Saturday, July 4, 2015

This Date in Rock Music History: July 5

1954:  Elvis Presley went into the recording studio for the first time, recording "That's All Right (Mama)" and "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee.
1958:  Ray Charles' appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival was recorded for the live album Ray Charles at Newport.


1960:  Elvis Presley released the single "It's Now Or Never" on RCA Records.
1961:  Ray Charles recorded "Hit The Road, Jack" and "Unchain My Heart" at Bell Sound in New York City.
1963:  The Beatles played at the Plaza Ballroom in Handsworth, Staffordshire and a second show at the Plaza Ballroom in Old Hill.  (Note:  some websites naively say the Beatles played in Handsworth, West Midlands.  The West Midlands did not become a county until 1974, so it is physically impossible for the Beatles to have played in that county.)











1964:  The group Them recorded "Gloria" at Decca Three Studios in West Hempstead, England.
1964:  United States President Lyndon Johnson invited the 4 Seasons to perform at the White House.
1965:  The Four Tops recorded the song "It's The Same Old Song" at the Hitsville U.S.A. Studios in Detroit, Michigan.  (Note:  some websites claim the song was recorded on July 8, the day before it was released.  This not only flies in the face of common sense but there are no credible websites which corroborate this claim.  Milli Mills, in her book 'On the Air with Milli Mills:  The Triumphs of a Radio Diva', says the song was recorded July 5.)
1965:  The Beach Boys released the album Summer Days (and Summer Nights!) (Note:  some websites report the album was released on June 28.  According to "Goldmine' magazine and the newspaper 'The Examiner', the album was released July 5.)




1965:  We Five released the single "You Were On My Mind".
















1965:  Wilson Pickett released the single "In The Midnight Hour" so it could be added to radio stations in time for the reporting deadline and debut on that Saturday's chart.
1965:  Berry Gordy, Jr., president of Motown Records, was the guest on the popular television show To Tell the Truth on CBS.
1966:  Chas Chandler of the Animals saw Jimi Hendrix at the Cafe Wha? in Manhattan, New York.  Something clicked that day as Chandler became Hendrix's manager.
1966:  Bill Medley, the great singer with the Righteous Brothers and later a solo performer, had an operation in Los Angeles to remove nodules on his vocal chords.
1966:  Ray Stevens performed "Ahab The Arab" on the television show Where the Action Is.
1967:  Double Trouble starring Elvis Presley was released to 
theaters.  (Note:  several websites report the movie was released July 24, but according to the official website for Graceland and several Elvis fan sites, the movie was released July 5.)
1968:  John Lennon sold his psychedelic Rolls Royce.
1968:  Promoter Bill Graham opened the Fillmore West in San Francisco, California.
1968:  Creedence Clearwater Revival released their debut album.







1969:  Mick Taylor was introduced in a free concert at Hyde Park in London as the new guitarist of the Rolling Stones.  Taylor took over from Brian Jones, who left June 9 because he didn't like the musical direction the band was headed and died two days before Taylor's first gig with the band.  (Note:  some websites claim Taylor played his first concert with the Stones on June 14.  According to the book 'The Rolling Stones:  A Musical Biography' by Murry R. Nelson, Taylor's first show was July 5.)  
1969:  The Who and Chuck Berry were in concert at the Royal Albert Hall on London.




1969:  Jerry Butler and the Impressions reunited on the popular television show American Bandstand.
1969:  The Rolling Stones gave a free concert before 200,000 in London's Hyde Park to introduce new guitarist Mick Taylor.  They also honored former member Brian Jones, who had died in his swimming pool July 3, by reading Shelley's poem "Adonais" and releasing thousands of butterflies into the air.
1969:  Led Zeppelin, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Chuck Berry, Johnny Winter and Spirit performed on the final night of the Atlanta Pop Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.
1969:  Henry Mancini had Easy Listening audiences captivated with his instrumental "Love Theme From 'Romeo & Juliet'", which remained at #1 for the fifth week.






                    
                             Tommy James and the Shondells had another huge hit...

1969:  Henry Mancini's great "Love Theme from 'Romeo & Juliet'" remained at #1, with Blood, Sweat & Tears moving from 6-2 with "Spinning Wheel".  Creedence Clearwater Revival had their fourth hit and second Top 10 with "Bad Moon Rising".  Oliver moved up with "Good Morning Starshine" while Three Dog Night remained at five with their classic "One".  The Rest of a fantastic Top 10:  The Beatles were at #6 with hit #57--"Get Back", Tommy James & the Shondells moved from 18-7 with "Crystal Blue Persuasion", Zager & Evans were headed somewhere in a hurry (moving 35-8) with "In The Year 2525", the Winstons entered the Top 10 with "Color Him Father" and Marvin Gaye was on his way down with "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby".
1971:  Yet another Led Zeppelin concert went bad and police had to fire tear gas into the crowd at the Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan, Italy.  Numerous arrests were made.  






