Saturday, January 10, 2015

This Date in Rock Music History: January 11


1960:  Bill Black's Combo took over at #1 on the R&B chart with "Smokie - Part 2".
Where The Boys Are by Connie Stevens on Grooveshark
1961:  Connie Francis released the single "Where the Boys Are".












1963:  The Beatles released their second single "Please Please Me" in England.









1964:  The famous Whisky a Go Go first opened on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California.
1965:  The Beach Boys recorded "Do You Wanna' Dance".
1965:  The Righteous Brothers appeared on three television shows in Britain:  Ready Steady Go!, Scene At 6.30. and Discs A Go-Go.






Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix on Grooveshark
1967:  Jimi Hendrix signed a recording contract with Track Records and recorded "Purple Haze".  
1967:  The Hollies began recording "On A Carousel".
1968:  Jimi Hendrix moved into the townhouse in London where George Frederick Handel was believed to have composed "Messiah".
1969:  For the fifth week, Marvin Gaye remained atop the R&B chart with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".







      
       B.J. Thomas with this feel-good song from 1969...

1969:  Marvin Gaye remained at #1 for the fifth week with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".  Diana Ross & the Supremes joined the Temptations for the #2 song--"I'm Gonna' Make You Love Me" while Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman climbed to 3.  Young-Holt Unlimited remained in the #4 spot with "Soulful Strut" and B.J. Thomas moved from 10-5 with "Hooked On A Feeling".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Cloud Nine" from the Temptations, Stevie Wonder slipped with "For Once In My Life", Tommy James & the Shondells had a huge hit with "Crimson And Clover", moving from 17 to 8, Diana Ross & the Supremes were also at #9 with "Love Child" and Bobby Vinton reached the Top 10 with "I Love How You Love Me".
1969:  The White Album by the Beatles continued to be unstoppable, #1 for the third straight week out of just five weeks of release.  

1970:  Al Hirt played the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana.














1971:  Tom Jones released the single "She's A Lady".
1971:  The posthumous album Pearl by Janis Joplin was released.
1971:  Chicago released the album Chicago III.










1975:  Led Zeppelin performed "Kashmir" live for the first time at the Ahoy in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
1975:  Ringo Starr reached #1 on the Adult chart with "Only You".








1975:  Carl Douglas chopped his way up the charts to land a #1 R&B song--"Kung Fu Fighting".
1975:  Elton John's Greatest Hits was #1 for the seventh week on the Album chart.  Jethro Tull's War Child was second.  The only new entry into the Top 10 was Heart Like a Wheel from Linda Ronstadt.







1982:  Journey released the single "Open Arms".
1985:  A rock festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil included Rod Stewart, Queen, AC/DC, Yes, Whitesnake and Iron Maiden.
1986:  The Pet Shop Boys reached #1 in the U.K. with "West End Girls".
1986:  Lionel Richie reached #1 on the R&B chart with "Say You, Say Me".
1986:  Dionne & Friends (Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Stevie Wonder & Gladys Knight) moved to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "That's What Friends Are For".
1990:  Paul McCartney performed the first of 11 sold-out shows at Wembley Arena in London.





1991:  "I Love Your Smile" by Shanice continued into 1991 the way it ended 1990--as the #1 R&B song.
1991:  Richard Marx enjoyed one of his biggest hits as "Keep Coming Back" remained #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for a fourth week.
1992:  Paul Simon began a tour in South Africa, the first artist to perform there since the end of the United Nations cultural boycott.





                        U2's "Mysterious Ways"...

1992:  Nevermind by Nirvana took over at #1 in a great Top 10 on the Album chart.  Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks had already been #1, but was so strong it was ready for another try at the top.  Hammer's Too Legit to Quit was third, followed by the strong new release from U2--Achtung Baby.  The rest of the Top 10:  The previous #1 from Michael Jackson--Dangerous, Cooleyhighharmony by Boyz II Men after 33 weeks of release, Guns N' Roses owned the next two spots with their twin releases of Use Your Illusion II and Use Your Illusion I, Metallica remained at #9 with their debut and Michael Bolton slipped to 10 with Time, Love & Tenderness.






En Vogue enjoyed one of their biggest hits...

