Thursday, August 16, 2018

This Date in Rock Music History: August 17

1959:  Elvis Presley made history when he had the #1 song for the second straight week with "A Big Hunk O' Love".  Elvis had long ago easily set the record for most weeks at #1 and no one knew it at the time, but this second week at #1 with "A Big Hunk O' Love" is that one that gave him 60 total weeks at the top in his career, one more than the Beatles would register in their amazing career.  Presley would end up with 80.
1959:  Brook Benton remained at #1 on the R&B chart with "Thank You Pretty Baby".




1960:  The Beatles performed outside of their native England for the first time (and performing under their new name for the first time), taking up a three-month residency at Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany.
1963:  "Blowin' In The Wind" remained at #1 for a third week on the Adult Contemporary chart for Peter, Paul & Mary.  








1963:  "Fingertips -Pt. 2" by Little Stevie Wonder took another week at #1 but the classic message song "Blowin' In The Wind" by Peter, Paul & Mary was #2.  Elvis Presley had #3--"(You're The) Devil In Disguise" and "Wipe Out" by the Surfaris was #4.  The rest of a solid Top 10:  "Judy's Turn To Cry" by Lesley Gore, the Four Seasons had #6 with "Candy Girl", Allan Sherman moved from 17 to 7 with "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh!", the Tymes fell with "So Much In Love", Kai Winding's instrumental "More" was at 9 and the Angels shot up from 31 to 10 with "My Boyfriend's Back".
1965:  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles recorded "Going To A Go-Go" at the Hitsville Studios in Detroit, Michigan.
1966:  The Hollies wrapped up the recording of "Stop!  Stop!  Stop!" at Abbey Road Studios in London.









1966:  The Beatles gave two performances at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on their final concert tour.  The first show at 4 p.m. drew 15,000, while 17,000 saw the evening show at 8 p.m.  The McCoys, Bobby Hebb, the Cyrkle, and the Ronettes opened for the Fab Four.
 1967:  Twin Falls, Idaho's Gary Puckett & the Union Gap recorded their first single "Woman, Woman".









1968:  Wheels of Fire by Cream was the top album for a second week.  Time Peace/The Rascals' Greatest Hits moved to #2 followed by Aretha Now from Aretha Franklin.  The Soundtrack to "The Graduate" by Simon & Garfunkel fell to #4 while The Beat of the Brass from Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass was #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Disraeli Gears from Cream in its 37th week, Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel at #7, Realization by Johnny Rivers, Honey from Andy Williams at #9 and Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix Experience.
1968:  "Classical Gas", one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*, moved to #1 on the Easy Listening chart.








                                                       Donovan with his 1968 smash "Hurdy Gurdy Man"
...
1968:  "People Got To Be Free", the powerful song from the Rascals, moved from 5 to 1 on this date.  That meant the Doors had to relinquish their spot with "Hello, I Love You" and Mason Williams dropped as well with "Classical Gas" after peaking at #2.  A rock classic made its move--Steppenwolf from 11 to 4 with "Born To Be Wild" and Jose Feliciano's remake of "Light My Fire" moved from 20 to 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Stoned Soul Picnic" by the 5th Dimension, the Vogues had song #7--"Turn Around, Look At Me", Cream edged up with "Sunshine Of Your Love", Hugh Masekela's instrumental "Grazing In The Grass" was #9 and Donovan slid down with "Hurdy Gurdy Man".
1969:  Steppenwolf performed on The Ed Sullivan Show.







1969:  The highly successful Woodstock Music and Art Fair came to a close with a third and final day of performances.  It defined a generation and there was a heck of a show on Day Three.  Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Band, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Joe Cocker, Ten Years After, Country Joe and the Fish, Sha-Na-Na, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the Grease Band performed.
1973: Paul Williams, who left the Temptations in 1971, was found dead by police in Detroit, Michigan.  His death was ruled a suicide.
1974:  Patrick Moraz replaced Rick Wakeman in the group Yes.
1974:  Fleetwood Mac won an injunction against another band touring under the same name.
1974:  The Rolling Stones moved from 79 to 34 with "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)".








                                                                         ABBA was set to conquer the world...

1974:  Paper Lace rose to the final rung on the chart with "The Night Chicago Died".  Roberta Flack swapped places with her hit "Feel Like Makin' Love", Paul Anka was up 10 with "(You're) Having My Baby" and Rufus was up big (10-4) with "Tell Me Something Good".  The rest of the Top 10:  Dave Loggins with "Please Come To Boston", Chicago's "Call On Me" was #6, ABBA remained at 7 with "Waterloo", Jim Stafford's "Wildwood Weed" was at 8, Donny & Marie Osmond entered the Top 10 with "I'm Leaving It All Up To You" and Blue Magic was at #10 with "Sideshow".








1974:  461 Ocean Boulevard by Eric Clapton was the new #1 album, taking over from John Denver's Back Home Again.  Elton John's Caribou fell to 3, ahead of Before the Flood by Bob Dylan & the Band.  The rest of the Top 10:  On Stage from the short-lived duo Loggins & Messina, Stevie Wonder climbed from 79 to 6 with Fulfillingness' First Finale, Bachman-Turner Overdrive was still going strong in their 31st week with Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, Pretzel Logic, the great album from Steely Dan, was #8, Bridge of Sighs by Robin Trower entered the Top 10 and Paul McCartney & Winds had #10 after 35 weeks--the former #1 album Band On the Run.








1977:  The day after Elvis Presley's death, U.S. President Jimmy Carter said:


"Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself.  He was unique, irreplaceable.  More than twenty years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled.  His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture.  His following was immense.  And he was  asymbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness and good humor of this country."


