This Date in Rock Music History: August 9

1958:  Cliff Richard signed a recording contract with EMI Records and also began a four-week residency at Butlins Holiday Camp in Clacton-On-Sea, Essex.
1960:  Johnny Horton recorded "North To Alaska" at Quonset Hut Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.
1963:  The British television show Ready Steady Go! debuted on the BBC.
1964:  The Rolling Stones were live at the New Elizabeth Ballroom in Belle Vue, Manchester.
1965:  The Silkie recorded their version of "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away".  Paul McCartney played guitar, George Harrison played tambourine and John Lennon produced the song.

1967:  Love was contagious.  On this date, Scott McKenzie hit #1 in the U.K. with his great song "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair").
1968:  Jerry Lee Lewis, Marmalade, and the Herd helped kick things off at the annual National Jazz and Blues Festival, which was moved to the Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury-on-Thames, England.











1969:  A new group appeared on the scene.  They first hit the chart on this date with "Questions 67 And 68".  Their name originally was Chicago Transit Authority, but we know them as simply Chicago.

1969:  Brian Jones was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly say the issue was dated July 26, but as you can see from the photo above, the correct date is August 9.)
1969:  The Who, Yes, King Crimson, Chicken Shack, and the Strawbs thrilled crowds on the second day of the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Sussex, England.
1969:  The great album Blood, Sweat & Tears continued to be #1 on the Album chart, followed by the Soundtrack to "Hair", which was in its 53rd week of release.  The Soundtrack to "Romeo & Juliet" was next, followed by This is Tom Jones and A Warm Shade of Ivory by Henry Mancini & His Orchestra.  The rest of the Top 10:  In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly, Cream, up 25-7 with the Best of Cream, the self-titled Crosby, Stills & Nash, Johnny Cash At San Quentin entered the Top 10 and the 5th Dimension was at 10 with The Age of Aquarius.
1969:  "Commotion" by CCR moved from #71 to #34 on this date.







                                       One of the most important songs ever released--Jackie DeShannon...


























1969:  "In the Year 2525" by Zager and Evans continued to roll along at #1 for a fourth week with "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James & the Shondells one step away.  The Rolling Stones moved from #8 to #3 with "Honky Tonk Women" .  All three songs are still ranked high in The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.  Jr. Walker & the All-Stars owned #4--"What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" and Neil Diamond moved to #5 with "Sweet Caroline".  The rest of the Top 10:  Kenny Rogers & the First Edition with "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", Johnny Cash moved from 20-7 with "A Boy Named Sue", Stevie Wonder with "My Cherie Amour", Jackie DeShannon jumped up from 25 to 9 with "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" and Andy Kim fell with "Baby, I Love You".
1970:  Deep Purple, Yes, Wishbone Ash and the Incredible String Band helped wrap up the four-day National Jazz and Blues Festival at the Plumpton Race Track in East Sussex, England.
1973:  Guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell left the group Wings.
1974:  Bill Chase (39 years old), keyboardist Wally Yohn (27), drummer Walter Clark (25), and guitarist John Emma (22) of the group Chase ("Get It On" from 1971) died in a small plane crash in Jackson, Minnesota.
1975:  Don Kirshner held the first Rock Music Award Show in Santa Monica, California.  The Eagles, Stevie Wonder and Bad Company were among the winners.
1975:  Janis Ian's biting "At Seventeen" was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.





         
                                                                      Glen Campbell was headed to the top...



1975:  The Bee Gees scored their first #1 song in four years with "Jive Talkin'", hopping over 10 cc's "I'm Not In Love", which had to settle for being a #2 song for three weeks.  Olivia Newton-John was beginning to cross over on a regular basis as "Please Mr. Please" was #3.  The previous #1 from the Eagles ("One Of These Nights") was at #4 followed by Elton John's classic "Someone Saved My Life Tonight".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Midnight Blue" by Melissa Manchester followed by four new entries, "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell which moved 14-7, War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?", James Taylor jumped up from 15 to 9 with his remake of the Marvin Gaye hit "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and Mike Post at #10 with "The Rockford Files".
















