Tag: John Lennon

Goooood Morning From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/8/2020

We’re back at the salt mines today with the general buying public, so we’re off to an early start this morning. I don’t have to tell true Beatles fans what happened on this day all those years ago.

Everything that has to be said about this day of infamy has been said.

Here’s today’s lesson from The Mermaid Lounge:

December 8, 1961: The Supremes begin recording their third single, Your Heart Belongs To Me, written by Smokey Robinson.

December 8, 1967: The Beatles release the Magical Mystery Tour double EP in the UK.

Also on this day, Traffic released their debut album, Mr. Fantasy.

And, The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request album was released in the UK, which carried the hit She’s a Rainbow.

December 8, 1968: Graham Nash leaves The Hollies and begins working with David Crosby (ex-Byrds) and Stephen Stills (ex-Buffalo Springfield). Crosby, Stills, and Nash would release their self-titled debut album during the summer of 1969.

December 8, 1969: The Beatles record the Ringo Starr composition, Octopus’s Garden.

Meanwhile, at his trial in the Toronto Supreme Court for possession of hash and heroin, Jimi Hendrix testified that he had “outgrown” drugs. He was found not guilty after eight hours of deliberation.

December 8, 1972: Carly Simon’s album No Secrets is certified gold.

December 8, 1980: A day that will live in infamy. Mark David Chapman pumps five bullets into John Lennon outside The Dakota Apartments in New York City, killing him. It is reported in some outlets that he tries to get into his apartment to see his son before he collapses and dies. Later, Chapman would say the lure of the fame this event would bring was something he couldn’t resist. Fucker. RIP, John Lennon. The world misses you.

We put John Lennon In The Spotlight this evening.

Born On This Day

December 8, 1939: Jerry Butler (lead singer of The Impressions) was born in Sunflower, Mississippi. He moved to Chicago where he sings in a choir with his future Impressions bandmate, the great Curtis Mayfield.

December 8, 1941: Bobby Elliot, drummer for The Hollies, was burn in Burnley, Lancashire, England.

December 8, 1943: Jim Morrison, leader of The Doors, was born James Douglas Morrison in Melbourne, Florida.

December 8, 1947: Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Much is made of Duane Allman, and he was the initial leader of the band before his death, and played that guitar like no other. But Gregg Allman was the guy who wrote the songs and had that great singing voice.

And that is today’s lesson from The College. We’ll be back with today’s line-up soon!

It’s Saturday Morning in the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/5/2020

Good Morning, Music Trivia Buffs! Here we are at the proverbial weekend. Today will be my final day of retail servitude for a couple of days and I’m very much looking forward to being a full-time DJ once again.

The late great singer-songwriter J.J. Cale, who gave us the Tulsa sound. You’ll be hearing him later this coming week.

Here’s today’s lesson:

December 5, 1964: The Zombies’ debut single, She’s Not There, tops the Cashbox Best Sellers Chart. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it peaked at #12 in the UK.

December 5, 1965: The Beatles played their final gig in their own hometown of Liverpool. On December 5, 1980, John Lennon called his Aunt Mimi saying he was homesick and was planning a trip back home. On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed.

December 5, 1968: An actual, real-life banquet was held for the launch of the Rolling Stones album Beggars Banquet. It ended abruptly at the (unplanned) pie-throwing fight.

December 5, 1969: Badfinger released Come And Get It, written by Paul McCartney. It is the first hit on Apple Records that is not from The Beatles.

Also on this day, the Rolling Stones release my absolute favorite Stones album, Let It Bleed, loaded with great songs including Gimme Shelter (this could be my favorite Stones song ever) and Midnight Rambler. The title might have been prophetic. The next day, a fan is killed during their performance at the Altamont Speedway.

December 5, 1975: Fleetwood Mac’s tenth album is certified Gold, and will eventually go Platinum. This is the first album of the post-Peter Green era (my preferred version of Fleetwood Mac). John McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie are all there. The newcomers are Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. The band’s singles cracks Billboard Top 40 for the first time. They are Rhiannon, Over My Head, and Say You Love Me.

December 5, 1976: Three days after surviving an assassination attempt, Bob Marley performs at the Smile Jamaica Festival, which he organized to promote peace in his country. It is estimated that 80,000 Jamaican’s attend the festival. Marley does a 90-minute set.

December 5, 1980: John Lennon gives his final interview to Jonathan Cott of Rolling Stone magazine. You know the rest, sadly.

Born On This Day

December 5, 1912: Legendary bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson was born Alex Miller in Tallahachie County, Mississippi.

December 5, 1932: Richard Wayne Penniman, later know to the world as Little Richard, was born in Macon, Georgia.

