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Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – The Jukebox Series #52– The Monkees: “Pleasant Valley Sunday” b/w “Words” – Colgems 45 66-1007 (C6/D6)

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monkeespleasant45monkeespleasantpicsleeve45 monkeeswords45

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – The Jukebox Series #52– The Monkees: “Pleasant Valley Sunday” b/w “Words” – Colgems 45 66-1007 (C6/D6)

“The Jukebox Series” focuses on the 80 records that inhabit my 1963 Seeburg LPC1 jukebox. I’ve had my jukebox (or as I like to call it “the prehistoric iPod”) for a little over twelve years and in that time I’d like to think that I’ve perfected the mix of 45s within.

You know you’re really talented when you can write a song as great as “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and then give it away for someone else to record. In this case, the songwriters are Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and the lucky recipients were The Monkees whose recording of the song climbed to the #3 position of the singles charts in 1967.

“Pleasant Valley Sunday” is a comment on social stature and suburban life that takes place on a street (Pleasant Valley Way) in upper crust West Orange, New Jersey, where King and her husband, Gerry Goffin, were living at the time. (It’s about five minutes away from where my mother currently lives.) The hilly winding neighborhood is the epitome of tree-lined suburban living with large palatial houses sporting well-manicured lawns that are visited regularly by landscaping companies.

The song hails from the group’s fourth and most consistent long player, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Not only is it the group’s very best album…it is also one of the best albums to come out in 1967, the year that gave us classics like Sgt. Pepper, The Doors, Are You Experienced, Surrealistic Pillow, John Wesley Harding, Disraeli gears, Piper At The Gates of Dawn and The Velvet Underground And Nico.

Like their previous Headquarters album, the group actually played their own instruments on Pisces, rather than being forced to sit on the sidelines while session musicians did their bidding in the studio. Due to the popularity of their TV show and hit singles, the group had gained enough clout by 1967 to demand that they play all of the instruments on their records which they opted to do on Headquarters. For Pisces, they were again augmented by studio session musicians including Eddie Hoh on drums, Chip Douglas and Bill Martin on piano, Chip Douglas on bass, Douglas Dillard on banjo and Paul Beaver on Moog synthesizer, but ultimately played most of the instruments themselves.

All of the band members played on the “Pleasant Valley Sunday” single except for Mickey Dolenz who is one of the two lead vocalists on the track along with Mike Nesmith. The album was produced by Chip Douglas who plays the drums here. The Mono and Stereo version of the song have entirely different vocal tracks, and the Mono version was the one used on the single.

The album was notable for being one of the first rock albums to feature the newly invented Moog synthesizer. Mickey Dolenz had purchased one of the first twenty Moog synthesizers available and used it on the tracks “Daily Nightly” and “Love Is Only Sleeping” giving the album a psychedelic edge. (Paul Beaver of Beaver & Krause is heard playing the synth on the track “Star Collector.”)

The album’s title comes from the astrological signs of each band member: Mickey Dolenz is a Pisces, Peter Tork is an Aquarius and Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones were both Capricorns. Since Nesmith and Jones shared the same birthday (December 30th), they added Jones’ name to the title to delineate the two Capricorns.

It is by far their most consistent platter including some of the group’s best material including “Cuddly Toy,” “Star Collector,” “Salesman,” “She Hangs Out,” “The Door Into Summer” and the two songs that make up today’s jukebox classic. It sold three million copies and topped the album charts in 1967.

The flip of the single is the Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart song “Words,” one of the group’s most psychedelic singles. Dolenz and Peter Tork are heard doubling up on the lead vocals, and the song climbed its way to the number eleven position of the charts which was no small feat considering that  it was the flip of the single. It was the second time the group took a crack at recording the song, the first was for their second album More Of The Monkees. As with “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” the single version of “Words” is different than the album version. The song was featured in five different episodes of their TV show.

<More Of The MonkeesVersion

Today in Rock History – June 19

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The Spencer Davis Group

1965, The Who, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Spencer Davis Group, Marianne Faithful, Long John Baldry, The Birds, (featuring a young Ronnie Wood), Dave Witting, and the Ray Martin Group all appeared at Uxbridge Blues Festival, England.

1965, The Four Tops went to number one on the singles chart with “I Can’t Help Myself.” Lead singer Levi Stubbs had not been satisfied with the recording session and was promised that he could do it again the following day, but no other session ever took place. The track that became a hit was just the second take of the song.

1966, “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones began its second week at number one on the American singles chart.

