February 10, 1968 - THE FOUR TOPS' Greatest Hits album found itself at top of the charts today, the very first #1 album for the Tamla Motown record label. The American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and show tunes was founded in Detroit, Michigan as The Four Aims, with lead singer Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles, a cousin of Jackie Wilson and brother of The Falcons' Joe Stubbs), and Abdul 'Duke' Fakir, Renaldo 'Obie' Benson and Lawrence Payton. The group remained together for a little more than four decades, having gone from 1953 until 1997 without a single change in personnel. Among a number of groups who helped define the Motown Sound of the 1960s, the Four Tops were notable for having Stubbs, a baritone, as their lead singer; most groups at the time were fronted by a tenor. The group was the main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, who crafted a stream of hit singles, including two Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits, I Can't Help Myself and Reach Out I'll Be There. Sit back, dear reader and have some fun with these three classic Four Tops hit songs.
1942 - GLENN MILLER'S Chatanooga Choo Choo became the first recording in history to be awarded a Gold record 70 years ago today. It was actually just a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer by RCA as a publicity stunt. The gold record award recognised today would not be initiated for another sixteen years when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) borrowed the idea from Miller's record and trademarked the Gold Record. This following sensational version of the song is taken from the movie Sun Valley Serenade, the first of the only two movies featuring The Glenn Miller Orchestra - the other is 1942's Orchestra Wives. This video has everything - saucy women, amazing dance routines, horny musos…what more could one ask. The first Gold single was awarded to Perry Como in 1958 for Catch A Falling Star, which follows Miller.
1958 - FRANK SINATRA started a five week run at #1 on the US album chart, today, with Come Fly With Me, his first collaboration with arranger/conductor Billy May. The album, along with the title track, was designed as a musical trip around the world. Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote the title song at Sinatra's request. The album reached #1 on the Billboard album chart in its second week, and remained there for five weeks. At the inaugural Grammy Awards that year, Come Fly with Me was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Though recorded in true stereo, Come Fly With Me was released to record stores in 1958 in monaural only, a standard practice by Capitol records at the time. This is the title track.
1962 - HENRY MANCINI went to #1 on the US album chart with the soundtrack to Breakfast At Tiffany's, exactly 50 years ago today. Based on the novel by Truman Capote, this movie reeks of pure class, as it celebrates the style & elegance of actor, writer, director the late Blake Edwards (1922 - 2010). He also directed the Pink Panther movie series. Star of the film was the adorable Audrey Hepburn, with sensational music by the equally stylish Henry Mancini. This is a near-perfect comedy drama, with the famous opening scene and closing scene following.
1979 - ROD STEWART started a four week run on top of some world charts today, with his plaintiff cry, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy. This was Stewart's third chart topper. At the same time, Stewart also had the top album of the day, Blondes have More Fun. So…for better or worse, from two years later, live at the Los Angeles Forum, here's Rod the mod singing 'that' song, 31 years ago tonight.
1993 - MICHAEL JACKSON granted his first interview in 15 years to Oprah Winfrey, this afternoon, and in the interview he claimed he had a disorder that destroyed the pigmentation of the skin and that he had had very little plastic surgery. History has since shown that he did indeed have an extremely bad skin pigmentation problem. I believe this story and I also believe that Michael Jackson was one of the most vilified entertainer in history, completely demonised by the media at large, and by proxy many members of the public. In what would have to be one of the most crass questions ever asked Ms. Winfrey asked if he is a virgin, and he responds as any gentleman would have. Who cares? Oh, and he also teaches her how to Moonwalk. Check it out.
1997 - BRIAN CONNOLLY, singer with the 1970's Glam rock group Sweet, died of kidney and liver failure, 15 years ago today, aged 47. Connolly had replaced Ian Gillan (later of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath) in Wainwright's Gentlemen, who became Sweetshop and then shortened to Sweet. The group's biggest hit was the 1971 song, Ballroom Blitz, written by songwriting and production team londoner Nicky Chin and Australian Mike Chapman. The song was released as a single in 1973, where it reached #1 in Australia and entered at #2 in the UK singles chart. In North America, it was a 1975 hit, reaching #1 in Canada, and #5 in the United States, making it one of the year's biggest chart successes. This song was inspired by an incident in 1973 when the band was performing at the Grand Hall in Kilmarnock, Scotland and were driven offstage by a barrage of bottles. Queenslander Mike Chapman was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s, creating a string of hit singles for artists including Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Smokie, Mud, Racey, and later, Tina Turner, Divinyls, Blondie and the Knack. If there was a more successful Australian song writer and producer, I'd like to know for my own edification.
