InternetFM.com

Hand Curated Radio

You are here: Home / Archives for Elton John

Elton John

Today in Rock History – May 17

by

1967, Pete Townshend records an interview for the BBC overseas radio program Dateline London then The Who pre-tape a Top Of The Pops insert miming to “Pictures Of Lily.” From there they travel to Stevenage to play the Locarno Ballroom. Backstage, John lashed out at a “well-known pop singer” by punching his picture on the wall. He breaks his finger.

1969, Chicago release their double debut album, Chicago Transit Authority. The real C.T.A. sued.

1969, It was reported that for the first time ever album sales had overtaken single sales in the UK. 49,184,000 albums were produced during 1968 compared with 49,161,000 singles.

1969, Joni Mitchell was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents,

1971, Dawn was at No.1 on the singles chart with ‘Knock Three Times’, the group’s first of two No.1’s. Singer Tony Orlando had retired from singing when he was persuaded to front Dawn for studio recordings.

1974, ABC broadcasts the Elton John special Say Goodbye to Norma Jean and Other Things, during which the singer plays “Candle in the Wind” and “Rocket Man.”.

1974, The Grateful Dead performed at the P.N.E. Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada.

1975, Earth Wind and Fire started a three-week run at No.1 on the album chart with the soundtrack to ‘That’s The Way Of The World.’

1975, Mick Jagger needs 20 stitches in his hand after putting it through the window of a restaurant in Montauk, N.Y.

1975, Elton John was awarded a Platinum Record for sales of a million copies of the LP ‘Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy’, the first album ever to be certified Platinum on the day of its release.

1975, Led Zeppelin played the first of five sold-out nights at Earls Court Arena, London, England.

1978, Lou Reed begins a week-long stand at New York’s Bottom Line club. The concerts are taped for his live album Take No Prisoners.

1979, The Police appeared at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California.

Born on this day: Taj Mahal (1946); Bill Bruford, King Crimson, Yes (1948); George Johnson, the Brothers Johnson (1953); Paul Dianno,  Iron Maiden (1959); and Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails (1965)

Get more history at Yeah Baby Tunes

Today in Rock History – May 7

by

mamas-papas1966, The Mamas and the Papas started a three week run at number one on the singles chart with “Monday Monday.”  The group was reported, as saying they all hated the song except for its writer John Phillips. The Mamas and the Papas won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for this song.

1967, Jimi Hendrix played two shows at London’s Saville Theatre. Ringo Starr, Brian Jones and members of The Beach Boys and The Moody Blues were in the audience.

1967, Pink Floyd appeared at King & Queen The Mojo A Go-Go Club, Tollbar, Sheffield, England, opened and owned by Peter Stringfellow. Acts who have also appeared at the club include Stevie Wonder, John Lee Hooker, Rod Stewart, Ike and Tina Turner, The Who, The Small Faces and Jimi Hendrix.

1967, The Who appear at MFF-Stadion in Malmo, Sweden, where the performance sparks a “fan-crush” as attendees rush the stage during the opening song “Substitute,” only to be shoved back by police. At least twenty attendees have to be carried out, some unconscious. The Who will not return to Sweden for five years.

1967, Pearls Before Swine begin recording an album called One Nation Underground. The LP included a song called “Miss Morse,” which would be banned in New York when it was discovered that lead singer Tom Rapp was singing F-U-C-K in Morse code. After disc jockey Murray The K played the record on the air, local Boy Scouts correctly interpreted the chorus and phoned in a complaint.

1970, Black Sabbath played at Osteseehalle, Kiel, Germany.

1971, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the University of Tennessee -Chattanooga.

1972, The Grateful Dead performed at the Bickershaw Festival in Wigan, England as part of their historic tour of Europe. The entire tour was released as a 73-CD box set.

 1972, Reginald Dwight legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John.

stones_exile1972, The Rolling Stones released the second album on their own label, Exile on Main Street featuring two hit singles, “Tumbling Dice’ and ‘Happy.” In 2003, the album was ranked number seven on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, the highest of any Stones album on the list.

1973, “Money/Us and Them” was released as a 7-inch single in the US by Pink Floyd

 1974, Led Zeppelin held a party at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City for the launch of their new label Swan Song. Other label signings including, Scottish singer Maggie Bell (whose album Suicide Sal was the label’s fourth release), and British supergroup, Bad Company also attended.

