This Date in Rock Music History: August 10

1954:  Elvis Presley sang his new song "That's Alright Mama" at Overton Park in Memphis, Tennessee.




1959:  Brook Benton had the top R&B song with "Thank You Pretty Baby".
1959:  Elvis Presley moved to #1 with his 37th hit, "A Big Hunk O' Love".
1961:  14-year-old Helen Shapiro became the youngest person to reach #1 in the U.K. with "You Don't Know".
1963:  Cliff Richard and the Shadows, the Searchers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes were on the 100th edition of Thank Your Lucky Stars on BBC-TV.
1963:  The Rolling Stones, Acker Bilk and Long John Baldry were all at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Richmond, Surrey, England.  Sounds like they couldn't find enough jazz artists to perform.








1963:  Peter, Paul & Mary were at #1 for a second week with "Blowin' In The Wind".
1967:  Paul Revere & the Raiders from Boise, Idaho performed before the largest crowd in the 115-year history of the Illinois State Fair (27,000).
1968:  The Dells rose to #1 on the R&B chart with "Stay In My Corner".

 

1968:  The annual National Jazz & Blues Festival had some snags after being held the previous two years in Windsor--among them, the Windsor Borough Council refused to grant a dancing license.  Finally, the Festival was moved to the  Kempton Park Race Course in Sunbury-On-Thames, England, and it was an amazing event.  Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Jeff Beck, T. Rex, Ten Years After, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and the Nice performed on the second day.
1968:  Tom Jones rose to the top of the U.K. Album chart with Delilah.









1968:  "This Guy's In Love with You" by Herb Alpert remained #1 for a 10th week on the Easy Listening chart.
1969:  The three-day National Jazz and Blues Festival, this time held in Sussex, England, concluded with The Nice, Pentangle, and Long John Baldry among the performers.











1970:  Neil Diamond released the single "Cracklin' Rosie".













1970:  Elvis Presley began performing at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1970:  Simon & Garfunkel dominated the U.K. Album chart with Bridge Over Troubled Water.  The Beatles were at #2 with Let It Be while Bob Dylan had the #3 album Self Portrait.










1974:  Roberta Flack topped the Easy Listening chart with "Feel Like Makin' Love".










                                                                     Saluting Blue Magic's Top 10 hit...

1974:  Roberta Flack moved to #1 with "Feel Like Makin' Love", holding off Paper Lace and "The Night Chicago Died" for the moment.  John Denver's #1 "Annie's Song" was at #3 followed by Elton John with "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me".  The rest of the Top 10:  Dave Loggins with "Please Come To Boston", Chicago's "Call On Me", ABBA's first hit "Waterloo" entering the Top 10, Blue Magic with "Sideshow", Jim Stafford and "Wildwood Weed" and Rufus moving from 19 to 10 with "Tell Me Something Good".









1974:  John Denver took over from Elton John's Caribou with Back Home Again, the new #1 album.  Bob Dylan & the Band had Before the Flood, 461 Ocean Boulevard by Eric Clapton was #4 and Loggins & Messina had #5 with On Stage.  The rest of the Top 10:  Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Rick Wakeman, Tres Hombres by ZZ Top, Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic at #9 and Paul McCartney & Wings were at #10 after 34 weeks with Band on the Run.
1975:  Manhattan Transfer got their own summer variety show which debuted on CBS-TV.