1942 - GLENN MILLER'S Chatanooga Choo Choo became the first recording in history to be awarded a Gold record 70 years ago today. It was actually just a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer by RCA as a publicity stunt. The gold record award recognised today would not be initiated for another sixteen years when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) borrowed the idea from Miller's record and trademarked the Gold Record. This following sensational version of the song is taken from the movie Sun Valley Serenade, the first of the only two movies featuring The Glenn Miller Orchestra - the other is 1942's Orchestra Wives. This video has everything - saucy women, amazing dance routines, horny musos…what more could one ask. The first Gold single was awarded to Perry Como in 1958 for Catch A Falling Star, which follows Miller.
1958 - FRANK SINATRA started a five week run at #1 on the US album chart, today, with Come Fly With Me, his first collaboration with arranger/conductor Billy May. The album, along with the title track, was designed as a musical trip around the world. Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote the title song at Sinatra's request. The album reached #1 on the Billboard album chart in its second week, and remained there for five weeks. At the inaugural Grammy Awards that year, Come Fly with Me was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Though recorded in true stereo, Come Fly With Me was released to record stores in 1958 in monaural only, a standard practice by Capitol records at the time. This is the title track.
1962 - HENRY MANCINI went to #1 on the US album chart with the soundtrack to Breakfast At Tiffany's, exactly 50 years ago today. Based on the novel by Truman Capote, this movie reeks of pure class, as it celebrates the style & elegance of actor, writer, director the late Blake Edwards (1922 - 2010). He also directed the Pink Panther movie series. Star of the film was the adorable Audrey Hepburn, with sensational music by the equally stylish Henry Mancini. This is a near-perfect comedy drama, with the famous opening scene and closing scene following.
1979 - ROD STEWART started a four week run on top of some world charts today, with his plaintiff cry, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy. This was Stewart's third chart topper. At the same time, Stewart also had the top album of the day, Blondes have More Fun. So…for better or worse, from two years later, live at the Los Angeles Forum, here's Rod the mod singing 'that' song, 31 years ago tonight.
1993 - MICHAEL JACKSON granted his first interview in 15 years to Oprah Winfrey, this afternoon, and in the interview he claimed he had a disorder that destroyed the pigmentation of the skin and that he had had very little plastic surgery. History has since shown that he did indeed have an extremely bad skin pigmentation problem. I believe this story and I also believe that Michael Jackson was one of the most vilified entertainer in history, completely demonised by the media at large, and by proxy many members of the public. In what would have to be one of the most crass questions ever asked Ms. Winfrey asked if he is a virgin, and he responds as any gentleman would have. Who cares? Oh, and he also teaches her how to Moonwalk. Check it out.
1997 - BRIAN CONNOLLY, singer with the 1970's Glam rock group Sweet, died of kidney and liver failure, 15 years ago today, aged 47. Connolly had replaced Ian Gillan (later of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath) in Wainwright's Gentlemen, who became Sweetshop and then shortened to Sweet. The group's biggest hit was the 1971 song, Ballroom Blitz, written by songwriting and production team londoner Nicky Chin and Australian Mike Chapman. The song was released as a single in 1973, where it reached #1 in Australia and entered at #2 in the UK singles chart. In North America, it was a 1975 hit, reaching #1 in Canada, and #5 in the United States, making it one of the year's biggest chart successes. This song was inspired by an incident in 1973 when the band was performing at the Grand Hall in Kilmarnock, Scotland and were driven offstage by a barrage of bottles. Queenslander Mike Chapman was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s, creating a string of hit singles for artists including Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Smokie, Mud, Racey, and later, Tina Turner, Divinyls, Blondie and the Knack. If there was a more successful Australian song writer and producer, I'd like to know for my own edification.