1975, Yes played at Colston Hall, Bristol,England.

1976, Genesis performed at Will Rogers Auditorium, Fort Worth, Texas.

1977, The Eagles went to No.1 on the singles chart with “Hotel California,” the group’s fourth No.1,  The Eagles also won the 1977 Grammy Award for Record of the Year for Hotel California at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards in 1978. The song’s guitar solo is ranked 8th on Guitar Magazine’s Top 100 Guitar Solos and was voted the best solo of all time by readers of Guitarist magazine.

1978, 90,000 tickets were sold in eight hours for Bob Dylan’s forthcoming London dates at Earls Court.

1978, David Bowie played the first of three nights on his Low / Heroes world tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

1979, Van Halen appeared at the Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1980, Black Sabbath performed at the Hammersmith Odeon, London.

1983, Paul Weller unveiled his new group Style Council at an anti nuclear benefit gig in London.

1983, Spandau Ballet were at number one on the UK singles chart with “True,” the group’s only chart topper. The song spent four weeks there, and was a hit in 20 other countries. Parts of the original version have been sampled and used in a number of songs – most notably PM Dawn’s 1991 US number one hit “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss,” which contains a sample of the song’s famous guitar hook.

1992, Nigel Preston drummer with The Cult died in London, England aged 32. Was a founding member of The Death Cult, he also played and recorded with Sex Gang Children, Theatre of Hate and The Gun Club.

1998, Eddie Rabbitt, US singer, songwriter died of lung cancer aged 56. During his career, he scored over twenty number ones on Billboard’s country singles chart including 1981’s “I Love A Rainy Night.” Elvis Presley, Dr Hook, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle and Lynn Anderson all recorded his songs.

2006, Snow Patrol went to number one on the UK album chart with Eyes Open, the band’s fourth album. Also a chart topper in Ireland and Australia, and a number 27 hit on the US charts. The band’s first album Songs For Polarbears peaked at the 143rd spot when released in 1998.

Born on this day: Jimmy Ruffin (1974); Derek Taylor, publicist for the Beatles, Beach Boys, Byrds (1942);  Billy Kreutzmann, Grateful Dead (1946); and Eagle Eye Cherry (1969)

Today in Rock History main page

Today in Rock History – May 1

by

hermans-hermits1965, Herman’s Hermits started a three week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Mrs Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter.”

1966, The Beatles played a 15-minute live set on stage for the last time in the UK when they appeared at the NME Poll Winners concert at Wembley Empire Pool. The Beatles set included five songs: “I Feel Fine,” “Nowhere Man,” “Day Tripper,” “If I Needed Someone,” and “I’m Down.” Also on the bill, The Spencer Davis Group, The Fortunes, Herman’s Hermits, Roy Orbison, Cliff Richard, The Rolling Stones, The Seekers, The Small Faces, Dusty Springfield, The Walker Brothers, The Who, and The Yardbirds.

1967, 32 year-old Elvis Presley married 21 year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, a girl he first met in 1959 when she was just 14 years old. When Elvis got out of the army in 1960, Beaulieu moved into the singer’s Graceland mansion with her family’s blessing. The wedding ceremony took place at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas and although the marriage license was only $15, the wedding cake cost $3,500. The couple divorced after five years of marriage on October 9, 1973.

1967, The FBI arrested The Beach Boys’ Carl Wilson on charges of avoiding the military draft and refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance. He was later released and joined the rest of the band in Ireland for a British tour.

1969, Bob Dylan recorded an appearance for The Johnny Cash Show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. After two solo numbers from Dylan, Johnny Cash joined him for a rendition of “Girl From The North Country.” In this prime time show, Cash enjoyed booking contemporary performers as guests, such as Neil Young, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, James Taylor, Ray Charles, and Eric Clapton would perform on his program.

1970, Pink Floyd appeared at the Civic Center in Santa Monica, California.

1970, Led Zeppelin performed at Crawford Hall, University of California- Irvine.  Tickets were $4 (£2.67.) Lee Michaels was the support act.

1970, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played the first of 13 shows in May, when they appeared at the Milwaukee Auditorium.

1970, The Grateful Dead played at Alfred College in Alfred, New York.

1972, Pink Floyd performed the first of two nights at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

 1973, In the US, Washington DC, proclaimed a “Marvin Gaye Day.”

 1974, The Carpenters performed at the White House, at the request of President Nixon.

led-zeppelin-presence1976, Led Zeppelin started a two-week run at number one on the US album chart with Presence, the group’s fifth chart topping album.

1976, The Bellamy Brothers went to number one on the US singles chart with “Let Your Love Flow. It was the duo’s only number one.

1977, The White Riot Tour kicked of at the Roxy in London with The Clash, The Jam and The Buzzcocks.

1978, David Bowie’s world tour stoped at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.

1979, Elton John became the first pop star to perform in Israel. In three weeks time he also became the first Western solo pop performer to tour Russia.

1980, The South African government banned Pink Floyd’s single “Another Brick In The Wall” after black children adopted the song as their anthem in protest against inferior education.

1984, Fleetwood Mac drummer and founder member Mick Fleetwood filed for bankruptcy. It was reported that the drummer had spent thousands of dollars of cocaine a month, and had refused to listen to financial advisers, buying up several homes, a $400,000 (£267,000) spread in Hawaii and a $1.8 (£1.2) million farm outside Sydney, Australia.

1986, American songwriter and producer Hugo Peretti died aged 70. Wrote and produced many classic hits including, “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” “Twistin’ The Night Away,” “Shout,” “The Hustle,” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New.”

1997, The house where Kurt Cobain committed suicide went up for sale. The asking price for the five-bedroom house built in 1902 was $3 (£2) million. The carriage house where the Nirvana guitarist died had been demolished.

2005, Coldplay became the first British band to have a new entry in the US Top 10 singles chart since The Beatles. Coldplay’s  single “Speed Of Sound” entered the chart at number eight, only the second time a UK band has achieved the feat. The Beatles managed it with “Hey Jude” in 1968.

2005, Bruce Springsteen went to number one on the UK album chart with Devils & Dust the American singer songwriter’s sixth UK chart topper.

2015, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars gave The Gap Band a writing credit on their huge hit “Uptown Funk,” due to its similarities with their 1979 track “Oops Up Side Your Head.” “Uptown Funk” which had topped the UK chart for seven weeks, and the US chart for 14, originally had six songwriters but was now credited to The Gap Band as well.

Born on May 1: Little Walter, bluesman (1930); Judy Collins (1938); Rita Coolidge (1944); Nick Fortune, The Buckinghams (1946); Ray Parker, Jr (1954); Johnny Colt, The Black Crowes (1966); Tim McGraw American country singer, actor (1967); D’arcy Wretsky-Brown, bass, Smashing Pumpkins (1968);

Link to the Today In Rock History main page

Today in Rock History – April 21

by

beatles -sgtpeppers1967, Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles completed the sessions for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The final recordings were a short section of gibberish and noise which would follow “A Day in the Life,” in the run-out groove. They recorded assorted noises and voices, which engineer Geoff Emerick then cut-up and randomly re-assembled, and edited backwards. At John Lennon’s suggestion, they also added a high-pitch 15 kilocycle whistle audible only by dogs. These were omitted from the American version of the album.

1967, The Who appeared at The Dome, Brighton, England.

1967, Jimi Hendrix performed at City Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England.

1967, Pink Floyd played two shows, an early performance at the Starlite Ballroom, in Greenford, and the late show at UFO, held at The Blarney Club, Tottenham Court Road in London.

1969, Janis Joplin made her London debut,  appearing at The Royal Albert Hall,  The opening act was Yes. Her performance earned rave reviews in Disc, Melody Maker, and Telegraph, among others.

1970, Three Dog Night, along with Stone the Crows, played at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1970, Elton John performs his debut solo gig as a support act for T. Rex in London.  Also on the bill were Spooky Tooth, Jackie Lomax, and Heavy Jelly.

1972, The Allman Brothers Band played at New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut.

1972, David Bowie performs at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England.

1972, Pink Floyd appeared at the Lyric Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland.

1972, The Grateful Dead performed an eighty minute set that was taped for the German TV show Beat Club, in Bremen, Germany.

