HC's Rock Rewind - February 1 - 17

HC's Rock Rewind

A look back at the past two weeks in Rock History

by Anne Erickson

Week of February 1st - 10th

A trove of memorable events occurred during this week in rock history. A rock and roll pioneer began work on his first album, The Beatles staged their last-ever public performance, and Kiss kicked off their career as one of rock’s most dynamic live bands. Read on for a look back at other significant moments that shaped rock and roll during this historically eventful week.

Events

1949 – RCA Records introduces the 45rpm single, thus making possible the advent of the jukebox.

1956 – Elvis Presley begins recording what will eventually become his first album.

1960 – Frank Sinatra launches Reprise Records, the first wholly-artist-owned record label.

1961 – Bob Dylan plays “Song to Woody” to Woody Guthrie during a visit to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in New Jersey, where Guthrie is being treated for Huntington’s disease.

1963 – Neil Young plays his first show, performing at a country club in Winnipeg.

1964 – The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” begins a seven-week run atop the U.S. singles chart.

1965 – James Brown records “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” The song is the first Brown recording to feature his renowned lead guitarist Jimmy Nolen.

1966 – The Who perform their first-ever headlining show.

1969 – The variety show “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour” airs on CBS for the first time.

1969 – The Beatles stage their famous rooftop concert atop the roof of Apple Records. The event constitutes the band’s final public performance.

1969 – Tommy Roe’s “Dizzy” lands on the pop charts.

1969 – Tommy James & the Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover” tops the U.S. singles chart. It holds that position for two weeks.

1971 – Harry Nilsson’s animated feature “The Point!” makes its TV debut on ABC’s “Movie of the Week.”

1973 – Kiss stage their first concert, performing at a club in Queens, New York.

1973 – The rock variety show “The Midnight Special” makes its debut on NBC.

1973 – Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” begins a three-week run atop the U.S. singles chart.

1974 – Grand Funk records “The Loco-Motion.”

1976 – The Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster” tops the U.S. singles chart.

1976 – David Bowie unveils a new persona – The Thin White Duke – on the opening night of a U.S. tour in support of his Station to Station album.

1983 – Men at Work top the singles chart and the album chart in both the America and the U.K., with the hit single “Down Under” and the album Business as Usual.

1985 – John Fogerty performs his first live show in years. Two weeks earlier he had released his landmark solo album, Centerfield.

1988 – The Cars break up.

2007 – Prince stages what’s generally considered one of the greatest Super Bowl halftime shows.

2011 – The White Stripes call it quits after releasing six albums.

2017 – Black Sabbath stage the final concert of the farewell tour, performing in their hometown of Birmingham in the U.K.

Releases

1966 – Gordon Lightfoot: Lightfoot!

1967 – Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow

1968 – The Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat

1968 – Steppenwolf: Steppenwolf

1969 – Moby Grape: Moby Grape ‘69

1972 – Neil Young: Harvest

1972 – Al Green: Let’s Stay Together

1972 – Flash: Flash

1972 – Jackson Browne: Jackson Browne

1973 – Alice Cooper: Billion Dollar Babies

1974 – The Doobie Brothers: What Were Once Vices are Now Habits

1976 -- Lynyrd Skynyrd: Gimme Back My Bullets

1976 – Grand Funk Railroad: Born to Die

1976 – Genesis: A Trick of the Tail

1976 – 10cc: How Dare You!

