1958 - The Coasters were an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with Searchin and Young Blood, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller. Although the Coasters originated outside of mainstream doo wop, their records were so frequently imitated that they became an important part of the doo wop legacy through the 1960s. Despite the fact that the vocal group scored more than seven top ten hits, they only had one number one, and that was recorded on this day in 1958, and the song was Yakety Yak. Following that is a video of another of their numerous hits, Along Came Jones. This is the original Yakety Yak mono #1 Billboard hit version from 1958.
1962 - This was the day it was reported by Billboard magazine that Ray Charles had started Tangerine, his own record label, Tangerine Records, Tangerine Music, and Racer Music Company, opening studios and offices in Los Angeles in 1963. By then he was using forty piece orchestras and full vocal choruses for his recordings. With his full commercial sound, his Modern Sounds in Country and Western became phenomenally popular producing crossover smash hits with I Can't Stop Loving You, Born to Lose, and You Don't Know Me. A year, 1963, Charles performed live in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and this is that stunning performance.
1968 - The Bee Gees made their U.S. television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. They performed To Love Somebody and Words. Doesn't appear to be footage of this performance. Legend has it that To Love Somebody was written Otis Redding but he died weeks before recording. The Bee Gees then recorded their own version, which follows in a TV performance on The Beat Club, a year earlier than their Sullivan appearance. Following that, another song from that era, Words. And after that? See if you can recognise the Bee Gees from their early Australian days.
1995 - From 16 years ago, this is Madonna's Bedtime Story, which premiered today with a gathering of 1,500 guests in pyjamas and were given teddy bears. Not quite rock'n'roll.