1976:  Elton John sold out 10 concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City and opened the first show on this date.  He grossed $1.25 million to break the previous record at the venue.
1979:  Michael Jackson released the album Off the Wall on Epic Records.
1982:  Frank Zappa and Moon Unit Zappa performed "Valley Girl" on Late Night with David Letterman.
1982:  Queen performed at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut.
1983:  Kajagoogoo ("Too Shy" from 1983) fired lead singer Limahl, who began a solo career.
1985:  Michael Jackson took the advice of Paul McCartney and invested $47.5 million in the ATV catalog which contained 251 songs written by McCartney and John Lennon as well as songs by Pat Benatar, the Pretenders, and others.  Jackson made the purchase along with record company executive David Geffen, John Johnson, founder of Ebony magazine, and John Branca, who has handled the finances of scores of groups including the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys.  McCartney had advised him to invest in music publishing a few years earlier, not knowing that Jackson would end up owning the Beatles' songs.  McCartney and Lennon had lost the rights to their songs in 1968 through bad business dealings.  McCartney had considered buying the rights back but thought the asking price too much.  By the way, the ATV catalog, which Jackson sold back to Sony in 2008, is now worth over one billion dollars.  (Note:  some websites say Jackson acquired the rights on August 14, but the correct date is August 10, according to the book 'Michael Jackson in Memoriam' by Javier Fisac Seco.  Some websites say that Jackson outbid McCartney for the rights.  McCartney and Lennon lost the rights to the Northern Songs catalog after manager Brian Epstein died in 1967.  Dick James, the co-owner with Epstein, decided to sell his share in 1968.  Lennon and McCartney tried to buy the rights at that time but failed.  McCartney and Ono (Lennon's widow) had been offered the catalog in 1981 for $40 million, but Yoko thought the two could get the catalog for $20 million and thus McCartney let the bid fall through.  McCartney was not among the bidders in 1985 when Jackson won the rights, according to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times'.  Some websites also claim Jackson sold the rights to the Beatles' songs in 2008.  This isn't true either.  While the ATV catalog was merged with Sony in 2008, Jackson retained a one-half ownership in the ATV catalog in which his heirs still own, according to 'Forbes' magazine.)1985:  Paul Young led the way on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Everytime You Go Away".








1985:  After 38 weeks, Reckless by Bryan Adams reached #1 on the Album chart.  Tears for Fears were second with Songs from the Big Chair and Phil Collins held fast at #3 with No Jacket Required.  Sting had #4--The Dream of the Blue Turtles while Bruce Springsteen was #5 with Born in the U.S.A.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Power Station with their debut, Motley Crue with Theatre of Pain at #7, Prince & the Revolution had #8 with Around the World in a Day, Ratt was stuck at 9 with Invasion of Your Privacy and Dire Straits entered the Top 10 with Brothers in Arms.
1987:  Wilson Pickett was found guilty of possessing a shotgun with intent to endanger life in a New Jersey court.
1992:  Def Leppard began an extensive tour at Madison Square Garden.
1993:  The Dave Matthews Band played at The Flood Zone in Richmond, Virginia.  Two of the songs at the performance were included on the album Remember Two Things.
1994:  The Eagles were at the Great Woods Performing Arts Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts.  (Note:  some websites say the concert was in Boston, but the Performing Arts Center is located in Mansfield, about 35 miles from Boston.)






1995:  Van Halen appeared on Late Night with David Letterman.
1995:  Jimmy Buffett was the musical act for United States President Bill Clinton's birthday celebration at the White House.
1999:  Oasis announced that rhythm guitarist Paul Arthurs was leaving the group.
2004:  Esquire Magazine named Andre 3000 of OutKast the Best Dressed Man.  (Note:  some websites report the news occurred on August 11, but the story first appeared in 'The Village Voice' on August 10.
2004:  Rick Fox of the Los Angeles Lakers filed for divorce from Vanessa Williams.
2006:  Barbara George "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" from 1961) died of a lung infection in Chauvin, Louisiana at the age of 63.
2008:  Isaac Hayes, singer-songwriter most noted for the #1 song "Theme From 'Shaft'" died at his home in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 65.








2010:  Olivia Newton-John was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia by the Governor-General in Canberra.




Born This Day:
1909:  Leo Fender, inventor of that great guitar, was born in Anaheim, California; died March 21, 1991 in Fullerton, California from complications of Parkinson's disease.





1928:  Jimmy Dean ("Big Bad John") was born in Olton, Texas; died of natural causes June 13, 2010 in Varina, Virginia.  (Note:  some websites claim Jimmy (real name:  Seth Ward) was born in Plain View, Texas, Plainview, Texas or Olton, Texas.  According to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times', Jimmy was born in Olton and was raised in Plainview.  There is no such city as Plain View in Texas.)
1928:  Eddie Fisher was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died September 22, 2010 from complications of hip surgery in Berkeley, California.











