February 8th – 14th – This Week in Rock
Trivia Answer: February 13, 2005 – Led Zeppelin are awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards.
BORN THIS WEEK IN ROCK
Stuart Hamm – February 8, 1960 (bass, Joe Satriani)
Vince Neil – February 8, 1961 (vocals, Motley Crue)
Cliff Burton – February 10, 1962 (bass, Metallica)
Alan “Mr. Fabulous” Rubin – February 11, 1943 (trumpet, Blues Brothers)
Ray Manzarek – February 12, 1939 (keyboards and organ, The Doors)
Steve Hackett – February 12, 1950 (guitar, Genesis)
Michael McDonald – February 12, 1952 (vocals & keyboards, The Doobie Brothers)
Brian Robertson – February 12, 1956 (guitar, Thin Lizzy/ Motorhead)
Bill Szymczyk – February 13, 1943 (producer, The Eagles, The Who, B.B. King, Elvin Bishop, etc.)
Peter Gabriel – February 13, 1950 (vocals & flute, Genesis)
Laurence Jones – February 13, 1992 (blues guitarist)
Eric Andersen – February 14, 1943 (Songwriter: Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan)
Vic Briggs – February 14, 1945 (guitar, The Animals)
Roger Fisher – February 14, 1950 (guitar, Heart)
DIED THIS WEEK IN ROCK
Keith Knudsen – February 8, 2005 (drummer, the Doobie Brothers)
Max Yasgur – February 9, 1973 (owner, Woodstock farm)
Bill Haley – February 9, 1981 (vocals & guitar, Bill Haley & the Comets)
Dave Alexander – February 10, 1975 (bass, The Stooges)
Whitney Houston – February 11, 2012 (soul singer)
“Screamin” Jay Hawkins – February 12, 2000 (R&B singer-songwriter)
Sam Andrew – February 12, 2015 (guitar, Big Brother, and the Holding Company)
Waylon Jennings – February 13, 2002 (Country singer-songwriter)
Doug Fieger – February 14, 2010 (guitar/vocals, the Knack)
TOP CHARTS & NEW RELEASES
Queen’s “Killer Queen” releases on February 8, 1975.
“You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon is certified gold on February 8, 1973.’
Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” hits number 1 on February 10, 1979.
Dire Straits releases their hit song “Sultans of Swing” – February 10, 1979
Led Zeppelin makes it to #15 on the U.S. charts with the “Black Dog / Misty Mountain Hop” single. This was their third top 20 song in the U.S: February 11, 1972
“19th Nervous Breakdown” by The Rolling Stones is released in the U.S. – February 12, 1966.
February 12, 1973 – Elton John’s Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only the Piano Player is certified Gold.
“The Things That I Used To Do” by Guitar Slim hits #1 on the R&B charts – February 13, 1954
February 13, 1967 – The Beatles release the “Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane” single.
The Doors’ “Touch Me” goes Gold – February 13, 1969.
February 13, 1969 – Bob Dylan records versions of “Lay, Lady, Lay.”
Black Sabbath release their first album, Black Sabbath – February 13, 1970.
February 14, 1966 – Simon and Garfunkel’s Sounds of Silence is certified gold.
Aretha Franklin records “Respect” – February 14, 1967.
THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY
On February 8, 1956 – Buddy Holley signs a recording contract with Decca Records, one which mistakenly drops the “e” from his last name. Buddy, knowing a good thing when he sees it, drops the letter from his name as well.
The Beatles’ official fan club disbands on February 8, 1972.
February 8, 2006- David Bowie is awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
February 9, 1964 – At 8:00 PM EST CBS’ Ed Sullivan Show takes to the airwaves to broadcast the Beatles’ first US television appearance. Nearly 73 million Americans — a record for its time, and still one of the highest ratings ever — watch as John, Paul, George and Ringo perform “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to 703 screaming teenage fans (mostly girls) in the audience.
February 10, 1968 – The Beatles close their American fan club and business office, Beatles U.S.A, fire their American PR people, and sever all business ties in the country, turning everything over to their own Apple Corps in London.
February 11, 1963 – In a whirlwind recording session, an up-and-coming band called The Beatles record 14 tracks. 10 of those songs will be featured on the band’s debut album Please Please Me, and the other 4 were saved for release as singles. The recording occurred at the iconic Abbey Road studios in London, England. How many takes did Lennon need to record his electrifying lead vocals on “Twist & Shout?” One.
February 11, 1964 – The Beatles make their live concert debut in the United States, performing at the Washington Coliseum in Washington D.C. The setlist is filled with megahits and famous songs, including, “Please Please Me,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” The atmosphere was frenzied, with crowd noise drowning any possible hopes of understanding anything the band said, and enthusiastic fans pelting the band with their favorite treats, jellybeans, much to the band’s chagrin.
February 11, 1970 – Members of the Allman Brothers Band and Fleetwood Mac appear on stage to jam with The Grateful Dead at The Fillmore East in New York City. You read that correctly. Jerry Garcia, Duane Allman, and Peter Green, all on stage together for an epic rendition of “Turn On Your Lovelight.” If only we had a time machine…
February 11, 1972 – First time David Bowie performs as Ziggy Stardust. Ziggy Stardust is a kind of rock music “total work of art” to borrow a phrase from classical music’s Richard Wagner, in which David Bowie combines recorded music (his album, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”), live music, and theatrical and performance art elements. This was a truly revolutionary move in the history of rock and firmly cemented Bowie’s role in that history.
David Bowie receives the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on February 8, 2006.
February 12, 1974 – The legendary New York City rock club The Bottom Line opened on this date. Located at 15 West 4th Street between Mercer and Greene in New York City – our old New York University stomping grounds, as it turns out a plethora of famous and important musicians across a variety of genres have played there including, and in no order, Eric Clapton, The Police, Prince, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Miles Davis, Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield, birthday boy Peter Gabriel. The club was also a veritable launching pad for a “bossy” young musician who came along by the name of Bruce Springsteen who played some legendary early shows there.
February 13, 1914 – ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, is formed in New York City.
February 13, 1966 – The Ed Sullivan Show features The Rolling Stones, the band’s third appearance on the program. The setlist included the lively “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” the haunting Jagger and Richards duet, “As Tears Go By,” and an aggressive version of their newly minted smash song, “19th Nervous Breakdown.”
February 13, 2005 – Led Zeppelin were awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards.
February 14, 1970 – The Who play their standout concert Live at Leeds in England
February 14, 1974 – A joint tour by Bob Dylan and The Band, with the latter serving as Dylan’s backing band – you gotta serve somebody, right? – concluded at the Forum in Los Angeles. The tour consisted of 39 shows in 21 cities. The final show was attended by such renowned figures as Carole King, Neil Young, Jack Nicholson, Ring Starr, and Warren Beatty. Some of the performance is used on the live double album Before the Flood. The setlist is enough to make a Dylan fanatic praise the heavens, full of classics like “She Belongs To Me,” “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” and, of course, “Blowin’ In the Wind.”
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