1967, Paul McCartney told The Daily Mirror that he had taken LSD four times during an interview with Life Magazine, Sir Paul stated that he didn’t regret that he’d spoken out and hoped that his fans would understand.

1968, The Rolling Stones scored their seventh number one single when “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” topped the charts. Keith Richards wrote in his autobiography that he and Jagger wrote the lyrics while staying at Richards’ country house. They were awoken one morning by the sound of gardener Jack Dyer walking past the window. When Jagger asked what the noise was, Richards responded, “Oh, that’s Jack – that’s jumpin’ Jack.”

1969, The Doors appeared at the PNE Garden Auditorium, Vancouver, Canada.

1971, Carole King started a five week run at number one on the singles chart with “It’s Too Late / I Feel The Earth Move.” Both songs were from her Tapestry album.

1973, Edgar Winter’s US number one hit “Frankenstein” was awarded a Gold record. Winter named the song because of how many cuts and patches were contained in the original studio tape.

1973, The Rocky Horror Show, starring Tim Curry, opens at a London theater.

1973, Pink Floyd performed at the Civic Center Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The set list: Obscured By Clouds / When You’re In / Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun / Careful With that Axe, Eugene / Echoes. // Second set: The Dark Side of the Moon/ encore: One of These Days.

1974, The Delinquents a band featuring Mick Jones (later of The Clash) made their debut at the Students Union bar, Queen Elizabeth College, Kensington.

1974, The Jackson Five played two shows at the Apollo, Glasgow, Scotland.

1977, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers supported by The Boomtown Rats appeared at The Rainbow, London.

1978, The Rolling Stones played the Palladium, in New York City during their summer tour of North America.

1980, The Grateful Dead played the first of three shows at West High Auditorium in Anchorage, Alaska.

1992, The Greenpeace Stop Sellafield, campaign concert took place at G-Mex in Manchester, England with U2, Big Audio Dynamite II, Public Enemy and Kraftwerk.

2011, Amy Winehouse was booed by crowds in Serbia’s capital Belgrade after appearing to be too drunk to perform. The concert – the first on the singers 12-day European tour, saw Winehouse mumble her way through parts of songs, leave the stage altogether and at one point she threw her microphone to the floor.

2013, Slim Whitman the American country music and western music singer/songwriter and instrumentalist died aged 90. He was known for his yodeling abilities and his smooth high octave falsetto, and sold in excess of 120 million records during his career. Michael Jackson cited Whitman as one of his ten favorite vocalists, and Beatle George Harrison cited Whitman as an early influence. Paul McCartney credited a poster of Whitman with giving him the idea of playing his guitar left-handed with his guitar strung the opposite way to a right-handed player’s.

2014, Gerry Goffin, who penned chart-topping songs with his then-wife Carole King died at the age of 75 in Los Angeles. He wrote dozens of hits over two decades, including “The Loco-Motion,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” After their divorce in 1968, Goffin continued writing songs, including a hit for Whitney Houston, “Saving All My Love for You” in 1985.

Born on June 19: Tommy Devito, The Four Seasons (1936); Elaine McFarlane, Spanky And Our Gang (1942); Nick Drake UK singer, songwriter (1948) Ann Wilson, Heart (1950); Paula Abdul (1963);  Scott Avett, Avett Brothers (1976)

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Today in Rock History – June 17

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beatles-help1965, Working at Abbey Road studios in London The Beatles completed work on the new Paul McCartney song “Yesterday” with the overdubbing of an additional vocal track by McCartney and a string quartet. They also recorded “Act Naturally” for Ringo’s vocal contribution on the Help! album and the song “Wait” in four takes. “Wait” will not be included on ‘Help!’, it was included on the following LP, Rubber Soul.

1965, The Kinks and the Moody Blues made their US concert debut at the Academy of Music in New York City.

1966, The Who performed at City Hall in Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

1966, Guitarist Peter Green joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

1966, Paul McCartney buys himself a farm in Kintyre, Scotland. He would later write the song “Mull of Kintyre.”

1967, Pink Floyd played at the Ballroom, Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate, Kent, England, supported by the Tony Merrick Set.

1969, Neil Young & Crazy Horse appeared at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.

1971, Carole King went to number one on the album chart with Tapestry for the first of 15 consecutive weeks. The album contained “It’s Too Late,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” and “You’ve Got a Friend.”

1971, Black Sabbath and Ted Nugent played at the West Palm Beach Auditorium in West Palm Beach, Florida.

