This Week in Music History 6-30

Hi, this is Buzz Night Tho, host of the Taking a Walk podcast, and welcome to another look at this week in music history. It's for the week of June the thirtieth, and we saunter over to the music history desk to Harry Jacobs. Hello, Harry, reporting.

In live from Las Vegas, where it's only about one hundred and eighty six degrees today, So the dry heat thing, it's a dry heat.

Yeah, let's get rolling.

Buzz.

June thirtieth through the seventeenth is the week we're doing, and let's start with a bang. Nineteen sixty nine is when Fleetwood Mac and Peter Green released oh Well, a song that you know. It starts off with a bang, with that great lick, but it's one of those necessities for guitar players, or if you're a blues band, that's a song you play Oh Well.

He was greatly underappreciated, and I'll just as I often do, I'll throw a trivia question at you, what's the band? And I believe this would have been their only album rock charting song that did a great remake of oh Well?

Who did a remake of Oh Well? I should know this, I definitely should know this.

It just came to me. It was buried in my recesses and somehow unearthed it just as we were talking.

Why do I want to say the rockets? I don't know that that's right, am. I corrected with that spin the prize wheel? Wow? How about that?

I pulled that right out of my fanny, as they would say.

And the rot is it's starting to m hm, you win the next time I'm in Vegas, dinner at Ferraro's.

Where everybody knows your name, not everyone's name, just Buzz Night's name.

Ah.

In nineteen seventy five, on June thirtieth, the Eagles released One of These Nights. This, in my opinion, was a break away from the country kind of sound they heard that they played with the title with One of These Nights.

That's not a country rock sounding song at all to me. No, it's a it's a great rock song, kind of an anthem in its own regard. I'm sure it's about some moment misery that they had, because all great music comes out of misery. But it's a great one. But lion I goes back to, certainly the country theme.

And a song about misery, right, about a woman who is heading to the cheat inside of town.

You know, so many people when I talk to him about country music, they go.

Oh, I don't really like country. It's not my favorite thing.

I don't really like country, and that I don't like countries to twangy and then you know how I stop them in their tracks. I say, do you like the Eagles?

Oh?

Yeah, I love the Eagles. Well, what do you think it's a derivative of It's not pure, pure country, but it's definitely a derivative of country.

Lynyrd skinnerd Almon Brothers, Charlie Day.

I mean, you go through the list of classic rock stuff that's the thirty eight special, All that stuff is a derivative. I like that you get to use the word derivative here because this is not a math show. But it's all a derivative of country music. It's a derivative,

And a great tour as well. Got to see it in Cincinnati, and it was one of the great schmooze fests before before that show, we went back and saw the boys and I would say they were in good spirits. Keith was, Ronnie was, Charlie Watts.

You know, sometimes there are these celebrity meetings where you go, boy, that was something I'll never forget. Was was this one of those with the Stones you get to actually talk to Keith or Mick at all?

Oh, yeah, a lot of that.

Yeah, it was just really that part was really cool because they were good natured. Mick was pretty much don't touch me, don't look at me, don't come anywhere near my space. Charlie was just Charlie not really into the scene per se, but looking really dapper and dignified. But it was rare because it was one of these moments we got to be there before the show and we got to spend literally an hour, you know, great catering, pool tables. Really a sensational event. And I think somewhere

It'd be nice to you know, little rolling stones and buzz Night.

It was a fun night nineteen forty four.

On June thirtieth is glensh Rock's birthday. Glens Rock is who you might ask.

He's the lead singer of the Little River Band and they had a bunch of hits. You know, I'm a fan of pop music, but reminiscing cool Chains, Lonesome Loser, Help Us on the Way. There were a number of a number of good numbers by the Little River Band, but you know, a little schlocky, a little adult contemporary.

Yeah, it wasn't my favorite. But they did have an album track I think it was. It was one of those long album tracks, kind of semi progressive. I think it was called It's a Long Way Home or something like that. Does that ring a bell? Doesn't ring a bell with me? Not the Supertramp. It's take them take a long the way home. But I'll double check that and we can go in and you know, change this or eliminate this.

Whole conversation if we choose.

No, I like it, and you know, little River bands out right now.

We jokingly talked about this the other day that you know, I'd said, well, they're probably just you know, got one band member like Chicago as you know, a horn player, and I jokingly said, well, it's probably the player. It's probably just the bass player that's it, and everyone else is new. And sure enough when I went back in and checked it, that's all Little River Bands out, but just with the original bass player.

As all the bass players take all the heat, don't they.

They do take a lot of grief, and they've got a tough gig. It's not as simple as people would make it.

See, Harry, I do have the song I did a cheat. It's called It's a Long Way There. So check that one out. It's kind of a cool little river band song, especially if you're like me and you're not necessarily in favor of the pop side of the band.

Right on July first, nineteen sixty seven, Sergeant Pepper's hit number one on the Billboard two hundred. It was there for fifteen weeks or so. We talk about it over and over, but what an amazing album, concept album, the sound. Think about the evolution of the sound of that band from She Loves You or I Want to Hold Your Hand and you know in sixty three, sixty four to really seven, you know, six or seven years later when they really started.

To change the pace.

Even four years for Sergeant Pepper's right, it was not a long time before they changed their sound.

And the great George Martin was pushing them hard.

Yeah, you think his influence was there in terms of changing that sound and experimenting.

How important was that was his role in that?

I think he was integral.

Now, look, it took a receptive gathering of the boys to be able to be willing to do the things. But I think he was the guy that was noodling around different things, different ways, experimentation.

I believe that.

Yeah, nineteen seventy nine is Sony Walkman debuted in Japan, and this changed the world for how we listened to music. You know, we were listening to cassette players. This portable device changed the world. Think back to how great to us it sounded. At that point, we were thinking, it's not going to get any better than this. This is amazing sound. It was breakthrough time for sure, and we were taping it from our record players right in our stereos.

Yeah, I do actually walking Yeah.

Nineteen eighty three, John bon Jovi signed with Mercury Records. The band actually signed with Mercury Records, setting the stage for that debut album in eighty four, and they ended up being you know, pop or metal, you know.

Hair band kind of icons.

And that first one was so well received. You know, it was not put into the Oh is it a little too you know, reminiscent of other Jersey artists we don't have to name, you know, is it taking a page out of that? But it was, you know, it was a monster album.

I only stood on its own, and I just you know, he's a good guy. You hear everything, you know, you hear stuff online or see stuff online.

He's just friendly and affable.

And to that end, I saw a video that's I don't know, maybe it's ten years old at this point or older, but he's sitting at a wedding and the wedding band they had the nerve to sing living on a prayer and the lead singer walks up to bon Jovi as she's singing it, and he looks and he looks around the room, and then he grabs the microphone out of her hand and walks up on stage and joins the wedding band for Living on a Prayer, which was fun.

And I'm sure at that whole event that was zero alcohol involved.

Well, certainly listen for him. Probably, I don't think he was a I don't think he was much of a drinker.

Did he have a history not don't believe so.

Maybe maybe others possibly, But you're afraid to Richie, maybe maybe a little like to enjoy, like to imbibe a little bit, a little bit.

Nineteen forty five, July first, Debbie Harriet Blondie new resident of Woodbury, Connecticut, not Water but Woodbury, Connecticut.

She was born in Miami, Florida.

And you know, just a bunch of great songs out of that band and out of her and she's, you know, she's still going at it.

She is, she still is loving being out there. At least it appears that way.

Yeah. July second, nineteen sixty nine, The Jimmy Hendricks Experience. They disbanded when Noel Redding left the band after the Denver Pop Festival. This was not a planned break up or end of the band. I think it was just at the end of that festival he said, I've had enough, and that was the end of that iconic lineup for the Jimmy Hendricks experience.

They were done after that. Got to think the tempers flared and you know, it probably took a while, but eventually they regretted it.

All there was There was obviously substance involved there across all fronts, and that didn't make.

It easy, I dare say.

