This Date in Rock Music History: April 26

1960:  The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Dave Clark Five were the top performers at the NME poll winner's concert at Wembley Empire Pool in London.
1960:  Elvis Presley began filming for the movie G.I. Blues in Hollywood, California.  (Note:  Director Hal Wallis had shot footage in West Germany from August 17-29, 1969 of Presley's battalion on maneuvers and everyday activities.)
1961:  Ben E. King released the single "Stand By Me".
1965:  The Who performed at Bridgewater Town Hall in England.
1965:  Bob Dylan arrived at the London Airport to begin a tour of the U.K. to promote his new album Bringing It All Back Home.








1966:  Dusty Springfield topped the U.K. Singles chart with "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me".
1967:  Mama Cass Elliott gave birth to daughter Owen Vanessa in Los Angeles.









1967:  Janis Ian performed "Society's Child" at the age of 17 on Leonard Bernstein's CBS-TV special Inside Pop:  The Rock Revolution.  
1969:  The Soundtrack to "Hair" was the new #1 album, replacing the self-titled Blood, Sweat & Tears.  Galveston by Glen Campbell was #3, with Donovan's Greatest Hits at 4 and Cloud Nine from the Temptations fifth.
1969:  Led Zeppelin performed for the second of three nights at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
1969:  The Beatles, with keyboard help from Billy Preston, reached #1 in the U.K. with "Get Back".






1969:  On the other side of the Atlantic, an even better song was #1 as 5th Dimension were flying high for the third week with "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In".  Blood, Sweat & Tears remained at 2 with "You've Made Me So Very Happy", the Isley Brothers took #3 with "It's Your Thing" and "Only The Strong Survive" from Jerry Butler came in fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  The former #1 "Dizzy" from Tommy Roe at #5, "Galveston" from Glen Campbell, "Hair" from the Cowsills at #7, "Twenty-Five Miles" by Edwin Starr moving up to 8, the Zombies checked in at #9 with "Time Of The Season" and Steppenwolf had their third Top 10 hit with "Rock Me".
1970:  Tom Jones was the guest on Raquel Welch's Raquel! television special on CBS.





1971:  The Rolling Stones released the single "Brown Sugar" in the U.S.  It was released April 16 in the U.K.  (Note:  some websites claim the song was released May 7 in the United States.









 
                             Hot Chocolate with one of their biggest career hits...

1975:  B.J. Thomas set a record with the longest title ever to hit #1--"(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song".  Elton John slipped to 2 with "Philadelphia Freedom" while Tony Orlando & Dawn was at #3 with "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)".  The rest of the Top 10:  Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You", Ben E. King had #5 with "Supernatural Thing", Sammy Johns climbed in his "Chevy Van" for #6, Freddy Fender had song #7 with "Before The Next Teardrop Falls", Hot Chocolate was at 8 with "Emma", Barry White had another winner--"What Am I Gonna' Do With You" and the Blackbyrds' hit "Walking In Rhythm" was at #10.







1976:  Starland Vocal Band released the single "Afternoon Delight".







 


1976:  The Captain & Tennille released their remake of the Miracles hit "Shop Around".










1976:  The Brothers Johnson released the single "I'll Be Good to You".
1977:  Grateful Dead were in concert for the third night at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey.

1977:  Studio 54 opened in New York City at 254 West 54th Street.  Cher was on hand for opening night.
1978:  Ringo Starr appeared in his television special Ringo, which was a musical version of The Prince and the Pauper.  The movie also starred Michael Douglas, Angie Dickinson and Art Carney.
1980:  The Carpenters starred in the television special Music, Music, Music on ABC.
1980:  Blondie prevailed on the U.K. Singles chart with "Call Me".

Seger got help from Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles...

1980:  Blondie was also #1 in the States, trailed by Christopher Cross's "Ride Like The Wind" and "Another Brick In The Wall" from Pink Floyd.  Billy Preston & Syreeta had #4 "With You I'm Born Again".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Special Lady" from Ray, Goodman & Brown, Air Supply's "Lost In Love", Bob Seger remained at 7 with "Fire Lake", the Eagles had song #8--"I Can't Tell You Why", Billy Joel stormed into the Top 10 with "You May Be Right" and Dr. Hook rose to #10 with "Sexy Eyes".
1982:  Paul McCartney released the album Tug of War.  (Note:  some websites claim he released the album September 6.  The correct date of release is April 26, according to the official website for McCartney.)
1982:  Meat Loaf gave the first of four sold out shows at Wembley Arena in London.






