This Date in Rock Music History: March 8

1961:  That hard-working group the Beatles did three shows today, their usual lunchtime performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England and concerts at the Aintree Institute and Hambleton Hall in Liverpool.

1962:  The Beatles made their debut on the BBC in Great Britain on Teenager's Turn (recorded the night before), performing "Dream Baby", "Maybelline" and "Please Mr. Postman".

1964:  The Dave Clark 5 made their debut appearance by performing "Glad All Over"on The Ed Sullvan Show.
1966:  Bob Dylan recorded "Just Like A Woman" for his upcoming Blonde On Blonde album at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.

1966:  Lulu and the Hollies opened a tour in Warsaw, Poland.

1968:  The Fillmore East opened at Second Avenue and Sixth Street in New York City.
1968:  The Elvis Presley movie Stay Away Joe opened in theaters.
1969:  The Small Faces broke up when lead singer Steve Marriott left the group.  The group played their final show at the Springfield Theatre in Jersey on the Channel Islands.  Remaining members Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones recruited guitarist Ronnie Wood and lead singer Rod Stewart and formed the group the Faces.
1969:  James Brown had his 8th #1 on the R&B chart--"Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose".  Yeah.










1969:  Glen Campbell moved from #87 to #47 with "Galveston".











1969:  Sly & the Family Stone held off all challengers for a fourth week at #1 with one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*--"Everyday People".  CCR jumped to their favorite spot of #2 with "Proud Mary".  The Foundations were sturdy at #3 with "Build Me Up Buttercup" while Tommy Roe was a man on the move (10-4) with "Dizzy".  The rest of the Top 10:  Tommy James & the Shondells with their smash "Crimson And Clover", Jay & the Americans were at #6 with "This Magic Moment" Dionne Warwick reached the Top 10 for the sixth time with "This Girl's In Love With You", Smokey Robinson & the Miracles with "Baby, Baby Don't Cry", the Doors dropped with "Touch Me" and 1910 Fruitgum Company moved to #10 with "Indian Giver".

1970:  Diana Ross was in concert for the first time as a solo artist with an eleven-day engagement at Monticello's in Framingham, Massachusetts.

1973:  Ron Mckernan, keyboardist of the Grateful Dead, died at age 27 from liver failure brought on by, you guessed it, alcohol poisoning.

1974:  John Denver recorded "Annie's Song" and "Thank God I'm A Country Boy".

1974:  Bad Company appeared live for the first time at the Newcastle City Hall in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
1975:  Carole King was a guest star on The Mary Tyler Moore show on CBS-TV.
1975:  B.T. Express had the top R&B song, one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*--"Express".
1975:  "Have You Never Been Mellow" by Olivia Newton-John was the new #1 on the Adult chart.

                       The Doobie Brothers contributed this gem to a great time in music...

1975:  Olivia Newton-John had hit #1 one year before with "I Honestly Love You".  Now, she had her second #1 as "Have You Never Been Mellow" rose to the top.  The Doobie Brothers were right behind with "Black Water" with Frankie Valli's solo hit "My Eyes Adored You" in third.  Labelle was creating excitement with "Lady Marmalade" and America edged up with "Lonely People".  The rest of the Top 10:  Styx and their breakthrough hit "Lady", which rose from 10-6, the Eagles fell from #1 with "Best Of My Love", Minnie Riperton jumped from 22 to 8 with "Lovin' You", the Average White Band with "Pick Up The Pieces" and ELO scored their first career Top 10 with "Can't Get It Out Of My Head".









1976:  Silver Convention released the single "Get Up And Boogie".
1979:  The John Denver and the Ladies (Tina Turner and Cheryl Ladd) television special was broadcast on ABC-TV.  (Note:  you will find several reported dates of the broadcast (February 28, November 25, and November 29).  The correct date is March 8, according to the books 'Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials' and 'Television Specials:  5,336 Entertainment Programs, 1936-2012', both by Vincent Terrace, as well as Cheryl Ladd's official website.)
1980:  Chuck Mangione returned to #1 for a third week on the Adult Contemporary chart with his theme to the Winter Olympics--"Give It All You Got".
1980:  You didn't have to be a genius to know where this song was going--"Call Me" by Blondie moved from 61 to 28 on this date.





 
         The Spinners with their remake of the Four Seasons' hit...

1980:   Queen lasted a third week at #1 with "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", holding off Teri DeSario and K.C.'s "Yes, I'm Ready".  Dan Fogelberg's "Longer" moved to third while Andy Gibb had his sixth consecutive Top 10 with "Desire", second only to Gary Lewis & the Playboys and Lovin' Spoonful (7 straight Top 10's) at that time in the Rock Era for most Top 10's Out of the Gate*.  The rest of the Top 10:  Pink Floyd moved from 10-6 with "Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2", the Captain & Tennille with "Do That To Me One More Time", the Spinners' medley "Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me, Girl" edged up, Rupert Holmes moved from 16 to 9 with "Him" and Shalamar was good "The Second Time Around".





                     
                                              "In the Flesh" from 'The Wall".

