InternetFM.com

Hand Curated Radio

You are here: Home / Archives for Music / One Hit Wonders

One Hit Wonders

Today in Rock History – July 12

by

courtesy: rollingstones.com
courtesy: rollingstones.com

1962, The Rolling Stones made their live debut at the Marquee Jazz Club, London, with Dick Taylor on bass (later of The Pretty Things) and Mick Avory on drums, (later of The Kinks). They were a last minute fill-in for Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, who had been plucked to appear on BBC radio’s Jazz Club program.  Billed as The Rollin’ Stones, culled from a song by one of their heroes, Muddy Waters. They were paid £20 for the gig. Ian Stewart’s appointment diary noted that the band played songs by Jimmy Reed, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley.

1964, The Beatles appeared at the Hippodrome Theatre in Brighton with The Fourmost and the Shubdubs (whose drummer, Jimmy Nicol, would later fill in for an ill Ringo Starr on The Beatles’ world tour). Also in the US,  The Ed Sullivan Show re-broadcast the February 9th show, The Beatles’ first live television appearance on the program. On the way to the gig George Harrison was involved in a minor crash in his brand new Jaguar in Kings Road, Fulham, London. Passing pedestrians collected bits of broken glass as souvenirs.

1968, Pink Floyd played at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.

1969, One hit wonders Zager and Evans started a six week run at number one on the singles chart with “In The Year 2525.”

1969, Led Zeppelin headline the Summer Pop Festival, alongside with Johnny Winter, Jethro Tull, Al Kooper and Buddy Guy at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tickets cost $3.75 – $6.75.

1969, Elvis Presley was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 cents

1969, Yes and King Crimson appeared at the Nottingham Racecourse, Nottingham, England.

1970, Pink Floyd headlined on the third and final day of the 1st Open Air Pop Festival, at Reiterstadion Soers, in Aachen, West Germany. Among the other acts on the bill were Deep Purple, Amon Duul II, Traffic, and Tyrannosaurus Rex.

1972, The Rolling Stones appear at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Indiana.

1973, Led Zeppelin played the first of two nights at Detroit’s Cobo Hall. The set list: Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, (Bring It On Home intro) Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I’ve Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Dazed and Confused (incl. San Francisco), Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love (incl. Let That Boy Boogie, I’m Going Down), Communication Breakdown, The Ocean.

1974, Frank Zappa plays the Hollywood Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, Florida.

1974, Eric Clapton performed at Madison Square Garden, New York

1975, Yes appears at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, New York.

1976, The Grateful Dead played the first of six nights at the Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, California.

1977, Fleetwood Mac appeared at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1978, Aerosmith headlines at the Long Beach Civic Arena, Long Beach, California.

1979, American singer songwriter Minnie Riperton died of cancer aged 31. The Stevie Wonder produced “Loving You” gave Minnie a number one single in 1975. She worked at Chess records singing backup for various artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters. She also sang lead for the experimental rock/soul group Rotary Connection, from 1967 to 1971. Also a member of Wonderlove in 1973, a backup group for Stevie Wonder.

1979, Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice joined Whitesnake. He would stay with the band until late 1981.

Disco Demolition at Comiskey Park – 1979. Courtesy: Chicago Reader

1979, Chicago Radio Station WLUP’s morning DJ Steve Dahl hosts Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park. Between games of a double header, a bonfire is started into which disco records are pitched while the crowd chants “Disco sucks.”   The promoters expected a crowd of a few thousand fans. Instead, 40,000 people showed up to take advantage of the 98 cent admission, if they brought a disco record. Dahl’s fans stormed the field and started a small riot.  While broadcasters tried to calm the crowd and get them back to their seats, fans paid no heed and tore up the field.  The White Sox had to forfeit the second game of the double header.

1980, During their 23-date 11 O’clock Tick Tock tour, U2 played at The Moonlight, West Hampstead in London.

1980, Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra had the UK number one single with “Xanadu,” taken from the film of the same name. It gave Olivia Newton-John her third UK chart topping single.

1981, Van Halen played at the International Amphitheater in Chicago.

1983, Former Traffic member Chris Wood died of pneumonia after years of battling drug and alcohol abuse. He played flute, sax, and keyboards.

1983, David Bowie appeared at the Montreal Forum, Montreal.

1986, Simply Red scored their first US number one single with “Holding Back The Years.” Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall wrote the song when he was seventeen, while living at his father’s house. The chorus did not come to him until many years later.

1996, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was charged with drug possession after the death of the band’s keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin in his New York Hotel room.

2003, Saxophonist, composer and arranger Benny Carter died aged 95. He worked with Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and composed many TV theme’s including Ironside and M-Squad.

2003, REM, The White Stripes, Idlewind, The Cardigans, The Proclaimers, The Music, The Charlatans, Coldplay, Supergrass, The Darkness, Turin Brakes, The Coral and Feeder all appeared at the two-day T In The Park festival in Scotland.

2007, Rod Stewart was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace for his services to music.

Born on July 12: Christine McVie (1943); Wilko Johnson, guitar, Dr. Feelgood (1947); Philip Taylor Kramer, bass guitar, Iron Butterfly (1952);  Dan Murphy, guitar, Soul Asylum (1962); Dominic Howard, drums, Muse (1977)

Get more Today in Rock history

Song Of The Day – “In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry

by

mungojerryToday’s Song Of The Day topped the charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland and the U.K. upon its release in 1970, however it only climbed to the #3 position on the Billboard Singles Chart in the U.S.

It is also one of the most-played and recognizable summer songs of all time, selling well over 30 million copies worldwide. Yet, most people know little to nothing about Mungo Jerry, the artist who recorded it in 1970.

Mungo Jerry was a British good-time blues, skiffle and jug band that had an ever-changing lineup right from their inception with one constant member, Ray Dorset. The group’s signature song was an off-the-cuff concoction written by Dorset in twenty minutes while on break from work. The group’s original lineup (and the one on today’s Song Of The Day) included Ray Dorset on guitars and vocals, Colin Earl on piano, Mike Cole on stand-up bass and Paul King on banjo, kazoo and jug.

The band took its name from T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats (the same book that inspired the musical Cats). One portion of the work included poems about “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer,” hence the name Mungo Jerry.

While considered a one-hit wonder in America, the band actually had a very successful run of hit singles in the U.K. well into the seventies including “In The Summertime” (#1/1970), “Baby Jump” (#1/1971), “Lady Rose” (#5/1970), “You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War” (#13/1971), “Alright, Alright, Alright” (#3/1973) and “Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black (#13/1974).

The song received a renewed worldwide chart life when it was covered by reggae dancehall vocalist Shaggy in 1995 on his album Boombastic, where it once again climbed to #3 on the U.S. charts. With the prevalence of faux good-time folk bands like Mumford And Sons currently all the rage, maybe the timing is right for the song to finally top the charts here in America…you never know…

Today in Rock History – July 10

by

rolling-stones-satisfaction1965, The Rolling Stones started a four week run at number one on the US singles chart with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” the group’s first chart-topper there. In the UK, the song was initially played only on pirate radio stations because its lyrics were considered too sexually suggestive.

1966, Johnny Tilotson, The Jive Five, The Tymes, The Shangra-Las and local band The Castiles (with Bruce Springsteen on vocals) all appeared at the Surf ‘n See Club in Seabright New Jersey.

1968, Eric Clapton announced that Cream would be splitting up following a farewell tour later in the year.

1968, The Nice were banned from appearing at London’s Royal Albert Hall after burning an American flag on stage. Two years later, Keith Emerson, leader of the Nice, joined Greg Lake and Carl Palmer in Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

1968, Diana Ross & the Supremes and Stevie Wonder appeared at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.

1969, Bob Dylan, Iron Butterfly, and Blues Image all appeared at the Mississippi River Festival at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.

1969, The funeral of Rolling Stone Brian Jones took place in his home town at Hatherley Road Parish Church, Cheltenham. Canon Hugh Evan Hopkins read Jones’ own epitaph, “Please don’t judge me too harshly.” Bill Wyman, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts from The Stones attended the funeral.

1970, The Allman Brothers Band played at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York.

1970, The Who single “Summertime Blues” backed with “Heaven and Hell” is released. The A-side comes from the album Live at Leeds while the B-side is a quickly recorded mono studio version of the Entwistle song done for the BBC, with a new vocal slapped on. It reaches number 38 in Britain and in the US, it makes number 27 in the Billboard charts.

1971, The Who performed during their “unpublicized” tour of the UK at Civic Hall, Dunstable, England.

1972, Harry Nilsson released Son of Schmilsson. His eighth album featured friends Ringo Starr and George Harrison, plus Klaus Voorman, Nicky Hopkins, Peter Frampton, Chris Spedding, Bobby Keys and Lowell George. It included the hit “Spaceman, ” and the satirical classics “You’re Breaking My Heart” and “Joy.”

1972, Pink Floyd release “Free Four”/”Stay” as a 7″ single in the US.

1973, Led Zeppelin performed for two hours and forty minutes to 11,000 fans at the Milwaukee Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1974, David Bowie played the first of five dates at The Tower Theatre in Philadelphia the recordings of which made up the David Live album released later that year.

1975, The Rolling Stones played at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

1976, One hit wonders Starland Vocal Band started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with “Afternoon Delight.”

1976, Aerosmith performed at Comiskey Park in Chicago, home of the White Sox baseball team. The stadium was demolished in 1991, when a new stadium was opened next door.  The Beatles performed at Comiskey in 1965.

1977, Cher gave birth to a baby boy Elijah Blue.  Gregg Allman was the father.

1978, Rolling Stone Bill Wyman was knocked unconscious after falling from the stage during a Stones concert at the Coliseum in St Paul, Minnesota.

1979, Chuck Berry was sentenced to five months in jail after being found guilty of tax evasion.

Bob Marley, courtesy Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (rockhall.com)

1980, Bob Marley and the Wailers began what would be Marley’s last ever UK tour when they appeared in Dublin, Ireland.

1980, During their 23 date 11 O’Clock Tick Tock tour, U2 appeared at The Clarendon Hotel in London.

1981, The Moody Blues performed at Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan.

1981, The Grateful Dead played at the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

1984, King Crimson appeared at Le Spectrum in Montreal, Quebec.

1987, Producer and record company executive John Hammond died. He brought Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen to Columbia Records. Hammond also worked as a producer with Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman and Count Basie.

2002, David Bowie, Suede, Divine Comedy, Green Day, No Doubt, Paul Weller, Ian Brown, Joe Strummer, New Order, Doves and Shed 7 all appeared at the four day Move festival, Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England.

2008, The drum skin used on the cover of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper album sold for £541,250 ($1 million) at Christie’s Memorabilia auction in London. Other items sold included John Lennon’s lyrics for “Give Peace a Chance” which sold for £421,250 ($832,257.) A pair of tinted prescription sunglasses belonging to Lennon, which he wore for the cover of the single “Mind Games,” sold for £39,650 ($79,000.) A rare 1/4 inch reel to-reel master tape recording of the Jimi Hendrix Experience performing at the Woburn Music Festival in 1968 went for £48,050 ($95,00), a Marshall amplifier used by Hendrix in concert fetched £25,000 ($50,000).

Born on July 10: Jerry Miller, Moby Grape (1943); Arlo Guthrie (1947); Ronnie James Dio (1949); and Greg Kihn (1950)

Get more Today in Rock History

Today in Rock History – July 8

by

beatles-nowhere-man-ep1966, The Beatles released the Nowhere Man 4-track EP in the UK, which included “Drive My Car,” “Michelle,” and “You Won’t See Me.” All four tracks were taken from The Beatles’ sixth UK studio album, Rubber Soul.

