Saturday, December 24, 2011

Dec 24, Today's Rock History Report...

1965, The Beatles had the number one album in the US for the third Christmas in a row. 'Rubber Soul' sat atop the LP chart in '65, following 'Beatles For Sale' in 1964 and 'With The Beatles' in 1963. The Fab Four would repeat this feat again in 1968 with 'The Beatles' (The White Album) and again in 1969, with 'Abbey Road'.

1967, The Bee Gees performed their Christmas special 'live' from Liverpool Cathedral, England which was broadcast on UK TV.

1972, David Bowie appeared at the Rainbow Theatre, London, England giving a special Christmas Eve concert.

1976, 'Hotel California', The Eagles' sixth album, spent the first of eight non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard chart. The band's first LP with Joe Walsh and last with bassist Randy Meisner which has now sold over 16 million copies.

1977, The Sex Pistols played their last ever UK gig, (until 1996), before splitting, at Ivanhoes in Huddersfield. It was a charity performance before an audience of mainly children.

1983, The Police appeared at The Brighton Centre, Brighton, England on their Synchronicity Tour.

1988, Poison started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn.'

1988, Nirvana started recording their first album 'Bleach' using a $600 loan from an old school friend.

1994, Pearl Jam went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Vitalogy'.

1999, Zeke Carey of The Flamingos died. Had the 1959 US No.11 single 'I Only Have Eyes For You', (which was also a 1975 UK No.1 hit for Art Garfunkel).

2000, Four Seasons bassist Nick Massi died of cancer. They scored the 1976 UK & US No.1 single 'December 1963, Oh What A Night', as well as hits with ‘Sherry,’ and ‘Rag Doll.’

2009, Larry Knechtel, the keyboard player for the Soft-Rock group Bread, died following a heart attack at the age of 69. Knechtel earned a Grammy award for his arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and also performed with Neil Diamond, Randy Newman, Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr., The Dixie Chicks and Elvis Costello.

Happy Rock-n-Roll Birthdays to...

1945, Lemmy, Hawkwind, Motorhead
1946, Jan Akkerman, Focus
1968, Doyle Bramhall II, Smokestack, Eric Clapton Band, Roger Waters
1971, Ricky Martin
1975, Joe Washbourne, Toploader

No comments:

Post a Comment