1980:  Pink Floyd's The Wall was #1 on the Album chart for the eighth week.  Damn the Torpedoes by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers was a solid #2 with Dan Fogelberg's excellent Phoenix album next.  Rush was making Permanent Waves at #4 while the new Michael Jackson album--Off the Wall was still strong after 28 weeks.  The rest of the Top 10:  Donna Summer's compilation (On the Radio-Greatest Hits-Volumes I & II), the Eagles won out in The Long Run, the Whispers with their self-titled debut, Kenny from Kenny Rogers and Chuck Mangione moved from 29 to 10 with Fun and Games.

1986:  Diana Ross had the #1 song in the U.K. with "Chain Reaction", a song written for her by the Bee Gees.
1986:  For the third week, Starship controlled the AC chart with "Sara".
1986:  "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston was the new #1 on the R&B chart.





                                                     "All At Once" from Whitney...

1986:  After 50 weeks, Whitney Houston's debut album incredibly returned to #1.  It had previously peaked at #2 on October 26.  Just a sign of things to come.  Promise by Sade was still second with former #1 Welcome to the Real World by Mr. Mister falling this week.  Barbra Streisand's highly successful The Broadway Album was behind that trio with the self-titled Heart leading that group's comeback.  The rest of the Top 10:  Scarecrow from John Cougar Mellencamp, Starship was back with Knee Deep in the Hoopla, Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits was #8 after 40 weeks, Ozzy Osbourne and The Ultimate Sin while Simple Minds was stuck at #10 with Once Upon a Time.
1997:  The Spice Girls told us what we really, really want--"Wannabe" at #1 for the third week.  

2003:  Mark Knopfler, lead singer and lead guitarist of Dire Straits, suffered a broken collarbone, a broken shoulder blade, and six broken ribs when his motorcycle collided with a car in mid-morning traffic.  Not the best place to be riding a motorcycle.
2003:  Singer Adam Faith, who produced Roger Daltrey's first solo effort, died of a heart attack in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England at the age of 62.  (Note:  some websites report that Faith died on March 7.  He died on March 8, according to the newspaper 'The Guardian'.)

2004:  Bryan McFadden quit Westlife, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

2008:  Bjork exposed China for what they are when the country set stricter rules on performance after the singer shouted "Tibet, Tibet" at a concert in Shanghai.
 

2009:  A blue plaque was unveiled at the Marquee Club in Soho, London to signify the club's historic importance.  The Marquee was not only a great concert spot, but also the site where the Who played 29 times.  The Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds are among the other stars that began careers at the Marquee.

2009:  U2's album No Line on the Horizon was #1 in the U.K.
2010:   In today's edition of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Lil' Wayne was sentenced to a year in prison after being arrested for gun possession and began serving time behind bars.
2011:  Mike Starr, bassist and singer with Alice in Chains, died at the age of 44 from "an overdose of prescription drugs" in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Born This Day:

1942:  Ralph Ellis of the Swinging Blue Jeans ("Hippy Hippy Shake" from 1964) was born in Liverpool, England.

1943:  Andrew Semple, guitarist and vocalist with the Fortunes ("Build Me Up Buttercup"), was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

1945:  Mickey Dolenz, vocalist and drummer with the Monkees, was born in Los Angeles.











1946:  Randy Meisner, guitarist and vocalist with Poco and the Eagles and a solo artist, was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

1944:  Carole Bayer Sager, famous songwriter who penned songs for Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond ("Heartlight"), Celine Dion ("The Prayer"), Phil Collins, Dionne Warwick ("That's What Friends Are For"), Carly Simon ("Nobody Does It Better"), Melissa Manchester ("Don't Cry Out Loud" and "Midnight Blue"), Christopher Cross ("Arthur's Theme"), Leo Sayer ("When I Need You"), Gene Pitney, Dolly Parton, the Mindbenders ("A Groovy Kind of Love") and many others and the wife of fellow songwriter Burt Bacharach, was born in New York City.

1947:  Mike Allsup, guitarist of Three Dog Night, was born in Oakdale, California.




 

1948:  Little Peggy March (who had the #1 "I Will Follow Him" at age 14 in 1963, still the youngest female to ever have a #1 song), was born in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

1948:  Mel Galley, guitarist of Whitesnake ("Here I Go Again" from 1987), was born in Cannock, Staffordshire, England; died from cancer of the esophagus in Heath Hayes, Staffordshire, England on July 1, 2008.

1954:  Cheryl Baker of Bucks Fizz was born in Bethnal Green, London.

1957:  Clive Burr, drummer of Iron Maiden, was born in East Ham, London; died March 12, 2013 in London of complications from multiple sclerosis.

1958:  Gary Numan ("Cars" from 1980) was born in Hammersmith, London.

1960:  Richard Darbyshire, lead singer and songwriter of Living in a Box (the song "Living In A Box) and also a producer, was born in Stockport, Cheshire, England.

1964:  Peter Gill, drummer of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, was born in Liverpool, England.