                                                      The Isley Brothers were up to #2...


1975:  One of These Nights by the Eagles had only been out seven weeks but three of those were at #1 as the quality was already evident.  The Isley Brothers had the biggest album of their career--The Heat Is On at #2.  The Captain & Tennille were at 3 with Love Will Keep Us Together while Elton John's amazing Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy album was at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Cut the Cake by Average White Band, Venus and Mars from Wings, James Taylor placed Gorilla at #7, the Greatest Hits package from Cat Stevens was at #8, Earth, Wind & Fire were in the 22nd week of release with That's the Way of the World and Jefferson Starship was staging one of rock's most incredible comebacks with Red Octopus, which entered the Top 10.













  






1976:  Abba released the single "Fernando".






























1976:  Linda Ronstadt released her cover of Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day".
1980:  ABBA had the top song in the U.K. with "The Winner Takes It All".
1980:  AC/DC hit #1 in the U.K. with the album Back in Black.





















1980:  The Rolling Stones remained at #1 on the Album chart for the third week with Emotional Rescue.  Jackson Browne's great album Hold Out moved to #2 while Billy Joel remained at 3 with Glass Houses.  Those are three great albums.  The Soundtrack to "Urban Cowboy" was at #4 while Queen's The Game was fifth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Diana from Diana Ross, Empty Glass by Pete Townshend, the Soundtrack to "The Empire Strikes Back" was at #8, the debut from Christopher Cross moved from 19 to 9 and another of The Top 100 Albums of All-Time in the Rock Era*--Against the Wind from Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band entered the Top 10.
1980:  Olivia Newton-John had one of her biggest hits as "Magic" was #1 for a third week on the Adult Contemporary chart.








1980:  Diana Ross had one of the hottest up-and-coming songs in the nation as "Upside Down" moved from 49 to 10.
1985:  "The Motown Review", hosted by Smokey Robinson, premiered on television.
1986:  The classic lineup of Queen appeared in concert for the final time at Knebworth Park in Knebworth, Hertfordshire, England.
1986:  Peter Cetera from Sun Valley, Idaho remained at #1 for the third week on the AC chart with "Glory Of Love".









1991:  The great group the 5th Dimension earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
















1995:  Jerry Garcia of Grateful Dead died of a heart attack in Forest Knolls, California at the age of 53.
1996:  The Ramones broke up.

                                                            Matchbox 20 entered the Top 10...


1997:  No Way Out debuted at #1 on the Album chart by Puff Daddy & the Family.  The Soundtrack to "Men in Black" had to fall, while Spice by the Spice Girls was #3.  Hanson owned #4--Middle of Nowhere and Sarah McLachlan's fine Surfacing fell to #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Fat of the Land by Prodigy, Supa Dupa Fly from Missy Elliott, Jewel was now moving back up at #8 with Pieces of You in its 76th week, Matchbox entered the Top 10 with their great album Yourself or Someone Like You and the self-titled God's Property was at #10.
1999:  Bob Herbert, manager of the Spice Girls, was killed in a car crash in Windsor, Berkshire, England at the age of 57.
2003:  Hanson began their acoustic tour of the United States at the Recher Theatre in Towson, Maryland.









2003:  The Eagles performed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2005:  In Today's edition of "Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music", rapper Beanie Sigel was released from federal prison in Fairton, New Jersey. 
2008:  Bo Diddley was given an honorary doctorate posthumously from the University of Florida in Gainesville.


Born This Day:
1939:  Billy Henderson of the Spinners was born in Indianapolis, Indiana; died February 2, 2007 in Daytona Beach, Florida of complications from diabetes.  (Note:  some websites claim Henderson was born in Detroit, Michigan; he was born in Indianapolis, then moved with his family to Detroit as a child, according to the newspaper 'The Indianapolis Recorder'.)
1946:  Marinus Gerritsen, bassist and keyboardist of Golden Earring, was born in Hague, the Netherlands.