1984:  If you journey to England for a Beatles Tour as part of your bucket list, be sure to check this out.  Mike McCartney (Paul's brother) unveiled the statue of the Beatles by John Doubleday at the new Cavern Walks Shopping Centre in Liverpool, England.
1986:  Prince & the Revolution held on to #1 on the R&B chart for a fourth week with "Kiss".
1990:  Nirvana performed at the Pyramid Club in New York City.
1997:  Ernest Stewart, keyboardist with KC and the Sunshine Band, died of asthma.
1999:  Sinead O'Connor was ordained as the first woman priest at Latin Tridentine Church.





2001:  Destiny's Child held the #1 position in the U.K. with their smash "Survivor".

2003:  The bridge that James Taylor sang about in his song "Carolina In My Mind" was named after him in a dedication ceremony in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where Taylor grew up.
2006:  In today's episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Snoop Dogg was today's daily arrest of a rap star.  Dogg was taken into custody at London's Heathrow Airport after a fight in the business lounge.  He and his entourage of more than 30 people were upset when they were told they could not board their flight and starting hitting police officers.  Once again the moral compass-challenged fans of rap music are left scratching their heads for answers.  
2008:  Leona Lewis had the #1 album with Spirit.


2011:  Phoebe Snow died at the age of 60 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage on April 19, slipping into a coma, and enduring blood clots, pneumonia and congestive heart failure.  


Born This Day:
1925:  Jorgen Ingmann ("Apache" in 1961) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark; died March 21, 2015 in Denmark.



1938:  Duane Eddy ("Because They're Young"), who developed the technique of playing lead on the bass strings of his guitar that gave it a twangy sound, was born in Corning, New York.  (Note:  some websites claim Eddy was born on April 28, but the Rock Hall of Fame and the book 'The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool:  A Celebration of the Grooviest People' by Chris Strodder and 'Legends of Rock Guitar:  The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists' by Pete Prown and Harvey P. Newquist all say Eddy was born on April 26.)   1938:  Maurice Williams ("Stay") was born in Lancaster, South Carolina.
1940:  Giorgio Moroder, producer of Donna Summer and a solo artist ("Chase") was born in Ortisei, Italy.
1941:  Claudine Clark, whose one and only hit "Party Lights" hit the Top 5 in 1962, was born in Macon, Georgia.

1942:  Robert Ridarelli, better known as Bobby Rydell ("Wild One"), was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

1943:  Gary Wright of Spooky Tooth and a solo star, was born in Cresskill, New Jersey. 
1945:  Tony Murray, bassist of the Troggs, was born in Dublin, Ireland.
1946:  Johnny "Buck" Wilkins (Ronny of Ronny & the Daytonas)
1951:  Nick Garvey, lead singer and guitarist of the Motors ("Love And Loneliness"), was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.






1960:  Roger Taylor, drummer for Duran Duran, was born in Birmingham, England.
1961:  Chris Mars, drummer of the Replacements, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1970:  Tionne Watkins, known as T-Boz in the group TLC, was born in Des Moines, Iowa.
1971:  Stanley Wayne DeMarcus, Jr. (Jay DeMarcus), songwriter, bassist and keyboardist of Rascal Flatts, was born in Columbus, Ohio.
1975:  Joey Jordison, songwriter and drummer of Slipknot and a producer, was born in Des Moines, Iowa.
1976:  Jose Pasillas, drummer of Incubus, was born in Calabasas, California.
1982:  Jonathan Lee, vocalist of S Club 7, was born in Croydon, Surrey, England.  (Note:  some websites say Lee was born in Devon, England.  While unfortunately no credible sources exist for his birthplace, our best information indicates that Jonathan was born in Croydon.)

Calendar* Correction: Willie Nelson

Some websites claim Willie Nelson was born April 29, 1933.   According to Country Music Television, the book Handbook of Texas Music by Laurie E. Jasinski, and numerous other credible sources, Nelson was born on April 30. 

Calendar* Clarification: Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock"

Some websites report that Elvis Presley recorded the song "Jailhouse Rock" on April 30 and May 3 of 1957, and some say that he recorded it in three sessions--2 on April 30 and May 3 at Radio Recorders and 1 at MGM Studios in Hollywood, California.  Presley did record songs for the movie Jailhouse Rock on those other two days, but according to the book Elvis Presley:  A Life In Music by Ernst Jorgensen, Presley completed recording of the song "Jailhouse Rock" on April 30 at Radio Recorders.

Prelude to The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*: "Blowin' In The Wind" by Peter, Paul & Mary

This song just recently dropped out of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.  It would indeed be sad if the powerful message of this classic song was lost upon the younger generation.  But both its airplay and sales have dropped off tremendously.

It may be one of those songs that only the 60's generation gets to keep to themselves...

Featured Top Unknown/Underrated Song*: Billy Idol's "White Wedding"

This great song stalled at #36, but should have been a smash hit.  Billy makes fun of "White Weddings" in this rocker:

 

"White Wedding"

Billy Idol

 

Lyrics and Music by Billy Idol

 

Hey little sister what have you done?
Hey little sister who's the only one?
Hey little sister who's your superman?
Hey little sister who's the one you want?
Hey little sister shot gun!

It's a nice day to start again.
It's a nice day for a white wedding.
It's a nice day to start again.

Hey little sister who is it you're with?
Hey little sister what's your vice and wish?
Hey little sister shot gun (oh yeah)
Hey little sister who's your superman?
Hey little sister shot gun!

It's a nice day to start again (come on)
It's a nice day for a white wedding
It's a nice day to start again.

(Pick it up)

Take me back home

Hey little sister what have you done?
Hey little sister who's the only one?
I've been away for so long (so long)
I've been away for so long (so long)
I let you go for so long

It's a nice day to start again (come on)
It's a nice day for a white wedding
It's a nice day to start again.

There is nothin' fair in this world
There is nothin' safe in this world
And there's nothin' sure in this world
And there's nothin' pure in this world
Look for something left in this world
Start again

Come on
It's a nice day for a white wedding
It's a nice day to start again.
It's a nice day to start again.
It's a nice day to start again

Calendar* Correction: First Black Sabbath Concert with RonnieJames Dio

Some websites report that lead singer Ronnie James Dio performed with Black Sabbath for the first time on April 29, 1980.  There are two problems with this.  First, the scheduled April 29 show at the Guildhall in Portsmouth, England was canceled, as you can tell from the picture above.  Second, Dio made his debut with the group  at the Stadhalle in Aurich, Germany on April 17.  This information is courtesy of the official Black Sabbath website.

Calendar* Correction: Andrew Oldham Contract with Rolling Stones

Some websites report that Andrew Oldham and agent Eric Easton Signed a management contract with the Rolling Stones on April 29, 1963.  This is incorrect, according to the book The Rolling Stones:  A Musical Biography by Murry R. Nelson.  According to Nelson, the contract was signed on May 6.

This Date in Rock Music History: April 25

1960:  Bill Black, the bassist behind Elvis Presley for his early Rock Era hits, had formed Bill Black's Combo and they took over on the R&B chart with "White Silver Sands".

1960:  "Stuck On You" moved from #6 to #1 for Elvis Presley on this date, finally breaking the hold that "The Theme From 'A Summer Place'" by Percy Faith had on the top spot.  Faith had dominated the charts at #1 for nine weeks in a row but slipped to #4.  The Brothers Four had #2 with "Greenfields", Johnny Horton climbed to #3 with "Sink The Bismark" and "He'll Have To Go" by Jim Reeves was #5.










1964:  The Beatles placed an incredible 14 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, a feat no touring and recording artist has come anywhere close to since.  In fact, that's a pretty good accomplishment for 10 years of work, let alone one.  "Can't Buy Me Love" continued to set the pace at #1, with "Twist And Shout" stuck at #2 behind it and "Do You Want To Know A Secret" at #3.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Hello, Dolly!" by Louis Armstrong, which would eventually rise to #1, "Suspicion" from Terry Stafford as song #5, "Glad All Over" and "Bits And Pieces" getting positions 6 and 7, respectively, for the Dave Clark Five, "Don't Let The Rain Come Down" by the Serendipity Singers, Mary Wells' big hit "My Guy" moving from 14-9, and Jan & Dean at #10 with "Dead Man's Curve".
1965:  The Rolling Stones performed at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
1967:  Having completed work on their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band four days previous, the Beatles began recording the theme to the movie Magical Mystery Tour at EMI Studios, recording three takes of the backing track.  (Note:  some websites report that the Beatles recorded the song on this date, as if they finished everything they needed to do.  The group continued to work on the song for the next two days, and final mixing wasn't completed until November 7, according to 'The Beatles Bible'.)
1970:  Dionne Warwick - Souled Out aired on British TV with guests Creedence Clearwater Revival and Glen Campbell.
1970:  The Jackson 5 achieved a fourth straight week at #1 on the R&B chart with "ABC".
1970:  The Beatles spent a third week atop the Adult Contemporary chart with "Let It Be".

1970:  The Jackson 5 took over from the Beatles on the Popular chart with "ABC".  "Spirit In The Sky" was #3 for Norman Greenbaum while John Ono Lennon had #4 with "Instant Karma".  The rest of the Top 10:  "American Woman" from the Guess Who, moving from 9-5, Edison Lighthouse at #6 with "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)", Badfinger stuck at 7 with "Come And Get It", the Friends of Distinction remaining at 8 with "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely", "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel still in the Top 10 at #9 and "Turn Back The Hands Of Time" giving Tyrone Davis his only Top 10 hit.







                                   Ringo got to sing lead for "Octopus's Garden"...

1970:  Bridge Over Troubled Water was #1 for an eighth week on the Album chart for Simon and Garfunkel.  The rest of the Top 10:  Deja Vu, the great album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, was at #2, Hey Jude from the Beatles fell to 3, Santana was #4, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 moved up to 5, Chicago II was #6, Morrison Hotel by the Doors was #7, Led Zeppelin II fell to #8, Abbey Road by the Beatles was at #9 in its 29th week and Psychedelic Shack from the Temptations rounded out the Top 10.






1971:  Carole King released the single "It's Too Late".
1974:  Gregg Allman performed the last date of a solo tour and, to prove the Allman Brothers Band were not splitting up, the entire band came out on stage for a 90-minute encore.
1977:  Paul Anka starred in the television special Music--My Way on ABC-TV; Natalie Cole was one of his guests.

                               This is an actual picture of Elvis at the Civic Center.


1977:  As it turned out, Elvis Presley made the last recordings of his life at a concert at Michigan Civic Center in Saginaw.  Three songs from that show were on the album Moody Blue released after Presley's death.
1979:  Donna Summer released the album Bad Girls on Casablanca Records.
1979:  The Ramones' movie Rock 'n' Roll High School opened.  (Note:  some websites report that the movie opened on August 4 or August 24.  According to director Allan Arkush, in an interview with 'The Village Voice', the movie opened in April in Texas and New Mexico, and did not reach New York City until August.)
1979:  The Police made their public debut on the Top of the Pops show on BBC-TV, playing "Roxanne".
1981:  Juice Newton had the #1 Adult Contemporary song for the third consecutive week with "Angel Of The Morning".





                                              The Police with their new song...

1981:  Hall & Oates spent their third and final week at #1 on the Popular music chart with "Kiss On My List".  Sheena Easton closed at #2 with "Morning Train" and Smokey Robinson made a move from 8-3 with "Being With You".  Bill Withers sang lead on Grover Washington, Jr's "Just The Two of Us" and Juice Newton's remake of "Angel Of The Morning" was #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Rapture" from Blondie was at #6, Steve Winwood held strong at #7 with "While You See A Chance", John Lennon's "Woman" fell to #8, Styx remained at 9 with "The Best Of Times" and the Police had #10 with "Don't Stand So Close To Me".






1981:  Hi Infidelity remained at #1 on the Album chart for REO Speedwagon, with Styx's Paradise Theater and Steve Winwood's Arc of a Diver trailing.  The rest of the Top 10:  Moving Pictures from Rush at #4, Winelight by Grover Washington, Jr., Face Dances from the Who at #6, Zenyatta Mondatta coming in at 7 for the Police, Eric Clapton's Another Ticket moving up to 8, Double Fantasy by John Lennon & Yoko Ono at #9 and the Soundtrack to "The Jazz Singer" by Neil Diamond completing the list.
1982:  Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder had the #1 U.K. song with "Ebony And Ivory".
1985:  Queen played the first of four nights at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Australia.
1985:  Roger Miller's Broadway musical Big River opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and would go on to win a Tony for Best Musical.
1987:  Madonna led the way on the U.K. Singles chart with "La Isla Bonita".
1987:  "The Finer Things" by Steve Winwood moved into the top spot on the Adult Contemporary chart.




1988:  INXS released the single "New Sensation".








 

1990:  Jimi Hendrix's Fender Stratocaster that the guitarist famously used to play "The Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock was auctioned off for $295,000.
1992:  Right Said Fred had the #1 album in the U.K. with Up.
1992:  Eric Clapton had the #1 Adult Contemporary song for the second week in a row with "Tears In Heaven".
1992:  Adrenalize by Def Leppard remained at #1 on the Album chart.  Bruce Springsteen's album Human Touch was #2, followed by Totally Krossed Out from Kris Kross, Lucky Town by Springsteen and Wyonna's self-titled album at #5.
1994:  Not only did Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys attack a TV cameraman, but he had the poor taste of doing it at memorial services for actor River Phoenix in the previous November.  Horovitz was sentenced to 200 hours of community service for the incident on this date in history.  All of you reading this deserve to be more successful than Horovitz, and yet some people give money to a loser like that.