1972:  Three Dog Night released the single "Liar".
1972:  This would have been a great show to see--Procol Harum and a new group called the Eagles were in concert at the Golden Hall in San Diego, California.
1974:  The Everly Brothers started their reunion tour at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1975:  Guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones was arrested in Fordyce, Arkansas for reckless driving and possession of a concealed knife.
1975:  Steve Miller, Pink Floyd and Captain Beefheart were in concert at the Knebworth Festival in England.
1975:  The Carpenters had the top album in the U.K. with Horizon.






   
                              Pilot's "Magic" from 1975...


1975:  It was a great summer of music as the Captain & Tennille held on to #1 for a third week with "Love Will Keep Us Together", Van McCoy's instrumental "The Hustle" had people dancing all over the country and Wings moved up to #3 with "Listen To What The Man Said".  Michael Murphey's amazing song "Wildfire" was at #4 while Major Harris was stalled with "Love Won't Let Me Wait".  The rest of the Top 10:  Pilot's one and only hit "Magic", Jessi Colter with "I'm Not Lisa" falling to 7, Linda Ronstadt at 8 after peaking at #2 with "When Will I Be Loved", the Eagles moved from 16-9 with "One Of These Nights" and Olivia Newton-John also headed into the Top 10 with "Please Mr. Please".






 
   After 'Captain Fantastic', Elton didn't have to worry about a "Meal Ticket" anymore...

1975:  Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy by Elton John was #1 on the Album chart, where it had been every week since its release back on June 7.  Venus and Mars, the great album from Wings, was waiting to get a shot while the Eagles flew from 9 to 3 with One of These Nights.  The Captain & Tennille moved to 4 with their debut Love Will Keep Us Together.  The rest of the Top 10:  That's the Way of the World from Earth, Wind & Fire, Cut the Cake by Average White Band, Made in the Shade from the Rolling Stones at 7, the Stones with Metamorphosis at #8, the Soundtrack to "Tommy" at #9 and James Taylor's Gorilla at #10.
1978:  The EMI record pressing plant in England halted printing the Rolling Stones album cover Some Girls because of complaints from celebrities, including Lucille Ball, who weren't asked permission to include their images.  The Stones still thought rules applied to others, not them.
1980:  The Rolling Stones had the #1 album in the U.K. with Emotional Rescue.











1982:  Paul McCartney released his latest single "Take It Away" in the United States.
1982:  Bill Justis, who had the great instrumental "Raunchy", the first instrumental of the Rock Era, and also worked with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Charlie Rich at Sun Records as the Music Director, died of cancer in Nashville, Tennessee at age 55.
1986:  "Your Wildest Dreams" by the Moody Blues took over at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.









       
                                             Simply Red challenged for #1...


1986:  Billy Ocean held down the #1 song with There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)".  Simply Red had a smash at the runner-up position with "Holding Back The Years" and El DeBarge moved up with his solo release "Who's Johnny".  Howard Jones edged up to 4 with "No One Is To Blame".  The Rest of the Top 10:  Janet Jackson with "Nasty", Genesis crawled up to 6 with "Invisible Touch", the Jets crashed down with "Crush On You", Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald took one of the biggest tumbles from #1 in the Rock Era, falling to #8, Peter Gabriel moved "Sledgehammer" to #9 while Kenny Loggins registered his 15th hit with "Danger Zone".




1986:  Control from Janet Jackson became the new #1 album, with Whitney Houston falling to 3 after 67 weeks.  Patti LaBelle stayed put with Winner In You at #2.  Bob Seger had another solid album--Like a Rock at 4 and Peter Gabriel's solo release So was at #5.  The Rest of the Top 10:  Billy Ocean at #6 with Love Zone, Van Halen's 5150 dropping to 7, the Soundtrack to "Top Gun" moving into the Top 10 at #8, The Other Side of Life from the Moody Blues at #9 and Genesis moving from 23 to 10 in their second week with the album Invisible Touch.




