Tuesday, October 9, 2012

This Date in Rock Music History: October 9

1959:  Bobby Darin became the youngest performer to ever headline the Sands Hotel's Copa Room in Las Vegas, Nevada (21 years old).  Johnny Mathis held the previous record at age 23.


                                 Bobby Vee scored a huge hit...

1961:  Ray Charles moved to #1 with "Hit the Road Jack".  Roy Orbison's "Crying" peaked at #2 while the previous #1 from Bobby Vee--"Take Good Care Of My Baby" was #3.  Dion jumped from 21 to 4 with "Runaround Sue".
1963:  The Beatles recorded a performance of "She Loves You" for The Ken Dodd Show in Britain.
1964:  The Beach Boys recorded "Dance, Dance, Dance".
1964:  Bobby Darin began filming his eighth movie That Funny Feeling.
1964:  Mary Wells opened for the Beatles at the Gaumont Theatre in Bradford, England.
1964:  The Rolling Stones cancelled a planned tour in South Africa due to an anti-apartheid embargo by the British Musicians' Union.
1965:  Gary Lewis & the Playboys had one of the fastest-rising songs--"Everybody Loves A Clown".




1965:  Another famous day in the history of the Rock Era as the Beatles, who had moved from #45 to #3 the previous week, completed the ascent to #1 with "Yesterday", which also happens to be the most recorded song in history.  "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys relinquished its position and Roy Head had the #3 song with "Treat Her Right".  Barry McGuire's classic "Eve Of Destruction", one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*, was at 4 while the Ramsey Lewis Trio edged up with "The 'In' Crowd".  The rest of the Top 10:  Dave Clark Five with "Catch Us If You Can", the Fortunes and "You've Got Your Troubles", Sonny & Cher were up to #8 with "Baby Don't Go", We Five's great song "You Were On My Mind" fell to 9 and the Lovin' Spoonful entered the Top 10 with "Do You Believe In Magic".
1966:  John Lennon met Yoko Ono at an Indica Gallery in London's West End.  It was John's 26th birthday.


1967:  The Who released the single "I Can See for Miles".  (Note:  several websites incorrectly state the date Of release as October 14.  As people in the business know, it is physically impossible for a song to be released the same day it debuts on the charts, which have to be compiled and then printed.)








1970:  A brother and sister act that would take the world by storm released their first single, a remake of the Beatles' "Ticket To Ride".  The Carpenters released that first 45 on this date.
1969:  Yoko One had a miscarriage after being taken to King's College Hospital in London.  It was husband John Lennon's 29th birthday.










1971:  The Carpenters ran their string to five #1 Easy Listening songs in a row as their great song "Superstar" moved to the top.








                             One Hit Wonders the Stampeders...

1971:  There were two new Top 10 songs on this date--"If You Really Love Me" by Stevie Wonder and "Sweet City Woman" by the Stampeders.
1973:  Elvis Presley's divorce with wife Priscilla became final at the County Superior Courthouse in Santa Monica, California.  (Note:  several websites show this date as October 11 or November 11.  According to the book 'Elvis Presley:  Rock & Roll's King' by Stephanie Watson, the correct date is October 9.) 
1975:  John Lennon celebrated the birth of son Sean on John's 35th birthday.
1976:  The Who and Grateful Dead shared a bill at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum in California.








1976:  John Denver's "Like A Sad Song" was the new #1 song on the Easy Listening chart.
1976:  The Commodores had the new #1 R&B song--"Just To Be Close To You".







1976:  The Captain & Tennille appeared to have another major hit as "Muskrat Love" stood out, moving from #48 to #32.









1976:  I don't know if Beethoven was smiling or crying but Walter Murphy topped the chart with "A Fifth Of Beethoven".  Wild Cherry was down after a couple of weeks with "Play That Funky Music".  Boz Scaggs had #3 now with "Lowdown" while famous DJ Rick Dees remained at position #4 with "Disco Duck".  The rest of a pretty good Top 10:  Chicago and "If You Leave Me Now", Cliff Richard's "Devil Woman", Orleans moved from 10 to 7 with "Still The One", England Dan & John Ford Coley dropped with "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", K.C. & the Sunshine Band had song #9--"(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" and Hall & Oates had the only new Top 10 with their great song "She's Gone".
1976:  The Album chart on this date showed that Peter Frampton had reached 10 weeks at #1 with Frampton Comes Alive!  Silk Degrees from Boz Scaggs spent its fourth week in the Top Three while Linda Ronstadt had #3--Hasten Down the Wind.  Fleetwood Mac's self-titled release was in its 63rd week and the Steve Miller Band's breakthrough album Fly Like An Eagle was up to 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  War and their Greatest Hits album, the self-titled Wild Cherry, Spitfire from Jefferson Starship, now at #8, Spirit by John Denver and Chicago X wrapped up the list.  
1980:  Gary Glitter, whose star had fallen into the abyss, declared bankruptcy.
1976:  They never hit the Top 10, but Rush enjoyed their glory on this date as "New World Man" moved from 53 to 33.