1940:  Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin; died November 5, 2003 of a heart attack brought on by cocaine.
1940:  Michael "Tunes" Antunes, saxophonist of John Cafferty's Beaver Brown Band
1940:  Daddy Dewdrop (real name Richard Monda), who gave us "Chick-A-Boom" in 1971, was born in Cleveland, Ohio.








1943:  Ronnie Spector was born in New York City.
1943:  James Griffin of Bread was born in Cincinnati, Ohio; died of cancer January 11, 2005 at his home in Franklin, Tennessee.  (Note:  the magazine 'Rolling Stone' reports he was born in Memphis, Tennessee.  According to the much more reliable 'Billboard', Griffin was born in Cincinnati and moved to Memphis.)
1945:  Larry Larden of Every Mother's Son
1947:  Ian Anderson, lead singer, songwriter and flautist of Jethro Tull, was born in Dunfermline, Fife, United Kingdom.  (Note:  some websites claim he was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.  According to the book 'Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play:  Inside Two Long Songs' by Tim Smolko, Anderson was born in Dunfermline, then lived in Edinburgh.)1948:  Patti Austin (The #1 song "Baby, Come To Me" with James Ingram) was born in New York City.
1949:  Andy Cresswell-Davis, singer, guitarist and keyboardist of the Korgis ("Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime"), was born in Yatton, Somerset, England.
1959:  Mark Price, drummer for All About Eve who also worked with the Cure and Right Said Fred, was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England.
1961:  Jon Farriss, drummer of INXS, was born in Perth, Western Australia.
1962:  Julia Fordham, backing singer for Kim Wilde, was born in Portsmouth, England.
1967:  Lorraine Pearson of 5 Star was born in Romford, Essex, England.  (Note:  some websites report that Lorraine was born in Wembley, England.  According to the book 'The Encyclopedia of Popular Music' by Colin Larkin, Pearson was born in Romford.  The town is now included in the county of London, but that change did not occur until after Pearson was born.)
 1968:  Michael Bivins of New Edition and later Bell Biv Devoe was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

Classic Summer Songs: "Windy" by the Association

In the Summer of '67, the Association gave us this classic:

Classic Summer Songs: Lou Rawls's "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"

Here's a great million-seller written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.  Inside The Rock Era takes you to the Summer of 1976:

Classic Summer Songs: Toto's "Rosanna"

Inside The Rock Era is featuring great Songs of the Summer that should bring up great memories for most people.  This former backing back for Boz Scaggs went on their own in the late-70's.  They toiled for several years until their magical album IV.  Toto was on top of the world when they captured seven Grammy Awards for their work.  We go to the Summer of 1982 for this great song: 

Top Track: "Jingo" by Santana

We love to feature this category on Inside The Rock Era.  We are adamant about defining what an overall "hit" is, as explained in the previous post.  The big hits are the "cream of the crop", and they always will be.

We also know that there are a countless number of musical tastes, and that "hits" aren't the only good music--far from it.  We created the Top Tracks* category with this in mind:  to feature the great album tracks that you may or may not be aware of, that are worthy of purchasing if you so desire for your listening pleasure.  This group has a lot of those--Top Tracks* that weren't big hits, but still songs that many people like.  Santana recorded "Jingo" on their first album in 1969:

"Popular", Rankings, and Misinformation

At Inside The Rock Era, we take it upon ourselves to clear up misinformation in the music industry.  For instance, a #1 Country song means that the song is only #1 in that genre; it is not a #1 song overall.  And yes, Janis Joplin only had one big hit, and Jimi Hendrix only had two.  It's tough enough in the music business, especially when you're not around long. 

Some people use a loose definition of "hit" when describing how well a song or artist has done.  Being in the music industry for nearly 40 years now in some capacity, I can tell you that most industry professionals define "a hit" as a Top 10 or at the worst, a Top 15 song.  For if it doesn't achieve a higher rank than that, it usually won't get airplay into the future.  That is true for Top 40 stations, which play the overall hits, for Country stations (which only play the biggest hits of their genre), for Classic Rock stations, etc.

