This Date In Music History - February 18

Birthdays:

Yoko Ono (1933)

Bobby Hart - singer/songwriter (wrote "Last Train To Clarksville," "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" and "Scooby Doo Where Are You"). Sold over 40m records (1939)

Herman Santigo - Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers (1941)

Dennis Deyoung - Styx (1947)

Juice Newton (1952)

Robbie Bachman - Bachman Turner Overdrive (1953)

John Travolta - actor, singer, (1978 US & UK #1 single with Olivia Newton John, "You're The One That I Want") (1954)

Brian James - The Damned (1955)

Dr Dre - NWA (1965)


They Are Missed:

Guitarist Bob Stinson from The Replacements died from a drug overdose in 1995, his body was found in his Uptown, Minneapolis apartment. Founding member of The Replacements, was also a member of Static Taxi.


History:

In a low point not only for Rock ‘n’ Roll but music in general, Pat Boone’s white-bread cover of “Tutti Frutti” hit #12 on the pop charts in 1956. Little Richard’s original didn’t make a dent though it is infinitely superior. This is nothing less than a crime. But it does shows the power of segregation in the ‘50s.



The Platters' classic cut "The Great Pretender," started a two-week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1956.

The Everly Brothers recorded "When Will I Be Loved" and "Let It Be Me" in 1959.

Also in 1959, Elvis Presley went to the Lido Club in Paris while on leave from the US Army, eventually singing a song after-hours for the employees.

Ray Charles recorded "What'd I Say" in New York City in 1959. The song had evolved in concert as a call-and-response between Charles and his female back-up singers. It became Charles' biggest hit to date, reaching #1 on the R&B and #6 on the pop charts.

The Beatles saw the Elvis Presley film, "Fun In Acapulco" at a Miami drive-in in 1964.

Working at Abbey Road studio’s in London in 1965, the Beatles recorded two new songs: John Lennon's "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and a new Paul McCartney song "Tell Me What You See."

In 1966, Beach Boy Brian Wilson recorded the future classic song "Good Vibrations," which went on to become the band's third US number-one hit. As a child, his mother told him that dogs could pick up "vibrations" from people, so that the dog would bark at "bad vibrations" Wilson turned this into the general idea for the song.



Today in 1967, the song "Kind of a Drag" by the Buckinghams topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

David Gimour replaced Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd in 1968. Barret had gone checked himself into a psychiatric hospital and then gone into seclusion.

Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees married Lulu in London in 1969 (Robin Gibb was the Best Man-- the marriage lasts four years).

The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1969.

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band made their New York debut at Unganos in 1971.

In 1974, KISS released their first album "KISS."

Yes played their first show at Madison Square Garden in 1974.

In 1978, winners at this years Grammy Awards included Fleetwood Mac, Album of the year for 'Rumours', The Eagles, Record of the year for "Hotel California" and Best pop vocal performance, The Bee Gees for "How Deep Is Your Love."

The song "Sign O' The Times" was released by Prince in 1987.

Debbie Gibson started a five-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1989 with 'Electric Youth.'

Vince Neil quit as lead singer of Motley Crue in 1992. After 11 years with the group he says he wants to spend more time on his career as a race car driver. The band reunited on the "American Music Awards" 5 years later

In 2000, an American court ordered the release of FBI files relating to John Lennon's interests and activities including his support for the Irish Republican cause and the Workers Revolutionary Party. The British Government told the US that it wanted the files to remain secret. MI5 also had files on Lennon, which they had passed on the FBI during the 70's.

In 2005, the three surviving members of Alice In Chains perform at a tsunami-relief benefit concert in Seattle and raise over $100,000. Filling in for the late Layne Stayley are Tool/A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan, Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin and Damageplan's Pat Lachman. Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic hosted the event.

In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in 2006, the Rolling Stones gave a free concert before a crowd of over 1 million people at Copacabana Beach.

‘The Greatest Songs of the Fifties’ by Barry Manilow was at #1 on the US album chart in 2006.

Norah Jones scored her third US #1 album in 2007 with 'Not Too Late,' also a #1 in the UK and over 20 other countries.

In 2008, Carpenters fans were objecting to plans to have pop duo's former family home in Downey, south of Los Angeles knocked down. The current owners of the house, said they objected to fans looking in the windows and leaving floral tributes. The five-bedroom house was immortalised when it featured on the cover of The Carpenters' 1973 hit album Now & Then.