Yeah.

In nineteen seventy one, Queen performed their first concert with Freddie and Brian and Roger and John Deacon at Surrey College and that Kingdom. This this really set them off. We're going to talk about them again, you know, in a minute here, but this was this was the first event for them in public ever.

Get to see Queen in that early, early shape.

I regret that I saw him with Adam Lambert at the Park Theater at the MGM, but I would love to have seen him with Freddy.

How about you.

Never saw him.

Wasn't really into him in a big way back when they first came out, but over time, you know, kind of appreciated it more. And I really think that Adam Lambert piece is kind of cool. How he's kind of carried it on. I mean, we could all debate with there others who could have done a better job. But I've known folks that have gone and really dug the show. With Adam, you know, and the remaining band members.

It was fun.

It was you know, a little over the top in certain ways, but I certainly enjoyed it. So nineteen eighty July second, Bob Marley and the Whalers began their final tour. When they went out, Bob was unaware of his terminal cancer at that point, and not long after that tour we ended up losing Bob Marley.

Kind of mind blowing when you think about it.

Really is nineteen seventy seven.

A guy by the name of Vladimir Nobakov He died on this date in nineteen seventy seven.

That nam ring a bell with you at all?

Not at all. Nope.

His novel Lolita inspired a whole bunch of music, not the least of which is Don't Stand So Close to Me by the Police, which is really a song about a creeper.

Yeah, it's creeper song.

Wow on a little girl.

So that was it.

That was inspired by Vladimir Nobakoff who died on this day. In nineteen seventy seven, another death, another member of the twenty seven club, passed away on July third. There's actually two deaths from guys that were twenty seven years old on this date. In nineteen sixty nine, Brian Jones, who was a founding member of The Stones, drowned in a swimming pool. This was shortly after the Stones kicked him out of the band. He was fired. Do you realize the timing on that.

I didn't realize the timing that, you know, I'm sure was some kind of trigger to it all.

Yeah.

Sure, and ended up in his pool and that's where he was found. And in nineteen seventy one, the bigger name, if you will, was Jim Morrison who died in Paris at twenty seven. Allegedly died in Paris from heart failure, although no autopsy was performed. And you believe he's living near Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts or something like that.

Where do you think Where do think he's going.

Outside of Syracuse? Yeah, Syracuse.

As soon as I find this out, I'm going in person. I'm gonna I'll go in person for that interview and because any chance to go to Syracuse.

Right Dinosaur Barbecue, you can roll down the road, listen to Brother Weez and Rochester.

There's a whole bunch of reasons to hit to Western New York.

Oh nothing better.

Nineteen eighty six, you two began recording The Joshua Tree. This is the album that would change the world for you too. This was there Born in the USA.

And every song a great song on it.

The concert on the rooftop where they were playing you Know, with or Without You, and Where the Streets Have No Name the I think it was the video for Where the Streets Have No Name that was on MTV and everywhere. It was obviously reminiscent of the Beatles, but the crowd that brought to the streets of Los Angeles was pretty crazy.

I love the music. I loved the band. There's just one thing that bugs me. What's that those glasses that Bono wears.

Oh man, come on, he's like Phyllis Diller, the Phillis Diller of rock and roll with the big glasses.

It's too much.

After at first it was cool, then it's like, okay.

Come on, yeah, enough, enough is enough.

July fourth, nineteen seventy, the Who performed at the Atlanta Pop Festival. This was something that included tracks from Tommy and of course their first certainly their first album, which was.

Buzz, Meaty, beady, big and bouncy. Just fun to say, right, it's terrific. I remember back selling it and screwing it up royally almost every time it sounds.

Like you're saying something filthy, but you're not.

You're just giving the title of the Who album and of course Can't Explain and other great songs on that as well. On this day in nineteen eighty two, Ozzy married Sharon Sharon, the former Sharon Arden. Who was who was the relationship the relationship between Ossie? Who was he just Sharon at that or who was Sharon to Ozzy?

That manager? That's right, yeah, big force of nature manager.

