HC's Rock Rewind - February 26 - March 11

HC's Rock Rewind

A look back at the past two weeks in Rock History

by Team HC

Week of February 26th - March  4th

Historically speaking, the last week in February has been marked by a trove of memorable rock events. The Yardbirds lost a key member, U2 kicked off their first U.S. tour, and filming began on a landmark film starring the world’s greatest pop band. A spate of classic LPs was released as well, including touchstone records by Pink Floyd, Todd Rundgren, and Metallica. Read on for a look back at other significant moments that shaped rock and roll during this historically eventful week.

Events

1941 – The world’s first commercial FM radio station begins broadcasting from Nashville.

1945 – Billboard reports that, for the first time, 45rpm records are racking up more sales than the old-style 78rpm discs.

1960 – The Miracles (featuring Smokey Robinson) make their debut TV appearance, performing “Shop Around” on “American Bandstand.”

1964 – Filming begins on The Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night.

1965 – Eric Clapton performs with The Yardbirds for the last time. Jeff Beck steps into the spot vacated by Clapton.

1966 – Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Richie Furay form Buffalo Springfield.

1967 – The Jeff Beck Group, featuring Rod Stewart as vocalist, make their performance debut in London.

1971 – Janis Joplin’s Pearl album begins a nine-week run atop the U.S. album chart.

1972 – The Joe Tex single “I Gotcha” tops the R&B chart.

1973 – Elton John’s Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player tops the album chart in America.

1975 – Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks tops the US album chart. Two weeks later it’s bumped from the top spot by Olivia Newton-John’s Have You Never Been Mellow LP.

1981 – U2 kick off their first major tour of the U.S., performing two shows in Washington, D.C.

1983 – Michael Jackson’s Thriller LP tops the US album chart.

1983 – CD players become commercially available in America for the first time.

1987 – The Beatles (aka The White Album) becomes the first LP by the Fab Four to be released on CD.

1991 – The Doors, a bio-pic directed by Oliver Stone, makes its premiere in Los Angeles.

1994 – Nirvana perform what is to be their final concert, staging a show in Munich, Germany.

1995 – Jimmy Page and Robert Plant kick off a world tour in support of their 1994 No Quarter live reunion album.

 2002 – The Bee Gees stage their final concert, performing a benefit show in Miami Beach.

Releases

1968 – Laura Nyro:  Eli and the Thirteenth Confession

1968 – The Mothers of Invention:  We’re Only in it for the Money

1970 – The Beatles:  Hey Jude (compilation)

1970 – Van Morrison:  Moondance

1971 – Soft Machine:  Fourth

1972 – Stevie Wonder:  Music of My Mind

1973 – Pink Floyd:  The Dark Side of the Moon

1973 – John Cale:  Paris 1919

1973 – Todd Rundgren:  A Wizard, a True Star

1973 – The Doobie Brothers: The Captain and Me

1974 – Aerosmith:  Get Your Wings

1974 – Rush: Rush

1974 – ABBA:  Waterloo

1978 – Patti Smith:  Easter

1979 – Sex Pistols: The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle (soundtrack)

1979 – Rickie Lee Jones:  Rickie Lee Jones

1979 – Roxy Music:  Manifesto

1979 – Frank Zappa:  Sheik Yerbouti

1981 – Judas Priest:  Point of Entry

1983 – U2:  War

1983 – Thin Lizzy:  Thunder and Lightning

1983 – Spandau Ballet: True

1986 – Metallica: Master of Puppets

1988 – Robert Plant:  Now and Zen

1988 – Toto:  The Seventh One

1989 – XTC:  Orange & Lemons

1989 – Fine Young Cannibals:  The Raw and the Cooked

1990 – Cowboy Junkies:  The Caution Horses

1992 – David Byrne:  Uh-Oh

1993 – The Cranberries: Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

1994 -- Beck: Mellow Gold

1994 – Cheap Trick:  Woke Up with a Monster

1995 – PJ Harvey:  To Bring You My Love

1995 – Steve Earle:  Train a Comin’

1997 – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds:  The Boatman’s Call

