Tag: Elvis Presley

Greetings & Salutations From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/13/2021

Goo d Morning, Music Trivia Lovers! Here’s all the information that’s fit to print from The Mermaid Lounge!

Jimi Hendrix performed at the Bag O’Nails Club in London on this day with Paul McCartney and Ringo in the audience.

Here’s today’s lesson:

January 13, 1962: Bob Dylan performed at the San Remo Coffee House in Schenectady, New York.

January 13, 1965: The first day of recording sessions for Dylan’s album Bringing It All Back Home began on thiis day. He recorded Subterranean Homesick Blues and It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.

Also on this day, The Who release their first single, I Can’t Explain.

January 13, 1966: The Rolling Stones receive their third Gold record for the album December’s Children, which contains Get Off My Cloud, As Tears Go By, and I’m Free.

Also on this day, The Beach Boys enter the Billboard Top 100 for the 23rd time with the song Barbara Ann. it was recorded “live” at a party staged in a recording studio, and actually features Dean Torrance of Jan & Dean on lead vocals.

January 13, 1967: Jimi Hendrix performed at the Bag O’Nails Club in London. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr attended the show.

January 13, 1968: The Beatles remained at #1 for a third week with Hello Goodbye. In just four years, The Beatles had spent 40 weeks at #1 with fifteen #1 songs.

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles went to #1 on the R & B chart with I Second That Emotion on this day.

January 13, 1969: Elvis Presley returned to American Sound Studios in Memphis to record Suspicious Minds.

January 13, 1972: Aretha Franklin performs the first of two concerts at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. It is recorded for her live album, Amazing Grace, which sells over two million copies when released in June.

January 13, 1973: Carly Simon’s album, No Secrets, with her hit song You’re So Vain, goes to #1 in America.

Born On This Day

Nobody we give a fat rat’s ass about.

It’s Another Kick-Ass Saturday With The Laurel Canyon Crowd, Joan Baez, Elvis’ Birthday Playlist, and Live Dead, on January 9, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Saturday is our big day on the programming scale but, in spite of that, our musical day remains mostly Open Stream.

The Grateful Dead. The ultimate jam band at the closing of Winterland.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Echoes From The Canyon: Various Artists

It was all happening in the canyon back in the day. They were all groovin’ together, feeding off each other, and it produced some of the best damned sounds in the history of popular music. They inspired people like Jakob Dylan and Tom Petty. This playlist is about just over 2.5 hours and features The Mamas & The Papas, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and more!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Joan Baez by Joan Baez

The final airing of Joan Baez’s brillian debut album, recorded when she was just nineteen. Get in on it now. It will be gone tomorrow when you wake up!

7:00 p.m. Elvis Presley: The Sun Sessions

We’re celebrating Elvis Presley’s birthday a day late. That’s usually how it goes around here. We do our best, but my multiple personalities have their limits. Today, we’re playing his songs from The Sun Sessions, recorded at Sun Studios during 1954 and 1955. It’s produced by Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Records, who gave Elvis his start, and includes one of the greatest (and some people argue, the first) rock n’ roll songs ever, That’s All Right. Happy Birthday, Elvis.

10:00 p.m. Live Dead! The Grateful Dead Live at Winterland, October 22, 1978 NEW!

We made it through last year for 52 weeks with no repeats. And we intend to attempt the same here. Let’s face it. It should not be difficult. The Dead played Winterland alone 48 times. This is just one of them. Enjoy, Deadheads.

Saturdays are always a fucking great day to tune us in. Why don’t you give it a shot? We are free. No credit card or private info required. No advertising accepted. No endless DJ chatter. You have no idea what you are missing.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Good Morning From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/8/2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Here we are again bringing you news from the annals of rock n’ roll. Today, a very important person in the music world was born.

Elvis Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi Sept 26, 1956 © 1978 Roger Marshutz—MPTV

Here’s today’s lesson:

January 8, 1957: Bill Haley & The Comets, LaVern Baker, and Big Joe Turner start an Australian tour in Newastle Stadium, Newcastle. This is the world’s first rock n’ roll concert.

January 8, 1960: Eddie Cochran records Three Steps To Heaven in Hollywood. It will be his final recording session.

January 8, 1966: The Beatles had only been charting for a couple of years, yet they had their 11th number one hit with We Can Work It Out.

Also on this day, the album Rubber Soul soared from #60 to #1 to take over the Album chart. It was The Beatles’ seventh #1 US album.

The Who and The Kinks were the final guests on the last episode of the TV show Shindig.

A great new folk group called The Mamas & The Papas were gaining a lot of attention. On this day, they charted their first hit single, California Dreamin’.

January 8, 1968: (Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay, by Otis Redding, was released by Stax Records. It would be his only hit. He passed away the year before in a plane crash before he ever had the opportunity to see its release.

January 8, 1975: Three Led Zeppelin shows scheduled for Madison Square Garden sell out in a matter of four hours.

Born On This Day

January 8, 1931: Bill Graham, concert promoter whose name is synonymous with The Fillmore, was born Wolfgang Grajunca in Berlin, Germany.

January 8, 1935: Elvis Aaron Presley, also known as The King, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. He had his first hit in 1956 with the great song Heartbreak Hotel.

January 8, 1940: Jerome “Little Anthony” Gourdine of Little Anthony & The Imperials was born in Brooklyn, New York.

January 8, 1946: Robby Krieger, songwriter and elite guitarist with The Doors, was born in Los Angeles.

January 8, 1947: Terry Sylvester, who replaced Graham Nash in The Hollies, was born in Liverpool, England.

And that is it on this day in music history. We will be back with the line-up soon.

Greetings & Salutations From the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/6/2021

Here we are again hanging out in The Mermaid Lounge cramming in my musical duties before an opening shift. I hope you are soaking all this knowledge in like a sponge.

Tom Petty (& The Heartbreakers) with his Gibson Flying V.

Here’s your lesson for Wednesday:

January 6, 1957: Elvis Presley makes his third and final appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, where he sings seven songs, including Hound Dog, Don’t Be Cruel, and Heartbreak Hotel. Of course, they only show Elvis the Pelvis from the waist up.

January 6, 1958: Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis hits #2 where it will remain for four weeks before dropping down. What’s keeping it from #1? At The Hop by Danny & The Juniors. (Are you fucking kidding me?)

January 6, 1964: The Rolling Stones headlined their first UK tour, with The Ronettes as the opening act.

January 6, 1966: The Beatles’ We Can Work It Out is awarded a Gold record, two days before it begins a three-week stay at #1.

January 6, 1968: Gibson patents its signature Flying V Electric Guitar.

January 6, 1973: Carly Simon hits #1 with You’re So Vain, and people continue to obsess to this day trying to figure out for whom the song is written. Carly’s conflicting answers shed no light on this mystery.

January 6, 1975: Pink Floyd begins recording their album Wish You Were Here, after abandoning their original idea of recording an album making music using ordinary household items. Thankfully.

January 6, 1993: Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman leaves the group after 30 years because he didn’t see anything new coming on the horizon.

January 6, 2007: “Sneaky Pete” Kleinow, one of the finest pedal steel guitarists ever who played with The Flying Burrito Brothers, died in Petaluma, California, of complications from Alzheimers.

Born On This Day

January 6, 1937: R & B singer-songwriter Doris Troy was born Doris Elaine Higginsen in The Bronx, New York.

January 6, 1946: Syd Barrett, vocalist and guitarist for Pink Floyd, was born in Cambridge, England.

January 6, 1947: Sandy Denny was born in London. She would become the lead singer of Fairport Convention, and the only guest singer on a Led Zeppelin song, The Battle of Evermore.

January 6, 1951: Blues singer Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds was born in Detroit, Michigan.

And that, my friends, is it from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge.

All the Pertinent Details From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/5/2021

It is another day in the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge, and we’re getting a jump on all things musical today. It’s a fairly active day on the trivia front.

Jesse Winchester left the U.S. for Canada to avoid the draft. But when he left the planet, the world lost one of its best songwriters ever.

Here’s today’s lesson:

January 5, 1954: Elvis Presley recorded a 10-minute demo tape at Memphis Recording Studios.

January 5, 1959: Buddy Holly released It Doesn’t Matter Anymore, his final release before his death.

January 5, 1961: The Beatles played at Literton Town Hall in Liverpool. Two members of Rory Storm & The Hurricanes were on hand to watch — Johnny Guitar, and drummer Ringo Starr. Paul McCartney played bass for the first time with the band as Stu Sutcliffe remained at home.

January 5, 1965: The Supremes recorded Stop! In The Name of Love at Motown Studios in Detroit. Soon after, they depart on the first Motown revue tour in Europe.

January 5, 1967: Jesse Winchester, one of the finest singer-songwriters ever to grace this planet, moves from the U.S. to Canada to avoid the draft and serving in Viet Nam.

Also on this day, Paul McCartney recorded his vocal for Penny Lane which was planned (but actually never included) on the upcoming Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band album.

Tommy James & The Shondells released their single, I Think We’re Alone Now.

Pink Floyed played in concert at The Marquee Club.

January 5, 1968: Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits album is certified Gold.

January 5, 1969: Creedence Clearwater Revival releases the album Bayou Country.

