Saturday, November 26, 2011

This Date in Rock Music History: November 26

1962:  The Beatles recorded "Please Please Me" in 18 takes and "Ask Me Why" for the flip side during a three-hour session at EMI Studios in London.

1966:  The self-titled debut album from the Monkees was #1 for the third straight week.  The former #1 Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago" remained second with The Supremes A Go-Go #3 and the self-titled Mamas & Papas album #4.  The remainder of the Top 10:  And Then...Along Comes the Association by the Association, What Now My Love from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Revolver from the Beatles, Somewhere My Love by Ray Conniff & the Singers at #8, The Kinks Greatest Hits! and the Soundtrack from "The Sound of Music" re-entered the Top 10 after 88 weeks.





1966:  One of the Supremes' greatest hits--"You Keep Me Hangin' On" took over at #1 on the R&B chart.
1967:  The promotional clip of "Hello Goodbye" by the Beatles was shown on The Ed Sullivan Show.








1968:  Cream performed for the final time at the Royal Albert Hall in London.  Yes and Taste opened for them.  The event was recorded and later released as the album Goodbye Cream.
1971:  Yes released their first album with keyboardist Rick Wakeman--Fragile in the U.K.  They released the LP in the United States on January 4, 1972.
1973:  The group 10cc broke up.
1973:  John Rostill, bassist of the Shadows, was found dead at the age of 31 at his home in Radlett, Hertfordshire, England after being electrocuted.
1974:  Led Zeppelin rehearsed at Livewire Theatre in London in preparation for a tour in support of their new album Physical Graffiti.
1975:  Queen performed two concerts at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England.
1977:  Blondie played at the Concert Hall in Perth, Australia.
1977:  The Bee Gees knocked Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" out of the #1 spot on the adult chart with "How Deep Is Your Love".
                                  Ronstadt had two hits in the Top 10 simultaneously...


1977:  Debby Boone remained atop the chart for the seventh consecutive week with the beautiful "You Light Up My Life".  The best that Crystal Gayle could do was #2 with "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue".  The Bee Gees were closing with "How Deep Is Your Love" while Heatwave slipped with "Boogie Nights".  The rest of the Top 10:  Chicago and their 24th hit--"Baby, What A Big Surprise", Paul Nicholas was elated with the progress of his "Heaven On The 7th Floor", Rita Coolidge had song #7--"We're All Alone", Linda Ronstadt moved up with "Blue Bayou", Barry White's big hit "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" was next and Linda Ronstadt became one of a handful of artists to have two Top 10 singles at the same time, as she moved from 16-10 with "It's So Easy".




        
   "Gold Dust Woman", one of the great songs that make Rumours a classic album...

1977:  Rumours by Fleetwood Mac held on to #1 on the album chart for a then-record 29 weeks, at the time 11 more weeks than any other album in Rock Era history. 
1983:  "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie was a multi-format smash.  For the sixth week, Richie ruled the R&B chart.
1983:  Lionel Richie was becoming a fixture on the Adult Contemporary chart.  Since his duet with Diana Ross ("Endless Love" in 1981), Richie had now spent 20 weeks at #1 on the AC survey, 13 in 1983 alone, as "All Night Long (All Night)" continued to reign for the third week.





   
                    It was a battlefield out there...

1983:  Lionel Richie remained at #1 for a third week with "All Night Long".  Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson stayed at 2 with "Say Say Say", and Billy Joel ("Uptown Girl"), Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton ("Islands In The Stream") and Quiet Riot's "Cum On Feel The Noize" were stuck in a logjam.  The rest of the Top 10:  Pat Benatar and "Love Is A Battlefield" at #6, Hall & Oates were up with "Say It Isn't So", Huey Lewis & the News cracked the Top 10 with "Heart And Soul", John Cougar Mellencamp moved from 14-9 with "Crumblin' Down" and Michael Jackson had his fifth straight Top 10 from Thriller--"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".
1988:  Russian cosmonauts on Soyuz 7 took a cassette copy of Pink Floyd's album Delicate Sound of Thunder and played it in orbit.  David Gilmour and Nick Mason from the group attended the launch of the spacecraft.
1988:  Anita Baker moved into the Top 10 with "Giving You the Best That I Got". 



