Chicago

Today in Rock History – November 24

November 24, 2019 by Mitch Michaels

1966, The Beatles got together for the first time since their return from the summer tour of the United States, ready to record a new album. The first song selected for recording was John’s “Strawberry Fields Forever,” which would end up, not on the album, but on The Beatles’ next single. This day’s session was devoted entirely to “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

1966, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs, Bryan Hyland, and Distant Cousins appeared at the Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia.

1967, The Who play The Swinging Gate in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After the show The Who go to local booking agent Linda Wren’s home for Thanksgiving dinner.

1968, Jefferson Airplane played at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan.

1968, Diana Ross and The Supremes were at number one on the US singles chart with “Love Child,” their eleventh chart topper in the US. The song is also notable for knocking off and keeping The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” off the top spot in the US.

1969, The Rolling Stones played at the Detroit Olympia, Detroit, Michigan.

1971, Led Zeppelin appeared at Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England.

1972, King Crimson performed at Essex University, Colchester, England.

1973, Ringo Starr went to number one on the US singles chart with “Photograph.” This was his first of two US chart toppers as a solo artist. Written by Starr and George Harrison, the promotional film shot for the single showed Starr walking around his new house at the time, Tittenhurst Park, which had been previously the home of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and where the Imagine promo film was shot.

1974, Genesis appeared at the Masonic Temple, Indianapolis, Indiana.

1974, Roxy Music played at the Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

1975, The Who performed at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia.

1976, Chicago started a three-week run at number one on the UK singles chart with “If You Leave Me Now,” the American group’s only UK chart topper. It went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance.

1976, Rush played at Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California.

1977, Yes appeared at Ahoy-Hallen Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

1978, David Bowie played the first of two sold-out nights at the RAS Show Grounds, in Sydney, Australia, during his 8-date Low/Heroes tour of Australia and New Zealand.

1978, The Grateful Dead appeared at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey.

1979, Stevie Ray Vaughn performed at Lupo, in Providence, Rhode Island.

1980, Bruce Springsteen played at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1980, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia.

1981, Alice Cooper headlined at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto.

1984, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee married his girlfriend, nude model Candice, aka Elaine Margaret Starchuk. The marriage lasted one month. Lee has also been married to actress Heather Locklear, and the former Playboy Playmate, and Baywatch star, Pamela Anderson.

1991, Eric Carr (Paul Charles Caravello,) drummer with Kiss died aged 41, of complications from cancer in a New York hospital. Carr replaced Peter Criss in 1980 and remained a band member until he became ill in 1991. For his Kiss stage persona, Carr was known as “The Fox.”

1991, Freddie Mercury died of complications from AIDS at his home in London’s Holland park aged 45, just one day after he publicly admitted he was HIV positive. Mercury was openly bisexual and enjoyed a colorful rock star lifestyle. During his career with Queen he scored over forty UK Top 40 singles, including the worldwide number one “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

1992, Bill Wyman’s divorce was finalized with the high court awarding his ex wife Mandy Smith £580,000 ($928,000.) The Rolling Stones bassist had started to date Smith when she was 13, the marriage lasted for two years.

1993, American blues guitarist and singer Albert Collins died of lung cancer aged 61. He was known as ‘The master of the telecaster.” He shared a Grammy for the 1985 album Showdown! which he recorded with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland.

2002, Robbie Williams started a five week run at number one on the UK album chart with his fifth studio album Escapology. The album became the best selling album of 2002 in the United Kingdom, selling 1.2 million copies.

2002, Jay-Z was at the top of the US album charts with The Blueprint 2, the rapper’s first US number one album.

2006, Winners at the American Music Awards included, Kelly Clarkson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shakira, Jamie Foxx, Nickelback, Sean Paul, Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Mary J. Blige. Nelly Furtado, John Mayer, and Fall Out Boy.

2008, English drummer Michael Lee died from a seizure at age 39. Lee had worked with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Little Angels, The Cult, Ian Gillan, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Quireboys, and Thin Lizzy.

Born on November 24: Donald “Duck” Dunn (1941); Pete Best (1941) Bev Bevan, ELO (1944); Lee Micheals (1945); Clem Burke, drummer, Blondie (1955); Chris Hayes, Huey Lewis and the News (1957); John Squire, guitar, The Stone Roses (1962); Chad Taylor, guitarist, Live (1970)

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Song Of The Day – “Susan” by The Buckinghams

October 10, 2019 by Eric Berman

Transistor radios…beaches…the warmth of the sun…crashing waves…Chicago? Yup!