1966, The Who appeared at Top Rank Suite in Cardiff, Wales.

1966, The Rolling Stones performed at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan.

1967, UK music weekly the Melody Maker ran a front-page comment condemning the 3-month jail sentence given to Rolling Stone Mick Jagger for possession of Benzedrine tablets. Jagger was later given a conditional discharge.

1967, The Monkees began a 29-date tour with The Jimi Hendrix Experience as support act. They requested Hendrix because they were fans, but their young audience disliked the Experience, who left the tour after six shows. Hendrix manager Chas Chandler later admitted that he engineered the tour in an effort to gain publicity for Hendrix.

1968, Pink Floyd kicked off their second North American tour at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago. Visa problems meant a delayed start to the tour, and the band had to spend time in Canada while the paperwork was sorted out.

1969, Marianne Faithful collapsed on the set of Ned Kelly after taking a drug overdose. She was admitted to a Sydney Hospital, (she was later dropped from the movie).

1970, The Everly Brothers Show started an eleven-week prime time slot on ABC- TV.

1971, Yes performed at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.

1971, A minor riot occurred during a Mott The Hoople gig at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England. Some fans were injured and two boxes were damaged causing a temporary ban on rock gigs at the venue.

1972, Bill Withers started a three week run at number one on the singles chart with “Lean On Me.”

1972, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Convention Center, Louisville, Kentucky.

1972, Donny Osmond was at number one on the singles chart with his version of the Paul Anka song “Puppy Love.” The first of three solo chart toppers for Donny.

1972, The Concert 10 Festival was held at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Acts performing included, Claire Hamill, The Groundhogs, Edgar Winter, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Faces with Rod Stewart, Humble Pie, The J. Geils Band, and Three Dog Night.

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy1973, Led Zeppelin’s fifth album Houses Of The Holy was on both the US and UK album charts. The album spent a total of 39 weeks on the US chart. The cover art for Houses Of The Holy was inspired by the ending of Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Childhood’s End. It is a collage of several photographs which were taken at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland, by Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis.

1974, David Bowie plays Philadelphia’s Tower Theatre. The week-long series of concerts is recorded and later released as David Live.

1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd played at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia.

1976, Aerosmith appeared at the MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1977, ZZ Top performed at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana.

1978, Gerry Rafferty’s album City To City went to number one on the US charts knocking off Saturday Night Fever, which had reigned supreme at the top of the charts for almost six months.

1978, Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon from The Clash were arrested for being drunk and disorderly after a gig at the Apollo in Glasgow, both were fined.

1979, The B-52’s made their UK live debut at London’s Lyceum Ballroom, supported by The Tourists.

1980, Roxy Music appeared at the Tendastrisce, Rome.

1981, The Grateful Dead perform at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.

1983, Iron Maiden played at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.

1984, Bob Dylan’s current European tour came to an end at Slane Castle, County Meath in Ireland. Dylan was joined on stage by Van Morrison and they duetted on “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.” U2’s Bono, who was sent to interview Dylan for the Irish rock magazine Hot Press, ended up duetting with Dylan on “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat.” Carlos Santana also joined Dylan on stage and played guitar on the last seven songs of the set.

1995, TLC started a seven week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Waterfalls,” the group’s second US chart topper, and a top four hit in the UK.

2002, Michael Jackson spoke out against the music industry’s treatment of artists, alleging that the business was rife with racism. Speaking at a civil rights meeting in New York, Jackson claimed there was a “conspiracy” among record companies, especially towards black artists. A spokesman for Jackson’s record label said the remarks were “ludicrous, spiteful and hurtful.”

2006, Queen guitarist Brian May made a “substantial” donation to save hedgehogs from slaughter in the Outer Hebrides. Although the exact amount was not revealed it was said to be enough to pay for the rescue of hundreds of hedgehogs from the Uists, where Scottish Natural Heritage has been culling the animals for the past four years. May’s money would go towards funding cash rewards for islanders so hundreds more hedgehogs can be saved.

