Good Morning from the College! It’s a really kind of quiet day here, and your lesson will be smaller than usual. It was mostly an uneventful day in rock music history. But we do have some interesting events.
Sly & The Family Stone. Sly Stone was erratic, but this was a great band.
Here’s today’s lesson, You won’t have to strain your brain:
December 18, 1961: EMI Records rejected The Beatles. They later signed them after they realized what the fuck they had.
Also on this day, Sam Cooke, a man whose voice was made for R & B, recorded Twistin’ The Night Away.
December 18, 1962: The Beatles returned to Hamburg for the last time before hitting the big time, where they play a twelve-night run at The Star Club.
December 18, 1971: Sly & The Family Stone had the #1 album on the Billboard chart with There’s a Riot Going On. It was originally going to be called Africa Speaks To You, but the name was changed at the last minute to respond to Marvin Gaye’s album, What’s Going On.
Born On This Day
December 18, 1938: Chas Chandler (bassist for The Animals and later, manager of the Jimi Hendrix Experience), was born in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
December 18, 1941: Sam Andrews, guitarist for Big Brother & The Holding Company, was born in Taft, California.
December 18, 1943: Keith Richards, lead gutarist for The Rolling Stones, was born in Dartford, Kent, England.
And that is the lesson today from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge! Stick around, Today’s line-up is coming!
Here we are on a snowy day bringing you all the news you need to know to impress friends and family alike!
Carroll James, the first DJ to play a Beatles record on the airwaves in the U.S. You will get all the details below!
December 17, 1954: Bill Haley & The Comets’ Rock Around The Clock becomes the first rock n’ roll song to enter the UK singles charts. I was ten months old.
December 17, 1955: With their hit Only You still at #2, the Platters’ The Great Pretender enters the charts at #13.
December 17, 1963: Carroll James a disc jockey at WWDC in Washington, D.C., becomes the first DJ to play a Beatles’ song on American airwaves. The song is I Want To Hold Your Hand, which he got from his airline stewardess girlfriend who bought a copy when she was in the UK. Because of high listener demand, James helps out the Beatles by playing the song every day, every hour. Because it had not yet been released in the US, Capitol Records initially considered legal action against the station but, instead, thought better of it and simply released the song in the US earlier than they planned. The rest, as they say, is history, my friends. Thank you, Carroll James. Forever.
December 17, 1966:Standing In The Shadows of Love by the Four Tops enters the Billboard Hot 100. On it’s ten-week stay on the charts, it will peak at #6. It reaches #2 on the R & B charts.
December 17, 1967: John Lennon and George Harrison throw a party in London for the area secretaries of their official fan club. The film Magical Mystery Tour is screened for the very first time for them.
December 17, 1971: John Lennon appears at a benefit at the Apollo Theater in Harlem for the families of the victims of the Attica State Prison riots.
December 17, 1977: Linda Ronstadt’s career continues to roll along through the seventies as her album, Simple Dreams, remains #1 on the Album charts for a third week.
December 17, 1979: Paul McCartney & Wings play the Glasgow Appollo and record a live version of the great song Coming Up. The song would reach #2 in the UK and will top the charts in the US, selling 4 million copies.
Born On This Day
December 17, 1937: Art Neville, keyboardist for the Neville Brothers (you can hear them here, people), was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
December 17, 1939: Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations was born in Union Springs, Alabama. His falsetto voice is heard on the great Temptations hits The Way You Do The Things You Do and Just My Imagination.
December 17, 1942: Paul Butterfield (the Paul Butterfield Blues Band) was born in Chicago.
December 17, 1949: Paul Rogers, lead singer and lyricist for both Free and Bad Company, was born in Middlesbrough, England.
December 17, 1950: Carlton “Carlie” Barrett, drummer for The Wailers, was born in Kingston, Jamaica.
And there you have it for today because we don’t give a shit about Britney Spears, and Miley Cyrus. You’ll never hear them here.