1968:  Shawn Mullins ("Lullabye" from 1999) was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
1978:  Kameelah Williams, lead singer of 702, was born in Las Vegas, Nevada.

1979:  Tom Chaplin, lead vocalist and lead guitarist of Keane, was born in Hastings, East Sussex, England.  (Note:  some websites claim Tom was born in Battle, East Sussex, England.  According to the 'BBC', Chaplin was born in Hastings.

This Date in Rock Music History: March 7

1956:  Kay Starr ("Rock And Roll Waltz") suffered a serious car accident after running a stop sign in Corona, California.  She was hospitalized with neck, arm and leg injuries.

1960:  Percy Faith remained perched at the top for a third week with the great instrumental "Theme From 'A Summer Place'".  
1964:  Al Hirt had the top Easy Listening song for the third week with "Java".












1964:  Those lucky enough to be alive were seeing history unfold before their eyes.  The Beatles, who had launched their American careers on The Ed Sullivan Show just weeks before, now had the #1 song in the land for the sixth straight week with "I Want To Hold Your Hand".  And that was how it all began.  Reinforcements came in the form of "She Loves You" at #2 and "Please Please Me" at #4 and soon, it was a full-scale invasion.  
1964:  Meet the Beatles, the second U.S. album from the group, was #1 for a fourth week with their first one, Introducing...the Beatles, in the #2 position.  Here was what the Rock Era sounded like prior to the Beatles:  Al Hirt with Honey in the Horn at #3, Peter, Paul & Mary with In the Wind, The Singing Nun with her self-titled debut, Nancy Wilson with Yesterday's Love Songs/Today's Blues moving from 13-6, the Soundtrack to "Charade" from Henry Mancini & His Orchestra, the Soundtrack to "Hello, Dolly!" moving from 25-8, The Wonderful World of Andy Williams and There!  I've Said It Again from Bobby Vinton.  Just in case you doubt that the Beatles changed music forever.











1967:  The Beatles recorded overdubs for "Lovely Rita" including harmony vocals and effects.

1967:  Sandra Dee received a divorce from Bobby Darin.

1970:  Sly & the Family Stone spent a fifth week atop the R&B chart with "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).

"The Only Living Boy in New York" on the incredible final album from Simon & Garfunkel...

1970:  The great album Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel moved to #1 after just four weeks, toppling Led Zeppelin II.  Former #1 Abbey Road by the Beatles was still a strong third after 21 weeks.  Willy and the Poorboys, the great new one from Creedence Clearwater Revival was fourth with Chicago II edging up to #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  The debut from the Jackson 5 (Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5), Hello, I'm Johnny Cash, which moved from 13-7, Was Captured Live at the Forum by Three Dog Night, the self-titled Engelbert Humperdinck and Santana at #10 with their self-titled release.








                        The Chairmen of the Board with their first single...

1970:  Simon & Garfunkel's new single "Bridge Over Troubled Water" had been out for five weeks and two of those were at 1.  The world's favorite #2 band--CCR was in their familiar position with their double-sided "Travelin' Band"/"Who'll Stop The Rain", Sly & the Family Stone's former #1 "Thank You" was now third but Brook Benton headed up strong (9-4) with "Rainy Night In Georgia".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Hey There Lonely Girl" from Eddie Holman, the Tee Set's one and only hit--"Ma Belle Amie", the Jaggerz headed into the Top 10 with "The Rapper" (the good kind--long before a group of misfits ruined the word...), Chairmen of the Board moved from 16 to 8 with "Give Me Just A Little More Time", B.J. Thomas was still in the Top 10 after 19 weeks with his #1 classic "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" and the Hollies were making their own story as "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" jumped from 17 to 10.
1971:  Harold McNair, saxophone and flute player who worked with Quincy Jones, Donovan, Melanie and Ginger Baker's Air Force, died of lung cancer in Westminster, London, England at age 39.  (Note:  some websites report that McNair died in London, or in Maida Vale, London, England.  Maida Vale is a residential district, not a city.  It is located in the city of Westminster, which is in the county of London.)
1973:  While new signee Bruce Springsteen was giving a performance to celebrate his contract with Columbia Records, A&R man John Hammond suffered a heart attack.  John just got a little excited when the dollar signs started floating around in his head.

1976:  A likeness of Elton John was unveiled at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London.  Elton was the first rock star to be so honored since the Beatles.









1977:  Boz Scaggs released the single "Lido Shuffle".








 

 
   
             Benatar's remake of a Rascals song helped fuel sales.

1981:  REO Speedwagon was #1 on the Album chart with Hi Infidelity for the third straight week.  Double Fantasy remained second from the late John Lennon, "The Jazz Singer" Soundtrack by Neil Diamond came in third, just ahead of Styx with Paradise Theater.  The rest of the Top 10: Zenyatta Mondatta from the Polica, Crimes of Passion from Pat Benatar, Blondie's Autoamerican, Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits at #8, AC/DC was still in the Top 10 after 29 weeks with Back In Black and Kool and the Gang entered the list with Celebrate!













1985:  U.S.A. for Africa released the charity single "We Are The World".











1987:  Bon Jovi controlled the chart for a fourth week with "Livin' On A Prayer".  Huey Lewis & the News had a solid #2 with "Jacob's Ladder" while the Jets were up to 3 with "You Got It All".  Bruce Hornsby & the Range moved from 12-9 with "Mandolin Rain" and Janet Jackson had her fifth career Top 10 with "Let's Wait Awhile".
1987:  The Jets had the #1 R&B song with "You Got It All".









1988:  Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine released the single "Anything For You".
1988:  Gordon Huntley, pedal steel guitarist who was a member of Matthews Southern Comfort and also played for Elton John, Rod Stewart, Cliff Richard and others, died of cancer.

1992:  Michael Jackson moved to #1 on the R&B chart with "Remember The Time".        






 

     
                                               Grant had hit the mainstream...

1992:  Three new songs moved into the Top 10 and upped the quality--"Save The Best For Last" from Vanessa Williams at #5, Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven" at #6 and Amy Grant edged in at #10 with "Good For Me".
1992:  "Missing You Now" by Michael Bolton and Kenny G. moved to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1994:  The United States Supreme Court ruled that parodies that make fun of an original work can be considered "fair use" and do not require permission from the copyright holder.









1998:  Madonna had her eighth #1 song in the U.K. with "Frozen".
2001:  Jerry Collins, formerly with the Trammps ("Disco Inferno") was convicted of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault of his wife.

2004:  Britney Spears rose to #1 in the U.K. with "Toxic".

2009:  In today's edition of Inmates Run Rap Music, Coolio, whose real name is the rather plain Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was arrested for possession of crack cocaine at Los Angeles International Airport.
2013:  Peter Banks, guitarist, singer and keyboardist with Yes, died in London of heart failure at the age of 65.


Born This Day:
1942:  Hamilton Bohannon, drummer and bandleader for Motown Records, was born in Newman, Georgia.
1943: Chris White, songwriter and bassist of the Zombies and Argent ("Hold Your Head Up"), was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England.

1946:  Peter Wolf (real name Peter Blankfield), lead singer of the J. Geils Band ("Freeze-Frame") was born in the Bronx, New York.  (Note:  'Allmusic.com says Wolf was born in New York City.  United Press International states Peter was born in the Bronx.  UPI is far more professional and more credible.)
1946:  Matthew Fisher, singer-songwriter and organist of Procol Harum ("A Whiter Shade Of Pale"), and a producer, was born in Addiscombe, Croydon, England.
1952: Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1952: Jules Shear, who wrote "All Through The Night" for Cyndi Lauper and "If She Knew What She Wants" for the Bangles, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1962: Taylor Dayne (real name Leslie Wunderman) was born in Baldwin, New York.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly list her birthplace as Long Island, New York, or Baldwin, Long Island, New York.  Baldwin is a hamlet and census-designated area.  If one were to write someone living in Baldwin, they would use Baldwin, New York as the city and state.  Long Island is not a state, nor it is a city (as those who report Long Island, New York as Dayne's birthplace say); it is an island within the state of New York.)

1967:  Randy Guss of Toad the Wet Sprocket

One of the great Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*: Starz with "Sing It, Shout It"

Here's a group that got lost in the shuffle in the late 70's, but the album Violation is special.  You may also recall the single "Cherry Baby" by Starz.  Here's another great song on that album.

 

"Sing It, Shout It"

Starz

 

 

Written by Jon Parrot and Sean Delaney 

 

 

Ooh look at her standing there
Tight dress and long dark hair
Oh it's good to know
That she's waitin' for me

I always said I'm a one night man
Tease the little girls and away I ran
But her eyes burned a hole in my heart
I don't know what to say

When I saw her I was fascinated
I never even hesitated
When I touched her I went right up in smoke
When I kissed her I was blistered and it's time I spoke

I got to sing it, shout it
Tell the world about it
I can't believe what I'm thinking of
Sing it, shout it
Tell the world about it
I think I'm falling in love

Ooh she looks so good tonight
There's something special about the light
Oh she seems to glow
Like the moon on the sea
I know I'm late for our rendezvous
But I just wanna look for a minute or two
I may never have much in this life
But at least I'll have a memory

'Cause she moves with such a sweet precision
Her arms can hold me like a prison
Her lips are all I need to survive
So she blitz's me with kisses just to keep me alive

-CHORUS-

She moves with such a sweet precision
Her arms can hold me like a prison
Her lips are all I need to survive
So she blitz's me with kisses just to keep me alive

-CHORUS 3X-

Calendar* Correction: David Bowie

Some websites report that David Bowie performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 10, 1974.  While we realize that not too many credible sources follow Bowie, our best research indicates that Bowie performed on July 8-12 at Tower Theatre, which was located not in Philadelphia but in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.  The shows were recorded and later released as the album David Live.

Calendar* Correction: Honeydrippers

After the breakup of Led Zeppelin, several websites claim that lead singer Robert Plant made his debut with the Honeydrippers at Keele University in Keele, Staffordshire, England.  In fact, they had played the night before at the Stourbridge Wine Bar in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, according to the book The Tight But Loose Files by Dave Lewis.