The Bucking hams were the epitome of 1960s sunshine pop with their perfect blend of warm harmonies and sophisticated horn-drenched productions. Their sound was more akin to California than their native Chicago, and they were responsible for a string of perfect pop singles during the late sixties like the number one hit “Kind Of A Drag,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” the sublime “Don’t You Care,” “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song” and today’s Song Of The Day.

Digging a little bit deeper than the singles also proved rewarding with some great would-have-been, should-have-been hits from their albums like “You Don’t Care,” “Back In Love Again,” “Where Did You Come From,” “It’s A Beautiful Day (For Lovin’)” and “Difference Of Opinion,” that all feature the group’s trademark baroque horn arrangements and layered harmonies.

The group formed in 1966 as The Pulsations with members Carl Giammarese on guitar, Nick Fortuna on bass, Dennis Miccolis on keyboards and John Poulos on drums. After winning a battle of the bands, they found themselves on WGN, a local Chicago TV station, as the house band for the show All Time Hits. It was then they adopted The Buckinghams name to fit in with the British Invasion groups who were all the rage on the charts at the time.

Shortly thereafter, they secured a contract with the local Chicago label, U.S.A. Records, where they recorded an album’s worth of material including covers of Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” James Brown’s “I Go Crazy” and The Beatles’ “I Call Your Name.” But it was their recording of “Kind Of A Drag,” written by a local Chicago songwriter, Jim Holvay that proved to be their ticket to stardom by topping the charts and selling a million copies. (Holvay also co-wrote the hits “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song),” and today’s Song Of the Day, “Susan.”)

A record contract with Columbia Records (the big time!) followed and a new producer, James William Guercio, who had been the bassist and road manager for Chad & Jeremy. (Fun fact: Guercio was also once a member of The Mothers Of Invention prior to the recording of their first album, Freak Out.) Around this time Miccolis left the band and was replaced by Marty Grebb.

Guercio’s brass-heavy arrangements kept The Buckinghams on the charts, and prepared him for his future success producing similar brass-rock groups Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Guercio was at the production helm for their 1967 hit singles “Don’t You Care,” “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” and “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song),” but the group had a falling out with him over the single, “Susan.”

“Susan” is a pure pop radio gem that suddenly takes a left turn and goes all “A Day In The Life” wonky in the center section, complete with a psychedelic orchestral buildup placed there to remind the public that The Buckinghams were really hip. The group was dead set against it, but Guercio prevailed, causing an irreversible rift between group and producer.

With Guercio out of the picture, the group were unable to repeat any of the chart success they previously had, and they finally called it a day in 1970. Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna have since revived the Buckinghams in 1982 and continue touring full-time again.

Great mono mix in the video!

Today in Rock History – September 11

September 11, 2019 by Mitch Michaels

1967, Filming began for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. There was no script, nor a very clear idea of exactly what was to be accomplished, not even a clear direction about where the bus was supposed to go. The “Magical Mystery Tour” bus set off for the West Country in England stopping for the night in Teignmouth, Devon were hundreds of fans greeted The Beatles at their hotel.

1967, Pink Floyd performed the first of three nights at the Starclub in Copenhagen, Denmark. Also on the bill were The Beefeaters, Peter Belli & B. Brothers, Steppeulvene, The Clan, Hitmakers, and others.

1967, During a 10-date tour of Sweden, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played two shows at the Grona Lund in Stockholm.

1968, Bassist from Sly and the Family Stone, Larry Graham was busted for cannabis possession as the band arrived in London to start a UK tour.

1970, The Rolling Stones played at the Forum Copenhagen in Frederiksberg, Denmark.

1970, The Amboy Dukes appeared at Uptown Palladium 12 Theatre‎ in Birmingham, Michigan.

1971, Donny Osmond started a three week run at number one on the singles chart with “Go Away Little Girl.” The singer’s only solo chart topper. The song had also been a chart topper for Steve Lawrence in 1963.

1971, Who’s Next by The Who hits its peak on the Billboard charts at the number four position.

1971, The animated Jackson Five series premiered on ABC-TV.

1972, Hawkwind performed at Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany.

1973, The Rolling Stones appeared at Kings Hall (Belle Vue), Manchester, England.