1997:  Toni Braxton upped her total to six weeks at #1 with "Un-Break My Heart".  R. Kelly would have to settle for having a great #2 song in "I Believe I Can Fly" and En Vogue wasn't going anywhere with "Don't Let Go (Love)".  Keith Sweat moved up with "Nobody" while Whitney Houston registered the #5 song--"I Believe In You And Me".  The rest of the Top 10:  Blackstreet with "No Diggity", New Edition had #7 with "I'm Still In Love With You", Merril Bainbridge was at #8 with "Mouth", Az Yet reached #9 with "Last Night" and Celine Dion's 13th career hit entered the Top 10--"It's All Coming Back To Me Now".
1999:  In today's episode of Inmates Run Rap Music, Sean Combs and Dwight "Heavy D" Myers were found guilty of negligence in a 1991 celebrity basketball game that killed nine people and injured dozens in New York City.  For rap stars, even something as innocent as a celebrity basketball game can be highly dangerous.  Stay away.

1999:  Billy Joel was honored with the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards.









1999:  'N Sync captured the Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist honor at the American Music Awards.
1999:  Barry Pritchard, guitarist and singer of the Fortunes ("You've Got Your Troubles"), died of a heart attack in Swindon, Wiltshire, England at the age of 54.
2001:  Whitney Houston was stopped for possessing marijuana at Keahole-Kona International Airport.  And the Bobby Brown influence was just beginning.
2001:  Neil Sedaka underwent emergency angioplasty in a New York City hospital.
2002:  Mickey Finn, percussionist for T Rex ("Bang A Gong" from 1972), died of kidney and liver problems at age 55 in Croydon, London.
2003:  Alan Whyte, drummer of Oasis, quit the group.
2003:  Paul McCartney had the top tour of 2002, bringing in $103.3 million.  The Rolling Stones collected $87.9 million for their coffers while Cher pulled in $73.6m.
2004:  The bizarre Ted Nugent required 40 stitches when a chainsaw cut his leg while filming his reality show.  Don't know why anyone with intelligence would want to watch someone with his limited intelligence do that, but to each his own.

                                     Matchbox Twenty lands distinguished honor...

2004:  Beyonce and Faith Hill tied for favorite female performer while Matchbox Twenty won favorite group at the People's Choice Awards in Pasadena, California.
2004:  Michell McManus rose to the top of the U.K. chart with "All This Time".







2005:  Jimmy Griffin, guitarist of Bread and co-writer of "For All We Know" for the Carpenters, died from cancer in Franklin, Nashville, Tennessee at age 61.
2005:  Spencer Dryden, drummer with Jefferson Airplane and New Riders of the Purple Sage, died of cancer in Petaluma, California at the age of 66.






2009:  Bruce Springsteen captured a Golden Globe award for Best Original Song for "The Wrestler" from the movie of the same name.
2009:  Lady Gaga had the top U.K. song with "Just Dance".
2010:  Leon Russell ("Lady Blue" from 1975) underwent five hours of successful brain surgery to repair an unspecified chronic condition.



Born This Day:


1895:  Laurens Hammond, inventor of the Hammond organ, was born in Evanston, Illinois; died July 3, 1973 in Cornwall, Connecticut.
1924:  Don Cherry ("Band Of Gold" from 1956) was born in Wichita Falls, Texas; died October 19, 1995 in Malaga, Spain from liver failure caused by hepatitis. Don's son is Eagle-Eye Cherry ("Save Tonight") and his stepdaughter is Neneh Cherry.  (Note:  some websites report his birthplace as Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; according to the official website for Cherry, he was born in Wichita Falls.)







1924:  Slim Harpo ("Baby Scratch My Back" from 1966), guitarist and master of the blues harmonica, was born in Lobdell, Louisiana; died of a heart attack on January 31, 1970 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  (Note:  some websites report his birthplace as Baton Rouge, but the book 'South to Louisiana:  The Music of the Cajun Bayous' by John Broven states that it was Lobdell, about 15 minutes from Baton Rouge.)
1935:  Chuck Barksdale, bass vocalist with the Dells ("Oh What A Night", was born in Chicago, Illinois.