Calendar* Correction: Elvis Presley

Some websites incorrectly list the date that Elvis Presley began his final recording session as March 9.  Presley recorded the album Today at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California on March 10-12, according to the books The Gospel According To Elvis by  Kevin and Tanja Crouch and Elvis Presley:  A Life in Music by Ernst Jorgensen. 

Calendar Clarification: the Beach Boys and recording of "God Only Knows"

There are all kinds of dates thrown around the Internet about the recording of "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys, with some websites claiming the Beach Boys recorded the song on March 6, others on March 9, others on March 10, and others on April 11.  Keith Badman and Tony Bacon, in their book The Beach Boys:  The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio, states that the group recorded a first instrumental track on March 8, a second on March 9, and the vocal recording was made on March 10.  Books are usually outstanding sources, since an editor and publisher have to also sign off on the facts presented within.  In this case, we believe Badman and Bacon are wrong in this instance.  The famous group of backing musicians known as The Wrecking Crew gathered for 20 takes on March 10, with vocal overdubbing done on April 11, according to the book Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys:  The Songs That Tell Their Story by Matt Dillon.  This date is confirmed by Kent Hartman, in his 2012 book The Wrecking Crew:  The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret.  Hartman's book lists one and only one recording session for The Wrecking Crew:  March 10.  It is inaccurate to say the Beach Boys recorded the song on any one day, but rather, they began recording on March 10, and finished April 11.

This Date in Rock Music History: March 6

1951:    Ivor Novello, singer and composer from Wales, died of of coronary thrombosis in London at age 58. The annual British songwriter award is named after him.
1958:  The Everly Brothers recorded "All I Have to Do is Dream".
1961:  "Shop Around" by the Miracles was the #1 song on the R&B chart for the eighth week.
1962:  Frank Sinatra recorded his final session with Capitol Records in Hollywood, California.  He then recorded exclusively for his own Reprise label.







1964:  The Elvis Presley movie Kissin' Cousins premiered in theaters.  (Note:  several websites list the opening date as March 11.  According to numerous sources, including the website 'the-numbers.com', the correct release date is March 6.)
1965:  The Rolling Stones Number 2 was the top album in the U.K.

1965:  Beatles '65 was the #1 album for the ninth week in the United States with the "Goldfinger" Soundtrack and the "Mary Poppins" Soundtrack the next best.

1965:  Roger Miller ruled the Easy Listening chart for the fourth week with "King Of The Road".
1965:  "My Girl" by the Temptations took the top spot on the R&B chart for the sixth week.





1965:  After four releases, the Temptations had not only their first Top 10 but also their first #1 song--"My Girl".  Gary Lewis & the Playboys relinquished with "This Diamond Ring" and the former #1 "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by the Righteous Brothers was third.
1966:  The Rolling Stones began recording "Paint It Black" at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California.
1967:  The Beatles recorded sound effects for the song "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" at Abbey Road studios in London.  







1970:  The Beatles released the single "Let It Be".  (Note:  some websites erroneously say the single was released March 16.  "Let It Be" was released March 6, according to the books 'The Rough Guide to the Beatles' by Chris Ingham, 'The Beatles Encyclopedia:  Everything Fab Four' by Kenneth Womack, and 'All the Songs:  The Story Behind Every Beatles Release' by Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon.)
1971:  The Carpenters continued to own the #1 Adult song with "For All We Know".

 

1971:  The Temptations had not only their 10th #1 song on the R&B chart but incredibly the 19th song to make the Top 3 in that genre with "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)".
1971:  George Harrison had one of the hottest new songs as "What Is Life" moved from 66 to 27.









                                Not too many voices purer than Karen's...

1971:  The Osmonds remained at #1 for the third week with "One Bad Apple", holding off "Mama's Pearl" from the Jackson 5.  The late Janis Joplin was up to #3 with her only big hit, "Me And Bobby McGee", while the Temptations jumped from 16 to 4 with "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)".  The rest of the Top 10:  Gordon Lightfoot with "If You Could Read My Mind" at #5, although many stations had it #1, Tom Jones shot up from 17-6 with "She's A Lady", "For All We Know" became the Carpenters' third straight Top 10, Jerry Reed's Amos Moses was at #8, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and "Mr. Bojangles" and Wadsworth Mansion fell with "Sweet Mary".
1973:  John Lennon's visa extension was canceled by the Office of the Immigration Department in New York State.  The extension had been approved just five days previous.
1976:  EMI Records re-released all 22 British Beatles singles and "Yesterday" was released for the first time in the U.K. as a 45.
1976:  The Sylvers grabbed the top spot on the R&B chart with "Boogie Fever".




                           "Dream Weaver" took us through the night...