January 5, 1973: Bruce Springsteen released his debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.

January 5, 1974: Jim Croce remained at #1 with the song Time In A Bottle, rated one of the Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era.

Bruce Springsteen plays the song Rosalita for the first time in concert at Joe’s Place in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It becomes a fan favorite and is often played as his encore.

January 5, 2004: John Guerin, one of the most respected and prolific session drummers who worked with Joni Mitchell, Elvis Presley, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Willie Nelson, and many more, died from pneumonia on this date in West Hills, California. He was 64.

Born On This Day

January 5, 1923: Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records, who discovered Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash, was born near Florence, Alabama.

January 5, 1929: Wilbert Harrison, who wrote and recorded the great classic Kansas City in 1959, was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.

January 5, 1934: Phil Ramone, songwriter, violinist, recording engineer, and legendary producer who made albums with Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, and many others, was born in South Africa.

And that just about sums it up from The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge!

Greetings and Salutations From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/4/2021

Good Morning, Students! It’s another happy Monday here in The College, and we’re delivering all the musical news that’s fit to print:

One year before her explosion on the music world, Linda Ronstadt opened for Neil Young on tour and stole the shows. Literally.

Here’s today’s lesson:

January 4, 1936: The first pop music chart based on national sales was introduced by Billboard.

January 4, 1950: RCA Victor announces that they will manufacture long playing (LP) records.

January 4, 1954: (Just about one month before I was born.) A young truck driver named Elvis Presley pays to record two songs at the Memphis Recording Service (MRS). It’s his second visit, and this time MRS head Sam Phillips gets his name and number. Later, he phones Elvis and asks him to record for his Sun label.

January 4, 1957: Solomon Burke makes his debut on The Steve Allen Show.

January 4, 1967: The Doors release their self-titled debut album.

Also on this day, the Jimi Hendrix Experience played the first of what would be over 240 gigs when they appeared at the Bromel Club in Bromley.

January 4, 1969: Marvin Gaye extended his stay at #1 to four weeks with I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Again, I reiterate, Marvin Gaye remade the song, not Gladys Knight & The Pips. She released it a year earlier than Marvin Gaye did, and it went to #1 then as well. They don’t mention that. They call hers the remake.

January 4, 1970: George Harrison recorded the second guitar solo and McCartney, Harrison and Starr re-recorded vocals for Let It Be. This is the final recording session for The Beatles. John Lennon isn’t even present for the session. The last time all four Beatles were together in a studio was August of 1969.

January 4, 1973: Lamar Williams joined The Allman Brothers Band, replacing the late Berry Oakley.

Also on this day, Neil Young kicked off his Time Fades Away tour in Madison, Wisconsin, with Linda Ronstadt as the opening act. Ronstadt is used to playing the club scene and has never performed in an arena setting. Nevertheless, she wows the audiences througout the tour with that fucking amazing voice, literally stealing the show along the way. The following year, she releases Heart Like A Wheel and begins her meteoric rock n’ roll rise.

January 4, 1974: Bruce Springsteen played the first of three nights at Joe’s Place in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Born On This Day

January 4, 1942: John McLaughlin (The Mahavishnu Orchestra) was born in Doncaster, England. In 2010, Jeff Beck called him ‘the best guitarist alive.’

January 4, 1946: R & B singer Arthur Conley, best known for his 1967 hit Sweet Soul Music, was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

And that is the end of today’s lesson! Back with the line-up soon.

It’s The Last Hurrah for 2020 at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/31/2020

Good Morning, Students! There will be no rest for the weary here in The Mermaid Lounge as we close out the year. Take out your pens and grab a pad of paper. There’ll be a quiz later (just kidding).

On New Year’s Eve 1978, The Grateful Dead closed Bill Graham’s Winterland Arena in style. We’ve got the concert for you tonight at 10:00 p.m.

Here’s today’s lesson from the College:

December 31, 1961: The Beach Boys make their live debut with their new name at the Long Beach Civic Auditorium in California.

December 31, 1963: The Kinks made their live debut at the Lotus House Restaurant in London.

December 31, 1965: The Beatles song I Feel Fine and their album Beatles ’65 are certified Gold.

December 31, 1969: Jimi Hendrix introduced his new band at a show at the Fillmore East in New York City. They are bassist Billy Cox and former Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles. The concerts is recorded for their album Band of Gypsies, which will eventually reach #5 in America and #6 in the UK.

December 31, 1970: Melody Maker magazine reported that The Beatles were searching for a new bass guitarist, as Paul McCartney files suit to dissove The Beatles’ corporation. Truly one of the saddest days of my life.