 

1942:  Clarence Clemons, ace saxophonist with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, was born in Norfolk County, Virginia.  (Note:  some websites report his birthplace as Chesapeake.  While the area where Clemons was born is now known as Chesapeake, peoples' birth certificates aren't subject to change when new cities sprout up at some point in the future.  There was no such city as Chesapeake when Clarence was born.  Clemons was born in Norfolk County, Virginia.)
1943:  Tony Kaye, original keyboardist of Yes, was born in Leicester, England.
1948:  Terry Williams, drummer for Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Dire Straits and Rockpile, was born in Swansea, Glamorgan, South Wales.
1949:  Dennis Greene of Sha Na Na was born in New York City.

 

1958:  Vicki Peterson, guitarist of the Bangles, was born in Northridge, California.  (Note:  some websites incorrectly list her birthplace as Los Angeles; Los Angeles is a separate city form Northridge--Peterson was born in Northridge, according to 'MTV'.)
1968:  Tom Dumont, guitarist and producer of No Doubt, was born in Los Angeles.







1971:  Mary J. Blige was born in the Bronx, New York.
1971:  Tom Rowlands of the Chemical Brothers was born in Kingston upon Thames, England.

Calendar Clarification: Motley Crue

Several websites incorrectly show Motley Crue opening a U.S. tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 12, 1984.   Far from the truth...first off, the Crue opened their first U.S. tour on November 11, 1983 at the Orange Pavilion in San Bernadino, California.  On January 12, the group performed in Glen Falls, New York, the second concert backing Ozzy Osbourne, and the Madison Square Garden date referred to did not take place until January 30, according to the official Motley Crue website.

Featured Unknown/Underrated Song: Gino Vannelli's "Nightwalker"

In 1981, Gino Vannelli had just come off one of his biggest career hits--"Living Inside Myself".  He released this great song as a follow-up, and for inexplicable reasons, it stalled at #41.  It should have followed "Living Inside Myself" into the Top 10:
 
"Living Inside Myself"
Gino Vannelli
 
Lyrics and Music by Gino Vannelli
 
I sleep at night
On a cloud high on the horizon
And when I close my eyes
My soul is struck by lightning

Then I sleep at night
Like a storm
Oh, I walk the night
'cause your head is gone from my pillow

And when the twilight shines
My eyes crash through the windows
'cause I sleep at night without you
When it's dark and the night lays me down

When the moon shines the light on the ground
I just run where my thoughts take me to
'cause I can't live in this world
Without love without you
I walk the night
I walk the night
 
 
Oh, I dream at night
It must be a madman's rainbow that I'm chasing
'cause when I close my eyes
I feel your sweet sensation

'cause I dream at night about you
When it's dark and the night lays me down
When the moon shines the light on my ground
I just run where my thoughts take me to

'cause I can't live in this world
Without love without you
I walk the night
I walk the night
 
I just run where my thoughts take me to
'cause I can't live in this world
Without love without you
I walk the night
I walk the night

Part Eighteen of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*

We began this feature shortly after Inside The Rock Era debuted in March of 2011.  There are numerous examples of songs that have "slipped through the cracks", songs deserving of airplay today that did not make the Top 10.  We have added a song approximately one per week since then, and The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era* has now grown to 33 pages.


Friday, January 9, 2015

This Date in Rock Music History: January 10


1956:  It was indeed a magical day in the Rock Era as Elvis Presley recorded "Heartbreak Hotel" at the Methodist television, radio & TV studios in Nashville, Tennessee in his first session since he signed with RCA Victor. 
1958:  The Quarrymen (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton and Len Garry) played at the New Clubmoor Hall in Norris Green, Liverpool, England.
1958:  Jerry Lee Lewis held down the #1 spot in the U.K. with "Great Balls Of Fire".





1963:  Bob Dylan returned to the Troubadour Club in London for a concert.
1964:  The Beatles released the album Introducing the Beatles.  They released a revised version a month later.
1965:  Promoter Sid Bernstein called Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, to propose that the group play a concert in Shea Stadium in New York City.








These Boots Are Made For Walking by Nancy Sinatra on Grooveshark
1966:  Nancy Sinatra released the single "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'".
1968:  The General Secretary for the Movement for the Spiritual Regeneration in New Delhi, India, announced that the Beatles were coming to India to study transcendental meditation.
1970:  Newcomers the Jackson 5 hit #1 on the R&B chart with "I Want You Back".







