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Today in Rock History – October 16

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1966, Grace Slick performs as a member of Jefferson Airplane for the first time at San Francisco’s Fillmore West after Signe Anderson bows out of the group’s lineup. Slick, who was with fellow San Francisco band Great Society, introduces the band to two new songs, her composition “White Rabbit,” and “Somebody to Love,” written by her then brother-in-law Darby Slick.

1967, Folk singer Joan Baez was arrested, along with 123 others, for blocking the entrance to an Armed Forces Induction Center in Oakland, California.

1968, Pink Floyd performed at Theatre du Huitieme in Lyon, France with a psychedelic light show by the London Arts Laboratory.

1969, Record company executive and founder of the Chess record label, Leonard Chess, died of a heart attack aged 52. Chicago based Chess was home to Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed and Sonny Boy Williamson.

1969, Bobbie Gentry was atop on the UK singles chart with the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” the singer’s only UK number one.

1970, Rod Stewart & The Faces appear at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan.

1971, Isaac Hayes releases the Theme From Shaft.” The theme music of the hit blaxsploitation film would go to number one.

1971, Neil Diamond performed at the Indiana State University Arena in Terre Haute, Indiana.

1972, Creedence Clearwater Revival split up following the failure of their most recent album, Mardi Gras. After limited success as a solo act and some legal hassles with Fantasy Records, John Fogarty would have two big hits in 1980, “Center Field” and “Rock and Roll Girl.” John’s brother Tom Fogarty died in September, 1990.

1974, The Grateful Dead played the first of five nights at the Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California.

1974, Hawkwind appear at Ellis Auditorium North Hall in Memphis, Tennessee.

1975, The Who played at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland.

1976, One hit wonder Rick Dees and his Cast Of Idiots went to number one on the singles chart with “Disco Duck.”

1976, Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life went to number one on the album charts, featuring the tracks “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” and “Isn’t She Lovely.”

1977, Rush appeared at Taylor County Expo Center Coliseum, Abilene, Texas.

1978, Hawkwind played at Guild Hall, Portsmouth, England.

1979, AC/DC headlined at Towson University, Towson, Maryland.

1980, Jeff Beck appears at Cobo Arena, Detroit,Michigan.

1981, Eric Clapton played at Vejlby-Risskovhallen, Aarhus, Denmark.

1982, Culture Club appeared on UK TV’s Top Of The Pops performing “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” which they got thanks to Shakin’ Stevens being ill and not able to appear. The song became a major hit after their memorable performance on the music TV show.

1983, ZZ Top appeared at the Marquee Club, London.

1986, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Robert Cray joined other artists on stage in St Louis, for Chuck Berry’s 60th birthday concert, as featured in the film ‘Hail Hail! Rock & Roll’.

1992, Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary (of his recording debut) tribute concert took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Guest performers include Neil Young, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Ron Wood, and Dylan himself.

2006, CBGB, the legendary New York punk club credited with discovering Patti Smith and The Ramones, closed after a final gig by Smith herself. Blondie and Talking Heads also found fame after performing at the club, which helped launch US punk music. The venue first opened in December 1973, its full name CBGB OMFUG standing for “country, bluegrass, blues and other music for uplifting gormandizers”.

2010, Auburn University graduate student Justin Havird named a new species of fish, Lepidocephalichthys zeppelini, because the fish’s pectoral fin reminded him of the double-neck guitar used by Jimmy Page. “I’m a big Led Zeppelin fan, and I was listening to them while I was working on the fish,” Havird said. “The structure that makes this species unique just reminded me of the guitar that Jimmy Page played.”

Born on this day: Nico, The Velvet Underground (1938); Fred Turner, bass, vocals, Bachman Turner Overdrive (1943); Bob Weir, Grateful Dead (1947); Michael Balzary, (Flea), Red Hot Chili Peppers (1962); John Mayer (1977)

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Today in Rock History – August 26

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1965, The Byrds appeared at the Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood, California.

1965, Sonny & Cher were at number one on the UK singles chart with “I Got You Babe,” the duo’s only British chart topper. Sonny Bono was inspired to write the song to capitalize on the popularity of the term “babe,” as heard in Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.”

1967, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull joined up with The Beatles in Bangor North Wales to seek guidance from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

1967, Small Faces, Move, The Gass, Tomorrow, Denny Laine, Jeff Beck, Eric Burdon and Marmalade all appeared on the first day of the 3-day non-stop happening ‘Festival of the Flower Children’ at Woburn Abbey, England.

1967, The Beatles held a press conference at University College in Bangor, North Wales with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Beatles announced that they had become disciples of the guru and that they renounced the use of drugs. The four had become members of the Maharishi’s ‘Spiritual Regeneration Movement’, which obligated them to donate one week’s earnings each month to the organization.

1969, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young play the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles.

1970, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, (his last ever UK appearance), Donovan, Jethro Tull, Miles Davis, Arrival, Cactus, Family, Taste, Mungo Jerry, ELP, The Doors, The Who, Spirit, The Moody Blues, Chicago, Procol Harum, Sly and the Family Stone and Free all appeared over three days at the third Isle Of Wight Festival.

1970, The Allman Brothers Band perform at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Florida.

1971, The Grateful Dead appear at Gaelic Park in the Bronx, New York.

1973, Genesis headlines the closing day of the Reading Jazz, Blues, and Rock Festival. Tickets cost £2.20

1973, 10cc made their live debut at the Palace Lido Isle of Man at the start of an UK tour. Comprising of Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, who had written and recorded together for some three years before assuming the 10cc name.

