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Today in rock history: on this date in 1982, rocker Joan Jett and her backing band The Blackhearts began a seven week run at the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s pop singles chart with the high energy anthem, “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll.” Jett’s second solo album was also named after the song that wound up making her an international star when the single topped charts all over the world. The song was originally recorded by The Arrows, an American pop band who rose to prominence while based out of England in the mid-1970s. Jett was made aware of the single in 1976 when her first band, the all-female hard rock band The Runaways toured the U.K. at the time. Six years later, the song would become Joan Jett’s most popular, best-selling single and her signature song.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1980, a man by the name of Joseph Rivera entered the New York City headquarters of record label Asylum Records with a mission. The 28-year old man demanded to see either singer/songwriter Jackson Browne or popular rock band The Eagles (who were both part of the label’s roster) and held label employees at gunpoint until either act appeared in the label’s office. Rivera wanted to sue someone who’d sold his truck from under him while recuperating at a local hospital after being mugged and needed to raise $2,500. His hope was that either Browne or members of The Eagles would bankroll his venture. When Rivera was informed that neither of the artists were in the building, he put his gun away and left the building only to turn himself into the police later in the day.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1936, Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry) was born in Kendal, Jamaica. Undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in the history of reggae music, as a musician and a record producer, Perry has had a hand in some of the most important and integral reggae records of all time. His influence and involvement in the genre greatly helped the popularity and the widespread success of reggae and dub music all over the world. Besides his own albums and his work with The Upsetters, Perry has produced albums for reggae giants The Congos, Bob Marley, Junior Murvin and Max Romeo among many others. Still recording and touring, Perry, one of the key figures in the rise of reggae music turns 82 years old today.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1989, Seattle hard rock band Mother Love Bone released its debut EP, Shine. The four-song record featured one bonus track on its CD counterpart release, fared well and drew lots of acclaim which helped put the northwestern hotbed for new music in the spotlight. Before the marketable term “grunge” was introduced, Mother Love Bone and its flamboyant, mesmerizing lead singer and songwriter Andrew Wood were creating their very own brand of glam-inspired hard rock while proudly wearing their influences on their sleeves. This release featured the band’s eight minute opus “Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns” that remains the most stunning and hypnotic piece of work it ever created. Sadly, Wood would die almost a year to the date of this record’s release and the band would come to an end. Two Mother Love Bone Members, bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard would later form another band that would go on to enormous success by the name of Pearl Jam.
This article appears in Mar 15-22, 2018.