1970:  B.J. Thomas ruled the Adult chart for the fifth week with "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head".
1971:  The trial over Paul McCartney's move to dissolve the Beatles' partnership began in High Court in London.
1973:  The hard-working ABBA recorded their first single "Ring Ring" in Swedish, German, Spanish and English for worldwide release at Metronome Studio in Stockholm.  Manager Stig Anderson secured Neil Sedaka to write the English lyrics.  (Note:  some websites show other dates for the recording, but according to the landmark book 'Abba:  Bright Lights Dark Shadows' by Carl Magnus Palm, the group began recording the song on January 10.)
1973:  Cliff Richard sang the six entries chosen to represent Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest on The Cilla Black Show on BBC-TV.  Viewers selected "Power To All Our Friends".
1976:  John Denver took over at #1 on the Adult chart with "Fly Away", his duet with Olivia Newton-John.
1976:  "Sing A Song" by Earth, Wind & Fire moved to the #1 spot on the R&B chart.


1976:  "Junk Food Junkie" by Larry Groce was the highest-debuting song.











1976:  "Convoy" by C.W. McCall wasn't just a #1 song; it was a movement.  Barry Manilow had #2--"I Write The Songs", Diana Ross was strong with "Theme From 'Mahogany' (Do You Know Where You're Going To)", the Ohio Players held steady with "Love Rollercoaster", the previous #1 "Saturday Night" fell for the Bay City Rollers and Sweet edged up with "Fox On The Run".
1977:  The squabbles between the Beatles, Apple Records, Allen Klein and ABKCO were declared settled in court.












1978:  Linda Ronstadt released the single "Poor Poor Pitiful Me".










   
                      #1 in 1970, 1981 and forever...

1981:  Eleven years after it was released, "Imagine" by John Lennon returned to #1 in the U.K., where it would spend four more weeks at #1.
1981:  Kool & the Gang spent a fourth straight week at #1 on the R&B chart with "Celebration".
1981:  Leo Sayer had the #1 song on the Adult Contemporary chart for the third week with "More Than I Can Say".





        
                     The incomparable Neil Diamond...

1981:  "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon was #1 for a third week, holding off the excellent "Love On The Rocks" by Neil Diamond, which was #1 in several markets.  "Guilty" by Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb rose from 7-3 with Blondie's "The Tide Is High" close behind.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Hungry Heart" from Bruce Springsteen, Air Supply had their third smash in a row with "Every Woman In The World", Rod Stewart had his 21st hit with "Passion", Heart was up to 8 with their remake of the Aaron Neville hit "Tell It Like It Is", the former #1 "Lady" by Kenny Rogers was now at 9 and Leo Sayer slipped with "More Than I Can Say".






      
          People were rocking out to "Back In Black"...

1981:  Double Fantasy by John Lennon was #1 on the Album chart for a third week.  Guilty from Barbra Streisand remained second, followed by Hotter Than July by Stevie Wonder and Pat Benatar's Crimes of Passion.  Back In Back from AC/DC was #5 after 21 weeks.  The rest of the Top 10:  Eagles Live, Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits, the Police at 8 with Zenyatta Mondatta, the Soundtrack to "The Jazz Singer" by Neil Diamond and Gaucho from Steely Dan.
1985:  Cyndi Lauper was nominated for five Grammy Awards:  Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly place the year as 1984.  She was nominated January 10, 1985, and the awards were presented February 26, 1985, according to the official Grammy website.)
1987:  The title song from Janet Jackson's Control album was #1 on the R&B chart.

                  "Naturally" from Huey Lewis & the News...

1987:  Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live/1975-1985 was the #1 album for a seventh week, as Bon Jovi could not quite topple them with Slippery When Wet and Boston's Third Stage peaked at #3.  The Way It Is from Bruce Hornsby & the Range and Fore!  by Huey Lewis & the News remained in their spots.  The rest of the Top 10:  True Blue from Madonna, Lionel Richie was at #7 with Dancing on the Ceiling, the Bangles burst into the Top 10 after 50 weeks of release with their great album Different Light, Cinderella's Night Songs was ninth and Paul Simon fell to 10 with Graceland.
1987:  Billy Joel's great song "This Is The Time" took over at #1 on the AC chart.

