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Today in Rock History – May 1

May 1, 2020 by Mitch Michaels

1965, 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.

1976, 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);

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Today in Rock History – April 17

April 17, 2020 by Mitch Michaels

1965, Bob Dylan”s debut album The Freewheelin” Bob Dylan was at No.1 on the album chart.

1965, Paul McCartney spent the day shopping for furniture in Portobello Road, London disguised in a cloth cap, moustache, glasses and overcoat.

1966, The Who performed at the Regal Cinema in London.

1967, Jimi Hendrix played in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.

1969, The Band step out from behind Bob Dylan for the first time to perform solo at San Francisco’s Winterland auditorium

1970, While performing at the White House at the invitation of President Richard Nixon, Johnny Cash was asked to perform “Okie From Muskogee.” Cash declined because it was not his song, but had been a hit for Merle Haggard. Instead, Cash sang his number one hit, “A Boy Named Sue”.

1970, Country Joe & the Fish along with the Hampton Grease Band played at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1970, Paul McCartney releases his first post-Beatles solo album, McCartney. The the versatile musician played every instrument on the record.

1970, Santana began sessions for what would be their breakthrough album Abraxas at Wally Heider Recording Studio, San Francisco, California. When released in September of this year, Abraxas peaked at number one on the US chart.

1971, All four Beatles had solo singles on the charts, Paul McCartney with “Another Day,” John Lennon, “Power To The People,” George Harrison, “My Sweet Lord,” and Ringo Starr with “It Don”t Come Easy.”

1971, Three Dog Night started a six week run at number one on the singles chart with “Joy To The World.” It was the group’s second chart topper.

1972, The Grateful Dead perform at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark during their legendary Europe ’72 tour.

1972, Keith Richards girlfriend Anita Pallenberg gave birth to their second child, daughter Dandelion.

1973, Pink Floyd’s album Dark Side of the Moon went gold in the US. The LP went on to stay in the US chart for more than ten years and become the longest charting rock record of all time.

1973, Yes appeared at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.

1973, Tito and John Jackson from The Jackson Five were arrested for buying stolen TV and stereo equipment.

1974, Vinnie Taylor, guitarist with US rock and roll revival band Sha Na Na, was found dead in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Charlottesville, Virginia from a drug overdose. Sha Na Na played at the Woodstock Festival, their 90-second appearance in the Woodstock film brought the group national attention. The group appeared in the movie Grease as Johnny Casino & The Gamblers.

1975, Pink Floyd performed at the Coliseum in Denver, Colorado.

1975, Elvis Presley bought a Convair 880 Jet formally owned by Delta Airlines for $250,000, which he re-christened Lisa Marie. Presley spent a further $600,000 refurbishing the Jet to include personal quarters, a meeting area and a dance floor.

1976, David Bowie performed at Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland.

1977, The Stranglers, Cherry Vanilla, The Police, and The Jam all appeared at The Roundhouse, London, England.

1978, Genesis played at The Forum, Inglewood, California.

1979, The Allman Brothers Band performed at Cameron Indoor Stadium, on the campus of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

1983, Felix Pappalardi, producer and bass player with American rock band Mountain was shot dead by his wife Gail Collins during a jealous rage. Collins was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. Pappalardi who was 43, had produced the albums Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire by Cream

1987, Reggae drummer and percussion player Carlton Barrett of The Wailers was shot dead outside his house in Kingston, Jamaica. He joined Bob Marley and The Wailers in 1970, wrote the Marley song “War.” Barrett was the originator of the one-drop rhythm, a percussive drumming style.

1991, Nirvana appeared at the OK Hotel in Seattle, Washington, where they played a new song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” live for the first time.

1994, Pink Floyd started a four-week run at number one on the UK album chart with The Division Bell, their fourth chart topping album.

1998, Linda McCartney died after a long battle against cancer. She married Paul McCartney in 1969 when she was working as a photographer. As well as a being a member of Wings, she became an animal rights campaigner and launched her own brand of vegetarian food.

2004, Kurt Cobain’s Mark IV-style Mosrite Gospel guitar sold for $100,000 (£66,667) at the Icons of 20th Century Music auction held in Dallas, Texas. Other items sold included Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s song writing piano which sold for $140,000 (£93,333) and a 1966 Rickenbacker guitar owned by The Byrds Roger McGuinn’s sold for $99,000 (£66,000.)