But it bears repeating that a hit on an Album Rock station or Country station doesn't mean it was a hit overall.  I always tell people who are confused by this, or incredulous on how a song or artist that they absolutely love isn't that popular with the general population:  "The world is made up of many types of people of all ages in hundreds of countries.  What is cranked up on your stereo to maximum volume may very well be something others (including your neighbors!) loathe.  To best understand this, what does your grandmother (if you're young enough) think of AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath?  And if you're older, what does your son or grandson think of Barry Manilow, Tony Orlando & Dawn, and Paul Anka?  Musical tastes are all over the map, though of course the "baby boomer" generation dominates the population currently and has the largest influence on song and artist rankings.

Rather than protest why one of your favorite artists isn't ranked higher, or given the attention you feel they deserve, instead celebrate your individuality.  We are positive you don't like a song or artist because someone else does--you like it because you are unique and the song or artist speaks to you.  It's OK if it isn't popular.  But at the same time, it's also important to realize what songs and artists are popular, and which aren't quite as popular; that's part of learning, an essential part of life.

We're here to help with that as it relates to music.  When we do rankings, they aren't just on a whim or based on any personal opinions, but rather, they are based on well-thought out methodology and research.  It isn't perfect, but we're always happy to discuss the reasons behind the rankings with you.  We think that's better than getting emotionally involved and spouting out crazy rankings from our personal library.

That said, we always encourage you to just enjoy the music specials, instead of focusing on the numbers and the rankings.  After all, it's the music that matters.

Top Inside The Rock Era Fans

Inside The Rock Era just went past its three-year anniversary, and with the lineup of music specials we have been producing over the last several months, the site is growing pretty quickly right now.  Here is a breakdown of the most fans of the site by country over the last month.  Welcome to you all, Bienvenue sur notre site, Willkommen auf unserer Website, Sitemize Hoş Geldiniz, Добро пожаловать на наш сайт, Witamy na naszej stronie, and Ласкаво просимо на наш сайт! 

Tell your friends about us so your country can move up the list!  And remember you can always translate any page of our website into your native language by using the handy drop-down menu at the top right side of the website (just below the regular Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era* feature.

1.    United States
2.    France
3.    Germany
4.    United Kingdom
5.    Turkey
6.    Russia
7.    Canada
8.    Poland
9.    Ukraine
10.  Australia

The Top 100 Artists of the Seventies*--Less Than Two Months Away

We hope you are enjoying The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 80's*, as we wrap that special up tomorrow.

Inside The Rock Era is hard at work on a major music special, showcasing The Top 100 Artists of the Seventies*.  After the turbulent years of the late 60's, people everywhere looked to music in part as an escape from world events.  Rock experienced its infancy in the 50's, grew up in the 60's, and exploded in the 70's.  There were thousands of artists, inspired by the early music of the Rock Era, performing just about any kind of variation of rock & roll imaginable. 

You had the soft sounds, which dominated the early part of the decade, from artists such as the Carpenters, Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, and others.  You had great soul music, in fact arguably the best of all-time, during the 70's, from artists such as Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Barry White, the Spinners, the O'Jays, the Stylistics, and many more.  Those artists, along with artists like Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder made R&B music a highlight of the decade. 

In 1970, a budding young piano madman had just begun, and Elton John was on top of the world by the mid 70's.  A group that started out as a country rock outfit by the name of the Eagles sizzled in the decade.

In fact, fusion was occurring all over, as musical styles were being merged to give berth to new genres.  Country rock blossomed in the Seventies, and it had so much influence that today's country stars are essentially playing rock & roll.  Artists such as Linda Ronstadt and Olivia Newton-John rode this wave to superstardom.   

Disco music had its share of backlash, because many of the songs had simple lyrics.  The appeal, of course, was the incredible times one could have back then dancing to a great beat.  The bad rap, then, is partially deserved and partially not deserved.  The best artists to record Disco, such as the Bee Gees and Donna Summer, had excellent lyrics, and their Disco songs stack up with the best of any other type of music.

Musically, the Seventies were a fascinating decade.  You'll hear all of the diversity in our major homegrown music special The Top 100 Artists of the Seventies*, beginning October 1 only on Inside The Rock Era!

Top Unknown/Underrated Song: "In The Still Of The Night" by the Five Satins

Get ready for one of our highest-rated "Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*".  Originally released in 1956, the song only peaked at #24.  Believing in the song, the Five Satins released it again in 1960, but it did worse at #81.  They tried again the following year, but it stopped at #99.

Those numbers have to be taken into account when judging a song years later, but "In The Still Of The Night" has held up well over time.

 

"In The Still Of The Night"

Five Satins

 

Lyrics and Music by Fred Parris

 

In the still of the night
I held you
Held you tight
Cause I love
Love you so
Promise Ill never
Let you go
In the still of the night

I remember
That night in May
The stars were bright above
Ill hope and Ill pray
To keep your precious love
Well before the light
Hold me again
With all of your might
In the still of the night
(In the still of the night)

So before the light
Hold me again
With all of your might
In the still of the night
(In the still of the night)
In the still of the night

The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 80's*: #20-11

We're featuring the top R&B hits of the decade, which is a different production than the overall best songs from the 80's.  This one only considers how songs performed on the R&B chart.  So you'll see some songs here that were much more popular in the R&B genre than the Popular chart, and vice versa. 

 

We have produced ten songs per day since we began on August 1, and we are up to #20*.




 

#20:

"Double Dutch Bus"

Frankie Smith
1981

Frankie Smith wrote songs for artists such as the Spinners and the O'Jays before releasing this solo song.  Going against "Give It To Me Baby" by Rick James and "Endless Love", Smith still topped the R&B chart for four weeks in the summer of '81. 

 

#19:

"Rock With You"

Michael Jackson
1980

Rod Temperton, formerly with the group Heatwave ("Boogie Nights" and "Always And Forever") wrote this song for Michael Jackson.  It became the first #1 R&B song of the decade.  MJ remained there for six weeks.

#18:

"Give It To Me Baby"

Rick James
1981

This artist was once in a group called the Mynah Birds with two former members of Buffalo Springfield--Neil Young and Bruce Palmer.  We mentioned this song above as being a top competitor for "Double Dutch Bus".  Now here it is.  James scored one of his biggest R&B hits with "Give It To Me Baby", #1 for five weeks.
 

 

 

 

#17:

"Being With You"

Smokey Robinson
1981

This song holds up 33 years later as good as it did when it was released.  Smokey spent five weeks at #1, taking over from another five-week #1, "Don't Stop The Music" by Yarbrough & Peoples.  Robert John, who had the 1979 hit "Sad Eyes", was among the backup singers on the record.

 

 

 

 

#16:

"Don't Stop The Music"

Yarbrough & Peoples
1981

Cavin Yarbrough and Alisa Peoples met while both were taking piano lessons, and they became friends, eventually starting a duo in 1977.   This song won the dual with "Being With You" by virtue of stronger competition--it also had to go against "Burn Rubber" and Lakeside's "Fantastic Voyage" prior to the release of "Being With You".


 

#15:

"Time Will Reveal"

DeBarge
1983

DeBarge had a great decade, and released this song on the heels of the hits "All This Love" and "I Like It"--this one fought it out for positioning with Lionel Richie's "All Night Long", "Joanna", and "If Only You Knew" by Patti LaBelle to score five weeks at #1.

 

#14:

"Funkin' For Jamaica"

Tom Browne
1980

Against arguably the toughest R&B competition of the decade, this song by jazz trumpeter Tom Browne still emerged as a #1 song for four weeks.  It had to rise up through Diana Ross's "Upside Down", "Give Me The Night" by George Benson and Stevie Wonder's "Master Blaster", among others to get there.   

 

 

#13:

"Endless Love"

Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
1981

Here'a  superstar combination that paid off.  Diana Ross had left Motown two months before to ink a $20 million deal with RCA Records.  Lionel Richie had just left his group the Commodores, so it was perfect timing.  Ross & Richie topped "Double Dutch Bus" and "When She Was My Girl" to score a #1 smash of seven weeks.


 

#12:

"Love Came Down"

Evelyn King
1982

The lady who gave us "Shame" in 1978 continued right on making solid R&B music.  Her 1982 smash was out the same time as releases by two giants--"Jump To It" by Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing".  Yet King still jumped to #1 for five weeks.


 

#11:

"Take Your Time (Do It Right)

S.O.S. Band
1980

The seven-member S.O.S. Band came to the rescue with this smash from 1980.  Their first release sold over two million copies.  It took over from Jermaine Jackson's "Let's Get Serious", and also fended off "One In A Million You" and "Upside Down".