2007, Prince was forced off stage by police halfway through his set at the First Avenue nightclub during a late-night gig in his home town of Minneapolis. The club was only allowed to stay open until 3 am, but Prince took to the stage at 2.45 am. Prince had already played two concerts in Minneapolis before his late-night club appearance. His first performance was at a department store, where he promoted his new cologne with a nine-song, 45-minute set.

Born on July 8: Jaimoe Johanson, Allman Bros (1944); Andy Fletcher, Depeche Mode (1960);  Toby Keith (1961); Joan Osborne (1963); Beck (1970); Jamie Cook, guitarist, Arctic Monkeys (1985)

Get more Today in Rock History

Song Of The Day – “Saturday In The Park” by Chicago – 4th Of July Playlist

by

ChicagoVamerican-flag

 

 

 

 

 

Eric Berman’s ultimate 4th Of July playlist:

  1. “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie
  2. “America The Beautiful” by Ray Charles
  3. “Freedom” by Richie Havens
  4. “Saturday In The Park” by Chicago
  5. “One Time One Night” by Los Lobos
  6. “Pink Houses” by John Mellencamp
  7. “Rockin’ In The Free World” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
  8. “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty
  9. “4th Of July” by X
  10. “4th Of July” by Aimee Mann
  11. “4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
  12. “Independence Day” – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
  13. “Don’t Pull It Down” from the Broadway Musical Hair
  14. “America” – by Chita Rivera and Company, from the Original Soundtrack of West Side Story
  15. “Young Americans” by David Bowie
  16. “America” by Neil Diamond
  17. “American Tune” by Paul Simon
  18. “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke
  19. “American Trilogy” by Elvis Presley
  20.  “Ragged Old Flag” by Johnny Cash
  21.  “The Star Spangled Banner” by Jimi Hendrix

Now add your tune to the list and publish on your Facebook feed…Happy 4th Of July!

 

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Think” by The 5 Royales

by

45-adapter-logo25-Royales

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Think” by The 5 Royales

If ever a group deserved to be in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame, it should be The 5 Royales.

Not only were they a pioneering R’n’B and Doo Wop vocal group, but they had one of the greatest songwriters of the era in Lowman “Pete” Pauling as a member. Pauling wrote most of the Royales’ material and many of their songs went on to be big hits for others.

The 5 Royales were formed in North Carolina in the early 1950s and consisted of Lowman “Pete” Pauling, Jimmy Moore, Obadiah Carter, Otto Jeffries and Johnny Tanner. They recorded for King Records and had chart success with songs like “Monkey Hips And Rice,” “Baby Don’t Do It” and “Somebody Help Me.” But it was the songs that were penned by Pauling and recorded by others that really made them legends.

The group was responsible for introducing today’s Song Of The Day that later went on to be a big soul hit for James Brown. They also recorded the original versions of “Dedicated To The One I Love” made famous by both The Shirelles and The Mamas & The Papas, and “Tell The Truth” which was originally recorded by Ray Charles.

Song Of the Day by Eric Berman – “The Alley Cat” by Bent Fabric

by

45-adapter-logo2bentfabricalleycat

Song Of the Day by Eric Berman – “The Alley Cat” by Bent Fabric

Dance crazes come and go, but they are never forgotten.

Most recently there was Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” wreaking havoc across dance floors all over the world while the youth of America (and Myley Cyrus) began to twerk. In the 1990s, there was “The Macarena.” In the 1980s, country line dancing and “The Lambada” had their day in the sun, and the ‘70s gave us “The Electric Slide.” But in the early 1960s, there was only one communal synchronized dance that kids and adults alike shared in, making it a staple at weddings, proms and Bar Mitzvahs.

That dance was “The Alley Cat.”