December 5, 1938: Singer-songwriter J.J. Cale, who brought us the Tulsa sound, was born John Weldon Cale in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

December 5, 1947: Jim Messina (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and Loggins & Messina) was born in Maywood, California.

And that is it for today from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge here in The Mermaid Lounge.

More Details From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/4/2020

Good Morning, Music Trivialists! We here at the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge draw from our own archive of totally useless information and pour over various electronic sources to bring this to you every day. As you may expect, some sites differ from others about locations of events, timing, etc. Needless to say, research, critical thinking and weed is required to complete this task.

The Million Dollar Quartet: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Here’s today’s lesson!

December 4, 1956: Elvis Presley stopped by Sun Studios unexpectedly to find Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash watching Carl Perkins in the studio. The four would tape several songs together on that day, but it would be 25 years before that day would be immortalized on vinyl as The Million Dollar Quartet.

December 4, 1964: The Beatles release their fourth album, Beatles For Sale, which spends 11 weeks as the #1 album in the UK.

December 4, 1965: Turn, Turn, Turn would give The Byrds their second consecutive #1 hit, following up Mr. Tambourine Man.

December 4, 1969: President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew and forty governors spend the day watching simulated acid trips and listening to rock music to help them understand the “generation gap.” We have been led by idiots for a very long fucking time.

December 4, 1971: Don MacLean’s eight-minute epic, American Pie, enters Billboard’s Hot 100. Before all is said and done, it will sell 3 million copies. To this day, it remains one of the most analyzed and debated songs in music history.

Also on this day, Sly & The Family Stone’s Family Affair begins a three-week run at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This will be their third and final #1 and their last song in the top 10 before the band implodes under the weight of personal issues, and falls apart. Too bad. They were a great band.

Led Zeppelin also began a two-week stint at the top of the UK Album chart with the Four Symbols album, which includes Stairway To Heaven. The album will eventually sell 11 million copies and remained on the US charts for nearly five years.

December 4, 1980: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones announce that Led Zeppelin will not continue on after the death of drummer John Bonham.

December 4, 1982: A retrospective album of John Lennon’s solo work called The John Lennon Collection, started a six-week run at #1 on he UK Album chart. The front and back covers were shot by Annie Liebovitz on December 8, 1980, just five hours before John Lennon’s murder.

December 4, 1987: Alison Krauss, just sixteen years old, releases her debut album, Too Late To Cry, with her backing band, Union Station.

December 4, 1988: Roy Orbison (aka, Lefty Wilbury) plays his final gig at The Front Row Theater in Akron, Ohio. Orbison dies of a heart attack two days later.

Born On This Day

December 4, 1942: Chris Hillman, of The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Desert Rose Band, was born in Los Angeles.

December 4, 1944: Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys was born in Inglewood, California.

And that, my friends, is as they say — all the news that’s fit to print because there are a lot of singers we simply don’t give a shit about here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Meanwhile…Back at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/1/2020

Good Morning from the office of the chief researcher and writer (also the programmer, marketing director, music researcher, and various other tasks). We have a short one in comparison to other days, but still informative.

Jimi Hendrix. Guitar God.

Here’s today’s knowledge from the college:

December 1, 1964: The Who played the first of 22 consecutive nights at the Marquee Club in London.

December 1, 1965: The Rolling Stones played at the Vancouver Auditorium in Canada as part of their North American Tour on this night.

December 1, 1966: Jimi Hendrix signed a management deal with Yameta, a company founded by managers for the Who, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp.

December 1, 1967: The Who (again) finished their first tour as headliners in the US at the Long Island Arena in Commack, NY. Vanilla Fudge was the opening act.

December 1, 1968: The White Album by The Beatles starts a seven-week run at number one on the UK chart.

Also on this date, Janis Joplin plays her final gig with Big Brother & The Holding Company in San Francisco.

December 1, 1969: Delaney & Bonnie perform with Eric Clapton at Royal Albert Hall. Friends George Harrison and Ringo Starr are in attendance.

December 1, 1971: Yes plays the Palace Theater in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Also on this day, John Lennon releases Happy Xmas (War Is Over) in the US.

December 1, 1975: The Allman Brothers Band played at the Civic Center in Springfield, MA (and I was there!).

December 1, 1979: The Grateful Dead played Stanley Hall in Pittsburgh, PA.

December 1, 2016: The Rolling Stones released Blue & Lonesome, a great 12-song collection of Blues classics. It is their first studio album since 2005’s A Bigger Bang, which peaked at #3 in the US.

Born On This Day

December 1, 1944: John Densmore, drummer for The Doors, was born in Los Angeles.

