.

The band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada got their start in 1958 as Al and the Silvertones.  Back then, they were led by guitarist and lead singer Chad Allen, (though he was long gone by the time they struck it big).   Guitarist Randy Bachman, bassist Jim Kale, drummer Garry Peterson and keyboardist Bob Ashley joined to make up Chad Allan & the Reflections in 1962.  They signed a recording contract with Quality Records and released several singles the next few years, but they were only regional hits. 

When the Reflections scored a hit with "Just Like Romeo & Juliet", the band changed its name to Chad Allan & the Expressions so as not to be confused with that group.  Allan was around for the group's first hit, "Shakin' All Over" in 1965.  Quality Records billed the group only as Guess Who?, because to that point, Canadian radio stations shied away from playing Canadian artists.  It is uncertain how much the marketing ploy worked, but in any case, it forced the group to rename themselves as the Guess Who.  Burton Cummings replaced Ashley on keyboards and shared lead vocals with Allan, but Allen left shortly afterwards.

The group continued to enjoy some success in their native Canada.  You can have a talented group of musicians with great songs, but more often than not, you need someone who strongly believes in you in order to make it.  You not only need moral support, but you need a good strong backer.  The group had one in producer Jack Richardson.  He believed so strongly in the group that he mortgaged his house to finance the band's recordings in 1968, which would result in their breakthrough album Wheatfield Soul. 

Wheatfield Soul contained the group's first big hit, "These Eyes".  "Laughing" and "Undun" followed, and the Guess Who were major players by the time the 70's kicked in.

The Guess Who re-recorded "No Time" for the album (it had been originally included on their 1969 album Canned Wheat.)  "No Time" reached #5, and gave the group their second Canadian #1 (after "Laughing").  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The group released the album American Woman in 1970.  The title song went to #1 for three weeks, making the Guess Who the first Canadian group in history to attain that position in the United States in the Rock Era.  "American Woman" sold over one million copies to become one of the biggest hits of the year, and is still one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.

 

 

 

 

 

"No Sugar Tonight" was part of the huge double-sided hit with "American Woman", and on the radio, is often heard with "New Mother Nature".

Bachman had converted to the Mormon religion, and differences in musical direction between he and Cummings led Bachman to leave after one final show at the Fillmore East in New York City on May 16, 1970.  Bachman of course went on to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, whom we heard at #94. 

The Guess Who released the single "Hand Me Down World", which reached #17.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New recordings were shelved (later released as the album The Way They Were).  Fellow Winnipeggers Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw replaced Bachman in the Guess Who.  Winter took on songwriting duties with Cummings, and the group didn't miss a beat.  The Guess Who released the album Share The Land later in the year, and the title song gave them another Top 10 hit.

 

 

 

 

 

"Share The Land" gave the Guess Who five Top 20 hits in one year, and the group were by now household names.  "Bus Rider" was a pretty good "B" side on "Share The Land", and received quite a bit of airplay as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Hang On To Your Life" only peaked at #43, but is another song worth featuring for the group in this special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guess Who then released a non-album single, "Albert Flasher", which peaked at #29, another underrated song.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later in the year, the group released the album So Long, Bannatyne.  The Guess Who were recording memorable songs, but success wasn't coming as easy as it did the year before.  Most fans of the period loved "Rain Dance", even though it only peaked at #19.

Leskiw left the Guess Who, replaced by Don McDougall.  In 1972, the band recorded "Live at the Paramount" at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.  But longtime bassist Jim Kale left as well, with Bill Wallace coming in to replace him.  The Guess Who then embarked on a tour of Australia, New Zealand, and Japan with Three Dog Night.

Three studio albums and eight singles followed before the Guess Who could score another big hit.  Even "Star Baby", the single from their 1974 album Road Ode, stalled at #39.  It was yet another quality song from the group that was underrated.

 

 

 

 

 

Cummings, Wallace and Winter wrote "Clap For The Wolfman", an homage to famous disc jockey Wolfman Jack, who recorded his voice on the track.  "Clap For The Wolfman" reached #6, officially the first Top 10 for the Guess Who since "No Sugar Tonight" in 1970.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another underrated song followed, as "Dancin' Fool" only reached position #28.

Domenic Troiano became the new lead guitarist as both McDougall and Winter left in June of 1974.  Cummings, the leader of the group, then decided to leave and pursue a solo career, and the Guess Who broke up in October, 1975.

The Guess Who scored 17 hits in the decade, 5 of which went Top 10, including the double-sided #1 "American Woman"/"No Sugar Tonight".

The classic lineup of the Guess Who has reunited several times, and a form of the group led by bassist Jim Kale still exists today.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 31

1952:  26 year-old Chuck Berry was hired as a guitarist in Johnnie Johnson's band playing evening gigs in St. Louis, Missouri.  Berry kept his job as a hairdresser for the next three years.

1959:  The Quarrymen changed their name to Johnny and the Moondogs.
1960:  The Drifters took the #1 spot on the R&B chart with "Save The Last Dance For Me".
1960:  The Drifters moved up to #1 overall with "Save The Last Dance For Me".  