1989:  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers performed at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida.
1993:  Whitney Houston opened her world tour at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida.
1994:  Mariah Carey was sued by songwriter Kevin McCord, who said that Carey used his song "I Want 2 (sic) Thank U (sic) without authorization in her 1992 hit "Make It Happen".
1999:  The Eurythmics announced on the Greenpeace boat "Rainbow Warrior" on the River Thames in London that they would embark on their first world tour in 10 years.  All proceeds would go to charity.








2001:  Ernie K-Doe, who gave us "Mother-In-Law", died of kidney and liver failure after years of alcoholism at the age of 65 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
2002:  The Eagles were in concert at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
2002:  The family of Jimi Hendrix won an injunction at the High Court in London against a music production company from New York City from releasing Hendrix recordings. 
2002:  In Part I of today's "Inmates Run Rap Music", Beanie Sigel (whose real name is the very simple Dwight Grant) posted bail after being arrested for shooting a man outside a Philadelphia bar.
2004:  In Part II of today's episode of "Inmates Run Rap Music", Jadakiss was pulled over in Fayetteville, North Carolina for doing the idiotic thing of throwing fireworks out his SUV window.  But wait, there's more.  Police discovered not only marijuana but guns as well, and the loser was arrested on drug and weapons charges.
2005:  Shirley Goodman of Shirley & Lee ("Let The Good Times Roll" and later Shirley & Company ("Shame, Shame, Shame" died after a stroke in Los Angeles at the age of 69.
2009:  The Essential Michael Jackson was the #1 album in the U.K.  Eight albums from Jackson were in the Top 20 on this date after his death on June 25. 


Born This Day:
1920:  Smiley Lewis, who wrote "One Night" for Elvis Presley and "I Hear You Knocking" for Gale Storm and later Dave Edmunds and was also a solo performer, was born in DeQuincy, Louisiana; died of stomach cancer October 7, 1966 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  (Note:  one website reports Lewis was born in Westlake, Louisiana.  Although no credible sources exist for either place, our best research indicates he was born in DeQuincy.)
1938:  Thomas "Snuff" Garrett, producer of Cher, Bobby Vee, Gary Lewis and many others, was born in Dallas, Texas; died of cancer in Tucson, Arizona December 15, 2016.  (Note:  some websites claim Garrett was born in 1939.  According to the newspaper 'The New York Times', he was born in 1938.)

1941:  Terry Cashman (Dennis Minogue) of the Buchanan Brothers ("Medicine Man") and Cashman and West ("American City Suite") was born in Manhattan, New York.
1943: Robbie Robertson of The Band was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1945:  Dick Scoppettone, guitarist of Harpers Bizarre ("The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"), was born in Santa Cruz, California.
1948:  Cassie Gaines, backing vocalist with Lynyrd Skynyrd; was killed in a plane crash outside Gillsburg, Mississippi on October 20, 1977 with fellow members Ronnie Van Zant and brother Steve Gaines.







1950:  Huey Lewis was born in Manhattan, New York.
1950:  Michael Monarch, guitarist of Steppenwolf, was born in Los Angeles, California.









1959:  Marc Cohn ("Walking In Memphis") was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
1973:  Bengt Lagerberg, drummer of the Cardigans ("Lovefool")
1973:  Joe (Joseph Lewis Thomas) was born in Columbus, Georgia.
1979:  Shane Filan of Westlife was born in Sligo, Ireland.
1980:  Jason Wade, singer, songwriter and guitarist of Lighthouse, was born in Camarillo, California.
1985:  Nick O'Malley, bass guitarist of the Arctic Monkeys, was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.

The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*: #60-51


We would like to again acknowledge the tremendous sources we used in producing The Top 500 Songs*.  Big thanks and kudos to the book The Guinness Book of Rock Stars by Dafydd Rees & Luke Crampton, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson, SongfactsThe Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul by Irwin Stambler, The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, Michael Heatley, General Editor, and Who's Who in Rock & Roll, edited by John Tobler.

Quotes following the YouTube videos are taken from actual viewer comments.  And now, in the best tradition of the late great Casey Kasem, "On with the countdown!"

 
 

Friday, July 3, 2015

This Date in Rock Music History: July 4

1955:  Gene Vincent was in a serious accident when a car in Norfolk, Virginia hit his motorcycle, crushing his leg.
1956:  Elvis Presley performed a charity concert for the Memphis Press-Scimitar's Milk Fund in Memphis, Tennessee.
1958:  Buddy Holly and Frankie Avalon performed three concerts at the Buck Lake Ranch in Angola, India.
1958:  The Everly Brothers rolled into the #1 position in the U.K. with "All I Have To Do Is Dream".
1959:  The Brothers Four recorded the song "Greenfields".
1960:  Brian Hyland had the highest-debuting song with "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini".
Connie Francis
1960:  Connie Francis held down the #1 song for a second week with "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", with "Alley-Oop" from the Hollywood Argyles #2.  Brenda Lee moved up from 6 to 3 with "I'm Sorry" while Duane Eddy's great instrumental "Because They're Young" was #4 and the former #1 "Cathy's Clown" by the Everly Brothers was at #5.
1962:  Chris Blackwell started Island Records, which would eventually promote U2, Robert Palmer, Bob Marley and many others. 
1964:  The Beatles announced that their first tour of North America was a complete sellout.






1964:  Barbra Streisand spent a second straight week at the top of the Easy Listening chart with "People".
1964:  One of the hottest songs on this date came from Jan & Dean, who moved up from 60 to 22 with "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena".  










1964:  One of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era*, "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys arrived at #1 on this date.  Millie Small had #2--"My Boy Lollipop".  Johnny Rivers had one of his biggest hits with "Memphis" at 3 and Gerry & the Pacemakers had a nice move (7-4) with "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying".  The rest of the Top 10:  "People" from Barbra Streisand, Peter & Gordon tumbled to 6 with "A World Without Love", the Dixie Cups' former #1 "Chapel Of Love" was at 7, the 4 Seasons jumped from 18 to 8 with "Rag Doll", Billy J. Kramer had song #9--"Bad To Me" and the Dave Clark Five" scored an early Top 10 with "Can't You See That She's Mine".







1964:  Louis Armstrong's Hello, Dolly! was the #1 album with the Soundtrack to the movie #2.  Funny Girl from Barbra Streisand was #3 followed by the Beatles' Second Album and The Third Album from Streisand. The rest of the Top 10:  Cotton Candy from Al Hirt, the great Getz/Gilberto album from Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto climbed from 14 to 7, The Academy Award Winning "Call Me Irresponsible" from Andy Williams, Glad All Over by the Dave Clark Five entered the Top 10 and Nancy Wilson had #10--Today, Tomorrow, Forever.










1966:  Monday, the traditional date for single releases, fell on July 11th and Lovin' Spoonful released "Summer In The City" on this date.











1966:  Napoleon XIV released the novelty smash "They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!"  (Note:  several websites naively say the single was released on July 23.  Napoleon XIV's song debuted on the Singles chart on July 23.  Repeat after me--it is physically impossible for a song to be released as a single by a record company, mailed to radio stations, received by the radio stations, listened to and added to playlists, reported by the radio stations to the trade papers, and printed and published by the trade papers, all in the same day.)
1966:  Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos pulled police protection for the Beatles after Marcos's wife (the one that loved all the shoes) claimed that the group wouldn't go to one of her parties.  As a result, the Fab Four was later attacked by an angry mob.
1967:  Tom Jones was a guest on the debut of Spotlight on CBS-TV.
1968:  Elvis Presley donated a Rolls Royce to a woman's charity SHARE in Santa Monica, California.
1969:  Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chicago, Grand Funk Railroad,  Johnny Rivers, Canned Heat, Booker T & the MG's, Delaney & Bonnie, Ian & Sylvia, the Dave Brubeck Trio, Pacific Gas & Electric, Sweetwater and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band performed on opening day of the Atlanta Pop Festival in Byron Georgia.  Grand Funk Railroad did so well that they were signed to a recording contract by Capitol Records after the performance.
1969:  Ray Davies of the Kinks mixed the final album from the Turtles, Turtle Soup.
1970:  Cliff Richard released his 50th single, "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha".


1970:  Casey Kasem's American Top 40, which would become a radio fixture and overwhelming #1 in its time slot, debuted at radio stations across the country.  Casey Kasem, one of the great guys of all-time, actually took the time to write back to me to not only comment on my production of The Top 5000 Songs of the Rock Era* but to give me his home phone number to help me out.  I will never forget that.










1970:  Jimi Hendrix, Rare Earth, Jethro Tull, Poco and the Chambers Brothers played at the Atlanta International Pop Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.
















1970:  "The Love You Save" by the Jackson 5 was #1 for a third week on the R&B chart.
1971:  Donald McPherson of the Main Ingredient died of leukemia in the Bronx shortly before his 30th birthday.  (Note:  one website reports he died on July 3.  According to the book 'American Singing Groups:  A History from 1940's to Today by Jay Warner, he died July 4.)
1973:  Don Powell, drummer of Slade, was seriously injured in a car crash in Wolverhampton, England in which his girlfriend Angela Morris was killed.