1976:  Although Smokey Robinson had left for a solo career, the Miracles rose to #1 with "Love Machine".  Eric Carmen was up to #2 with "All By Myself", the Four Seasons challenged with "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" and former #1 "Theme From 'S.W.A.T.'" by Rhythm Heritage was now fourth.  The Eagles scored their fourth consecutive Top 5 song with "Take It To The Limit" and Gary Wright had a big first hit with "Dream Weaver".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Lonely Night (Angel Face)" by the Captain & Tennille, Paul Simon's former #1 "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" was down to #8, Nazareth and "Love Hurts" and Hot Chocolate fell to 10 with "You Sexy Thing".
1977:  An Evening With Diana Ross was televised by ABC.
1982:  Dick Clark donated the podium he used for decades on American Bandstand to the Smithsonian Museum.
1982:  The Go-Go's had themselves a #1 album as Beauty and the Beat topped all challengers.  Escape from Journey was second.  
1982:  "Through The Years" by Kenny Rogers was the new #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

1989:  Smokey Robinson's autobiography Inside My Life was released.
1989:  Steven Tyler and his wife Theresa celebrated the birth of daughter Chelsea Anna.
1991:  George Michael played the first of four sold-out concerts at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
1993:  Kenny G achieved a #1 song on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Forever In Love".







1993:  Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle had the new #1 song with "A Whole New World", ending one of the most spectacular runs of the Rock Era.  Whitney Houston had held that position for 14 incredible weeks with "I Will Always Love You".  Duran Duran's big comeback hit "Ordinary World" was in third while Snow made a 10-4 move with "Informer".  Other notable songs in the Top 10:  Whitney Houston scored a second song in the week's list with her remake of the Chaka Khan song "I'm Ever Woman", Arrested Development dropped with "Mr. Wendal", Jade had their first Top 10 with "Don't Walk Away" and Bon Jovi moved to #10 with "Bed Of Roses".

1993:  For the 13th week, "The Bodyguard" Soundtrack was #1 on the album chart.  Breathless from Kenny G was second.  Pearl Jam (Ten from #9) and Michael Jackson's Dangerous both entered the Top 10.








1995:  Real McCoy released the single "Run Away".











1999:  Monica owned the #1 song with "Angel Of Mine".

2000:  Foxy Brown crashed her car into a fence in Brooklyn, New York.  Brown was admitted by a hospital and released the next morning, but she was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.
2000:  Michael Jackson gave an emotional speech at Oxford University in England about his childhood.

2001:  In today's edition of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, DMX proved that Rappers can't be rehabilitated, as he assaulted two corrections officers in Erie County Correctional Facility in New York State.
2003:  The death toll in the Great White nightclub fire rose to 99 when Mitchell Shubert died in a hospital in Massachusetts.  A pyrotechnics explosion February 21 at Great White's gig at the Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island killed 96 the night of the explosion and left over 230 patrons injured. 

2006:  King Floyd, who gave us one of The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 1970's* ("Groove Me" from 1970) died of complications from a stroke and diabetes in Jackson, California at age 61.

2008:  A charity in the U.K. warned that nine out of ten young people had already experienced the first signs of hearing damage from listening to loud music.  The group said that fans should wear ear plugs to protect their hearing without getting in the way of their love of music.  Experts said nearly all concerts, bars and clubs included prolonged exposure to noise over 85 decibels.  That's not being a wussie; that's being smart.





 

2010:  Stevie Wonder was made a Commander of the Arts and Letters by the government of France in Paris.










2013:  Alvin Lee, great guitarist with Ten Years After, died at age 68 in Spain after complications from a routine surgical procedure.

Born This Day:
1936:  Sylvia Robinson, who had the hit "Pillow Talk" on her own and "Love Is Strange" with Mickey Baker as Mickey & Sylvia, was born in New York City; died September 29, 2011 in Secaucus, New Jersey from congestive heart failure.  (Note:  some websites say Robinson was born in Harlem, New York, but according to the newspaper 'The New York Times', she was born in New York City.)   

1939:  Jerry Naylor, lead singer of the Crickets after Buddy Holly died, was born in Stephenville, Texas.  (Note:  some websites report that Naylor was born in Stephenville, Texas, but according to album liner notes and the book 'Country Music:  The Encyclopedia' by Irwin Stambler and Grelun Landon, Naylor was born in Chalk Mountain.)

1944:  Mary Wilson of the Supremes was born in Greenville, Mississippi.
1945:  Hugh Grundy, drummer of the Zombies, was born in Winchester, Hampshire, England.  (Note:  some websites report that Grundy was born in Winchester, Hants, England, and 'Billboard' reports that he was born in Hampshire, England.  Hampshire is a county in England, not a city or town.  Winchester is the primary town in Hampshire, where Grundy was born, according to the book 'Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone?' by Marti Childs, Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March.)

 

1944:  David Gilmour, songwriter and lead guitarist of Pink Floyd, was born in Cambridge, England. 