1974, Rush plays at The Agora in Cleveland, Ohio.

1976, AC/DC appear at the Marquee Club, London.

1977, Uriah Heep, Thin Lizzy, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Golden Earing, Aerosmith, Doobie Brothers, Hawkwind, Racing Cars, John Miles, Graham Parker, The Enid, No Dice and Frankie Miller’s Full House all appeared at the 17th three day Reading Festival, England.

1978, Frankie Valli went to No.1 on the singles chart with the Barry Gibb song ‘Grease’. It went on to sell over 2 million in the US.

1978, Fleetwood Mac, The Cars, Todd Rundgren, Bob Welsh and Eddie Money all appeared at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio.

1988, The first day at this years three day Reading Festival featuring Iggy Pop, Starship, Squeeze, Ramones, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Hothouse Flowers, Deacon Blue, Quireboys, Broken English, three day ticket £24, an increase of nearly £20 from the 1973 festival.

Born on August 26: Nik Turner, Hawkwind (1940); Valerie Simpson,  Ashford and Simpson (1948); Bill and Dick Cowsill (1950); Shirley Manson, vocals, Garbage (1966); and Jeff Tweedy, Wilco (1967)

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Today in Rock History – July 26

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1968, The Jackson Five signed a one-year contract with Motown Records.

1968, Decca pulls the Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet from its release schedule, citing problems with the sleeve. The design features a graffiti-covered toilet. It’s one of the first disagreements between the band and the label, with Mick Jagger angrily pointing out that Decca released Tom Jones’ A-tom-ic Jones with a nuclear explosion printed on its jacket sleeve.

1968, The Jeff Beck Group, Pink Floyd, and headliner Blue Cheer play the first of two night at the Shrine Exposition Hall in Los Angeles, California.

1968, Howlin’ Wolf plays the first of three nights at San Francisco’s Avalon Ballroom, supported by Quicksilver Messenger Service.

1968, The Steve Miller Band appears at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.

1969, Brian Jones was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents.

1969, Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, Shag, Taste, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, MC5, and SRC appeared at the Midwest Rock Festival, held at State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin.

1969, The Turtles performed at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1969, Led Zeppelin and Vanilla Fudge played at the PNE Agrodome, Vancouver, British Columbia. Tickets were $3 – $5 Canadian.

1970, Jimi Hendrix played in his home town of Seattle for the last time when he appeared at Sicks Stadium. Cactus and Cat Mother and the All Night Newboys were the support acts.

1972, Roxy Music played at St. George’s Hall in Liverpool, England.

1973, ZZ Top releases Tres Hombres, their breakthrough album. It featured the hit “La Grange,” plus “Waiting for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago.”

1974, Summerfest was held at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, New York, featuring Emerson, Lake And Palmer, The James Gang, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

1974, The first Beatles Convention is held in Boston.

1974, Graffiti artists were hired to spray paint sites in London to promote the UK release of The Rolling Stones new single “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

1974, The Allman Brothers appeared at Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts with The Eagles as the support band

1975, The Eagles started a five-week run at number one on the US album chart with One Of These Nights.

1975, Van McCoy and the Soul City went to number one on the singles chart with “The Hustle,” his only chart hit.

1977, Elvis Costello was arrested as he performed outside a CBS Records sales conference at The London Hilton Hotel and was fined £5 ($7.50.)

1977, Led Zeppelin cut short their 11th North American tour after Robert Plant’s five-year-old-son Karac died unexpectedly of a virus at their home in England.

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

1979, Thin Lizzy appeared at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.

1980, The Rolling Stones started a seven week run at number one on the US album chart with Emotional Rescue, the group’s eighth US chart topper. Emotional Rescue was the first Rolling Stones album recorded following Keith Richards’ exoneration from a Toronto drug charge that could have landed him in jail for years.

1981, Van Halen played at the Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, Maine.

1983, Asia releases Alpha, their second studio album. This one paled in comparison to the brilliant 1982 debut. It went platinum, but to mixed reviews. It featured the singles “Don’t Cry” and (the prophetic) “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.” Egos in the ranks started to come into play. It’s been said Steve Howe and John Wetton were “oil and water” personality wise and Howe was locked out of writing for this one with Wetton / Downes “taking over.” Plus the record label, Geffen was grooming them for a more pop/commercial direction. Following the release, Wetton either quit  or was forced out and the scheduled tour was cancelled. Greg Lake filled in briefly, but Wetton returned and Howe quit. The band never regained their momentum.

1986, Peter Gabriel went to number one on the US singles chart with “Sledgehammer,” a top four hit in the UK. The song’s music video has won a number of awards, including a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards. Gabriel was also nominated for three Grammy Awards.

1987, The Grateful Dead played at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California.

1990, Brent Mydland from The Grateful Dead was found dead on the floor of his home aged 38 from an apparent drug overdose.

1992,  Mary Wells, referred to as The First Lady of Motown and who had a 1964 US number one and UK number five single “My Guy” died, aged 49 of laryngeal cancer. Wells was forced to give up her career and with no health insurance, was forced to sell her home, Wells’ old Motown friends including Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, The Temptations, and Martha Reeves, along with Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt, personally pledged donations in support.

2000, The celebrity management company Cassandra left dozens of acts out of pocket when it was rocked by fraud charges, filing for bankruptcy at the Manhattan Bankruptcy Court. Clients included Alanis Morissette, Phish and Afghan Whigs.