1976:  The Clash made their live debut at the Black Swan in Sheffield, England.

1976:  The Eagles were in concert along with Fleetwood Mac, Dan Fogelberg and Loggins & Messina at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
1976:  Barry White married Glodean James, a member of White's Love Unlimited Orchestra.
1976:  Paul Revere from Boise, Idaho got married at King's Amusement Park in Cincinnati, Ohio during intermission of a Raiders concert.





       
                             This track from 'The Dream Weaver' was picking up strength...

1976:  "Silly Love Songs" by Wings logged a fourth week at #1.  Starland Vocal Band exhibited a solid move (7-2) with "Afternoon Delight" while "Misty Blue" by Dorothy Moore and Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile" stalled.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Captain & Tennille remained at 5 with their remake of "Shop Around", the Andrea True Connection was at 6 with "More, More, More", Silver Convention's smash "Get Up And Boogie" was on its way down, Brothers Johnson edged up with "I'll Be Good To You", the Manhattans were fine to "Kiss And Say Goodbye" and Gary Wright proved he was no one-hit wonder as "Love Is Alive" climbed into the Top 10.
1977:  Gary Valentine quit Blondie and Nigel Harrison became the new bass guitarist for Blondie.





1977:  Fleetwood Mac released the single "Don't Stop".











1979:  Elite guitarist Gary Moore left the group Thin Lizzy.  (Note:  several websites claim Moore left the group July 17, but according to FineArtAmerica.com, Moore left after a concert July 4.)
1980:  The Beach Boys performed in a free concert before 500,000 in Miami, Florida.  (Note:  several websites claim the concert was in Miami, Florida.  According to the newspaper 'The New York Times', the show was on the Washington Mall in Washington, D.C.)
1981:  "All Those Years Ago" from George Harrison topped the AC chart.
1982:  Ozzy Osbourne married his manager, Sharon Arden in Maui, Hawai'i.
1982:  Diana Ross began her first world tour as a solo performer with a show at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, New Jersey.  Jazz great Miles Davis accompanied her.








1983:  President Ronald Reagan's Interior Secretary, James Watt, banned the Beach Boys from performing on the Washington Mall because the music "attracts a bad element".
1984:  The Beach Boys held their free concert in Washington, D.C.  Sitting in on drums was Ringo Starr.
1985:  Dire Straits performed the first of 13 nights at Wembley Arena in London.








1985:  The Beach Boys performed in Washington, D.C.  They were joined onstage by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin who performed "Lucille" with the group.
1986:  Farm Aid II, in which John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson were so involved with, featured appearances by the Beach Boys and Julio Iglesias in Austin, Texas.  The concert raised $1.3 million for needy farmers.
1987:  Keith Richards put the finishing touches on the mixing for the Chuck Berry documentary Hail!  Hail!  Rock and Roll.
1987:  Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead began a tour at Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
1987:  The Doobie Brothers, James Taylor, Santana and Bonnie Raitt played at the July 4th Disarmament Festival in the Soviet Union.
1987:  The Pet Shop Boys hit #1 in their native U.K. with "It's A Sin".







1988:  Bobby McFerrin released the single "Don't Worry Be Happy".








 




1988:  Sun Valley, Idaho's Peter Cetera released the single "One Good Woman".
1992:  John Phillips of the Mamas & Papas had a liver transplant in Los Angeles.
1992:  Celine Dion's breakthrough hit, "If You Asked Me To" was #1 for the third week on the AC chart.











1998:  The Soundtrack to the great movie City of Angels was the #1 album on this date.  Never Say Never from Brandy was second followed by MP Da (sic) Last Don by Master P was #3.  Soundtracks to Hope Floats and Godzilla were #4 and 5, respectively.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Limited Series from Garth Brooks, the Backstreet Boys were still hanging around after 45 weeks with their debut, Come On Over from Shania Twain was #8, Big Willie Style entered the Top 10 for Will Smith and Adore by the Smashing Pumpkins was #10.
1999:  Victoria Adams, formerly Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, married David Beckham at Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin, Ireland.
1999:  Blondie, R.E.M., Metallica, Barenaked Ladies, Built To Spill and the Chemical Brothers performed at the Roskilde Festival in Roskilde, Denmark.
2001:  Madonna played the first of six sold-out shows at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.
2003:  It was quite a show in Pontiac, Michigan for the Summer Sanitarium concert--Metallica, Limp Bizkit and the Deftones performed.