1987:  'Til Tuesday had the highest-debuting song with "Coming Up Close".
1987:  "Walk Like An Egyptian" by the Bangles was #1 for a fourth week.  Billy Vera & the Beaters moved from 15-9 with "At This Moment".








1997:  James Brown was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2003:  Five men were arrested after a major bootleg operation in London and Amsterdam was uncovered by U.K. police.  500 Beatles tapes known as the "Get Back sessions" that had been stolen in the 1970's were recovered.
2003:  Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees suffered a heart attack prior to major stomach surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, Florida to correct an intestinal blockage and was fighting for his life.
2005:  Spencer Dryden, drummer of Jefferson Airplane and New Riders of the Purple Sage, died from colon cancer at his home in Petaluma, California at age 66.  (Note:  both 'Rolling Stone' and 'Billboard", who have no employees in the 'Associated Press', report the death as being on January 11.  False, according to the 'AP, as shown in 'The New York Times' and 'The Los Angeles Times'.  We'll go with the professionals--Dryden died on January 11.)
2008:  Amelle Berrabah of the Sugababes was arrested after an attack on a car in Aldershot, Hampshire, England.  The charges were quickly dropped when it was discovered Berrabah was not in town at the time of the incident.  (Note:  some websites incorrectly report the date of the arrest as January 9--it was January 10, according to the newspaper 'The Guardian'.)
2008:  Rod Allen Bainbridge, lead singer of the Fortunes ("You've Got Your Troubles" in 1965), died after a battle with liver cancer at age 63 in Coventry, England.

2008:  Radiohead had the #1 album with In Rainbows.
2009:  Fergie, lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas, married Josh Duhamel at the Church Estates Vineyards in Malibu, California.








2011:  Margaret Whiting (many hits before the Rock Era, her best known after 1955 is "The Wheel Of Hurt" from 1966) died from natural causes in Englewood, New Jersey at the age of 86.
2013:  Justin Timberlake announced a comeback attempt with an album (The 20/20 Experience) and tour.



Born This Day:

1917:  Jerry Wexler, producer and music insider who coined the term "rhythm and blues" while writing for Billboard magazine and was responsible for signing or producing hundreds of acts including Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Dusty Springfield and Wilson Pickett, was born in The Bronx, New York.  He died August 15, 2008 at his home in Sarasota, Florida of congestive heart failure. 








1927:  Johnny Ray was born in Hopewell, Oregon, near what would later become Salem, Oregon; died of liver failure from years of alcohol abuse on February 24, 1990 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.  
1935:  Ronnie Hawkins ("Mary Lou" from 1959) was born in Huntsville, Arkansas.








1939:  Scott McKenzie, who wrote the generational anthem "San Francisco", was born in Jacksonville, Florida; died August 18, 2012 in Los Angeles after battling Guillain-Barre syndrome since 2010. 
1939:  Sal Mineo ("Start Movin'" from 1957), primarily a film and theatre actor, was born in The Bronx, New York; died February 12, 1976 when he was stabbed in the alley behind his apartment building in West Hollywood, California.  






1943:  Jim Croce was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died in a light plane crash on September 20, 1973 in Natchitoches, Louisiana.











1945:  Rod Stewart was born in Highgate, London.





 







1946:  Aynsley Dunbar, drummer for Journey, Whitesnake and Jefferson Starship, was born in Liverpool, England.
1946:  Bob Lang, bassist of the Mindbenders ("Game Of Love"), was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England.








1948:  Donald Fagen of Steely Dan was born in Passaic, New Jersey.
1948:  Cyril Neville, percussionist with the Meters, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.






1953:  Pat Benatar (real name Patricia Mae Andrzejewski) was born in Brooklyn, New York.







1955:  Michael Schenker, guitarist of the Scorpions and UFO, was born in Sarstedt, Lower Saxony, Germany.
1955:  Luci Martin of Chic was born in New York City.