1947:  Barbara Mason ("Yes I'm Ready") was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1954:  Pete Thomas, elite drummer of Elvis Costello's Attractions, was born in Hillsborough, Sheffield, England.
1955:  Charlie Morgan, drummer and percussionist who worked with Paul McCartney, Elton John, Tina Turner, Orleans and Kate Bush, was born in Hammersmith, London, England.
1959:  Kurtis Blow (real name Kurtis Walker) was born in Manhattan, New York (Note:  some websites say he was born in the Bronx, some simply say New York City.  According to the book 'Hip Hop Culture' by Emmett George Price, Walker was born in the neighborhood of Harlem, which of course is in Manhattan.)

 

 

1963:  Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey; died February 11, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California when she drowned in her hotel bathtub after taking drugs.
1972:  Arion Salazar, bass guitarist of Third Eye Blind, was born in Oakland, California.

Inside The Rock Era Now Quoted in a Book

Last July, Inside The Rock Era revealed that "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" by Otis Redding was The #25 Song of the 60's*.

Mark Ribowsky took note, while writing his book Dreams to Remember:  Otis Redding, Stax Records, and the Transformation of Southern Soul--Buy here on Amazon.  Ribowsky pointed out that Inside The Rock Era placed the song at #25 for the decade, and Mark, thanks for the attention and great book!

 

Featured Unknown/Underrated Song*: "Because The Night" from the Patti Smith Group

Elvis Week, Redux

For those of you planning trips to Memphis, Tennessee for the 38th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, we refer you to our 2011 series of articles we called "Elvis Week".

Elvis Week 2011

 

Calendar* Correction: Ian Gillan Assault and Battery in Michigan

Many websites falsely report that Ian Gillan, lead singer of Deep Purple, was charged with assault and battery on August 15, 1998.  The incident occurred August 15, when Gillan hit a security guard with a microphone at Pine Knob near Pontiac, Michigan.  Gillan was formally charged with assault and battery on September 1, according to the newspaper The Sun Journal.

Calendar* Correction: Johnny, not Joey Ramone

Numerous websites falsely report that Joey Ramone had brain surgery on August 15, 1983.  The websites simply copied information from the book Rock's Movers and Shakers:  An A-Z of People Who Made Rock Happen by Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton without checking facts.  It was Johnny who had the surgery, according to an interview with Joey Ramone on MTV. 

The Timeline from Pete Best to Ringo Starr

This Date in Rock Music History: August 8

1957:  We were introduced to the Fat Man as Fats Domino released his debut album This Is Fats.
1960:  Ferrante & Teicher had one of the fastest-rising songs of the decade as "Theme From 'The Apartment'" moved from #85 to #36.
1960:  Chubby Checker performed his smash hit "The Twist" on American Bandstand.

         
                                                            Elvis closed in on #1 with "It's Now or Never"...


1960:  It did it.  Sixteen-year-old Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" moved to #1 on this date as Brenda Lee took a back seat with "I'm Sorry".  Elvis Presley loomed at #3 with "It's Now Or Never" while Roy Orbison remained at 4 with "Only The Lonely".  The rest of the Top 10:  the Hollywood Argyles with "Alley-Oop", the Safaris were stuck at 6 with "Image Of A Girl", the Ventures shot up from 18-7 with "Walk--Don't Run", "Tell Laura I Love Her" from Ray Peterson, Hank Locklin tumbled with "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" and Fats Domino moved into the Top 10 with "Walking To New Orleans".
1963:  The Searchers had the #1 U.K. song with "Sweets For My Sweet".







1961:  Elvis Presley released the single "Little Sister".
1964:  A new group was out.  Their name was the Animals and they first charted with "The House Of The Rising Sun" on this date.
1964:  Bob Dylan released his album Another Side of Bob Dylan on Columbia Records.
1964:  The Dave Clark Five moved from 60 to 22 with "Because".
1965:  The Animals, the Spencer Davis Group, and Long John Baldry helped conclude the three-day National Jazz and Blues Festival in Richmond, Surrey, England.

