This Date in Rock Music History: June 8

1954:  Radio stations began receiving 45 records as opposed to 78's.
1960:  Roy Orbison released "Only The Lonely".
1961:  Elvis Presley's movie Wild in the Country premiered.
1963:  The Beatles released "My Bonnie" in the U.K. under the name Tony Sheridan and the Beatles.
1963:  "Another Saturday Night" from Sam Cooke occupied the #1 spot on the R&B chart.







                                       Cole could deliver a song like no one else...

1963:  Lesley Gore remained at #1 with "It's My Party" but Kyu Sakamoto was climbing fast (10-2) with "Sukiyaki".  The Crystals were at #3 with "Da Doo Ron Ron", Al Martino had "I Love You Because" and the Dovells were at 5 with "You Can't Sit Down".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Two Faces Have I" from Lou Christie was song #6, Jimmy Soul's "If You Wanna' Be Happy" tumbled to #7, Bill Anderson had #8 with "Still", Nat King Cole's great song "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer" moved from 16-9 and the Beach Boys were on their way down with "Surfin' U.S.A.".











1964:  Jan & Dean released the single "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena".  (Note:  some websites falsely say the single was released June 22.  According to the book 'The Jan & Dean Record:  A Chronology of Studio Sessions, Live Performances and Chart Performances' by Mark A. Moore, the single was released June 8.  Several radio stations began including it on their local charts well before June 22.)

1964:  The Dave Clark Five released the single "Can't You See That She's Mine".
1966:  The new Elvis Presley movie Paradise Hawaiian Style opened in theaters.
1967:  Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones joined the Beatles in the studio on saxophone to record "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)".
1967:  Procol Harum had the #1 U.K. song with "A Whiter Shade Of Pale".
1968:  The 5th Dimension moved from 95 to 53 with "Stoned Soul Picnic".
1968:  "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell was #1 on the R&B chart.
1968:  "This Guy's In Love With You" by Herb Alpert took over at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.  It would not relinquish that position for 10 weeks.



      
                                            "Mony Mony" was movin' up...

1968:  "Mrs. Robinson" from Simon & Garfunkel was #1 again.  Archie Bell & the Drells slid up to 2 with "Tighten Up" while Herb Alpert's classic "This Guy's In Love With You" moved from 11-3.  Hugo Montenegro's former #1 "The Good, the Bad And The Ugly" was at #4 and Tommy James & the Shondells made #5 with "Mony Mony".  The rest of the Top 10:  Ohio Express remained at 6 with "Yummy Yummy Yummy", Richard Harris had a hit with "MacArthur Park", the Rascals were going down with "A Beautiful Morning", Aretha Franklin had her 20th hit and 7th Top 10 with "Think" and the former #1 "Honey", one of the Top Songs of the Rock Era* from Bobby Goldsboro, was now at 10.





                                            "America" helped Bookends become a classic...

1968:  The great album Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel was #1 for a third week with the former #1 Soundtrack to "The Graduate" remaining at #2.  








1970:  Bread released the single "Make It With You".
1970:  The van of Deep Purple was impounded by East German police after it "mistakenly got too close to the border".  Silly Deep Purple.
1974:  Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones released a solo album.
1974:  Rick Wakeman announced he was leaving the group Yes for a solo career.







1974:  The great song "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae moved from 93 to 62.  It would finish the decade as the top-selling song of the 70's.
1974:  "Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot was the new #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.









   
                                   "Raised on Robbery", from the great Joni Mitchell...

1974:  Band on the Run by Paul McCartney & Wings was the new #1 album, replacing the Soundtrack to "The Sting" by Marvin Hamlisch.  Cat Stevens held down #3 with Buddha and the Chocolate Box while Maria Muldaur was at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  John Denver's Greatest Hits remained at 5, Gordon Lightfoot moved to #6 with Sundown, Chicago VII was at #7, Grand Funk slipped with Shinin' On, Joni Mitchell's great album Court and Spark entered the Top 10 and Elton John was at #10, 34 weeks since the release of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.







1974:  "Band on the Run", one of the Top Songs of the Rock Era* by Paul McCartney & Wings was the new #1 song.  "For The Love Of Money" by the O'Jays was the only new song in the Top 10.
1978:  The Alan Parsons Project released the album I Robot.