December 31, 1974: Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham are invited to join Fleetwood Mac. It is the band’s tenth line-up change since 1967.

December 31, 1975: Elvis Presley performed a New Year’s Even concert in front of a record-breaking 60,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.

December 31, 1978: The Grateful Dead play their 48th and final show at Bill Graham’s Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, closing this institution in style. We have the concert for you tonight at 10:00 p.m. on a special New Year’s Eve edition of Live Dead.

December 31, 1980: Bruce Springsteen plays a kick-ass show at the Nassau County Coliseum, playing for more than four hours and covering 38 songs.

December 31, 1985: Rock n’ Roll legend Rick Nelson is killed enroute to a New Year’s eve show in Dallas, Texas. His private DC-3 (formerly owned by Jerry Lee Lewis) crashed in a field near DeKalb, Texas, killing Rick, his band and his future wife, Helen Blair. The pilot and co-pilot survived.

Born On This Day

December 31, 1930: Blues and folk singer Odetta was born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Alabama. She is known as the Queen of American Folk Music. Odetta would sing O Freedom at Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on Washington.

December 31, 1943: Pete Quaife, the original bass guitarist for The Kinks, was born in Tavistock, Devon, England.

December 31, 1947: Burton Cummings, lead singer and keyboardist of the great band The Guess Who was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

December 31, 1951: Tom Hamilton, bass player for Aerosmith, was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He co-wrote the hits Janie’s Got A Gun and Sweet Emotion, among others.

And that is it on this fine day in the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge!

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.

Born On This Day

December 22, 1939: James Gurley, guitarist for Big Brother & The Holding Company, was born in Detroit.

December 22, 1944: Barry Jenkins, drummer for The Animals, was born in Leicester, England.

And that signals the end of today’s lesson. We’ll be back with the Tuesday Bluesday line-up in just a bit.

It’s a Day of Rest, But Not Here in The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/20/2020

Good Morning, Students! It’s Sunday here in the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge, and we’ve got a great day lined up. But first, your lesson.

Jethro Tull was formed on this day in 1967.

Here’s all the news that’s fit to print:

December 20, 1956: Elvis Presley was making musical chart history with ten songs on Billboard’s Top 100.

December 20, 1958: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison appear as The Quarrymen at the wedding reception of George’s older brother, Harry.

December 20, 1965: Wicked Wilson Pickett records the fucking great song, 634-5789, with Booker T & The MG’s. Booker was missing on that day, but his keyboards were handled nicely for him by none other than Isaac Hayes.

Also on this day in 1965, The Beach Boys released the single Barbara Ann.

December 20, 1966: The Big O, Otis Redding, played the Fillmore West in San Francisco.

December 20, 1967: Vocalist and master flute player Ian Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick leave The John Evans Blues Band to form Jethro Tull, naming the band after an inventor of farm implements. John Evans would later join Tull himself as the keyboardist.

December 20, 1969: The Beatles’ masterpiece, Abbey Road, remained at the top of the charts for an eighth week on this day.

December 20, 1971: The album from George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh (the very first musical event of its kind in history) was released. It would win the Grammy Award for Best Album.

December 20, 1972: The O’Jays recorded the great song Love Train.

December 20, 1975: Joe Walsh officially replaced Bernie Leadon in The Eagles, moving them into a harder rock frame. He had previously been with The James Gang, a great band, by the way. However, on this day, my love affair with The Eagles ended, as much as I love Joe Walsh. I continued to listen, and their catalogue is in our rotation, but I prefer their earlier feel.

December 20, 1980: Twelve days after being shot dead by a fucking psychopath who just wanted his time in the spotlight, John Lennon had his first #1 solo hit with Just Like Starting Over.

Born On This Day

December 20, 1939: R & B singer Kim Weston was born in Detroit, Michigan.

December 20, 1944: Bobby Columby, drummer for Blood, Sweat & Tears, was born in New York.

December 20, 1947: Little Stevie Wright, lead singer of The Easybeats (Friday On My Mind) was born in Leeds, England. He would, however, be raised in Australia. During their six-year career, The Easybeats had 15 Top 10 hits in Australia, no slight feat regardless of where you were raised. The Easybeats are in our daily standard rotation.

December 20, 1948: Alan Parsons of The Alan Parson’s Project (Games People Play, I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You), was born in London. He began his musical career as an engineer at Abbey Road Studios, working on Abbey Road and Let It Be for The Beatles, Dark Side of The Moon for Pink Floyd, and Wild Life by Paul McCartney & Wings (their actual first album as a band). The Alan Parsons Project is in our daily standard rotation.

And that is it from The College for this morning. Our line-up will be posted soon!

Good Morning From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/13/2020

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!