1974, The Grateful Dead played at Alexandra Palace, London.

1975, The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Capital Centre, Landover.

1976, KC and the Sunshine Band went to the top of the singles charts with (“Shake Shake Shake), Shake Your Body,” the group’s third number one.

1977, David Bowie recorded a guest appearance on Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas TV show duetting with Crosby on “Peace On Earth – Little Drummer Boy.” The track became a UK No.3 hit five years later in 1982.

1978, Aerosmith played at Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California.

1979, Van Halen appeared at Furitsu Taiiku Kan, Osaka, Japan.

1981, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois.

1982, Chicago started a two week run at number one on the singles chart with “Hard To Say I’m Sorry,” the group’s second chart topper.

1982, John “Cougar” Mellencamp became the only male artist to have two singles in the Top Ten as well as the number one album. “Jack and Diane” was at number four, while “Hurts So Good” held the eighth spot. His album American Fool was at number one for the first of nine weeks.

1987, Founding member of The Wailers, Peter Tosh was shot dead at his home in Kingston Jamaica by armed robbers.

1987, Peter Gabriel cleaned up at the MTV Awards, winning best video, best male video, best concept video, best special effects, and five other awards for the track “Sledgehammer.”

1988, Michael Jackson appeared at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England on his Bad world tour. Over 3,000 fans were treated by the St. John Ambulance service for passing out, hysteria, and being crushed among the crowd of 125,000 fans, the largest concert of the 123-date world tour.

1988, Metallica kicked off their 222-date Damaged Justice world tour at the MTK Football Stadium in Budapest, Hungary.

1996, Noel Gallagher walked out on the rest of Oasis half way through an American tour after a fight with his brother Liam in a hotel in Charlotte North Carolina. Noel flew back to London the following day.

2001, Walking to work in New York, as an comic book illustrator, Gerard Way witnessed the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. The day’s events inspired him to start a band, which became My Chemical Romance, with Way becoming their lead singer.

2003, Tommy Chong, one-half of the comedy team of Cheech and Chong, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 for selling drug paraphernalia over the Internet. The 65 year-old Chong pled guilty to the charges in May. He remained free until April, 2004, when he went to jail.

2004, American lyricist Fred Ebb died of a heart attack at his home in New York City. Co-wrote, “New York, New York” and “Chicago,” and worked with Liza Minnelli.

2014, American songwriter, singer, manager, and record producer Bob Crewe died aged 83. Crewe wrote a string of Top 10 singles for the Four Seasons, including “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Rag Doll.” He also had hit recordings with Lesley Gore, Michael Jackson, Bobby Darin, Roberta Flack, Peabo Bryson, Patti LaBelle, Barry Manilow and others.

Born on September 11: Bernie Dwyer, Freddie and the Dreamers (1940); Mickey Hart, Grateful Dead (1943) Tommy Shaw, Styx (1953); Mick Talbot, keyboards, Style Council (1958); Moby, (Richard Hall), producer, vocalist (1965); Harry Connick, Jr. (1967); Richard Ashcroft, guitar, vocals, The Verve (1971); and Chris Bridges, aka Ludacris (1977)

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Today in Rock History – August 19

August 19, 2019 by Mitch Michaels

The Who, 1964 - from THE MARK AND COLLEEN HAYWARD COLLECTION (http://rockmusicprints.com/) — The Who, 1964 – from THE MARK AND COLLEEN HAYWARD COLLECTION (http://rockmusicprints.com/)

1964, The High Numbers, (The Who) played at The Scene in Soho London, England.

1964, The Beatles kicked off a North American tour at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, to a crowd of 17,130. Playing 12 songs which made up their repertoire for the entire tour: Twist and Shout, You Can’t Do That, All My Loving, She Loves You, Things We Said Today, Roll Over Beethoven, Can’t Buy Me Love, If I Fell, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Boys, A Hard Day’s Night, and Long Tall Sally. Supporting acts were The Righteous Brothers, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, and Jackie DeShannon.

1966, During a US tour The Beatles appeared at the Sam Houston Coliseum, playing two shows to over 25,000 fans. Tickets cost $5.00.

1967, The Beatles scored their 14th No.1 single with “All You Need Is Love.” Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Graham Nash, Marianne Faithfull and Walker Brother Gary Leeds all sang backing vocals on the track.

1968, Pink Floyd release “Let There Be More Light”/ “Remember A Day” in the US.

1968, After 58 episodes, the final Monkees TV show airs on NBC. Since the its initial run, almost every major cable network has aired re-runs of the show, including a popular stint on CBS from 1969-1972.

1969, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Jefferson Airplane all appeared on the ABC TV Dick Cavett Show from Television Center in New York City.

1970, The Allman Brothers Band played at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1971, Led Zeppelin kicked off a North American tour at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada. The band played to a sold out crowd of over 17,000 fans, another 3,000 fans outside the venue who didn’t have tickets started a battle with local police.

1971, The Who played at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

1972, Chicago started a nine-week run at No.1 on the album chart with Chicago V.

1972, David Bowie played the first of two nights at the Rainbow Theatre in England on his current 182-date Ziggy Stardust world tour.

1973, Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson were married in Malibu, California. Kristofferson had just enjoyed a number 1 country hit with “Why Me,” which included Coolidge on backing vocals. The couple divorced near the end of 1979.

1974, AC/DC appear at Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia.

1976, Yes perform at Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan.

1977, The Sex Pistols started an undercover UK tour as The Spots, (an acronym for Sex Pistols on tour secretly).

1978, Bruce Springsteen plays at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Actor Gary Busey joins the band for the Buddy Holly song “Rave On.”

1979, American Rockabilly singer Dorsey Burnette died from a heart attack at his home in Canoga Park, California. He wrote ‘It’s Late’, a hit for Ricky Nelson and Shakin’ Stevens. After his death, singer and friend Delaney Bramlett organized a benefit concert for Dorsey’s widow at the Forum in Inglewood, California, in which Kris Kristofferson, Hoyt Axton. Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Duane Eddy, Delaney and Bonnie, Gary Busey and Roger Miller appeared. Dorsey Burnette’s pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

1980, The Grateful Dead perform at Chicago’s Uptown Theater.

1981, ZZ Top played at the Kansas Coliseum, Wichita, Kansas.

1982, During a North American tour, Queen appeared at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi.

1983, Black Sabbath appeared at Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden.

1996, James Brown appeared in Montauk, New York, as part of his Back at the Ranch tour. Brown who had a history of beating his wife, offered money that was raised at the event to an anti-violence organization called The Retreat, but was turned down.

2001, American soul singer Betty Everett died aged 61. She had the 1964 US No.6 single “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss,”) later covered by Cher.

2005, A life-size bronze statue designed by Paul Daly of Phil Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street in Dublin. The ceremony was attended by his former Thin Lizzy band members Gary Moore, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham. Lynott died in 1986.

Born on this day: Ginger Baker, Cream, Ginger Baker’s Airforce; and Johnny Nash, singer (1940); Ian Gillan, Deep Purple (1945); and John Deacon, Queen (1951)

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Today in Rock History – July 28

July 28, 2019 by Mitch Michaels

1965, The Who pre-tape an appearance on Radio Luxembourg’s Ready Steady Radio! at The Marquee followed by a gig at the Pontiac Club in southwest London’s Putney, where the band’s PA blows up after the first set. The Who’s first live performance of “My Generation” may have taken place at this explosive set.

1965, Rolling Stone Charlie Watts buys a 16th century wooden mansion in Sussex, England. His father tells the press, “We can’t understand why he prefers an old place like this to something modern.”

1966, James Brown appeared at The Apollo Theatre in New York City.

1968, Pink Floyd plays a Friday night gig at UFO, The Blarney Club, on Tottenham Court Road in London. On the bill were Fairport Convention and Shiva’s Children. From Melody Maker, “In a cacophony of sound played to a background of multi-coloured projected lights the Pink Floyd proved they are Britain’s top psychedelic group. In two powerful sets they drew nearly every conceivable note from their instruments, but ignored their two hit singles…..Bass player Roger Waters gave the group a powerful depth and the lights played on to them to set an impressive scene.” This was the last show at the “intimate” Blarney Club. The landlord kicked producer Joe Boyd out of the space, and they relocated to the much larger Roundhouse venue.

1969, Yes play at the Old Granary in Bristol, England.

1969, Police in Moscow reported that thousands of public phone booths had been vandalized after thieves were stealing parts of the phones to convert their acoustic guitars to electric. A feature in a Russian youth magazine had shown details on how to do this.

