On this day in 1979, the Doobie Brothers LP “Minute by Minute” went to #1 on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart (April 28)
“Minute by Minute” made The Doobie Brothers one of the big winners at the 22nd Grammy Awards.
The album got the trophy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and received a nomination for Album of the Year; the single "What a Fool Believes" earned them three Grammys, including Song and Record of the Year.
The album spent 87 weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart and spent two weeks at #1.
It was also #1 in Canada, and #6 in Australia and New Zealand.
It was also the Doobies last album with legendary guitarist Skunk Baxter.
Click on the link below to watch a simply superb live version of “What A Fool Believes” from the 1979 Grammys:
On this day in 1979, the Cheap Trick single “I Want You To Want Me” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #78 (April 28)
It was the first single released from their second album “In Colour”, but the original studio version failed to chart in the US.
Nineteen months later, a more rock-oriented live version from the band's successful “Cheap Trick at Budokan” album was released as a single and became one of their biggest hits, and eventually one of their signature songs.
This version peaked at #1 in Japan, Belgium, and the Netherlands, #2 in Canada, #7 in the US, #18 in Germany, #23 in New Zealand, and #43 in Australia.
It was also the band's highest charting single in the UK, where it reached #29.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1984, the LP “This Is Spinal Tap” debuted on the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #195 (April 28)
The soundtrack to the film that defined rock mockumentaries…
This absolutely brilliant piece of cinematic genius was co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut).
All tracks on the album were written by Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Reiner.
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 Guest as guitar hero Nigel Tufnel, 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 1979, the Abba single “Does Your Mother Know?” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #19 (April 29)
Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, the demo for "Does Your Mother Know" featured Björn on guide vocal, and the band decided they liked him singing the track so much, they stuck with it.
The rocky number from their sixth album “Voulez-Vous” became a Top 10 hit in the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands, and Top 20 in the US and many other countries around the world...
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1978, the Plastic Bertrand single “Ça Plane Pour Moi” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #95 (April 29)
The song was released by Plastic Bertrand, in 1977, though its vocals were actually performed by Lou Deprijck, the record's producer and composer.
It’s been covered by many artists, though Plastic Bertrand's original recording was the most successful, eventually reaching #2 in Australia, #1 in France and Switzerland, #2 in the Netherlands, #4 in Ireland, #6 in Germany, #7 in New Zealand, #8 in the UK, and #47 in the US.
While mainly regarded as a punk song, "Ça plane pour moi" has also been described as parody punk and as new wave.
The song's name is a French idiomatic expression that is best translated as "everything's going well for me" (literally: "it is gliding for me")…
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1985, the Eurogliders single “We Will Together” debuted on the Australian charts (April 29)
“We Will Together” was the lead single from their third studio album, “Absolutely!”, and the band’s second highest charting single behind “Heaven (Must Be There)”.
The song written by guitarist Bernie Lynch, and sung by Lynch and Grace Knight, eventually peaked at #7 on the Australian charts for the Perth band.
Click on the link below to watch:
The Jam released their debut single “In The City” from their debut LP of the same name on this day in 1977 (April 29)
They would go on to be one of the most unique and influential bands of the late 1970s - early 80s, with “In The City” starting a run of 18 consecutive UK Top 40 hits, including four at #1...
Paul Weller was only 18 when he penned this celebration of youth in the big city.
He recalled, "It was the sound of young Woking, if not London, a song about trying to break out of suburbia.
As far as we were concerned, the city was where it was all happening; the clubs, the gigs, the music, the music.
I was probably 18, so it was a young man's song, a suburbanite dreaming of the delights of London and the excitement of the city.
It was an exciting time to be alive.
London was coming out of its post-hippy days and there was a new generation taking over.
The song captured that wide-eyed innocence of coming out of a very small community and entering a wider world, seeing all the bands, meeting people, going to the clubs, and the freedom that it held."
Total high energy live performance....
Happy Birthday today to songwriter, musician and producer Tommy James, who was born Thomas Gregory Jackson in Dayton, Ohio, on this day in 1947 (April 29)
Best known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who had a string of enduring classic hits including "Crimson and Clover", “Mony Mony”, and "I Think We're Alone Now".
To date, over 300 musicians have recorded versions of James' music.
Covers of all three of those aforementioned James' songs went Top 10 on the Hot 100 (the last two as consecutive #1s) in the 1980s: Joan Jett with "Crimson and Clover", Tiffany with "I Think We're Alone Now", and Billy Idol with "Mony Mony".
Initially labeled as a “bubblegum pop” band, as Tommy James and the Shondells evolved and embraced the sounds of 60s psychedelia, they were invited to perform at Woodstock, but declined.
James went solo later in 1970 and released 12 solo albums, the last in 2019.