 

 

 

 


1966:  The Beatles released the double-sided single "Eleanor Rigby"/"Yellow Submarine".
1969:  The Beatles filmed the famous "road-crossing" scene for the cover of their upcoming Abbey Road album.  Iain McMillan was the photographer, who took six pictures of the group walking in the crosswalk while balanced on a step-ladder.  The band then recorded overdubs of "Oh!  Darling", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "The "End" for the album.
1969:  This was a great show.  Jethro Tull opened for Led Zeppelin at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California.

1969:  But the place to be in 1969 was at the Plumpton Race Track in East Sussex, England, for the ninth annual National Jazz and Blues Festival.  Sussex was the fourth location in the event's history, following Richmond, Windsor, and Sunbury.  Pink Floyd and Soft Machine were among the acts on opening night. 

1970:  Black Sabbath, Cat Stevens, Peter Green, the Chicago Climax Blues Band, Fotheringay, and the Strawbs thrilled fans at the 10th annual National Jazz and Blues Festival at the Plumpton Race Track in East Sussex, England.  The Festival spread to four days for the first and final time. 

 

 

1970:  Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 moved into the #1 slot on the Album chart with CCR's great Cosmo's Factory close behind.  The Soundtrack to "Woodstock" was the previous #1, followed by Let It Be from the Beatles and McCartney by Paul McCartney.  The rest of the Top 10:  ABC from the Jackson 5, Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Self Portrait by Bob Dylan, Chicago II moving into the Top 10 and the Who with Live at Leeds. 
1970:  The Carpenters owned the #1 Easy Listening song for the fourth week with "Close To You".









 
                                                      Alive & Kicking had one of the great-sounding songs of the summer...

1970:  The Carpenters were up to three weeks at #1 with "Close To You".  Bread's "Make It With You" was hanging around at #2 and Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" was third.  Eric Burdon & War moved up to #4 with "Spill The Wine" and Freda Payne had song #5--"Band Of Gold".  The rest of the Top 10:  Three Dog Night's former #1 "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" was #6, Alive & Kicking with "Tighter, Tighter" (above), the Jackson 5 had #8 with "The Love You Save", the Temptations with "Ball Of Confusion" and the Five Stairsteps rounded out the list with "O-o-h Child".
1972:  The Eagles performed at the Center Coliseum in Seattle, Washington.
1975:  Cannonball Adderley ("Mercy, Mercy, Mercy") died of a stroke at the age of 46 while performing on stage in Gary, Indiana.
1981:  The Pretenders began a second American tour in Fort Pierce, Florida.
1981:  Long Distance Voyager by the Moody Blues was once again the #1 album for the third week.  Precious Time by Pat Benatar moved to #2 while Street Songs by Rick James was third.  Foreigner moved from 13 to 4 with their album 4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Mistaken Identity from Kim Carnes, Hard Promises at 6 by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Kenny Rogers remained at 7 with Share Your Love, REO Speedwagon was finally down to #8 after 35 weeks with Hi Infidelity, Styx and Paradise Theater and Air Supply landed at #10 with The One That You Love.








1981:  "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield held on to #1 but Diana Ross & Lionel Richie were gaining fast with "Endless Love", which moved from 14 to 2 on this date.  Joey Scarbury's "Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not)" was at 3 while Kenny Rogers remained at #4 with "I Don't Need You".
1982:  Mickey Thomas (Jefferson Starship) married Sara Kendrick in San Francisco.  (Note:  several websites claim that Mickey Thompson married Sara Kendrick on this date.  That would be news to Sara, and to Mickey Thomas as well.  There has never been anyone by that name in the Jefferson Starship lineup--the correct spelling of his last name is Thomas.) 











 
1983: The Police released the single "King Of Pain".








 


1986:  Genesis released the single "Throwing It All Away".
1986:  David Crosby was released from prison after serving his sentence for drug and weapons possession in Huntsville, Texas.
1987:  "The Pleasure Principle", title song from Janet Jackson's album, topped the R&B chart.









