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Today in rock history: on this date in 1977, the very first independently recorded and released punk rock record surfaced when four-piece, Manchester, England band Buzzcocks released its debut EP, Spiral Scratch. While its contemporaries The Damned and The Sex Pistols had already released singles that preceded this release, Buzzcocks hold the distinction of being the first band to release a record without the aid of a record label and or a recording contract, kick-starting the DIY ethic which quickly became an integral characteristic of the punk rock movement. Consisting of four songs and clocking in at just over 10 minutes total, the EP served as the introduction to the influential band who’d go on to become one of the most exciting and consistent bands to emerge from the British punk scene. Containing one of the quintessential songs of the era,”Boredom,” the EP was the only Buzzcocks release to feature original lead singer Howard Devoto who’d quickly part ways with the band and go on to form another highly prominent band, post-punk pioneers, Magazine.
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Best Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Ybor City's Twilight books Buzzcocks, Porcupine Tree, Queens of the Stone Age and more.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1983, Australian new wave band Men at Work achieved the almost impossible feat when it simultaneously held down the No. 1 spot on singles charts in both England and America as well as the No. 1 album in both countries as well. The band’s catchy single “Down Under” — which included a lyric that referenced Australian sandwich spread Vegemite that had the rest of the world wondering what it was — was residing at the top spot in both regions as did the band’s multi-platinum debut album, Business As Usual. Prior to this, the last time this amazing achievement was accomplished was in 1971 when Rod Stewart occupied all four No. 1 spots on U.S. and England with his single “Maggie May” and his album Every Picture Tells A Story.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1964, while in Germany, The Beatles recorded German-language versions of two of their biggest hits, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You.” Learning the newly translated lyrics phonetically, the band sang and recorded the German versions of the songs which became “Komm, gib mir deine Hand” and “Sie liebt dich” respectively. The single containing these foreign language versions was released in Germany only making it the only recording of its type that the popular band would record in a language other than their native English.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1992, blues legend Willie Dixon passed away at the age 76 due to heart failure. Dixon was instrumental in bridging the gap between blues and rock and roll with the work he did with both Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley in the 1950s. Many of Dixon’s compositions were recorded by some of his contemporaries and fellow blues legends like Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. One of the most important and influential blues artists of all time, Dixon wrote well known blues classics like “Hoochie Coochie Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "Little Red Rooster" and "Spoonful." Dixon’s compositions were also covered by many rock and roll artists who were greatly influenced by his work, like Cream, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Apart from being a Grammy winner, Willie Dixon has also been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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This article appears in Jan 25 – Feb 1, 2018.