Category: Flashback Pop Music

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: MARCH 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1958: Elvis Presley performs his last concert before leaving for the Army, a show at Memphis’ Russwood Park. Aside from two benefit shows in 1961, this would be the last Presley concert until 1969.

1966: Tonight’s winner at the Grammy Awards in New York City; Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass for their smash single, “A Taste Of Honey” (Record Of The Year), Frank Sinatra for his latest album, September Of My Years (Album Of The Year), and “The Shadow Of Your Smile,” (Song Of The Year).

1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono, attempting to marry in Paris, are caught “standing in the dock at Southampton/Trying to get to Holland or France,” as later documented in the Beatles song, “The Ballad Of John And Yoko.” Passport problems keep them from boarding.

1971: CBS-TV announces it will cancel The Ed Sullivan Show, then the longest-running TV show in history, after 23 years.

1972: After Los Angeles radio station KHJ broadcasts Donny Osmond’s version of “Puppy Love” for 25 1/2 half hours straight, worried callers summons the L.A. police, who break into the studios. Turned out to be it was just a publicity stunt, and not taken over by parties involved any sort of criminal act, as some callers had speculated to police.

1975: Stoner Mick Jagger settles his paternity suit with (the beautiful) singer Marsha Hunt out of court.

1978: The Alan Freed biopic American Hot Wax, widely acclaimed as one of the best rock and roll movies of all time, premiers in New York City. The movie features performances by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.

1979: Elvis Costello gets in an infamous argument with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney and Bonnie fame, at an after-party affair following Stills’ show in Columbus, Ohio. Reportedly, Costello made racist remarks to Bramlett to disgust her, in order to get her to stop her constant arguing. In retort, a very-drunk Costello refers to James Brown “as a jive-ass ……(delete N-word)” and Ray Charles “as a blind, ignorant …… (delete N-word).”

On the following day during a press conference, Costello went on to say that, “It became necessary for me to outrage these people with about the most obnoxious and offensive remarks that I could muster.”  According to the story, Bramlett then responded at the bar by punching Costello in the face. Elvis later apologized to James Brown and Ray Charles personally, and, in his efforts to show his sincerity, Costello does some work with the Rock Against Racism project.

1989: The Rolling Stones sign a contract for $70 million dollars — the largest ever amount during that time — for their anticipated tour of the U.S., as had been long planned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . .  M  A  R  C  H   1  5

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: MARCH 14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1955: Popular country star Jimmy Dean interviews Elvis Presley on his Washington D. C. television show Town and Country Time. A nervous Elvis answers every question with a “yep” or “nope.”

1956: The Alan Freed film, Rock Around The Clock, starring The Platters and of course, Bill Haley and the Comets, premiers in New York City.

1958: The RIAA awards its first-ever gold record for sales of a million copies that year, the honor going to Perry Como’s, “Catch A Falling Star.”

1963: Gerry Marsden of the Pacemakers sneaks a custom-made guitar purchased in Germany through British customs and is fined 60 pounds.

1964: The Beatles “Twist And Shout” enters the Billboard charts on this day.

1965: Petula Clark makes her American TV debut on CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show singing “Downtown” and “I Know A Place.”

1968: The BBC-TV program Top Of The Pops broadcasts the Beatles new promotional video for “Lady Madonna,” which, oddly enough, is made up entirely of clips from the band’s recording of “Hey Bulldog.”

1970: On this date, the Supremes (without Diana Ross) enters the Billboard charts with “Up The Ladder To The Roof.”

1972: At tonight’s Grammys Awards, Carol King’s massively popular Tapestry LP is awarded the Album Of The Year honors.

1980: On the occasion of his forty-seventh birthday, Quincy Jones is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame at 1500 Vine.

1981: Bleeding ulcers forces Eric Clapton to cancel the remainder of his 60-date US tour. Clapton checks himself in a hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota.

2005: The New York Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inducts Percy Sledge, The O’Jays, U2, Buddy Guy and the Pretenders.

2008: In London, ex-Foundations member Peter MacBeth is sentenced to six years in prison on pedophilia and sexual assault charges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . .  M  A  R  C  H   1  4

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: MARCH 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1956: The Elvis Presley album is released today. Self-titled, many musicologists would affirm this LP as the first-million seller in sales shortly after the album’s release.

1958: The Recording Industry Association of America launches its Gold Award Program to honor artists in outstanding sales. One-million units sold of a single 45 rpm record earned Gold status; in 1976, the Platinum Award was introduced for singles which moved two-million units. Today, the single award is given at the half-million (gold) and million (platinum) level of sales or downloads, with the same award qualifications for album-length or CD releases.

1959: On Friday the 13th, the Kingston Trio are nearly killed when their plane makes an emergency landing on a turkey farm in South Bend, Indiana.

1964: According to Billboard, over 60 percent of all US singles sold are Beatles records.