1988:  The Soundtrack to "Rattle and Hum" by U2 was still #1 on the Album chart with Anita Baker's Giving You the Best That I Got moving up to challenge.  Appetite for Destruction from Guns N' Roses was still at 3 after 66 weeks while the new Bon Jovi album New Jersey took fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  The "Cocktail" Soundtrack, Hysteria from Def Leppard at #6 after 67 weeks, Bobby Brown and Don't Be Cruel, Faith from George Michael was still hanging around after 54 weeks, the great Silhouette album from Kenny G came in ninth and Any Love by Luther Vandross was #10.







1988:  George Michael reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Kissing A Fool".
1989:  There's a little good in everyone.  The Rolling Stones played a concert at Death Valley Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina to raise money for victims of Hurricane Hugo.








1990:  Chris Isaac released the great single "Wicked Game".
1991:  Garth Brooks asked fans to bring 10 cans of food to a grocery store in exchange for a lottery envelope, some of which included tickets to see Garth at an upcoming show.  Over 10,000 cans were donated to charity.









1994:  It had been 14 years since the Eagles' great album The Long Run and on this day, Hell Freezes Over debuted at #1.  That sent Nirvana dropping after just one week of release with MTV Unplugged in New York.  The album II from Boyz II Men was still third while another debut--No Quarter from Jimmy Page & Robert Plant was fourth.  Other albums of note--Smash from the Offspring was #6, Fields of Gold - The Best of Sting 1984-1994 debuted at #7, Big Ones from Aerosmith dropped to #8, the Best of Sade debuted at #9 and Wildflowers from Tom Petty dropped to #10.





1994:  Boyz II Men were at #1 for the 14th week with "I'll Make Love To You", tying Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" for the longest-running #1 of the Rock Era at the time.  Do not make the same mistake others do that this necessarily means it is one of the top two or three songs of the Rock Era (even though it is a great song and is certainly ranked high).  You have to look at competition to analyze the achievement.  So let's look at it:  Ini Kamoze was second with "Here Comes The Hotstepper", Boyz II Men had another song lined up, as "On Bended Knee" moved from 14-3 and Real Mc Coy remained fourth with "Another Night".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Always" from Bon Jovi, Madonna's "Secret" at #6, Sheryl Crow slipped with "All I Wanna' Do", Brandy dropped with "I Wanna' Be Down", Immature fell to #9 with "Never Lie" and Janet Jackson was down a notch with "You Want This/70's Love Groove".




1996:  R. Kelly released the single "I Believe I Can Fly".
2003:  Britney Spears became the first female artist of the Rock Era to score four consecutive #1 albums when In the Zone reached the top.  
2006:  The Love Album from Westlife was #1 in the U.K.






Born This Day:

1939:  Tina Turner (real name Anna Mae Bullock) was born in Nutbush, Tennessee.









1944:  Jean Terrell, who replaced Diana Ross in the Supremes, was born in Belzoni, Mississippi.
1944:  Alan Henderson, bassist of Them, was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.







1945:  John McVie, bass guitarist for Fleetwood Mac, was born in London.
1946:  Bert Ruiter, bass guitarist with Focus ("Hocus Pocus" from 1973), was born in Amsterdam, Holland, the Netherlands.
1948:  Gayle McCormick, the sexy voice behind Smith's great song "Baby It's You", was born in St. Louis, Missouri; died March 1, 2016 in St. Louis of cancer.
1949:  Martin Lee of the Brotherhood of Man ("United We Stand" from 1970) was born in Purley, England.
1963:  Adam Gaynor, rhythm guitarist of Matchbox 20, was born in Manhattan, New York.


1981:  Natasha Bedingfield was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England.  (Note:  some websites show her birthplace as London--Natasha was born in Haywards Heath, and then moved to London later.)
1984:  Benjamin Wysocki, drummer of the Fray, was born in Denver, Colorado.
1985:  Lil Fizz (real name Dreux Pierre Frédéric) of B2K was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.  (Note:  some websites show his birthplace as either Los Angeles or Inglewood, California.  He was born in New Orleans and lived in Inglewood, according to 'Vibe' magazine.)

The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: Songs That Changed the World--"Bless the Beasts and the Children" by the Carpenters

This song represents the voice for those who have no voice.  It appeals to adults who are stronger to look out for the weaker members of Planet Earth. 
"Bless the Beasts and the Children"
by the Carpenters

Written by Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr.

Bless the beasts and the children
For in this world they have no voice
They have no choice

Bless the beasts and the children
For the world can never be
The world they see

Light their way when the darkness surrounds them
And give them love, let it shine all around them

Bless the beasts and the children
Give them shelter from the storm
Keep them safe, keep them warm

Light their way when the darkness surrounds them
And give them love, let it shine all around them

Bless the beasts and the children
Give them shelter from the storm
Keep them safe, keep them warm

(the children)
(the children)
(the children)

Friday, November 25, 2011

The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era--Songs That Changed the World: "Village Ghetto Land" by Stevie Wonder

The rap so-called music today obviously turns people off, so any "message" they have is going to get lost and doesn't do a bit of good.  Compare that with the brilliant lyrics and amazing music of a genius--Stevie Wonder.  And get this--he doesn't use one swear word.  Far more effective, evidenced by the fact that this song is one of The Songs That Changed the World*, and no rap song...is.

"Village Ghetto Land"
by Stevie Wonder


Written by Stevie Wonder


Would you like to go with me
Down my dead end street
Would you like to come with me
To Village Ghetto Land

See the people lock their doors
While robbers laugh and steal
Beggars watch and eat their meal -from garbage cans

Broken glass is everywhere
It's a bloody scene
Killing plagues the citizens
Unless they own police

Children play with rusted cars
Sores cover their hands
Politicians laugh and drink-drunk to all demands

Families buying dog food now
Starvation roams the streets
Babies die before they're born
Infected by the grief

Now some folks say that we should be
Glad for what we have
Tell me would you be happy in Village Ghetto Land

Village Ghetto Land

This Date in Rock Music History: November 25


1957:  The great Sam Cooke took over at #1 on the R&B chart with "You Send Me".
1961:  Don and Phil Everly were both inducted into the United States Marine Corps Reserves, working as artillerymen for the 8th Battalion.   








1963:  The Rip Chords released "Hey Little Cobra".












1966:  The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed at the Bag O'Nails Club in London.
1967:  Al Green released his first career single "Back Up Train".
1967:  "Soul Man" by Sam & Dave held on to #1 on the R&B chart for a seventh week.







  
       The Who were in an unfamiliar place--the Top 10...

1967:  Strawberry Alarm Clock had themselves a #1 song with "Incense And Peppermints", dethroning Lulu's "To Sir With Love" after five weeks at the top.  The Cowsills edged up with "The Rain, The Park & Other Things".  Sam & Dave were down with "Soul Man" but the Monkees climbed from 33 to 5 with the song written by John Stewart--"Daydream Believer".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Please Love Me Forever" by Bobby Vinton, Dionne Warwick had song #7--"I Say A Little Prayer", Vikki Carr dropped with "It Must Be Him", the Who were at #9 with the only Top 10 of their career "I Can See For Miles" and the Soul Survivors closed the list with "Expressway To Your Heart".
1968:  The Beatles released The White Album in the United States.
1968:  The 5th Dimension were guests on the Frank Sinatra television special Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing on CBS.
1971:  The Doors announced they would continue as a group despite the loss of lead singer Jim Morrison, who died earlier in the year.

1972:  Lead singer Allan Clarke left the Hollies.
1972:  Johnny Nash owned the top Easy Listening song for the fourth straight week with "I Can See Clearly Now".









                  The Moody Blues with their classic...

1972:  Nash also had four weeks at #1 on the popular chart to his credit with "I Can See Clearly Now", forever keeping Lobo's "I'd Love You To Want Me" as a #2 song.  The Spinners maintained with "I'll Be Around", Helen Reddy wasn't going away with "I Am Woman" and the Temptations were up to 5 with "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone".  The rest of the Top 10:  The debut single by new duo Seals & Crofts was "Summer Breeze", Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes moved from 13-7 with "If You Don't Know Me By Now", Al Green slipped up to #8 with "You Ought To Be With Me", the Moody Blues were at #9 with their classic "Nights In White Satin" and the 5th Dimension were right behind with their 25th career hit--"If I Could Reach You".  
1976:  The group which called itself The Band performed for the final time at the Winterland Auditorium in San Francisco, California, known as "The Last Waltz".  The event, filmed by movie director Martin Scorsese, was later released as a movie and also featured Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Van Morrison and Dr. John.
1978:  Al Stewart's "Time Passages" remained #1 for a third week on the Adult chart.