1982:  America's 15th career hit was their first Top 10 in seven years--"You Can Do Magic".









1982:  Juice Newton had a hot Adult Contemporary song as her remake of "Break It To Me Gently" was #1.









1985:  A 2 1/2-acre garden memorial was dedicated in New York City's Central Park by his widow Yoko Ono.  The memorial was named Strawberry Fields.
1987:  The Chuck Berry biographical movie Hail, Hail Rock & Roll premiered in theaters.  (Note:  several sources claim that the movie was released the same day Berry received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  But according to 'Jet' magazine, the movie was first shown at the New York Film Festival on October 3-4, and premiered in movie theaters on October 9.)




1989:  Phil Collins released the single "Another Day In Paradise".










1993:  In Utero by Nirvana was the newest album of the latter part of the Rock Era to debut at #1....Yawn.  In Pieces from Garth Brooks was #2 with the great Music Box album from Mariah Carey in the #3 position.  Bat out of Hell II:  Back Into Hell by Meat Loaf held #4 with River of Dreams from Billy Joel dropping to 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Newcomer Blind Melon and their debut, janet from Janet Jackson at #7, the Soundtrack to "Sleepless In Seattle", Core by Stone Temple Pilots and Black Sunday by Cypress Hill at #10.
1993:  SWV locked onto the #1 R&B position for the seventh week with "Right Here/Human Nature".
1993:  Salt-N-Pepa had the highest debuting song with "Shoop".




               Billy Joel was floating on The River of Dreams...

1993:  Mariah Carey had her biggest hit to date with "Dreamlover", now five weeks at #1.  SWV was once again #2 with "Right Here/Human Nature"/"Downtown".  The Tag Team had #3 with "Whoomp! (There It Is), Billy Joel remained at 4 with "The River of Dreams" while "If" by Janet Jackson also stood in place.  The rest of the Top 10:  UB40 and their former #1 "Can't Help Falling In Love", Toni Braxton's "Another Sad Love Song", Michael Jackson slipped from 7 with "Will You Be There", Meat Loaf's first hit in 12 years was for real--"I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" moved from 25-9 and Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train" closed the list.



2000:  A new museum was dedicated to John Lennon in Tokyo, Japan on what would have been Lennon's 60th birthday.  The albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Double Fantasy were re-released and the book Beatles Anthology was also published.
2003:  Lead singer Jon Stevens, who replaced Michael Hutchence in INXS after Hutchence's death, left the group over musical differences.
2003:  Limp Bizkit were sued by 172 fans for leaving the stage in Chicago, Illinois after just 17 minutes.  The band had been bombarded with garbage.  Oh, the terrible trouble of the musicians of today....Meanwhile...




2003:  Queen Elizabeth II of England made Sting a Commander of the British Empire.
2005:  Franz Ferdinand led the way on the U.K. album chart with You Could Have It So Much Better.







Born This Day:

1940:  John Lennon was born in the middle of an air raid at the Oxford Street Maternity Hospital in Liverpool, England at 6:30 p.m. GMT; was shot to death in New York City on December 8, 1980. 








1944:  John Entwistle, bass guitarist of the Who, was born in Chiswick, England; died June 27, 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada of a heart attack brought on by cocaine.
1944:  Nona Hendryx of Labelle and later a backup singer for the Talking Heads, was born in Trenton, New Jersey.






1948:  Jackson Browne was born in Heidelberg, Germany.
1954:  Dennis Stratton, guitarist for Iron Maiden on their debut album, was born in London.  (Note:  several websites report Stratton's birthday as November 9, but it was October 9, according to the band's official website.)
1954:  James Fearnley, accordion player with the Pogues, was born in Worsley, Lancashire, England.
1961:  Kurt Neumann, singer-songwriter and guitarist of the BoDeans, was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

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