2003:  Barry White, who definitely heated up the airwaves with his brand of sexy soul music (besides he was just plain cool!) died of kidney failure at the age of 58.
2004:  Usher had the top U.K. song with "Burn".
2006:  India.Arie was on top of the Album chart with Testimony, Volume 1:  Life & Relationship.
2007:  Bill Pinkney of the original Drifters died of a heart attack at the age of 81 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
2008:  All four members of ABBA were at the premiere of the movie Mamma Mia! in Stockholm, Sweden.

Born This Day:

1911:  Mitch Miller, conductor and arranger ("The Yellow Rose Of Texas" in 1955), was born in Rochester, New York; died July 31, 2010 in Manhattan, New York.

1938:  Bill Withers was born in Slab Fork, Virginia.
1940:  Dave Rowberry, keyboardist of the Animals, was born in Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, England; died of an ulcer hemorrhage June 6, 2003 in London.
1943:  Alan Wilson, co-founder, songwriter and guitarist of Canned Heat, was born in Arlington, Massachusetts; died September 3, 1970 of an accidental acute barbiturate intoxication in Topanga, California.  (Note:  several websites claim Wilson was born in Boston, Massachusetts.  He was born in Arlington, according to the Blues Hall of Fame.  Some sites claim Wilson died in Los Angeles.  He died in Topanga, according to the band's official website.)  
1948:  Jeremy Spencer of Fleetwood Mac and a solo performer, was born in Hartlepool, County Durham,England.  (Note:  some websites report Spencer was born in West Hartlepool, England and some say he was born in Hartlepool, Cleveland, England.  There is no city called West Hartlepool--since the 1960's it is simply known as Hartlepool.  Hartlepool is located in County Durham, not Cleveland.  From 1974-1996 Hartlepool was included in Cleveland, but Spencer was born in 1948, long before that, so it is physically impossible for him to have been born in the county of Cleveland.  The county of Cleveland was abolished in 1996.)
1951:  Ralph Johnson, percussion and vocals and one of the original members of Earth, Wind & Fire, was born in Los Angeles, California.







1952:  Jon Waite, lead singer of the Babys and Bad English and a solo performer, was born in Lancaster, Lancashire, England.
1958:  Kirk Pengilly of INXS was born in Kew, Victoria, Australia.  (Note:  some websites claim he was born in Sydney, Australia.  Although he lived with him family near Sydney beginning at age 8, he was born in Kew, according to the group's official website.)
1963:  Matt Malley, bass guitarist of the Counting Crows, was born in Oakland, California.
1971:  Andrew Creeggan, bassist, pianist and percussionist of Barenaked Ladies, was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
1972:  William Goldsmith, drummer of the Foo Fighters, was born in Seattle, Washington.
1978:  Stephen McNally of BBMak was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. 

"Uptown Funk!" by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson

The song "Uptown Funk!" by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson has been the hottest song in the world over the last several months.  We received a question if the song would make The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* that we are currently presenting. 

At the time we began the special, May 21, the song had peaked at #1 for 14 weeks and was on its way down.  While the single has sold over six million copies in the U.S., the competition for the song is too weak, the album sales too low, and the song is too new to accumulate the airplay necessary to break into the elite list.

However, the song is still in the Top 10 six weeks later, and continues to accumulate chart points and sell records.  Still, it would take considerable album sales, airplay, and a host of major awards for the song to make up for its lack of quality competition that other Top 500 Songs* have.  Keep in mind that it has been four years since anyone recorded a song that made the Top 500*.

We will continue to input data that comes in, as we always do.  We hope to publish our database in book form, which will consist of The Top 5000 Songs of the Rock Era*, and "Uptown Funk!" is currently right outside The Top 1000*.

The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*: #70-61


We hope you have your party hats and fireworks ready to celebrate the 60th birthday of the Rock Era, now less than a week away.  Inside The Rock Era will be providing the musical entertainment for the occasion, as we continue to present The Top 500 Songs*.  We are now up to #70!




Thursday, July 2, 2015

This Date in Rock Music History: July 3

1965:  Cher had her first solo hit debut on the chart as "All I Really Want To Do" made the list.
1965:  Elvis reigned at #1 on the Easy Listening chart for the seventh week with "Crying In The Chapel".











