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Today in rock history: on this date in 1975, David Bowie released his ninth studio album, the soul-tinged Young Americans. Distancing himself from the glam rock genre he’d been so closely associated with, Bowie decided to shift gears and experiment with soul and R&B influences for this album. Contributors on the LP included up and coming musicians like saxophonist David Sanborn and renowned soul singer and songwriter Luther Vandross. Notable, too, was the involvement of Carlos Alomar who, after this initial project, became a longtime contributor to many of Bowie’s subsequent albums and concert tours. The album was incredibly successful in America and England where it charted in the top 10 on sales charts in both countries. Besides the success the title track achieved when released as a single, the biggest draw to this fine album was “Fame,” Bowie’s slice of funk which he co-wrote with former Beatle, John Lennon. The song became David Bowie’s very first No. 1 single in America where it performed much better than in the singer’s native England. Young Americans was awarded gold sales status in America and remains one of the favorite albums of Bowie fanatics worldwide.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1983, British electro-rock band New Order released its landmark single, “Blue Monday.” Uniquely packaged in a detailed, die-cut sleeve designed to resemble a floppy disk, the single became incredibly popular all around the world. Inspired by the music of disco queen Donna Summer and electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk, this masterful, influential single has been regarded as the link between 1970s disco and 1980s dance music. New Order, consisting of former members of post-punk giants Joy Division, created a revolutionary, enduring dance single which still sounds completely timeless and contemporary 35 years after its release. As a result, “Blue Monday” holds the distinction of being the best-selling 12” dance single of all time.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1983, British new wave duo Tears For Fears released its innovative debut album, The Hurting. The album was an enormous success in England where it rose to the No. 1 spot on British album charts and produced several hit singles. The deeply personal album featured the classics “Mad World,” “Pale Shelter” and “Change” which were all top 5 singles in the U.K. and also moderate hits in America thanks to the heavy rotation that accompanying videos received on MTV. The critically acclaimed album was the first in a long line of fine, successful albums this pioneering duo would release throughout its tenure.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1945, Arthur Lee was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Lee is best known for being the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for pivotal 1960’s Los Angeles rock band, Love. Lee fronted one of the first racially diverse rock bands that delved into a variety of genres like hard rock, jazz and blues. Love's 1967 album, Forever Changes, is the band's best-known, and countless critics and fans commonly regarded it as one of the very best albums of the 1960s. Lee had a major impact on legendary singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix who soon adopted a similar clothing style after encountering Lee’s. Arthur Lee embarked on a solo career after the dissolution of Love but passed away in 2003 due to complications from leukemia.
This article appears in Mar 1-8, 2018.