Today in rock history: on this date in 1951, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner was born in Wallsend, Northumberland, England. Soon to adopt the stage name of Sting (which was given to him thanks to his penchant for wearing a black and yellow striped sweater with one of the jazz bands he played for early in his career), the gifted musician would join forces with a group of players who jumped on the exploding new wave/punk rock movement in England in the late 70s and formed the now legendary band, The Police. The band became internationally known in quite a short time thanks to its appeal and their ability to appeal to music fans of all ages and backgrounds. After the band’s breakup in the in the mid-80s, Sting continued his musical career as a successful solo artist.
Coincidentally, two of The Police’s hit albums were both released on this very date as well. On this date in 1979, the band, which experienced great fame and accolades with its first album, Outlandos d’Amour, released its follow up, Reggatta de Blanc. The record continued the momentum of the debut album and included the major hits “Message In A Bottle” and “Walking On The Moon.” The group’s fourth album, the multi-platinum selling Ghost In The Machine was released on this date as well in 1981. At the time of its release, the band had achieved success in far-reaching parts of the world and was arguably the best-known and most popular band around the globe. The record continued its unstoppable success and contained the massive hit singles “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Spirits In The Material World”. Sting will perform with The Florida Orchestra on December 9, and more information on the show is available here.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1984, Minneapolis rock and roll quartet The Replacements released the album that would change its ascent from a punk rock garage band to bona fide critically acclaimed, highly important and integral rock and roll band. Let It Be was released on Minnesota indie label Twin/Tone Records (which released the band’s prior records), but the accolades and the attention the band garnered thanks to the release of this all-important record meant the end of its run with the label. By the band’s next record, 1985’s Tim, the band had been courted by Sire/Warner Brothers Records and continued its run as one of the most vital bands of the decade. Let It Be, titled as a cheeky nod to the Beatles’ album of the same title, marked a move from being a noisy, raucous punk rock band to a more melodic outfit that concentrated more on a variety of styles and sounds to range from the somber, poignant, personal ballad “Androgynous” to a raging cover of the early Kiss song, “Black Diamond.” Undoubtedly one of the most loved and revered American bands of all time, this was the record that incredibly and radically made the band known thanks to the word of mouth and the great press it received. The album is often included on just about every list that compiles the best albums to be released in the 1980s and the spark and the excitement the band was able to capture on is still evident when listening to it today. Read our recent interview with Tommy Stinson here.
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Today in rock history: in another coincidental occasion where an artist released two albums of the very same date (albeit several years apart), Canadian-born singer/songwriter Neil Young released two of his greatest and most acclaimed albums on this very date. In 1978, his Comes A Time record came out. The album, more of a return to Young’s country-folk inspired roots, features his backing band Crazy Horse on two tracks as well as background vocals from the then-unknown singer Nicolette Larson. One of the album’s songs, “Lotta Love” would turn out to be Larson’s breakthrough debut hit single when she released her version in the very same year of Young’s release.
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The album peaked at no. 7 on Billboard’s pop albums chart and it was rumored that Neil personally purchased 200,000 copies of the album himself upon its release because he was so unhappy the final mix of the record due to damage the original master tape suffered. On the same date in 1989, Young released his eighteenth album, the rocker Freedom. Viewed as sort of a comeback after a run of poorly-received albums throughout the 1980s, Freedom featured a return to Young’s louder, more electric side with his guitar-driven classic anthem “Rockin’ In The Free World” being its most recognizable track. Read our review of Young's most recent album here.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1964, legendary British rock and roll band The Kinks released its self-titled debut album in its native England. The album would be released in America with a slightly different track listing and under a different title; it was titled You Really Got Me in the U.S. after the blazing hit single that appears on the record. While the record as a whole made little impact, the band was instantly recognized for the powerful and insanely catchy single that made them a vital part of the then-happening British Invasion of new U.K. bands as it was referred to in the States. The band, working at a fast and furious pace, would release its follow up album the following year that would include another huge hit, “Tired Of Waiting For You.” The story of The Kinks and the infamous sibling rivalry of brothers Ray and Dave Davies is among the most intriguing in all of rock and roll and this fantastic record marks the beginning of that fascinating story.
This article appears in Sep 28 – Oct 6, 2017.