                                                                        T'Pau had one hit, but it was a great one...

1987:  U2 climbed to #1 and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".  George Michael was up to #2 with "I Want Your Sex" and Bob Seger's former #1 "Shakedown was #3.  T'Pau's "Heart And Soul" was next followed by Suzanne Vega's "Luka" and Gloria Estefan with "Rhythm Is Gonna' Get You".
1992:  Axl Rose cut a concert by Guns 'N' Roses short in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, because of a sore throat.  Fans weren't too understanding because they rioted. 











1992:  Snap!  topped the U.K. chart with "Rhythm Is A Dancer".
1992:  Madonna scored her 26th hit, 23rd Top 10 and 10th #1 song with "Used To Be My Playground".

1992:  TLC had the #1 R&B song with "Baby-Baby-Baby".
1998:  The Spice Girls hit #1 for the seventh time in the U.K. with "Viva Forever".
2000:  The head of security for James Brown was arrested in connection with an Augusta, Georgia fire that destroyed Brown's offices.
2005:  Marc Cohn (the great 1991 song "Memphis") was shot in the head after his tour van was stopped in Denver, Colorado--he miraculously survived.
2005:  In today's "Inmates Run Rap Music" segment, rapper Young Buck and Lloyd Banks were arrested for possessing a handgun and loaded gun.
2006:  Travis Barker of Blink-182 filed for divorce from wife Shanna Moakler.


 Born This Day:

1933:  Joe Tex (Joseph Arrington, Jr. whose biggest hit was "I Gotcha'" from 1972) was born in Rogers, Texas; died August 12, 1982, two days after suffering a heart attack in  Navasota, Texas.  (Note:  some websites say that Joe was born in Baytown, Texas.  According to the book 'Handbook of Texas Music' by Laurie E. Jasinski, he was born in Rogers, then moved later to Baytown.  Some websites report Joe died on August 13.  He died prior to midnight on August 12, according to his official death certificate.)

1938:  Connie Stevens ("Sixteen Reasons" from 1960) and a popular actress, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1938:  Don Jacobucci of the Regents
1942:  John "Jay" David, drummer of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
1944:  Michael Johnson ("Bluer Than Blue" from 1978) was born in Alamosa, Colorado.
1949:  Keith Carradine, actor and Oscar winner of best song from the movie Nashville ("I'm Easy) was born in San Mateo, California.  (Note:  some websites report that Keith was born in Modesto, California.  According to the newspaper 'The New York Times', he was born in San Mateo.)
1949:  Airrion Love, singer with the Stylistics, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1952:  Anton Fig, who was the drummer for Bob Dylan and Cyndi Lauper, was born in Cape Town, South Africa.
1952:  Ali Score, drummer with of A Flock of Seagulls, was born in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.  (Note:  some websites report he was born in 1956.  Although there are no credible sources for his birth year, our best research indicates he was born in 1952.  Some sites incorrectly state he was born in Beverley, Yorkshire, England.  Yorkshire did not become a county until 1974, long after Ali was born.  In 1952, Beverley was in the county East Riding of Yorkshire.)
1957:  Dennis Drew, founding member and keyboardist of 10,000 Maniacs was born in Jamestown, New York.  (Note:  some websites report Drew was born on August 7, but the correct date of birth, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times', is August 8.)
1958:  Christopher Foreman, guitarist with Madness, was born in London.  (Note:  some websites report Foreman was born in St. Pancras, London.  St. Pancras is an area of London, and although there is a branch of the University College Hospital in St. Pancras, Christopher was born at the Hospital on Euston Road, which is in London, according to the book 'House of Fun:  The Story of Madness' by John Reed.)
1959:  Rikki Rockett (real name Richard Ream), drummer of Poison, was born in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.








