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Category: Flashbacks
FLASHBACK POP MUSIC HISTORY: JUNE 20
From the MCRFB music calendar:
Events on this date: JUNE 20
1966: Capitol Records executives made the decision to replace the original “butcher cover” of the US album Yesterday And Today — which featured the Fab Four posing with decapitated dolls and raw meat, to the horror of Beatles fans and record retailers — with a more tranquil, traditional band pose for their new LP.
1968: At Hollywood’s Western Recorder, Elvis Presley records the song, “Nothingville,” “Let Yourself Go,” Guitar Man,” and “Big Boss Man.” He will use these as guides for his upcoming NBC prime-time “comeback” television special.
1969: Northridge, California host the Newport Rock Festival, featuring Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rascals, Ike & Tina Turner, Steppenwolf, Joe Cocker, Jethro Tull and Jimi Hendrix, whose $125,000 fee is the highest ever paid to a rock act for one show.
1972: The Tallahatchie Bridge in Sidon, Mississippi, made famous by Bobbi Gentry’s “Ode To Billie Joe,” collapses. Today, motorists uses the newer bridge on County Road 512 to cross over the river.
1973: American Bandstand airs it’s 20th anniversary special on ABC-TV, featuring Little Richard, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Three Dog Night, Johnny Mathis, Annette Funicello, and Cheech and Chong. The special also features the first appearance of his many huge “all- star” rock jams.
1981: A disco medley of oldies hits called “Stars On 45” hits No. 1 in the U.S., becoming a national phenomenon. The medley, which originated in Dutch dance clubs, begins with re-creations of the Shocking Blue’s “Venus,” and The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar,” before segueing into an expert mimic of early Beatles hits.
1983: Twang king guitarist Duane Eddy performs his first concert in fifteen years with a show in San Francisco.
1987: Teddy Pendergrass marries his first and only wife, Karen Still.
1994: Beatles fans learn that the three surviving members of the group are working on a “new” song for their upcoming Anthology projects, as they overdub themselves onto a 1970s John Lennon demo-song titled, “Free As A Bird.”
1995: A Los Angeles judge ruled that the Kingsmen, and not their label Scepter, are sole owners of their 1963 smash hit, “Louie Louie,” and are entitled to royalties due the band (from the record label) the court ruled in the final judgment.
2004: Paul McCartney plays his 3,000 professional concert, performing in the Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia.
2008: Surrey University in England awarded Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page an honorary Doctorate in Music.
Deaths: Bruce Tate, The Penguins; 1973. Lawrence Payton, The Four Tops; 1994. Claydes Charles Smith, Kool & The Gang; 2006.
Releases: Bob Dylan with The Band, “Before The Flood,” 1974.
Recordings: 1955: The Four Lads, “Moments To Remember.” 1962: Ricky Nelson, “Teenage Idol.” 1967: The Buckinghams, “Susan” and “Hey Baby They’re Playing Our Song.” 1968: Beatles, “Revolution 9.” 1969: David Bowie, “Space Oddity.”
And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day…. JUNE 20.
CKLW * PAT HOLIDAY SHOW * 1973
CLASSIC FLASHBACK 1966: MONTAGE OF GREAT DETROIT RADIO AND DEEJAYS! (PT. 2 0F 3)
DICK CLARK RAPS BRITISH GROUPS… DECEMBER 26, 1964
From the MCRFB news archives:
DICK CLARK CITES GREED FOR BRITISH ACTS HERE
LOS ANGELES — “There’s nothing deader in Liverpool than the British beat sound and we’re sitting here hyping the hell out of it.” This is the impression Dick Clark has of the overlapping music-personal appearance business. The head of his own successful “Caravan Of Stars” teen show, Clark is irked about the supposedly successful impression left by visiting British rock and roll groups.
Take away the Beatles, and the “British imitators were never a box-office boom, although people thought they were,” Clark says. Clark’s desk is heavy with newspaper clippings of box-office disasters involving these British longhairs. He personally had felt the box-office bite twice, losing $9,000 on fiascos with the Animals in Columbus, Ohio and also in Norfolk, Virginia.
The apparent paradox of radio airplay strength and declining box-office appeal perplexes Clark. “These groups make the charts but audiences won’t pay to see them,” he charges. Business for Clark’s own operation was up 11 per cent this November over a corresponding period last year. While his shows continue their popularity with teen audiences, Clark feel the bad taste incurred by local promoters booking British groups hurt the entire road show business. “It’s been a blood bath for American promoters,” he says. Clark says the Pittsburgh promoter who handled his “Caravan” made $2,000 more than he did in handling the Beatles’ concert because of their great overhead and additional costs absorbed by the fine print for the U.S. tour bookings.
Clark’s nightly guarantee is “under $5,000” and consists of a string of popular hit artists, all carefully polished to work as a single unit. The executive says the British tours have been hastily put together, featuring one or two headliners and using poorly rehearsed local acts to fill out the bill.
Clark thinks the reason people have “snowballed” by the Redcoats is plain greed. He says promoters saw the success of the Beatles and “the thought of that green led them to grasp at the Rolling Stones, Animals, Searchers, etc.”
