Sunday, December 10, 2017

This Date in Rock Music History: December 2

1957:  Connie Francis appeared on the chart for the first time with "The Majesty Of Love".
1959:  Bobby Darin was on the television show This Is Your Life.







1963:  Roy Orbison released the single "Pretty Paper".
1963:  The Beatles performed "This Boy", "All My Loving" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and also took part in comedy sketches with Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise in the taping of an episode of the U.K. comedy The Morecambe and Wise Show at ATV's Elstree Studio Centre in Borehamwood, England.   The program aired April 18, 1964.








The Doors from their debut album--"Break On Through (to the Other Side)"...

1967:  The third Monkees album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. moved from 29-1 in its second week to take over.  Diana Ross and The Supremes Greatest Hits was second with Strange Days from the Doors #3 and the classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band from the Beatles still at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  The self-titled Doors, Vanilla Fudge at #6, Bee Gees' 1st at #7, the Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago", the Four Tops Greatest Hits falling to 9 and Are You Experienced?  from the Jimi Hendrix Experience entered the Top 10.
1967:  Gladys Knight & the Pips hit #1 on the R&B chart with their remake of the Marvin Gaye song "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".




1967:  On this date, Donovan had one of the hottest songs with "Wear Your Love Like Heaven", up from #74 to #46.









1967:  "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees was the new #1 song.  The Cowsills edged up with their great song "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" while the previous #1 "Incense And Peppermints" from Strawberry Alarm Clock was third.  Lulu hadn't fallen far (to 4) with her former #1 "To Sir With Love" and Dionne Warwick had #5 with "I Say a Little Prayer".







1968:  The Bee Gees released the single "I Started A Joke".
1969:  Cindy Birdsong of the Supremes was kidnapped but managed to escape by jumping out of a car on the San Diego Freeway.
1969:  George Harrison joined Delaney & Bonnie onstage at Colston Hall in Bristol, England.








1971:  Led Zeppelin released the single "Black Dog".
1972:  "You Ought To Be With Me" by Al Green took over at #1 on the R&B chart.













"I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock & Roll Band)" from 'Seventh Sojourn'...

1972:  Catch Bull at Four by Cat Stevens continued as the #1 album for a third week.  All Directions by the Temptations was behind while Yes took third with Close to the Edge.  Stanley, Idaho's Carole King moved up to #4 with her new album Rhymes & Reasons and the Moody Blues had a sizzler with Seventh Sojourn--up from 12-5 after just three weeks.  The rest of the Top 10:  The "Superfly" Soundtrack, Phoenix from Grand Funk Railroad at #7, Caravanserai by Santana, Michael Jackson's Ben at #9 and The Band with Rock of Ages.






1972:  Lobo hit #1 on the Adult chart with "I'd Love You To Want Me".










1972:  The Temptations had their second career #1, their 13th Top 10 song, and their 33rd hit with "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone".  Helen Reddy was determined with "I Am Woman" while the previous #1 from Johnny Nash ("I Can See Clearly Now") fell to #3.  Lobo's great song "I'd Love You To Want Me" trailed, with Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes up to 5 with "If You Don't Know Me By Now".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Summer Breeze" from Seals & Crofts, Al Green was up to 7 with "You Ought To Be With Me", Albert Hammond bounced from 14-8 with "It Never Rains In Southern California", the Spinners and "I'll Be Around" and America had themselves another Top 10 song with "Ventura Highway".
1973:  The members of the Who were thrown in jail for causing $6,000 worth of destruction to a hotel room.







1975:  Ace released the single "How Long".
1976:  Elvis Presley began an 11-night gig at the Hilton Hotel
 in Las Vegas, Nevada to make up for shows that were canceled during the previous engagement .

1978:  Rod Stewart ruled on the U.K. chart with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy".








       Foreigner's "Blue Morning, Blue Day" on 'Double Vision'...

1978:  52nd Street by Billy Joel was #1 on the Album chart for the third consecutive week.  Live and More by Donna Summer was runner-up every one of those weeks while comedian Steve Martin was up to 3 with A Wild and Crazy Guy.  Foreigner slipped with Double Vision and the "Grease" Soundtrack was still at #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Styx's new album Pieces of Eight, Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 debuted at #7, Comes a Time from Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt dropped to 9 with Living in the U.S.A. and the Rolling Stones were still in the list after 24 weeks with Some Girls.
1978:  "Le Freak" by Chic was the new R&B #1 song.
1978:  "Time Passages" by Al Stewart was #1 on the Adult chart for the fourth straight week.




