Top Track: "High Flying Bird" by Elton John

Love the early EJ.  This is a great track from his 1973 album Don't Shoot Me...I'm Only the Piano Player:

The Top Songs of the 60's*

Several weeks ago, we told you of the lineup of great music specials coming your way on Inside The Rock Era.  The first will be The Top Songs of the 60's*.  Our research is nearly complete, and we will begin work shortly on the production.  We'll let you know soon a starting date so you can plan on it!

This Date in Rock Music History: April 10

1956:  Nat "King" Cole was attacked on stage by five racial weirdos during a show at the Municipal Hall in Birmingham, Alabama.  Police arrested the sick people, hauled them to jail, and Cole returned later that night to thrill the crowd in a second show.

1957:  Ricky Nelson performed for the first time on the television show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, singing "I'm Walking".

1958:  Bobby Darin recorded "Splish Splash" at Atlantic Studios in New York City.  

1958:  Chuck Willis ("C.C. Rider"), who had suffered stomach ulcers for years, died during surgery for peritonitis in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 30.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly say Willis died in a car accident.  Other sites claim he died in Chicago, Illinois.  According to the books  'Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop' by Frank Hoffmann and 'The Last Sultan:  The Life and Times of Ahmet Ertegun' by Robert Greenfield, Willis died of periodontitis during surgery in Atlanta.  The book 'Hanging the Peachtree Bandit:  The True Tale of Atlanta's Infamous Frank DuPre' by Tom Hughes also confirms that Willis died in Atlanta.) 

1962:  Former Beatles' bass player Stuart Sutcliffe died in Hamburg, Germany at the age of 21 of a cerebral hemorrhage from a brain aneurysm.
1965:  Roger Miller spent a ninth week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "King Of The Road", which was written in Boise, Idaho.






                                             The unstoppable Supremes...

1964:  The brand new Top Five in the U.S. were "I'm Telling You Now" by Freddie & the Dreamers, the former #1 "Stop! In the Name of Love" by the Supremes at #2, "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" by Herman's Hermits coming in at #3, "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker & the All Stars at 4 and "The Birds And The Bees" by Jewel Akens at position #5.
1965:  We were first introduced to England's Tom Jones, who debuted on the chart with his first career single, "It's Not Unusual".

1965:  Dusty Springfield, the Zombies and Bobby Vee completed a U.K. package tour at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales.











1967:  The Young Rascals released the single "Groovin'".

1967:  Marvin Gaye finished recording his version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" after five sessions that began on February 3.

1967:  "Something Stupid" by Frank and Nancy Sinatra became the first father-daughter song to ever hit #1.

1968:  Cliff Richard had his ninth #1 in the U.K. with "Congratulations", the British entry in the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest.

1968:  Drummer Mickey Hart joined the Grateful Dead.
1970:  Emerson, Lake & Palmer formed.







                                    Some early EJ for you--"Take Me to the Pilot"...

1970:  Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin teamed up for the first time on the album Elton John, which was released on this date.










1970:  The Temptations spent a second week at #1 with their biggest hit "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me".  The rest of the Top Ten--"What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye, the quick-rising "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night, "She's A Lady" by Tom Jones at #4, "For All We Know" by the Carpenters, #6 was the former #1 "Me And Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin, the Partridge Family had #7 with "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted", Paul McCartney had #8 with "Another Day", Ike and Tina Turner hit #9 with their version of "Proud Mary" and Brewer & Shipley entered the Top Ten with "One Toke Over The Line".

1970:  Paul McCartney issued a press release announcing that the Beatles had broken up.  "I have no future plans to record or appear with the Beatles again," McCartney said.

1971:  He had written songs for other artists, most notably "Leaving On A Jet Plane" for Peter, Paul & Mary, but on this date, John Denver took the beginning steps toward becoming one of The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era*.  John made his debut on the charts with his first career single,  "Take Me Home, Country Roads".


 

1972:  Isaac Hayes took home the Oscar for the Best Original Song From a Motion picture with "Theme From 'Shaft'".







                                                                                    The Bellamy Brothers with their biggest hit...

1976:  The brand new Singles chart was out and Johnnie Taylor was on top with "Disco Lady".  Gary Wright was headed for #1 but for now he'd have to settle for #2 with "Dream Weaver".  He was followed by the #3 "Lonely Night (Angel Face)", Captain & Tennille's hit of the Neil Sedaka song, the Bellamy Brothers at #4 with "Let Your Love Flow", Maxine Nightingale's "Right Back Where We Started From", Aerosmith's first Top Ten song "Dream On" at #6, "Boogie Fever", the #7 song by the Sylvers, Dr. Hook's "Only Sixteen" at #8, "Sweet Love", the great song from the Commodores at #9 and David Bowie's "Golden Years" at 10.








Fans were quickly finding out about this great album...

1976:  Peter Frampton rose to #1 with the incredible Frampton Comes Alive, the biggest "live" album in rock history.










