On this day in 1973, the Stealers Wheel single “Stuck in the Middle with You” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #86 (March 3)
The song was co-written, and sung by Gerry Rafferty, who would later go on to have the solo smash hit “Baker Street”.
It was released on Stealers Wheel’s self-titled debut LP, and eventually rose to #6 in the US, #2 in Canada, #5 in South Africa, #8 in the UK and the Netherlands, and #16 in Australia.
But despite not cracking a #1 spot, the song has achieved a lasting longevity, and is regarded as a classic of the era.
Maybe because we very often feel like we’re surrounded by “clowns to the left of us, jokers to the right”?
The song is used in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 debut film “Reservoir Dogs”, during the scene in which the character Mr. Blonde (played by Michael Madsen) taunts and tortures bound policeman Marvin Nash (Kirk Baltz) while singing and dancing to the song.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Tarantino recalled:
"That was one of those things where I thought [the song] would work really well, and [during] auditions, I told the actors that I wanted them to do the torture scene, and I'm gonna use 'Stuck in the Middle With You,' but they could pick anything they wanted, they didn't have to use that song.
And a couple of people picked another one, but almost everyone came in with 'Stuck in the Middle With You,' and they were saying that they tried to come up with something else, but that's the one.
The first time somebody actually did the torture scene to that song, the guy didn't even have a great audition, but it was like watching the movie. I was thinking, 'Oh my God, this is gonna be awesome!' "
Click on the link below to watch the original clip:
Singer and songwriter Jennifer Warnes was born in Seattle, Washington, on this day in 1947 (March 3)
Warnes has sung in not one, but two worldwide #1 hit duets from blockbuster movies; “Up Where We Belong” with Joe Cocker (the theme song from “An Officer and a Gentleman” starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger), and “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life” with Bill Medley (the theme song from “Dirty Dancing” starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey).
She also won Grammy Awards for both songs.
“Up Where We Belong” and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" also won Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Song.
Back in 1979, Warnes recorded the song "It Goes Like It Goes" for the motion picture “Norma Rae”, which also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Warnes also collaborated closely with her friend Leonard Cohen, and released a number of solo albums, the most recent in 2018.
Click on the link below to watch “Up Where We Belong”:
OR
Click on the link below to watch “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life”:
On this day in 1979, The Police LP “Outlandos d’Amour” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #139 (March 3)
One of the best debut albums emerging from the post punk era, with tracks like “Roxanne”, “So Lonely”, “Be My Girl - Sally”, and “Can't Stand Losing You", Rolling Stone ranked it as the 38th best debut album of all time and the 428th greatest album of all time.
The title is a loose French translation of "Outlaws of Love", with the first word being a combination of the words "outlaws" and "commandos", and "d'Amour" meaning "of love".
The album reached #2 in the Netherlands, #6 in the UK and New Zealand, #15 in Australia, and #23 in the US.
Click on the link below to watch “So Lonely”:
This week back in 1984, Embassy Pictures released the mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” (March 2)
This absolutely brilliant piece of cinematic genius was co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut).
The mockumentary following the fictional British heavy metal band Spinal Tap on their 1982 United States concert tour to promote their new album “Smell the Glove”, stars Christopher Guest as guitar hero Nigel Tufnel, Michael McKean as lead singer and guitarist David St. Hubbins, and the voice of Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman: the one and only Harry Shearer as bass player Derek Smalls.
Rob Reiner himself stars as filmmaker Martin "Marty" Di Bergi…
This iconic rock film resonated with musicians around the globe!
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Dee Snider and Ozzy Osbourne all mused that, like Spinal Tap, they too had become lost in confusing arena backstage hallways trying to make their way to the stage! (“Rock n Roll!”)
When Dokken's George Lynch saw the film he is said to have exclaimed, "That's us! How'd they make a movie about us?"
Lars Ulrich told a press conference crowd that the 1992 Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour seemed "so Spinal Tap."
In a 1992 interview, Kurt Cobain said:
"There's never really been a good documentary on rock and roll bands."
Dave Grohl then cuts in saying, "Except for Spinal Tap, [that] was the only rock movie worth watching," which Cobain agreed with…
In 2002, “This Is Spinal Tap” was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Click on the link below to watch the classic Nigel Tufnel “but this goes to 11” bit:
On this day in 1985, Nik Kershaw released the single “Wide Boy” (March 4)
The song written by Kershaw was originally recorded for his “Human Racing” album, but was dropped before the album was released.
It later appeared on Kershaw's next album “The Riddle”. The single was a remix of the album version.
It was his sixth consecutive UK Top 20 hit single, eventually peaking at #9 on the UK Singles Chart, and also reaching #5 in Ireland, #7 in Australia, and #21 in New Zealand.
The excellent video clip to the song was directed by the acclaimed graphic designer Storm Thorgerson.
Click on the link below to watch it:
On this day in 1967, The Rolling Stones single “Ruby Tuesday” went to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (March 4)
On the recording, Brian Jones played the recorder and piano, whilst the double bass was played jointly by bassist Bill Wyman and guitarist Keith Richards; Wyman did the fingerings while Richards bowed the instrument.
