Sunday, December 10, 2017

This Date in Rock Music History: November 20

1955:  Bo Diddley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.  He was requested to perform "Sixteen Tons" but after he sang "Bo Diddley" instead, he was banned from future shows.
1955:  "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets went to #1 in the U.K.
1956:  Fats Domino continued to own the #1 R&B song for a fourth week with "Blueberry Hill".
1959:  WABC Radio in New York City fired disc jockey Allan Freed after he refused to deny that he had accepted payola.
1961:  Bob Dylan began recording his self-titled album at Columbia Studios in New York City.  (Note:  many websites incorrectly put the date as October 20.  According to a review of the Archives of Sony Records in New York City, Dylan recorded his album in two sessions, November 20th and November 22nd.)




1961:  Jimmy Dean ruled for a third week with "Big Bad John".  









1963:  The Beatles performed two shows at ABC Cinema in Manchester, England.









1964:  Marvin Gaye was in Great Britain to promote his new single "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)".  Gaye appeared on the television show Ready Steady Go!
1964:  John Lennon filmed a comic sketch with Dudley Moore on Wimbledon Common for the British television series Not Only but Also.
1965:  Fontella Bass held on to #1 on the R&B chart for a fourth week with "Rescue Me".
1965:  Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass had the top Easy Listening song for a fourth week with "A Taste Of Honey".




            Bob was finding that critics don't buy a whole lot of albums...


1965:  "The Sound of Music" Soundtrack was #1 on the Album chart for a second week but Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass was closing.  The former #1 Help! from the Beatles came in third, the Ramsey Lewis Trio's LP The In Crowd was #4 and Sonny & Cher advanced with Look At Us.  The rest of the Top 10:  Bob Dylan was falling after just eight weeks with Highway 61 Revisited, Barbra Streisand moved from 39 to 7 with My Name Is Barbra, Two, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass moved from 19-8 with Going Places, the Rolling Stones were falling downhill with Out of Our Heads and the album You Don't Have to Be Jewish by various artists was #10.
1965:  James Brown shot up from 68 to 14 with "I Got You (I Feel Good)".



1965:  The Supremes moved to #1 with "I Hear A Symphony".  Len Barry was counting his way up the chart with "1-2-3" while The Rolling Stones took a tumble to #3 with "Get Off Of My Cloud".  Fontella Bass moved up with "Rescue Me" and the 4 Seasons had song #5 with "Let's Hang On!".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Byrds were enjoying a short trip up, moving from 12-6 with "Turn!  Turn!  Turn!", the Toys' big hit "A Lover's Concerto" was now at 7, Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar" was up two, "A Taste Of Honey" by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass was stuck at 9 and "You're The One" by the Vogues wrapped up the list.
1966:  Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, held a London party at his home at 24 Chapel Street in London to honor the Four Tops.  John Lennon, George Harrison, Mick Jagger, Keither Richards and Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, Donovan, Eric Burdon and Georgie Fame attended.  (Note:  several websites mistakenly put this date as November 13.  The Four Tops performed at the Saville Theatre, owned by Epstein, on November 13, but Epstein's private party for the group was November 20.) 
1968:  Albert Grossman approached Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites to inquire about their interest in joining the band for Janis Joplin.

1971:  Three Dog Night appeared to have another huge hit as "An Old Fashioned Love Song" moved from 77-39.











1971:  Isaac Hayes moved to #1 with the "Theme From 'Shaft'", taking over from Cher's "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves".  John Lennon was poised at #3 with "Imagine" and Bread was making their move (11-4) with "Baby I'm-A Want You".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Have You Seen Her" by the Chi-Lites, Rod Stewart's former #1 "Maggie May", Cat Stevens held steady with "Peace Train", Sly & the Family Stone were up from 21 to 8 with their latest smash "Family Affair", Michael Jackson entered the list with "Got To Be There" and the Osmonds were acting like a "Yo-Yo" with their latest.





1971:  "Have You Seen Her" by the Chi-Lites was the #1 R&B song.
1971:  Bread reached the top of the Easy Listening chart with "Baby I'm-A Want You".










1973:  Elton John released the single "Crocodile Rock" in the United States.
1973:  Keith Moon, drummer of the Who, collapsed during a performance at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.  A 19-year-old fan (Thomas Scot Halpin) ended up filling in on drums for three songs.








1973:  Allan Sherman ("Hello Mudduh!  Hello Fadduh!" from 1963) died of emphysema in Los Angeles at the age of 48.  (Note:  several websites show his death as November 21, but the Hillside Memorial Park, where Sherman is buried, shows his death as November 20.)
1975:  The Who began the U.S. leg of their North American tour at the Summit in Houston, Texas.  Afterwards, drummer Keith Moon was arrested for disorderly conduct.  
1976:  Paul Simon hosted Saturday Night Live on NBC-TV.  Simon and George Harrison performed "Here Comes the Sun" and "Homeward Bound" together on the set, songs they had recorded the day before.  Show producer Lorne Michaels made an appeal for the Beatles to reunite.  Paul McCartney was staying with John Lennon at the Dakota and both saw the plea but did not take Michaels up on the offer.



1976:  The Captain & Tennille returned to the top with their fifth consecutive #1 Adult Contemporary song--"Muskrat Love".









1976:  Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. reached #1 on the R&B chart with their great song "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)".
1976:  Elton John's 23rd career hit was another big one as "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" moved from 54 to 28 on this date.
1976:  Kiss entered the Top 10 for the first and only time with "Beth".
1976:  The amazing Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder was #1 again for the sixth week on the Album chart.
1982:  Marvin Gaye put out a song called "Sexual Healing" that was #1 for a third week on the R&B chart.  He died a little over four months later.
1982:  Lionel Richie reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with his first solo single "Truly".



