1961: The Supremes release their first single, “I Want A Guy,” it is not a hit.
1963: The Beatles kick off in a UK tour supporting Tommy Roe and Chris Montez. By the end of the 21-date tour, the band becomes the headliner.
1970: The British blues band formerly known as Earth take the stage at
Actual Chris Montez, Tommy Roe UK Tour Billboard with the Beatles; March, 1963
London’s Roundhouse with a heavier sound and new name — Black Sabbath.
1976: For the second time, the Who’s Keith Moon collapses while performing at a show, this time at the Boston Garden. Though drug and alcohol are the culprits, Roger Daltrey tells the crowd Moon is suffering from the flu. The gig ends, but the group plays another concert for ticket-holders on April 1.
1987: The Songwriters Hall Of Fame in New York City inducts Lennon and McCartney, Goffin and King, Mann and Weil, and Sam Cooke in their initial awards ceremony for the selected inductees.
2004: Tom Jone’s manager — and son — Mark orders the 63-year old sex symbol singer to stop wearing tight leather pants onstage.
And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . . M A R C H 9
NEW YORK — Under wraps of secrecy, RCA Victor brought its Italian and world-wide singing star Rita Pavone into the country for clandestine recording sessions.
Miss Pavone recorded her first album and some singles in English for release later this year, when the young lady makes her official performance debut and an extensive stay in either May or September. She was assisted at the recording date by Dorio Soria, international director for RCA Victor.
The recording will include special English material for the young lady and a drive will be mounted to help push Rita Pavone’s recordings in this country. She has steadily widened her sphere of influence on the Continent, where she has sold something like three million single records and albums in a little more than a year in her native Italy. In addition, she has currently established a breakthrough singing in German, while in Germany with the title, “Wenn Ich Ein Junge Waer” (I Wish I Were A Boy). Plans have also been implemented to push the lass into the Benelux countries and Scandinavia.
Pavone returns to Italy this week for dates all over the European continent and will star in a musical film, which she will start filming upon her immediate return to her native country. END
Addendum: Rita Pavone first debuted here on the WKNR playlist on May 28, 1964, when RCA released her one and only two-sided hit, “Remember Me,” along with “Just Once More” on the B-side. “Remember Me” was on the WKNR music guides for five consecutive weeks from the end of May throughout the month of June, peaking at the #7 spot on “Keener 13” on June 18, 1964, while dropping down to the #9 spot altogether from the WKNR playlist on June 25, 1964.
(Information and news source: Billboard magazine; January 18, 1964).
A typical suburban Detroit family viewing household television in 1958 (Photo credit: Detroit Times)
DETROIT — WJBK-TV has come up with ample evidence of current audience popularity for afternoon “bandstand” formats of programming records on TV for dancing by a live studio audience of teenagers.
The Detroit television station pulled a special ARB survey of its new “Detroit Bandstand,” emceed by Dale Young from 5:00 to 5:30 weekdays, and came up with a whopping 14.8 share in viewer ratings in the Detroit-TV market during the afternoon time period. The ratings were double its nearest competition, “Superman.”
Reacting to the ratings surprise, WJBK-TV added a Saturday segment of the “Detroit Bandstand” show at 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. The station claims that 4,000 pieces of mail came in during the show’s first week.
Hopping On The Hop Wagon
Stations in other markets have added record hops to their TV schedules, a major impetus being the success of Dick Clark’s ABC-TV network strip. As recently as WJBK-TV in Detroit, now KBTV, Denver, has taken the logical step of programming its new “Denver Bandstand” in and around Dick Clark’s show, so the teenagers will be dancing to local disks for 30 minutes, followed by Clark, returning to the local show for one hour. Up until now, stations have been programming directly opposite Clark or as far away from him on the clock as possible. END.
(Information and news source, Billboard Magazine; April 14, 1958).
R&B Radio Outlets Richer; Static Quo on DJ Dollars Dismal
NEW YORK — The current success of many R&B format radio stations across the nation “is not that all apparent at the deejay level,” according to Ronnie Roker, an executive at Mark II Records.
Mark II records is the label of Tag LTD. Productions, a firm headed by Magnificent Montague, former air-personality with KGFJ, Los Angeles, and Roker, formerly with Liberty Records. The label’s first release is “Precious Memories” by the Romeos, now No. 38 with a star on the R&B chart, and climbing also on the Hot 100 Chart in pop sales. Montague played congos and bongos on the record. The LP is due out soon featuring the group.
The record got its start on R&B stations; among those that helped boost it were WVON, Chicago; WWIN and WEBB in Baltimore; WABQ and WJMO in Cleveland; KGFJ in Los Angeles, KATZ in St. Louis, and WJLB and WCHB in Detroit. It was WQV in Pittsburgh, Roker said, that swung the record into the pop field and did so much to promote record sales.
