HC's Rock Rewind - April 15 - 28

HC's Rock Rewind

A look back at the past two weeks in Rock History

by Team HC

April 15th -21th

This was a week of memorable events in rock and roll history. An iconic alternative-rock band performed in public for the first time, sessions for a landmark ‘70s album began in San Francisco, and an unlikely rock opera (not by The Who) opened on Broadway. Read on for a look back at other significant moments that shaped rock and roll during this historically eventful week.

Events

1951 – Les Paul and Mary Ford’s “How High the Moon” hits Number One.

1963 – The Beatles and The Rolling Stones meet for the first time, at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, Surrey.

1965 -- The legendary “T.A.M.I. Show” film opens in London under the title “Teenage Command Performance.” The film features The Rolling Stones, The Supremes, James Brown, the Four Tops and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

1967 – The Beatles wrap up recording sessions for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

1968 – Deep Purple make their debut stage appearance, in Kastrup, Denmark.

1969 – The Who perform Tommy in its entirety for the first time, at a show in Dolton, England.

1969 – John Lennon officially changes his full name from John Winston Lennon to John Winston Ono Lennon.

1969 -- The Band perform their first solo concert, staging a show in San Francisco, California.

1970 – Elton John makes his solo stage debut, opening for Spooky Tooth, T.Rex and Jackie Lomax at The Roundhouse in London.

1970 – Santana begin sessions for their breakthrough album, Abraxas. Upon its release in September, the album tops the U.S. album charts.

1971 – Three Dog Night’s recording of “Joy to the World” hits the Number One spot, where it remains for six weeks.

1973 – The original Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies album hits the Number One spot in the U.S.

1975 -- Alice Cooper’s first TV special, “Welcome to My Nightmare: The Making of a Record Album,” airs on network television in America.

1978 – Bob Marley appears as headliner at the One Love Peace Concert in Jamaica. It’s the reggae legend’s first public appearance in his home country since the attempt on his life two years earlier.

1980 – R.E.M. perform their first show under the name R.E.M., at a small, unlicensed venue in Athens, Georgia.

1981 – Prog-rockers Yes disband temporarily when Chris Squire and Alan White leave to begin rehearsing with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. The intended “supergroup” fails to materialize, however, and Yes later reforms to release the hugely successful 90125 album.

1990 – In Rio de Janeiro, a record crowd of 184,000 turn out to see the final show of Paul McCartney’s 330-city tour.

1991 – Small Faces and Humble Pie frontman Steve Marriott dies tragically, when a fire sweeps through his home in Arkesden, Essex. He is just 44 years old.

2010 – Green Day’s “American Idiot” rock opera opens on Broadway, one year after its debut at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

2015 – Ringo Starr becomes the last of The Beatles to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

Releases

1957 -- Ricky Nelson:  “I’m Walkin’” (single)

1965 -- The Beatles:  “Ticket to Ride” (single)

1966 -- The Troggs: “Wild Thing” (single)

1968 -- The Zombies:  Odessey and Oracle

1970 – Paul McCartney:  McCartney

1970 -- Jethro Tull:  Benefit

1971 -- The Doors:  L.A. Woman

1971 -- The Rolling Stones:  Sticky Fingers

1973 – Eagles: Desparado

1974 – Robin Trower: Bridge of Sighs

1975 -- ZZ Top:  Fandango!