In actuality, “The Alley Cat” began life as a 1961 hit for Bent Fabricius-Bjerre in Denmark under the title “Omkring et Flygel” (“Under The Table”). The song was picked up for U.S. distribution by Neshui and Ahmet Ehrtegun and released on their Atco label in 1962, where it became a million-selling top-ten hit. The song also went on to win a Grammy Award for, get this, Best Rock and Roll Record of 1962!

Fabric released six albums on Atco between 1962 and 1968, with titles like The Happy Puppy, The Drunken Penguin and Operation Love Birds, with animal-centric album covers to match. He was also paired up with Atco’s other big instrumentalist, Acker Bilk, for a series of recordings. But no matter how many albums were released, in America he is still only associated with one thing, “The Alley Cat.”

Fabric got his start playing Jazz piano in Denmark before moving into the realm of film scores, where he wrote music for 27 different Danish films. He also founded Metronome Records in 1950, which went on to become one of the most successful Danish record companies. One of his signings was Jorge Ingmann who scored a #2 hit in America with his classic instrumental “Apache.”

While Fabric has seemingly faded from view in America, he’s continued to release recordings in Denmark over the years, most recently scoring two top-ten hits in 2006 from his album called Jukebox. That album’s title track also got airplay in dance clubs across America, where a remix of “Alley Cat” was also re-released.

Surprisingly, in Mexico, ice cream trucks co-opted “The Alley Cat” as their calling card, so when children hear it blaring through the streets, it means the ice cream man is in the neighborhood.

Today in Rock History – June 6

by

1965, Herman’s Hermits play The Ed Sullivan Show.

1965, The Rolling Stones released the single “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” on the Decca label in the US. The song also featured on the American version of the Rolling Stones’ fourth studio album, Out of Our Heads, released that July.

1965, The Who played at St. Joseph’s Hall in London.

1966, Roy Orbison’s first wife, Claudette, was killed when a truck pulled out of a side road and collided with the motorbike that she and her husband were riding on in Gallatin, Texas, she was 25.

1966, The Who head from Sweden to Denmark, flying into Copenhagen. That night Keith Moon and John Entwistle go drinking at the Carousel Club and sit in for a set with The Tremeloes.

1968, Screaming Lord Sutch appeared at the Freehold Hullabaloo in Freehold, New Jersey. Sutch was touring the East Coast in a old custom-painted Rolls Royce hearse. The support band was The Castiles, with Bruce Springsteen on vocals).

1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Soul Survivors appeared at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.

1969, Rod Stewart signs as a solo artist to Mercury Records.

1970, Christie were at number one on the singles chart with “Yellow River,” the group’s only chart topper. Written by Jeff Christie for the Tremeloes who turned it down, so he recorded it himself.

1970, Felix Cavaliere & The Rascals played at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

1970, Syd Barrett played his first gig since leaving Pink Floyd at the Extraveganza ’70, at London’s Olympia. He was joined on stage by Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.

1970, This is the third of a four night residency for the Grateful Dead at San Francisco’s Fillmore West.

1970, The Doors appeared at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia.

1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono jammed live on stage with Frank Zappa at The Filmore East in New York. Some of these recordings were released in 1972, on John Lennon’s third post-Beatles album, Some Time in New York City.

1971, This date was the last broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show. Ed’s final musical guests are Gladys Knight & the Pips.

1972, David Bowie releases his album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.

1973, King Crimson played at Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, Tennessee.

1974, Billy Swan records his chart topping song “I Can Help.”

1975, Pink Floyd fly to America for a tour. It would end in disaster when an addled Roger Waters spits on the audience. The event would serve as the inspiration for writing The Wall in an attempt to exorcise his demons.

1975, The Rolling Stones appeared at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri.

1976, Genesis performed at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

1977, Queen appeared at Earls Court in London, England.

1977, Students at UCLA are shocked when Stevie Wonder appears as a guest lecturer, talking about his experiences with Motown and then performing music by way of illustration.

1978, Bob Dylan performed at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.

1979, Def Leppard played at Crookes Workingman’s Club in Sheffield. The gig was reviewed in UK music paper Sounds and led to a recording contract with Phonogram Records.