1970, “Ned Kelly,” starring Mick Jagger as the behelmeted highwayman, opens in Australia. Reception is unkind. Halliwell’s Film Guide fumes, “Obstinately unlikable action picture with some kind of message which never becomes clear amid all the cleverness.”

1973, Chicago went to number one on the album chart with Chicago IV. It was the group’s second chart topper.

1973, The Watkins Glen outdoor summer jam was held outside of Watkins Glen, New York with The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead and The Band. Over 600,000 rock fans attended. Many historians claimed the event was the largest gathering of people in the history of the United States. 150,000 tickets were sold for $10 each, but for all the other people it was a free concert. The crowd was so huge that a large part of the audience was not able to see the stage.

1974, Peter Frampton appears at the Garden, in Boston, Massachusetts.

1975, Bob Dylan plays his first session for the Desire album. On “Romance in Durango,” he’s joined by Eric Clapton on dobro, while Emmylou Harris plays steel guitar on “Abandoned Love.” The album features the song “Hurricane.” It protests the conviction of former middleweight boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter for triple murder in 1966, arguing for his innocence.

1975, The Rolling Stones perform at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Tickets were $9.50.

1978, The lineup for Buffalo’s Summerfest at Rich Stadium was Bob Welch, Pablo Cruise, Foreigner, and the headliner was Welch’s former mates, Fleetwood Mac.

1979, Van Halen plays the Fieldhouse in Dayton, Ohio.

1979, “I Don’t Like Mondays” gave The Boomtown Rats their second UK number one single. Bob Geldof wrote the song after reading a report on the shooting spree of 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer, who fired at children playing in a school playground across the street from her home in San Diego, California. She killed two adults and injured eight children and one police officer. Spencer showed no remorse for her crime, and her full explanation for her actions was “I don’t like Mondays, this livens up the day.”

1980, The Police, U2 and Squeeze all appeared at the Dalymount Festival in Dublin, Ireland.

1996, Marge Ganser from The Shangri-Las died of breast cancer. The group scored over ten hits during the 60’s including the 1964 US number one “Leader Of The Pack.”

2008, Amy Winehouse was rushed to hospital after she started to have fits at her home in Camden North London. A spokesman said it appeared the singer had suffered a reaction to medication she was taking to help her off hard drugs.

Born on July 28: George Cummings, steel guitar, Dr Hook (1938); Michael Bloomfield (1944); Rick Wright, Pink Floyd (1945); Jonathan Edwards (1946); Garald Casale, Devo (1948); Simon Kirke, drums, Free (1949); Steve Morse, Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple, Kansas (1954); Dan Warton, drums, Neds Atomic Dustbin (1972)

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Today in Rock History – July 25

July 25, 2019 by Mitch Michaels

1964, The Beatles third album A Hard Day’s Night started a twenty-one week run at the top of the UK charts. This was the first Beatles album to be recorded entirely on four-track tape, allowing for good stereo mixes.

1965, Bob Dylan plugged in for his headlining set backed by the Butterfield Blues Band at The Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island. Folk music purists try to boo him off the stage, while the rest of the audience give him an enthusiastic response.

1966, The Rolling Stones play San Francisco. The tour is their last with founding guitarist Brian Jones.

1967, Pink Floyd played at The Palladium Ballroom, Greenock, Scotland.

1969, Neil Young appeared with Crosby, Stills and Nash for the first time when they played at The Fillmore East in New York. Young was initially asked to help out with live material only, but ended up joining the group on and off for the next 30 years.

1969, Led Zeppelin play Milwaukee at the Midwest Rock Festival at State Fair Park, in West Allis, Wisconsin. Also on the bill were Buffy Saint Marie, First Edtion, Pacific Gas & Electric, and more. Former Yardbird Eric Clapton, who is playing with Blind Faith the next day, catches the set by fellow former Yardbird Jimmy Page’s new band. “They were very loud,” he later remembers. “I thought it was unnecessarily loud. I liked some of it; I really did like some of it. But a lot of it was just too much. They overemphasized whatever point they were making, I thought.”

1969, The Doors appeared at Cow Palace, San Francisco, California.

1969, The Seattle Pop Festival took place at the Gold Creek Park, Woodinville, Washington. Acts who appeared over three days included, Chuck Berry, Tim Buckley, The Byrds, Chicago Transit Authority, Albert Collins, Bo Diddley, The Doors, The Flock, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Guess Who, It’s A Beautiful Day, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Spirit, Ten Years After, Ike & Tina Turner, Vanilla Fudge, Alice Cooper and The Youngbloods.

1970, The Who appeared at Civic Hall, Dunstable, Bedfordshire England.

1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival release their fifth album, Cosmo’s Factory, the same month as the single release of “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” b/w “Long As I Can See the Light.” The name of the album comes from the warehouse in Berkeley where the band rehearsed early in their career. It was dubbed “The Factory” by drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford, due to the fact that bandleader John Fogerty made them practice there almost every day.

1970, Jimi Hendrix performs at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California.

1970, The Carpenters started a four week run at number one on the US singles chart with “(They Long To Be) Close To You.” The first of three US chart toppers and seventeen other Top 40 hits. The song was written in 1963 by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, and was first offered to Herb Alpert, who said he didn’t feel comfortable singing the line “so they sprinkled moon dust in your hair.”

1971, T Rex were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Bang a Gong,” which spent four weeks at the top.

1971, The Beach Boys enjoy a commercial comeback of sorts with the release of Surf’s Up. The number 29 position is their highest chart placement since 1966’s Pet Sounds.

1972, Genesis plays at the Civic Hall, Solihull, England.

1972, Punk goddess Patti Smith goes to see the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder at Madison Square Garden and remembers it as, “My brain cracked like an egg. The gold liquid spurted all over the stage. Mick bathed in it. Keith got his feet wet.”

1973, Hawkwind played at Top Rank, Southampton, England.

1974, The Grateful Dead appear at Chicago’s International Amphitheatre.

1975, ZZ Top perform at the Civic Center in San Antonio, Texas.

1976, Yes play the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon.

1978, Aerosmith appeared at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada.

1978, Kansas performed at the Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan.

1979, Van Halen headlined at the Civic Center, St. Paul, Minnesota.

1980, AC/DC released their sixth internationally released studio album Back In Black, the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, who died on February 19, 1980 at the age of 33. The album has sold an estimated 49 million copies worldwide to date, making it the second highest-selling album of all time, and the best-selling hard rock or heavy metal album.

1981, Air Supply went to number one on the US singles chart with “The One That I Love,” the group’s only US chart topper, and the first Australian band to top the US singles chart.

1982, Queen appeared at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1984, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton died at the age of 58 in Los Angeles of heart and liver complications. She had a number one R&B hit in 1953 with “Hound Dog,” later covered by Elvis Presley. She also wrote and recorded “Ball ‘n’ Chain,” which Janis Joplin recorded.

1987, Madonna had her fifth UK number one single with the title track from her 1987 film Who’s That Girl. Also a US number one hit.

1995, Grammy Award winning country singer, songwriter Charlie Rich died in his sleep at aged 62. Rich began as a Rockabilly artist for Sun Records in Memphis in 1958. He scored the 1974 US number one and UK number two single “The Most Beautiful Girl” and “Behind Closed Doors,” was a chart topping country hit.

2003, Erik Braunn, from American psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, died of cardiac failure at the age of 52. Braunn was just 16 years old when he joined Iron Butterfly, who had the 1968 US number 14 single “In-A- Gadda-Da-Vida.”

2004, Jimmy Buffett went to number one on the US album chart with License To Chill, the singer songwriter’s first chart topping album.

2014, Pop star and parodist, Weird Al Yankovic, became the first comedy act to hit the top spot for more than 50 years. Mandatory Fun, Yankovic’s 14th album, and his best-selling since Straight Outta Lynwood, which was released in 1991, went to number one on the US album chart. The last comedy album to reach the top spot in the US was Allan Sherman’s My Son, the Nut in 1963.

Born on July 25: Bennie Benjamin, session drummer, Motown (1925); Manuel Charlton, Nazareth, (1941); Bruce Woodley, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, The Seekers (1942); Jim McCarty, Yardbirds, Renaissance (1943); Tom Dawes, Cyrkle (1944); Rita Marley, Cuban-Jamaican singer, Bob Marley and the Wailers (1946); Mark Clarke, Uriah Heep (1950); Verdine White, bass, vocals, Earth Wind and Fire (1951); Ken Greer, Canadian guitarist, keyboard player, producer, Red Rider (1954); Thurston Moore, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, Sonic Youth, Ciccone Youth, The Coachmen, Dim Stars (1958); Brian Gibson, American bass player, Lightning Bolt (1975)

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4th Of July Playlist

July 4, 2019 by Eric Berman

4^th Of July Playlist

Here’s my own personal 4th Of July Playlist. I’m sure there are songs you feel deserving of such an endeavor. If so, add them and let me know…

Woody Guthrie: This Land Is Your Land http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaI5IRuS2aE
Ray Charles: America The Beautiful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRUjr8EVgBg
The Beach Boys: Spirit Of America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc0cvsSwvs0
Grateful Dead: U.S. Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPBLfzTPCDc
Chicago: Saturday In The Park https://youtu.be/PLiMy4NaSKc
John Mellencamp: Pink Houses http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOfkpu6749w
Los Lobos: One Time One Night https://youtu.be/cjq4y9EFLMA
X: 4th Of July https://youtu.be/lhu807VUY24
Aimee Mann: 4th Of July https://youtu.be/vOYI85anqmQ
Bruce Springsteen: 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) https://youtu.be/KgFHM8HMbWQ
Hair Original Cast: Don’t Put It Down https://youtu.be/_w2gyWE0M0k
West Side Story Original Soundtrack: America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy6wo2wpT2k
David Bowie: Young Americans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFudBQcplj4
The Clash: I’m So Bored With The U.S.A. https://youtu.be/A13vj5vdlCU
Devo: Freedom Of Choice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVGINIsLnqU
Neil Diamond: America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3S7mlRYL-8
Paul Simon: American Tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3kKUEY5WU
Johnny Cash: Ragged Old Flag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbbGi3mTjCo
Jimi Hendrix: The Star Spangled Banner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_3uHYd7pV0

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “The Nights Of Wine And Roses” by Japandroids

March 16, 2019 by Eric Berman

Looking back at the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, it was full of outstanding new music mostly performed by artists I had never heard of. Clearly, that is what makes Pitchfork one of the coolest festivals on the planet. One of the standouts was Canada’s Japandroids, a Husker Du-ish duo consisting of Brian King on guitar and David Prowse on drums who steamrollered all over the crowd with their brand of celebratory rock. At the time, their latest record was “Celebration Rock” and it is most definitely one of the best records to come out so far that year. Other highlights from today included another Canadian duo known as Purity Ring who sounded like a chilled out Bjork surrounded by electronic dubstep beats, New Jersey’s Clams Casino, a producer of hip-hop mixtapes who’s hypnotic beats made for some knotty instrumentals and the psychedelic pop of Olivia Tremor Control who released several records in the early 1990s only to reunite a decade later. They are said to be releasing some new music in the future. The day started with Outer Minds whose sound reminded me of 1966 era organ-swirled Grateful Dead. Stay tuned for day-two highlights tomorrow.

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Chicago” by Tom Waits

March 5, 2019 by Eric Berman

He’s become more and more reclusive as the years go on, rarely performing in public. When he does tour, he sporadically makes one theater stop per city and then you don’t see him again for many years. Last fall, several TV appearances were booked concurrent with the release of Tom Waits’ first album of new material in seven years, “Bad As Me.” Without any reason given, the dates were cancelled and no TV or tour promotion occurred for the album. Many months later, Waits has decided to pick up where he left off and begin promotion efforts on his latest record including the two originally booked TV dates. The first one happened last night on David Letterman’s “Late Show” where this performance of “Chicago” was performed. The band includes Tom’s son, Casey Waits on drums, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Larry Taylor (Bob Dylan), Augie Myers (Sir Douglas Quintet) and “Big” Bill Morganfield (the son of McKinley Morganfield – aka Muddy Waters). The second performance will happen tonight (7/10/12) on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

Monday Mulling: 2018 Bears knock out Minnesota Vikings

December 31, 2018 by Charlie Bevins

The 2018 Chicago Bears closed out their season with a 24-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, setting up a playoff matchup with the defending Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Their Wild Card showdown will take place Sunday at 3:40 CT, but there’s a whole week before then. For now, it’s time to unpack the Bears’ dominance over the Minnesota Vikings.

A thriving run game

Jordan Howard has not thrived this season the way he has in years’ past, but he’s been an available go-to when the Bears have felt the need to establish physicality or drain some clock. Sometimes both. He was that and more Sunday, rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.

The offensive line, bolstered by the temporary insertion of Kyle Long, controlled a fearsome Vikings’ defensive line at the point of attack. Long’s impact was felt early by his down block that sprang Jordan Howard for a 42-yard run, setting a quick tone that would carry throughout the game.

“We were moving around and creating holes so that the defense could not keep the line open,” Trubisky said on the team’s run game. “We did that which created one-on-one matchups on the outside which allowed us to change up our plays. For us, our goal is to keep the defense off balance.”

“You have to be able to run the ball, especially when you’re in the environment we’re in with the fans being so loud,” coach Matt Nagy said. “They have 33-out-of-50 sacks this year at home, on the turf with the crowd noise. If you can’t run the football you’re in trouble for being one-dimensional. We did not want to be one-dimensional.”

Howard read the holes set up by his line better than he has all year, and that resulted in his 5.2 yards per carry. Tarik Cohen was a similar beneficiary, totaling only 24 yards but averaging 4.8 yards per carry and a touchdown.

Bears Quarterback Mitch Trubisky: SRN Broadcasting

The strong showing from the run game allowed the Bears to bully this game away. The Vikings’ front was unable to contain Howard and his relentless, efficient running allowed the Bears to dominate the possession time battle (37:08 to 22:52). He often set his team up with second and five, or second and four, allowing the playbook to fully open up (Though, it couldn’t be fully opened up, as Nagy didn’t want to give too much away before the playoffs). The old-school style of football, running the ball and playing suffocating defense, has prevailed in even the modern NFL’s playoffs. That formula was executed against the Vikings, and sets up the potential to do it again throughout the playoffs.

The monsters came to play

The Bears had far less to play for than the Vikings, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell from the way the two teams played. Especially as it became apparent the Rams would win their game and get the second seed in the NFC. The Bears’ defense came out with an intensity the Vikings simply could not match. Their defensive line completely overpowered a woeful Vikings’ counterpart for a four-sack performance. Kirk Cousins’s inability to improvise when things broke down along the offensive line was exacerbated by a Bears’ front that simply wanted it more, and it made Cousins look far less than the $84 million man he is. He finished his day 20 for 33 with a touchdown and a quarterback rating of 17.7.

“Collapsing the pocket, getting hands up,” Nagy said on how they pressured Cousins. “That green grass we always talk about. Being able to make sure he can’t see where he is throwing. The guys just kept going all the time. Forced him sometimes out of the pocket, to throw on the run.”

The Vikings’ offense placed more emphasis on the run game, upon the firing of former offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. Minnesota’s success in establishing a ground game with Dalvin Cook made opposing teams respect the run, thus opening opportunities for Cousins as a passer.

That strategy is moot when you can’t run the ball, however, and the Bears made sure the Vikings would not get the ground game going, allowing only 63 yards on 15 rushing attempts. The Vikings’ offense was completely anemic, and the Bears’ defense was dominant to the point of causing a screaming match between Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen along the sidelines. While turmoil bubbled over for the Vikings, the Bears rode happily into the playoffs.

Getting up to play

The two seed and a first-round bye were still in play entering Sunday, although the probability of a Rams loss to the lowly 49ers seemed unlikely. Any hopes of that were quickly dashed by the Rams’ outpour that took them into halftime up 28-3. The Vikings, on the other hand, were playing for their playoff lives. A loss meant they were out with a likely Eagles win. They had far more on the line than the Bears, so it speaks to coach Nagy and his staff’s ability to get their players up to play so well against the Vikings.

“What do they know, right?” Akiem Hicks said when asked about the pundits thinking the Bears should take the foot off the gas. “What I will say is this, coach has a great plan in place for us. I believe in him. He has done us right so far, going through OTAs, training camp and now in the regular season. If he feels like it is time for us to play, we are going to go out there and play ball.”

Yes, Club Dub was alive in Minnesota, and Nagy’s trademark “BOOM” was screamed for the last time of the regular season. That’s who this Bears team is. They were simply better than the Vikings and they played like it in what could be seen as the bow on top of Nagy’s Coach of the Year case. They dominated their opponent when they didn’t have to, and as WBBM’s Jeff Joniak would put it, it was a fade to black moment for the Vikings. The Bears now get ready to face the Eagles in a matchup of familiar foes in Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy, both of whom were members of Andy Reid’s staff. To be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Bears will have to do so against the defending champs.

Follow on Twitter: @crbevins11 @radiomogul