1972, The Allman Brothers Band performed at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1972, Don McLean had a number one UK single with “Vincent.” The song was written about the 19th century artist Vincent Van Gogh. The song is played daily at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

1972, David Bowie performed at Town Hall in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.

1972, Organist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan plays with the Grateful Dead for the last time at the Hollywood Bowl.

1972, Pink Floyd release their soundtrack Obscured by Clouds in the US.

1972, The Rolling Stones album Exile On Main Street started a four-week run at the top of the charts.

1973, Dolly Parton recorded “I Will Always Love You” in RCA’s Studio “B” in Nashville. Written for her one-time partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner (the two were splitting professionally at the time). The song was later a world-wide hit for Whitney Houston.

1974, KISS played at the Sunshine Inn, Asbury Park, New Jersey.

1975, Aerosmith appeared at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado.

1976, The Grateful Dead begin the first of  three nights at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey.

1976, Ian Dury played his last gig with Kilburn and the High Roads before starting his solo career. The show at The Assembly Hall, Walthamstow also had The Sex Pistols, and The Stranglers on the bill.

1976, Neil Diamond performed at Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan.

1977, Steve Winwood releases his first self-titled solo album, three years after leaving Traffic.

1977, Eric Clapton played at Rhein-Neckar-Halle, Heidelberg, Germany.

1978, Andy Gibb became the first solo artist in the history of the US charts to have his first three releases reach number one. “Shadow Dancing” hit the top of the charts, spending seven weeks at the top, and becoming the best selling single in the US that year.

1978, Bob Dylan performed at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.

1978, “You’re The One That I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John started a nine week run at number one on the UK singles chart. The song was from the film Grease.

1978, As Jefferson Airplane prepare to play Germany’s Lorley Festival, Grace Slick is discovered too inebriated to perform. The band cancels.

1979, Yes played at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, Connecticut.

1980, Led Zeppelin performed at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany.

1981, Pink Floyd performed The Wall at Earl’s Court Exhibition Hall, Earl’s Court, London.

1983, David Bowie appeared at Freilichttheater, Bad Segeberg, Germany.

1983, James Brown, UB40, Fun Boy Three, The Beat, Curtis Mayfield, Jimmy Cliff, Marillion and Melanie all appeared at this years Glastonbury CND Festival, Shepton Mallet, England.

1984, Van Halen played at the Kansas Coliseum, Valley Center, Kansas.

1987, Florida real estate agent Vittoria Holman sued Motley Crue and their concert promoter for hearing loss allegedly incurred at a concert in December 1985. Holman and her daughter had front row seats less than 10 feet (3 meters) from the speakers. The case was settled out of court with the band’s insurance company paying Holman over $30,000. (£18,200.)

1997, Fans rioted at an Ozzfest concert in Columbus Ohio, after Ozzy Osbourne couldn’t perform due to throat problems. Angry fans broke windows, uprooted trees, and turned over a parked car.

2007, The Traveling Wilburys went to number one on the UK album chart with Collection. The lineup of the Wilburys was: George Harrison, (Nelson Wilbury,) Jeff Lynne, (Otis Wilbury,) Roy Orbison, (Lefty Wilbury,) Tom Petty, (Charlie T. Wilbury Jr.,) and Bob Dylan, (Lucky Wilbury.)

2012, Bruce Springsteen played his longest show when he turned in a three-hour-and-48-minute, 32-song, set at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. This surpassed the previously longest show, Dec. 31, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York, which clocked in at 3:43.

Born on June 17: Norman Kuhlke, The Swinging Blue Jeans (1942); Chris Spedding, session guitarist for Donovan, David Essex, Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry (1944); Barry Manilow (1946); Greg Rolie, Santana (1947); and Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys (1958)

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Today in Rock History – April 23

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1965, The Rolling Stones kicked off their third North American tour at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal, Canada.

1966, The Who played at the Odeon Theatre in Rochester, Kent, England.

1967, Jimi Hendrix appeared at the Gaumont Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.

1969, The Beatles were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Get Back,” the group’s 16th British chart topper. Writing credits included “The Beatles with Billy Preston,” the only Beatles single that included another artist credit.

1969, The Ash Grove club in Los Angeles, where Canned Heat cut their teeth, burns down.

1969, The Grateful Dead play the last of three shows at The Ark in Boston. The ill-fated club near Fenway Park didn’t last very long, and was subsequently taken over by the more famous venue the Boston Tea Party.