1958:  Shawn Colvin ("Sunny Came Home") was born in Vermillion, South Dakota.
1959:  Curt Kirkwood, founding member, songwriter, guitarist and lead singer of the Meat Puppets, was born in Wichita Falls, Kansas.  (Note:  many websites report he was born in Phoenix, Arizona or Wichita Falls, Texas; according to an interview with 'Spin' magazine, Kirkwood said he was born in Wichita Falls, Kansas, and later moved to Phoenix.)
1964:  Brad Roberts, lead singer and guitarist of the Crash Test Dummies, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
1973:  Aerle Taree of Arrested Development was born in Madison, Wisconsin.
1979:  Chris Smith of Kriss Kross was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

This Date in Rock Music History: January 9

1961:  Comedian Bob Newhart reached #1 on the Album chart with The Button Down Mind Strikes Back!
1961:  Jerry Butler posted a seventh week at the top of the R&B chart with "He Will Break Your Heart".


          The talented piano duo with one of their biggest hits...

1961:  Bert Kaempfert had a #1 song with "Wonderland By Night", unseating Elvis Presley's "Are You Lonesome To-night?" after six weeks.  "Exodus", one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era* by Ferrante & Teicher, moved to #3 with "Last Date" from Floyd Cramer on the way down.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Shirelles with a song written by Stanley, Idaho's Carole King--"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" that moved from 14-5, Bobby Vee's "Rubber Ball" bounced into the Top 10, "Angel Baby" from Rosie & the Originals, Johnny Horton's "North To Alaska" was at #8 after 17 weeks, "Corinna, Corinna" from Ray Peterson edged up and Johnny Burnette placed "You're Sixteen" at #10.




1963:  Charlie Watts left Blues Incorporated and became the new drummer of the Rolling Stones.
1965:  John Lennon made an appearance on the satirical television show Not Only...But Also in the U.K.









                    Little Anthony & the Imperials...

1965:  The Beatles saw "I Feel Fine" record a third week at #1, holding off "Come See About Me" from the Supremes.  Bobby Vinton held steady with "Mr. Lonely" while the Searchers edged up with "Love Potion Number Nine".  Petula Clark had a hot new song with "Downtown", moving from 12 to 5.  It had raced up from #87 to #41 to #12 to #5 in just four weeks.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Goin' Out Of My Head" from Little Anthony & the Imperials, "Amen" by the Impressions, the Larks placed "The Jerk" at #8, the Righteous Brothers moved from 14-9 with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', jumping over "The Wedding" from Julie Rogers.





1965:  Beatles '65 moved from #98 to #1 this week on the Album chart, one of the only times in the history of the Rock Era in which one group owned three of the Top 10 albums.  The Beatles were also at #6 with the Soundtrack to "A Hard Day's Night" and at #7 with The Beatles' Story.
1967:  The Monkees released the album More of the Monkees.







1967:  Buffalo Springfield released one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*, "For What It's Worth".
1967:  The Beatles supervised the recording of flutes, trumpets, piccolos and flugelhorn for "Penny Lane".
1969:  The Beatles ruled the U.K. Album chart with the White Album.  The Rolling Stones were runners-up with Beggar's Banquet while the Seekers were at 3 with Best of the Seekers.
1970:  Led Zeppelin was at the Royal Albert Hall in London on lead guitarist Jimmy Page's 26th birthday.
1971:  Elvis Presley was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation by the United States Jaycees.
1971:  "Watching Scotty Grow" by Bobby Goldsboro was the new #1 on the Adult chart.
1971:  New soul act the Stylistics first appeared on the chart on this date with their first single--"You're A Big Girl Now".




        People often mistook this great group for the Beatles.

1971:  George Harrison's great new song "My Sweet Lord" continued to be the #1 song while Dawn moved closer with "Knock Three Times".  The 5th Dimension dropped from its peak at #2 while Santana was up to #4 with "Black Magic Woman" and the Partridge Family moved up with "I Think I Love You".  The rest of an excellent Top 10:  "The Tears Of A Clown" from Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Chicago held on to #7 with "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", the Supremes had song #8 with "Stoned Love", the Bee Gees shot up from 21 to 9 with "Lonely Days" and Barbra Streisand with "Stoney End".
1973:  Mick Jagger was refused a visa in Japan because of his arrest for drugs in 1969.  As a result, the Rolling Stones could not tour there.
1975:  The Beatles and Company partnership was dissolved in London's High Court.
1976:  Queen had the top song in the U.K. with "Bohemian Rhapsody".




