Motor City Radio Flashbacks

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: DECEMBER 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1948: The CBS television show Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts debuts.

1957: Elvis visits radio station WDIA in Memphis and meets two of his idols, Little Junior Parker and Bobby Bland.

1964: The Gerry and the Pacemakers movie “Ferry Cross The Mersey” debuts at the New Victoria Cinema in London.

1968: President Richard Nixon sends out 66,000 signed letters to potential administrative office holders, including Elvis Presley.
1969: Cab Calloway stars in NBC’s “Hallmark Hall of Fame” presentation of The Littlest Angel.

1969: The infamous rock concert known as Altamont, featuring Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and the Rolling Stones, takes place at the speedway of the same name in Altamont, CA.

Headliners the Rolling Stones, who organized the show as a free “thank you” concert, hire Hell’s Angels instead of cops for security, resulting in the deaths of four people in the crowd of 300,000 (including Meredith Hunter, stabbed to death by the Angels).

1970: The Rolling Stones tour documentary Gimme Shelter, featuring footage of the infamous Altamont concert, opens in New York City.

1980: John Lennon mixes Yoko Ono’s “Walking On Thin Ice.” It is the last time he would be in a studio.

1986: Ringo becomes the first Beatle to use his name in an advertisement, for Sun Country wine cooler.

1993: At a video shoot for Travis Tritt’s remake of the Eagles’ “Take It Easy,” the Eagles themselves reunite and decide to reform for new songs and a tour.

1995: Michael Jackson collapses in a New York theater during a rehearsal for an upcoming TV special and is hospitalized.

 

Birthdays: 1920: Dave Brubeck. 1939: Steve Alaimo. 1941: Helen Cornelius. 1942: Len Barry. 1944: Jonathan King.

Releases: 1957: The Diamonds, “The Stroll.” 1963: The Beatles, The First Christmas Record. 1965: The Beatles, “We Can Work It Out” b/w “Day Tripper.” 1965: The Beatles, Rubber Soul (US). 1965: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “Going to a Go-Go.”

Recording: 1944: The Count Basie Orchestra, “Red Bank Boogie.” 1965: The Rolling Stones: “19th Nervous Breakdown,” “Mother’s Little Helper.” 1966: The Beatles, “When I’m Sixty-Four.”

Certifications: 1968: The Beatles (aka ‘The White Album’) is certified gold by the RIAA. 1973: Steve Miller’s ‘The Joker’ album is certified gold by the RIAA.

Charts: 1952: The Mills Brothers’ “The Glow-Worm” hits No. 1 on the charts. 1969: Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” hits No. 1 on the charts. 1975: Paul Simon’s ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’ hits No. 1 on the LP charts. 1975: Tyrone Davis’ “Turning Point” enters the R&B charts.

Deaths: 1949: Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter. 1988: Roy Orbison.

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . .  D  E  C  E  M  B  E  R   6

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: DECEMBER 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1936: Bing Crosby takes over as host of the Kraft Music Hall radio show.

1955: The BMI Annual Awards in New York City score big for R&B, with rhythm and blues songs winning a record eleven awards.

1956: The Alan Freed movie Rock! Rock! Rock!, starring Chuck Berry, The Flamingos, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Lavern Baker, and Johnny Burnette premieres in New York City.

1960: Billboard reports that five “answer records” to Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” have been released — four versions of “Yes, I’m Lonesome Tonight” and one “Oh, How I Miss You Tonight.”

1967: The Beatles throw a party to celebrate the opening of the Apple Boutique.

1968: Graham Nash quits the Hollies and within three days forms the “supergroup” Crosby, Stills and Nash.

1968: The Rolling Stones hold a “Beggar’s Banquet” at Elizabeth Rooms, London, to promote their release of the new album with the same name. The “banquet” ends with a pie fight.

 

1976: Elvis Presley falls onstage at a show in Las Vegas and sprains his ankle.

1980: John Lennon gives what would be his last interview, with Rolling Stone‘s Jonathan Cott.

2002: Elton John guest stars on NBC’s Will and Grace.

2003: Original Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore undergoes surgery to repair a subdural hematoma.

 

Birthdays: 1899: Sonny Boy Williamson (II). 1922: Don Robertson.
1935: Little Richard. 1936: Chad Mitchell (The Chad Mitchell Trio). 1938: J. J. Cale. 1943: Mike Smith (The Dave Clark Five). 1946: Andy Kim. 1947: Jim Messina (formerly of Buffalo Springfield; Poco; Loggins and Messina).

Releases: None

Recording: None

Certifications: 1975: The ‘Fleetwood Mac’ LP is certified gold by the RIAA. 1975:  Earth, Wind and Fire’s ‘Gratitude’ LP is certified gold by the RIAA.

Charts: 1964: Lorne Greene’s “Ringo” hits #1 on the charts. 1964: The Zombies’ “She’s Not There” enters the pop charts. 1964: The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” enters the pop charts.

Deaths (Updated): December 5, 2012: Today, legendary  jazz great Dave Brubeck. (See our MCRFB news brief, posted 12/05/12: ‘Dave Brubeck Dead at 91′).

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: DECEMBER 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1927: Duke Ellington’s new, larger big band opens Harlem’s legendary Cotton Club.

1956: Elvis Presley visits the Sun recording studio with his companion, Marilyn Evans, a showgirl from Las Vegas, interrupting a Carl Perkins session that featured Jerry Lee Lewis on piano. Fellow labelmate Johnny Cash also arrives and the four begin running through an impromptu jam on a series of songs they all know (mainly spirituals). Producer Sam Phillips records what would become famously known as the “Million Dollar Quartet” sessions, although they don’t get released to the public officially until the early Eighties.

1957: Because of the furor created by Elvis Presley’s recently released Christmas album, radio station CKWS in Kingston, Ontario plays the album in its entirety, opening the phones to public comment. Most listeners approve of the album.

1965: Jacques Brel makes his American debut in concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

1969: President Richard Nixon, Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew, and forty US governors view “simulated acid trip” films and listen to rock music in order to comprehend the generation gap.

1980: Led Zeppelin officially disbands following the death by misadventure of drummer John Bonham due to excessive alcohol intake.

1988: Roy Orbison gives what would prove to be his last concert, in (Highland Heights) Akron, Ohio. He dies two days later.

 

Birthdays: 1915: Eddie Heywood, Jr. 1940: Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon. 1942: Chris Hillman (The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds), Bob Mosley (Moby Grape). 1944: Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys). 1948: Southside Johnny. 1951: Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd; The Rossington-Collins Band).

Releases: 1961: Gene Chandler, “Duke Of Earl.” 1964: The Beatles, ‘Beatles For Sale’ (LP).

Recording: 1934: Ethel Merman, “I Get a Kick Out of You.”

Certifications: 1969: The ‘Santana’ album is certified gold. 1970: Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Steven Stills’ ‘Supersession’ album is certified gold. 1972: Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones” is certified gold. 1975: KISS’ ‘Alive! ‘ album is certified gold by the RIAA.

Charts: 1954: The Chordettes’ “Mr. Sandman” hits #1 on the charts. 1965: The Byrds’ “Turn! Turn! Turn!” hits #1 on the charts. 1965: The Kinks’ “A Well Respected Man” enters the pop charts. 1965: The Knickerbockers’ “Lies” enters the pop charts. 1971: Sly and the Family Stone’s “Family Affair” hits #1 on the charts.

Deaths:  1976: Tommy Bolin (Deep Purple; The James Gang). 1993: Frank Zappa.

 

 

 

 

 

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

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: DECEMBER 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1925: George Gershwin premieres his “Concerto In F,” the first jazz concerto for piano and orchestra, at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Gershwin is also the featured soloist on flugelhorn.

1960: The Lerner and Loewe play Camelot, featuring Richard Burton and Julie Andrews, opens at the Majestic Theatre in New York City.

1961: The Beatles meet Brian Epstein for the first time, at his Liverpool record store, NEMS. Later, at six that afternoon, they meet again to discuss Brian’s management of the group.

1965: Keith Richards is electrocuted and knocked unconscious during a Rolling Stones concert in Sacramento, CA.

1966: Having been convicted of heroin and marijuana possession, Ray Charles is given a five-year suspended sentence and fined $10,000.

1966: The Monkees make their stage debut in Honolulu, HI.

1967: The Supremes guest star on “Tennessee” Ernie Ford’s TV special.

1968: Elvis Presley’s “comeback” TV special airs on NBC. Sponsored by the Singer Sewing Machine Company, the special also features a taped, semi-unplugged performance given earlier at Burbank Studios before a live audience. This was Elvis’ first appearance before a live audience since 1961.

1969: John Lennon is asked to play the title role in the rock opera Jesus Christ, Superstar, but the offer is withdrawn the next day.

1976: A 40-foot inflatable pig being photographed at Battersea Power Station outside of London for the cover of Pink Floyd’s Animals album breaks its moorings and drifts toward the east, reaching a height of 18,000 feet before coming down in Kent.

1976: Seven gunman fire shots into Bob Marley’s house in Kingston, Jamaica, where he and his band, the Wailers, are in rehearsal. Marley and his wife Rita are hit, as are an unidentified friend and Wailers manager Don Taylor. No one is seriously hurt, however, and while the assailants are never caught, Marley and his band perform as scheduled two nights later.

1977: After a record 29 weeks at #1 on Billboard‘s album chart, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is replaced by Linda Ronstadt’s Simple Dreams LP.

1979: Before the Who concert this evening at Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum, eleven people are trampled to death and dozens are injured in a rush for “festival” (i.e., unreserved) seating. The resulting controversy (and lawsuits) force promoters to rethink the practice.

1980: Photographer Annie Leibovitz takes the last known photos of John Lennon and Yoko Ono together at their apartment in New York’s Dakota building.

1988: Carole King and Gerry Goffin receive a Lifetime Achievement award from the US National Academy of Songwriters.

1991: Legendary DJ and promoter Alan Freed is awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 

Birthdays: 1907: Connee Boswell. 1927: Ferlin Husky. 1928: Andy Williams. 1931: Jaye P. Morgan. 1940: John Cale (Velvet Underground). 1945: Paul Nicholas. 1948: Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath). 1949: Mickey Thomas (Jefferson Starship).

Releases: 1965: The Beatles; Rubber Soul (UK). 1973: Ringo Starr; “You’re Sixteen.”

Recording: 1944: Frank Sinatra; “Old Man River.”

Certifications: 1968: The O’Kaysions’ “Girl Watcher” is certified gold by the RIAA. 1968: The Grass Roots’ “Midnight Confessions” is certified gold by the RIAA. 1968: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s “Fire” is certified gold by the RIAA. 1968: Aretha Franklin’s ‘Aretha Now’ LP is certified gold by the RIAA. 1968: Iron Butterfly’s ‘In-a-Gadda-da-Vida’ LP is certified gold by the RIAA. 1968: Cream’s ‘Fresh Cream’ LP is certified gold by the RIAA.

Charts: 1960: Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” hits #1 on the charts. 1966: The New Vaudeville Band’s “Winchester Cathedral” hits #1 on the charts. 1966: Paul Revere and The Raiders’ “Good Thing” enters the pop charts. 1977: Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Simple Dreams’ album hits #1 on the LP charts.

Deaths: none

 

 

 

 

 

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