1970, Fairport Convention, Fotheringay and Matthews Southern Comfort all appeared at The Roundhouse, London,

1971, Emerson, Lake and Palmer performed at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan.

1971, The Rolling Stones released  Sticky Fingers in the UK. The album reached the top spot in the UK and the US.  It was the band’s first release on Atlantic Records. The cover design featured a pair of jeans with a working zipper that was designed by Andy Warhol, who was paid £15,000 for the art work.

1972, Pink Floyd’s North American tour stops at Cincinnati’s Music Hall for a performance of Dark Side of the Moon.

1972, Procol Harum played at Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan.

1973, King Crimson played at Henry Levitt Arena, Wichita, Kansas.

1974, Yes performed Palazzo Di Palaeur Dello Sport, Rome, Italy.

1975, During a North American tour Pink Floyd played the first of five sold out nights at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California.

1976, The Ramones released their self-titled debut album. On the same day, The Sex Pistols played The Nashville Rooms in London supporting The 101’ers, who featured Clash vocalist Joe Strummer.

Marley in 1976 – photo by D. Burnett

1976, Bob Marley and The Wailers kicked off their Rastaman Vibration North American and European 42-date tour at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

1976, Genesis appeared at the Opera House, St. Louis, Missouri.

1977, A Siouxsie & the Banshees performance at London’s Roxy Club inspires audience member Stuart Goddard to form the Ants. He later becomes international pop star Adam Ant.

1977, Thelma Houston went to number one on the US singles chart with “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” It was a number 13 hit in the UK.

1977, Joan Jett supported by Blondie appeared at the Whisky A Go-Go, Los Angeles.

1978, Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious filmed his version of “My Way” for the Sex Pistols film The Great Rock n Roll Swindle.

1979, David Bowie premiered his new single “Boy’s Keep Swinging” on the BBC’s TV’s Kenny Everett Video Show.

1980, The Who performed at McNichols Arena, Denver, Colorado.

1980, Rush played at Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

1980, Bob Dylan appeared at Le Theatre Saint-Denis, Montreal, Quebec.

1982, Black Sabbath performed at Seattle Arena, Seattle, Washington.

u2-chapel-hill-19831983, U2 kicked off their 48-date War North American tour at The Carolina Concert For Children benefit at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Also on the bill were Grand Master Flash, The Producers, and Todd Rundgren, although by most accounts U2 was the highlight of the concert. At one point during the show, Bono began climbing up the vertical rigging tower, while carrying a large white flag. He made his way up on top of the scaffolding, at least 20-25 feet above the stage, in the rain, waving the flag, a scene for the ages.  There were only about 4000 in attendance, well short of the 20,000 capacity.

1987, Carole King sued record company owner Lou Adler for breach of contract. King claimed that she was owed over $400,000 in royalties. She also asked for all rights to her old recordings.

1988, Iron Maiden went to number one on the UK album chart with Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, their second chat topping LP.

1991, Founder member of The New York Dolls Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr., died of a drug overdose. He renamed himself Johnny Thunders, after a comic book of the same name. The influential New York Dolls formed in 1972 and made just two albums. A teenage Morrissey acted as president of the UK branch of the New York Dolls fan club. He formed The Heartbreakers with Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan, and Television bassist Richard Hell.

1994, Pink Floyd were at number one on the UK album chart with The Division Bell, their fourth chart topping album.

1995, Peter Hodgson from Liverpool found a tape in his attic containing 16 of The Beatles’ earliest recordings made in 1959. The tape included “Hello Little Girl,” a Lennon-McCartney composition that the Beatles never recorded, and Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah, I Love Her So.” The sessions had been made on a reel-to-reel recorder that Hodgson’s father had lent to Paul McCartney.

2008, Amy Winehouse went out on a drink and drug-fuelled spree and hit and head-butted two men. After drinking all day, Amy visited the Good Mixer pub in Camden, London with Babyshambles guitarist Mik Whitnall. Inside she allegedly punched Mustapha el Mounmi in the face after he refused to give way to her at the pool table. The singer then left to visit Bar Tok in the early hours and once at the bar shouted “I am a legend get these people out. I want to take drugs.” After leaving the bar a good Samaritan tried to get her a cab, but she reportedly thought he was trying to molest her and allegedly head-butted him in the face.

2012, Thomas “Tommy” Marth, the touring and studio saxophonist for the Killers, died after shooting himself in the head at his Las Vegas home. The 33-year-old musician joined the band in 2005 and played on the live tours with Brandon Flowers and the group between 2008 and 2010. Tommy also performed on the 2006 release Sam’s Town and 2008’s Day & Age.

Born on April 23: Roy Orbison (1936); Ray Peterson, singer (1937); John Miles, singer, songwriter, guitarist (1949); Ray Burns, (Captain Sensible), The Damned (1955); Steve Clark, Def Leppard (1960); Simon Matthews, drummer, Jesus Jones (1964)

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Check out more cool pictures of reggae artists from the ’70 including the one above.

Today in Rock History – March 14

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rolling-stones-19641964, For the first time in British recording history, all Top Ten singles in the UK were by British acts. Number one was “Anyone Who Had A Heart” by Cilla Black. Number two – “Bits and Pieces” by The Dave Clark Five. At number three,  “Little Children “Diane” by The Bachelors. Number five, “Not Fade Away” by The Rolling Stones. Number six- “Just One Look” by The Hollies, while “Needles and Pins” by The Searchers was at number seven.  Number eight belonged to The Merseybeats with “I Think Of You.” Number nine – “Boys Cry” by Eden Kane, and rounding out the top ten, “Let Me Go Lover” by Kathy Kirby.

1968, The promotional film for “Lady Madonna” was broadcast in black and white on Top of the Pops on UK television. The video portion of the film clip was shot while The Beatles were performing the song “Hey Bulldog,” but the “Lady Madonna” audio track was paired with the video for the promo release.

1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded a live concert in Amsterdam, Holland for Fan Club,” a Dutch TV show.

1970, Pink Floyd performed at Meisteringer Halle in Nurnberg, West Germany.

1970, Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water enters the second week of a ten week run atop the US album charts.

1971, The Rolling Stones played the last night of a 9-date UK tour at the Roundhouse, London.

1971, The Grateful Dead played at Camp Randall Field House on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

1972,  Carole King and producer Lou Adler  wins a Grammy for “It’s Too Late” as Record of the Year, and Tapestry wins a Grammy as Album of the Year. King also took home a statue for Songwriting for “You’ve Got A Friend,” while Carly Simon wins a Grammy as Best New Artist.

don't shoot-elton john1973, Elton John was at number one on the singles chart with “Crocodile Rock.”

1981, Eric Clapton was hospitalized with bleeding ulcers, causing a US tour to be cancelled. He was back in hospital five weeks later after being involved in a car crash.

1981, Roxy Music were at umber one on the UK singles chart with their cover of the John Lennon song “Jealous Guy.”

1982, Metallica made their live debut when they appeared at Radio City in Anaheim, California.

1991, American songwriter Doc Pomus died. With Mort Shuman he wrote many early ’60s hits including, “A Teenager in Love,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “Sweets For My Sweet,” “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” and “Viva Las Vegas.”

Born on March 14: Quincy Jones (1933); Loretta Lynn (1940); Walt Parazaider, Chicago (1945);  Jim Pons, The Turtles (1946)

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Today in Rock History – February 10

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1967, The Beatles recorded the orchestral build-up for the middle and end of “A Day in the Life.” At the Beatles’ request, the orchestra members arrived in full evening dress along with novelty items. One violinist wore a red clowns nose, while another a fake gorilla’s paw on his bow hand. Others were wearing funny hats and other assorted novelties. The recording was filmed for a possible Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band television special which was ultimately abandoned. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mike Nesmith from The Monkees, and Donovan also attended the session.

1967, Heavy metal pioneers Blue Cheer, best known for their cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” perform at a “Tribute to J. Edgar Hoover” in San Francisco.

1967, At a concert at the Golden Sheaf Bakery in Berkely, Janis Joplin meets Country Joe MacDonald, whose group, the Fish are also on the bill. Shortly afterwards, Janis moves in with Country Joe.

1967, Pink Floyd played at the Leicester College Of Art and Technology, Leicestershire, England.

1968, The Who played a Valentine Ball at Essex University in Colchester, England. They are supported by The Shell Shock Show, Yum Yum Band and Exploding Orange.

1968, The Four Tops Greatest Hits was at number one on the album chart, the first chart topping album for the Motown label.

1968, Jefferson Airplane appears at the Terrace Ballroom in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1969, Led Zeppelin performed at the Field House on the campus of Memphis State University, in Memphis, Tennessee.

1970, Neil Young appeared at the Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio.

1971, Carole King releases her album Tapestry bringing the contemporary singer-songwriter character to the mainstream radio.

1972, The Faces appeared at The Rainbow Theatre, London, England

1972, David Bowie appeared at the Tolworth Toby Jug, London, on the opening date of his Ziggy Stardust tour.

don't shoot-elton john1973, Elton John had his first No.1 album when Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player started a six-week run at the top of the charts.

1973, King Crimson played at the Marquee Club, London.

1973, British Rail, which was due to demolish Liverpool’s Cavern club to build a subway station, gives the fabled venue a stay of execution. Owner Roy Adams says he will try to use the extra three months to preserve the famed cellar where the Beatles played some of their earliest concerts.

1974, record producer Phil Spector was injured in a car crash. He needed extensive plastic surgery that dramatically altered his looks. Details of how the accident happened were kept secret.

1974, Deep Purple kicked off a 28-date North American tour at the Los Angeles Forum, California.

1975, Dave Alexander, the original bassist for The Stooges died from pneumonia aged 28. He was fired from the band in August 1970 after showing up at a gig too drunk to play.

1975, Roxy Music performed at Massey Hall in Toronto.

1976, Elvis Presley was made a police reserve for the Memphis police.

1977, The Clash started recording their debut album at CBS studios in London, England.

1979, The Grateful Dead played at Soldier’s and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Missouri.

1979, Rod Stewart started a four week run at number one on the singles chart with “Do Ya Think I”m Sexy,” his third chart topper. Also today Rod started a three-week run at number one on the album chart with Blondes Have More Fun.

1980, ZZ Top played at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.

1984, Frankie Goes To Hollywood were at No.1 on the UK singles chart for the third week with “Relax.” Eurythmics had the UK No.1 album with Touch.

1986, Bob Dylan appeared at the Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia.

1993, On a special edition of the Oprah Winfrey show, Michael Jackson gave his first TV interview for 14 years, live from his Neverland Valley Ranch.

2005, Prince topped Rolling Stone magazine’s annual list of the years biggest money earners after his 2004 tour grossed over $90 million (£53 million). Madonna came in second place after earning $54.9 million (£34.3 million) and Metallica came third with $43 million (£25.3 million).

2008, Amy Winehouse won five prizes at this year’s Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and record of the year, both for her single “Rehab”, and Best New Artist. The UK singer was not at the Los Angeles ceremony to collect them due to visa problems. Instead, she made an acceptance speech by satellite, paying tribute to her husband, “my Blake incarcerated,” who was in custody awaiting trial on charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and grievous bodily harm. Kanye West took home four Grammy Awards, while Bruce Springsteen won three. The White Stripes, Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood and Mary J Blige all picked up two awards.

Born on February 10: Jerry Goldsmith, film scores (1929); Don Wilson, The Ventures (1937);  Roberta Flack (1937); Jimmy Merchant, singer, Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers (1940); Nigel Olsson, Elton John Band (1949); Cliff Burton, bass, Metallica (1962)

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Song Of The Day – “Take A Giant Step” by Taj Mahal

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tajmahalThere is no rhyme or reason as to how I come up with the songs I choose to write about every day. They usually spring out of something I’ve been listening to or something I’ve read. So, if you regularly follow this column, you’ll get a pretty good idea of some of the stuff I listen to on a daily basis.

For instance, today’s Song Of The Day came about after reading a review of the first of three Rolling Stones concerts in Chicago this week. Now, I’m not planning on attending any of their shows here in town as I believe they’ve not only totally priced themselves out of the concert market, but have also priced themselves out of this world. And besides, I’ve seen them several times in the past when they were much younger and probably much better.

But the astronomical price of their tickets hasn’t diffused my interest in what their set list looks like and how people say they sounded. Each show on the tour so far has had Mick Taylor as a special guest coming out to play “Midnight Rambler,” but there’s usually a “surprise” guest at every show as well.  While some markets have lucked out by getting guests like Tom Waits to take a star turn with the Stones, others have seen the likes of Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani “grace” the stage.

So far, Chicago is one of the luckier markets on the tour because blues legend, Taj Mahal was the Stones’ guest for their show the other night, and together they played “Six Days On The Road.” The song was one that Mahal originally cut for his 1969 double album Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home.

This led me to pull out my copy of the record which I haven’t listened to in many years. The title track of the album is a radically revised version of the Carole King/Gerry Goffin classic “Take A Giant Step,” which most people know by The Monkees’ recording of the song from their 1966 debut album.

