1927 - For most aficionados, Jimmy Rodgers was the father of country music well before Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb. By age 13, he had twice organised and begun traveling in shows, only to be brought home by his father to take on his first 'real' job - working on the railroad as a water boy.
His very first recording was made 84 years ago today, but perhaps his best known was Blue Yodel #1 (T for Texas), which follows. Among the first superstars and pioneers of country music, Rodgers, also known as The Singing Brakeman or The Blue Yodeller, sang this song way, way back then.
1956 - This was the day when Elvis Presley released his version of Hound Dawg, a twelve-bar blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton four years earlier, in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known version, and it is his version that is #19 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was also recorded by five country singers in 1953 alone, and over 26 times through 1964. Following are the oriental Mama Thornton version and the Elvis version.
1957 - This is the day when duo, The Everly Brothers, made their second appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and introduced their upcoming single, Wake Up Little Susie. Following that is another of their hits, around the same time, Bye Bye Love, the clip here from another early TV show, in the same year. Perhaps some of our *MUSICBACKTRACK* American readers could help us out on that one. Not sure about the horn section on Susie.
1958 - This is the day when Billboard Magazine introduced its Hot 100 music chart, which was part popularity and a barometer of the movement of potential hits based on sales. The first #1 song was Ricky Nelson's Poor Little Fool. In the same year, Hello Mary Lou was released, and we have that clip here. Following that is Nelson performing Poor Little Fool in 1983, 25 years after it was #1.
1966 - OK, dear reader, a few days ago you would have read here about the Beatles furore in America's deep south. But this was the actual day when a general ban of the broadcast of any and all Beatles records on most southern American radio stations, and the ban reached across the entire country. The ban was in response to John Lennon stating that the band was now more popular than Jesus Christ. following is unbelievable, real vox pop and news footage from the deep religious south, and the prejudice and discrimination and naivete is absolutely jaw-dropping. To put it in to perspective, the final clip is a piss-take of the entire affair, by The Ruttles, with a few familiar faces.
1974 - And this is the day when one of the world's great song writers, Paul Simon, released Love Me Like A Rock, and Paul tells you about the song at the start of the video.
1979 - This was the day when a benefit concert for the family of Lowell George was held at The Forum in Los Angeles. The concert featured his band mates Little Feat, plus Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Nicolette Larson, and many more. RIP Lowell George, one of the great guitar players.
His very first recording was made 84 years ago today, but perhaps his best known was Blue Yodel #1 (T for Texas), which follows. Among the first superstars and pioneers of country music, Rodgers, also known as The Singing Brakeman or The Blue Yodeller, sang this song way, way back then.
1956 - This was the day when Elvis Presley released his version of Hound Dawg, a twelve-bar blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton four years earlier, in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known version, and it is his version that is #19 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was also recorded by five country singers in 1953 alone, and over 26 times through 1964. Following are the oriental Mama Thornton version and the Elvis version.
1957 - This is the day when duo, The Everly Brothers, made their second appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and introduced their upcoming single, Wake Up Little Susie. Following that is another of their hits, around the same time, Bye Bye Love, the clip here from another early TV show, in the same year. Perhaps some of our *MUSICBACKTRACK* American readers could help us out on that one. Not sure about the horn section on Susie.
1958 - This is the day when Billboard Magazine introduced its Hot 100 music chart, which was part popularity and a barometer of the movement of potential hits based on sales. The first #1 song was Ricky Nelson's Poor Little Fool. In the same year, Hello Mary Lou was released, and we have that clip here. Following that is Nelson performing Poor Little Fool in 1983, 25 years after it was #1.
1966 - OK, dear reader, a few days ago you would have read here about the Beatles furore in America's deep south. But this was the actual day when a general ban of the broadcast of any and all Beatles records on most southern American radio stations, and the ban reached across the entire country. The ban was in response to John Lennon stating that the band was now more popular than Jesus Christ. following is unbelievable, real vox pop and news footage from the deep religious south, and the prejudice and discrimination and naivete is absolutely jaw-dropping. To put it in to perspective, the final clip is a piss-take of the entire affair, by The Ruttles, with a few familiar faces.
1974 - And this is the day when one of the world's great song writers, Paul Simon, released Love Me Like A Rock, and Paul tells you about the song at the start of the video.
1979 - This was the day when a benefit concert for the family of Lowell George was held at The Forum in Los Angeles. The concert featured his band mates Little Feat, plus Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Nicolette Larson, and many more. RIP Lowell George, one of the great guitar players.