2006, The guitar on which Sir Paul McCartney learned his first chords sold for £330,000 ($520,000) at an auction at London’s Abbey Road Studios. The Rex acoustic guitar helped McCartney persuade John Lennon to let him join his band, The Quarrymen, in 1957.

2013, singer-songwriter JJ Cale died of a heart attack at the age of 74. He became famous in 1970, when Eric Clapton covered his song “After Midnight.” In 1977 Clapton also brought Cale’s song “Cocaine” into the spotlight. The two worked together on an album, which won a Grammy award in 2008.

Born on July 26: Joe Jackson, patriarch of The Jacksons (1929);Dobie Gray (1942); Mick Jagger (1943);  Roger Taylor, Queen (1949); Andy Connell,  keyboards, Swing Out Sister (1961); Scott Francis Crago, session drummer (1963); Joan Wasser,  singer-songwriter, violinist The Dambuilders (1970)

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Today in Rock History – July 2

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1966, David Bowie and The Lower Third appeared at The Lion Hotel in Warrington, England, (they were paid £30 for the gig). Also appearing was The Powerhouse which featured Eric Clapton Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood and Paul Jones.

1967, Jeff Beck, Cream and John Mayall all appeared at London’s Saville Theatre.

1967,  Jimi Hendrix performed at the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles, California.

1967, Pink Floyd appeared in concert at Digbeth Civic Hall in Birmingham, West Midlands, England.

1968, The Human Beinz, Gary Pucket & The Union Gap, plus The Beach Boys played at the Adler Theatre in Davenport, Iowa.

1969, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the National Guard Armory, Auburn, Alabama.

1969, Working at Abbey Road Paul McCartney recorded “Her Majesty.” Then Paul, George, and Ringo record 15 takes of “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight.” John Lennon was absent, having been hospitalized in Golspie, Scotland, after a serious car accident a day earlier.

1969, Thunderclap Newman started a three week run at number one on the singles chart with the Pete Townshend produced track “Something In The Air.” The song was featured on the soundtrack for the movie, The Magic Christian. The the group included future Wings guitarist Jimmy McCulloch.

1969, Bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell quit the Jimi Hendrix Experience after completing the three-day Denver Pop Festival. Hendrix and drummer Mitch Mitchell would later team with bassist Billy Cox to form the short-lived Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, who played at the Woodstock Festival.

1970, The Who performed at Freedom Palace, Kansas City, Missouri.

1971, Queen appeared at Surrey College, England. This was the group’s first gig with the line-up of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.

1971, The Grateful Dead play only one of two shows they did in the month of July, at the Fillmore West in their hometown of San Francisco, California.

1972, David Bowie appeared at the Rainbow Pavilion, Torquay, England.

1973, Roxy Music’s synthesizer player Brian Eno quit after personality clashes with the band’s singer Bryan Ferry.

1973, King Crimson played at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.

1974, Eric Clapton performed at the International Amphitheater, Chicago.

1975, The Rolling Stones played at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1976, Brian Wilson rejoins the Beach Boys for the first time on stage since deciding he’d rather spend his life in bed. Aside from singing “In My Room” at the Anaheim, California, performance, he mostly sits staring at his keyboard.

1977, Bill Conti went to number one on the singles chart with “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the film Rocky.

1979, Aerosmith appeared at the Canadian National Exhibition Stadium, Toronto.

1979, Sony introduced the Walkman, the first portable audio cassette player. Over the next 30 years they sold over 385 million Walkmans in cassette, CD, mini-disc and digital file versions, and were the market leaders until the arrival of Apple’s iPod and other new digital devices.

1980, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart from The Grateful Dead were arrested on suspicion of starting a riot at the San Diego Sports Arena after they tried to interfere in a drug bust.

1981, Bruce Springsteen played the first of six nights at the new Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey.

1982, Blue Oyster Cult performed at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.

1983, Rod Stewart started a three week run at number one on the UK singles chart with “Baby Jane,” his sixth UK chart topper.

1988, Tracy Chapman started a three-week run at number one on the UK album chart with her self-titled debut LP. She was buoyed by her performance at the Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium. The album was  also a chart topper in the US.

1991, Axl Rose caused a riot to break out during a Guns N’ Roses gig after leaping into the crowd to remove a camera from a fan at the Riverpoint Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights. Over 50 people were injured and 15 fans were arrested.

1999, R.E.M., Skunk Anansie, Barenaked Ladies, Blur, Blondie, Built To Spill, The Chemical Brothers, Marilyn Manson, Metallica, Placebo, Suede and Wilco all appeared at the Oskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark.

2005, The world’s biggest music stars united in concerts around the world to put pressure on political leaders ahead of the G8 summit to address poverty in Africa. Concerts in ten cities, including London, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg, Rome and Moscow played to hundreds of thousands of people. A TV audience of several hundred million watched the gigs. The London featured The Who, Madonna, U2, Coldplay, Sting, The Scissor Sisters, Keane, Paul McCartney and a Pink Floyd reunion.  Destiny’s Child, Jay-Z and Bon Jovi, Canada, Bryan Adams and Neil Young headlined in Philadelphia, while Bjork was featured in Tokyo, and Green Day played in Berlin.