1978:  It didn't take long for "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" to reach #1--just six weeks for Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond.  Of course, they would go on to have many more great songs but at the time of their smash collaboration, they had a combined 65 hits with 15 Top 10's and four #1's.  Donna Summer slipped to second after three weeks at the top with her remake of "MacArthur Park".  Ambrosia peaked at 3 with "How Much I Feel" while "Le Freak" by Chic was just around the corner and Gino Vannelli had his biggest career hit--"I Just Wanna' Stop".  The rest of the Top 10:  Foreigner's "Double Vision", Alicia Bridges was at 7 with "I Love The Nightlife", Al Stewart edged up with "Time Passages", Billy Joel was becoming a force with "My Life" moving 16-9 and Dr. Hook had a Top 10 with "Sharing The Night Together".
1979:  Stevie Wonder performed the album Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants with the National Afro-American Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
1979:  Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge divorced.
1982:  David Blue, who was with Bob Dylan' Rolling Thunder Revue and wrote "Outlaw Man" which the Eagles did in 1973, died of a heart attack at the age of 41 while jogging in Washington Square in New York City.
1983:  The video that would become legendary--"Thriller" was shown for the first time on television.
1986:  Jerry Lee Lewis checked into the Betty Ford Clinic to overcome an addiction to painkillers.

1989:  "Here And Now" by Luther Vandross was the new #1 song on the R&B chart.










1989:  Aerosmith moved from 85 to 59 with "Janie's Got A Gun".










1989:  Phil Collins had the new Adult Contemporary #1 with the great song "Another Day In Paradise".













1991:  Nirvana released the single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
1991:  In yet another decision which revealed corporate greed among record companies, the United States Supreme Court ruled that B.J. Thomas, the Shirelles and Gene Pitney were owed $1.2 million in royalties they had earned but were never paid by their employer.





1995:  The Guinness Book of World Records announced that The Sign by Ace of Base was the top-selling debut album of all-time with 19 million copies sold worldwide.









1995:  One of the hottest songs on this date was "The World I Know" by Collective Soul, which moved from 62 to 51.









1995:  An historic day in the Rock Era as the collaboration between Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men--"One Sweet Day" debuted at #1.  That dropped Whitney Houston to second after a week with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)".  "Hey Lover" from LL Cool J was third followed by "Fantasy" from Mariah Carey and the great song "Gangsta's Paradise" from Coolio.  The rest of the Top 10:  R. Kelly dropped with "You Remind Me Of Something", Janet Jackson had #7 with "Runaway", TLC's great song "Diggin' On You" was #8, "Name" from the Goo Goo Dolls was stuck on 9 and "Tell Me" by Groove Theory wrapped up the list.
1996:  Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows fell during a concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, severing a ligament and tearing cartilage in his knee.



Together Again by Janet Jackson on Grooveshark
1997:  Janet Jackson released the single "Together Again".
1998:  Jimmy Buffett gave a benefit concert in Mobile, Alabama for victims of Hurricane George.
2000:  The Smashing Pumpkins played their final concert at the Metro Club in Chicago, Illinois.
2001:  Valerie Jones, who sang backing vocals for Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergras, Lou Reed and Betty Everett, died in Detroit, Michigan of an undisclosed illness at age 45.
2001:  Daniel Bedingfield owned the #1 song in the U.K. with "Gotta' Get Thru This".
2001:  Creed rose to the top of the Album chart with Weathered.
2002:  Peter Garrett quit the group Midnight Oil after 25 years.




2003:  Alicia Keys released her second album The Diary of Alicia Keys.









2003:  Simon & Garfunkel's reunion tour took the legendary duo to Madison Square Garden and their first concert in New York City in 10 years.  The concert was recorded and released as the DVD Old Friends:  Live on Stage.
2003:  Alice Cooper was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2006:  Beyonce signed a deal that would net her more money than any other African-American actress for her role in Dreamgirls.
2006:  Mariska Veres, singer of the Shocking Blue ("Venus" from 1970), died at the age of 59 from cancer in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Born This Day:
1906:  Dr. Peter Carl Goldmark, who invented the long-playing record in 1945; died in a car crash on December 7, 1977 in Westchester County, New York.
1941:  Tom McGuinness, bass guitarist with Manfred Mann, was born in Wimbledon, London, England.
1942:  Ted Bluechel, drummer of the Association, was born in San Pedro, California.
1943:  Dave Munden of the Tremeloes ("Silence Is Golden") was born in Dagenham, Essex, England.
1948:  Scott Simon of Sha Na Na was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
1952:  Abel Zarate, vocalist and guitarist with Malo ("Suavecito" from 1972), was born in Manila, the Philippines.

1960:  Rick Savage, founding member and bassist of Def Leppard, was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
1968:  Nate Mendel, bass guitarist of the Foo Fighters, was born in Richland, Washington.
1970:  Treach (real name Anthony Criss) of Naughty By Nature was born in Newark, New Jersey.  (Note:  some websites show that Anthony was born in East Orange, New Jersey.  According to agent Roger Paul, as well as the book 'And It Don't Stop:  The Best American Hip-Hop Journalism of the Last 25 Years' by Raquel Cepeda, Criss was born in Newark and moved to East Orange when he was two years old.)







1978:  Nelly Furtado was born in Victoria, British Columbia.
1978:  Chris Wolstenholme, bassist of Muse, was born in Rotherham, Yorkshire, England.
1981:  One of the low points of the Rock Era--Britney Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi.

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