1947:  Kiki Dee ("I've Got The Music In Me" and her duet with Elton John--"Don't Go Breaking My Heart") was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.  (Note :  some publishers of websites with no knowledge of England or journalistic ability say Kiki, whose real name is Pauline Matthews, was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, or in Bradford, West Yorkshire.  There is no such county--Yorkshire is currently split into four counties, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and East Riding of Yorkshire.  In 1947, when Matthews was born, Bradford was located in what was then known as the county of West Riding of Yorkshire.  The county of West Yorkshire was created with the Local Government Act of 1972, long after Matthews was born.)     
1977:  Bubba Sparxxx (real name Warren Mathis) was born in LeGrange, Georgia.

This Date in Rock Music History: March 5

1955:  Johnny Ace had the top R&B song for the fourth week with "Pledging My Love".

1957:  Disc jockey Alan Freed was a guest on To Tell the Truth on CBS-TV.
1959:  Bobby Darin recorded "Dream Lover".

1960:  Elvis Presley left active duty in the United States Army at Fort Dix, New Jersey.  Presley, who attained the rank of buck sergeant, was given a commendation by Tennessee Senator Carey Estes Kefauver that was entered into the congressional record.  (Note:  some websites, including the official Graceland website, inaccurately report that Presley was discharged from the Army on this date.  He left active service, but he was officially discharged from the Army Reserve on March 23,1964, according to the United States Army Center for Military History, the book 'American Military Heritage' by William W. Hartzog, as well as 'PBS'.)
1962:  The Marvelettes became the first Motown act to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS-TV.
1963:  The Beatles recorded "From Me To You" just five days after the song was written.  Originally, "Thank You Girl" was slated to be the single but once the group came up with the new song it was released with "Thank You Girl" moving to the "B" side of that 45.
1963:  Frankie Avalon was a guest on The Jack Benny Program on CBS-TV.
1965:  The Manish Boys, featuring a young David Bowie, released their first single "I Pity The Fool".
1966:  SSgt. Barry Sadler had the new #1 Adult song with "The Ballad Of The Green Berets".
1966:  The Rolling Stones were anxious to get to the top as "19th Nervous Breakdown" moved from #46 to #12.

  1966:  "The Ballad of the Green Berets" was the new #1 song, sending Nancy Sinatra backwards with "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".  Lou Christie's former #1 "Lightnin' Strikes" was third with Herman's Hermits jumping from 13 to 4 with "Listen People".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Mamas and the Papas with their classic "California Dreamin'", Bob Lind's "Elusive Butterfly", Petula Clark was at #7 with "My Love", Stevie Wonder was down with "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", the 4 Seasons edged up with "Working My Way Back to You" and the Supremes' former #1--"My World Is Empty Without You" was #10.







1966:  So hot were Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass that they owned the top two albums, and very few in the Rock Era have ever done that.  Going Places took over at #1 from Whipped Cream & Other Delights, which was in its 43rd week.  Both were ahead of Rubber Soul by the Beatles.  The durable Soundtrack for "The Sound of Music" was #4 after 51 weeks while September of My Years from Frank Sinatra remained fifth.
1968:  Jerry Lee Lewis opened in Catch My Soul, the rock adaptation of Othello in Hollywood, California.
1968:  Syd Nathan, manager of King Records, which released albums by James Brown and Little Willie John, died of heart disease complicated by pneumonia in Miami Beach, Florida at the age of 63.  (Note:  several websites report that Nathan died on Miami, Florida.  According to the book 'King of the Queen City:  The Story of King Records' by Jon Hartley Fox, Nathan died in the coastal resort town of Miami Beach, not the city of Miami.)  
1969:  The first issue of Creem magazine was published.
1969:  Dusty Springfield collapsed while taping a show for television.




1971:  Led Zeppelin started out a new tour at Ulster Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland and premiered their new song "Stairway To Heaven", as well as "Rock And Roll", "Black Dog" and "Going To California".  The tour was a "Thank-you" to fans who supported them from the beginning and concert tickets were the same price as they were from Led Zep's early days in 1968.
1973:  Michael Jeffrey, former manager of Jimi Hendrix, was one of 68 people killed in a plane crash over Nantes, France.
1974:  Smokey Robinson was a guest star on Police Story on NBC-TV.
1977:  Glen Campbell enjoyed a fourth week at #1 on the Adult chart with "Southern Nights".







  ABBA was finally conquering the U.S. as it had the rest of the world..

1977:  Barbra Streisand registered her third career #1 with "Evergreen" as the Eagles surrendered with "New Kid In Town".  Steve Miller was up to #3 with "Fly Like An Eagle", Kenny Nolan's "I Like Dreamin'" was next and Manfred Mann's Earth Band was down to #5 with their former #1.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Night Moves" from Bob Seger, ABBA had their second Top 10 with "Dancing Queen", Al Stewart jumped into the Top 10 with "Year Of The Cat", newcomer Mary MacGregor fell with "Torn Between Two Lovers" and Barry Manilow remained at #10 with "Weekend In New England".
1979:  MCA Records, which had recently acquired ABC Records, dissolved their new family member and absorbed ABC into MCA.
1982:  John Belushi, noted comedian for Saturday Night Live and part of the project the Blues Brothers ("Gimme' Some Lovin'"), died from drugs at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles at age 33.
1983:  Wham!  made their television debut in the United States on the ABC-TV show American Bandstand.
1983:  "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson was top dog on the R&B chart for the fourth consecutive week.
1983:  After the Fire had one of the hot new songs as "Der Kommissar" moved from 55 to 31.