Format Operation
R&B stations — practically all major ones — have gone to a format operation, Roker said. “Format lessens the amount of new records exposed, although the number of records exposed on R&B radio stations far surpass that on pop stations. Its much easier to get a record started in the R&B field, though not as easy as five years ago. Today, you have to put out a good record to get it played. There are very few bad records — or even mediocre ones — played on any R&B station.”
ERNIE DURHAM WJLB 1964
The tight formats now being used by R&B stations have really helped them, Roker felt. “It has been responsible for higher ratings of these stations in the general market, bringing them more business and higher advertising rates.” But this hasn’t helped most deejays, he said; their salaries haven’t been increased or, at least, it’s “not that apparent.” Roker said he felt deejays should share in the growth of the stations through higher salaries, “but whether they will is a different matter.”END
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(Information and news source: Billboard Magazine; April 29, 1967)
Addendum: Here are two *rare* airchecks of Detroit’s own R&B Grandmaster himself, “Frantic” Ernie Durham, as he was 10 years earlier on R&B WBBC-AM in Flint, Michigan, in 1957 and in 1958.
Tamla-Motown’s all-star revue was SRO during it’s recent Brevoort Theater stint in Brooklyn. It broke an attendance record previously set by Jackie Wilson.
Home for a record-cutting session now, the troops included: the Miracles, Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Marvin Johnson, the Supremes, and Little Stevie Wonder…. Of the five awards given by BMI to Jobete Music, a Tamla-Motown affiliate, two belong to Bill (Smokey) Robinson, lead singer with the Miracles. Bill seem well on his way to some more awards this year. Robinson is the writer for Mary Wells’ “Two Lovers” and the Miracles’ “You Really Got A Hold On Me.” They’ve been one and two on Billboard’s R&B charts for weeks. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard Magazine; February 16, 1963).
The Who played two shows June 14 at an Ann Arbor teenage club, The Fifth Dimension, before heading over to the Monterey Pop Festival…. Capitol artists Sadler and Youngbooked into the Roostertail for two weeks, beginning June 26, to be followed by another Capitol artist Peggy Lee, the week of July 10…. Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, had a Martin and Howard Day, June 11, in honor of the morning disc jockey team on WXYZ 1270 in Detroit….Only the least expensive seats ($5.50, $4.50) are left for Frank Sinatra’s July 9 Cobo Hall Arena appearance.
Volt recording artists Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays to appear at Expo ’67, July 3-4…. Deon Jackson begins a two-week tour of Army bases beginning June 30…. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas recorded a live album at the 20 Grand Club June 6-8…. English female vocalist Kelly Michaels has been signed by Ollie McLaughlin. A release on his Karen label is due shortly…. The Supremes made their debut at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles June 13…. The Herman’s Hermits tour with the Who and the Blues Magoos were signed for the Atwood Stadium in Flint, August 23.
Charles D. Fitz, vice-president and general manager of WXYZ Radio and President of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, presided at the MAB sponsored Fifth Annual Congressional Dinner in Washington. John E. Campbell, vice-president and general manager of WXYZ-TV and WXYZ editorial director, Joe Vaughn, also attended the dinner for Michigan congressional representatives…. Baby Jane Holzer was in Detroit to promote her new Atco single “Rapunzel.” She did the Robin Seymour CKLW-TV show…. WKBD-TV, Channel 50, Detroit, will carry “Upbeat” from Cleveland on Saturday mornings at 9:30 beginning July 1…. The Monkees will be in Detroit at Olympia Stadium on July 29. The Olympia concert event will be sponsored by WKNR…. Capitol Records hosted a party for Lou Rawls after his sellout concert at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit recently. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard Magazine: June 24, 1967)
WHEN THE WHO PERFORMED SOUTHFIELD HIGH IN 1967!
A MCRFB Note: This picture (above; below) was taken when the Who performed at the Southfield High School auditorium, Wednesday, November 22, 1967. Opening for the headlining British group were two local Detroit bands. The Unrelated Segments and The Amboy Dukes. Tickets were $3.00 dollars at the door.
For more on this incredible 1967 SHS event, click here to former CKLW and WKNR alumnus Pat St. John’s personal website. Pat will recount his personal involvement in this little-known event (with the Who) in this amazing Detroit rock ‘n’ roll back-story!
A ticket stub to The Who performance at Southfield High, 1967. (Photo credit; thanks: Judy Evans, Facebook (used here by her permission)
From the MCRFB music calendar:
1976: For the second time, the Who’s Keith Moon collapses while performing at a show, this time at the Boston Garden. Though drug and alcohol are the culprits, Roger Daltrey tells the crowd Moon is suffering from the flu. The gig ends, but the group plays another concert for ticket-holders on April 1.