1976 – The Rolling Stones: Black and Blue

1976 -- The Ramones:  Ramones

1980 -- Pete Townshend: Empty Glass

1982 – Laurie Anderson: Big Science

1985 – Prince: Around the World in a Day

1988 – The Jesus and Mary Chain:  Barbed Wire Kisses

1989 – Pixies: Doolittle

1993 – Shania Twain:  Shania Twain

1993 – Aerosmith:  Get a Grip

1998 -- Jimmy Page and Robert Plant:  Walking Into Clarksdale

2002 – Paul Westerberg:  Stereo

2002 – Wilco:  Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Deaths

Skip Spence – April 16, 1999

Joey Ramone – April 15, 2001

Eddie Cochran – April 17, 1960

Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention) -- April 21, 1978

Felix Pappalardi – April 17, 1983

Steve Marriott -- April 20, 1991

Johnny Shines -- April 20, 1992

Bernard Edwards (Chic) -- April 18, 1996

Linda McCartney – April 17, 1998

Earl King – April 17, 2003

Nina Simone -- April 21, 2003

Danny Federici (E Street Band) – April 17, 2008

Levon Helm -- April 19, 2012

Storm Thorgerson (album designer) -- April 18, 2013

Births

Dave Edmonds – April 15, 1944

Henry Mancini – April 16, 1924

Dusty Springfield – April 16, 1939

Lee Kerslake (Uriah Heep) – April 16, 1947

Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil) – April 16, 1953

Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum) – April 16, 1964

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown -- April 18, 1924

Don Kirshner – April 17, 1934

Paul Rothchild (Producer) -- April 18, 1935

Skip Spence -- April 18, 1946

Iggy Pop -- April 21, 1947

Jan Hammer – April 17, 1948

Paul Davis -- April 21, 1948

Luther Vandross -- April 20, 1951

Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks) – April 17, 1955

Robert Smith (The Cure) - April 21, 1959

Liz Phair – April 17, 1967

April 22th -28th

From the births of Ace Frehley and Kim Gordon to the release of 1976 - AC/DC’s High Voltage, the final week of April is packed with rock ‘n’ roll history and nostalgia. Read on for some major events, historic record releases and births and deaths.

Events

1969 - Led Zeppelin performed “Whole Lotta Love” live for the first time. It was at a concert at The Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.

1975 - Pete Ham of Badfinger commits suicide by hanging himself in his London home.

1973 - Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon went to No. 1 on the U.S. charts.

1977 - The final live recordings of Elvis Presley to be released were done during a performance in Saginaw, Michigan.

1977 - Talking Heads starts their first European tour, opening for the Ramones.

1978 - Queen's "We Are the Champions" is certified Gold.

1991 – Nirvana inks a record deal with Geffen Records’ DGC label.

1997 - U2’s famed Pop Mart Tour kicked off in Las Vegas.

Releases

1969 – The Moody Blues: On the Threshold of a Dream

1970 - Ringo Starr: Sentimental Journey

1971 - Thin Lizzy: Thin Lizzy

1973 - Paul McCartney and Wings: Red Rose Speedway

1974 - J.J. Cale: Okie

1976 - AC/DC: High Voltage

1977 - Alice Cooper: Lace and Whiskey

1980 - Black Sabbath: Heaven and Hell

1981 - Van Halen: Fair Warning

1985 – Exodus: Bonded by Blood

1989 - Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever

1993 - Porno for Pyros: Porno for Pyros

1994 - Johnny Cash: American Recordings

1994 - Live: Throwing Copper

1996 - Dave Matthews Band: Crash

1998 - Dave Matthews Band: Before These Crowded Streets

2000 – Papa Roach: Infest

2004 - Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose

2005 - Bruce Springsteen: Devils & Dust

2008 - Def Leppard: Songs from the Sparkle Lounge

2009 - Halestorm: Halestorm

2010 - Bullet for My Valentine: Fever

2015 - Zac Brown Band: Jekyll + Hyde

Deaths

Richie Havens -- April 22, 2013

Johnny Thunders -- April 23, 1991

Pete Ham – April 24, 1975

Bobby "Boris" Pickett – April 25, 2007

Tommy Caldwell - April 28, 1980

Steve Currie - April 28, 1981

Jack Ely - April 28, 2015

Births

Glen Campbell -- April 22, 1936

Peter Frampton -- April 22, 1950

Paul Carrack -- April 22, 1951

Roy Orbison -- April 23, 1936

Steve Clark (Def Leppard) -- April 23, 1960

Barbra Streisand – April 24, 1942

Steve York – April 24, 1948

Boris Williams – April 24, 1957

Billy Gould – April 24, 1963

Tyson Ritter – April 24, 1984

Ella Fitzgerald - April 25, 1918

Albert King - April 25, 1923

Stu Cook – April 25, 1945

David Sikes – April 25, 1955

Paul Baloff – April 25, 1960

Eric Avery – April 25, 1965

Duane Eddy - April 26, 1938

Kate Pierson - April 27, 1948

Kim Gordon - April 28, 1953

Francis Rossi - April 29, 1949

Lonnie Donegan - April 29, 1931

Willie Nelson - April 29, 1933

Ace Frehley - April 27, 1951

Patrick Stump - April 27, 1984

-HC- 

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Anne Erickson holds years of bylines in Gannett Media publications, as well as music magazines Premier Guitar, Guitar Edge and more. She also hosts radio shows with iHeartRadio and has been syndicated in Seattle, Dayton, Central Coast California and beyond. Anne is a loyal Spartan and holds a Master’s degree from MSU. She resides in Lansing, Michigan.A

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