1973, Alice Cooper went to number one on the album chart with Billion Dollar Babies.

1973, King Crimson played at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana.

1973, Tony Orlando & Dawn started a four week run at number one on the singles chart with “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree,” It became the biggest seller of 1973, with over 6 million copies sold. The song was based on a true story of a prisoner who wrote to his wife asking her to tie a yellow ribbon around an oak tree in the town square in White Oak, Georgia, if she still loved him.

1974, Genesis appeared at the Montreal University Sports Centre in Montreal, Quebec.  The show was broadcast by CHOM-FM radio, and is a popular bootleg among Genesis fans.

1975, Yes headlined at Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland.

1976, Elvis Presley performed at Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri.

1977, Songwriter Jesse Winchester performs in the U.S. for the first time in ten years. He escaped to Canada a decade ago in order to avoid the draft.

1977, ZZ Top appeared at the Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, New York.

1978, The Grateful Dead played at Rupp Arena on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

Sandy Denny (courtesy Rokpool.com)

1978, UK folk singer Sandy Denny died aged 31. While on vacation with her parents in Cornwall, England, Denny was injured in a fall down a staircase. A month after the fall she collapsed at a friend’s home. Four days later she died at the hospital, her death was ruled to be the result of a traumatic mid-brain hemorrhage. She was a member of Fairport Convention and a solo artist. Her 1967 song “Who Knows Where the Time Goes,” was covered by Judy Collins. Denny sang on the Led Zeppelin track “Battle Of Evermore” on the band’s fourth album, the only guest vocalist on a Led Zeppelin album.

1979, Roxy Music played at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California.

1981, U2 performed at The Decade, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This small club in the Oakland section of town hosted a number of up and coming acts like The Ramones and the Police, as well as impromptu shows from Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi during its heyday.

1982, Clash front man Joe Strummer disappeared for three weeks, which resulted in the group cancelling a tour. The singer was found living rough in Paris, France.

1984, Van Halen appeared at the Colisée de Québec, Quebec City.

1984, Phil Collins started a three week run at number one in the US singles chart with the theme from Against All Odds. It was Phil’s first US chart topper, a number two in the UK.

1990, Paul McCartney played in front of 184,000 fans at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, creating a new world record for the largest crowd attending a rock concert.

1990, Sinead O’Connor started a four week run at number one on the US singles chart with her version of the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U.” The track was also a chart topper in 18 other countries. The video was shot in Paris, and consists almost solely of a close-up on O’Connor’s face as she sings the lyrics. Towards the end of the video, two tears roll down her face. The clip won Best Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, the first video by a female artist to win in this category.

2000, Neal Matthews of The Jordanaires died of a heart attack. He sang on Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Hound Dog.” He also worked with Ricky Nelson, Patsy Cline, Red Foley, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, George Jones, Marie Osmond, Tom Jones and Merle Haggard.

2002, Oasis went to number one on the UK singles chart with “Hindu Times,” the band’s sixth UK number one and the first single to be released from their fifth album Heathen Chemistry.

2006, The Soul2Soul II Tour,  a co-headlining tour featuring husband and wife country music singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, kicked off at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus ending after 73 shows on September 3, 2006 in Las Vegas. The tour became the highest grossing country music tour ever with a sales of $90 million.

2008, American soul singer and songwriter Al Wilson died of kidney failure at the age of 68. Wilson had a number of US hits, including “The Snake” in 1968 and “Show and Tell” in 1974.

2016, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music legend Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson, was found dead in his residence and recording studio complex, Paisley Park, in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prince was renowned as an innovator, and was widely known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, and wide vocal range. He was widely regarded as the pioneer of Minneapolis sound. His music integrated a wide variety of styles, including funk, rock, R&B, soul, psychedelia, and pop.

Born on April 21: Alan Wagner, The Foundations (1947); American singer-songwriter, musician and actor James Osterberg, aka Iggy Pop (1947); Mike Barson, keyboards, Madness (1958); Robert Smith, The Cure (1959); Johnny McElhone, Altered Images (1963)

Get more Today in Rock History

Today in Rock History – April 19

by

1965, The film T.A.M.I. (Teen-Age Music International) Show featuring The Rolling Stones, Supremes Four Tops, James Brown, The Beach Boys and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles opened in London, England under the title Teenage Command Performance.