1977:  FTD Florists reported that the number of flowers to be delivered to Graceland in Memphis,Tennessee (the home and final resting place of Elvis Presley, who died August 16) exceeded the record for any event in the company's history.
1979:  John Lennon and Bob Dylan starred in the PBS documentary Eat the Document.  Footage of Dylan's 1966 tour in the U.K. was originally slated to air on ABC-TV, but the network rejected the cut.  The film was released in 1970, and shown at the Academy of Music in New York City on February 8 of 1971, but has rarely been seen since.
1979:  The New York Post reported that Anita Pallenberg (the wife of Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones) was linked to a witches coven in South Salem, New York where Richards owned a house.  A local youth claimed he had been invied by Pallenberg to take part in "pot-smoking sex orgies" and a policeman said he was attacked by a group of black-hooded people.  There were "ritualistic stakes" and residents claimed that small animals had been "sacrificed" near the house.
1984:  Motley Crue made its live debut in the U.K. at the Monsters of Rock festival in Castle Donington, England.










1985:  Godley & Creme moved into the Top 40 with "Cry".
1985:  Reckless by Bryan Adams continued to set the pace on the Album chart with Tears For Fears poised to strike from the #2 position with Songs From the Big Chair.  Phil Collins was still in the Top 3 after 24 weeks with No Jacket Required.  Sting had #4--The Dream of the Blue Turtles and Bruce Springsteen placed at 5 after 61 weeks with Born in the U.S.A.  The rest of the Top 10:  Motley Crue with Theatre of Pain, Dire Straits at 7 with Brothers In Arms, the Power Station's self-titled album, Around the World in a Day from Prince & the Revolution and Night Ranger experienced the Top 10 with 7 Wishes.







1985:  Tears for Fears remained at #1 for a third week with "Shout".  Huey Lewis & the News moved up strong with "The Power Of Love" while Corey Hart was at #3 with "Never Surrender".  Sting was on his way down with "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free".  The rest of the Top 10:  Aretha Franklin's "Freeway Of Love", Paul Young at #6 with "Everytime You Go Away", John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire" was at #7, DeBarge dropped with "Who's Holding Donna Now", Bryan Adams had his fourth hit from Reckless--"Summer Of '69) and Tina Turner blasted into the Top 10 with "We Don't Need Another Hero".
1986:  42 people were beaten or stabbed at a Run D.M.C. concert in Long Beach, California.  What a nice family-friendly event.
1987:  Gary Chester, member of the Coasters and a session drummer, died of cancer at the age of 62.  Chester played on songs such as "It's My Party", "Under The Boardwalk", "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Walk On By".
1991:  Peabo Bryson enjoyed the #1 R&B hit with "Can You Stop The Rain".







1991:  It was one of the best times of the year for music.  Natalie Cole remained at #1 on the Album chartfor a fourth week with her tribute to Dad Nat King Cole--Unforgettable With Love.  Bonnie Raitt moved up to the runner-up position with Luck of the Draw while Van Halen's ninth album, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, fell to 3.  C&C Music Factory was at 4 with Gonna' Make You Sweat and Boyz II Men moved up with Cooleyhighharmony.  The rest of the Top 10:  R.E.M. with Out of Time, Paula Abdul's Spellbound, the Soundtrack to "Robin Hood:  Prince of Thieves", Garth Brook's No Fences at #9 after 48 weeks and Time, Love & Tenderness from Michael Bolton.








1991:  Bryan Adams was right on target for three weeks in a row at #1 with his song from the great movie Robin Hood--"(Everything I Do) I Do It For You".
1993  Michael Jackson announced that he was negotiating to perform two concerts in Beijing, China.  But alas, the over-controlling government there refused to allow it, and MJ never performed in China.
1995:  Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode attempted suicide at a hotel on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.  He was hospitalized and recovered.








1996:  It was the talk of the land--Los Del Rio remained at #1 for a third week with "Macarena".
1996:  Alanis Morissette was still at #2 on the Album chart after 60 weeks with Jagged Little Pill.  Other albums of note:  Falling Into You from Celine Dion at #2, E. 1999 Eternal by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at #6, Secrets from Toni Braxton coming in at #7, Load by Metallica dropping to #8 and Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt at #9.







1998:  Carlos Santana received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2002:  Alanis Morissette, Nickelback, Elvis Costello, Rihanna and the Chemical Brothers headlined the 2002 V Festival at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in South Staffordshire, England.
2002:  Darius had the top U.K. song with "Colourblind".








Born This Day:

1919:  Frieda Lipschitz, who adopted the stage name Georgia Gibbs ("Dance With Me Henry") was born in Worcester, Massachusetts; died December 9, 2006 of pneumonia after battling leukemia in Manhattan, New York.

1933:  Mark Dinning ("Teen Angel" from 1959) was born in Manchester, Oklahoma; died of a heart attack March 22, 1986 in Jefferson City, Missouri.  (Note:  'Allmusic.com claims Dinning was born in Drury, but there are no reputable sites that say that.)
1944:  John Seiter, drummer of Spanky and Our Gang, was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
 1947:  Gary Talley, lead guitarist of the Box Tops, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.








1949:  Sib Hashian, drummer of Boston, was born in Boston, Massachusetts.  (Note:  some websites report he was born in Lynnfield, where he currently lives, but according to the newspaper 'The Star-Daze', he was born in Boston.)
1953:  Kevin Rowland, lead singer and songwriter of Dexy's Midnight Runners, was born in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England
1955:  Colin Moulding, bassist of XTC, was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England.
1962:  Gilby Clarke, guitarist for Guns N' Roses, was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
1965:  Steven Gorman, drummer of the Black Crowes, was born in Muskegon, Michigan.
1969:  Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block was born in Boston, Massachusetts.  (Note:  some websites report Wahlberg was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts.  Dorchester is a neighborhood within the city of Boston, not a city.)

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