1962:  The movie Girls!  Girls!  Girls! starring Elvis Presley premiered in Honolulu, Hawai'i.  (Note:  numerous websites show the premiere date as November 2, however 'Turner Classic Movies' and all the Elvis Presley fan sites show the premiere as October 31.)
1963:  The Beatles returned to London after a successful tour of Sweden and were greeted by hundreds of screaming fans and a group of photographers and members of the media.  Ed Sullivan happened to be at Heathrow Airport at the time and was struck by the mania.  He decided to look into getting the group on his show.
1963:  Gerry and the Pacemakers had the top U.K. song--"You'll Never Walk Alone".
1964:  Bob Dylan gave a Halloween performance at the Philharmonic Hall in New York City, televised on CBS.

1964:  People gave Barbra Streisand her first #1 album, finally toppling the Beatles' A Hard day's Night after 14 weeks.
1964:  "We'll Sing In The Sunshine" by Gale Garnett was the #1 Easy Listening song for the sixth straight week.
1964:  "Baby Love" earned the Supremes a #1 R&B hit.







1964:  The Supremes scored their second #1 with "Baby Love".  That replaced "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann while "Last Kiss" held on to #3 for J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers.  "We'll Sing In The Sunshine" from Gale Garnett remained fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Dancing In The Street" by Martha & the Vandellas dropped after peaking at #2, "Let It Be Me" from Betty Everett & Jerry Butler was #6, the Honeycombs moved up with "Have I The Right?", Roy Orbison's all-time classic "Oh Pretty Woman" was on its way down, a great new song from the Hondells--"Little Honda" entered the Top 10 and Roger Miller was at #10 with "Chug-A-Lug".
1965:  The Mindbenders fired lead singer Wayne Fontana.






1967:  The Classics IV released the single "Spooky".
1970:  Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and Papas married actor Dennis Hopper but unfortunately, it only lasted eight days.
1970:  Motown Chartbusters Volume 4 was the top album in the U.K.
1970:  Led Zeppelin III moved to #1 in only its second week on the Album chart.
1970:  "I'll Be There" by the Jackson 5 was #1 on the R&B chart for the fourth straight week.





1970:  The hot new group the Carpenters continued to set the pace on the Easy Listening chart for a fourth week with "We've Only Just Begun".  Combined with their initial hit "Close To You", it gave the duo their 10th week at #1 for the year.
1970:  The Jackson 5 continued to own the top song for the third week with "I'll Be There".
1974:  Led Zeppelin officially launched off their Swan Song recording label with a party at the Chislehust Caves in Kent, England.  Swan Song was named after an unreleased instrumental that Zeppelin had written.
1975:  The Marshall Tucker Band performed at a fund-raiser for Democratic presidential contender Jimmy Carter.

1977:  Stevie Wonder released the amazing single "As" from the album Songs in the Key of Life.








1978:  Samantha Sang released her single "Emotion".









1978:  Olivia Newton-John released the single "A Little More Love".
1981:  The Human League's Dare was the #1 U.K. album.







Fogelberg remained in the spotlight...


1981:  The Rolling Stones held on to the #1 album for a seventh week with Tattoo You.  Journey's Escape was a solid #2 with Nine Tonight, the new Bob Seger album, third.  4 by Foreigner was #4, Bella Donna from Stevie Nicks remained at #5 and Dan Fogelberg's excellent double album The Innocent Age was sixth.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Police moved from 16 to 7 with Ghost in the Machine, Songs in the Attic by Billy Joel was #8, Pat Benatar's Precious Time came in at #9 and Private Eyes entered the Top 10 for Hall & Oates.
1981:  Two stars of two of the hottest groups of the Rock Era combined for one amazing record.  Don Henley and Stevie Nicks moved from 73 to 50 with "Leather And Lace".

            Springfield made a return visit to the Top 10...

1981:  Once again, Christopher Cross had the #1 song for a third week with "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)".  The Rolling Stones had one of their only big hits of the 1980's--"Start Me Up" while Hall & Oates were up to 3 with "Private Eyes".  Sheena Easton had the honor of singing the title from the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only.  The rest of the Top 10:  Diana Ross & Lionel Richie's "Endless Love", Bob Seger entered the Top 10 with "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You", Dan Fogelberg had a smash with "Hard To Say", the Little River Band was at #8 with "The Night Owls", Rick Springfield was rockin' with "I've Done Everything For You" and Eddie Rabbitt moved backwards with "Step By Step".



1983:  Genesis released the single "That's All".








1986:  Although it wouldn't become a hit until over a month later, Bon Jovi released what would prove to be the breakthrough single of their career--"Living on a Prayer".
1987:  According to Forbes Magazine, Bruce Springsteen was third among entertainers with $56 million earned the previous year.  Madonna was seventh ($47M) and Whitney Houston was eighth with $44M.
1987:  Tango in the Night by Fleetwood Mac was the #1 album in the U.K.
1987:  "Bad" by Michael Jackson held on to #1 on the R&B chart for the third consecutive week.




