Today’s issue salutes Bob Weir and the long, strange trip he took with Grateful Dead, plus heartfelt reactions from fellow rockers.
There are some surprising Paul McCartney deep-cut covers, a rescued Beach Boys gem with help from Queen, and fresh reflections on Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart, Janis Joplin, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and more…
Have a Rockin Day,
Hippy Pete
TODAY IN CLASSIC ROCK
1957 - Elvis Presley recorded four songs at Radio Records in Hollywood, including the future hit "All Shook Up," which would become one of his signature songs and top the charts later that year.
1957 - Eddie Cochran recorded "Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie" in the studio. The song would later reach #94 in the US and #31 in the UK, becoming a minor hit for the rockabilly pioneer.
1959 - Berry Gordy launched the Tamla Record Company with $800 borrowed from his family. A year later, he would change the label's name to Motown Records, creating one of the most influential record labels in music history.
1963 - Charlie Watts played his first gig with The Rolling Stones at the Ealing Blues Club in London, just three days after leaving Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated.
1965 - Music variety show Hullabaloo premiered on NBC, featuring performances by The New Christy Minstrels and a taped segment from London introducing The Zombies and Gerry & the Pacemakers.
1966 - The Isley Brothers released "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)," which became the group's only major hit while on the Motown Records label.
1968 - Pink Floyd made their debut as a five-piece band with Syd Barrett and David Gilmour performing together at the University of Aston in Birmingham, England. This lineup would only perform together a few more times before Barrett's departure.
1969 - Led Zeppelin released their self-titled debut album in the US (ahead of its UK release in March). Recorded at Olympic Studios in London, the album took about 36 hours of studio time to complete and would spend 115 weeks on the Billboard pop album chart.
1973 - Electric Light Orchestra released their version of "Roll Over Beethoven" from their second studio album, ELO 2. The song was originally written and recorded by Chuck Berry in 1956.
1974 - The Who released "The Real Me," the third single from their fourth studio album, Quadrophenia.
1974 - "The Joker" by The Steve Miller Band became the group's first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song would later reach #1 in the UK sixteen years later, setting a record for the longest gap between topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.
1977 - The Police held their first rehearsal in drummer Stewart Copeland's London flat with guitarist Henri Padovani. Later that spring, the band recruited guitarist Andy Summers.