One California disc jockey who promoted several British concerts has vowed to “never again” enter the fray, Clark was told.
On a brighter note, Clark reports the college market will be opening for his teen caravan. Last year he only played three college dates, but so far requests indicate a new market for American Top 40 performers such as the one he has been showcasing around the country for several years now. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; December 26, 1964).
FLASHBACK POP MUSIC HISTORY: JUNE 19
From the MCRFB music calendar:
Events on this date: JUNE 19
1958: Buddy Holly records his first solo songs, “Early In The Morning,” and “Now We’re One,” at Decca’s Pythian Temple Studios in New York City.
1960: At the height of the folk-music boom, the Kingston Trio premiered their own self-titled weekday show on the CBS Radio Network.
1963: For the first time, Ringo Starr uses his new Ludwig drum set, complete with the famous Beatles logo onstage as the group performs at the London Playhouse Theater.
1965: The Kinks and the Moody Blues make their U.S. stage debut in the same show, held at New York’s Academy of Music.
1967: Answering questions about a controversial interview he’d recently given to the Daily Mirror, Paul McCartney shocks the British public by admitting on BBC television that he had taken LSD four times.
1973: A strange musical ode to sci-fi and fifties kitsch starring Tim Curry, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, opens as a stage show at the Royal Court’s Theater Upstairs in London.
1973: Roberta Flack’s first (and last) television special, Roberta Flack… The First Time Ever, also starring the Blossoms and Seals and Croft, airs on ABC Television.
1976: “Rollermania” hits the U.S. as the Bay City Rollers begin their first-ever American tour with a concert in Atlanta City.
1980: David Geffen’s new self-titled record label signs it’s first artist, disco diva Donna Summers.
2000: At Bob Dylan’s concert in Portland, Oregon, British sign-language expert Professor Patrick Ladd “signs” the folk-rocker’s lyrics for the hearing impaired.
2009: North Wilkesboro, NC, holds a festival in honor of their late great native son, singer Oliver of “Good Morning Sunshine” fame.
Deaths: Bobby Helms; 1997.
Releases: “Long Tall Sally,” by the Beatles; U.K.
Recordings: 1961: “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby,” Bobby Darin. 1962: “Ramblin’ Rose,” Nat King Cole. 1967: “All You Need Is Love,” Beatles.
Charts: 1961: “Moody River,” by Pat Boone hits No. 1. 1965: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) by The Four Tops hit No. 1. 1965: “You Turn Me On,” by Ian Whitcomb enters the charts. 1971: “It’s Too Late,” by Carole King hits No. 1.
Certifications: 1973: The Edgar Winter Group’s “Frankenstein” certified gold by the RIAA.
And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day…. JUNE 19.
FLASHBACK ADS: “UPTIGHT” * NANCY WILSON * 1966
FLASHBACK ADS: MUSICOR RECORDS * 1967
FLASHBACK ADS: “MISSION IMPOSSIBLE” * LALO SCHIFRIN * 1968
FLASHBACK POP MUSIC HISTORY: JUNE 18
From the MCRFB music calendar:
Events on this date: JUNE 18
1966: The No. 1 song on the R&B charts is “Hold On, I’m Coming,” by Sam and Dave.
1967: After wresting the coveted closing spot for the Who, Jimi Hendrix wows concert-goers at the Monterey Pop Music Festival by setting his guitar on fire during his performance.
1967: Apple Records is formed.
1974: Rare Earth drummer (also lead singer for the band) Peter Hoorelbeke is arrested for throwing his drumsticks into the crowd at the end of the band’s concert.
1975: Elvis Presley enters Memphis’ Mid-South Hospital, ostensibly for an “extensive eye-examination;” reports persist, however, that the King is actually having his ‘crow’s feet’ removed from his aging face.
1987: After only two years of marriage, Bruce Springsteen is separated from his first wife, model and actress Julianne Phillips.
1993: Having sold their label to Polygram three years earlier for a reported $500,000 million dollars, A&M Records founder Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss announce their intention to leave the company entirely. Begun in 1962, A&M was one of the first artist-owned labels, and the first successful independent label.
2002: Billy Joel is admitted to Connecticut’s Silver Hill Hospital for ten days in order to control his commonly known compulsive and habitual-drinking problems.
2004: Ray Charles’ funeral is held in Los Angeles at the First AME Church, featuring performances by Stevie Wonder, Glen Campbell, Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson. Non-performing attendees included Little Richard, Clint Eastwood, and Berry Gordy, Jr.
Birthdays: 1942: Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings); 1942: Carl Radle (Derek and the Dominoes); 1942: Richard Perry; 1947: Sandy Posey; 1952: Ricky Gazda (Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes); 1953: Jerome Smith (KC and the Sunshine Band)
Deaths: Danny Cedrone (Bill Haley and the Comets), 1954; Hank Medress (The Tokens); 2007.
Recordings: 1958: “Stupid Cupid,” Connie Francis; 1959: “I Want To Walk You Home,” Fats Domino.
Charts: Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” hits No. 1 on the charts. James Taylor’s “Handy Man” enters the charts.
Certification: Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘OLE ELO’ (LP); certified gold by the RIAA.
And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . . J U N E 1 8.