 

 

Thus, we have climbed to the verge of the Top 10, and you'll get to hear that tomorrow on Inside The Rock Era!

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.

Classic Summer Songs: Lovin Spoonful with "Summer In The City"

Hope you're keeping cool in that hot, hot sun:

The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 80's*: #30-21

We're getting into the funk and smooth grooves of the decade, as we feature ten more in our special:

 

 

#30:

"Give Me The Night"

George Benson
1980

This ten-time Grammy Award winner is one of the most respected jazz musicians of all-time.  Benson came out with this great song during the time when songs like "Take Your Time" by the S.O.S. Band, "One In A Million You", "Funkin' For Jamica" by Tom Browne, and "Upside Down" were out.  Tough road to hoe, there.  But George made the most of it, somehow getting to #1 for three weeks.

 

 

#29:

"Upside Down"

Diana Ross

1980

Speaking of "Upside Down", here is Ms. Ross with this #1 smash of four weeks.  The Guinness Book of World Records had Diana as "the most successful female artist in history" in 1993 for her work with the Supremes and as a solo artist, and in 1999, Billboard named her "Female Entertainer of the Century".

 

 

#28:

"Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love)"
Isley Brothers
1980

The six-member Isley Brothers are the same group that gave us "Shout" and "It's Your Thing".  The Brothers took this great song to #1 for four weeks against "Stomp!" by the Brothers Johnson, "And The Beat Goes On", and Jermaine Jackson's "Let's Get Serious".  1980 was an incredible year for R&B!

 

#27:

"And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going"

Jennifer Holliday

1982

This incredible vocal performance from Ms. Holliday from the musical Dreamgirls was one of the great R&B songs from 1982.  It encountered stiff competition from "Let It Whip", the Gap Band's "Early In The Morning", and "Jump To It" by Aretha Franklin, yet still remained at #1 for four weeks.  Unbelievable that it wasn't a bigger Popular song...(#22)

 

 

 

#26:

"Cold Blooded"

Rick James
1983

You've heard this song mentioned often as being a tough competitor, for songs such as "She Works Hard For The Money", "Ain't Nobody", and "All Night Long.  The reason is that Rick James spent six weeks at #1 in 1983 with one of his biggest career R&B smashes.

 

 

 

#25:

"She's Strange"
Cameo
1984

Cameo also placed "Word Up" and "Candy" in The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 80's*.  They spent four weeks at #1 with this one, even more time at the top than they did with "Word Up".  It was sandwiched between "Somebody's Watching Me" and "Hello", making the four weeks all the more impressive.  Founder Larry Blackmon still tours with the group.

 

#24:

"And The Beat Goes On"

Whispers

1980

Here's another 1980 song that did well.  The Los Angeles-based Whispers staved off all challengers for five weeks to stand tall at #1.  Their talent was rewarded in 2003 when the Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

 

 

#23:

"Let It Whip"

Dazz Band
1982

This group from Cleveland, Ohio dazzled with this one in 1982, which earned a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.  It rode high for five weeks against songs like "It's Gonna' Take A Miracle", "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going", and "Early In The Morning".  That's a highly impressive resume, which is why the group comes in here at #23* with "Let It Whip". 

 

 

 

#22:

"Atomic Dog"

George Clinton
1983

Many songs tried to top "Billie Jean" in 1983, but this is the one that finally did it.  George Clinton, the genius behind Parliament/Funkadelic for so many great years, remained at #1 on the R&B chart for four weeks with this killer.  Clinton has been described as one of the foremost innovators of funk music.

#21:

"Part-Time Lover"

Stevie Wonder
1985

One of Stevie Wonder's biggest R&B hits of the 80's bested "You Are My Lady", Isley Jasper Isley's "Caravan Of Love" and "Don't Say No Tonight" by Eugene Wilde in 1985.

 

 

 

 

Ten songs to enjoy again and again.  The great thing about Inside The Rock Era is that you can go back at any time and "relive" the special.  When completed, we'll have The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 80's* listed in the Charts and Lists Tab at the top of the website.