WEEKEND BLITZ March 17/18, 1962 - RAY CHARLES started his own record label, Tangerine Records today, and along with the Racer Music Company, opened studios and offices in LA the following year. By then he was using 40-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. In the same year, 1963, Charles performed live in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and this is one song from that stunning performance.
1956 - CARL PERKINS appeared on the US television show, Ozark Jubilee, tonight, his debut TV appearance; a couple of months later he performed on the Canadian television via the Ranch Party Show, on TV channel WKIE-TV. The song is Matchbox, a rock and roll and rockabilly song written by Carl Perkins and first recorded by him at Sun Records in December 1956, and released on February 11, 1957 as a 45 single on Sun Records. It has become one of Perkins' best-known recordings, along with Blue Suede Shoes, marking him as hone of the prime architects of rock'n'rol music. Perkins' Matchbox has had many cover versions, notably by The Beatles.
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 - but first another great song from the group, Searchin'.
1968 - THE BEE GEES made their American television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, tonight, performing To Love Somebody and Words. just as an aside, rocklore repeatedly Chinese whispers that To Love Somebody was written for Otis Redding but he died weeks before recording. The Bee Gees then recorded their own version, which follows, from a live performance in Australia around 1971, in Melbourne's Festival Hall. after that, see if you can recognise the Bee Gees singing a Beatles song, on Australian television.
1940 - BAND LEADER GLEN GRAY and his famed orchestra recorded the classic jazz standard, No Name Jive, 72 years ago today. There were many versions of this classic jazz-jump tune - including one from the Gene Krupa Orchestra - but none so good as this version from Glen Gray No overdubs here, dear reader. Gray graduated from Roanoke High School, joined the army at 17, and two years later living at home with his family. He was employed as a bill clerk for the railroad. He attended Illinois Wesleyan University but left to work for the Santa Fe Railroad. In 1927is-- his Orange Blossoms Band was renamed the Casa Loma Orchestra, named after Casa Loma in Toronto, where the band played for eight months. Gray collaborated with the jazz musician Jean Goldkette and with trumpeter/arranger Salvador Camarata. He gave Betty George her first job as a soloist. Ill health forced him retire from touring in 1950. Here's that video, and after that the great Gen Krupa.
1962 - GARY US BONDS performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, tonight, performing one of his biggest ever smash hits - and he had a string of them back in the sixties. I absolutely loved Gary US Bonds and his stimulating music, always with a deep sexy sax. His first big hit, New Orleans is coming up, and his only #1 hit, A Quarter To Three, both a mixture of r&b rock'n'roll. Quarter To Three sold one million records, earning a gold disc, and on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list. Bonds toured Europe in 1963, and his support group was the Beatles.
1965 - MICK JAGGER, KEITH RICHARDS, and BILL WYMAN were arrested today for 'insulting behaviour' in London. Apparently the lads had been on a drinking bender, and on the way home ended up pissing up against wall of the Francis Garage. So let's see what the lads doing musically up against the wall at this London magazine concert. Watch MJ rip JB, Keith have fun, watch Charlie keeping time, watch Brian concentrate, and watch Bill sing. They were kids having fun. Here's a brilliant nine minute medley montage of that day, showing they weren't exactly the world's greatest rock'n'roll band at that stage.
1977 - JUST 12 YEARS AFTER THE STONES, faster, louder, angrier, and with a cause, rock'n'roll via the CLASH got a wee bit angry as the group released their first single, White Riot. This is a bona fide bootleg, home video of an amazing performance. And for the video post, thanx to youtuber memo31
1978 - CALIFORNIA JAM was held in Ontario, California today, attracting around 250,000 people, and in 1992 on the same day, Donna Summer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It's now March 18, 1994 and four guns and 25 boxes of ammo were confiscated by police from Kurt Cobain after his wife, Courtney Love, called them. She said she feared he was going to commit suicide. And 18 days later he did.
1994 - LLOYD PRICE, known as Mr. Personality from the sixties, was being immortalised in the city of Kenner, Los Angeles, by having a street named after him. Price was tagged 'Mr. Personality', after the name of one of his biggest million-selling hits. His first recording, Lawdy Miss Clawdy was a huge hit on Specialty Records in 1952, and although he continued to turn out records, none were as popular until several years later, when he refined the New Orleans beat and achieved a series of national hits. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 1962, Price formed Double L Records, where Wilson Pickett got his start. During the 1970s Price owned a Manhattan restaurant-nightclub called Turntable and helped Don King promote fights including Muhammad Ali's Rumble in the Jungle. He later became a builder, erecting 42 town houses in the Bronx. Price toured Europe in 1993 with Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Gary U.S. Bonds. He performed in 2005 with soul legends Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler, and Ben E. King for the "Four Kings of Rhythm and Blues" tour. Lloyd Price is the real deal.