1961:  The Edge (David Evans), guitarist of U2, was born in Barking, Essex, England.  (Some websites claim Evans was born in Dublin, Ireland, but according to 'The Biography Channel', he was born in Barking.)
1961:  Paul Jackson, bassist with T'Pau ("Heart And Soul" from 1987), was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.  (Note:  some websites state Jackson was born in Telford, England.  The town of Telford was named in 1968 when the Dawley New Town Amendment Order was made on November 29.  Thus, in 1961, when Jackson was born, Telford did not exist.)
1963:  Joan Osborne ("One Of Us") was born in Anchorage, Kentucky.
1968:  Ian Moore, guitarist who has appeared with Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and ZZ Top, was born in Berkeley, California.
1970:  Beck (real name Bek David Campbell), and certainly not to be confused with elite guitarist Jeff Beck, was born in Los Angeles.
1974:  Brian Harvey, former singer with East 17, was born in Walthamstow, London.    
1976:  Joshua Chasez of *N Sync and producer for the Backstreet Boys, among others, was born in Washington, D.C.  (Note:  some websites report Chasez was born in Bowie, Maryland.  He was born in D.C., then was adopted and lived in Bowie.)
1981:  Bradley Mcintosh of S Club 7 was born in London.

Five Best: Bobby Darin

This talented singer scored 41 hits in his career, cut short by heart failure at the age of 37.  Here are the Five Best* from Bobby Darin (with a few bonuses):

Calendar* Correction: Firing of Pete Best by the Beatles

Some websites say Pete Best was fired from the Beatles August 14, 1962, but he was told of the decision on August 16, according to The Beatles Bible, Huffington Post and the newspaper The Examiner.

This Date in Rock Music History: August 7

Calendar* Correction: Release of Paul Simon's 'Graceland' Album

Some websites claim Paul Simon released the album Graceland August 25, 1986.  According to Paul's official website, he released the LP August 12.

Calendar* Correction: Death of Joe Tex

We like to use reputable newspapers as sources.  In this case, even the most reliable of those newspapers is wrong.  Some websites report that Joe Tex ("I Gotcha'") died on August 13.  He died prior to midnight on August 12, according to his official death certificate and the website Texasescapes.com.

Calendar* Correction: Fleetwood Mac at Whisky a Go Go

Some websites claim that Fleetwood Mac played the first of five nights at the famous Whisky A Go Go on Sunset Strip on August 12, 1970.  The group played five nights there, but the shows were January 7-11, 1970 according to the official websites for Fleetwood Mac and the Whisky A Go Go.

Calendar* Correction: The Live Debut on Blind Faith

Some websites claim that Blind Faith made their live debut at Madison Square Garden on August 12, 1969.  There are two problems with that:  1) their North American debut was July 12 at Madison Square Garden, and 2) the group performed for the first time at Hyde Park in London on June 7, according to the book 1969:  The Year Everything Changed by Rob Kirkpatrick.  

Top Tracks* Feature Updated

Inside The Rock Era delivers on another promise.  When we began the year leading up to the 60th birthday of the Rock Era, we told you that in addition to featuring The Top Songs of the 60's* and The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*, we would clean up both The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era* and Top Tracks*, updating all videos.  When we complete work on the Calendar* next month, we will have fine-tuned and upgraded the website so it compares favorably with any other music website out there.

And we have more up our sleeve...

Top Tracks, Part 11

We have added another page to our popular Top Tracks* feature--in these 11 pages, you can find plenty of prime music you perhaps cannot find elsewhere...

Top Track: INXS with "The One Thing"

Before they became famous, INXS put out this song from their third album in 1982:

Explanation of the "Calendar* Corrections"

When Inside The Rock Era began in March of 2011, we assembled the information for our Calendar* feature from some of the top organizations in the music business.  As time went on, we found out that some of those organizations are not, well, so "top".  There are numerous errors in their information.  So last September, we began a year-long project to research each of these items professionally and eliminate or correct all the errors we found.  Since we are correcting the information obtained from companies already recognized as the most reputable in the music business, the result of this project is that this site will be the most reliable source for music news out there.