Born on July 2: Tom Springfield, The Springfields (1936); Paul Williams, The Temptations (1940); Roy Brittan, E Street Band (1949); Johnny Colla, guitar, sax, Huey Lewis and the News (1952);  Pete Briquette,  The Boomtown Rats (1954); Mike Anger, The Blow Monkeys (1957); Rocky Gray, drummer, Evanescence (1974); and Daron Malakian, guitar System of a Down (1983)

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Today in Rock History – June 24

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The Mothers of Invention

1966, The Mothers of Invention support comedian Lenny Bruce at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium.

1966, At the Cow Palace, the Beach Boys’ Summer Spectacular features performances by the Jefferson Airplane, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Percy Sledge, the Byrds, and the Sir Douglas Quintet.

1966, After holding a press conference aboard a yacht in New York City, The Rolling Stones kicked off their fifth North American tour at the Manning Bowl, Lynn, Massachusetts, with support acts The McCoys and The Standells.

1967, The Monkees went to number one on the US album charts with Headquarters, the group’s third chart topper.

1967, Pink Floyd make their debut performance on the BBC’s Top of the Pops, performing their new single “See Emily Play.” Syd Barrett wears a suit of velvet and satin.

1967, Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” entered the Billboard chart, where it would peak at number five. The song was written by the band around a melody composed by the group’s organist, Matthew Fisher. He was inspired by the chord progression of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Orchestral Suite in D,” composed between 1725 and 1739.

1969, Led Zeppelin recorded “Whole Lotta Love,” “What Is And What Should Never Be,” “Travelling Riverside Blues,” and “Communication Breakdown” for BBC Radio 1 at Maida Vale Studios, London. The session was broadcast on June 29, 1969.

1969, The Doors appeared at The Roach, New Orleans, Louisiana.

1972, David Bowie appeared at the Guildford City Hall, England, on his Ziggy Stardust world tour.

1972, In Fort Worth, Texas, the Rolling Stones film the concert that will be released as Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones.

1973, The Grateful Dead appeared at the Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon.

1973, Longtime Blues Project fans are overcome in New York’s Central Park when Al Kooper rejoins his old band onstage.

1978, Genesis, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, Devo, Brand X and The Atlanta Rhythm Section all appeared at Knebworth Park, England, tickets cost $10 (£6.66.)

1991, Frank Zappa took part at the concert “Adieu Soviet Army,” organized in Prague, as the farewell to the last soldiers of Soviet Red Army, leaving free Czechoslovakia (the Red Army had occupied Czechoslovakia since the Prague spring). This was probably Zappa’s last rock appearance on the stage and it is recorded on the album Adieu C. A. (Soviet Army).

1999, Eric Clapton put 100 of his guitars up for auction at Christie’s in New York City to raise money for his drug rehab clinic, the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. His 1956 Fender Stratocaster named Brownie, which was used to record the electric version of “Layla,” sold for a record $497,500 (£331,000.) The auction helped raise nearly $5 (£3.33) million for the clinic.

2001, Blink 182 scored their second US number one album with Take Off Your… The group’s fourth studio album has sold over 12 million copies worldwide and contains the singles “The Rock Show,” “Stay Together for the Kids,” and “First Date.”

2005, The Thrills, The Zutons, Doves, The Killers, White Stripes, Kaiser Chiefs, Ash, The Coral, Keane, New Order, Coldplay, James Blunt, Brian Wilson, Garbage, Primal Scream and Basement Jaxx all appeared at the UK Glastonbury Festival.

2007, The White Stripes went to number one on the UK album chart with Icky Thump the duo’s sixth and final studio album. Icky Thump won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2008.

2013, Former Devo drummer Alan Myers died aged 58 in Los Angeles, California, following a long bout with cancer. Myers drummed for Devo between 1976 and 1986

Born on this day: Arthur Brown (1942);  Jeff Beck (1944); Chris Wood- Traffic (1944); and Colin Blunstone, The Zombies (1945); Mick Fleetwood, English-American drummer, Fleetwood Mac John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (1947);  Patrick Moraz, Swiss keyboard player, songwriter, Yes, The Moody Blues, Refugee (1948); Andy McCluskey, English singer-songwriter, bass player,  producer, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1959); – Dennis Danell, American singer, guitarist, Social Distortion (1961);  Richard Z. Kruspe, German guitarist, Rammstein, Emigrate, and First Arsch (1967)

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Today in Rock History – June 22

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1968, Herb Alpert started a four week run at number one on the singles chart with “This Guys In Love With You.” It was his first chart topper, plus first number one for the A&M label, as well as for writers Burt Bacharach and Hal David

1968, The Rolling Stones go to number one in the UK with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” It was the first time they had visited the top spot in two years.

1968, Rolling Stone, reviews the bootleg Basement Tapes in an article titled “The Missing Bob Dylan Album.”

1968, Actor Richard Harris goes to number two with his seven-minute reading of “MacArthur Park.”

1968, The Jeff Beck group featuring Rod Stewart made their US debut at the Fillmore East, New York.

1968, The Otis Redding album Dock Of The Bay went to number one posthumously. Redding was killed in a plane crash on December 10th 1967.

1969, Singer, actress, Judy Garland, died of a barbiturate overdose at age 47. She was found on the floor of her rented Chelsea home, in London. She made more than two dozen films, most  notably playing Dorothy in  1939’s Wizard Of Oz, singing “Over The Rainbow” in the film.

1969, Supergroup Blind Faith release their self-titled album.

1970, Led Zeppelin appeared at Laugardalsholl Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland on the group’s one and only visit to Iceland. It is suggested that Robert Plant was inspired to write the lyrics to “Immigrant Song” during this trip.

1974, Gordon Lightfoot started a two-week run at number one on the album chart with Sundown.

1975, At New York’s Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton joins the Rolling Stones onstage to jam on “Sympathy for the Devil.”

1978, The Boomtown Rats, supported by Matt Vinyl & The Decorators appeared at the Odeon Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland.

1985, Bryan Adams started a two week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Heaven,” his first chart topping single, which made it only to number 35 in the UK.

1990, Ry Cooder and David Lindley, The Cure, Happy Mondays, Sinead O’Connor, Deacon Blue, De La Soul, Adamski, Blue Aeroplanes, Julian Cope, Del Amitri, Jesus Jones, James and The Pale Saints all appeared on day one of the Glastonbury Festival. A three day ticket cost £38 ($61).

2008, Coldplay went to number one on the UK singles chart with “Viva La Vida,” their first UK chart topper. The song won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2009.

2013, “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke started a 13 week run at number one on the US singles chart. The song featured American rapper T.I. and American singer and producer Pharrell, the video was made in two versions; the first video features models Emily Ratajkowski, Jessi M’Bengue, and Elle Evans being topless, the second features them covered. The topless version of the video was removed from YouTube for violating the site’s terms of service regarding nudity, though it was later restored, but flagged as inappropriate. “Blurred Lines” topped the charts in 14 countries.

Born on June 22: Kris Kristofferson (1936); Chris Blackwell, English record producer, co-founder Island Records (1937); Murphy Dunne, American actor, keyboards, The Blues Brothers (1942); Peter Asher, English singer, guitarist, producer, Peter and Gordon (1944); Howard Kaylan, The Turtles, Flo & Eddie, Frank Zappa (1947); Todd Rundgren (1948); Larry Junstrom, American bass player, 38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd (1949); Craig Gruber, American bass player, Rainbow, Elf, Bible Black, and Raven Lord (1951); Cyndi Lauper (1953); Derek Forbes, Scottish bass player, guitarist, Simple Minds, Big Country (1956); Garry Gary Beers, Australian bass player, songwriter, producer, INXS, Absent Friends (1957); Jimmy Somerville, Scottish singer-songwriter, Bronski Beat,  The Communards (1961); Bobby Gillespie, Scottish singer-songwriter, Primal Scream, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Wake (1962); Dicky Barrett, American singer, actor, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (1964); Steven Page, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist Barenaked Ladies (1970);

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Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Freeway Jam” by Jeff Beck

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Nothing prepared rock fans for the transformation that took place in the mid-70s when Jeff Beck joined forces with producer George Martin on his albums Blow By Blow and Wired.

Beck, of course, was well known as the blues-based British rocker from the Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group who dabbled in jazz, but cut his teeth on what is now considered classic rock. By 1975, Beck’s band consisted of Phil Chen on bass, Richard Bailey on drums and Max Middleton, the sole holdover from The Jeff Beck Group, on keyboards.

The sound was full-on instrumental Fusion Jazz which was previously the domain of Miles Davis, Weather Report and Return To Forever. Beck’s foray into Fusion culminated with several records pairing his guitar work with the keyboard mastery of Jan Hammer. “Freeway Jam” was written by Max Middleton and is from “Blow By Blow. The album featured an assist from Stevie Wonder who played keyboards on the track “Thelonious.” Beck had previously performed guitar duties on Wonder’s Talking Book album.

Eleven of the Best Rock Concerts I Have Attended

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I have been fortunate to go to a lot of rock concerts in my lifetime. Considering what tickets cost today, those old ducats from the seventies and eighties turned out to be pretty good deals. Most of those ticket prices were under twenty bucks. The late seventies concerts were all under ten dollars. Compared to today’s prices, those old shows were an absolute bargain. I’ve seen a lot of artists that are no longer with us, such as Jerry Garcia, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Gregg Allman, Lou Reed, Keith Emerson, Freddie Mercury, BB King, and Jaco Pastorius, the great bass player for Weather Report. Other than completing artists or bands on my bucket list, I’m not too keen anymore to shell out big bucks being charged today.  In many cases I’d rather see up and coming artists in small venues, or good cover bands in clubs.

This is compilation of some of the most outstanding performances I’ve personally witnessed to date.  The Fleetwood Mac concert in March 1977 would have been included, but I’ve written about that show already.  That story is linked here, so it was omitted from this list.

James Taylor – Carmichael Auditorium – Chapel Hill –  March 3, 1982

This was JT’s triumphant return to his hometown. Taylor’s father was a professor at the UNC School of Medicine, ultimately becoming the school’s dean,  Rumors had been circulating for years that Taylor had no desire to perform in the Chapel Hill. Supposedly, the author of “Carolina In Mind” had too many bad memories from his adolescence here, that fueled his depression and subsequent drug addiction. Thus, he avoiding performing in the area. However, he received a hero’s welcome, the audience went nuts, and Taylor fed off the vibe.  Carmichael was not particularly known for its acoustics, but never sounded better. JT even improvised the lyrics to “You’ve Got a Friend” to include a reference to local Highway 15-501 that connects Durham and Chapel Hill.

 

Queen – Greensboro Coliseum – North Carolina – August 14, 1980

At the time, Queen was one of the hottest bands in the world. They were touring in support of their ninth studio album, “The Game” which would top the album charts in both the US and UK. If you’ve ever seen video from a Queen concert of that period, you see what an incredible performer Freddie Mercury was. He pranced. He danced, he played and sang. We had no idea that he would be gone eleven years later.  But that night, he owned the place with an 27-song epic set.

Setlist: Jailhouse Rock, We Will Rock You, Let Me Entertain You, Need Your Loving Tonight, Play the Game, Mustapha, Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to…), Killer Queen, I’m in Love With My Car, Somebody to Love, Get Down Make Love, You’re My Best Friend, Save Me, Now I’m Here, Fat Bottomed Girls, Love of My Life, Keep Yourself Alive, Drum & Guitar Solos, Brighton Rock, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Bohemian Rhapsody, Tie Your Mother Down; Encore: Sheer Heart Attack, We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions, God Save The Queen

 

R.E.M. – NC Benefit for Africa – Meredith College – May 27, 1985

In the wake of Live Aid, a lot of Africa relief concerts took place. One was organized at a beautiful outdoor amphitheater at Meredith College in Raleigh. The show featured seven or eight popular bands local with R.E.M. as the headliner.  They were gracious enough to allow the fledgling UNC Student Television to film their performance, which featured songs from the soon-to-be-released third album “Fables of the Reconstruction.” Don Dixon, whose band Arrogance also graced the stage that day, and was a producer on their first two albums, joined the band for “Don’t Go Back To Rockville” and a cover of “Wild Thing.”

Complete show:

https://youtu.be/y0VrM-qYnkw

 

Paul Simon – Civic Opera House – Chicago – March 13, 1987

Simon brought his Graceland tour to Chicago’s historic, art deco Opera House.  Simon, and his band, along with Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo played songs from the Grammy award winning album. It was a perfect setting for the acapella music, rhythmic dancing, and solo music by the South African artists. The 3500-seat auditorium may not be small compared to the club scene, but it’s far more intimate than the ten thousand plus seat amphitheaters and concert halls favored by rock stars.

U2 – Rosemont Horizon – Rosemont, IL – April 29, 1987

This was my first U2 concert, having missed another epic show which took place at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill four years earlier. The Rosemont show more than made up for it. The band had graced the cover of Time magazine two days earlier with the headline, “Rock’s Hottest Ticket,” and the show has become synonymous with that epithet. It remains a very popular U2 fan bootleg, which is surprising since the arena is not known for its acoustics. But the band and the audience connected, and the rest is history.

Frank Zappa – Auditorium Theatre – Chicago – March 4, 1988

One of the most underrated musical geniuses of all time brought his satirical Broadway the Hard Way tour to Chicago’s palatial Auditorium Theatre. Zappa loved to skewer anything and everything musically. His target this time was the disgraced  preacher Jimmy Swaggert. Using a medley of  Beatles songs and his lyrics, Zappa proceeded to eviscerate the televangelist in song. In addition, he brought Sting onstage, and they played “Murder by Numbers,” a Police song. Even better, he tossed some Zeppelin and Allman Brothers into the mix that magical evening.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/frank-zappa/1988/auditorium-theatre-chicago-il-5bd0ef74.html

Neville Brothers – Skyline Stage,  Navy Pier – Chicago – May 27, 1989

One of  New Orleans’ best known musical families kicked off a series of “twilight concerts” at the recently renovated Skyline Ballroom in the summer of 1989.  They were on tour to promote their fourth studio album “Yellow Moon.” Even though the show was broadcast live on radio station WXRT, it was still a hot ticket. Anyone who was there can attest as to what a great vibe there was in the room. The band dug it also and played beyond their allotted time as the crowd urged them on.

 

Stevie Ray Vaughn / Jeff Beck – UIC Pavilion – Chicago – October 28, 1989

This was the first of two times I was fortunate enough to see SRV in concert. The second show was his final performance, the night he perished in a tragic helicopter accident. The tour was dubbed “The Fire Meets The Fury.” Beck and Vaughn traded opening slots on a 29-date tour. For me this show is as noteworthy for what happened afterwards. On the chance that Vaughn might make a post concert appearance at one of the local blues clubs, something he was known for, my buddy Otis and I went to Kingston Mines. SRV did go to a blues club, but not the Mines. He was spotted at Buddy Guy’s southside establishment. However, we did meet Buddy Miles, and and we hung out all night with the former member of Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys and Carlos Santana collaborator.

Here’s a video of Beck and Vaughn from the Chicago show

https://youtu.be/84_UvByGDkM

The Grateful Dead – Pine Knob Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI – June 20, 1991

I was lucky enough to see the Dead fifty times between 1985 and Jerry Garcia’s last show in July, 1995. As any Deadhead will tell you, no two Grateful Dead shows are alike.  The venue, the tour, the year, the people, and the vibe made every performance a unique event. City arena shows were very different than outdoor amphitheaters in remote locations like Alpine Valley, or Pine Knob, forty miles outside of Detroit.  What made this particular show memorable for me (and many others) was the song order of the second set, which seemed to go in reverse of a typical second set with “Throwing Stones” as the opening salvo. “All Along the Watchtower” and “Iko-Iko are presented outside of their normal settings, before the lengthy set closes with a reprise of “Throwing Stones” and Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away,” followed by an encore of the fan favorite “Brokedown Palace.”

Set 1: Touch of Grey, Greatest Story Ever Told, El Paso, Mexicali Blues > Maggie’s Farm, Bird Song

Set 2: Throwing Stones, Iko Iko, All Along The Watchtower, Standing On the Moon, He’s Gone > Drums > Space > The Wheel > I Need A Miracle > Walkin’ Blues > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away, E: Brokedown Palace

 

Phish – Biddy Mulligan’s – Chicago – April 13, 1991

When the discussion turns to talk about the best band I saw in a small venue, this is my show to brag about. One of my Deadhead friends from New England kept raving about this band from Vermont, so I promised to see their next show in Chicago. Little did I know they’d be packing arenas and amphitheaters for years to come. Biddys was relatively small club on the far north side of town, almost at the Evanston border. From the early seventies until its demise in 2003, the club featured a lot of the local blues greats like Koko Taylor, Muddy Waters, and Buddy Guy, along with national talent like Wishbone Ash, Eric Burdon, and Blues Traveler. I remember seeing Leon Russell there. The posted capacity was 400, and I’m sure there were at least 500 folks that chilly April evening. The place was jam packed, and I was lucky to get a spot near the soundboard. The set was a mix of songs from 1990’s “Lawn Boy” and the yet to be released “A Picture of Nectar.” Most memorable for me was the inclusion of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” as the show closer. I haven’t attended a Phish concert since, because I’m not sure it could ever surpass that experience.

 

Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens – Oriental Theatre – Chicago – September 30, 2016

After a near death experience in 1976, this musical treasure of the late sixties and early seventies converted to Islam, and stopped performing for nearly thirty years. Songs like “Moonshadow,” “Peace Train,” and “Wild World” were soft rock and FM radio staples. When he finally returned to touring, I put him at the top of my concert bucket list.  The time off has kept his remarkable voice nearly intact, and he not only played his hits, but told the stories behind the songs, and delved into his musical catalog for some deep gems. The whole show was his life story, complete with a stage set recreating the small room above his parents restaurant in the London of his youth.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/yusuf-islam/2016/oriental-theatre-chicago-il-3bfdcc5c.html

 

Honorable mentions:

David Byrne – Arie Crown Theatre – Chicago – September 1992
Tom Tom Club – Paradiso – Amsterdam – April 2001
Prince – Super Bowl Halftime Show – Miami – February 2007
Steve Miller Band – Ravinia Festival – July 2009
Brian Wilson – Ravinia Festival – July 2013
Allman Brothers Band – Chicago Theatre – August 2013

Today in Rock History – March 30

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1967, The cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is photographed at a studio on London’s Flood Street, using cardboard cutouts and wax figures to represent the Beatles’ heroes. The effigies featured include Edgar Allan Poe, Lenny Bruce, Vidal Sassoon, Laurel and Hardy, Bob Dylan, and Huntz Hall.  After the shoot, The Beatles resumed work at Abbey Road studios on “With a Little Help From My Friends” adding guitars, bass, tambourine, and backing vocals. The session began at 11:00 pm and ends at 7:30 am.

1967, During an appearance by Jimi Hendrix on Top Of The Pops, a technician put on the backing track of Alan Price’s “Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear,” to which Hendrix responded “I don’t know the words to this one man.”

1968, The Who performed at the Westbury Music Fair in Westbury, New York.

1968, Sly & the Family Stone appeared at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan.

1968, Buffalo Springfield played at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1968, Jimi Hendrix appeared at the University of Toledo Fieldhouse in Toledo, Ohio.

1969, Led Zeppelin played at the Farx Club in the Northcote Arms, in Southall, Middlesex, England. The support acts were Smokey Rice and Great Circle. The band’s fee was to be £75 ($112.50) or 60% of the gate, whichever was greater.

1970, Led Zeppelin played at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Prior to the show, the band’s manager trashed twenty four bottles of champagne because they weren’t Dom Perignon per the group’s rider. The promoter was unable to get the famous brand and his $100 per bottle substitute was deemed “garbage” by Zep’s manager.

1971, Yes appeared at the Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, England.

1972, The Allman Brothers Band played at Ladd Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.

1973, King Crimson headlined at Niedersachsen Halle, Hanover, Germany.

1974, The Ramones play their first-ever gig at New York’s Performance Studio.

1974, John Denver went to number one on the singles chart with “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” the singer’s first of four chart toppers. Denver was killed when his experimental plane crashed on October 12, 1997.

1975, Genesis played at Saarlandhalle, Saarbrucken, Germany.

1976, The Sex Pistols played their first show at The 100 club, London, they begin a weekly residency in June.

1977, Pink Floyd performed the third of four nights at New Bingley Hall, Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford, England.  Tickets cost £3.50.

david-bowie-78-live
David Bowie – 1978 courtesy: BowieGoldenYears.com

1978, David Bowie appeared at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona.

1979, Van Halen played at Caldwell Stadium, Caldwell, Idaho.

1980, ZZ Top performed at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1982, U2 played the second of two nights at the San Francisco Civic Centre, California.

1983, Rush appeared at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio.

1984, David Gilmour appeared on the Tyne Tees TV show The Tube, broadcast live from Newcastle upon-Tyne, England.

1985, Phil Collins started a two week run at number one on the US singles chart with “One More Night.”It was his second US chart topper, and it made it to the fourth spot in the UK.

1992, R.E.M. started recording sessions for their Automatic For The People album at Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, New York.

2003, Linkin Park went to number one on the UK album chart with their third album Meteora. It was also a US chart topper.

