Author: Jim Feliciano

FLASHBACK POP MUSIC HISTORY: JULY 20

From the MCRFB music calendar:

Events on this date: JULY 20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1940: Billboard magazine publishes their first combined record sales chart, ranking the hits of all major labels. Sitting atop the ten entries is Tommy Dorsey’s “I’ll Never Smile Again,” by lead singer Frank Sinatra.

Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley and Bill Black in 1954.

1954: Taking their name from their local hit recording of “Blue Moon Over Kentucky,” Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black perform a concert as the Blue Moon Boys on the back of a flatbed truck outside the grand opening of a Memphis drugstore.

1961: British paper Mersey Beat announces that the Beatles — or rather, the Beat Brothers, as they were then known — have just signed their first recording contract. Not with Capitol, but with famed German producer Bert Kaempfert.

1963: The Beatles nab their first UK No. 1 LP with Please Please Me.

1965: Frank Sinatra leaves his hand prints in cement outside Hollywood landmark Grauman’s Chinese Theater at 6925 Hollywood Blvd.

Paul McCartney and Jane Asher in 1964.

1968: Aware of Paul McCartney’s various affairs, his fiancee, Jane Asher, announces on the BBC program Dee Time that she has broken off her engagement with the Beatle: “I haven’t broken it off, but it is broken off, finished… I know it sounds corny, but we still see each other, and love each other, but it hasn’t worked out. Perhaps we’ll be childhood sweethearts and meet again, and get married when we’re around seventy.” Paul, watching at home, is reportedly surprised, but rumors has been swirling for months, so perhaps not.

1970: The Carpenters appear as guest bachelor and bachelorette on ABC-TV’s The Dating Game show.

1975: Steven Van Zandt makes his first appearance in concert with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

1986: Carlos Santana celebrates his 39th birthday, as well as the 20th anniversary of his band, by playing a concert in San Francisco featuring all 17 original members of his group.

 

Deaths: Roy Hamilton; 1969.

Releases: “Judy’s Turn To Cry,” Lesley Gore; 1963. “I’ll Cry Instead,” “And I Lover Her,” The Beatles; 1964. “Do You Believe In Magic,” Lovin’ Spoonful; 1965. “Like A Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan; 1965.

Recording: “I’m In Love Again,” “Midnight Special,” Paul McCartney; 1987.

Charts: 1963: “Surf City,” Jan and Dean; hits No. 1 on the charts. 1968: “Grazing In The Grass,” Hugh Masekela; hits No. 1 on the charts. 1968: “In The Gada-Da-Vida,” Iron Butterfly; enters the charts.

Certifications: 1963: “Concert In Rhythm,” “Memories Are Made Of This,” Ray Conniff Singers; are both certified gold.

 

 

 

 

And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day….

 

Loading

GORDON MCLENDON: AN OPEN LETTER TO… APRIL 8, 1967

From the MCRFB news archives:

An Open Letter To The Music Industry: April 8, 1967

 

 

 

 

 

Gordon McLendon’s Open Letter To The Music Industry… full page ad; Billboard Magazine April 8, 1967. (Click on image for sharper scan).

 

 

(Information and news source: Billboard; April 8, 1967).

 

Addendum: Gordon McLendon, Top 40 radio pioneer and then-owner of several radio stations across the country, including the legendary KLIF in Dallas, voiced great concern in early 1967 as to which way the recording industry was heading, in allowing “raunchy” and suggestive lyrics in popular music airplay on the radio.

Gordon McLendon.

In this Billboard ad, McLendon went on to attack the recording industry, while advocating of his intent to abolish records on all of his McLendon stations, songs that were not accompanied with a lyric sheet per their review.

McLendon, at the time, strongly felt certain songs were undermining the moral character of the country by their questionable “subliminal” context expressing drug or sexual connotations, whether stated or implied, which the McLendon group would ban unsuitable for any airplay if found to be in question. He also went on in further recommending radio broadcasters across the country follow suit likewise, of the guidelines and steps he imposed in the ad.

In Detroit, it bears to note that just one month after this ad was published, WKNR station owner Nellie Knorr barred Tommy James’ “I Think We’re Alone Now” from airplay on Keener, she found the lyrics too “suggestive.” But that’s how radio was trying to “keep it clean” back in 1967.

And what was the one particular recording which prompted McLendon to state of his resolve to ban records he judged “unfit” for airplay on his stations?

…”Try It,” by the Standells.

Loading

CAMEO RECORDS HOT IN 1962… JANUARY 12, 1963

From the MCRFB news archives:

Cameo Leans On It’s ‘Limbo‘ Wave for 1963

 

 

 

 

PHILADELPHIA — Cameo-Parkway Records, which started out 1962 with a slew of hot twist singles and and LPs, thinks it has an even hotter dance going for it as 1963 begins. The would be The Limbo. The Chubby Checker single recording (disking) of “Let’s Limbo,” on Parkway, has passed the 1,600,000 mark according to the firm, and the LP, which was only issued two months ago, is now over the 200,000 sales figure, the Cameo firm has reported.

Cameo Parkway Records wound up with its hottest year in 1962 overall. The Philadelphia firm had a total of 17 singles on Cameo or Parkway in the top 50 of the Billboard “Top 100” chart, best showing of their product in sales thus far, which includes all sales culled from the labels’ recording acts, such as Bobby Rydell; The Tymes; Dee Dee Sharp; The Dovells; The Orlons, and Chubby Checker, the label’s hottest act since 1960. END.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Information and news source: Billboard; January 12, 1963).

 

Loading

DICK DALE MAKING WEST COAST WAVES… JANUARY 12, 1963

From the MCRFB news archives:

DICK DALES RIDING BIG ON SURF AND CHARTS

 

 

 

 

Dick Dale circa early ’60s. (Click on image for larger view).

HOLLYWOOD — One of the hottest selling attractions here on record disks and in person is a 24-year old surf-riding buff, Dick Dale, whose Del-Tone recording is currently dominating the local charts and whose personal appearances are drawing ‘turn-away’ crowds here in the lower California west coast area.

Dale currently has three single sides on local radio station playlists on KFWB and KRLA. Music City’s Top 40 Best Selling Singles chart lists Dale’s “Peppermint Man” in the No. 1 position, followed by “Miserlou” as the No. 2 best seller.

Music City’s Top 40 Best Selling Albums Chart lists Dale’s “Surfer’s Choice” LP in the No. 2 top-selling position, second only to Vaughn Meader’s “First Family” album. Sid Talmadge’s Record Merchandising, which happens to be a distributor for both Cadence and the Del-Tone label, said last week that the Dale package has started catching up with the Meader “First Family” album.

Talmadge also said he has already moved 50,000 copies of “Surfer’s Choice” LP and has sold more than 75,000 of the Dale singles. Dale, and his band the Deltones, comprising as an instrumental group of seven with Dale serving as lead, are currently appearing at the Harmony Park Ballroom in nearby Anaheim. END.

 

(Information and news source: Billboard; January 12, 1963).

 

Loading

BRENDA LEE’S HOUSE DESTROYED BY FIRE… JANUARY 12, 1963

From the MCRFB news archives:

Brenda Lee Hurt Slightly as Fire Destroys Her House

 

 

 

 

NASHVILLE — A raging fire recently gutted the luxurious home of popular songstress Brenda Lee, Monday, December 31, 1962, which resulted in slight injuries to Brenda when she tried in vain to save her famous poodle, Cee Cee, from the soaring flames and smoke.

The fire, which was attributed to a faulty electrical wiring with a household appliance, swept the nine-room home, valued at $37,000, leaving all but a single bedroom in total ruin.

Dub Albritton, Brenda’s manager, said the star’s $25,000 wardrobe of stage clothes and costumes was completely destroyed. They were not insured, though the house and property was.

Brenda Lee.

Brenda was at home with her mother and several other relatives when the fire started. All except Brenda were asleep when the country/pop star, who was watching a late-night television program, noticed smoke in the house.

All were awakened and stood outside in frigid 20-degree temperatures when the eighteen-year old singer, barefooted and wearing only a house robe, went back into the burning house to retrieve her poodle, Cee Cee.

The dog, one of four, was unaccounted for and missing immediately after the blaze broke out. But she was too late. The little poodle, who had traveled the globe with Brenda, was found expired having succumbed to heavy smoke inhalation. The singer’s hair was singed and one of her eyes sustained injury, Albritton said. He said the eye injury was not considered serious.

In addition to her missing poodle, more than 80 stuff animals collected by Miss Lee were lost in the fire.

In the house when the fire began were Miss Lee’s mother, Mrs. Grace Rainwater; her brother, Randy; her sister, Mrs. Ralph McFalls and her husband, and her niece, Lisa McFalls. No one, outside of Brenda, were injured.

“I don’t know how it started,” Mrs. Rainwater said in a recent Nashville newspaper article. “Suddenly there was just smoke all over the place. We just got out and let it go.” END.

 

(Information and news source: Billboard; January 12, 1963).

Loading