1965, The Beatles single “Ticket to Ride” was released on Capitol records in the US. The single’s label stated that the song was from the upcoming movie Eight Arms to Hold You, the original name for the movie Help!

1967, Jimi Hendrix, The Walker Brothers, Engelbert Humperdink and Cat Stevens, played two shows at The Odeon, Birmingham, England.

1968, John Lennon, George Harrison and their wives left the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh, India two weeks before their study was complete. Ringo and Paul had already left.

1968, Johnny Cash appeared at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.


1968, Pink Floyd released their fourth UK single “It Would Be So Nice,” written by Richard Wright, with “Julia Dream” by Roger Waters on the B-side. Pink Floyd were on tour in Europe on this day, and played their second night at the Piper Club, in Rome, Italy.

1969, Ten Years After played at The Rock Pile in Toronto, Ontario.

1969, Smile (later to be known as Queen), appeared at the Revolution Club in London, England.

1971, Hawkwind performed at the Playhouse Theatre, London.

1972, Genesis appeared at the Teatro Mostra Mediterraneo, Naples, Italy.

1973, Yes played at the Georgia Tech Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia.

1974, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band appeared at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The gig was unadvertised by its promoter, who gambled that word-of-mouth would be enough to fill the 550-seat venue, only 250 people attended. Tickets cost $4.50 and $5.50 in advance.

1974, While in New York, David Bowie sees Todd Rundgren’s band Utopia at Carnegie Hall, and attends the aftershow party.

1975, During a 29-date North American tour Pink Floyd appeared at the Tucson Community Center Arena, Tuscon, Arizona.

1975, Elton John fires his rhythm section, bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson. They would have to wait until the next decade for the pianist to rehire them.

1977, Led Zeppelin played at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio.

1978, Patti Smith releases her biggest hit, “Because the Night.” It was co-written by Bruce Springsteen.

1980, R.E.M. played their first gig as R.E.M. at the 11:11 Koffee Club, Athens, Georgia, to 150 people. The show ended at 2 AM when police closed it down due to the venue being unlicensed.

1980, Blondie went to number one on the US singles chart with ‘Call Me,” featured in the Richard Gere movie American Gigolo. The track was also a chart topper in the UK.

1980, 32 year old English singer Brian Johnson joined Australian group AC/DC, replacing Bon Scott who had died after a drinking binge in February 1980.

1982, The Grateful Dead appeared at the Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

1984, King Crimson played at The Vogue Theatre, Indianapolis, Indiana.

1990, On this week’s BBC- TV’s French and Saunders show, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Lemmy, Mark King (Level 42,) and Gary Moore all appeared in a comedy courthouse sketch. The sketch ended with all the guitarist’s jamming together.

1995, The Stone Roses played their first gig in five years when they appeared at The Rockefeller Club, Oslo, Norway.

2012, Levon Helm, died of throat cancer aged 71. A drummer, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Helm formed his own high school band, the Jungle Bush Beaters, at 17. He later joined The Hawks (who became Bob Dylan’s backing group) later changing their name to The Band. He sang on Band classics like ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” “Rag Mama Rag,” and “The Weight.”

Born on this day: Alexis Korner (1928); Alan Price, The Animals (1942); Bernie Worrell, keyboards, Parliament, Funkadelic (1944); Mark Volman, The Turtles, Flo and Eddie (1947); Rod Morgenstein, American drummer, Winger, Dixie Dregs, Platypus,  The Jelly Jam (1953);  Tony Martin, English singer-songwriter Black Sabbath, Giuntini Project, Empire (1957); Suge Knight, producer, co-founded Death Row Records (1965); Dar Williams, American singer-songwriter guitarist, Cry Cry Cry (1967)

Get more Today in Rock History

Today in Rock History – April 13

by

1966, At Abbey Road, the Beatles record “Paperback Writer.”

1966, During a four month world tour, Bob Dylan appeared at Sydney Stadium in Sydney Australia, the first of seven shows in Australia.

1967, Nancy and Frank Sinatra were at number one on the singles chart with “Somethin’ Stupid,” making them the only father and daughter to have a chart topping single as a team.

1967, Pink Floyd appeared at the Tilbury Railway Club in Tilbury, England.