               Foreigner was seeing double...

1978:  Donna Summer relaxed in "MacArthur Park" as her latest topped the chart for a third week.  Foreigner had one of their biggest with "Double Vision", Ambrosia remained third with "How Much I Feel" and the incredible combined talent of Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond resulted in the huge hit "You Don't Bring Me Flowers".  The rest of the Top 10:  Anne Murray's former #1 "You Needed Me", Chic was tearing up dance floors and car speakers were blazing with "Le Freak", which moved from 37 to #6, Gino Vannelli's move of one spot was pale in comparison for "I Just Wanna' Stop", Alicia Bridges danced into the Top 10 with "I Love The Nightlife", Al Stewart's "Time Passages" moved to #9 and the Captain & Tennille peaked at 10 with "You Never Done It Like That".
1984:  Andy Gibb starred as himself on the television show Punky Brewster on NBC.
1984:  Bob Geldof organized artists from Great Britain and North America together as Band-Aid to record "Do They Know It's Christmas" at Sarm West Studios in London, with proceeds going to famine relief in Ethiopia.
1985:  Bobby Brown announced that he was leaving New Edition for a solo career when really, everyone wished he would just leave period.






1989:  Phil Collins blasted into the Top 10 with the only new entry--"Another Day In Paradise".
1989:  Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville posted a fifth week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Don't Know Much".
1992:  The Bodyguard, starring Whitney Houston with Kevin Costner, opened in theaters.
1995:  Alice in Chains debuted at #1 on the Album chart with their self-titled release.  Daydream by Mariah Carey was second with Alanis Morissette taking #3 with her album Jagged Little Pill.




1995:  Whitney Houston debuted at #1 with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop"), taking over from Mariah Carey's "Fantasy", another song which had debuted at #1 and remained there for nine weeks until Whitney came along.  
1997:  Garth Brooks released the album Sevens.
1997:  The original members of the Zombies reunited onstage for the first time in 30 years at the Jazz Café in Camden Town, England.
2001:  Robbie Williams had the top U.K. album with Swing When You're Winning.
2001:  S Club 7 was at #1 in the U.K. with "Have You Ever".
2003:  Meat Loaf, who had collapsed onstage in a recent concert, was recovering from heart surgery and was being treated for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.




2004:  Dexter Holland of the Offspring, finished a 10-day, 25,000 mile around the world trip in his twin-engine Cessna Citation.
2005:  Take That announced they would reunite after 10 years for a tour, but without Robbie Williams.
2007:  Kevin Dubrow, lead vocalist with Quiet Riot, was found dead in his home in Las Vegas, Nevada at age 52, yet another victim of drugs.


Born This Day:
1940:  Percy Sledge was born in Leighton, Alabama; died April 14, 2015 of liver cancer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  (Note:  some sites show his birth year as 1941, but the 'Encyclopedia of Alabama' and the Rock Hall of Fame state that his birth was in 1940, and this is confirmed by the book 'Historical Gazetteer of the United States' by Paul T. Hellman, as well as the Louisiana Hall of Fame and the 'BBC'.)










1945:  Bev Bevan, drummer of Black Sabbath, the Move and ELO, was born in Sparkhill, Birmingham, England. (Note:  there is considerable disagreement on both Bevan's birthday and birth year.  According to 'Billboard' and the newspaper 'The Village Times', Bevan was born on the 25th.  'MTV' and 'Billboard' both state his birth year is 1946, but 'The Birmingham Music Archive', which as the website in his place of birth should have the most accurate information on him, states that he as born in 1945.)
1944:  Bob Lind ("Elusive Butterfly" from 1966) was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
1947:  Val Fuentes, drummer of It's a Beautiful Day, who gave us one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era* ("White Bird"), was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1950:  Jocelyn Brown, singer who worked with John Lennon, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, was born in Kinston, North Carolina.