                Idol remakes James & the Shondells...

1987:  Michael Jackson spent a second week at #1 with "Bad".  Madonna was in the mix with her 15th career hit and amazingly, her 14th consecutive Top 10--"Causing A Commotion".  Tiffany was up with her remake of the great Tommy James & the Shondells hit "I Think We're Alone Now" and Billy Idol was at #4 with his remake of Tommy James & The Shondells'  "Mony Mony".  The rest of the Top 10:  Levert with "Casanova", Fleetwood Mac was up to #6 with "Little Lies", Expose's third straight Top 10 to open their career was at #7--"Let Me Be The One", Prince & Sheena Easton with "U (sic) Got The Look", Swing Out Sister bolted into the Top 10 with "Breakout" and Bruce Springsteen landed his 10th Top 10 with "Brilliant Disguise".
1988:  Taylor Dayne released the single "Don't Rush Me". 1992:  AC/DC, En Vogue, the Black Crowes, Ozzy Osbourne and Slaughter performed at the Halloween Jam at Universal Studios on ABC-TV.
1992:  Boyz II Men ruled the U.K. chart with "End Of The Road".

1992:  Bon Jovi had a fast-rising song as "Keep The Faith" moved from 76 to 39.












      
                       Newcomers P.M. Dawn...

1992:  Boyz II Men, who had broken the existing Rock Era record the week before with 11 weeks at #1, made it 12 with "End Of The Road".  Don Henley & Patty Smyth scored a sixth week at #2 with "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough".  Newcomer PM Dawn had a hot song with "I'd Die Without You" and the Heights were at #4 with "How Do You Talk To An Angel".  The rest of the Top 10:  Madonna's "Erotica", House of Pain with "Jump Around", Hi-Five remained stuck with "She's Playing Hard To Get", En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" jumped into the Top 10, Snap! was up from 16 to 9 with "Rhythm Is A Dancer" and Arrested Development slipped down with "People Everyday".
1992:  Michael W. Smith's great song "I Will Be Here For You" was the new #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
1993:  In today's episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, loser Tupac Shakur was arrested for shooting two off-duty Atlanta policemen.

1994:  TLC released the single "Creep".








1998:  Kiss and the Smashing Pumpkins performed at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

1998: Cher debuted at #1 in the U.K. with "Believe".
1999:  Bryan White sang the U.S. National Anthem at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee.

2000:  Outkast released the album Stankonia.







2003: Cher was named the year's top female on tour by Billboard Magazine as her Farewell tour grossed $145 million and attracted 2.2 million fans to over 200 concerts.
2003:  Jane's Addiction played a surprise concert outside the Brixton Academy in London.
2004:  In Part Two of Inmates Run Rap Music, Murphy Lee was arrested and charged with marijuana possession and DUI in St. Louis, Missouri.
2004:  And rappers weren't just doing what they do best (get arrested) but suing each other.  R. Kelly sued Jay-Z for $75 million for breach of contract after being thrown off their current tour.

2004:  Wyclef Jean met with community and gang leaders in Haiti in an attempt to stop violence in that country.
2004:  Ja Rule, R. Kelly and Ashanti combined for the #1 song in the U.K. with "Wonderful".
2004:  Robbie Williams had the top U.K. album with Greatest Hits.
2004:  Rod Stewart had the #1 U.S. album with Stardust.
2005:  The white suit worn by John Lennon on the Abbey Road album cover sold for $118,000 at an auction in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Born This Day:
1941:  Erik Griffiths, original guitarist of the Quarrymen who left the group in 1958, was born in Denbigh, North Wales; died January 29, 2005 at his home in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1945:  Glen Ballard, who was the lead singer for Argent, was born in Waltham Cross, England.
1945:  Rik Kenton of Roxy Music
1956:  Tony Bowers of Simply Red







1961:  Larry Mullen Jr., drummer with U2, was born in Dublin, Ireland.
1963:  Johnny Marr, guitarist with the Smiths, was born in Ardwick, Manchester, England.
1963:  Mikkey Dee, drummer and songwriter of Motorhead, was born in Gothenburg, Sweden.
 1965:  Annabella Lwin of Bow Wow Wow ("I Want Candy") was born in  Rangoon, Burma.
1966:  Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys was born in Manhattan, New York.  (Note:  many websites claim he was born in South Orange, New Jersey, but Horovitz has denied this in interviews.)
1967:  Vanilla Ice (real name:  Robert Van Winkle) was born in Dallas, Texas.  (Note:  several websites report his birthplace as Miami.  According to Vanilla himself, he was born in Dallas and grew up in Miami.  Several sites also report his birthday as 1968.  According to the booking agency Richard De La Font, Ice was born in 1967.)
1968:  Alistair McErlaine, guitarist of the group Texas, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.


1970:  Linn Berggren of Ace of Base was born in Gothenburg, Sweden.
1980:  Charles Moniz, bassist for April Lavigne
1981:  Frank Anthony Iero, rhythm guitarist of My Chemical Romance, was born in Belleville, New Jersey.