This Date in Rock Music History: November 15

1956:  Elvis Presley appeared in a movie for the first time as Love Me Tender opened at the Paramount Theatre in New York City.  (Note:  there are conflicting reports of the date of the premiere.  The books 'Icons of Rock:  An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever' by Scott Schinder and Andy Schwartz and 'Elvis:  Day by Day' by Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen state that the movie premiered on November 15.  The newspaper 'The Examiner' and The Graceland.com website also show the premiere as the 15th.  The books 'The Elvis Movies' by James L. Neibaur and 'Elvis Presley:  A Biography' by Kathleen Tracy state that the premiere was on November 16.  This would be a tossup to determine the accurate date, unless those sources all saw the picture of the marquee above, which clearly shows that the premiere was on the 15th...)   

This Date in Rock Music History: November 14

1960:  "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis Presley became the fastest-selling single ever in the U.K. at the time, moving 780,000 copies in a week.

The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era Book Available Soon!

The book version of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era (1955-2015)* will be out soon and available on Amazon.com.  We will let you know the exact release date and provide you with links to get a copy!

This Date in Rock Music History: November 13

1961:  "Please Mr. Postman" delivered a #1 R&B song for the Marvelettes.

1961:  "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean was #1 for a second week.  The only new Top 10 song was a big one--"Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes.
1964:  The first official biography of the Rolling Stones, Our Own Story, was published.

1965:  After 35 weeks, the Soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" reached #1 on the album chart.  That album toppled Help! by the Beatles while the Ramsey Lewis Trio dropped with The In Crowd.  Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass moved back up with Whipped Cream & Other Delights and Bob Dylan was down after peaking at #3 with Highway 61 Revisited.  The rest of the Top 10:  Look At Us from Sonny & Cher, Out of Our Heads by the Rolling Stones, the Soundtrack to "Mary Poppins", Barbra Streisand was emphatic with My Name Is Barbra and Herman's Hermits dropped to #10 with Herman's Hermits On Tour.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 12

1955:  Fats Domino had the top R&B song for a third week with "All By Myself".  

1966:  Lou Rawls reached the pinnacle of the R&B chart with "Love Is A Hurtin' Thing".
1966:  The self-titled debut album The Monkees reached #1.

1966:  Simon & Garfunkel made a healthy move (81 to 47) with "A Hazy Shade Of Winter".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 11

1957:  Elvis Presley performed at the Schofield Barracks in Hawai'i, his final concert of the 50's.

1961:  Joan Baez performed a sold-out show at the Town Hall in New York City.

1963:  The Marketts released the great instrumental "Out Of Limits".

Glenn Frey To Undergo Major Surgery

Glenn Frey, co-founder, songwriter, guitarist and vocalist with the Eagles, will undergo major surgery for intestinal problems that have plagued him since the 1980's.

The required surgery forces the group to postpone acceptance of the Kennedy Center Honors, which were slated to award the legendary group December 6 in Washington, D.C.

Because of the nature of the surgery and the lengthy recovery period it requires, it would be impossible for Frey to attend the ceremony.  Frey has been bothered by intestinal issues, which he blames on the band's hard partying early in their career.  He had a large portion of his intestine removed in 1990, forcing the band to postpone their Hell Freezes Over reunion tour.

The band plans to accept the award at next year's ceremony.  This year's ceremony will honor Carole King among other entertainment giants.

Beyonce Records With Coldplay

Inside The Rock Era has learned that Beyoncé has recorded a song with Coldplay for the group's new album.

The album, entitled A Head Full of Dreams, is due out December 15.  Coldplay premiered their first single, "Adventure Of A Lifetime" last Friday on BBC Radio 1.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 10

1958:  Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls were injured in a car accident that claimed the life of the driver near Marion, Arkansas.

1958:  Frank Sinatra began filming the movie A Hole in the Head.
1958:  "Topsy II" by Cozy Cole spent a third week at #1 on the R&B chart.

1958:  "I Got Stung" by Elvis Presley moved from #65 to #18.
1960:  Gregg Allman received a guitar as an early present for his 13th birthday (December 8).

This Date in Rock Music History: November 9

1955:  The Everly Brothers recorded their first songs at the Old Tulane Hotel Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.  The duo recorded four tracks in 22 minutes.

1956:  Buddy Holly set out on his first tour.
1959:  RCA offered Sam Cooke $100,000 to leave Keen Records.

1959:  Bobby Darin registered a sixth consecutive week at #1 with "Mack The Knife".