1976 – Mahavishnu Orchestra: Inner Worlds

1976 – Bad Company: Run with the Pack

1977 – Fleetwood Mac: Rumours

1977 – The Runaways: Queens of Noise

1980 – The Ramones: End of the Century

1983 – Earth, Wind & Fire: Powerlight

1985 -- Hüsker Dü: New Day Rising

1986 – The Firm: Mean Business

1989 – The Replacements: Don’t Tell a Soul

1991 – Divinyls: Divinyls

1991 – Susanna Hoffs: When You’re a Boy

1994 – Green Day: Dookie

1997 – David Bowie: Earthling

1999 – Blondie: No Exit

2002 – Dream Theater: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

2004 – Scissor Sisters: Scissor Sisters

2008 – Iron Maiden: Live After Death

2012 – Ringo Starr: Ringo 2012

Deaths

Buddy Holly – Feb. 3, 1959

Ritchie Valens – Feb. 3, 1959

Sid Vicious – Feb. 2, 1979

Alex Harvey – Feb. 4, 1982

Karen Carpenter – Feb. 4, 1983

Lux Interior (The Cramps) – Feb. 4, 2009

Don Cornelius – Feb. 1, 2012

Reg Presley (The Troggs) – Feb. 4, 2013

Maurice White – Feb. 4, 2016

Guitar Slim – Feb. 7, 1959

Dave Alexander (The Stooges) – Feb. 10, 1975

Hugh Montenegro – Feb. 6, 1981

Bill Haley – Feb. 9, 1981

Del Shannon – Feb. 8, 1990

Brian Connolly (Sweet) – Feb. 9, 1997

Falco – Feb. 6, 1998

Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys) – Feb. 6, 1998

Tim Kelly (Slaughter) – Feb. 5, 1998

Dave Peverett (Foghat, Savoy Brown) – Feb. 7, 2000

Keith Knudson (The Doobie Brotehrs) – Feb. 8, 2005

Gary Moore – Feb. 6, 2011

Births

Don Everly – Feb. 1, 1937

Mike Campbell – Feb. 1, 1950

Graham Nash – Feb. 2, 1942

Al McKay (Earth, Wind & Fire) – Feb. 2, 1948

Dave Davies – Feb. 3, 1947

Arthur Kane (New York Dolls) – Feb. 3, 1949

Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) – Feb. 3, 1956

Johnny “Guitar” Watson – Feb. 3, 1935

Alice Cooper – Feb. 4, 1948

Cory Wells – Feb. 5, 1941

Tom Rush – Feb. 8, 1941

King Curtis – Feb. 7, 1934

Brian Bennett (The Shadows) – Feb. 8, 1940

Carole King – Feb. 9, 1942

Chuck Winfield – Feb. 5, 1943

Fabian – Feb. 6, 1943

Jim Capaldi (Traffic) – Feb. 8, 1944

Bob Marley – Feb. 6, 1945

Joe Ely – Feb. 9, 1947

Jimmy Greenspoon (Three Dog Night) – Feb. 7, 1948

Dan Seals (England Dan & John Ford Coley) – Feb. 8, 1948

Nigel Olsson – Feb. 10, 1949

Simon Phillips (Toto) – Feb. 6, 1957

Vince Neil (Motley Crue) – Feb. 8, 1961

Axl Rose – Feb. 6, 1962

David Bryan (Bon Jovi) – Feb. 7, 1962

Travis Tritt – Feb. 9, 1963

Duff McKagan (Michael Andrew McKagan) – February 5, 1964

Chris Barron (Spin Doctors) – February 5, 1968

Week of February  11th - 17th

This week packs plenty of major music events in rock history, including Ringo Starr's first performance with the Beatles and the births of Guns N' Roses guys Axl Rose and Diff McKagan. Your week will surely rock with these noteworthy events, historic record releases, births and deaths happening Feb. 11 through 17 in music history. 

Events 

1958 – George Harrison becomes a member of the Quarrymen. Other members include John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

1962 – Ringo Starr performs with the Beatles for the first time at Liverpool's Cavern Club.

1963 – The Beatles' debut single, “Please Please Me,” arrives in the U.S. via the Vee Jay label.

1966 – Crawdaddy! publishes its first issue. It's the first magazine devoted specifically to rock music.

1969 -- The Who record the great “Pinball Wizard” at Morgan Studios in London.

1972 – Wings play their first concert at England’s Nottingham University.

1972 – David Bowie performs for the first time as Ziggy Stardust at the Tolworth Toby Jug in London.

1977 – The Clash start recording their debut album at CBS Studios in London.

1982 – The J. Geils Band start a six-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Centerfold.”

1983 – Toto's "Africa" hits No. 1.

2006 – David Bowie is given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Releases  

The Byrds, Younger Than Yesterday, 1967

The Troggs, Trogglodynamite, 1967

The Beach Boys, 20/20, 1969

The Doors, Morrison Hotel, 1970

Carole King, Tapestry, 1971

Judas Priest, Stained Class, 1978

Van Halen, Van Halen, 1978

Roy Orbison, Mystery Girl, 1989

Elvis Costello, Spike, 1989

Public Image Ltd, That What Is Not, 1992

Social Distortion, Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, 1992

Mick Jagger, Wandering Spirit, 1993

Blur, Blur, 1997

Deaths

Guitar Slim – Feb. 7, 1959

Dave Alexander (The Stooges) – Feb. 10, 1975

Hugh Montenegro – Feb. 6, 1981

Bill Haley – Feb. 9, 1981

Del Shannon – Feb. 8, 1990

Brian Connolly (Sweet) – Feb. 9, 1997

Falco – Feb. 6, 1998

Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys) – Feb. 6, 1998

Tim Kelly (Slaughter) – Feb. 5, 1998

Dave Peverett (Foghat, Savoy Brown) – Feb. 7, 2000

Keith Knudson (The Doobie Brotehrs) – Feb. 8, 2005

Gary Moore – Feb. 6, 2011

Oliver – Feb. 12, 2000

Rick Huxley (The Dave Clark Five) – Feb. 11, 2013

Births

Josh White – Feb. 11, 1914

Gene Vincent – Feb. 11, 1935

Roberta Flack – Feb. 10, 1939

Bobby “Boris” Pickett – Feb. 11, 1940

Sheryl Crow – Feb. 11, 1962

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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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