1968, Bobby Goldsboro started a five week run at No.1 on the singles chart with ‘Honey.

1970, Genesis appeared at Friars, Aylesbury, England. Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and band received £10 for the gig.

1971, The Rolling Stones released ‘Brown Sugar’ the first record on their own label, Rolling Stones Records, which introduces the infamous licking- tongue and lips logo.

1973, Roger Daltrey releases his first solo album, “Daltrey.”

1974, Elton John went to number one on the singles chart with “Bennie And The Jets,” his second chart topper.

1974, Paul McCartney’s Band On The Run went to number one on the album charts. McCartney’s third number one, which went on to sell over 6 million copies world-wide.

1978, The Supremes played the first of three nights at the Palladium in London, England.

1979, Dave Lee Roth collapses from exhaustion onstage in Spokane, Washington during a Van Halen concert.

Born on April 13:  Brian Pendelton, The Pretty Things, and Jack Casady, Jefferson Airplane (1944); Lowell George (1945); Al Green (1946): Max Weinberg, E Street Band (1951); Butch Taylor, Dave Matthews Band (1961) and Marc Ford, The Black Crows

Get more Today in Rock History.

Today in Rock History – April 12

by

1968, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention play the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences dinner in New York. Zappa tells the audience, “All year long you people have manufactured this crap, now for one night you’re gonna have to listen to it!”

1969, The 5th Dimension started a six week run at No.1 on the singles chart with ‘Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In’.

1969, A million hearts are broken when Paul McCartney marries Linda Eastman.

1969, Led Zeppelin enter the English albums chart with their self-titled debut in its third week of release.

1971, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s live album Four Way Street is certified gold before it even appears on the LP chart.

1972, The Rolling Stones release Exile on Main Street.

1973, “That’ll Be the Day,” starring Ringo Starr and David Essex, has its London premiere.

1975, David Bowie announced his second career retirement, saying, ‘I’ve rocked my roll. It’s a boring dead end, there will be no more rock ‘n’ roll records from me.’

1975, Elton John started a two week run at number one on the singles chart with “Philadelphia Freedom,” his fourth chart topper.

1975, During a North American tour, Pink Floyd played the first of two nights at The Cow Palace, Daly City, San Francisco, California.

1979, Mickey Thomas joins Jefferson Starship, replacing founding member Marty Balin. He quickly falls in with the San Francisco band’s AOR direction, and appears on hits like “We Built This City” and “Sara.”

1989, Garth Brooks released his self-titled debut album which was both a critical and chart success, peaking at  number 13 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top Country Albums. This album contains Brooks earliest hits, including his first ever single, “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old,)” and his first chart topper, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” as well as the Academy of Country Music’s 1990 Song of the Year and Video of the Year, “The Dance.”

2007, The Beatles company, Apple Corps, settled a £30 million ($59.2 million) royalties dispute with the band’s label, EMI. The suit alleged unpaid royalties on Beatles albums based on an audit of sales between 1994 and 1999, a period which included the release of three Anthology compilations. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.

Born on April 12: Tiny Tim (1933); Herbie Hancock (1940); John Kay, Steppenwolf (1944); David Cassidy (1950); Will Sergeant, Echo & the Bunnymen (1958)

Get more Today in Rock History

Today in Rock History – March 28

by

beatles-sgtpeppers-inside1967, Working on sessions for the new Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s at Abbey Road studios in London, John Lennon recorded his lead vocal for “Good Morning Good Morning,” and Paul McCartney added a lead guitar solo to the track. Lennon had decided he wanted to end the song with animal sound effects, and asked that they be sequenced in such a way that each successive animal was capable of scaring or eating the preceding one.

1967, Pink Floyd performed at the Chinese R&B Jazz Club, Corn Exchange, Bristol, England.

1968, Steppenwolf appeared at the Terrace Ballroom in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1968, Pink Floyd recorded a performance of “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” for the BBC 2 TV Omnibus – The Sound of Change show at the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, East Stratford, in London. The special, which was produced by Tony Palmer, also featured performances by The Who, Cream and Jimi Hendrix focused on the “socio-political context of rock music.” The show was later broadcast in black and white on November 3rd and repeated (in color) in May of the following year.