It’s another fairly active day at the College. We’ve got all sorts of information of a musical historical nature for you, including some amazing CCR history!
The extraordinary Creedence Clearwater Revival, led by John Fogerty.
Here’s your mid-week lesson!
December 16, 1957: Sam Cooke remained at #1 on the R & B charts for a fourth week with the great song, You Send Me.
December 16, 1965: The Beatles’ We Can Work It Out and Day Tripper, released as a Double-A side 45, both hit #1 in the UK on this date.
December 16, 1966: The Jimi Hendrix Experience released Hey Joe (their first single release) in the UK.
December 16, 1967: The Rolling Stones announced that Marianne Faithful was the first artist signed to their new Mother Earth Records.
Also on this day, the Lemon Pipers release the single Green Tambourine. (There are just those sixties songs that stick with you. This is one of them. You know, like Incense & Peppermints.)
And also on December 16, 1967: Gladys Knight & The Pips remained at #1 on the R & B chart for a third week with I Heard It Through The Grapevine.
December 16, 1968: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band released their first career single, Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man.
December 16, 1970: Creedence Clearwater Revival was as good as any band of its time. They made some amazing music. On this day they were rewarded with five gold records for: Down On The Corner, Lookin’ Out My Back Door, Travelin’ Band, Bad Moon Rising and Up Around The Bend. They were also awarded 5 gold albums for the following LPs: Cosmo’s Factory, Willy & The Poor Boys, Green River, Bayou Country, and the self-titled, Creedence Clearwater Revival.
December 16, 1974: John Lennon released the single #9 Dream.
Also on this day, America released the single Lonely People.
December 16, 1986: Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram released the single Somewhere Out There.
December 16, 1995: The Beatles’ Free As A Bird peaks at #2 on the UK charts and #6 in the US. It was written and recorded as a demo by John Lennon shortly before his murder. The rest of the Beatles complete the single in Paul’s home studio.
December 16, 1997: Nicolette Larson, who had a hit with Neil Young’s Lotta’ Love, and who worked with Linda Ronstadt, The Doobie Brothers, The Beach Boys, and Jimmy Buffett, died in LA at the age of 45.
December 16, 2007: Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg died at his home in Deer Island, Maine, at the age of 56, after a three-year battle with prostate cancer.
Born On This Day
December 16, 1945: Tony Hicks, guitarist for The Hollies, was born in Nelson, Lancashire, England.
December 16, 1949: Billy Gibbons, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for ZZ Top, was born in Houston, Texas.
And thus ends today’s lesson from The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge!
Yeah, we are. We’re back in the mines tomorrow, and we need to get a jump on our week here in The Mermaid Lounge. This is a pretty brutal day here in rock history. I got writer’s cramp just putting this thing together.
Dusty gets deported from South Africa after a concert near Cape Town. Apparently she crossed the line and sang to a multiracial audience. Bad Dusty.
Here’s today’s lesson in useless information:
December 15, 1956: Fats Domino had one of the biggest R & B songs of all time with Blueberry Hill. On this day it remained at #1 for a ninth week. There is no denying that this guy was a rock n’ roll pioneer.
December 15, 1958: A new soul artist named James Brown made his debut on the R & B charts with a song called Try Me.
And in the meantime, Jackie Wilson’s Lonely Teardrops took over the #1 spot on the R & B charts this day.
December 15, 1962: The Beatles played two shows at the Majestic Ballroom in Brkenhead, Merseyside, England. At midnight, the first ever Mersey Beat poll awards show took place. As the winners of the poll, The Beatles then closed the festivities at 4:00 a.m.
December 15, 1964: The Beatles release the album Beatles ’65.
Also on this day, Dusty Springfield is deported from South Africa after performing in front of a multiracial audience at a show near Cape Town.
December 15, 1966: The trumpets and cellos are recorded for the song Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios in London.
December 15, 1967: The Beach Boys met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Paris where they were taught Transcendental Meditation.
