January 30, 1956 - BILLY LEE RILEY'S recording of the classic country punk rock'n'roll song, Red Hot (with backing piano by Jerry Lee Lewis), was recorded today at the famous Sun studios in Memphis. Red Hot was showing a lot of promise as a big hit record after its release, but owner of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, pulled promotion of the song and switched it to Great Balls Of Fire, recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis. Consequently, the Riley's version bombed. Phillips had other Sun recordings and they, likewise, did not have a lot of sales as his attentions began going in different directions. Considered good looking and with wild stage moves, Billy Lee Riley subsequently had only a brief solo career with his backing band The Little Green Men. In 1960, he left Sun, and started his own indie label Rita Records. He and his business/music partner Roland Janes produced the national hit record Mountain Of Love by Harold Dorman and later started two other labels Nita and Mojo. In 1962, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a session musician with Dean Martin, the Beach Boys, Herb Alpert, Sammy Davis Jr. and others. Eventually he quit music to return to Arkansas and began his own construction business. In 1978 the songs Red Hot and Flyin' Saucers Rock 'n' Roll were covered by Robert Gordon and Link Wray, which led to a major hit revival of the song and a one-off performance in Memphis in 1979 for Riley. Rediscovered by Bob Dylan in 1992, who had been a fan since 1956, Riley returned to performing and played rock and roll, blues and country-blues. His album Hot Damn! was nominated for the Grammy in 1997. Following is the original then the cover version that rediscovered the song.
1956 - ELVIS PRESLEY started recording what would be his first album at RCA's New York Studios today. Songs recorded included his version of the Carl Perkins-penned song Blue Suede Shoes, already a hit for Perkins himself. The song was notably covered by Elvis Presley, and became the first million selling country song to cross over to both rhythm and blues and pop charts. Without doubt it was one of the first rockabilly-rock'n' roll records that incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time. Indeed, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll has listed the song. In 1986 Perkins' version was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame and his version was ranked number 95 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Following is a performance from Elvis of Blue Suede Shows, then, just for the record, we have the original by Carl...for our discerning reader.
1958 - TONIGHT was the first night of a six date Australian tour starring Buddy Holly, Paul Anka, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jodie Sands and Australia's so-called 'wild one', Johnny O'Keefe. This was in the era of multi-headline tours, a reality that has been re-introduced in recent years. The venue was at Sydney Stadium in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Here's a special video of Johnny O'Keefe in the same year, his own concert, at Festival Hall in Melbourne.
1961 - THE SHIRELLES became the first girl group to have the number one song on the US music charts today (then topped world charts) when their version of the Carole King song, Will You Love Me Tomorrow? reached the top. For Ms. King's version go to the *MUSICBACKTRACK* archives.
1969 - THE BEATLES made their final-ever public appearance as a group, this morning. The historic occasion was a performance on the roof of a Saville Row office building in London. The performance was filmed for the movie Let It Be, which became the group's swan song statement. It was a cold, brisk morning in London that morning, the group members rugged-up - as you'll remember -, but the performance of all songs, live, was blistering and hot. Sensational performance…lip-sync in this video is not brilliant - be warned. But the sound is real.
1973 - KISS performed their debut show today at Popcorn (The Coventry Club) in Queens, New York, in front of just nine or 10 people, depending on whose story you accept. The following video is the same band, at the same venue later in the year, December 22, 1973.
1975 - THE BEE GEE began recording their captivating tune Jive Talkin, today, the song eventually becoming the group's second worldwide hit. Barry Gibb's inspiration for writing the song came when his wife commented on a sound their car made while crossing a bridge over Biscayne Bay into Miami. She noted, "It's our drive talkin'." Here's Barry Gibb and his brothers who comically explain the creation of the recording.
1999 - BRITNEY SPEARS' debut song spent 11 weeks on American music charts, until today, when the song became the best-selling song in the country. Hit Me Baby One More Time spent two weeks at the top, and then became a hit all around the world, taking Ms. Spears to superstardom. Her debut album also went to #1 on American charts - on the same day, and followed suit globally.
2000 - GABRIELLE went to #1 on the British charts today, with Rise, a song that cleverly used a sample from Bob Dylan's Knocking On Heaven's Door, giving the song an identifiable, infectious hook chorus. Her hit recording gave its composer Bob Dylan his third British #1 as a writer; the other two were The Byrds' version of Mr Tambourine Man and Manfred Mann's version of The Mighty Quinn.
1956 - ELVIS PRESLEY started recording what would be his first album at RCA's New York Studios today. Songs recorded included his version of the Carl Perkins-penned song Blue Suede Shoes, already a hit for Perkins himself. The song was notably covered by Elvis Presley, and became the first million selling country song to cross over to both rhythm and blues and pop charts. Without doubt it was one of the first rockabilly-rock'n' roll records that incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time. Indeed, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll has listed the song. In 1986 Perkins' version was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame and his version was ranked number 95 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Following is a performance from Elvis of Blue Suede Shows, then, just for the record, we have the original by Carl...for our discerning reader.
1958 - TONIGHT was the first night of a six date Australian tour starring Buddy Holly, Paul Anka, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jodie Sands and Australia's so-called 'wild one', Johnny O'Keefe. This was in the era of multi-headline tours, a reality that has been re-introduced in recent years. The venue was at Sydney Stadium in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Here's a special video of Johnny O'Keefe in the same year, his own concert, at Festival Hall in Melbourne.
1961 - THE SHIRELLES became the first girl group to have the number one song on the US music charts today (then topped world charts) when their version of the Carole King song, Will You Love Me Tomorrow? reached the top. For Ms. King's version go to the *MUSICBACKTRACK* archives.
1969 - THE BEATLES made their final-ever public appearance as a group, this morning. The historic occasion was a performance on the roof of a Saville Row office building in London. The performance was filmed for the movie Let It Be, which became the group's swan song statement. It was a cold, brisk morning in London that morning, the group members rugged-up - as you'll remember -, but the performance of all songs, live, was blistering and hot. Sensational performance…lip-sync in this video is not brilliant - be warned. But the sound is real.
1973 - KISS performed their debut show today at Popcorn (The Coventry Club) in Queens, New York, in front of just nine or 10 people, depending on whose story you accept. The following video is the same band, at the same venue later in the year, December 22, 1973.
1975 - THE BEE GEE began recording their captivating tune Jive Talkin, today, the song eventually becoming the group's second worldwide hit. Barry Gibb's inspiration for writing the song came when his wife commented on a sound their car made while crossing a bridge over Biscayne Bay into Miami. She noted, "It's our drive talkin'." Here's Barry Gibb and his brothers who comically explain the creation of the recording.
1999 - BRITNEY SPEARS' debut song spent 11 weeks on American music charts, until today, when the song became the best-selling song in the country. Hit Me Baby One More Time spent two weeks at the top, and then became a hit all around the world, taking Ms. Spears to superstardom. Her debut album also went to #1 on American charts - on the same day, and followed suit globally.
2000 - GABRIELLE went to #1 on the British charts today, with Rise, a song that cleverly used a sample from Bob Dylan's Knocking On Heaven's Door, giving the song an identifiable, infectious hook chorus. Her hit recording gave its composer Bob Dylan his third British #1 as a writer; the other two were The Byrds' version of Mr Tambourine Man and Manfred Mann's version of The Mighty Quinn.