The Calendar* Corrections you see and have seen over the past year are a result of this project.  By the end of September, we will have gone through every item in the Calendar* with a fine-tooth comb, painstakingly finding and comparing reputable sources for each item.  If there is a discrepancy anywhere on the web, we did further research to ascertain the correct information, and pointed out both the discrepancy and the best, most accurate information we could obtain.  For you DJ's out there, this should keep you from reporting bad information when you assemble your shows. 

This doesn't mean the information is flawless; if you find a factoid you question, please bring it to our attention and we will investigate further.  In some cases, it can be impossible to obtain some facts, especially concerning news that happened 50 or more years ago.  But we will look into everything that is brought up. 

As for Calendar* Corrections, when we finish the project in September, there will be no more, unless you have a concern that we can definitively resolve.

This Date in Rock Music History: August 6

1955:  "A Fool For You" by Ray Charles & His Band topped the R&B chart.
1956:  Chuck Berry, LaVern Baker, Frankie Lymon and Connie Francis (singing for actress Tuesday Weld) began work on the movie Rock, Rock, Rock!
1960:  The Beatles went to evaluate drummer Pete Best at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool, England.  Best was with the group the Blackjacks and was the son of Casbah owner Mona Best.
1960:  Chubby Checker performed "The Twist" on The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show.
1963:  Bob Dylan began recording the album The Times They Are A-Changin'.
1964:  Rod Stewart appeared on television for the first time with his group the Hootchie Coochie Men on the British show The Beat Room.
1965:  The Beatles released the album Help! in the U.K.  They released the album the following week (August 13) in the United States.

1965:  The Who, the Moody Blues, and the Yardbirds opened the fifth annual National Jazz and Blues Festival on the Richmond Athletic Grounds in Richmond, Surrey, England.











1966:  "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by the Temptations racked up a sixth week at #1 on the R&B chart.

                                                          The ever-popular Paul Revere & the Raiders...

1966:  Yesterday...and Today was the #1 album again from the Beatles, holding off Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra and Aftermath by the Rolling Stones.  What Now My Love from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass was #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago" was #5, Going Places by Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Somewhere My Love from Ray Coniff & the Singers moved from 20-7, Alpert's Whipped Cream & Other Delights moved back into the Top 10 after 65 weeks, Paul Revere & the Raiders from Boise, Idaho were at #9 with Midnight Ride and If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears by the Mamas and the Papas was #10.







1969:  Sly & the Family Stone released the single "Hot Fun In The Summertime".
1969:  Led Zeppelin appeared at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California.
1970:  Creedence Clearwater Revival, Paul Simon, Steppenwolf, Janis Joplin, Poco, the James Gang and Johnny Winters performed at the Festival for Peace at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York.










1971:  Procol Harum recorded a concert done with the Edmonton Symphony in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  The event would later be released as the album Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.












1973:  The Allman Brothers Band released the single "Ramblin' Man".
1973:  Stevie Wonder was seriously hurt in a car accident with a logging truck near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that  put him in a coma for four days and also permanently robbed him of his sense of smell.













1975:  The Spinners released the single "Games People Play".














1976:  Manfred Mann's Earth Band released the single "Blinded By The Light".
1977:  The Police played at the Mont du Marsan Punk Festival in France, their final gig as a four-piece.
1977:  Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" was #1 in the U.K.  Boney M had #2--"Ma Baker", "Angelo" by Brotherhood of Man was third, followed by "Pretty Vacant" from the Sex Pistols and "Fanfare For The Common Man" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer.








1977:  The great song "Strawberry Letter 23" by Brothers Johnson was the #1 R&B hit.

1980:  Pat Benatar released her classic album Crimes of Passion on Chrysalis Records.
1982:  The Pink Floyd movie The Wall premiered in New York City.
1983:  A new duo first charted with the song "Change".  You probably know them better for their second single, released two years later called "Everybody Wants To Rule the World".  They were Tears for Fears.
1983:  The Very Best of the Beach Boys topped the U.K. Album chart.
1983:  Rita Coolidge had the #1 Adult Contemporary song with "All Time High".