                           The Stray Cats were back with another hit...

1983:  Michael Jackson moved to #1 with "Billie Jean", just ahead of the great song "Shame On The Moon" by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band.  The Stray Cats held steady with "Stray Cat Strut".  The only new Top 10 was the Pretenders song "Back On The Chain Gang".









 1984:  Music Directors at radio stations were beginning to see that this was going to be a great year in music.  The Cars released the single "You Might Think".










                                             Gloria Estefan's new song...

1988:  George Michael once again had the #1 song with "Father Figure".  Rick Astley was up to #2 with "Never Gonna' Give You Up".  Patrick Swayze and Wendy Fraser were motionless with "She's Like The Wind" with former Go-Go Belinda Carlisle moving from 8 to 4 with "I Get Weak".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield with "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine were up to #6 in their 16th week with "Can't Stay Away From You", David Lee Roth had a solo hit with "Just Like Paradise", Richard Marx had his third consecutive Top 10 to begin his career with "Endless Summer Nights", Michael Jackson shot up from 17 to 9 with his 27th career solo hit, and his 13th in the last four years ("Man In The Mirror") and Cher moved to #10 with "I Found Someone".
1988:  Faith by George Michael remained as the album to beat for the sixth week.  The Soundtrack to "Dirty Dancing" was next with Kick from INXS third.




"Refugee", one of the gems on 'Tom Petty's Greatest Hits'...

1994:  Music Box by Mariah Carey returned to #1 on the Album chart for the third time and a seventh total week at #1. That meant a short stay for Toni Braxton's self-titled debut.  Other albums of note:  The Counting Crows were at #7 with August and Everything After, Celine Dion was up to #8 with The Colour of My Love, Ace of Base cracked the Top 10 with The Sign and Greatest Hits from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers was #10.







1994:  Celine Dion remained at #1 for the fourth week with "The Power Of Love".  Ace of Base was patiently waiting with "The Sign" while Salt 'N' Pepa and En Vogue combined for #3--"Whatta' Man".
2000:  Hammer (the album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em) locked himself in a makeshift jail in San Jose, California to protest Proposition 21, California's "Juvenile Crime Initiative", that would give police the power to define groups of four or more people as a "gang".
2001:  Michael "Smitty" Smith, original drummer of Paul Revere & the Raiders was found dead of natural causes in Kona, Hawai'i.

2001:  Paul Stanley of Kiss was given divorce papers by his wife, Pamela Bowen.

2002:  Brandy released the album Full Moon.
2003:  Donatella Versace announced that the company's new clothing line was inspired by Christina Aguilera, who would be their new spokeswoman.
2004:  Paul McCartney's wealth was estimated at $1.3 billion, more than Elton John, Mick Jagger and Madonna combined.  That shouldn't surprise anyone given how good the Beatles were and how good McCartney continued to be with Wings and as a solo artist.  What it does do is tell you the separation between the Beatles and everyone else is immense.
2005:  Brian "Head" Welch, who left Korn, was baptised in the famous Jordan River in Israel.
2005:  Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys was arrested in Huntington Beach, California for driving under the influence.




2006:  Corinne Bailey Rae's self-titled album was #1 in the U.K.
2007:  "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones and the incredible Graceland album by Paul Simon, along with "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins and "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes, were chosen by the United States Library of Congress for preservation by the National Recordings Registry, which preserved the works for future generations.
2008:  Lou Pearlman, who was behind the success of 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, pleaded guilty to a $300m fraud scheme.  Pearl admitted in a Florida court that he had been running scams that defrauded investors and major banks for more than 20 years.  Pearlman faced up to 25 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.

Born This Day:
1939:  Tommy Tucker ("Hi-Heel Sneakers" from 1964) was born in Springfield, Ohio; died January 22, 1982 in Newark, New Jersey.
1946:  Murray Head ("Superstar" from 1971 and "One Night In Bangkok" from 1985) was born in London.
1948:  Eddy Grant ("Electric Avenue" from 1983) was born in Plaisance, Guyana.
1952:  Alan Clark, keyboardist for Dire Straits, was born in Great Lumley, County Durham, England.
1956:  Teena Marie ("Lovergirl") was born in Santa Monica, California.

1958:  Andy Gibb, superstar singer-songwriter, host of Solid Gold on television and the younger brother of the Bee Gees, was born in Manchester, England; died March 10, 1988 of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle caused by a recent viral infection, brought on by years of cocaine use, in Oxford, England.
1962:  Craig and Charlie Reid of the Proclaimers "I'm Gonna' Be (500 Miles)", were born in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.









1970:  John Frusciante, elite guitarist, singer-songwriter with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was born in Queens, New York.  (Note:  some websites report that Frusciante was born in New York City, but according to the book 'Guitar Gods:  The 25 Players who Made Rock History' by Bob Gulla, John was born in Queens.)