She married him and really, I think continued to this day continues to manage him. And she's done very well by him. Think about the trajectory that he was on after that, after that marriage, the television show, the reality show, her own career, she's she's done a great job.

But he said, all aboard, I'm getting on the ozz of the crazy train and then.

She was the conductor, the conductor.

July fifth, nineteen seventy five, Pink Floyd performed Wish You Were Here some tracks of that at the Nebworth Festival in the United Kingdom. In London, Roy Harper joined for Have a Cigar? Is that a name that rings a bell to you? Roy Harper?

Yeah? I remember he had, you know, certainly an album or so out, so it was, you know, early progressive. I couldn't remember anything about him, but yes, I do remember that name.

Interesting story there, and Pink Floyd did not have a lot of folks ever really joined them.

They kind of stood on their own.

It wasn't like the Stones who would bring guests out or others who will bring guests out. But this is something that happened early on in their you know, in their career.

And people are so crazy in a good way over progressive rock and Floyd and all that. You know, I'm sure someone will let us know, Hey, you idiots, he did this or he did this with Pink Floyd. So we'll probably follow up on this, absolutely will.

In nineteen ninety one, Guns N' Roses You Could Be Mine was released as a single from What movie Buzz would it be Terminator, It would be it would be Terminator two got to number twenty nine. Appearing on a movie soundtrack. This would not be their first time doing that in nineteen ninety one. In eighty eight, Welcome to the Jungle was featured in the Clin Eastwood movie The Deadpool, and Jim Carrey played the singer of this band that was making a music video and ended up meeting his

That was our first exposure to Welcome to the Jungle.

Great songs.

I remember I was spending a lot of time with our friend Chuck Nolan in those days in nineteen eighty eight, and I remember us hearing that after seeing that movie, thinking what a song that is? That's one immediately the first time you hear it, you go, what is that?

And we know very well Chuck Nolan quite a headbanger in his day.

He was. He had the.

Mullet going, he had that big head of curly hair. Yeah, this was not morning show, Chuck Nolan. This is not, you know, the older Chuck Nolan, Chuck Nolan in the later years, right.

So he would hate us for this.

He and let me tell you something, I'm gonna make it.

I'm gonna cuddle the lempy three of it, and I'm gonna post it on our Facebook. In nineteen forty three, on July fifth, Robbie Robertson, the guitarist and songwriter for the band, was born in Toronto. The Last Waltz the way you have a you have a connection to Robbie Robertson, you have a love for that band. To take me through a couple of your favorite stories and memories for Robbie.

Oh, I had a few of them over over time, just direct occurrences.

I remember one of the times.

Actually, I don't think I've told you this. I did a series of New York City shows that I didn't do.

I produced for my morning show at that time.

That was Tommy and the Bull from FM ninety nine w n R, The Late Bull and Norfolk. Yes, And we were camped at the I believe it was the Carnegie or the Stage Deli, and that's what we were bringing guests in. And you know, lo and behold we got Robbie to come on over and spend the half hour and.

Do an interview over there.

So he was always very amenable to doing things, certainly seen shot, but also was very transparent about stories, and it was really always wonderful to be able to have time with him. Here's another bit of trivia. His first name is not Robbie. Do you know what it is?

No, I had no idea that his name was not Robbie Jamie. Really Jamie is Robbie the middle name.

I believe so, But Jamie Robbie Robertson, I believe you.

Isn't that interesting? There are two other things here.

You have spoken with me in the past about his reputation amongst band members in that band.

Yeah, people think that ultimately he kind of pulled the land grab, if you will, and when the last Waltz finally occurred, things were crumbling down with the infrastructure of the band. But I think some people thought, right up until Robbie's end that he kind of did the other band members wrong and kind of you know, as far as songwriting credits and those sort of things, we'll never know.

You know, he also had a great voice. He did some voice over work.

Actually, he was the voice of a Budweiser commercial and a little you had a little light go off, a little brainstorm yourself after you heard that great voice of his on the Budweiser commercial.