Songfacts reports that Keith Richards said of "Ruby Tuesday":
“That's one of those things - some chick you've broken up with. And all you've got left is the piano and the guitar and a pair of panties.
And it's goodbye you know.
And so it just comes out of that.
And after that you just build on it.
It's one of those songs that are easiest to write because you're really right there and you really sort of mean it.
And for a songwriter, hey break his heart and he'll come up with a good song."
Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995: "'Ruby Tuesday' is good. I think that's a wonderful song. It's just a nice melody, really. And a lovely lyric. Neither of which I wrote, but I always enjoy singing it."
The Jagger/Richards accredited composition that was later included in the American version of the LP “Between the Buttons” went all the way to #1 in the US, #2 in Australia and Canada, #3 in the UK, and #4 in South Africa.
Rolling Stone ranked the song #310 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Click on the link below to watch the classic clip:
On this day in 1972, the Elton John single “Tiny Dancer” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #85 (March 4)
Bernie Taupin’s lyrics to the opening track to Elton’s 1971 album “Madman Across the Water” were inspired by his first visit to the US in 1970, and were intended to capture the spirit of California, where he found the women he met highly contrasted with those who he had known in his home country of England.
Taupin also stated in a 1973 interview in Rolling Stone that the song is about Maxine Feibelman, his wife at the time.
In 2019, Feibelman said, "I knew [the song] was about me.
I had been into ballet as a little girl and sewed patches on Elton's jackets and jeans", referring to the song's description of a "seamstress for the band".
Due to the song's lengthy run time of 6:12 minutes, "Tiny Dancer" performed only modestly in the US charts, and was not even officially released as a single in the UK.
It peaked at #13 in Australia, #19 in Canada, and #41 in the US.
In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked the song #397 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
“Tiny Dancer” also gets a name check in Ed Sheeran’s 2017 hit “Castle on the Hill”.
Click on the link below to watch Elton do it live:
On this day in 1989, the Def Leppard single “Rocket” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #61 (March 4)
“Rocket” was the seventh and final single from the massive worldwide #1 smash hit album “Hysteria”.
The fun track that started off as just an instrumental, contains references in the lyrics to a heap of other songs and artists such as Jack Flash, Rocket Man, Satellite of Love, Sgt. Pepper, Bennie & the Jets, Jean Genie, Killer Queen, Major Tom, and Ziggy, among others…
The song went to #5 in New Zealand, #12 in the US, #14 in Canada, and #15 in the UK and Australia.
Click on the link below to watch:
The song was co-written, and sung by Gerry Rafferty, who would later go on to have the solo smash hit “Baker Street”.
It was released on Stealers Wheel’s self-titled debut LP, and eventually rose to #6 in the US, #2 in Canada, #5 in South Africa, #8 in the UK and the Netherlands, and #16 in Australia.
But despite not cracking a #1 spot, the song has achieved a lasting longevity, and is regarded as a classic of the era.
Maybe because we very often feel like we’re surrounded by “clowns to the left of us, jokers to the right”?
The song is used in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 debut film “Reservoir Dogs”, during the scene in which the character Mr. Blonde (played by Michael Madsen) taunts and tortures bound policeman Marvin Nash (Kirk Baltz) while singing and dancing to the song.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Tarantino recalled:
"That was one of those things where I thought [the song] would work really well, and [during] auditions, I told the actors that I wanted them to do the torture scene, and I'm gonna use 'Stuck in the Middle With You,' but they could pick anything they wanted, they didn't have to use that song.
And a couple of people picked another one, but almost everyone came in with 'Stuck in the Middle With You,' and they were saying that they tried to come up with something else, but that's the one.
The first time somebody actually did the torture scene to that song, the guy didn't even have a great audition, but it was like watching the movie. I was thinking, 'Oh my God, this is gonna be awesome!' "
Click on the link below to watch the original clip:
Singer and songwriter Jennifer Warnes was born in Seattle, Washington, on this day in 1947 (March 3)
Warnes has sung in not one, but two worldwide #1 hit duets from blockbuster movies; “Up Where We Belong” with Joe Cocker (the theme song from “An Officer and a Gentleman” starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger), and “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life” with Bill Medley (the theme song from “Dirty Dancing” starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey).
She also won Grammy Awards for both songs.
“Up Where We Belong” and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" also won Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Song.
Back in 1979, Warnes recorded the song "It Goes Like It Goes" for the motion picture “Norma Rae”, which also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Warnes also collaborated closely with her friend Leonard Cohen, and released a number of solo albums, the most recent in 2018.
Click on the link below to watch “Up Where We Belong”:
OR
Click on the link below to watch “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life”:
On this day in 1979, The Police LP “Outlandos d’Amour” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #139 (March 3)
One of the best debut albums emerging from the post punk era, with tracks like “Roxanne”, “So Lonely”, “Be My Girl - Sally”, and “Can't Stand Losing You", Rolling Stone ranked it as the 38th best debut album of all time and the 428th greatest album of all time.