And that is today’s rather abbreviated lesson from The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge. We shall be back with the Tuesday Bluesday line-up shortly.

It’s Sunday Morning at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 11/29/2020

Good Morning, Rock n’ Rollers! There’s never a day off at the College. We’re here as usual with with all the news that matters on this day in music history.

Creedence Clearwater Revival, one of the finest bands ever.

Here’s your message from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge, and The Beatles continue to dominate:

November 29, 1963: The Beatles release I Want To Hold Your Hand in England. For the first time in music history, there were one million advance orders. It would spend seven weeks at #1.

November 29, 1966: The Beatles continue working on Strawberry Fields Forever by recording two more “takes” at Abbey Road Studios. They later remade the song, but the first minute from the final take on this day was remixed and used in the final version of the song.

November 29, 1966: Bob Dylan finished work on his John Wesley Harding album. He recruited Pete Drake to play some light pedal steel guitar, as he recorded the final two songs, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight and Down Along The Cove.

November 29, 1968: John Lennon released his first solo album called Unfinished Music.

Also as of this day, The Beatles sold 1.5 million copies of The White Album in the UK during the first week of its release.

November 29, 1969: The Beatles’ domination of music continues when the the double-sided monster hit Come Together/Something goes to #1. This is the band’s 18th number one hit. It is also a first for George Harrison. It is the first time he is the composer of an A-side hit.

Meanwhile, Creedence Clearwater Revival has a two-sided hit of its own climbing the charts with Down On The Corner/Fortunate Son.

Also on November 29, Abbey Road by the Beatles is on its fifth week at the top of the Album charts.

November 29, 1975: Red Octopus became the first #1 album for the Jefferson Starship — and it is their only worthwhile album thanks to the influence of Marty Balin. The fact that this band even used part of Jefferson Airplane’s name is a travesty. What the fuck was Grace Slick thinking?

November 29, 1980: Stevie Wonder spends a fifth week on top of the R & B charts with Master Blaster (Jammin’), his 13th number one hit on the charts.

Also on this day, Bruce Springsteen’s The River remained at #1 on the Album chart for a fourth week.

November 29, 1986: It was another good day for Bruce. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live 1975/1985 hits #1 on the Album charts.

November 29, 2001: George Harrison, the youngest Beatle, a ground-breaking solo artist, and a proud member of the Traveling Wilburys later in his career, left this earth at a friend’s home in Hollywood Hills, California after a long battle with lung cancer. He was just 58 years old. His wife Olivia and son Dhani were at his side. His final words were reported to be “Love one another.” We will celebrate George Harrison’s life in music today.

November 29, 2013: Dick Dodd, lead singer and drummer for The Standells of Dirty Water fame, died in Fountain Valley, California, also at the age of 58.

Born On This Day

November 29, 1933: John Mayall, the father of British blues, singer, songwrite and multi-instrumentalist for his Bluesbreakers, was born in Macclesfield, England.

November 29, 1940: Denny Doherty of The Mamas & The Papas was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

November 29, 1944: Felix Cavaliere, keyboardist with The Young Rascals and one of the greatest rock n’ roll singers in one of the best rock n’ roll bands on the planet, was born in Pelham, New York.

And that’s it for today. We will be back soon to tell you about today’s programming.

Wake Up! It’s Time for The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge!

Good Morning, Students! Here’s today’s lesson from The Mermaid Lounge. Some days we have more than others. Take notes. There’ll be a quiz later.

Joe Walsh, Randy Meisner, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Don Felder of The Eagles perform on stage at Ahoy on May 11th 1977 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)

Here’s your lesson for today!

November 17, 1938: Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot is born in Orilla, Ontario.

November 17, 1944: Gene Clark, singer-songwriter for The New Christy Minstrels and The Byrds, is born in Tipton, Missouri.

November 17, 1966: The Beach Boys had the #1 spot on the UK singles charts with Good Vibrations.

November 17, 1967: A 16-date UK package tour featuring Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move (Jeff Lynne’s first band before ELO and The Traveling Wilburys), The Nice, and Amen Corner played at the City Hall, Sheffield, UK.

November 17, 1971: Rod Stewart & Faces release A Nod Is As Good As A Wink…To a Blind Horse. This is their third LP together.

November 17, 1980: John Lennon releases Double Fantasy. Three weeks later he is shot and killed outside The Dakota.

November 17, 1994: Bob Dylan tapes his episode of MTV Unplugged in New York City.

November 17, 2003: Let It Be…Naked is released, removing the strings and other big sound artifacts added by Phil Spector in the original production.