1994:  The Eagles played the first of four concerts at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California on their Hell Freezes Over tour.  Back together for the first time in 14 years, the group named the album after an earlier quote from Don Henley, who responded to the question "When would the Eagles get back together?".
1998:  Next spent the first of four weeks at #1 with "Too Close".
1999:  Westlife had the #1 song in the U.K. with "Swear It Again".
1999:  Nas had the #1 album in the U.S. with I Am.
1999:  Paul Simon sang "Mrs. Robinson" on Joe DiMaggio day at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
2000:  Eric Clapton performed with ex-Derek & the Dominoes keyboard player Bobby Whitlock for the first time in 29 years on the British television show Later With Jools Holland.



2002:  Lisa Lopes of TLC was killed in an automobile accident in La Ceiba, Honduras at the age of 30.  
2003:  Kelly Clarkson and Styx both canceled concerts in Toronto, Ontario, Canada following warnings about the respiratory disease SARS.
2004:  Billy Joel drove his car into a house in Bayville, New York.  Luckily, no one was injured in the crash but it was Joel's third accident in two years.  (Note:  some websites report the crash was in Long Island, New York.  Long Island is not a city, and the specific city where the crash occurred was Bayville, according to 'CBS News' and the newspapers 'The New York Post' and 'The New York Daily News'.  When you read things on the Internet, learn to distinguish between the "amateurs" and the professionals.)
2005:  Bruce Springsteen opened his Devils & Dust Tour at the Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan.







2007:  Bobby "Boris Pickett ("The Monster Mash") died of leukemia in Los Angeles at the age of 69.
2009:  Rascal Flatts had the #1 album with Unstoppable.
2010:  Engelbert Humperdinck was inducted into the Walk of Fame in Leicester, England.



Born This Day:

1933:  Songwriter and producer Jerry Leiber, who worked for Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, the Monkees and Cliff Richard; wrote "Hound Dog" for Elvis and "Charlie Brown" for the Coasters, was born in Baltimore, Maryland; died in Los Angeles August 22, 2011 from cardio-pulmonary failure.  (Note:  some websites report that Leiber died on August 23.  The correct date is August 23, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times'.)
1937:  Dick Kniss, stand-up bassist for Peter, Paul and Mary and and songwriter (co-wrote "Sunshine On My Shoulders" for John Denver), was born in Portland, Oregon; died January 25, 2012 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Kingston, New York.  (Note:  some websites claim Kniss died on April 24, but the correct date is the 25th, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times'.)



1945:  Bjorn Ulvaeus, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for ABBA, was born in Gothenburg, Sweden.

1945:  Stu Cook, bass guitarist of Creedence Clearwater Revival, was born in Oakland, California.  (Note:  some websites report that Cook was born in Palo Alto, California.  Although no credible sources exist for either city, our best information indicates Cook was born in Oakland.) 1945:  Michael Kogel, lead singer of Los Bravos ("Black Is Black"), was born in Berlin, Germany.
1946:  Ronnie Gilbert, bassist of the Blues Magoos ("We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet"),
1949:  Michael Brown, songwriter and keyboardist of the Left Bank  ("Walk Away Renee"), was born in New York City; died March 19, 2015 of heart failure in Englewood, New Jersey.
1950:  Steve Ferrone, drummer with Average White Band ("Pick Up The Pieces") and Eric Clapton, was born in Brighton, England.
1955:  David Sikes, bass guitarist of Boston and Giuffria
1964:  Andy Bell of Erasure ("Chains Of Love" and "A Little Respect") was born in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England.
1965:  Eric Avery, original bassist of Jane's Addition, was born in Los Angeles, California.
1980:  Jacob Underwood of O-Town was born in El Cajon, California.

Calendar* Correction: Duane Eddy

Several websites report that Duane Eddy was born on April 26, 938.  However, the Rock Hall of Fame and the book The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool:  A Celebration of the Grooviest People by Chris Strodder and Legends of Rock Guitar:  The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists by Pete Prown and Harvey P. Newquist all say Eddy was born on April 26.  

Calendar* Correction: Bonnie Raitt Marriage

Some websites report that Bonnie Raitt married Michael O'Keefe on April 27, 1991.  According to both The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, the correct date is April 28.

Calendar* Clarification: Mike Oldfield at Wembley

Some websites report that  Mike Oldfield played the first of two shows at Wembley Arena in London on April 28, 1979.  According to his official website, he played on April 28 and 29th and May 2.

Calendar* Correction: Verve Breakup in 1999

From a group that has made a habit of breaking up, getting back together, and splitting up again, the dates are hard to follow.  Some websites report that the Verve broke up for a second time on April 27, 1999.  The correct date is April 28, when a statement was released by the band's management company, according to MTV. 

Calendar* Correction: Axl Rose Marriage to Erin Everly

Some websites report that Axl Rose, lead singer of Guns N' Roses, married Erin Everly on April 27, 1990.  The correct date, as you can see from the above copy of the marriage certificate, is April 28.  This date is confirmed by the book Watch You Bleed:  The Saga of Guns N' Roses.

Calendar* Correction: Blue Oyster Cult 1978 Tour of the U.K.

Some websites report that Blue Oyster Cult began a 14-date U.K. tour on April 27, 1978.  According to the group's official website, BOC began the tour on April 28 at the Apollo Theatre in Manchester, England. 

Calendar* Correction: John Lennon Book 'In His Own Write'

Some websites report that John Lennon published his book In His Own Write on April 27, 1964.  The correct date is March 23, according to The Beatles Bible as well as the books Read the Beatles:  Classic and New Writings on the Beatles by June Skinner Sawyers and The Art And Music Of John Lennon by Peter Doggett.

Prelude to The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*: "Telstar" by the Tornados

The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* is coming up in less than four weeks.  Enjoy some of the great songs that didn't quite make the list in this updated 2015 version. 

This classic is one of The Top 10 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*, a #1 smash by the Tornados...

This Date in Rock Music History: April 24

1957:  Ricky Nelson released his first single "Teenager's Romance" on Verve Records.  (Note:  some websites claim the song was released April 27.  We know that Ricky made his musical debut on April 10 before the single was released, and it debuted on the charts on May 13.  According to 'United Press International', Ricky released the single on April 24.)











1958:  After an earlier release on Mohawk Records failed, Dion & the Belmonts switched to Laurie Records and released the single I Wonder Why".  (Note:  some websites say the song was his first single release, ignoring the release on Mohawk.  Others say the song was released May 5.  According to 'United Press International', the song was released on April 24.)
1959:  Buddy Holly hit #1 on the U.K. Singles chart six weeks after his death with the Paul Anka song "It Doesn't Matter Anymore".











 
1959:  "There Goes My Baby" by the Drifters, the first song to feature new lead singer Ben E. King, was released on Atlantic Records.
1961:  19-year-old Bob Dylan played harmonica on the song "Calypso King" for Harry Belafonte.
1961:  Ernie K-Doe rose to the top of the R&B chart with "Mother-In-Law".









1961:  The classic "Runaway" by Del Shannon took over as the #1 song as "Blue Moon" by the Marcels dropped to #2.  Ernie K-Doe had #3 with "Mother-In-Law", Clarence Henry moved up to #4 with "But I Do" and Floyd Cramer had #5 with "On The Rebound".
1963:  18-year-old Brenda Lee married her husband Ronnie Shacklett.  The couple is still together.
1965:  "Ticket To Ride" by the Beatles was #1 in the U.K.
1965:  "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker & the All-Stars returned to #1 on the R&B chart for a fourth week at #1.









1965:  Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders were the proud owners of the new #1 song with "Game Of Love".  Herman's Hermits moved from 12 to #2 with "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter".  The rest of the Top Five:  The former #1 "I'm Telling You Now" by Freddie & the Dreamers, Petula Clark's "I Know A Place" at #4 and the Supremes at 5 with their former #1 "Stop!  In The Name Of Love".

 

Julie Andrews' "A Spoonful of Sugar" helped the Soundtrack and the movie become a classic..

1965:  The Soundtrack to "Mary Poppins" was #1 on the Album chart for the third out of 13 weeks.  Introducing Herman's Hermits was #2, followed by another soundtrack (Goldfinger) at #3, The Return of Roger Miller at #4 and The Rolling Stones, Now! at #5.










1967:  Aretha Franklin released the single "Respect".  (Note:  some websites mistakenly report that the single was released April 29.  "Respect" debuted on the Singles chart on April 29.  It is physically impossible for a record company to release a single to record companies, the song to be listened to and added to radio station playlists, reported by the radio station to the trade papers, and printed and published by the trade papers, all on the same day.)










1968:  After performing "This Guy's In Love With You" on the television special The Beat of the Brass two days previously, Herb Alpert released the single on A&M Records.
1968:  The Beatles' record company Apple Records turned down an offer from David Bowie to sign him.
1968:  This was definitely a warning sign--while celebrating his birthday, Who drummer Keith Moon drove his car into a Holiday Inn swimming pool.









1968:  Louis Armstrong reached #1 in the U.K. with "What A Wonderful World", making Armstrong (66 years, 10 months) the oldest act ever to hit #1.  Tom Jones later broke his record in 2009 as part of a charity cover of "Islands In The Stream"--he was 68 years old at the time.  "What A Wonderful World" did not catch on in the U.S. until 1987.










1971:  "If" by Bread reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.












1971:  Marvin Gaye's classic "What's Going On" held on to #1 for a fifth week on the R&B chart.












1971:  Three Dog Night enjoyed the second of six weeks at #1 with their classic "Joy To The World" while Marvin Gaye remained at 2 with "What's Going On".  The rest of the Top 10:  Ocean with "Put Your Hand In The Hand", the Jackson 5 made a bid from 13-4 with "Never Can Say Goodbye", Paul McCartney remained at 5 with "Another Day", Neil Diamond climbed from 12-6 with "I Am...I Said", the Temptations' former #1 "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" was at 7, Bread shot up from 20-8 with "If", Tom Jones fell to #9 with "She's A Lady" and the Bells had themselves a Top 10 record with "Stay Awhile".

1971:  Pearl remained at #1 for Janis Joplin on the Album chart.  The Soundtrack to "Jesus Christ Superstar" stayed at 2 and Up To Date from the Partridge Family moved up to #3.  The rest of the Top 10:  Love Story from Andy Williams, Three Dog Night's Golden Bisquits at #5, the Soundtrack to "Love Story" dropping to #6, Santana's great Abraxas moving up to #7, The Cry of Love from Jimi Hendrix at #8, Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens at #9 and the Carpenters spent yet another week in the top ten with Close To You.
1975:  Peter Ham, the highly successful singer-songwriter with Badfinger, committed suicide in his Surrey, England home at the age of 27.
1976:  Paul and Linda McCartney spent the night watching Saturday Night Live on television with John Lennon in New York.  SNL producer Lorne Michaels made an on-air offer asking the Beatles to show up and play three songs live.  Lennon and McCartney mulled over the possibility of taking a taxi to the television studio but decided they were too tired. The next day was the final occasion the famous songwriting team saw each other.
1976:  Led Zeppelin hit familiar territory with their sixth #1 album in the U.K., Presence.
1976:  "Come On Over", a song written for Olivia Newton-John by the Bee Gees, topped the Adult Contemporary chart.


1976:  We all do it, and on this day "Living For The Weekend" by the O'Jays was the #1 R&B song.











    
                                      Gary Wright had himself a great album...


1976:  Wings at the Speed Of Sound took over at #1 on the Album chart.  Led Zeppelin debuted at #2 with Presence and the Eagles' blockbuster album Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 fell from 1 to 3.  The rest of the Top 10:  A Night at the Opera from Queen held down #4, Eargasm from Johnnie Taylor was #5, Frampton Comes Alive! was #6, Gary Wright's The Dream Weaver remained at #7, Fleetwood Mac's self-titled album moved up again in its 39th week, Desire from Bob Dylan was #9 and Song of Joy by Captain & Tennille was at #10.

1977:  Talking Heads opened their first European tour at the Volkshaus in Zurich, Switzerland.
1977:  Santana and Joan Baez gave a free concert for the inmates of Soledad Prison in Salinas, California.
1979:  "Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles was declared the state song of Georgia.
1981:  New Order began work on their debut album at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England.
1982:  Status Quo topped the U.K. Album chart with 1982.









                                                   Might as well "Jump"!

1982:  Vangelis's hit song "Chariots Of Fire" gave him the #1 album in the country for a second week with his album of the same name.  Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' I Love Rock-n-Roll was #2 followed by Beauty and the Beat from the Go-Go's.  The rest of the Top 10:  Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet from Rick Springfield,  Concert in Central Park from Simon & Garfunkel at #6, Freeze Frame by the J. Geils Band at #7, Get Lucky from Loverboy was at #8, Escape by Journey moved up to 9 and Quincy Jones' album The Dude was at 10 with great help from James Ingram and others.
1982:  Vangelis also ruled the Adult Contemporary chart for the fourth of five weeks in a row with "Chariots Of Fire".








             867-5309 became one of the most dialed phone numbers...

1982:  Joan Jett & the Blackhearts dominated the Singles chart with "I Love Rock 'N Roll", remaining for a sixth week at #1.  The Go-Go's challenged at 2 with "We Got The Beat, "Chariots Of Fire" by Vangelis was at 3 and the J. Geils Band stayed at 4 with "Freeze Frame".  The rest of the Top 10:  Rick Springfield's "Don't Talk To Strangers", Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder teamed for the epic song "Ebony And Ivory" that rose from 21-6, Huey Lewis & the News remained at 7 with their debut "Do You Believe In Love", Bertie Higgins held strong at 8 with "Key Largo", Paul Davis entered the Top 10 with "'65 Love Affair" and Tommy Tutone posted their first and only top Ten song with "867-5309".
1984:  If at first you don't succeed....Jerry Lee Lewis married 22-year-old Kerrie McCarver, his sixth wife.
1984:  R.E.M. began a short tour of the U.K. at the Tin Can Club in Birmingham, England.
1984:  The Talking Heads released the concert film Stop Making Sense.








1989:  Richard Marx released the single "Satisfied".
1989:  Tom Petty released his first solo album (away from the Heartbreakers) Full Moon Fever.
1989:  The State of Massachusetts declared April 24 to be "New Kids on the Block Day".











1992:  Jimmy Buffett gave a concert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to benefit his organization "Save the Manatees".
1992:  David Bowie married Iman (real name Imaan Maxamed Cabdimajiid) in the beautiful town of Lausanne, Switzerland.
1993:  Farm Aid Six took place in Ames, Iowa, led by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr,Neil Young and Bruce Hornsby.
1993:  "Love Is" by Vanessa Williams & Brian McKnight held on to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.








1993:  Duran Duran had already made a huge comeback with "Ordinary World", and now had their latest, "Come Undone" move from #86 to #59.













                                         Whitney had yet another smash hit...

1993:  Snow remained at #1 for the seventh week with "Informer".  Silk's "Freak Me" was #2, followed by Dr. Dre with "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (sic), Whitney Houston was at position #4 with "I Have Nothing" and Jade spent another week at #5 with "Don't Walk Away".
1993:  "The Bodyguard" Soundtrack was #1 on the Album chart for a third week, followed by Kenny G's Breathless, Pocket Full of Kryptonite by the Spin Doctors at #3, Eric Clapton's Unplugged and 12 Inches of Snow by Snow at #5.
1996:  Stone Temple Pilots announced that Scott Weiland was in drug rehab and the group would have to cancel several shows.

2001:  Al Hibbler, who scored a big breakthrough when he was a singer with Duke Ellington's band, and had a hit with one of several versions of "Unchained Melody", died at the age of 85 in Chicago, Illinois.
2001:  The Bee Gees released This Is Where I Came In on their 35th Anniversary on Polydor Records in the U.K. and Universal Records in the U.S.
2002:  Jewel suffered a broken collarbone and a broken rib after being thrown from a horse.
2003:  Sinead O'Connor announced on her website that she was retiring from music and asked for her privacy.
2005:  Akon climbed to #1 on the U.K. Album chart with Trouble.



Born This Day:
1933:  Freddie Scott ("Hey Girl") was born in Providence, Rhode Island; died June 4, 2007 in Queens, New York.  (Note:  some websites claim Scott died in New York City, and 'Allmusic.com' says he died in Jamaica, Queens, New York.  Jamaica is a neighborhood, not a city, town or borough, and Queens certainly is not a state.  A neighborhood will never be listed on an official death certificate--the correct and professional place of birth is Queens, New York.)
1940:  George Tomsco, co-founder and guitarist of the Fireballs ("Bottle Of Wine"), was born in Raton, New Mexico.

1942:  Barbra Streisand, who at one time was the only person in history to ever win a Grammy, an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1944:  St. Clair Lee (real name Bernard Henderson) of Hues Corporation ("Rock The Boat") was born in San Francisco, California.
1945:  Robert Knight ("Everlasting Love" from 1967) was born in Franklin, Tennessee.











1945:  Doug Clifford, great drummer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, was born in Palo Alto, California.
1947:  Hubert Ann Kelly of Hues Corporation was born in Fairchild, Alabama.
1948:  Steve York, bassist of Manfred Mann, was born in London.
1951:  Nigel Harrison, bassist of Blondie from 1977-82 and later Silverhead, was born in Stockport, Cheshire, England.
1954:  Jack Blades, bass guitar player for Night Ranger, Rubicon and the Damn Yankees, was born in Palm Desert, California.
1957:  David J. (real name David Haskins), bassist of Bauhaus ("Ziggy Stardust") and Love & Rockets ("So Alive")
1957:  Boris Williams, drummer for the Cure, was born in Versailles, France.  (Note:  some websites report that Boris was born in 1958.  Although no credible sources exist for either year, our best information indicates that he was born in 1957.)
1963:  Billy Gould, bassist of Faith No More ("I'm Easy"), and a producer, was born in Los Angeles.
1967:  Patty Schemel, drummer of Hole, was born in Marysville, Washington.
1967:  Shannon Larkin, drummer for Ugly Kid Joe and Godsmack, was born in Chicago, Illinois.  (Note:  some websites report that Shannon was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, but according to the magazine 'Drummerworld', Larkin was born in Chicago.)
1968:  Aaron Comess, drummer for the Spin Doctors ("Two Princes"), was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
1974:  Brian Marshall, co-founder, songwriter and bass guitar player for Creed, was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.


1982:  Kelly Clarkson was born in Fort Worth, Texas.