1979:  The Bee Gees, ABBA, John Denver, Olivia Newton-John, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson performed at the benefit A Gift of Song at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.  All proceeds went to UNICEF.
1982:  Dare by the Human League returned to #1 on the U.K. Album chart.
1982:  "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind & Fire was the #1 choice of the R&B chart.






                    "Edge of Seventeen" from Stevie...

1982:  Budding superstars AC/DC latched on to #1 on the Album chart with For Those About to Rock We Salute You.  Ghost in the Machine from the Police was second followed by Foreigner's 4, now in its 25th week.  Escape from Journey was another great release while Earth, Wind & Fire remained in the #5 position with Raise!  The rest of the Top 10:  Physical from Olivia Newton-John, Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks, the Rolling Stones were steady at #8 with Tattoo You, the Cars' new release Shake It Up was doing just that and Memories, the compilation from Barbra Streisand, was #10.
1984:  Van Halen released their landmark album 1984, or as they titled it on the cover MCMLXXXIV.
1988:  Michael Jackson made it three weeks atop the R&B chart with "The Way You Make Me Feel".

                       The Cougar Man was back...

1988:  The Soundtrack to "Dirty Dancing" was #1 on the Album chart for a ninth week but George Michael's Faith was giving chase.  Bad from Michael Jackson slipped a spot with the self-titled Tiffany making a move at #4.  Whitesnake politely swapped places and the new John Cougar Mellencamp--The Lonesome Jubilee was #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Whitney from Whitney Houston, Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason, George Harrison's new album Cloud Nine entered the list and Hysteria by Def Leppard was just beginning to be discovered for the incredible album that it was.






Whitney Houston / So Emotional by Whitney Houston on Grooveshark
1988:  Whitney Houston made Rock Era history with her record-tying sixth consecutive #1 song--"So Emotional".  That tied her with the Bee Gees (1977-1979) and she would set the all-time record with her next release.  George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set On You" moved to #2 with the previous #1 "Faith" from George Michael slipping.  







        "Forever In Love", from Kenny's great album 'Breathless'...

1993:  The Soundtrack to "The Bodyguard" charted a fifth week at #1 on the Album chart.  Unplugged by Eric Clapton and Breathless from Kenny G made their bids, followed by Timeless (The Classics) from Michael Bolton.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Chase from Garth Brooks, Ten from Pearl Jam, Billy Ray Cyrus with Some Gave All, a solid release from R.E.M.--Automatic for the People burst into the Top 10, Home for Christmas from Amy Grant was #9 and Hard or Smooth from Wreckx-N-Effect brought up the rear.
1993:  Whitney Houston had the top song on the R&B chart for a sixth week with "I Will Always Love you".
1993:  "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston again topped the AC chart for the fourth week.
1993:  Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle had a fast-rising song (42-25) with "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)".

Rhythm Is A Dancer by Snap on Grooveshark                
                           Snap with their pulsating hit...

1993:  Whitney Houston had the #1 song for a seventh week with "I Will Always Love You".  Other notable songs within the Top 10:  Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love", "In The Still Of The Nite (I'll Remember)" from Boyz II Men, Snap dropped with "Rhythm Is A Dancer", PM Dawn's former #1 "I'd Die Without You" was now #6 and Shanice moved to #7 with "Saving Forever For You".
1997:  David Bowie celebrated his 50th Birthday Bash a day late at Madison Square Garden in New York.  Guests included the Foo Fighters, Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, Billy Corgan and Robert Smith of the Cure.  Proceeds from the concert went to the Save the Children fund.