2013, music producer and pioneer of digital recording, Phil Ramone, died aged 79. Ramone was regarded as one of the most successful producers in history, winning 14 Grammy awards and working with stars such as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Elton John and Paul McCartney. He produced the first major commercial release on CD, Billy Joel’s 1982 album 52nd Street. Ramone had been hospitalized for several weeks, where he was being treated for an aortic aneurysm.

Born on March 30: Graeme Edge, Moody Blues (1942); Ken Forssi, American bass player, The Surfaris, Love (1943); Eric Clapton (1945); Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, singer, Black Oak Arkansas (1948); Dave Ball, English guitarist, Procul Harum (1950); Robbie Coltrane, Scottish actor, singer (1950); Re Styles, guitar, vocals, The Tubes (1950); Lena Lovich (1954);  Stanley Kirk Burrell, aka MC Hammer (1962); Tracy Chapman (1964); Joey Castillo, American drummer, songwriter Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal, Danzig (1966); Celine Dion (1968);  Adam Goldstein, American keyboard player, DJ, producer (1973); Mark McClelland, Irish bass player, Snow Patrol, Little Doses,  The Reindeer Section (1976); Norah Jones (1979)

Link to Today in rock history archive. 

Today in Rock History – March 3

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Buffalo Springfield

1966, Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay formed Buffalo Springfield in Los Angeles.

1966, The Who played at the Victoria Ballroom in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England.

1967, The Doors appear at the Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco.

1967, A twice-nightly tour kicked off in the UK at The ABC in Romford Essex featuring, The Small Faces, Jeff Beck, Roy Orbison and Paul and Barry Ryan.

1967, In London, guitarist Jeff Beck debuts his new group featuring bassist Ron Wood, drummer Aynsley Dunbar, and a new singer by the name of Rod Stewart.

1967, Pink Floyd performed at Market Hall in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England.

1967, After a promoter refuses to pay the Animals an advance for their concert in Ottawa, the band decides not to play. The audience riots and causes $5,000 in damages

1968, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio.

1968, Blood, Sweat & Tears appeared at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.

1969, The Who end the recording of Tommy at IBC Studio A after almost five months in the studio.

1969, Led Zeppelin recorded their first BBC Radio 1 Top Gear session during the afternoon at the Playouse Theatre in London, England. Songs recorded were “Dazed And Confused,” “Communication Breakdown,” “You Shook Me,” and “I Can’t Quit You Baby.” Free, The Moody Blues and Deep Purple were also in session on the show.

1970, Genesis plays at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London.

1972, The Allman Brothers Band performed at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco

1973, Slade’s “Cum On Feel The Noize,” entered the UK charts at number one, making Slade the first act to achieve this since The Beatles.

1973, winners at the Grammy Awards included, Roberta Flack who won Song of the year and Record of the year with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and Harry Nilsson won Best pop vocal performance for “Without You.”

1974, Lynyrd Skynyrd played at Ellis Auditorium North Hall, Memphis, Tennessee.

1975, Led Zeppelin appeared at the Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas.

1976, David Bowie performed at the International Amphitheater, Chicago.

Iggy Pop in 1977

1977, the first night of an UK tour with Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, Cherry Vanilla, and The Police kicked off at the Roxy Club, London. John Otway and Wild Willie Baratt played at The Speakeasy, London and Iggy Pop supported by The Vibrators appeared at Huddersfield Poly.

1978, Van Halen opens its first tour at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. The group’s contract specifies that M&Ms be provided to the group during the stint with the brown candies removed. Part of this first tour was to open up for Black Sabbath in several locations.

1979, The Bee Gees scored their fourth number one single with “Tragedy.” Also today The Bee Gees went to number one on the album chart with ‘Spirits Having Flown‘, the group’s second chart topping album.

1980, A napkin signed by Elvis Presley fetches £500 ($800) at a Sotheby’s auction in London. Four dollar bills signed by the Beatles sell for £220 ($350), as does a packet of letters written by the Rolling Stones.

1984, Nena started a three week run at number one on the UK singles chart with “99 Red Balloons.” Originally sung in German, “99 Luftballons” was re-recorded in English as “99 Red Balloons.” The song was a number two hit in the US and the only UK hit for Nena making her a one-hit wonder.

1990, During a world tour Paul McCartney played the first of 6 sold-out nights at the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan. The final night was broadcast live to venues in 10 other Japanese cities; Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Matsuyama, Nagoya, Niigata, Osaka, Sapporp, Sendai and Takamatsu.

1994, The Smashing Pumpkins were banned from appearing on BBC TV’s Top Of The Pops, due to the content of the song’s lyrics. The bands single “Disarm” was this week’s highest new entry.

1995, Foo Fighters made their live debut during a benefit show at The Satyricon in Portland, Oregon.

2008, The Beatles’ engineer Norman Smith died at the age of 85. Smith who worked on every studio recording the band made between 1962 and 1965 was nicknamed “Normal Norman” by John Lennon. As a producer in 1966, he signed Pink Floyd and produced some of their early albums including Saucerful of Secrets and as Hurricane Smith had the 1971 UK number two hit “Don’t Let It Die.”

2009, To celebrate the release of U2’s twelfth studio album and their appearance every night for a week on The Late Show with David Letterman, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg temporarily renamed part of 53rd street in Midtown Manhattan U2 Way.

Born on March 3: Junior Parker, bluesman (1927); Mike Pender, The Searchers (1942);  Jance Garfat, Dr. Hook (1944); Jennifer Warnes (1947); Snowy White, Thin Lizzy (1948); and Robyn Hitchcock (1953)

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