2020

It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas. The shorter the time gets, the nastier the shoppers get. The pressure’s on to make sure they buy enough, or just the right thing, or whatever the fuck. Give it up.

***The first transistor radios. Undoubtedly, man’s finest invention.***

Here’s today’s musical lesson:

December 23, 1947: Three scientists from Bell Labs in New Jersey demonstrate the transistor, which leads to the invention of small, portable transistor radios. They would win the Nobel Prize for their work in 1956.

December 23, 1957: A new act called Tom & Jerry appear on the chart for the first time with their new song Hey Schoolgirl. They were just sixteen years old. Today, we know them as Simon & Garfunkel, and they have sold 105 million albums.

December 23, 1961: The Marvelettes spent their sixth week at #1 on the R & B chart with Please Mr. Postman.

Also on December 23, the Beach Boys make their live debut, performing two songs during intermission of surf guitarist Dick Dale’s concert at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach, California.

December 23, 1962: Bob Dylan did a show at the King and Queen Pub in London.

December 23, 1963: Lesley Gore released the single, You Don’t Own Me.

December 23, 1964: Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys suffered a breakdown on a flight from LA to Houston. As a result, he decided to retire from performing live, in spite of the fact that their Beach Boys Concert was #1 at the time. Glen Campbell was a temporary replacement for Wilson, until Bruce Johnston joined the group.

December 23, 1966: London’s premier psychedelic hangout, The UFO Club, opens on Tottenham Court, with Pink Floyd as the house band.

December 23, 1969: Elton John met with Bernie Taupin for the first time, along with arranger Paul Buckmaster, and producer Gus Didgeon, to begin work on his first (and best, in my opinion) album.

December 23, 1970: Joni Mitchell earned her first Gold with her third album, Ladies of The Canyon.

December 23, 1972: The Moody Blues had another big album with Seventh Sojurn, which spent a third week at #1.

Born On This Day

December 23, 1940: Jorma Kaukonen, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, was born in Washington, D.C.

December 23, 1941: Folk musician Tim Hardin, who wrote If I Were A Carpenter, was born in Eugene, Oregon.

December 23, 1946: Ariel Bender, guitarist for Mott The Hoople, was born in Evesham, Worcestershire, England.

December 23, 1964: Eddie Vedder, lead singer, guiarist, and songwriter of Pearl Jam, was born in Evanston, Illinois.

And that’s it for today’s lesson!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday in The Lounge and We’ve Got EC’s Crossroads Guitar Festival Highlights and Moondog Matinee, on December 22, 2020

Good Morning, Blues Lovers! This is your day. Today we’ve got a great mix of material for you to hear, including sprinkles of Three-in-a-Row’s along the way from the likes of B.B. King, Janis Joplin, and others!

***Eric Clapton with Derek Trucks and friends at the Crossroads Guitar Festival.***

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Eric Clapton & Friends: The Crossroads Guitar Festival Revisited

Up first is nearly four hours of great music. Let’s call it a smorgasboard of songs culled from Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festivals over the years. You’ll hear the cream of the crop like, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Gary Clark Jr., The Robert Cray Band, Willie Nelson, Joe Walsh, ZZ Top, Sheryl Crow, Doyle Bramhall II, Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks, and Susan Tedeschi.

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Moondog Matinee by The Band

Again, it’s kismet. This week’s Album of The Week, Moondog Matinee, just happens to be The Band’s homage to R & B and the blues. It fits just perfectly with today.

In between, we have Open Stream, uninterrupted by idle chatter and commercials, and seasoned with Three-in-a-Row’s from the likes of B.B. King, Janis Joplin, The Allman Brothers Band, and Lucinda Williams.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Here’s Your Tuesday (Bluesday) Lesson From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/22/2020!

Yes, it’s Tuesday Bluesday in The Mermaid Lounge, and the lesson is lighter than usual today. Seems it’s not a very eventful day in music history, unless you’re talking about shit we don’t play.

***The Beatles Live at The Empire Theatre, Liverpool, December 22, 1963.***

Here’s today’s musical lesson:

December 22, 1956: Elvis Presley finished the year with 17 hit songs, a record that would stand until the year 1964 — when The Beatles had 30. (Yes, I said 30.)

December 22, 1962: Bob Dylan played at the Singer’s Club Christmas Party in London.

Also on this day, one of the greatest instrumental songs ever recorded, Telstar by the Tornadoes, went to #1. And yes it was a tribute to the satellite.

December 22, 1963: The Beatles performed at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool.

December 22, 1972: Led Zeppelin performed at Alexandra Palace in London.

December 22, 1973: Elton John moved to #1 on the UK Album chart with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

December 22, 1978: Kenney Jones, formerly of Faces, was chosen as the new drummer for The Who. He replaced Keith Moon, who had passed away a couple of months earlier.

December 22, 1979: The Pretenders performed at the Marquee Club in London.

December 22, 1980: Linda Ronstadt debuted on Broadway in the Gilbert & Sullivan production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Uris Theatre.

Also on this date, Pat Benatar’s first hit — Heartbreaker — debuted on the charts.