Yeah, I sort of knew he was hanging around some studio and in the era of fax machines, I said, let me just put together a page of promos for WZLX and send them over, And sure enough, Robbie got him. And I think the next day or two days, a FedEx shows up and there is a tape with Robbie's session and it was pretty prigg and cool.

It really pleasant. Here's a word for you, malifluous voice. Oh yeah, deep and raspy and just sounded like a regular guy. So hearing him read our liners for ZLX was quite a little hit.

It was fun.

Yeah.

July sixth, nineteen sixty four, the Beatles released the film The Hard Day, Hard Days, and that you know, featured Can't Buy Me Love among other songs. Can't Buy Me Love ended up making to number one. We obviously don't get through a week without Beatles.

So that's right. It's another great Beatles week, great.

Song, great movie, and we just talked about Queen a few minutes ago. But in nineteen seventy three, on July sixth, their first album actually came out, and Keep Yourself Alive was on that. That was the big the big rock song from that album. And what a great song it is?

You like that one now?

Unique sounding? Yeah?

I like that one. That's a good one.

When COVID happened, Brian May started to and like a lot of us that were, you know, have gone to video from just doing audio, Brian May was trying to figure out how to do video. So there's a video of Brian May teaching you how to play if you're a guitar player Keep Yourself Alive, and he's trying to figure out how to hold his guitar and get his guitar into the scene.

And then it's the second he starts playing and it's like, oh, it sounds just like the record.

He gets that sound.

By the way, part of that sound of his guitar is that he plays with our pivalent of a quarter, and it's got those you know, a pick normally is just a flat piece of plastic, a flat triangular piece of plastic. He plays with basically a quarter, and he uses those serrated edges to get his sound.

And that's pretty cool, really unique.

So if you're a guitar player, you want to check that out on YouTube, just go to you know, go to Brian May tutorial and you'll find a bunch with him. Nineteen eighty five, Phil Collins released No Jacket Required, hit number one. I was a fan of the studio. The other song on that album was One More Night. Those ac songs that Phil Collins did I grew very tired of because I was playing him on the radio. I was never a fan of the schmaltcy Phil Collins.

Same here, but boy, his body of work, whether it be his solo body of work, whether it be his Genesis work, or whether it be with the other amazing and that he fronted that kind of flew under the radar. I don't know if you knew about that band, Harry. They were called Brand Dex. Did you know about that? NORANDX a fusion jazz band basically that knew how to rock real hard and was just really tremendous, uh to see in person. So great respect for Phil and his

A tell me what is your dog barking in the bad one of your one of your many dogs.

Tell me what's going on?

FedEx is here.

I should bring the microphone out and have the FedEx person come on.

Since there, FedEx guy may have a Phil Collins story. He may be rocking some Phil Collins in his in his truck right now.

We don't know.

He could be.

You know, I want to talk about.

Genesis for one minute, because in nineteen eighty three they released and now this is a band that just got better and better over years. That album in nineteen eighty three, you know, I think it was just called Genesis. Mama, Home by the Sea, Illegal Alien, just a job to do, that's all taking it all too hard. There are two songs that I don't know. Silver Rainbow is one of them. I think that that does not ring a bell with me.

Yeah it was, but you just went through and there you go.

Seventy five percent of the songs on there, you know, really sound great. My favorite on that was Home by the Sea, by the way, not Home by the Sea too. But we sometimes on the little sessions that we have here at the household listening to music, we go deep into the Genesis catalog many times.

Think about three Sides Live, right, there were some great songs that live verse. Not that Abacab wasn't an epic on the Abacab album, but that you know, eight or nine minute version on the live album on Three Sides Live was really fantastic.

A great story, you know. Musically, Phil Collins sad ending for sure, you.

Know, yeah, he can barely stand now and doesn't play so but.

His son Nick Collins has taken over, when at least he did for a time, you know.

A great, great player in his own right. So with that, that brings to a close this week in Music. July sixth would be the last day that we covered for this week.

Well, it was a terrific week and it's always a terrific one to go over with you, Harry for this week in music history. For the week of June thirtieth,