2008, Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen and a member of The E Street Band, died of cancer at the age of 58. Federici had worked with Springsteen for over 40 years, starting with his early bands Steel Mill, and Child.

Born on April 17: Don Kirshner (1934); Roy Estrada, Frank Zappa Band (1943); Jan Hammer, Mahavishnu Orchestra (1948); Pete Shelley, English drummer, The Buzzcocks (1955); Maynard James Keenan, American singer-songwriter, producer, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Green Jellÿ (1964); LizPhair (1967); Matt Chamberlain, session drummer, Edie Brickell, Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Morrissey, David Bowie, Elton John, Peter Gabriel, The Wallflowers, Kanye West, Garbage, John Mayer (1967)

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Today in Rock History – March 22

March 22, 2020 by Mitch Michaels

1965, Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan’s fifth studio album was released. The album reached number six on Billboard’s Pop Albums chart, the first of Dylan’s albums to break into the US top 10, and it also topped the UK charts later that Spring. The lead-off track, “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” became Dylan’s first single to chart in the US, peaking at number 39. The album’s iconic cover, photographed by Daniel Kramer, features Sally Grossman, wife of Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman, lounging in the background. The artifacts scattered around the room include vinyl LPs by The Impressions and Robert Johnson.

1965, Who manager Kit Lambert receives a letter stating that their April 15th gig at the Locarno Ballroom, Swindon has been canceled because the promoter has had a lot of trouble lately and he feels that The Who are not the type of Group that would go well in his Ballroom. A copy of this document later appears included in the Live at Leeds album. The Who play that night at Parr Hall in Warrington, Lancashire.

1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared at The Guildhall in Southampton, England.

1967, The Who play their first American live gig at New York’s Paramount Theater.

1968, The Grateful Dead performed at the State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Detroit, Michigan.

1969, Led Zeppelin appeared at Mothers in Birmingham, West Midlands, England.

1970, Joe Cocker performed at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.

1970, Led Zeppelin played to a sold out crowd of 6000 at the Seattle Arena in Seattle, Washington. Ticket prices ranged from $4-6 (£2.66 – 4.)

1971, US police arrested all the members from The Allman Brothers Band for heroin and marijuana possession.

1972, Yes played at Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan.

1973, King Crimson appeared at Town Hall, Leeds, England.

1974, King Crimson filmed at show at ORTF TV Studios in Paris.

1975, Frankie Valli went to the top of the US singles chart with “My Eyes Adored You,” his first solo number one.

1975, Led Zeppelin started a six-week run at number one on the US album chart with Physical Graffiti, the group’s fourth US chart topping album. On its first day of release in the US, the album shipped a million copies. No other album in the history of Atlantic records had generated so many sales. Physical Graffiti has now been certified 16 times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for US sales in excess of 16 million copies.

1975, The Bay City Rollers were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Bye Bye Baby,” the group’s first of two UK chart toppers.

1975, Genesis played at the Salle d’Exposition, Annecy, France.

1976, David Bowie performed at the Coliseum, New Haven, Connecticut.

1977, The Eagles appeared at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1978, The Police signed to A&M Records. The band would go on to notch more than fifteen UK Top 40 hits with the label.

1978, The Rutles’ All You Need Is Cash, an affectionate spoof of the Beatles’ career, was broadcast for the first time in the US.

1980, Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall, (Part 2”) started a four week run at number one on the US singles chart. The song, which was the group’s only US chart topper, was also a chart topper in the UK, Germany, Australia, Italy and in many other countries around the world. Pink Floyd received a Grammy nomination for Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group for the song, but lost to Bob Seger’s “Against The Wind.”

1980, The Jam had their first UK number one with their tenth release, “Going Underground / Dreams Of Children” the first single of the 80s to debut at number one.

1994, Singer, songwriter, producer Dan Hartman died of a brain tumor in Westport, Connecticut. Was a member of the Edgar Winter Group and wrote the band’s hit ‘Free Ride.’ Had the 1978 No.1 dance hit ‘Instant Replay,’ wrote ‘Relight My Fire’ a UK No.1 for Take That and Lulu, collaborated with Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, Holly Johnson and Steve Winwood.

2005, Rod Price, former member of Black Cat Bones and a founding member of Foghat died after falling down a stairway at his home after suffering a heart attack. The 57 year old English guitarist played on Foghat’s highest charting US single “Slow Ride,” a 1976 hit.

Born on this Marach 22: Jeremy Clyde, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, Chad & Jeremy (1941); George Benson (1943); Keith Relf, The Yardbirds (1943); Harry Vanda, The Easybeats (1947); Randy Hobbs, The McCoys, Johnny Winter Group, Montrose (1948); Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948); Jay Dee Daugherty, American drummer, songwriter, The Church (1952); Susan Ann Sulley, British singer, The Human League (1963); John Otto, Canadian-American, drummer Limp Bizkit (1977); Aaron Wright North, guitarist, Nine Inch Nails (1979)

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Today in Rock History – February 25

February 25, 2020 by Mitch Michaels

1964, The Beatles finished recording their next single “Can’t Buy Me Love,” at Abbey Road studios, London, (they had first recorded the song on 29 January 1964 at Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris). They also recorded the B-side, “You Can’t Do That,” and another new song “I Should Have Known Better.”

1965, The Rolling Stones perform their just-released single “The Last Time” on the British rock show Ready! Steady! Go!.

1965, The Seekers were at number one on the singles chart with “I’ll Never Find Another You,” the Australian folk-pop group’s first chart topper.

1966, The Grateful Dead performed an eight-song set at the Ivar Theater in Los Angeles. The former vaudeville theater is currently operated by the Los Angeles Film School as an active classroom space. It is currently not used or rented out as a theater space.

1967, The Who play the Palalido in Milan, Italy. Melody Maker reports that The Who will make their first trip to the United States on March 23rd to play the Murray The K shows in New York.

1967, Pink Floyd appeared at the Ricky Tick Club, Hounslow, England. The Yardbirds were filmed performing in a re-creation of the club built at MGM Studios in Borehamwood, for Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blowup.

1967, More of the Monkees began its third of nineteen weeks atop the US album charts.

1967, Jimi Hendrix appeared at the Corn Exchange in Chelmsford, Essex, England.

1970, Led Zeppelin perform at Konserthuset, in Göteborg, Sweden. While Jimmy Page plays the instrumental “White Summer,” a fan in the audience decides to accompany him by tootling on a harmonica. When the song is over, the offended Page spits on him.

1971, The Allman Brothers Band performed at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Comedian David Steinberg opened. Tickets were $3.

1972, Led Zeppelin appeared in front of over 25,000 fans at the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand, the group’s first ever gig in New Zealand, (and the largest crowd ever to attend a concert on the island). A special train was chartered from Wellington to bring fans to the concert. Some fans came from as far as 900 miles away.

1972, David Bowie played at Avery Hill College in London, England.

1973, Genesis performed at De Montford Hall, Leicester, England.

1974, Yes appeared at the Montreal Forum in Montreal.

1975, Roxy Music headlined at the Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1976, David Bowie performed at the Montreal Forum, Montreal.

1977, The Jam signed to Polydor Records UK for £6,000 ($10,200.)

1978, Rush played at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, England.

1979, Dire Straits appeared at Alumni, Providence, Rhode Island.

1980, Pink Floyd performed The Wall at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York.

1981, Winners at the 23rd annual Grammy Awards included Bob Seger who won Best Rock performance for “Against The Wind,” Pat Benatar won Best female performance for Crimes Of Passion, and Christopher Cross won Best new artist and Best song for “Sailing.”

1981, Bruce Springsteen performed at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.

1984, “Jump” by Van Halen started a five-week run at number one on the singles chart.

1985, U2 began their first full North American arena tour, starting at the Dallas Reunion Arena in Texas.

1995, At a private party for 1,200 select guests on the closing night of the Frank Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament, Frank Sinatra sang before a live audience for the very last time. His closing song was “The Best is Yet to Come.”

2011, Susan “Suze” Rotolo, died from lung cancer. She was the one time girlfriend of Bob Dylan, and the inspiration of some of his early songs. Susan appeared in one of the decade’s signature images, walking with Dylan arm-in-arm for the cover photo of his breakthrough album Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

Born February 25: George Harrison (1943); Doug Yule, Velvet Underground (1947); John Doe, X, The Flesh Eaters, The Knitters (1954); Stewart Wood, Bay City Rollers (1957); Mike Peters, The Alarm (1959)

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Today in Rock History – September 6

September 6, 2019 by Mitch Michaels

1966, The Who begin the week at The Palais in Ilford, Essex, England. Earlier in the day they record performances of “I’m A Boy” and “Heatwave” for British television’s Ready, Steady, GO!