Click on the link below to watch “Crimson and Clover”:
“Minute by Minute” made The Doobie Brothers one of the big winners at the 22nd Grammy Awards.
The album got the trophy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and received a nomination for Album of the Year; the single "What a Fool Believes" earned them three Grammys, including Song and Record of the Year.
The album spent 87 weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart and spent two weeks at #1.
It was also #1 in Canada, and #6 in Australia and New Zealand.
It was also the Doobies last album with legendary guitarist Skunk Baxter.
Click on the link below to watch a simply superb live version of “What A Fool Believes” from the 1979 Grammys:
On this day in 1979, the Cheap Trick single “I Want You To Want Me” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #78 (April 28)
It was the first single released from their second album “In Colour”, but the original studio version failed to chart in the US.
Nineteen months later, a more rock-oriented live version from the band's successful “Cheap Trick at Budokan” album was released as a single and became one of their biggest hits, and eventually one of their signature songs.
This version peaked at #1 in Japan, Belgium, and the Netherlands, #2 in Canada, #7 in the US, #18 in Germany, #23 in New Zealand, and #43 in Australia.
It was also the band's highest charting single in the UK, where it reached #29.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1984, the LP “This Is Spinal Tap” debuted on the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #195 (April 28)
The soundtrack to the film that defined rock mockumentaries…
This absolutely brilliant piece of cinematic genius was co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut).
All tracks on the album were written by Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Reiner.
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 Guest as guitar hero Nigel Tufnel, 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 1979, the Abba single “Does Your Mother Know?” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #19 (April 29)
Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, the demo for "Does Your Mother Know" featured Björn on guide vocal, and the band decided they liked him singing the track so much, they stuck with it.
The rocky number from their sixth album “Voulez-Vous” became a Top 10 hit in the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands, and Top 20 in the US and many other countries around the world...
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1978, the Plastic Bertrand single “Ça Plane Pour Moi” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #95 (April 29)
The song was released by Plastic Bertrand, in 1977, though its vocals were actually performed by Lou Deprijck, the record's producer and composer.
It’s been covered by many artists, though Plastic Bertrand's original recording was the most successful, eventually reaching #2 in Australia, #1 in France and Switzerland, #2 in the Netherlands, #4 in Ireland, #6 in Germany, #7 in New Zealand, #8 in the UK, and #47 in the US.
While mainly regarded as a punk song, "Ça plane pour moi" has also been described as parody punk and as new wave.
The song's name is a French idiomatic expression that is best translated as "everything's going well for me" (literally: "it is gliding for me")…
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1985, the Eurogliders single “We Will Together” debuted on the Australian charts (April 29)
“We Will Together” was the lead single from their third studio album, “Absolutely!”, and the band’s second highest charting single behind “Heaven (Must Be There)”.
The song written by guitarist Bernie Lynch, and sung by Lynch and Grace Knight, eventually peaked at #7 on the Australian charts for the Perth band.
Click on the link below to watch:
The Jam released their debut single “In The City” from their debut LP of the same name on this day in 1977 (April 29)
They would go on to be one of the most unique and influential bands of the late 1970s - early 80s, with “In The City” starting a run of 18 consecutive UK Top 40 hits, including four at #1...
Paul Weller was only 18 when he penned this celebration of youth in the big city.
He recalled, "It was the sound of young Woking, if not London, a song about trying to break out of suburbia.
As far as we were concerned, the city was where it was all happening; the clubs, the gigs, the music, the music.
I was probably 18, so it was a young man's song, a suburbanite dreaming of the delights of London and the excitement of the city.
It was an exciting time to be alive.
London was coming out of its post-hippy days and there was a new generation taking over.
The song captured that wide-eyed innocence of coming out of a very small community and entering a wider world, seeing all the bands, meeting people, going to the clubs, and the freedom that it held."
Total high energy live performance....
Happy Birthday today to songwriter, musician and producer Tommy James, who was born Thomas Gregory Jackson in Dayton, Ohio, on this day in 1947 (April 29)
Best known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who had a string of enduring classic hits including "Crimson and Clover", “Mony Mony”, and "I Think We're Alone Now".
To date, over 300 musicians have recorded versions of James' music.
Covers of all three of those aforementioned James' songs went Top 10 on the Hot 100 (the last two as consecutive #1s) in the 1980s: Joan Jett with "Crimson and Clover", Tiffany with "I Think We're Alone Now", and Billy Idol with "Mony Mony".
Initially labeled as a “bubblegum pop” band, as Tommy James and the Shondells evolved and embraced the sounds of 60s psychedelia, they were invited to perform at Woodstock, but declined.
James went solo later in 1970 and released 12 solo albums, the last in 2019.
Click on the link below to watch “Crimson and Clover”:
