This Date in Rock Music History: November 8

Lots of drummers born on this date, and other important music news--here we go!

1953:  Buddy Holly began his radio show (called The Buddy and Jack Show, with Jack Neal, on KDAV in Lubbock, Texas.

1957:  The Elvis Presley movie Jailhouse Rock opened nationally in theaters.  (Note:  numerous websites claim that the movie opened in theaters on October 21, but the book 'Elvis Presley:  Silver Screen Icon' by Steve Templeton states that the movie premiered in Memphis, Tennessee on October 17, but opened nationally on November 8.)

This Date in Rock Music History: November 7

1951:  Frank Sinatra married actress Ava Gardner.

1953:  Pat Boone married Shirley Foley.
1959:  Smokey Robinson and Claudette Rogers of the Miracles were married.
1960:  Elvis Presley began filming the movie Wild in the Country.
1960:  Hank Ballard and the Midnighters were at #1 for a third week on the R&B chart with Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 6

1954:  Elvis Presley signed a year-long contract with the Louisiana Hayride.

1961:  Lee Dorsey grabbed the #1 spot on the R&B chart with "Ya Ya".
1961:  "Big Bad John" was the #1 Easy Listening song for the third week.

 
1961:  Jimmy Dean rolled into the #1 slot with "Big Bad John".  Dion slipped with "Runaround Sue", the Dovells were at 3 with "Bristol Stomp" and Ray Charles remained at #4 with "Hit the Road, Jack".  The rest of the Top 10:  Brenda Lee jumped from 17 to 5 with "Fool #1", Sue Thompson and "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)", Troy Shondell was up to #7 with "This Time", Chubby Checker checked in with "The Fly", the Paris Sisters' great song "I Love How You Love Me" was at #9 and Gene McDaniels entered the Top 10 with "Tower Of Strength".

Featured Unknown/Underrated Song: Elton John's "Tiny Dancer"

This great 1972 song made it all the way up to...wait for it....#41.  Yep, did radio blow it and how.  The radio station music directors, in their collective wisdom back then, felt like songs such as "The Candy Man" by Sammy Davis, Jr., "Troglodyte" by the Jimmy Castor Bunch" and others were better songs than this one.  

Tiny Dancer

Elton John

Lyrics by Bernie Taupin, Music by Elton John

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad

Piano man he makes his stand
In the auditorium
Looking on she sings the songs
The words she knows the tune she hums

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly slowly

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly slowly

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

This Date in Rock Music History: November 5

1956:  The Nat King Cole Show debuted on NBC-TV.

1960:  Johnny Horton ("Battle Of New Orleans" and "North To Alaska") was killed in a car accident in Milano, Texas at age 33.  The drunk driver who killed Horton received only minor injuries.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 4

1957:  We first heard of a new singer from Detroit on this date as Jackie Wilson debuted with his first chart single--"Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet)".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 3

1956:  Fats Domino had the #1 R&B song with "Blueberry Hill".

  1957:  Danny & the Juniors released the single "At The Hop".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 2

1959:  "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin was #1 for the fifth consecutive week.

1963:  Dion walked out of a taping of the British television show Ready Steady Go!, complaining that the go-go dancers were distracting him.  Welcome to the club.

  1964:  The Lettermen released the single "Goin' Out of My Head"/"Can't Take My Eyes Off You".