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Classic Vinyl
Hope you like these tidbit facts
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Here are some great Rock and Roll stories and fascinating facts taken from the "classicrock.com" site i came across that has just way too many interesting tidbits to not pass on to you cktimes readers---hope you enjoy some of these facts like i did.Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page played as a session guitarist on Tom Jones, 1965 hit, "It's Not Unusual".
Paul McCartney originally wrote the first two lines of "I Saw Her Standing There" as "She was just seventeen, Never been a beauty queen." When he sang it for John Lennon, both realized that it was a poor rhyme. Finally, it was John who came up with "She was just seventeen, you know what I mean", which they knew was a perfect sexual innuendo for the song.
In a 2005 interview, Billy Joel said that during the recording of "We Are The World", most of the artists didn't like the song, but nobody would say so. Cyndi Lauper thought it sounded like a Pepsi commercial and Billy agreed
51 year old Lindsay Crosby, son of Bing Crosby, took his own life on December 11th, 1989, reportedly right after watching his father sing "White Christmas" during the television-airing of the classic Christmas movie, Holiday Inn. Lindsay was said to have suffered years of physical and verbal abuse inflicted on him as a child by his father. In May, 1991, Lindsay's 57 year old brother Dennis would also commit suicide.
Steppenwolf's lead singer, John Kay is seldom seen without sun glasses due to the fact that he has been legally blind since childhood.
In the first two years after the Beatles fired drummer Pete Best, they would gross over 24 million dollars. Best went to work as a baker, earning 8 pounds a week.
In the Spring of 1969, The Cowsills had the number two song on Billboard's Hot 100 with "Hair". The changing music scene soon left them hopelessly outdated and by 1970, guitarist Bob Cowsill had a job sweeping a parking garage.
The first time that Dick Clark heard a Beatles' record he said, "I don't know what the heck you're so excited about...it'll never fly."
Chet Atkins - legendary session guitarist, died of cancer on June 30th 2001 at the age of 77
Brian Connolly - vocalist for Sweet, who reached #3 in 1973 with "Little Willy", died of kidney failure on February 10th, 1997 at the age of 52
Don Gibson - Country artist who crossed over to the Pop chart with four tunes including "Oh, Lonesome Me" in 1958, died on November 17th, 2003, at the age of 75
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - died of a haemorrhage in a Paris hospital on February 12th, 2000, at the age of 70. He is most often remembered for his 1956, US Top 40 hit "I Put a Spell on You", which has been selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll
Bob "The Bear" Hite - vocalist for Canned Heat, died of a heart attack in Venice, California on April 6th, 1981. The 36 year old weighed nearly 300 pounds at the time of his death
Cub Koda - the leader of Brownsville Station and composer of their hit "Smokin' in the Boys Room", passed away from complications arising from kidney dialysis on July 1st, 2000, at the age of 51
Lonesome Dave Peverett - lead singer with Savoy Brown and Foghat, suffered from cancer and died of from double-pneumonia on February 7th, 2000, at the age of 56
Edwin Starr - soul singer who had hits with "War", "Agent Double-O Soul" and "Twenty-five Miles", died of a heart attack on April 1st, 2003 at the age of 61
David 'Screaming Lord' Sutch - British shock-rocker was found hanged at his London home, apparently committed suicide on June 17th, 1999, at the age of 58
Al Wilson - vocalist and harmonica player for Canned Heat on their hits "On The Road Again" and "Going Up The Country", committed suicide on September 3rd, 1970, in Topanga Canyon, California, when it turned out that he couldn't save a redwood forest from being cut by a timber company. He was 27
Link Wray - the electric guitar innovator who is often credited as the father of the power chord, died at his home in Copenhagen on November 5th, 2005, of natural causes. He was seventy-six. His 1959 instrumental, "Rumble" was banned by many radio stations, even thought it had no lyrics what so ever
Frank Zappa - died of prostate cancer on December 4th, 1993 at the age of 52
Tommy Boyce - singer / songwriter who teamed up with Bobby Hart on the #8 hit "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" in 1968, died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound on November 23rd, 1994. He was 55
Randy California - guitarist / singer / songwriter who is best known as the leader of the rock band, Spirit, died tragically on January 2nd, 1997, when he was gripped by an undertow while swimming on the coast of the Hawaiian island of Molokai. His body was lost at sea. Before he died, he was able to save his 12 year-old son, Quinn. His real name was Randy Wolfe, but was given his nickname by Jimi Hendrix. At the time of his death, he was six weeks shy of his 46th birthday
Gene Clark - lead vocalist of The Byrds, died of a heart attack May 24th 1991 at the age of 49
Upon meeting the band Pink Floyd for the first time, a record company executive asked them "Which one's Pink?"
Terry Jacks recorded his 1974 number one hit, "Seasons In The Sun" in 1973, but the master tape sat on a shelf in his basement for more than a year. One day, a newspaper delivery boy heard Terry playing it and asked if he could bring some friends by to listen to it. Their enthusiasm convinced Jacks to release it on his own label and it soon topped the record charts in the US, Canada and the UK and sold over six million copies worldwide.
The tapes for Don McLean's first album were rejected by 34 record companies before Mediarts agreed to release it in 1970. His next LP, "American Pie" would be considered a rock and roll classic and sell millions of copies.
Three Dog Night's 1971 smash, "Joy To The World" was written by Hoyt Axton especially for an animated children's show called "The Happy Song" that never made it to production.
The rock group Queen issued albums called "A Night at the Opera" and "A Day at the Races" which were named after movies by The Marx Brothers.
Listen carefully to the begining of The Beatles' song "Come Together", from their Abby Road album. The bass guitar riff nearly obliterates John Lennon saying "Shoot me".
Thanks for reading these great rock n roll tidbits and thanks to classicbands.com---visit their great site for more of the same stories
Hope you enjoyed this weeks column and see you in 2 weeks---contact me at bluesslider88@yahoo.ca or at cktimes with any comments you would like to make about classic vinyl.
Allan Day----long time acquaintance of John Gardiner----I presently live in Goderich Ontario, retired (oh yeah) and live for the sound of music, especially from the 60's music explosion---I hope you enjoy some of my articles and they bring back some lost memories of bands gone by. Now I have to let you know that I am a HUGE Rolling Stones fan, collector, historian and I hope to hear any stories you might have on this GREAT Band from the 60's----email me at CK Times and let me know what you have or memories you have of this group. I will include stories and short stories on The Stones each week.