The title is a loose French translation of "Outlaws of Love", with the first word being a combination of the words "outlaws" and "commandos", and "d'Amour" meaning "of love".
The album reached #2 in the Netherlands, #6 in the UK and New Zealand, #15 in Australia, and #23 in the US.
Click on the link below to watch “So Lonely”:
This week back in 1984, Embassy Pictures released the mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” (March 2)
This absolutely brilliant piece of cinematic genius was co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut).
The mockumentary following the fictional British heavy metal band Spinal Tap on their 1982 United States concert tour to promote their new album “Smell the Glove”, stars Christopher Guest as guitar hero Nigel Tufnel, Michael McKean as lead singer and guitarist David St. Hubbins, and the voice of Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman: the one and only Harry Shearer as bass player Derek Smalls.
Rob Reiner himself stars as filmmaker Martin "Marty" Di Bergi…
This iconic rock film resonated with musicians around the globe!
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Dee Snider and Ozzy Osbourne all mused that, like Spinal Tap, they too had become lost in confusing arena backstage hallways trying to make their way to the stage! (“Rock n Roll!”)
When Dokken's George Lynch saw the film he is said to have exclaimed, "That's us! How'd they make a movie about us?"
Lars Ulrich told a press conference crowd that the 1992 Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour seemed "so Spinal Tap."
In a 1992 interview, Kurt Cobain said:
"There's never really been a good documentary on rock and roll bands."
Dave Grohl then cuts in saying, "Except for Spinal Tap, [that] was the only rock movie worth watching," which Cobain agreed with…
In 2002, “This Is Spinal Tap” was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Click on the link below to watch the classic Nigel Tufnel “but this goes to 11” bit:
On this day in 1985, Nik Kershaw released the single “Wide Boy” (March 4)
The song written by Kershaw was originally recorded for his “Human Racing” album, but was dropped before the album was released.
It later appeared on Kershaw's next album “The Riddle”. The single was a remix of the album version.
It was his sixth consecutive UK Top 20 hit single, eventually peaking at #9 on the UK Singles Chart, and also reaching #5 in Ireland, #7 in Australia, and #21 in New Zealand.
The excellent video clip to the song was directed by the acclaimed graphic designer Storm Thorgerson.
Click on the link below to watch it:
On this day in 1967, The Rolling Stones single “Ruby Tuesday” went to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (March 4)
On the recording, Brian Jones played the recorder and piano, whilst the double bass was played jointly by bassist Bill Wyman and guitarist Keith Richards; Wyman did the fingerings while Richards bowed the instrument.
Songfacts reports that Keith Richards said of "Ruby Tuesday":
“That's one of those things - some chick you've broken up with. And all you've got left is the piano and the guitar and a pair of panties.
And it's goodbye you know.
And so it just comes out of that.
And after that you just build on it.
It's one of those songs that are easiest to write because you're really right there and you really sort of mean it.
And for a songwriter, hey break his heart and he'll come up with a good song."
Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995: "'Ruby Tuesday' is good. I think that's a wonderful song. It's just a nice melody, really. And a lovely lyric. Neither of which I wrote, but I always enjoy singing it."
The Jagger/Richards accredited composition that was later included in the American version of the LP “Between the Buttons” went all the way to #1 in the US, #2 in Australia and Canada, #3 in the UK, and #4 in South Africa.
Rolling Stone ranked the song #310 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Click on the link below to watch the classic clip:
On this day in 1972, the Elton John single “Tiny Dancer” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #85 (March 4)
Bernie Taupin’s lyrics to the opening track to Elton’s 1971 album “Madman Across the Water” were inspired by his first visit to the US in 1970, and were intended to capture the spirit of California, where he found the women he met highly contrasted with those who he had known in his home country of England.
Taupin also stated in a 1973 interview in Rolling Stone that the song is about Maxine Feibelman, his wife at the time.
In 2019, Feibelman said, "I knew [the song] was about me.
I had been into ballet as a little girl and sewed patches on Elton's jackets and jeans", referring to the song's description of a "seamstress for the band".
Due to the song's lengthy run time of 6:12 minutes, "Tiny Dancer" performed only modestly in the US charts, and was not even officially released as a single in the UK.
It peaked at #13 in Australia, #19 in Canada, and #41 in the US.
In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked the song #397 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
“Tiny Dancer” also gets a name check in Ed Sheeran’s 2017 hit “Castle on the Hill”.
Click on the link below to watch Elton do it live:
On this day in 1989, the Def Leppard single “Rocket” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #61 (March 4)
“Rocket” was the seventh and final single from the massive worldwide #1 smash hit album “Hysteria”.
The fun track that started off as just an instrumental, contains references in the lyrics to a heap of other songs and artists such as Jack Flash, Rocket Man, Satellite of Love, Sgt. Pepper, Bennie & the Jets, Jean Genie, Killer Queen, Major Tom, and Ziggy, among others…
The song went to #5 in New Zealand, #12 in the US, #14 in Canada, and #15 in the UK and Australia.
Click on the link below to watch:
