RockGeek Fact of the Day #203
Today’s the 57th anniversary of The Day the Music Died … On February 3, 1959, rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed in a plane crash near…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #A1NA2
On this day in 1829, the first accordion patent was granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.
10 Richest Songs Ever
How much money can you make off a hit song? Well … the folks at CelebrityNetWorth.com figured it out. Be prepared to be astounded by how much money one little hit song can earn … so…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #1319
On this day in 1970, Aerosmith performed their first gig at the Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, MA. Here’s a clip of the band 8 years later, live at the Music Hall in Boston.
RockGeek Fact of the Day #4913
Take a listen to “Sway” by the Rolling Stones. Pete Townshend from The Who, singer Billy Nichols, and Ronnie Lane from Small Faces all sang background vocals, and the strings were arranged by Paul Buckmaster —…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #040113
According to anonymous sources, the remaining members of the Beatles (Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr) will be touring this summer. Plans are to be announced at a press conference later today. The tour will start nostaligically…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #TVC15
Today is David Bowie’s 66th birthday. Today is also release day for his new single “Where Are We Now?” Were we psychic when we asked “Where is David Bowie” back in August? You be the judge……
RockGeek Fact of the Day #1969
On this day in 1969, The Rolling Stones headlined the infamous Altamont Free Concert in Altamont, CA. Immortalized in the film “Gimme Shelter,” it’s a cautionary tale of what not to do when planning a large…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #5773
Happy 78th Birthday to Leonard Cohen! Cohen, a nice Jewish boy, has drawn from Jewish religious and cultural imagery throughout his career. Unetaneh Tokef, an 11th-century liturgical poem recited during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, are echoed in…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #5309
Happy Birthday to Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night. He of the exploding penis. Really. Here’s the tale courtesy of spinner.com: According to Chuck Negron, one of the three lead singers of the band that virtually…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #420b
Happy (would’ve been) 67th Birthday to Bob Marley. Didja know that in the early ’70s, Bob Marley and the Wailers were booked to open dates for Sly & The Family Stone? After 4 dates, Bob and…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #9063b
OK – maybe it’s a stretch, but …. Today would’ve been Harpo Marx’s 123rd birthday. Bizarre? Any excuse to add a little Marx Brothers to the festivities, right?
RockGeek Fact of the Day #69
Today would’ve been Freddie Mercury’s 65th birthday. Here’re a few of the things he’s said over the years … A concert is not a live rendition of our album. It’s a theatrica! event. I always knew…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #149
This past weekend the J. Geils Band decimated their audiences in Boston. This is probably no surprise to anyone who’s ever seen them perform. It’s a visceral, religious, reverential, exhausting experience. What’s amazing is that the…
Happy Birthday MTV?
30 years ago today, the rocket launched and MTV was born. Surprisingly (or not?), there’s no mention of this milestone on the homepage of MTV.com.
RockGeek Fact of the Day #0315
At the time of its release in 1970, “Vehicle” by the Ides of March was the fastest selling single in Warner Brothers’ history.
Something to be…
John Lennon 1940-1980 For a lot of people it seems bizarre to think that John Lennon died 30 years ago today. While not that long ago, 1980 was a completely different time and place for the…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #103b
SS Edmund Fitzgerald (nicknamed “Mighty Fitz,” “The Fitz,” or “The Big Fitz”) was an American Great Lakes freighter launched on June 8, 1958. At the time of its launching, it was one of the first boats to…
Remember remember…
It’s Guy Fawkes Day! Here in the U.S. that probably means nothing. In fact, it’s only a big deal ‘cuz I can post up this song. Ultimately it’s more of an English thing, but it does…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #0412
Happy Birthday to Peter Noone — lead singer of Herman’s Hermits!!! Fun fact: During 1965, The Beatles released Rubber Soul and Help!, but they were outsold by … Herman’s Hermits! Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone is…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #003
Happy 64th Birthday to the pride of Downey, CA — Richard Carpenter. As one of (and later 2/3 …) of The Carpenters with his sister Karen, they made easy listening even easier. Nixon loved ’em, millions…
John Lennon’s 70th Birthday…
Today would’ve been John Lennon’s 70th birthday. What if?
RockGeek Fact of the Day #413B
Happy 74th Birthday to Don Cornelius — Creator and Host of “Soul Train.” And therefore, creator of the Soul Train line 🙂 Kurtis Blow – The Breaks “…and as always in parting, we wish you love,…
September Song…
I love timely musical references. Maybe it’s the radio geek in me, I dunno. Here’s Wynton Marsalis and Sarah Vaughan performing “September Song” with the Boston Pops from the early ’80s…posted today September 1st !!!
