This Date In Music History-February 10

Birthdays:


Don Wilson- Ventures (1937)

Roberta Flack is 70.


They Are Missed:

Cliff Burton- Metallica (1962)

Brian Connolly, vocalist for Sweet, who reached #3 in 1973 with "Little Willy,” died of kidney failure in 1997 (age 52).

The late Ral Donner ("Girl Of My Best Friend") was born in 1943.


History:

In 1942, "Chattanooga Choo Choo," by Glen Miller and his Orchestra became the first recording to be awarded a Gold record. It was actually just a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer by RCA as a publicity stunt. The actual award recognized today as a Gold Record would not be initiated for another sixteen years when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) borrowed the idea and trademarked the Gold Record. The first Gold single was awarded to Perry Como in 1958 for "Catch A Falling Star" and the first Gold album was given to Gordon McRae for the soundtrack to Oklahoma.

In 1958, Elvis attained his ninth US #1 single with the double-sided hit "Don't" / "I Beg of You.”

The Four Tops were inked to Berry Gordy's Motown label in 1963 and received a $400 signing bonus.

Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" rose to the top of the US album chart in 1958, where it would stay for the next five weeks.

In 1964, in the wake of last night's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles became overnight sensations. Elvis Presley sent them a telegram of congratulations and the Fab Four held a press conference at New York's Plaza Hotel. American newspapers reported that "millions of teenage boys are spending extra time in front of the mirror trying to make their hair look like Paul McCartney's."

In 1967, as the Beatles continued to record "A Day in the Life," they're visited in the studio by Pattie Harrison, Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, Keith Richards, Mike Nesmith, and Donovan.

In 1971, Carole King released her album Tapestry bringing the contemporary singer/songwriter character to the mainstream radio.

Dire Straits released their signature single "Sultans of Swing” in 1979.

Van Halen made a grand entrance in 1978 with their self-titled debut record. It has a cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” and the cut “Runnin’ With The Devil.”

Little Richard recorded "Long Tall Sally” in 1956.

The Beatles closed Beatles USA in 1968, their American fan club and business office and fired their US press agents, severing all American business connections. They also withdrew from the late Brian Epstein's NEMS Enterprises and turned all business affairs over to their newly formed record company, Apple.

The Bubble Gum music craze got its start in 1968 when "Simon Says" by The 1910 Fruitgum Company entered the US record charts, where it will #4. Over the next year and a half, the group will have four more Top 40 hits.

French orchestra leader Paul Mauriat pushed all Rock records aside and reached Billboard's top spot in 1968 with a harpsichord and violin laden instrumental called "Love Is Blue.” Mauriat was no stranger to US success as he had written the music to Peggy March's 1963 #1 hit "I Will Follow Him.”