1956 - CARL PERKINS appeared on the US television show, Ozark Jubilee, tonight, his debut TV appearance; a couple of months later he performed on the Canadian television via the Ranch Party Show, on TV channel WKIE-TV. The song is Matchbox, a rock and roll and rockabilly song written by Carl Perkins and first recorded by him at Sun Records in December 1956, and released on February 11, 1957 as a 45 single on Sun Records. It has become one of Perkins' best-known recordings, along with Blue Suede Shoes, marking him as hone of the prime architects of rock'n'rol music. Perkins' Matchbox has had many cover versions, notably by The Beatles.
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 - but first another great song from the group, Searchin'.
1968 - THE BEE GEES made their American television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, tonight, performing To Love Somebody and Words. just as an aside, rocklore repeatedly Chinese whispers that To Love Somebody was written for Otis Redding but he died weeks before recording. The Bee Gees then recorded their own version, which follows, from a live performance in Australia around 1971, in Melbourne's Festival Hall. after that, see if you can recognise the Bee Gees singing a Beatles song, on Australian television.
1940 - BAND LEADER GLEN GRAY and his famed orchestra recorded the classic jazz standard, No Name Jive, 72 years ago today. There were many versions of this classic jazz-jump tune - including one from the Gene Krupa Orchestra - but none so good as this version from Glen Gray No overdubs here, dear reader. Gray graduated from Roanoke High School, joined the army at 17, and two years later living at home with his family. He was employed as a bill clerk for the railroad. He attended Illinois Wesleyan University but left to work for the Santa Fe Railroad. In 1927is-- his Orange Blossoms Band was renamed the Casa Loma Orchestra, named after Casa Loma in Toronto, where the band played for eight months. Gray collaborated with the jazz musician Jean Goldkette and with trumpeter/arranger Salvador Camarata. He gave Betty George her first job as a soloist. Ill health forced him retire from touring in 1950. Here's that video, and after that the great Gen Krupa.
1962 - GARY US BONDS performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, tonight, performing one of his biggest ever smash hits - and he had a string of them back in the sixties. I absolutely loved Gary US Bonds and his stimulating music, always with a deep sexy sax. His first big hit, New Orleans is coming up, and his only #1 hit, A Quarter To Three, both a mixture of r&b rock'n'roll. Quarter To Three sold one million records, earning a gold disc, and on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list. Bonds toured Europe in 1963, and his support group was the Beatles.
1965 - MICK JAGGER, KEITH RICHARDS, and BILL WYMAN were arrested today for 'insulting behaviour' in London. Apparently the lads had been on a drinking bender, and on the way home ended up pissing up against wall of the Francis Garage. So let's see what the lads doing musically up against the wall at this London magazine concert. Watch MJ rip JB, Keith have fun, watch Charlie keeping time, watch Brian concentrate, and watch Bill sing. They were kids having fun. Here's a brilliant nine minute medley montage of that day, showing they weren't exactly the world's greatest rock'n'roll band at that stage.
1977 - JUST 12 YEARS AFTER THE STONES, faster, louder, angrier, and with a cause, rock'n'roll via the CLASH got a wee bit angry as the group released their first single, White Riot. This is a bona fide bootleg, home video of an amazing performance. And for the video post, thanx to youtuber memo31
1978 - CALIFORNIA JAM was held in Ontario, California today, attracting around 250,000 people, and in 1992 on the same day, Donna Summer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It's now March 18, 1994 and four guns and 25 boxes of ammo were confiscated by police from Kurt Cobain after his wife, Courtney Love, called them. She said she feared he was going to commit suicide. And 18 days later he did.
1994 - LLOYD PRICE, known as Mr. Personality from the sixties, was being immortalised in the city of Kenner, Los Angeles, by having a street named after him. Price was tagged 'Mr. Personality', after the name of one of his biggest million-selling hits. His first recording, Lawdy Miss Clawdy was a huge hit on Specialty Records in 1952, and although he continued to turn out records, none were as popular until several years later, when he refined the New Orleans beat and achieved a series of national hits. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 1962, Price formed Double L Records, where Wilson Pickett got his start. During the 1970s Price owned a Manhattan restaurant-nightclub called Turntable and helped Don King promote fights including Muhammad Ali's Rumble in the Jungle. He later became a builder, erecting 42 town houses in the Bronx. Price toured Europe in 1993 with Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Gary U.S. Bonds. He performed in 2005 with soul legends Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler, and Ben E. King for the "Four Kings of Rhythm and Blues" tour. Lloyd Price is the real deal.