RockGeek Fact of the Day #2204
On this day in 1976, the #1 song in the U.S. was “Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee. Surprisingly, this was Elton’s first #1 single in the U.K. and his last…
Happy 70th Ringo (Wow…)
Ladies and gentlemen – the first septuagenerian Beatle… Mr. Richard Starkey, MBE
Happy Birthday Sir Paul McCartney
Today’s Paul McCartney’s 68th birthday. As if that wasn’t odd enough, here’s my all time favorite McCartney performance ever ….
RockGeek Fact of the Day #601
Today would’ve been Nelson Riddle’s 89th birthday. As the arranger/conductor for “the” musicians of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, he defined the sound of the time. Here’re a few of the folks Nelson Riddle wrote arrangements…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #0514
Born on this day Bobby Darin (1936) and Jack Bruce (1943). Died on this day, Frank Sinatra (1998).
RockGeek Fact of the Day #5470
40 years ago today, at Kent State University in Ohio, National Guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. Some of the…
The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
When I started at Berklee, I got a job in the jazz department at Tower Records. This was before iPods, before MySpace, and at a time when people were still asking what we had on cassette….
RockGeek Fact of the Day #0420
Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women No. 12 and 35” is referred to as one source of the origins of the term “420” referencing the use of marijuana: the numbers 12 and 35 when multiplied equal 420….
There’s 1 for you 19 for me …
The music for “Taxman” was inspired by the theme song for the popular 1960s TV series Batman, which was recorded by the Surf Rock group The Marketts earlier in 1966 and hit #17 in the US. George…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #237
Two very cool people have birthdays today: Leon Russell and Marvin Gaye. Both geniuses, and both worth sharing a couple clips from. Leon Russell just finished recording an album with Elton John. Elton has often declared…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #769
On this day, in the year 62 (!), a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the city of Pompeii, Italy. While this doesn’t directly cause the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79, it does provide an excuse to…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #1508
Today would have been George Harrison’s 67th birthday. On (my favorite George Harrison tune) “The Art of Dying,” soon-to-be Genesis drummer/singer Phil Collins plays congas. As a kid, Collins was an extra in the Beatles movie A…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #812
51 years ago today was “the day the music died.” On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa killed three American musicians: Buddy Holly Ritchie Valens and”The Big Bopper”, J. P. Richardson…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #0026
Happy 61st Birthday to former Journey frontman Steve Perry!!! His first solo hit, “Oh Sherrie” is about his real life girlfriend at the time, Sherrie Swafford, who also appeared in the video. Anyone else hoping for…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #33433
Happy 49th Birthday to Michael Stipe of REM! Listen to the song “Driver 8” and see if it sounds familiar. There’s a series of minor chords that guitarist Peter Buck would use again on “The One…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #310
Dennis Wilson died on this day in 1983. As a founding member of the Beach Boys, he was the only actual surfer in the band.
RockGeek Fact of the Day #505
“You Got the Silver” (1969) was the first Rolling Stones song to feature Keith Richards on lead vocals. It was also the last song to feature a usable contribution by Brian Jones. Bonus: Happy 66th (?!?)…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #1009
Today marks the 29th anniversary of John Lennon’s passing. War is over – if you want it…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #4242
On this day in 1993, Frank Zappa died. Back in ’73, Frank released “Over-Nite Sensation.” He used Tina Turner and the Ikettes to sing backup on three tracks, “Montana,” “I’m the Slime,” and “Dirty Love.”
RockGeek Fact of the Day #4325
Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died on this day in 1991. :: sigh :: One of their lesser known (but incredible) songs “Dragon Attack” features a melody eerily similar to another better known track, “We Will Rock…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #6981
Johnny Mathis released the very first Greatest Hits album in 1958. Multiple artists and labels soon followed including (ironically…) Britney Spears in 2004.
RockGeek Fact of the Day #283
SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter launched on June 8, 1958. Until 1971 she was the largest ship on the Great Lakes.Although she had reported having some difficulties during a gale on Lake…
Random (cool) Fact of the Day #219
On this day in 1871, Henry Morton Stanley locates missing explorer and missionary, Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, allegedly greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
RockGeek Fact of the Day #2743
Today would have been Ike Turner’s 78th birthday. Credited with writing the first rock ‘n’ roll song ever (Rocket 88), he also denied having ever been legally married to Tina Turner. Upon his death, and after…
RockGeek Fact of the Day #0704
“So when people ask me what “American Pie” means, I tell them it means I don’t ever have to work again …” –Don McLean
RockGeek Fact of the Day #420
Born on this day (we think…) in 1944, Peter Tosh became an accomplished unicyclist after his departure from Bob Marley and the Wailers. He would often start his shows by riding his unicycle right onto the…