1979:  ELO released the album Discovery.
1979:  The Who released the album The Kids Are Alright.
1979:  It was a Midnight Special worth staying up for.  Gloria Gaynor hosted Paul McCartney & Wings, Rod Stewart and Bad Company.
1982:  Simon and Garfunkel began their first reunion tour in Paris, France.
1985:  The Style Council owned the top album in the U.K. with Our Favourite Shop.
1985:  "Rock Me Tonight" by Freddie Jackson was #1 on the R&B chart for a second week.


                                      Newcomers Katrina & the Waves with their positive song...

1985:  Tears for Fears" were on top with "Everybody Wants To Rule The World".  Katrina & the Waves entered the Top 10 with "Walking On Sunshine".  








1987:  U2 released the single "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
1990:  Mariah Carey released her famous debut album.
1991:  Bruce Springsteen married Patti Scialfa.
1991:  Spellbound, featuring "Rush Rush" and "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" from Paula Abdul was the #1 album.  







1991:  Extreme took over at #1 with "More Than Words".  "I Wanna' Sex You Up" from Color Me Badd was #2 but Paula Abdul was making her move with "Rush, Rush".  Mariah Carey fell to #4 with "I Don't Wanna' Cry" and Michael Bolton fell to 5 with "Love Is A Wonderful Thing".  The rest of the Top 10:  R.E.M. at 6 with "Losing My Religion", Hi-Five had the #7 song with "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)", EMF's smash "Unbelievable" was up to #8, Whitney Houston had her 16th hit and 13th Top 10 with "Miracle" and Luther Vandross moved into the list with "Power Of Love/Love Power".
1991:  "I Don't Wanna' Cry" by Mariah Carey was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, which by that time had taken over as the top music format.
1996:  Accomplished songwriter Carole Bayer Sager married Robert Davy.

1996:  Toni Braxton had an incredible debut at #7 with "You're Makin' Me High"/"Let It Flow".  The double-sided hit was one of the highest debuts of the Rock Era.
1996:  The Score by the Fugees was #1 on the Album chart for the third week.  Soundgarden debuted at #2 with Down on the Upside.  Jagged Little Pill from Alanis Morisette was still hanging around at #4 after 50 weeks.
1999:  Prince released The Hits Collection home video.







2003:  Evanescence rose to #1 in the U.K. with "Bring Me To Life".
2003:  Dave Buckner, drummer of Papa Roach, announced his engagement to Mia Tyler, the daughter of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler.  Oh the irony--now Tyler would have to put up with seeing his daughter involved with a rock & roller.







2003:  Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil was made a Member of the Order of Australia by Queen Elizabeth II.
2004:  T-Boz of TLC filed for divorce from husband, Mack 10, alleging the rapper was unfaithful and threatened to kill her.  What about rap music didn't T-Boz understand?
2010:  The Eagles appeared at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


Born This Day:
1940:  Nancy Sinatra was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.  (Note:  Some websites report Sinatra was born June 4.  According to the book 'The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool: A Celebration of the Grooviest People, Events, and Artifacts of the 1960s' by Chris Strodder, Nancy was born on June 8.)
1940:  Sherman Garnes of Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers
1941:  Clarence Haskins of Funkadelic was born in Elkhorn, West Virginia.

1942:  Chuck Negron, who once sang with Three Dog Night but doesn't any longer, was born in the Bronx, New York.






1944:  Boz Scaggs was born in Canton, Ohio.
1947:  Mick Box, guitarist of Uriah Heap, was born in Walthamstow, England.










1950:  Fun-loving drummer Alex Van Halen was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands.








1951:  Bonnie Tyler was born in Swansea, Wales.
1953:  Jeff Rich, drummer of Status Quo and Climax Blues Band, was born in London.

1960:  Mick Hucknall, lead singer of Simply Red, was born in Manchester, England.
1962:  Nick Rhodes, keyboardist of Duran Duran was born in Moseley, England.
1965:  Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli was born in Frankfurt, Germany; died of drugs and alcohol April 2, 1998.
1967:  Neil Mitchell, keyboard player for Wet Wet Wet, was born in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.
1970:  Nicci Gilbert of Brownstone
1977:  Kanye West was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
1981:  Alex Band, singer, songwriter and musician of the Calling, was born in Los Angeles, California.