1960:  Amy Grant was born in Augusta, Georgia.











1966:  Stacy Lattisaw ("Let Me Be Your Angel") was born in Washington, D.C.
1967:  Rodney Sheppard, guitarist of Sugar Ray, was born in Trinidad.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

New Featured Unknown/Underrated Song--"Still Got the Blues" by Gary Moore

The Unknown/Underrated feature is one of the things that distinguishes this website from others you might find.  Anyone can talk about chart statistics or feature hits.  Some feature non-hits that are, well, trash.  Today, a new song will be posted to the Tab at the top of the page.  You might as well just call the Still Got the Blues album one of the most underrated of the rock era, so I will be featuring many other tracks in the months to come.  This one, called "Still Got the Blues" only got to #97 in February of 1991.  Unbelievable.  Listen to that guitar cry.


"Still Got the Blues"
by Gary Moore

Written by Gary Moore

Used to be so easy to give my heart away
But I found out the hard way
There's a price you have to pay
I found out that love was no friend of mine
I should have known time after time

So long, it was so long ago
But I've still got the blues for you

Used to be so easy to fall in love again
But I found out the hard way
It's a road that leads to pain
I found that love was more than just a game
You're playin' to win
But you lose just the same

So long, it was so long ago
But I've still got the blues for you

So many years since I've seen your face
Here in my heart, there's an empty space
Where you used to be

So long, it was so long ago
But I've still got the blues for you

Though the days come and go
There is one thing I know
I've still got the blues for you.

In Concert: Genesis

One of the great acts of the 80's--here is Genesis In Concert:

Five Best Songs: Steve Miller Band

Steve Miller was a force throughout the 70's.  He made a big comeback with "Abracadabra", which I give Honorable Mention to, along with "Jungle Love".  Here are his Five Best*:  
 
 

1.  "The Joker"




2.  "Rock N' Me"



3.  "Fly Like An Eagle"
 

 
 
 


4.  "Take the Money and Run"



 
5.  "Threshold/Jet Airliner"
 
(P.S., don't allow your radio station to play this without the Full Version, including "Threshold"!

The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: Songs That Changed the World--"My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison

Another song that fits right in with the growing up of a generation looking for answers.  George Harrison wrote this great song about the personal growth he was experiencing that he wanted to share with others.

My Sweet Lord"
by George Harrison


Written by George Harrison

My sweet Lord
Hm, my Lord
Hm, my Lord

I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord

My sweet Lord
Hm, my Lord
Hm, my Lord

I really want to know you
Really want to go with you
Really want to show you Lord
That it won't take long, my Lord (hallelujah)

My sweet Lord (hallelujah)
Hm, my Lord (hallelujah)
My sweet Lord (hallelujah)

I really want to see you
Really want to see you
Really want to see you, Lord
Really want to see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord (hallelujah)

My sweet Lord (hallelujah)
Hm, my Lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my Lord (hallelujah)

I really want to know you (hallelujah)
Really want to go with you (hallelujah)
Really want to show you Lord (aaah)
That it won't take long, my Lord (hallelujah)

Hmm (hallelujah)
My sweet Lord (hallelujah)
My, my, Lord (hallelujah)

Hm, my Lord (hare krishna)
My, my, my Lord (hare krishna)
Oh hm, my sweet Lord (krishna, krishna)
Oh-uuh-uh (hare hare)

Now, I really want to see you (hare rama)
Really want to be with you (hare rama)
Really want to see you Lord (aaah)
But it takes so long, my Lord (hallelujah)

Hm, my Lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my Lord (hare krishna)
My sweet Lord (hare krishna)
My sweet Lord (krishna krishna)
My Lord (hare hare)
Hm, hm (Gurur Brahma)
Hm, hm (Gurur Vishnu)
Hm, hm (Gurur Devo)
Hm, hm (Maheshwara)
My sweet Lord (Gurur Sakshaat)
My sweet Lord (Parabrahma)
My, my, my Lord (Tasmayi Shree)
My, my, my, my Lord (Guruve Namah)
My sweet Lord (Hare Rama)