1965:  The Four Tops first rose to #1 on this date with "I Can't Help Myself".  It was a great Top 10 with the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" rising to #2 while "Mr. Tambourine Man" from the Byrds fell from #1 to #3.  Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs were at 4 with "Wooly Bully", Herman's Hermits stayed at 5 with "Wonderful World" and the Yardbirds edged up with "For Your Love".  The Rest of the Top 10:  Johnny Rivers with "Seventh Son", Elvis at #8 with "Crying In The Chapel", Barbara Mason entered the Top 10 with "Yes, I'm Ready" and Jackie DeShannon posted the first Top 10 of her career with "What the World Needs Now Is Love".
1966:  The Grateful Dead played the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.
1969:  Brian Jones, the former member of the Rolling Stones who quit the group, was found dead in his swimming pool at his home in Hartfield, East Sussex, England.
1969:  Led Zeppelin, Blood, Sweat & Tears, James Brown and Johnny Winter performed at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island.
1970:  The Allman Brothers, B.B. King, Procol Harum, John Sebastian and Mountain performed on the opening night of the Atlanta Pop Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Note:  some websites claim Jethro Tull and Jimi Hendrix performed at the Festival on this date.  As you can see from the program above, Jethro Tull and Hendrix both performed on Saturday, which was July 4 in 1970.)
1971:  A group with a great brass sound debuted with their first hit song as Earth, Wind & Fire hit the chart with "Love Is Life".
1971:  "Mr. Big Stuff" became the #1 on the R&B chart for Jean Knight.
1971:  The Bee Gees had a smash with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart", which moved from 73 to 39.




                                 A powerful song from Paul Revere & the Raiders...

1971:  Stanley, Idaho's Carole King remained at #1 with "It's Too Late".  Paul Revere & the Raiders, from Boise, Idaho, were at #2 with "Indian Reservation" while Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose moved up to 3 with "Treat Her Like A Lady".  The Carpenters fell after peaking at #2 with "Rainy Days And Mondays" and Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds were at #5 with "Don't Pull Your Love".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Want Ads" from the Honey Cone, the Rolling Stones slipped to #7 with "Brown Sugar", James Taylor climbed up from 14 to 8 with "You've Got A Friend", Jerry Reed stayed at position #9 with "When You're Hot, You're Hot" and Ringo Starr fell to #10 with "It Don't Come Easy".




1971:  Jim Morrison of the Doors died of heart failure (no autopsy performed) in his bathtub in Paris, France at the age of 27.
1973:  Laurens Hammond, who invented the Hammond organ, died at the age of 78.  (Note:  some websites falsely say he died on July 1.  Laurens died on July 3, according to the official website for the Hammond organ.)
1975:  Chuck Negron, formerly with Three Dog Night, was arrested for cocaine possession in Louisville, Kentucky.










1976:  It was a solid time for music in the Summer of 1976--Wings held down #1 for the fourth week with "Silly Love Songs" with newcomer Starland Vocal Band moving from 7 to 2 with "Afternoon Delight".  Dorothy Moore remained at #3 with "Misty Blue", Hall & Oates stayed at 4 with "Sara Smile" and the Captain & Tennille were next with "Shop Around".  The rest of the Top 10:  Andrea True Connection with "More, More, More", Silver Convention fell after three weeks at #2 with "Get Up And Boogie", the Brothers Johnson had a great summer hit with "I'll Be Good To You" at #8, the Manhattans were at #9 with "Kiss And Say Goodbye" while Gary Wright scored his second Top 10 with "Love Is Alive".








 
1978:  Two great songs were released on this date, a Monday, the day new releases hit radio stations.  Olivia Newton-John released "Hopelessly Devoted To You" from Grease.  (Note:  one naive website claims the song was released September 18.  "Hopelessly Devoted To You" debuted on the Singles chart on July 8.  It is physically impossible for a song to be included on the Singles chart if it has not been released as a single.)











1978:  Exile released their classic single "Kiss You All Over".













1983:  Michael Jackson released "Human Nature" as a single.
















1982:  Nobody quite knew what to make of him when he started out, but now, everyone pretty much loves him.  Billy Idol first hit the chart on this date when one of the most Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*, "Hot In The City" debuted.
1982:  Crosby, Stills & Nash had a fast-rising song as "Wasted On The Way" moved from 48 to 29.








      
                              38 Special had themselves a Top 10 hit...


1982:  The Human League rose to #1 with "Don't You Want Me" but Toto's "Rosanna" threatened.  Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder finally fell from their perch after seven weeks with "Ebony And Ivory".  Asia's premiere 45 was "Heat Of The Moment" while John Cougar hit #5 with "Hurts So Good".  The rest of the Top 10:  Willie Nelson edged up with "Always On My Mind", Dazz Band with "Let It Whip", Juice Newton was at #8 with "Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me", Survivor shot up from 19 to 9 with "Eye Of The Tiger" and 38 Special reached the Top 10 with "Caught Up In You".