1982:  Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes remained at the top for a third week with "Up Where We Belong".  Lionel Richie ("Truly"), Olivia Newton-John ("Heart Attack"), Laura Branigan ("Gloria") and Neil Diamond ("Heartlight) took the next four positions.  The rest of a solid Top 10:  Men At Work and their former #1 "Who Can It Be Now?", Toni Basil moved from 13-7 with "Mickey", Hall & Oates had another big hit with "Maneater", Joe Jackson was "Steppin' Out" at #9 and Diana Ross couldn't move up with "Muscles".





1984:  Michael Jackson earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Mann's Chinese Theatre.
1987:  Sign 'O the Times, the third movie starring Prince, opened in theaters (it had premiered in Detroit, Michigan on October 29.)
1991:  The Rolling Stones signed a new recording contract with Virgin Records.
1991:  Randy Jackson of the Jackson 5 was sentenced to serve a month in jail for violating the terms of his probation related to beating his wife the previous January.
1993:  Phil Collins had the top album in the U.K. with Both Sides.
1993:  Vs. by Pearl Jam was #1 on the Album chart for a third week.  The debut from Toni Braxton entered the Top 10.




1993:  It was leftovers from Meat Loaf for a third week as "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" was #1 again.  "Again" by Janet Jackson closed to 2, trading places with Ace of Base and "All That She Wants".  Bryan Adams moved from 24-7 with "Please Forgive Me" and Mariah Carey continued the early magic she used to have as "Hero" also entered the Top 10.
1994:  David Crosby received a liver transplant in a seven-hour surgery at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.  (Note:  several websites, confused by dates of newspaper reports, show the date of surgery as either November 19 or November 21.   The newspapers 'The Los Angeles Times' and 'The Orlando Sentinel' both report that the surgery was on Sunday, November 20.)
1995:  The previously unreleased "Free As A Bird" by the Beatles began receiving airplay, 25 years after the group broke up.
1997:  Paul McCartney taped an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in New York City.

1997:  Kenny G earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California.









1998:  Alanis Morissette performed for the opening of a Tower Records store in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Proceeds from the sale of her album that day were donated to a local children's hospital.
2000:  Mel C of the Spice Girls announced that she was quitting the group.
2001:  Charlie Daniels had prostate cancer surgery in Los Angeles.
2003:  Pathologists confirmed that the late Aaliyah died of severe burns and a blow to the head after the Cessna plane she was riding in crashed in Marsh Harbour, the Bahamas.
2003:  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the new inductees for 2004:  George Harrison, Bob Seger, Prince, ZZ Top, Jackson Browne, Traffic and the Dells.
2003:  Phil Spector was charged with the murder of Lana Clarkson at his home the previous February.  (Note:  numerous websites erroneously report the date as November 21.  'CNN', 'The New York Times', 'Billboard' and others report that Spector was charged with murder on Thursday, November 20.  When reports appear in newspapers of a morning, that means the event occurred not that day, but the previous day, and many people who put timeline information together don't fully comprehend this.)
2005:  Robbie Wiliams broke a Guinness World Record when 1.6 million tickets for his tour were sold in one day.
2005:  Madonna had the #1 album in the U.K. with Confessions on a Dance Floor.
2010:  Billy Joel had double hip replacement surgery in Long Island, New York.

2015:  Adele released the album 25.
2016:  Twentyone Pilots won Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group at the American Music Awards.  Ariana Grande was named Artist of the Year.  

Born This Day:
1940:  Tony Butalo of the Lettermen was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania.
1942:  Norman Greenbaum ("Spirit In The Sky" from 1970) was born in Malden, Massachusetts.
1944:  Mike Vernon, producer of Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack and Ten Years After and the man who introduced John Mayall to Eric Clapton, was born in Harrow, Middlesex, England.
1945:  Dan McBride, guitarist of Sha Na Na, was born in Somerville, Massachusetts; died in his sleep in Los Angeles on July 23, 2009.

1946:  Duane Allman, elite guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band, was born in Nashville, Tennessee; died October 29, 1971 in Macon, Georgia at the age of 24 in a motorcycle accident.
1946:  Ray Stiles of the group the Mud and later the Hollies, was born in Guildford, Surrey, England.








1947:  Joe Walsh of the James Gang and the Eagles and a solo star, was born in Wichita, Kansas.
1947:  George Grantham, drummer of Poco, was born in Wardell, Oklahoma.  (Note:  some websites claim Grantham was born on January 20, but the book 'Country Music:  The Encyclopedia' by Irwin Stambler and Grelun Landon, and other credible sources, states that it was on November 20.)
1957:  Jim Brown, drummer of UB40, was born in Birmingham, England.
1962:  Gail Ann Dorsey, vocalist and bass guitarist who worked with David Bowie, recorded and toured with Tears for Fears and also played for Seal, Gwen Stefani, Bryan Ferry and Boy George, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1965:  Michael Diamond of the Beastie
Boys was born in New York City.  (Note:  some websites report his birth year as 1966, but that is in conflict with the books 'Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, Volume 2' by Mickey Hess and 'Alternative, Country, Hip-Hop, Rap, and More:  Music from the 1980s to Today' by Britannica Educational Publishing).
1965:  Sen Dog of Cypress Hill was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
1966:  Kevin Gilbert, songwriter (co-wrote "All I Wanna' Do" with Sheryl Crow) and multi-instrumentalist; died May 17, 1996 in Los Angeles.
1981:  Kimberley Walsh of Girls Aloud was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.
 

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