1969, Led Zeppelin played at the Marquee Club, London.

1970, Grand Funk Railroad and Illinois Speed Press played at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1970, Simon and Garfunkel were in the fifth of six consecutive weeks at number one on the US singles chart with “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

1971, Yes appeared at Deutschlandhalle Berlin Arts Festival, Berlin, Germany.

1972, King Crimson played at the Orpheum, Hampton Roads, Virginia.

1973, The Grateful Dead appeared at the Civic Center Arena in Springfield, Massachusetts.

1973, Led Zeppelin released Houses Of The Holy in the UK. The album title was a dedication by the band to their fans who appeared at venues they dubbed “Houses of the Holy.”

1974, During a UK tour, Queen appeared at Aberystwyth University in Wales.

1974, Delta blues singer and guitarist Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup died of a stroke at the age of 69. He wrote “That’s All Right (Mama,”) covered by Elvis Presley, and “My Baby Left Me.”

1975, ZZ Top performed at the Toledo Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio.

1976, Genesis began their first North American tour since Peter Gabriel left the band, appearing in Buffalo, New York, with Phil Collins taking over as lead singer.

kiss-19771977, Kiss played the first of five sold-out nights on their Alive II world Tour at the Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.

1977, During a UK tour, Pink Floyd played the first of four sold out nights at New Bingley Hall, Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford.

1978, Aerosmith appeared at the Orpheum Theatre in their hometown of Boston.

1981, Blondie started a two week run at number one on the US singles chart with”Rapture,” the group’s fourth chart topper.

1981, Elton John’s version of The Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There” was released as a tribute to John Lennon.

1982, David Crosby was arrested after crashing his car on the San Diego Highway. Police also found cocaine and a pistol in the Crosby Stills & Nash stars car. When the police asked Crosby why he carried the gun, his reply was, “John Lennon.”

1986, The Grateful Dead performed at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.

1992, Over a $100,000 (£58,800) worth of damage was caused at The Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, California, when Ozzy Osbourne invited the first two rows of the audience on stage. Several others took up the offer and the band was forced to exit the stage.

2005, After playing a warm-up date the night before at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, U2 kicked off their Vertigo tour at the iPay One Center in San Diego, California. The 131-date world tour would see the band playing in North America, Europe, South America and Japan. By the time it finished, the Vertigo Tour had sold 4,619,021 tickets, grossing $389 million. It was the second-highest figure ever for a world tour.

Born on March 28: Chuck Portz, The Turtles (1944); Milan Williams, The Commodores (1948); John Evans, Jethro Tull (1948); Reba McEntire (1954); Steve Turner, guitar, Mudhoney (1965); Dave Keuning, guitarist, The Killers (1976); Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga (1986)

Link to Today in Rock History main page.

Today in Rock History – March 14

by

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)

Get more Today in Rock History

Today in Rock History – March 1

by

1967, The Beatles began recording  “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” at Abbey Road studios, London. Work on the new John Lennon song began the day before with extensive rehearsals. Despite the acronym of the song spelling out LSD, the origins of the composition came from a drawing that Lennon’s son Julian had made of his classmate Lucy O’Donnell. John wrote a song inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

1967, “Happy Jack” peaks at number four on the German charts. It is The Who’s biggest singles hit in that country.

1968, Elton John’s first single “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” was released on the Phillips label.  It didn’t chart.

1968, On or around this date, Pink Floyd officially announces Syd Barrett’s departure from the band.

1968, The Hollies played at the Civic Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

1969, Jim Morrison of The Doors was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior after allegedly showing his penis to the audience during a show in Miami. He was found guilty at a  1970 trial,  of two misdemeanors — indecent exposure and “open profanity,” and sentenced to eight months hard labor. Morrison died in Paris while the sentence was on appeal. On December 9, 2010, a pardon was requested by outgoing Florida Governor Charlie Crist and the state Clemency Board unanimously granted it.

1969, Pink Floyd performed at University College, in Bloomsbury, London, England.

1969, The Who play Mother’s Club in Erdington Birmingham, England.

1969, The Jeff Beck Group performed at the Alexandria Roller Rink in Alexandria, Virginia.

1970, Mott The Hoople, supported by Genesis, appeared at The Northcote Arms, Middlesex, England.