1965: The Kinks releases their single, “Tired Of Waiting For You” and Freddie and the Dreamers enters the charts with “I’m Telling You Now.”

1965: On this week’s Cash Box charts, the Beatles hold down the top four positions, with “Eight Days A Week” at No. 1. Meet The Beatles has become the  all-time best selling album in the U.S., having sold 3.5 million copies already.

1965: Disgusted with the pop direction taken with the latest single, the Graham Gouldman-penned “For Your Love,” Eric Clapton quits the Yardbirds, eventually forming Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.

1975: George Jones and Tammy Wynette finally gets that D.I.V.O.R.C.E she had been singing about after six years of ill-wedded bliss.

 

 

 

1987: Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band are honored with their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1750 Vine Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . .  M  A  R  C  H   1  3

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: MARCH 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1953: Popular WDIA disc jockey Rufus Thomas signs with Memphis label Sun Records in order to release a song titled, “Bear Cat,”  an answer song record to “Big Mama” Thorton’s hit, “Hound Dog.”

1955: Master jazz saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker, dies at the age of 34. The hard-living Parker’s postmortem suggests he may have died from pneumonia, a heart attack, burst stomach ulcers, or cirrhosis of the liver.

1958: A Philadelphia court sentences Billie Holiday to one year probation for pleading guilty two years earlier for heroine possession.

1959: Philadelphia’s own Fabian, discovered by Philadelphia’s own Dick Clark,  is named “Most Promising New Talent” in an American Bandstand viewers poll.

1965: The Beatles wrap up their location shooting of Help! in the Bahamas. In an interview with the New York Times, Beatles manager Brian Epstein declares  that the band will still be popular in ten years. Epstein also stated in the interview that the Rolling Stones were “just another fine group,” in his opinion.

1969: Infamous London police officer Det. Sgt. Norman Pilcher, well known for singling out and busting rock stars, enters George Harrison’s house in Esher, Surrey, England and arrest the Beatle and his wife Patti for possession of marijuana (specifically, cannabis resin). That same morning, Beatle Paul McCartney marries Linda Eastman in the office registry in Merylbone, London and again in the Anglican church in St, John’s Wood. The other three Beatles don’t attend.

1971: Paul McCartney’s lawsuit dissolving the Beatles is upheld when a London court grants his request to appoint a non-biased receiver to handle the group’d business affairs in the wake of the band’s management dispute.

1996: Nancy Sinatra gives her famous white go-go boots, the one that were made for walkin’, she donates the pair to the Beverly Hills Hard Rock Cafe where it has been on display there for the past sixteen years.

2003: On the eve of the Rolling Stones’ first tour of China, the Chinese government submits a list of forbidden songs to the group, songs which the band is prohibited from playing anywhere during their stay while in that country. Songs include “Brown Sugar,”  “Honky Tonk Woman,” and “Let’s Spend The Night Together.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . .  M  A  R  C  H   1  2

 

 

From the MCRFB music calendar:

On this date: MARCH 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

From the MCRFB Music Calendar

Events on this date: FEBRUARY 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1960: Just four years into his career, Elvis Presley becomes the biggest-selling recording artist of all time, with 18-million records sold, according to an article published today in Billboard. “The King” would go on to sell one billion records in the United States and world-wide.

1968: The 10th annual Grammys are held in New York, and the Beatles take home a Grammy for Album Of The Year for their ground-breaking work LP Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for 1967. The Jimmy Webb composition “Up, Up And Away,” recorded by the 5th Dimension, wins both Record And Song Of The Year honors. Bobby Gentry also won big with Best New Artist and two Grammys for her hit, “Ode To Billy Joe.” The biggest winner of the night was Glen Campbell with two vocal awards for “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” in the Best Vocal and Male and Best Contemporary Male Solo Vocal. Campbell was also awarded two more Grammys for “Gentle On My Mind” in the Country and Western Solo Vocal and in the Male and Country and Western Recording categories, not to mention an award was presented to the songwriter for Best Country and Western Song. Aretha Franklin nabbed two awards for “Respect” in the Rhythm and Blues category.

1968: Florence Ballard, having just legally settled during her break-up with the Supremes, marries her first husband, former Motown-chauffeur Thomas Chapman, in Detroit.

1972: John Lennon’s temporary visa expires, leading Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina to send a memo to the Nixon White House suggesting that deporting John Lennon might be “a strategic-counter measure” against his increasing anti-war activism.  Around the same time, CIA Director Richard Helms sent a memo to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover about Lennon’s upcoming “anti-war” tour, which kicked-off a three-year battle for Lennon to stay in the United States.

1977: While staying at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, Lynyrd Skynrd get in a heated argument with members of London’s Metropolitan Police, whose boxing team is staying at the same motel. A fistfight ensued, in which two members of the band are knocked unconscious.

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(Pop Music events source: oldies.com/)

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