1984:  Billy Ocean released the single "Caribbean Queen".  (Note:  some websites say the single was released August 11; others say it was September 7--both are impossible.  "Caribbean Queen" debuted on the Singles chart on August 11.  It is physically impossible for a single to be released by a record company, received by and listened to by radio stations, added to radio station playlists, reported to trade papers, and printed and published by the trade papers, all in one day, and physically impossible for a song to debut on the Singles chart if it has not yet been released as a single.)
1984:  The Cars premiered their video for "Drive".
1987:  The Beastie Boys sued the city of Jacksonville Florida for including the phrase "mature audience" on promotional materials and concert tickets.  What the city should have done was include the phrase "immature band" and that would have saved everyone from having to see the losers.
1987:  The movie Who's That Girl starring Madonna premiered at Times Square in New York City.
1988:  Steve Winwood reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Roll With It".








1988:  Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses moved to #1 on the Album chart after 50 weeks, dropping the great Hysteria by Def Leppard to #2 after 51 weeks on the chart.  Steve Winwood's Roll with It was third followed by Tracy Chapman's debut and the Soundtrack to "Dirty Dancing".  
1990:  Ace of Base made their concert debut in Gothenburg, Sweden.








1994:  Domenico Modugno, who co-wrote and sang the smash hit "Volare", died of a heart attack in Lampedusa, Italy at the age of 66.










1994:  Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories edged up to #1 with "Stay (I Missed You)".  That knocked out All-4-One's 11-week run at the top with "I Swear".  Coolio was third with "Fantastic Voyage", Elton John owned song #4--"Can You Feel The Love Tonight", Janet Jackson was at #5 with "Any Time, Any Place" and Ace of Base had #6 with "Don't Turn Around".
1998:  Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, Simply Red and Hanson appeared on Magic Johnson's talk show "The Magic Hour".
1998:  George Michael performed at the Capital Centre in Washington, D.C.
1999:  Three for the price of one--Journey, Foreigner and Nazareth played in Cardwell, Montana.

2000:  A sign that maybe it's time to call it quits?  Oasis had to abandon their show at the Sudoeste Festival in Portugal when their audience started throwing rocks at them.  (Note:  some websites falsely report that the incident occurred August 8.  According to the magazine New Musical Express, the correct date is August 6.)

2000:  Ronan Keating, former member of Boyzone, had the #1 album in the U.K. with Ronan.
2000:  Robbie Williams led the way on the U.K. Singles chart with "Rock D.J.".
2004:  Rick James was found dead in his home from drugs in Los Angeles.  He was 56.
2006:  Shakira and Wyclef Jean had the top song in both the U.K. and Australia with "Hips Don't Lie".  
2006:  James Morrison topped the U.K. Album chart with Undiscovered.
2009:  Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith, was sent to the hospital after falling off stage at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota onto fans, suffering neck and shoulder injuries.








2012:  Marvin Hamlisch, famed composer and conductor, who wrote music for the movies The Sting, Ordinary People, Sophie's Choice and The Spy Who Loved Me, died in Los Angeles at age 68.  Hamlisch, who worked with Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mathis and countless others, was a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Born This Day:
1928:  Andy Warhol, manager of Velvet Underground, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; died February 22, 1987 at the age of 58 during recovery from a routine operation in New York City.
1939:  Sonny Sanders, who wrote "Please Mr. Postman" for the Marvelettes and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" for Jackie Wilson, and was an in-demand musician and arranger, was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois.  (Note:  some websites insist Sanders was born in Detroit, Michigan.  He was born in Chicago Heights, according to the book 'Motown:  The Golden Years' by Bill Dahl and Weldon A. McDougal, III.) 
1952:  Pat MacDonald of Timbuk 3 ("The Future's So Bright, I Gotta' Wear Shades) was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
1958:  Randy DeBarge of the group DeBarge was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
1959:  John Keeble, drummer of Spandau Ballet, was born in London.