November 17, 2007: The Eagles have the #1 album with Long Road Out of Eden, their first studio album since 1979.

That’s it from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge! We’ll be back in a while with today’s programming.

Welcome Back to The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge!

Class is once again in session in The Mermaid Lounge, and we’ve got some details you won’t want to miss today!

Three Dog Night, one of my favorites. Especially Shambala.

Today in rock n’ roll history:

November 13, 1961: Please Mr. Postman goes to #1 for the Marvellettes.

November 13, 1965: James Browns’s I Got You enters both The Billboard Pop and R & B charts where it will reach #3 and #1 respectively.

Also on this day, Fontella Bass sits atop the charts with her hit Rescue Me for the third week.

November 13, 1968: The Beatles’ animated movie Yellow Submarine is released in the U.S.

November 13, 1969: After purchasing the Island of Dorinch off the coast of Ireland, John Lennon announces that any hippie who wanted to was free to live there.

November 13, 1971: Three Dog Night, seventies hitmakers, releases Old Fashioned Love Song.

Also on this day, Santana III sits atop the album charts.

We hope you’ll stop by again tomorrow and increase your knowledge at our rock n’ roll college. Stick around. Our daily programming will be announced in just a bit!

You can email us at become.ungovernable.radio@gmail.com at any time.

Tune us in at www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

We Celebrate Lennon’s Birthday, Take a Trip to Surf City, and Party With Petty on Friday, October 9, 2020

Good Day, Music Lovers! Today we have wonderful run of musical programming planned around all that open stream stuff. Don’t miss it.

Here’s the musical landscape today:

9:00 a.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Last DJ NEW!

Yeah, we squeezed this one in after realizing that The Last DJ was released 18 years ago on October 8, 2002. This is a great album. If anybody is looking for just a great collection of great rock n’ roll that talks about days gone by and how music on the airwaves used to be, this is it.

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of John Lennon

Mr. Lennon would be 80 years old today had he not had the misfortune to meet Mark David Chapman. We celebrate his birthday today In The Spotlight, both with and without his mates.

3:00 p.m. Going to Surf City: Various Artists

As the temperature drops here in New England, we take a trip back to summer when we premiered the addition of surf music to our standard rotation. With Jan & Dean, The Beach Boys, The Blue Stingrays, The Ventures, and more!

7:00 p.m. Petty Theft: The Covers

We gave you the first playlist of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers covers back at the beginning of Petty Month. This is our second playlist of covers selected right here by our DJ in The Mermaid Lounge.

What in the bloody hell are you waiting for, people? You’d think we were asking you for your name, rank, and credit card number. We don’t. Ever. All you need to do is pull up a tab.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Spend Tuesday Bluesday With Allman & Clapton, John Lennon in The Spotlight, and Our Album of the Week, Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Good Morning, Ungovernables! It’s Tuesday Bluesday, and today we feature two guitar gods — Duane Allman and Eric Clapton — in some studio jams!

Duane Allman-Eric Clapton

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday line-up!

12:00 p.m.   Album of the Week: The Band by The Band

Coming on the heels of Music From Big Pink, Robbie Robertson becomes The Band’s creative force and the rest is musical history.

3:00 p.m.    Duane Allman & Eric Clapton: Studio Jams 1-6   NEW!

Can you imagine Duane Allman and Eric Clapton hanging out in a studio together? No  need to use your imagination. It really happened.

6:00 p.m.    In the Spotlight: The Music of John Lennon

This playlist spans Lennon’s musical career. The songwriting combination of John Lennon & Paul McCartney remains the most successful in music history.

What in the world are you waiting for? We’re free. No commercials. No politicians. No bullshit. Just great music.

www.tinyurl.com/becomeungovernableradio

The Lost Cream Tapes, The Wailers at the Beacon, Lennon in the Spotlight & Let’s “Eat A Peach,” Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Good Morning, Ungovernables! We’re back on the programming track today as we move toward our N’Awlins Mardi Gras Extravaganza.

bob Marley

Here’s Tuesday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m.     ACID: The Lost Cream Tapes (1967)

2:00 p.m.       Bob Marley & The Wailers: Live at the Beacon Theater (1976)

The Beacon is one great venue; the place to be. Smaller and more intimate. Bands would play as many nights there as it took to satisfy the customer demand rather than play in an arena.

5:00 p.m.       In the Spotlight: The Music of John Lennon

9:00 p.m.      Album of the Week: Eat A Peach by The Allman Brothers Band

Tune us in at www.tinyurl.com/becomeungovernableradio

Did I mention that we are 24/7 and open streaming the best music on the planet in between and around all of this great programming?