September 19, 2011:
1960 - Former chicken plucker Chubby Checker went to #1 on the US singles chart today, with the Hank Ballard-penned song, The Twist. Ballard remains one of the unsung prime movers of the emergence of rock'n'roll music. This 12-bar blues pop-structured pop song was not indicative of his music, but it became a worldwide hit for Chubby Checker, a dance craze erupting in its shadow, the song and dance popularised around the world. It went to top of the charts twice in this format, and again in 1988 with the rap attack of the Fat Boys. Go to our archive search engine for more.
1960 - In the same year, the Twist songwriter, Hank Ballard and his band, The Midnighters, had the honour of being the first group to have three songs in the US Top 100 at the same time: Finger Poppin’ Time, Let’s Go Let’s Go Let’s Go and The Twist all made the Top 30. Ballard refused to perform The Twist on a highly rated US TV show, so Chubby Checker picked it up. Go to our archive search engine and search for Hank ballad for his only video.
1961 - The Beatles began playing lunchtime gigs today at Liverpool's cavern, and a young Who appeared at the Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, England. Eight years later, both were world-beaters, as was America's Creedence Clearwater Revival, who had this massive world hit, Bad Moon Rising. More CCR in our archives. Around 17 years later, Australia's Reels had a local hit with the song, a stunning version, with a simple video. I love their version of the song. Here are both versions.
1969 - The group, Child, featuring Bruce Springsteen, played the first of two nights at the Free University, Richmond, Virginia tonight, and it was the same day, following year the first UK Glastonbury Festival took place, featuring Marc Bolan, Ian Anderson, Keith Christmas, Quintessence, Amazing Blondel and Sam Apple Pie. Across the pond, Diana Ross started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with Ain't No Mountain High Enough.
1973 - Country rock singer legend, songwriter, 26-year-old Gram Parsons, formerly of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, died under mysterious conditions in Joshua Tree, California, today. His death was attributed to heart failure, but later was officially announced as a drug overdose. His coffin was stolen by two of his associates - manager, Phil Kaufman, and Michael Martin, a former roadie for The Byrds - and taken to Cap Rock in the California desert, where it was set alight, in accordance to Parson's wishes. The two were later arrested by police. Kaufman speaks in the following doco trailer, then some Emylou Harris and Gram and some Flying Burritos.
1981 - Simon and Garfunkel reunited for a concert in New York's Central Park for 400,000 fans 30 years tonight, and The Rolling Stones' Tattoo You' started a nine-week run at #1 in American charts. On this day in 1990, Kylie Minogue's Better The Devil You Know gave producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman their 100th UK chart entry, and helped Minogue break out of her early 'girl-next-door' image. The song was a hit in Israel, Malaysia, Finland, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Sweden and Switzerland.
1992 - What were you doing 20 years ago, listening to The Shamen topping the charts with this song, with its perceived subliminal endorsement of recreational drug use. The song was initially banned by the BBC.
1992 - Same night, same year, and Radiohead filmed this video for their new single Creep during a show at the Venue, in Oxford, England.
2003 - Australian country music singer-songwriter David Gordon - more commonly known as Slim Dusty, died aged 76. He sold more than five million albums and singles in Australia, and this song was a hit in regional areas around the world, covered by many country artists, and reached top 3 in the UK.
2005 - Status Quo have had more hit singles than any other band in UK chart history, according to research published by the folks at Guinness World Records. The band had scored 61 chart successes, dating from Pictures of Matchstick Men in 1968. Queen came in second with 52 hits, with the Rolling Stones and UB40 coming in equal third. So - from their first in 1968, we go to 1990 at Knebworth - Status Quo, the denim-clad kings of low-rent rock'n'roll.
Some of yesterday's readers came from:
Adana, Turkey; Pluwig, Rheinland-pfalz, Germany; The Dalles, Oregon,
United States; Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Denmark via mobile ibook; Brooklyn, Paris, Ile-de-france, France; New York, United States; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Omaha, Nebraska, United States; Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia; Genoa, Liguria, Italy; Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia;
1960 - Former chicken plucker Chubby Checker went to #1 on the US singles chart today, with the Hank Ballard-penned song, The Twist. Ballard remains one of the unsung prime movers of the emergence of rock'n'roll music. This 12-bar blues pop-structured pop song was not indicative of his music, but it became a worldwide hit for Chubby Checker, a dance craze erupting in its shadow, the song and dance popularised around the world. It went to top of the charts twice in this format, and again in 1988 with the rap attack of the Fat Boys. Go to our archive search engine for more.
1960 - In the same year, the Twist songwriter, Hank Ballard and his band, The Midnighters, had the honour of being the first group to have three songs in the US Top 100 at the same time: Finger Poppin’ Time, Let’s Go Let’s Go Let’s Go and The Twist all made the Top 30. Ballard refused to perform The Twist on a highly rated US TV show, so Chubby Checker picked it up. Go to our archive search engine and search for Hank ballad for his only video.
1961 - The Beatles began playing lunchtime gigs today at Liverpool's cavern, and a young Who appeared at the Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, England. Eight years later, both were world-beaters, as was America's Creedence Clearwater Revival, who had this massive world hit, Bad Moon Rising. More CCR in our archives. Around 17 years later, Australia's Reels had a local hit with the song, a stunning version, with a simple video. I love their version of the song. Here are both versions.
1969 - The group, Child, featuring Bruce Springsteen, played the first of two nights at the Free University, Richmond, Virginia tonight, and it was the same day, following year the first UK Glastonbury Festival took place, featuring Marc Bolan, Ian Anderson, Keith Christmas, Quintessence, Amazing Blondel and Sam Apple Pie. Across the pond, Diana Ross started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with Ain't No Mountain High Enough.
1973 - Country rock singer legend, songwriter, 26-year-old Gram Parsons, formerly of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, died under mysterious conditions in Joshua Tree, California, today. His death was attributed to heart failure, but later was officially announced as a drug overdose. His coffin was stolen by two of his associates - manager, Phil Kaufman, and Michael Martin, a former roadie for The Byrds - and taken to Cap Rock in the California desert, where it was set alight, in accordance to Parson's wishes. The two were later arrested by police. Kaufman speaks in the following doco trailer, then some Emylou Harris and Gram and some Flying Burritos.
1981 - Simon and Garfunkel reunited for a concert in New York's Central Park for 400,000 fans 30 years tonight, and The Rolling Stones' Tattoo You' started a nine-week run at #1 in American charts. On this day in 1990, Kylie Minogue's Better The Devil You Know gave producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman their 100th UK chart entry, and helped Minogue break out of her early 'girl-next-door' image. The song was a hit in Israel, Malaysia, Finland, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Sweden and Switzerland.
1992 - What were you doing 20 years ago, listening to The Shamen topping the charts with this song, with its perceived subliminal endorsement of recreational drug use. The song was initially banned by the BBC.
1992 - Same night, same year, and Radiohead filmed this video for their new single Creep during a show at the Venue, in Oxford, England.
2003 - Australian country music singer-songwriter David Gordon - more commonly known as Slim Dusty, died aged 76. He sold more than five million albums and singles in Australia, and this song was a hit in regional areas around the world, covered by many country artists, and reached top 3 in the UK.
2005 - Status Quo have had more hit singles than any other band in UK chart history, according to research published by the folks at Guinness World Records. The band had scored 61 chart successes, dating from Pictures of Matchstick Men in 1968. Queen came in second with 52 hits, with the Rolling Stones and UB40 coming in equal third. So - from their first in 1968, we go to 1990 at Knebworth - Status Quo, the denim-clad kings of low-rent rock'n'roll.
Some of yesterday's readers came from:
Adana, Turkey; Pluwig, Rheinland-pfalz, Germany; The Dalles, Oregon,
United States; Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Denmark via mobile ibook; Brooklyn, Paris, Ile-de-france, France; New York, United States; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Omaha, Nebraska, United States; Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia; Genoa, Liguria, Italy; Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia;