1970, The Ed Sullivan Show, airs clips of the Beatles performing “Let It Be” and “Two of Us.” It’s the last time the band appear on the show that introduced them to American fans.

1971, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi.

1972, John Lennon is granted an extension on his American work visa. Lennon begins recording Sometime in New York City.

1973, The New York Joffrey Ballet premieres the Deuce Coupe Ballet. The work is based completely around the music of the Beach Boys.

1973, The Allman Brothers Band performed at the New Haven Arena in New Haven, Connecticut. The set list: Wasted Words, Done Somebody Wrong, Statesboro Blues, One Way Out, Stormy Monday,  Midnight Rider Jessica,   Ramblin’ Man, Trouble No More,  In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, You Don’t Love Me,  Les Brers In A Minor, Whipping Post.

1974, Chris Difford placed an ad in a shop window “lyricist seeks musician for co-writing.” Glen Tillbrook answered the ad. The pair went on to form Squeeze.

Queen in 1974

1974, Queen began their first headlining UK tour at The Winter Garden’s Blackpool.

1975, The Eagles went to number one on the singles chart with “Best Of My Love.” It was the first of five chart toppers for the band.

1975, Winners at the 17th annual Grammy Awards included Paul McCartney for Best pop vocal on “Band On The Run,” Olivia Newton-John won Record Of The Year for “I Honestly Love You,” and Stevie Wonder won Album of the year for Fulfillingness First Finale.

1976, David Bowie performed at the Detroit Olympia, Detroit, Michigan.

1977,  Iggy Pop and David Bowie, plus The Vibrators appeared at Friars, Aylesbury, England.

1979, Joy Division appeared at The Hope & Anchor, Islington, London, England. Admission was 75p ($1.28).

1980, Blondie were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Atomic” the group’s third UK number one single from their album Eat To The Beat.

1982, Rod Stewart performed at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1990, Janet Jackson played the first night on her 120-date Rhythm Nation 1814 world tour at the Miami Arena in Florida. As part of the show Jackson’s had a live panther on-stage, but after concerns were raised over safety of the crowds, and several incidents of the panther urinating on the stage, Jackson had the feline removed from the show in the summer leg of the tour.

1994, Nirvana played their final ever concert when they appeared at The Terminal Einz in Munich, Germany. The 3,000 capacity venue was a small Airport Hanger. The power went off during the show so they played an impromptu acoustic set including a version of The Cars’ “My Best Friend’s Girl.”

1995, Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” won three Grammys for Song of the Year, Best Male Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song. Sheryl Crow was named Best New Artist, while producer Bill Bottrell won Record of the Year for her song “All I Wanna Do.”

1995, drummer Bill Berry collapsed on stage during an R.E.M. show at the Patinoire Auditorium in Lausanne, Switzerland, from a ruptured brain aneurysm. He recovered and rejoined the band, but left for good in October 1997.

1997, Bowie Bonds were issued on the US Stock Exchange. Linked to David Bowie’s back catalogue albums with money earned on the bonds via interest from royalties, investors could expect to make an 8% profit in about 10 years.

2005, Nelly featuring Tim McGraw were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Over And Over,” the 3rd number one for Nelly, and the first for Grammy Award-winning Country music singer Tim McGraw.

2009, Kelly Clarkson went to number one on the UK singles chart with “My Life Would Suck Without You.” The US singer won American Idol in 2000 and became the only contestant to have topped the UK charts.

2016, 76-year-old Ginger Baker posted on his blog that he had cancelled all of his scheduled shows for the year and was going into immediate retirement. The former drummer for Cream and Blind Faith explained that he had been diagnosed with serious heart problems.

Born on March 1: Glenn Miller (1904); Harry Belafonte (1927); Jerry Fisher, Blood Sweat & Tears (1942) ; Mike D’Abo, singer, songwriter, Manfred Mann (1944); Roger Daltrey, The Who (1944); Tony Ashton, vocals, keyboards, Ashton Gardner & Dyke (1946); Bill Leen, The Gin Blossoms (1962); Rob Affuso, American drummer, Skid Row (1963); Mary Lou Lord, American singer-songwriter,  guitarist, Helium (1965); Justin Bieber (1994)

Get more Today in Rock History