1968, Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recoded overdubs onto the new George Harrison song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Eric Clapton added the guitar solo and became the first outside musician to play on a Beatles recording and George recorded his lead vocal.

1969, James Brown announced he would retire from live performances in July the following year saying “I’m tired man.”

1969, The Allman Brothers Band played at Electric Zoo in St. Petersburg, Florida.

1970, Jimi Hendrix made his final live appearance when he appeared at the Isle Of Fehmarn in Germany. The guitarist died on Sept 18, 1970 after choking on his own vomit.

1970, The Rolling Stones performed at at Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden.

1972, David Bowie appeared at Top Rank Suite, Sheffield, England.

1973, Jethro Tull played at Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan.

1974, The 101 All Stars, featuring Joe Strummer, made their debut at The Telegraph, Brixton Hill, London.

1975, Glen Campbell started a two week run at number one the US singles chart with “Rhinestone Cowboy,” his first chart topper after thirteen Top 40 hits.

1975, Jefferson Starship went to number one on the album chart with Red Octopus.

1975, Rod Stewart was at number one on the UK singles chart with his version of the Sutherland Brothers song “Sailing.” The song had been featured in the BBC TV series about HMS Ark Royal.

1977, Rush appeared at Fort William Gardens, Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Superior.

1978, Record producer Tom Wilson died. He worked with various acts including Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’, Another Side of Bob Dylan, and Bringing It All Back Home, Frank Zappa, Freak Out!, Simon and Garfunkel Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. and The Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat.

1980, U2 kicked off the first leg of their 29 date UK Boy tour at the General Woolfe in Coventry, England.

1980, The Grateful Dead played at the State Fairgrounds, in Lewiston, Maine.

1980, The Jam were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Start!,” the group’s second UK chart topper and taken from the band’s fifth album Sound Affects.

1985, Desperately Seeking Susan went on general release in the UK. The movie featured Madonna and Rosanna Arquette. The filmmakers had initially wanted Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn to play the roles of Roberta and Susan. However, director Susan Seidelman decided to cast relative newcomers Rosanna Arquette, in her sixth film role, and Madonna, in her third film appearance, but first starring role.

1986, All girl group Bananarama went to number one on the US singles chart with “Venus.” The song had also been a chart topper for Dutch group Shocking Blue in 1970.

1990, Tom Fogerty, guitarist with Creedence Clearwater Revival, died aged 49, due to complications from AIDS acquired during a blood transfusion. During 1969, CCR scored three US Top Ten albums and four Top 5 singles.

1994, English keyboard player Nicky Hopkins died aged 50, in Nashville, Tennessee, of complications from intestinal surgery. Hopkins was a highly respected session musician, worked with The Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, George Harrison, and the Jerry Garcia Band. The Kinks song “Session Man” from Face to Face is dedicated to, and features Hopkins.

1997, Elton John recorded a new version of “Candle In The Wind” after performing the song live at Diana, Princess of Wales’ funeral. An estimated 2.5 billion people around the world watched Elton play the special tribute to Diana. The track went on to become the biggest selling single of all-time.

2008, US rock band Great White whose pyrotechnics sparked a fire that killed 100 people, agreed to pay $1 million (£564,000) to survivors and victims’ relatives. The blaze began at The Station nightclub in the Rhode Island in 2003, when the band’s tour manager shot off pyrotechnics at the start of the concert. More than 200 people were also injured in the blaze. One band member, guitarist Ty Longley, was killed in the fire. Tour manager Daniel Biechele pleaded guilty in 2006 to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter and was given parole in March after serving less than half of his four-year prison sentence.

2011, A California judge ruled that Madonna does not hold a trademark over the phrase “Material Girl” for her line of clothing just because she wrote a song by that name in 1985. A Los Angeles retailer called LA Triumph has been using the name “Material Girl” clothing and has registered it as a trademark.

Born on September 6: Jimmy Reed (1925); Dave Bargerdon, Blood Sweat & Tears (1942); Roger Waters (1943); Claydes Smith, Kool & The Gang (1948); Pal Waaktaam, guitar, A-ha (1961); Scott Travis, drummer Judas Priest, Racer X (1961); Macy Gray (1969);