Henry Saint Clair Fredericks took the name Taj Mahal, which came to him in a dream, while in college studying agriculture and animal husbandry in 1959. As a child, he was as passionate about farming as he was about music, and there was a time when he considered following his interests in farming over music. Fortunately, he chose music but his love of farming has led him to perform at numerous Farm Aid concerts over the years.

Mahal relocated to the West Coast in the early 1960s and established a name for himself playing solo blues in clubs. He soon met Ry Cooder, and along with Jesse Lee Kinkaid formed the group, The Rising Sons. The Rising Sons recorded for Columbia in 1964 resulting in the release of a single. The group cut an album’s worth of material for the label, but Columbia didn’t know what to do with an interracial group in the early 1960s, so the record languished in the vaults unreleased until 1993.

Between the Rising Sons debacle and Mahal’s self-titled first studio album for Columbia in 1968, he worked with the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Muddy Waters. He also played on sessions (along with Ry Cooder) for the Rolling Stones and even appeared in The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus. (Hence, the reason he was the special guest at their show the other night.)

Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home is Taj Mahal’s third Columbia release from 1969. The double album is half electric and half acoustic and it features a freewheelin’ and eclectic selection of originals, traditional blues tunes and pop covers.

The electric half features Mahal backed by Jessie Ed Davis on guitar and keyboards, Gary Gilmore on bass and Chuck Blackwell on drums. Together they create a beautiful noise as they run through a selection of blues-flavored covers including today’s Song Of The Day, Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Good Morning Little School Girl,” Dave Dudley’s “Six Days On The Road,” Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Farther On Up The Road,” Leadbelly’s “Keep Your Hands Off Her” and Blind Willie Johnson’s “You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond.” The album’s final track is “Bacon Fat” which is attributed to Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson, but more likely stems from pen of Andre Williams’ who scored a #9 R&B chart hit with the song in 1956.

The stripped down rural acoustic blues of De Ole Folks At Home features solo performances by Mahal on vocals, guitar, harmonica and banjo performing  a mix of his own songs like “Light Rain Blues,” “Blind Boy Rag,” “A Little Soulful Tune,” “Cajun Tune” and “Country Blues #1,” and covers of “Candy Man,” “Stagger Lee” and “Linin’ Track.”

All in all, Mahal recorded 12 albums for Columbia through 1976, and then moved on to Warner Bros. for three more. He also wrote the score for the films Sounder and Brothers.

Later years found him moving to Hawaii, forming the Hula Blues Band and recording numerous records for Gramavision and the Private Music record label that incorporated his love of West African  and Caribbean music, Americana, Blues, Zydeco, Rock and R&B. He’s also recorded several popular children’s records. His album, Señor Blues won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 1997, and he won another one in 2000 for his album Shoutin’ in Key.

Today in Rock History – January 1

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simon-and-garfunkel1966, Simon and Garfunkel started a two week run at number one on the singles chart with “The Sounds Of Silence.”

1967, The Doors made their first live television appearance lip-synching their first single “Break on Through” on Shebang, on KTLA-TV Channel 5 in Los Angeles. The single peaked number 126 on the chart mainly due to lack of airplay after censors objected to the drug use implied by the line “she gets high,” which is repeated in the middle section of the song.

1967,  The Grateful Dead and Big Brother & the Holding Company perform at the New Year’s Wail/Whale in San Francisco. Hell’s Angels hosts the bash to thank Haight-Ashbury hippies for bailing Angel Chocolate George from jail.

1968, Billboard magazine reported that for the first time albums had outsold singles in the US with album sales reaching over 192 million units.

1969, Marmalade were at number one on the UK singles chart with their version of The Beatles song “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da.”

1970,  Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsys appeared at the Fillmore East in New York.

1971, Radio Luxembourg aired over seven hours of continuous Beatles music to celebrate the group’s tenth year in the music business. Every track played was a single or LP track by The Beatles plus tracks from solo albums.

1972, Carole King started a three week run at number one on the US album chart with Music, her second chart topper.

1972, Marc Bolan signed a deal with EMI to release records in the UK on his own T Rex Wax co. label.

1973, The Allman Brothers Band performed at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1974, Hawkwind played at King George Hall, Blackburn, England.

1976, Procol Harum, John Miles, Barclay James Harvest, Baker Gurvitz Army and Snafu all appeared at the Great British Music Festival, London.

1976, Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant walks unassisted for the first time since his August 1975 car accident in Greece. “I’m going to need physiotherapy so I should think it’ll be the beginning of the next soccer season before I’m running about again,” Plant tells reporters.

