Today in rock history: On this date in two separate years, two of the greatest jazz drummers of all time passed away. In 1990, the legendary Art Blakey passed away at age 71 due to lung cancer. Blakey was renowned for his work with jazz giants like Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker to name a few. Blakey, along with pianist Horace Silver, would form his own ensemble, The Jazz Messengers in the mid-1950s. Blakey would be granted several prestigious accolades for his revolutionary work with the outfit he’d be part of for the better part of the next 30 years. On the same date in 1973, the man who has been referred to as the greatest drummer of all time, the amazing Gene Krupa, died as a result of heart failure at the age of 64. Known for his skills as a bandleader, a composer as well as an actor, Krupa helped elevate the role of the drummer and became famous for his energetic, passionate playing style and his ability to stand out from behind a drum kit. His incredible speed, accuracy and skill set the tone for all drummers of all genres. His work on the 1936 hit single, “Sing, Sing, Sing” is often referred to as the first truly substantial work committed to wax by a drum player and is still considered to be one of the most defining moments in the rise of modern drumming as an art form. Krupa would appear on countless albums and recordings throughout his legendary career before his passing in the mid-1970s.
Today in rock history: On this date in 1964, record-breaking girl group The Supremes released its third album, A Bit of Liverpool. As a nod to the sounds that were coming out of England at the time, the group created an album that consisted mostly of songs popularized by its biggest competitors on worldwide sales charts, The Beatles. The second album released by the classic Supremes lineup (the trio of Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson) didn’t perform as well as its predecessor, the blockbuster hit “Where Did Our Love Go” but still sold respectably. The record contained sparkling versions of Fab Four songs like “A Hard Day’s Night,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” to name a few. Also included were songs popularized by another chart-topping group of the day, The Dave Clark Five, like “Bits and Pieces” and “Because.” A Bit of Liverpool was renamed for its European release and was given the title “With Love (From Us to You)” in no doubt a nod to the 1963 Beatles hit, “From Me to You."
Today in rock history: On this date in 1965, the debut solo record by Cher, the woman who’d become one of the best-known entertainers of all time, was released. While still recognized for being half of the real-life married couple of singers, Sonny and Cher, husband Sonny Bono had the bright idea of attempting to market Cher as a solo artist. Producing her very first release, Bono played an active role in bringing about All I Really Want to Do, the very first in a long line of Cher’s albums. Consisting mostly of covers of compositions by other songwriters, the album’s title derives from its Bob Dylan-penned title track, which is one of three Dylan songs on the record. Other songwriters whose work appears on this fine release include The Kinks’ Ray Davies, Jackie DeShannon and folk music legend Pete Seeger. All I Really Want to Do charted well in America where it reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s pop albums list and fared even better in England were it rose to the Top 10.
Today in rock history: On this date in 1981, cutting edge British pop/new-wave duo Eurythmics released its debut album, In The Garden. Fresh from their stint as members of the quirky pop band The Tourists, dynamite vocalist Annie Lennox and multi-instrumentalist David Stewart decided to go it alone and travel in a more esoteric, stylized sound. The pair’s first result was this fine, underrated record which made little impact on sales charts in the band’s home base of England. The record contained two singles, “Belinda” and “Never Gonna Cry Again,,” but neither was a big hit by any means. Produced by famed German krautrock veteran Conny Plank, the record contains guest appearances by Blondie’s superb drummer Clem Burke as well as by members of legendary German outfit, Can. Eurythmics would achieve a minimal amount of chart success with the record although it was critically well-received and honored. The pair’s luck would change however when its sophomore release, 1983’s Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) would make them international pop stars thanks.
This article appears in Oct 11-18, 2018.