1978:  Gerry Rafferty released the single "Baker Street".

       
                           Huey Lewis & the News introduced themselves...

1982:  "I Love Rock 'N Roll" spent a fourth week at #1 for Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.  The Go Go's edged up to #2 with "We Got The Beat", with Vangelis hitting #3 with "Chariots Of Fire - Titles".  #4 was the J. Geils Band's second big hit "Freeze Frame", followed in the Top Ten by Olivia Newton-John at #5 with "Make A Move On Me", Rick Springfield's "Don't Talk To Strangers" at #6, one of the top songs to ever peak at #2--Journey's "Open Arms", falling to #7, "That Girl" by Stevie Wonder at #8, Bertie Higgins' "Key Largo" at #9 and the first hit from Huey Lewis & the News, "Do You Believe In Love" at #10.

1985:  Madonna began her North American Tour with the first of three shows at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington.  The Beach Boys were the opening act.

1991:  Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits was a guest star on Quantum Leap on ABC-TV.

1993:  Depeche Mode debuted on the Album chart with Songs of Faith and Devotion.
1993:  Canada's Snow spent a five straight week at #1 with "Informer".  

1994:  Over 5,000 fans attended a U.S. public memorial service for Kurt Cobain at Seattle Flag Pavilion.

1994:  Mariah Carey had the #1 U.K. album with Music Box.













1995:  Boyz II Men released the single "Water Runs Dry".











1995:  Monica released the single "Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem (sic) Days)".

1999:  Tom Petty was the guest performer on Saturday Night Live.

1999:  Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinead O'Connor performed at a charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

1999:  TLC began a four-week stay at the top with "No Scrubs".
2002:  James Hodges, Governor of South Carolina, declared James Brown the "Godfather of Soul".











She gave us "The Loco-Motion" to remember her by...

2003:  Little Eva ("The Loco-Motion") died in Kinston, North Carolina at the age of 59 of cervical cancer.

2005:  Natalie Imbruglia had the #1 album in the U.K. with Counting Down the Days.

2006:  Coldplay singer Chris Martin and actress Gwyneth Paltrow announced they had named their second child Moses Martin (born April 8).
2011:  Hall & Oates received the TV Land Music Icon Award in New York City.







2012:  Bonnie Raitt released the album Slipstream.
2014:  Linda Ronstadt, Hall & Oates, KISS, and artists which frankly do not belong, were inducted into the "Rock And Roll Hall of Fame".
 

Born This Day:

                    Dr. Demento couldn't have been happier with the birth of Sheb Wooley...


1921:  Sheb Wooley ("The Purple People Eater") was born in Erick, Oklahoma; died of leukemia in Nashville, Tennessee on September 16, 2003.
1921:  Martin Denny ("Quiet Village" from 1959) was born in New York City; died in Honolulu, Hawai'i March 2, 2005.

1932:  Nate Nelson of the Flamingos ("I Only Have Eyes for You") and the Platters; died June 1,1984 of heart disease in Boston, Massachusetts.

1936:  Bobbie Smith, vocalist with the Spinners, was born in Abbeyville, Georgia; died March 16, 2013 in Detroit.  (Note:  some websites claim Smith was born in Detroit Michigan, but according to the newspaper 'The New York Times' and other credible sources, Smith was born in Abbeyville.)

1947:  Karl Russell of the Hues Corporation ("Rock The Boat") was born in Columbus, Ohio.

1947:  Neville O'Riley Livingston ("Bunning Livingston"), percussion and vocals for Bob Marley and the Wailers, was born in Kingston, Jamaica.

1948:  Fred Smith, bassist with Television, was born in New York City.

1950:  Ernest Stewart, keyboardist with KC and the Sunshine Band, died April 26, 1997 in Opa Locka, Florida of an apparent asthma attack.

 
1950:  Eddie Hazel, elite guitarist of Parliament and Funkadelic was born in Brooklyn, New York; died of internal bleeding and liver failure in Plainfield, New Jersey on December 23, 1992.

1953:  Terre Roche, songwriter who worked with Paul Simon (album There Goes Rhymin' Simon) and Loudon Wainwright, was born in New York City.

1957:  Steven Gustafson, bassist of 10,000 Maniacs, was born in Seville, Spain.








1959:  Brian Setzer, great guitar player, songwriter and vocalist with the Stray Cats, was born in Massapequa, New York.  (Note:  some websites claim Setzer was born in New York City.  According to both 'MTV' and 'Guitar World', Brian was born in Massapequa.)

1959:  Katrina Leskanich, lead singer and guitarist of Katrina and the Waves ("Walking On Sunshine"), was born in Topeka, Kansas.








 
1959:  Kenneth Edmonds (Babyface), singer-songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist and producer, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.

1970:  Mike Mushok, lead guitarist with Staind, was born in Manhasset, New York.

1980:  Bryce Dane Soderberg, bassist and singer with Lifehouse, was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

1984:  Mandy Moore was born in Nashua, New Hampshire.