2001:  Creed captured Favorite Album (Human Clay), the Backstreet Boys won Favorite Group, Faith Hill was named Favorite Female Artist and 3 Doors Down was honored with Favorite New Artist at the American Music Awards.
2003:  A  Knabe grand piano that once belonged to Elvis Presley was  sold for $685,000.
2003:  Tommy Mottola resigned as chairman of Sony Music.
2004:  Tico Torres, drummer of Bon Jovi, and his wife Alejandra celebrated the birth of son Hector Alexander in Florida.
2005:  D'Angelo was arrested for drunk driving and possession of drugs outside of Richmond, Virginia.
2005:  If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.  Or give up.  Vince Neil of Motley Crue married Lia Gerardini in Las Vegas, Nevada, Neil's fourth marriage.  MC Hammer performed at the ceremony.
2005:  One day after what would have been his 70th birthday, Elvis Presley had the #1 song in the U.K. as "Jailhouse Rock" returned to the top after 48 years.
2009:  Dave Dee, who scored eight Top 10 songs in the U.K. (including the #1 "The Legend Of Xanadu" from 1968), died in Kingston upon Thames at age 67 after a three-year battle with cancer.  Dee was originally a police officer and was the one called to the scene of a car crash in which Eddie Cochran was killed.  (Note:  some websites say Dee died at age 65, but according to the newspapers  'The Independent' and 'The Telegraph', as well as the 'BBC', he was born in 1941 and died at age 67.) 

Born This Day:

1941:  Joan Baez was born in Staten Island, New York.










1943:  Jerry Yester, songwriter, singer and musician of the New Christy Minstrels and the Lovin' Spoonful and later an arranger and producer, was born in Birmingham, Alabama.  (Note:  some websites report Jerry was born on November 24, but they have Jerry confused with his brother Jim.  Jim was born in November 24, according to the book 'Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone?' by Marti Childs, Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March.  Jerry was born January 9, 1939, confirmed by the book 'Sounds of Rebellion:  Music in the 1960s' by Brittanica Educational Publishing.)
1943:  Kenneth Kelly of the Manhattans ("Kiss And Say Goodbye") was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
1943:  Roy Head ("Treat Her Right" from 1965) was born in Three Rivers, Texas.
1943:  John Walker (real name Scott Engel), singer and songwriter with the Walker Brothers (none of whom were actually related), was born in Hamilton, Ohio.
1943:  Dick Yount, bassist of Harper's Bizarre ("59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)")

1944:  Jimmy Page, songwriter and elite guitarist of Led Zeppelin, was born in Heston, Middlesex, England.








1948:  Bill Cowsill, lead singer and guitarist of the Cowsills ("Hair" from 1969), was born in Middletown, Rhode Island; died February 18, 2006 at his home in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  (Note:  some websites say Bill was born in Providence, according to the book 'No Depression #77:  Instruments of Change' by Grant Alden and Peter Blackstock  and 'Rock Obituaries - Knockin' On Heaven's Door' by Nick Talevski, he was born in Middletown.  Numerous websites including 'Rolling Stone' magazine, list the date of death as February 17, but according to the reliable sources such as the hometown newspaper 'The Calgary Herald' and 'The New York Times', Bill died on February 18.)
1948:  Cassie Gaines, who with the female singing group the Honkettes was one of the backup singers for Lynyrd Skynyrd, was born in Seneca, Missouri; died October 20, 1977 when the plane carrying two members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and other members of the entourage including Cassie, crashed outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi. 
1948:  Paul King, lead vocalist and acoustic guitar player of Mungo Jerry ("In The Summertime" from 1971) was born in Dagenham, Essex, United Kingdom.
1950:  Steve McRay, keyboardist and harmonica player of .38 Special

1951:  Crystal Gayle (real name Brenda Gail Webb), the younger sister of Loretta Lynn, was born in Paintsville, Kentucky.
1963:  Eric Erlandson, co-founder, songwriter and lead guitarist of Hole, was born in San Pedro, California.  (Note:  several websites list Eric's birthplace as Los Angeles or Hollywood, but according to Erlandson's book 'Letters to Kurt', he was born in San Pedro.)
1965:  Haddaway (Nestor Alexander Haddaway), who had the hit "What Is Love" in 1993, was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad.





1967:  Dave Matthews, songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of the Dave Matthews Band, was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.









1967:  Steve Harwell, lead singer of Smash Mouth, was born in Santa Clara, California.
1967:  Carl Bell, songwriter and guitarist of Fuel ("Hemorrhage (In My Hands)"), was born in Kenton, Tennessee.








1978:  A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys was born in West Palm Beach, Florida.