1997 – U2:  Pop

2000 – Oasis:  Standing on the Shoulder of Giants

2000 – AC/DC:  Stiff Upper Lip

2000 – Steely Dan: Two Against Nature

2002 – Teenage Fanclub:  Words of Wisdom and Hope

2007 – Arcade Fire:  Neon Bible

2008 – The Black Crowes:  Warpaint

2009 – U2:  No Line on the Horizon

Deaths

Bukka White – Feb. 26, 1977

Mike Patto (Spooky Tooth, Patto) – March 4, 1979

David Byron (Uriah Heep) – Feb. 27, 1985

Richard Manuel (The Band) – March 4, 1986

Dusty Springfield – March 2, 1999

Hank Ballard – March 2, 2003

Buddy Miles – Feb. 26, 2008

Mike Smith (Dave Clark Five) – Feb. 27, 2008

Jeff Healey – March 2, 2008

Ronnie Montrose – March 3, 2012    

Births

Fats Domino – Feb. 26, 1928

Johnny Cash – Feb. 26, 1932

Joe South – Feb. 28, 1940

Mike Pender (The Searchers) – March 3, 1941

Brian Jones – Feb. 28, 1942

Lou Reed – March 2, 1943

Roger Daltrey – March 1, 1944

Mike D’Abo – March 1, 1944

Bobby Womack – March 4, 1944

Mitch Ryder – Feb. 26, 1945

Rory Gallagher – March 2, 1948

Chris Squire – March 4, 1948

Eddie Money – March 2, 1949

Jonathan Cain – Feb. 26, 1950

Karen Carpenter – March 2, 1950

Robyn Hitchcock – March 3, 1953

Neal Schon (Journey) – Feb. 27, 1954

Cindy Wilson – Feb. 28, 1957

Johnny Van Zant – Feb. 27, 1959

Jon Bon Jovi – March 2, 1962

Jason Newsted – March 4, 1963

Evan Dando – March 4, 1967

Eryka Badu – Feb. 26, 1971

Chris Martin – March 2, 1977

Week of March  5th - 11th

This week features a plethora of musical milestones, from the release of U2's The Joshua Tree to births of Peter Wolf and Rick Rubin to the start of Led Zeppelin's "Thank You" tour. Read on for some significant events, historic record releases and births and deaths taking place March 5 through 11. 

Events 

1963 – The Beatles record their songs "From Me to You" and "Thank You Girl."

1965 – The Temptations reach No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "My Girl," co-written by Smokey Robinson, making them the first male Motown act to reach No. 1 on that chart.

1969 – Steve Marriott exits the Small Faces and forms Humble Pie.

1971 – Badfinger starts their first tour as headliners with a show in Toledo, Ohio.

1971 – Led Zeppelin kicks off their "Thank You" tour of small clubs that helped them when they were first getting started, charging the same ticket costs that they did in 1968.

1970 – David Bowie releases “The Prettiest Star” in the U.K., following the popular “Space Oddity.”

1974 – Bad Company performs their first concert, a gig in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.

1976 – Elton John gets his own wax figure at Madame Tussauds in London.

1984 – Ian Gillan leaves Black Sabbath.

1985 – The single “We are the World” is released.

1997 – Paul McCartney is knighted by Elizabeth II.

2001 – Eric Singer steps in for Peter Criss as the drummer for Kiss on the groups “farewell” tour in Japan.

2002 – MTV debuts a new reality television show, The Osbournes, which looks at the life of Ozzy and his family. The show becomes the most-viewed series on MTV in its first season.

Releases  

1969, Genesis, From Genesis to Revelation

1970, Mountain, Climbing!

1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Déjà Vu

1972, Thin Lizzy, Shades of a Blue Orphanage

1972, Jethro Tull, Thick as a Brick

1974, Queen, Queen II

1974, Chicago, Chicago VII

1975, David Bowie, Young Americans

1977, T.Rex, Dandy in the Underworld

1980, Billy Joel, Glass Houses

1981, Joe Walsh, There Goes the Neighborhood

1983, Quiet Riot, Metal Health

1985, Eric Clapton, Behind the Sun

1987, U2, The Joshua Tree

1988, The Beatles, Past Masters

1989, Julian Lennon, Mr. Jordan

1993, Lenny Kravitz, Are You Gonna Go My Way

1994, Elvis Costello, Brutal Youth

1994, Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral

1994, Soundgarden, Superunknown

1998, Eric Clapton, Pilgrim

1998, Motörhead, Snake Bite Love

1999, Silverchair, Neon Ballroom

2001, Aerosmith, Just Push Play

2006, David Gilmour, On an Island

Deaths

Patsy Cline -- March 5, 1963

Hawkshaw Hawkins -- March 5, 1963

Cowboy Copas -- March 5, 1963

Randy Hughes -- March 5, 1963

Songwriter E.Y. "Yip" Harburg -- March 5, 1981

John Belushi (The Blues Brothers) -- March 5, 1982

Richard Manuel (The Band) – March 6, 1986

Andy Gibb – March 10, 1988

Lavern Baker – March 10, 1997

Michael “Smitty” Smith (Paul Revere and the Raiders) – March 6, 2001

Danny Joe Brown (Molly Hatchet) – March 9, 2005

Brad Delp (Boston) – March 9, 2007

Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) – March 6, 2010

Micky Jones (Man) – March 10, 2010

Mike Starr (Alice in Chains) – March 8, 2011

Michael Hossack (Doobie Brothers) – March 12, 2012

Alvin Lee – March 6, 2013

Peter Banks (Yes, Flash) – March 7, 2013

Lew Soloff (Blood, Sweat and Tears) – March 8, 2015

Jimmy Greenspoon (Three Dog Night) – March 11, 2015

George Martin – March 8, 2016

Keith Emerson – March 11, 2016

Births

Ornette Coleman – March 9, 1930

John Cale – March 9, 1942

Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere & the Raiders) – March 9, 1942

Hugh Grundy (The Zombies) – March 6, 1945

Arthur Lee (Love) – March 7, 1945

Mickey Dolenz – March 8, 1945

Robin Trower – March 9, 1945

David Gilmour – March 6, 1946

Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum) – March 7, 1946

Peter Wolf – March 7, 1946

Randy Meisner – March 8, 1946

Kiki Dee – March 6, 1947

Carole Bayer Sager – March 8, 1947

Tom Scholz – March 10, 1947

George Kooymans (Golden Earring) – March 11, 1948

Dave Lambert (The Strawbs) – March 8, 1949

Gary Numan – March 8, 1958

Martin Fry (ABC) – March 9, 1958

Bruce Watson (Big Country) – March 11, 1961

Rick Rubin – March 10, 1963

Edie Brickell – March 10, 1966

John Frusciante (former Red Hot Chili Peppers) -- March 5, 1970

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