Also on this day, just a few days after its release, The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour album went Gold. It will hold the top spot on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart for eight weeks and will receive a Grammy Award nomination for Best Album.
The Who released the album, The Who Sell Out.
December 15, 1969: John Lennon gave his last live performance in England at a UNICEF Benefit in London. Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Delaney & Bonnie, Billy Preston, and Who drummer Keith Moon also took part.
December 15, 1970: Creedence Clearwater Revival released another winning album in Pendulum.
December 15, 1975: Paul Simon released the single, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.
The Eagles remained on a roll, releasing the single Take It To The Limit on this day in 1975.
December 15, 1979:The Long Run by The Eagles held on to the #1 position on the Album charts for the seventh week.
Born On This Day
December 15, 1919: Max Yasgur, owner of the farm in New York where Woodstock was held in 1969, was born in New York City.
December 15, 1939: Cindy Birdsong, a member of the Supremes beginning in 1967, was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
December 15, 1942: Dave Clark, drummer for The Dave Clark Five, was born in Tottenham, England.
December 15, 1946: Carmine Appice, drummer with the Vanilla Fudge and Jeff Beck, was born in Staten Island, New York.
And thankfully, we are at the end of today’s lesson! Back with the line-up later.
Good Morning, Students! We have your Monday morning lesson right here from The Mermaid Lounge, then we’re coming back with today’s line up!
Gladys Knight & The Pips, who made the original version (and a fucking great version, by the way) of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine, but it is Marvin Gaye’s later version that is considered the definitive version. How did that happen?
Here’s today’s lesson:
December 14, 1963: The Beatles’ I Want To Hold Your Hand begins five weeks at #1 on the UK charts. It replaced She Loves You, which was #1 for two weeks. This is the first time ever a band has replaced itself on the charts with a new song.
December 14, 1964: Although banned by some radio stations, The Kingsmen’s Louie Louie goes to #2 on the Hot 100. Only the Singing Nun could keep the from #1.
December 14, 1968: Tommy James & The Shondells released Crimson & Clover. (Over and over.)
Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It Through The Grapevine hits #1 in the US, where it stays for seven weeks. Gladys Knight & The Pips released a version in 1967 (my favorite version of the song, actually) and it went to #2 then. In spite of that, Marvin Gaye’s is considered the definitive version. I love Marvin Gaye, but I disagree.
Motown Acts own the top three spots on the Hot 100 on this day: (1) I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye; (2) Love Child by The Supremes; and (3) For Once In My Life by Stevie Wonder.
Big Brother & The Holding Company’s album, Cheap Thrills, remained at #1 on the Album charts.
December 14, 1995: Released classified documents revealed that John Lennon wasn’t paranoid. The FBI had been spying on Lennon and his antiwar activities during Tricky Dick’s regime with the goal of having him deported.
Born On This Day
December 14, 1943: Frank Allen, bassist for The Searchers, was born in Hayes, West London, England.
December 14, 1946: Jackie McAuley, keyboardist/vocalist with Them, was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
And that is it for today’s musical lesson. Enjoy your day. We’ll be back with our line up in a bit!
Yes, it’s another Sunday here in the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge where we never really sleep. We just rest our eyes for a spell. We welcome you back!
Paul and George at The Cavern Club.
Here’s today’s lesson!
December 13, 1961: The Beatles signed Brian Epstein to manage them.
On the same day, Mike Smith of Decca Records arrived at the Cavern Club to see The Beatles perform. He determined after that the band had “no future in music.” Boy, did he fuck that one up, right?
December 13, 1962: Elvis Presley’s Return to Sender became his 13th #1 song in the US.
December 13, 1966: Jimi Hendrix recorded Foxy Lady. (It was misspelled on the US version of the album as Foxey Lady.) He also made his television debut on Ready Steady Go! on ITV in the UK.
December 13, 1967: The Grateful Dead perform the song Dark Star for the first time ever in concert at The Shrine Exhbition Hall in Los Angeles. It becomes a Deadhead favorite and is the conduit for some of their most fabled jams. The studio version, oddly enough, ran only 2:44.
December 13, 1969:Someday We’ll Be Together by the Supremes took over the #1 spot on the R & B chart.
Also on this day, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by B.J. Thomas shot up to #1 on the Adult chart, and moved into the Top 10 overall.
And speaking of the guys with no future in music, The Beatles’ Abbey Road made it seven weeks at #1 on the Album chart.
December 13, 1970: Dave Edmunds went to #1 on the UK chart with I Hear You Knocking.
December 13, 1986: Bruce Hornsby & The Range top the charts with The Way It Is, an excellent debut song from this band about the U.S. Civil Rights movement. Did you know that Bruce Hornsby was the keyboardist for The Grateful Dead for several years running?
Born On This Day
December 13, 1933: Lou Adler was born in Chicago. Adler has an amazing musical history. He was the founder of Dunhill Records, where he produced The Mamas & The Papas, Johnny Rivers, The Grass Roots, Carole King and Barry McGuire (Eve of Destruction). He was also the architect of 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival, and managed Jan & Dean. Whew.
December 13, 1948: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, veteran of two great bands — Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers — was born in Washington, D.C.
School’s out for today, children! Have a wonderful day, and stick around for our line-up!
Well, here we are again bringing you all the news that will do nothing for you but make you sound impressive to your friends.
The Doors. Only around for four years, but their impact on the sixties was immense.
Here’s today’s lesson:
December 12, 1962: The Beatles performed two shows at the Cavern Club at lunch time, and then a third in the evening. That’s how bands got ahead in those days.
December 12, 1963: The Beatles had the #1 song in the UK with I Want To Hold Your Hand. This was already their third #1 in the UK.
December 12, 1964:You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling by the Righteous Brothers was released.
Also on this day, The Zombies reached their highest point on the Billboard Pop chart when She’s Not There peaks at #2.
December 12, 1969: John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band releases Live Peace in Toronto 1969, recorded at the Toronto Rock & Revival Show on September 13.
December 12, 1970: The Doors made their last live appearance with Jim Morrison at The Warehouse in New Orleans. His band mates said their recognized his failing health at the end of the show. On July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison died of a heart attack brought about by heroin use at the age of 27.
December 12, 1995: The Beatles released Free As A Bird, their first new song in 25 years.
Born On This Day
December 12, 1943: Dickie Betts. one of the most amazing guitarists on the planet and a future member of The Allman Brothers Band, was born in West Palm Beach, Florida.
December 12, 1946: Clive Bunker, drummer and a founder of Jethro Tull, was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.
And that is it for today, students! Stick around for our line up because we’ll be back shortly!
Greetings from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge, where we enrich your lives by making sure you have all the pertinent details required to win a musical trivia contest.
Little Richard performs during the halftime show on December 31, 2004, at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. The pioneering musician died on Saturday, May 9, 2020; he was 87. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images/TNS)
Here’s today’s lesson!
December 11, 1960: Aretha Franklin gives her first live performance at the Village Vanguard in New York city.
December 11, 1961: Motown Records has it’s first #1 hit on the Top 100 with Please Mr. Postman by the Marvelettes.
Also on this day, Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii goes to #1.
December 11, 1965: The Velvet Underground plays its first live gig when they open for a group called The Myddle Class in the auditorium of Summit High School in New Jersey.
December 11, 1966: Elton John’s band, Bluesology, opens for Little Richard in London. Elton would later say: “When I saw Little Richard standing on top of the piano, all lights, sequins, and energy, I decided there and then that I was going to be a rock and roll piano player.”
December 11, 1968: The Rolling Stones record their Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus TV special, then proceed to bury it for nearly 30 years.
December 11, 1970: John Lennon releases his first solo album, titled John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
December 11, 1972: Genesis plays its first US concert ever at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
December 11, 1988: Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, Graham Nash and Don Henley perform at a Roy Orbison tribute concert at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
December 11, 1990: Led Zeppelin IV is certified Diamond with sales of 10 million in the US.
Born On This Day
December 11, 1926: Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was born in Anton, Alabama. Willie Mae was the first to record Hound Dog, the song that would later be made famous by Elvis Presley.
And that is just about it from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge for this fine day!
Well, children, here we are again in The Mermaid Lounge, home of The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge where we work hard to impart our special brand of education.
Antoine “Fats” Domino, a musical monster. There is no denying his contribution to rock n’ roll.
Here is your curriculum for today:
December 10, 1927: The Grand Ole Opry made its first radio broadcast ever from Nashville, Tennessee.
December 10, 1949: Fats Domino recorded eight tracks during his first recording session at Cosimo Matassa’s J & M Studios, including his first single, Detroit City Blues backed by The Fat Man. The B-side became the hit, and it was one of many for Fats Domino.
December 10, 1965: The Grateful Dead played their first concert, and only their second overall, at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.
December 10, 1966: The Rolling Stones released the album Got Live If You Want It in the US.
And also on this day, Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys hits #1.
December 10, 1967: Otis Redding, just 26 years old, is killed when the plane he is touring in crashes into a Wisconsin lake. His touring band, The Bar-Kays, also perish except for trumpet player Ben Cauley, the sole survivor. One month later, (Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay is released, becoming the first #1 song released after the artist’s death.
Also on this day, The Steve Miller Blues Band signs its first contract with Capitol Records for $759,000. The band immediately dropped “Blues” from their name.
December 10, 1976: The album Wings Over America was released on this day.
Also on December 10, Queen released A Day At The Races in the UK (it is released in the US on December 18). LIke their previous album, A Night at The Opera, the title is taken from a Marx Brothers movie. The Queen single Somebody To Love is also released on this day.
December 10, 2016: Bob Dylan accepts The Nobel Prize for Literature.
Born On This Day
December 10, 1941: Chad Stuart of Chad & Jeremy, was born David Stewart Chadwick in Windermere, Cumbria, England.
December 10, 1946: Ace Kefford, bass guitarist for The Move, was born in Moseley, Birmingham, England. The lead singer of the Move? That was Jeff Lynne, before ELO and The Traveling Wilburys.
December 10, 1948: Jessica Cleaves, lead singer for Friends of Distinction (great, little-known band), was born in Los Angeles.
There you have today’s lesson, my friends! Use your knowledge wisely!
Well, here we are again live from The Mermaid Lounge imparting our trivial musical knowledge to enrich your lives. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?
Tom Petty & George Harrison, friends to the end.
Here’s today’s lesson from The College:
December 9, 1963:Meet The Supremes, their first album, was released by Motown Records. The LP contains the hit When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes.
December 9, 1967: Before a gig in New Haven, Connecticut, Jim Morrison got into an argument with a policeman. The policeman responded by macing Morrison. Later on stage, Morrison told the story of the incident, which prompted the police to turn on the house lights and arrest Morrison for ‘breach of peace’ and ‘resisting arrest.’
December 9, 1972: Three Dog Night’s Pieces of April enters the Billboard chart. The song, written by Dave Loggins, with reach the Top 20.
December 9, 1974: George Harrison released his first album on his Dark Horse record label. The name of the album was Dark Horse.
December 9, 1980: One day after John Lennon was shot and killed, Yoko Ono released this statement: “There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him. Love, Yoko and Sean.”
December 9, 1992: George Harrison received the first Century Award, presented by friend Tom Petty at the third Billboard Music Awards in Universal City, California.
December 9, 1995: Even though they disbanded 25 years earlier, The Beatles have the #1 album when Anthology hits the top (it remains there for three weeks). It includes Beatles rarities in the form of demos, alternate versions, live versions and previously unreleased material. It will eventually sell 4 million copies.
Born On This Day
December 9, 1969: Singer-songwriter Jakob Dylan (solo; The Wallflowers) was born in New York City.
And that it for today’s lesson from The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge!
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