[fade:]

(hare krishna)
My sweet Lord (hare krishna)
My sweet Lord (krishna krishna)
My Lord (hare hare)

This Date in Rock Music History: November 24


1958:  The Platters were up 36 notches with their new single "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes".
1958:  Conway Twitty had the new #1 song with "It's Only Make Believe", knocking "Tom Dooley" by the Kingston Trio down a notch.  The Teddy Bears appeared to have a big hit with "To Know Him Is To Love Him", but "Topsy II" by Cozy Cole and "It's All In The Game" both fell.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Beep Beep" by the Playmates, Elvis Presley hopped into the Top 10 with two songs--"One Night", moving 14-7 and "I Got Stung".  Ricky Nelson dropped with "Lonesome Town" and Bobby Darin had #10 with "Queen Of The Hop".
1962:  Brenda Lee made it three weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "All Alone Am I".
1964:  After changing their name from the High Numbers because their manager told them they'd be mistaken for a bingo game, the Who played at the Marquee in London.  It was the beginning of a seven-week residency for the group.
1966:  The Beatles began recording "Strawberry Fields Forever" at Abbey Road Studios in London.
1972:  Of course now, the music isn't worth putting on television but on this date the great late-night show In Concert premiered on ABC.  Promoter Don Kirshner was the brainchild behind the show which on this date featured Alice Cooper, the Allman Brothers Band and Poco.







1973:  Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes owned the new #1 R&B song with "The Love I Lost".
1973:  The Silver Fox, Charlie Rich, had the #1 Easy Listening song for a third week with "The Most Beautiful Girl".








1973:  Ringo Starr surprised all by reaching #1 with "Photograph".  Eddie Kendricks was derailed with "Keep On Truckin'" and the Carpenters had another monster hit at #3 with "Top Of The World".  Billy Preston advanced with "Space Race".  The rest of the Top 10:  The DeFranco Family with "Heartbeat - It's A Lovebeat", Gladys Knight & the Pips had #6 with their great song "Midnight Train To Georgia", Chicago's "Just You 'N' Me", Marie Osmond with "Paper Roses", Elton John moved from 15-9 with "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes found the Top 10 with "The Love I Lost".





          Neil Diamond's new album...

1973:  Elton John had what to date was the biggest album of his career as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road remained at #1 for a third week.  Quadrophenia by the Who peaked at 2 while Ringo by Ringo Starr moved from 15 to 3.  Goats Head Soup spilled down to #4 for the Rolling Stones with Jim Croce's posthumous release You Don't Mess Around with Jim right behind.  The rest of the Top 10:  Jonathan Livingston Seagull from Neil Diamond, moving 14-6, Brothers and Sisters taking a turn down for the Allman Brothers Band, Life and Times by Jim Croce #8, The Joker by the Steve Miller Band and Los Cochinos from Cheech & Chong at #10.
1974:  John Lennon rehearsed with Elton John for EJ's upcoming concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.




Dream Weaver (Original) by Gary Wright on Grooveshark
1975:  Gary Wright, former keyboardist with Spooky Tooth, released the single "Dream Weaver".











1979:  J.D. Souther spent a second week at #1 on the newly-named Adult Contemporary chart with "You're Only Lonely".
1979:  "Still" by the Commodores took a turn at the top of the R&B chart.








                           Two decades of great material...

1979:  The Eagles topped the Album chart for a fourth week with their great album The Long Run.  Styx would peak at #2 with Cornerstone and In Through the Out Door by Led Zeppelin was hanging around at #3.  Tusk, the new Fleetwood Mac release, was fourth with Donna Summer holding on to #5 with her compilation On the Radio--Greatest Hits-Volumes I & II.  The rest of the Top 10:  Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants from Stevie Wonder, Rise by Herb Alpert, Wet, remaining in the eighth position for Barbra Streisand, One Voice by Barry Manilow and the Bee Gees Greatest was #10.












1980:  Bill Withers sang lead on this one as jazz great Grover Washington, Jr. released the single "Just The Two Of Us".