1981, Van Halen appeared at the Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington.

1982, Tom Petty, Crosby Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks and Jackson Browne all appeared at The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California to a crowd of 85,000 fans at the six hour Peace Sunday, We Have A Dream antinuclear concert. Dylan was joined onstage with Joan Baez and duetted with her on “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “With God On Our Side.” The show was partly broadcast on ABC TV’s Entertainment Tonight program on the same day.

1984, Blue Oyster Cult performed at the Agora Ballroom,  a “cavernous” former bowling alley in an industrial area in Hartford, Connecticut.

1986, A&R man Dick Rowe died of diabetes. Rowe became famous for not signing The Beatles to Decca records and made the classic quote “Nobody cares about guitar group’s anymore.” He did however sign The Rolling Stones to Decca.

2003, Keyboard player with The Animals Dave Rowberry died aged 62. He replaced Alan Price who left in 1965. The Animals had the 1964 UK and US number one single “House Of The Rising Sun.”

2006, Billy Preston died of kidney failure. The Grammy-winning keyboard player collaborated with some of the greatest names in the music industry, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan.

Born on June 6: Levi Stubbs, The Four Tops (1936); Gary “US” Bonds (1939); Clarence White, The Byrds (1944); and Steve Vai, guitarist, Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake (1960)

Get more Today in Rock History

Today in Rock History – May 31

by

1966, Filming began on The Monkees first TV series.

1968, Jimi Hendrix appeared at Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland.

1968, Working on what will become the White Album, The Beatles add overdubs of bass and vocals on “Revolution.” After numerous overdubs have been added, the final six minutes of the song evolved into chaotic, jamming, with Lennon repeatedly shouting “alright” and Yoko Ono speaking random phrases. The jam becomes the basis for “Revolution 9,” and this session is the first that Yoko attends.

1968, Love appeared at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan

1969, Jimi Hendrix was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 cents.

1969, The Allman Brothers Band played at the Boston Tea Party in Boston, Massachusetts.

1969, During their Montreal bed-in, John Lennon and Yoko Ono record “Give Peace a Chance.”

1969, Led Zeppelin headlined at the Fillmore East in New York. Also on the bill were Woody Herman & his Orchestra as well as Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Tickets were priced from $3 to $5.

1969, The Rolling Stones record “Honky Tonk Women.”

1969, Pink Floyd appeared at the “Eight Weeks Ball” held at the Main Marquee, Pembroke College, Oxford, England.

1971, The Allman Brothers Band played at the Piedmont Music Festival, Atlanta, Georgia.

1972, Roxy Music appeared at the Marquee Club, London.

1973, To celebrate John Bonham’s 25th birthday, Robert Plant leads an audience at the Felt Forum in Los Angeles in a rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Later that night Bonham celebrates with George Harrison, who ends up throwing his birthday cake at the drummer. Bonham tosses Harrison into the hotel pool.

1973, Deep Purple performed at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1974, Roxy Music appeared at Painter’s Mill Music Fair, Owings Mills, Maryland.

1975, During a press conference held at the 5th Avenue Hotel in New York City to announce The Rolling Stones forthcoming American tour, the Stones themselves came down the street playing live from the back of a flat-bed truck.

1976, Yes played at Freedom Hall Civic Center, Johnson City, Tennessee.

1976, The Who start a three-date tour of the UK at the Charlton Football Ground in London. Since all three dates are at football stadiums, the tour is known as the “Who Put the Boot In” tour. This show also puts The Who in the Guinness Book of World Records as “The World’s Loudest Pop Group” as their output registers 120 decibels at 50 meters. Supporting acts are The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Little Feat, The Outlaws and Streetwalkers.

1977, The Patti Smith group started a nine night residency at New York’s CBGB’s.

1977, The BBC announced a ban on the new Sex Pistols single “God Save The Queen” saying it’s, “in gross bad taste”. And the IBA issued a warning to all radio stations saying the playing the single would be in breach of Section 4:1:A of the Broadcasting act. The single reached number two on the UK chart.

1977, The Police appeared at The Railway Hotel, Putney, London.

1977,  Emerson, Lake & Palmer kick off an American tour accompanied by a 70-piece orchestra. It costs the band $200,000 a week to keep the circus on the road.

1978, David Bowie performed at the Falkoner Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark.

1979, Dire Straits played at Rhein-Neckar Halle, Heidelberg, Germany.

1980, Lipps Inc went to number one on the US singles chart with”Funkytown.” The disco hit was also a chart topper in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Australia and The Netherlands. It reached the second spot in the UK.

1981, ZZ Top appeared at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee.

1982, R.E.M. signed a five-album deal with IRS Records, an independent label based in California.

1984, Bob Dylan performed at St. Pauli Stadion, Hamburg, Germany.

1986, Peter Gabriel notched his second solo UK number one album with So, featuring the singles “Sledgehammer” and a duet with Kate Bush “Don’t Give Up.”

1989, David Bowie’s Tin Machine made their live debut at the International Music Awards, New York.

1992, The Grateful Dead played at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in Las Vegas.

2000, US soul singer Johnnie Taylor died of a heart attack in a Texas hospital shortly after his 62nd birthday. Taylor had been a member of The Highway QCs and The Five Echoes and in 1957 Taylor replaced Sam Cooke in The Soul Stirrers. He scored the 1976 US number one”Disco Lady.”

2004, American guitarist Robert Quine was found dead of a heroin overdose in his New York City home. Worked with Richard Hell And The Voidoids, Lou Reed, Brian Eno, Lloyd Cole, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Waits, and They Might Be Giants

2008, Death Cab For Cutie were at number one on the US album chart with their sixth release Narrow Stairs.

Born on May 31:  Peter Yarrow, Peter Paul and Mary (1938); John Bonham (1948); and Karl Bartos, Kraftwerk (1952)

Get more Today in Rock History

Song Of The Day – “Harper Valley P.T.A.” by Jeannie C. Riley

by

JeannieCRileyToday’s Song Of The Day goes out to all of those “Harper Valley hypocrites” who scorn mini-skirts, casual sex and casual drinking.

Jeannie C. Riley’s recording of “Harper Valley P.T.A.” sold six million copies worldwide in 1968 and catapulted her to instant notoriety, earning her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and the Country Music Association Single of the Year award.  The Tom T. Hall-written ditty topped both the Country and Pop charts in 1968, a feat that would not be repeated by a song until Dolly Parton did the trick with “9 To 5” in 1981.

Jeannie C. Riley had been a receptionist at Passkey Music on Music Row in Nashville before recording the song. She came to the attention of Plantation Records chief Shelby Singleton from a demo she recorded called “Old Town Drunk.”  Singleton thought that Riley would be perfect for another demo he was sitting on called “Harper Valley P.T.A.” written by a then-unknown Tom Hall.

The song was literally recorded in 15 minutes right after Riley left work at Passkey and walked into the studio that just happened to be next door. After it was recorded, it was suggested that Riley change the song’s final line from “the day that momma broke up the Harper Valley P.T.A.” to “the day my momma socked it to, the Harper Valley P.T.A.” The line sealed the deal on the song, as well as Jeannie C. Riley’s fate as the notorious vixen of Harper Valley.

Before the song got to Riley, it was originally given to Skeeter Davis who passed on it. In the meantime Billie Jo Spears and Margie Singleton also recorded versions of the song, but Riley’s recording not only topped the charts, but gave her a TV variety show of her own to star in. Later, it was turned into a 1978 major motion picture and a 1981 TV series, both starring Barbara Eden.

While Riley went on to have hit records with “The Girl Most Likely,” “There Never Was A Time,” “The Rib,” “The Back Side of Dallas,” “Country Girl,” “Oh Singer” and “Good Enough to Be Your Wife,” she will always be remembered by today’s Song Of The Day.