1993:  Kenny G & Peabo Bryson combined talents for the song that hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart--"By The Time This Night Is Over".
1993:  Janet Jackson remained at #1 for the eighth week with "That's the Way Love Goes" as there was nothing good enough to knock her off. I offer up "Knockin' Da Boots" by H-Town, "Whoomp!  (There It Is)" by the Tag Team and "Dre Day" by Dr. Dre" as examples of the weakness.  You always want to consider competition when analyzing #1 songs and Janet certainly did not have it.
 2000:  James Brown was accused of pulling a knife on a utility worker and holding the man against his will at Brown's home in Beech Island, South Carolina.
2003:  Incubus, Jane's Addiction and Audioslave performed at the Ionia County Fairgrounds in Grand Rapids, Michigan as the Lollapalooza Festival got underway.  (Note:  some websites claim the groups performed July 2.  The Lollapalooza kicked off July 3, according to 'Billboard' magazine.)  
2005:  In our segment of Inmates Run Rap Music, Lil' Kim was released from jail after serving 10 months for perjury.


Born This Day:
1929:  David Lynch of the Platters was born in St. Louis, Missouri; died of cancer January 2, 1981 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Manhattan.
1930:  Tommy Tedesco, a prolific session guitarist who recorded with the Beach Boys, the Supremes, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Frank Sinatra, the Association, Everly Brothers and the Monkees to name a few, was born in Niagara Falls, New York; died November 10, 1997 from lung cancer in Northridge, California.
1940:  Fontella Bass ("Rescue Me"), who worked with Minnie Riperton, Maurice White and Little Milton, was born in St. Louis, Missouri; died December 26, 2012 in St. Louis of complications from a heart attack.
1943:  Judith Durham of the Seekers was born in Essendon, Victoria, Australia.
1948:  Paul Barrere, guitarist with Little Feat, was born in Burbank, California.
1949:  Johnnie Wilder, co-founder and lead vocalist with Heatwave, was born in Dayton, Ohio; died in his sleep May 13, 2006 from complications of paralysis caused when a van broadsided his car in 1979.
1949:  John Verity, guitarist of Argent, was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.  (Note:  some naive websites report Verity was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire.  West Yorkshire did not become the name of the county until 1974, 25 years after Verity was born.)
1950:  Damon Harris of the Temptations was born in Baltimore, Maryland; died February 18, 2013 from prostate cancer in Baltimore.
1951:  Mike Corby, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist of the Babys, was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England.
1952:  Andy Fraser, co-founder, co-writer of "All Right Now" and bassist of Free, was born in Paddington, Middlesex, England; died March 16, 2015 in Temecula, California of unspecified causes, but he was known to be suffering from both cancer and AIDS.  (Note:  some naive websites say Fraser was born in Paddington, London, England or Westminster, England.  While Paddington today is an area located in Westminster in the Greater London county, the change did not occur until 1965.  In 1952, when Fraser was born, Paddington was a metropolitan borough located in the county of Middlesex.)
1956:  Stephen Pearcy, lead singer of Ratt, was born in San Diego, California.

1952:  Laura Branigan was born in Mount Kisco, New York; died August 26, 2004 at her home in East Quoque, New York of a brain aneurysm. (Note: nearly every website, including the credible sources 'The New York Times' newspaper and 'Billboard' magazine, state that Branigan was born in 1957 and that she was born in Brewster, New York. Some websites report she was born in Armonk, New York.  After extensive research, 'Inside The Rock Era' has determined that the discrepancy comes from Branigan herself, who always said she was born in 1957 so that she would appear "younger" to her fans. Neither Branigan herself nor her two surviving brothers have ever corrected the error to this date. However, we contacted Laura's school, Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York, and they confirmed that Laura in fact was born in 1952, not in 1957.  And, while Branigan indeed lived in Armonk, she was born in Mount Kisco.)
1960:  Vince Clarke, who wrote songs for Depeche Mode, Yaz and Erasure, was born in South Woodford, Essex, England.  (Note:  some websites report Clarke was born in Basildon, England while some naively say he was born in South Woodford, London.  He later moved to Basildon with his family, but he was born in South Woodford, according to 'Billboard'.  South Woodford became part of the county of London in 1965, which was five years after his birth.  In 1960, South Woodford was located in the county of Essex.)
1969:  Kevin Hearn, keyboardist of Barenaked Ladies, was born in Grimsby, Ontario, Canada.
1975:  Javier Weyler, drummer of the Stereophonics, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.