 

1980:  Steely Dan released the single "Hey Nineteen".
1984:  No one could topple Purple Rain from the #1 spot on the Album chart as Prince remained there for the 17th consecutive week.  Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen took second while Tina Turner's Private Dancer remained in the Top 10 for the 16th week.  "The Woman in Red" Soundtrack from Stevie Wonder was #4 while the new Honeydrippers release Volume One was fifth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Big Bam Boom from Hall & Oates moving from 11-6, Sports by Huey Lewis & the News logged its 39th week in the Top 10, Can't Slow Down was in its 55th week of release for Lionel Richie, and Billy Ocean scored a Top 10 album with Suddenly, which leaped over Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual.
1985:  Blues artist Big Joe Turner, who wrote "Shake, Rattle and Roll" for Bill Haley & the Comets, died of a heart attack in Inglewood, California.  (Note:  some websites show his death as November 23, but 'The Los Angeles Times' reported that he died on Sunday, November 24.  Some websites report the cause of death was kidney failure, but both 'The Los Angeles Times' and 'The Chicago Tribune" reported that he died of a heart attack.)
1987:  The Style Council performed at the Apollo in Manchester, England.


                                   Alias peaked at #2...

1990:  Mariah Carey copped a third week at #1 with "Love Takes Time".  Alias moved one step away with "More Than Words Can Say" while Whitney Houston had the #3 song with her 13th career hit--"I'm Your Baby Tonight".  
1990:  Bette Midler chalked up a fourth week at #1 on the AC chart with "From A Distance".






1991:  Cyndi Lauper married David Thornton.








1991:  Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen, died of complications from AIDS at age 45.









1991:  Eric Carr, drummer of Kiss since 1982, died of cancer at the age of 41.
1992:  Bill Wyman, bass guitarist of the Rolling Stones, and his wife divorced.  I know shocker, that a woman would divorce a rolling stone.  Even more of a shocker that one would actually want to marry one.  (Note:  some websites report the date of divorce as 1993, but two prominent newspapers, 'The New York Times' and 'The Orlando Sentinel', show that the divorce occurred in November of 1992.)
2003:  One of the greatest record labels in the history of the Rock Era continued to be tossed around in the new sad corporate world.  Time Warner sold Warner Brothers Music to a group led by Edgar Bronfman, Jr. for $2.6 billion.  It's not about the money, guys--it's about the Music.
2003:  The original members of Motley Crue reformed for the first time in five years.
2003:  Glen Campbell was arrested for drunk driving and hit and run in Phoenix, Arizona.  It was more than a little ironic given one of Campbell's biggest hits was entitled "By The Time I Get To Phoenix".


Born This Day:
1931:  Tommy Allsup, who played for Buddy Holly and was with him on tour when the plane that carried Holly, Ritchie Vallens and J.P. Richardson crashed on February 3, 1959, and also worked with Roy Orbison, was born near Owasso, Oklahoma; died January 11, 2017 in Springfield, Missouri form complications of hernia surgery.
1939:  Jim Yester, keyboardist of the Association, was born in Birmingham, Alabama.








1941:  Pete Best, drummer for the Beatles in the early years, was born in Madras, India.
1941:  Donald Dunn, bass guitarist of the Mar-Keys ("Last Night") and Booker T. & the M.G.'s, was born in Memphis, Tennessee; died in his sleep May 13, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan.
1943:  Richard Tee, session pianist for Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin, Peter Gabriel and Ashford & Simpson, was born in New York City.







1945:  Lee Michaels ("Do You Know What I Mean" from 1971) was born in Los Angeles.
1950:  Bob Burns, drummer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was born in Jacksonville, Florida; died April 3 in a car accident in Cartersville, Georgia. 
1955:  Clem Burke, drummer of the Ramones and Blondie, was born in New York City.  (Note:  some websites claim his place of birth is New York City or Trenton, New Jersey, but the book 'Disco, Punk, New Wave, Heavy Metal, and More: Music in the 1970s and 1980s' by Britannica Educational Publishing states that Burke was born in Bayonne, New Jersey.)
1957:  Chris Hayes, guitarist of Huey Lewis & the News, was born in Great Lakes, Illinois.
1970:  Chad Taylor, guitarist of Live, was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era, Part VIII