1977, Genesis played the first of three nights at the new-look Rainbow Theatre, London,

The Clash
The Clash

1977, The Clash played the opening night at punk’s first real venue, The Roxy Club in London.

1977, Wings were at number one on the singles chart with “Mull Of Kintyre.”

1982, Black Sabbath played at the Hammersmith Odeon, London.

1984, Alexis Korner died of lung cancer aged 55. He was known as “the Founding Father of British Blues”, he was a major force behind the UK early 60’s R&B scene. Formed Blues Incorporated; members at various times included Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Long John Baldry, Graham Bond and Charlie Watts. Had hits with CCS, including a version of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ which was used as the theme for BBC’s Top Of The Pops for several years. Became a radio presenter in the ’70s.

1988, Prince played an after midnight New Years Eve charity gig in aid of the homeless in Minnesota. Miles Davis joined him on stage.

1989, Nirvana signed a one-year recording contract with Sub Pop records. The Seattle based label began not as a record label but as a fanzine (called Subterranean Pop), in the early 80’s. They are also notable for having signed Soundgarden and Mudhoney.

2008, The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) reported that the number of music downloads sold in the UK in the final week of 2007 was double the total of 12 months earlier. In total there were 2.95 million downloads in seven days, the highest ever recorded for any weekly period. And when the whole of the year was taken into account, 77.5 million downloads were sold in the UK in 2007.

2013, Patti Page, one of the most popular artists of the 1950s, died at the age of 85. She recorded four US chart topping hits, including “Tennessee Waltz” and the novelty record “(How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window.” Page recorded her first hit single, “Confess” in 1947. Because of a strike, background singers were not available to provide harmony vocals for the song, so instead, Page decided to overdub her own, thus, Page became the first pop artist to overdub her vocals on a song.

Born on January 1st: Country Joe McDonald (1942);  Jim Gordon, drummer (co-wrote “Layla”) (1945); Andy Johns, producer and engineer (1952); and Joseph Saddler, aka Grandmaster Flash (1958)

Link to Today in Rock History archive

Song Of The Day – “Pleasant Valley Sunday” (Demo) by Carole King

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carolekingYou know you’re really talented when you can write a song as great as “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and then give it away for someone else to record. In this case, the lucky recipients were The Monkees, who recorded the song for their “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones LTD” album in 1967, and then took the single to the number three position of the charts.

Today’s Song Of The Day is Carole King’s original demo from 1966. It was released last year on the album “The Legendary Demos,” which also features early versions of the songs “Take Good Care Of My Baby” (Bobby Vee), “Crying In The Rain” (The Everly Brothers), “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” (Aretha Franklin), “Like Little Children” (The Knickerbockers) and several tracks that King would record for Tapestry (“Beautiful,” “It’s Too Late,” “Tapestry,” “Way Over Yonder,” and “You’ve Got A Friend”).

“Pleasant Valley Sunday” is a comment on social stature and suburban life that takes place on a street (Pleasant Valley Way) in upper crust West Orange, New Jersey, where King and her husband, Gerry Goffin, were living at the time. (It’s about five minutes away from where my mother lives.) This rough version was probably demoed shortly after it was written, providing the first blush of a finished product. As a result, there’s an urgency in King’s version that is missing from the Monkees’ hit.

The thirteen track collection provides a glimpse into the inner workings of the Brill Building, where songwriters composed songs on demand, and then went directly into the studio to demo them quickly to get them into the hands of a recording artist who would then take them directly to the upper regions of the charts. It’s a great look into King’s creative process and, especially on the early songs, makes one wonder why she wasn’t a solo hit maker way before 1970.

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “It’s Too Late” Demo by Carole King

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The makings of a hit record were all there on the demo. Superb, succinct lyrics that tell a story of heartbreak and disappointment with economy and little melodrama. You can hear all of the instrumentation that ended up on the final “Tapestry” version of the song in the piano accompaniment. Who could argue with her voice…perfect for this song…little drama…pretty matter-of-fact with a dose of resignation. This track is taken from a new Carole King release called “The Legendary Demos” featuring the early versions of songs like “Pleasant Valley Sunday” (The Monkees), “Take Good Care Of My Baby” (Bobby Vee), “Crying In The Rain” (The Everly Brothers), “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” (Aretha Franklin) and many tunes that she would take to the charts on her own. It’s a great look into King’s creative process and, especially on the early songs, makes one wonder why she wasn’t a solo hit maker way before 1970.