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Today in rock history: on this date in 1980, The Rolling Stones started a seven-week run at the no.1 spot on the U.S. Billboard album chart with its 17th album, Emotional Rescue. The highly successful album reached the no.1 spot in the U.K. as well; their first British chart-topping album since its 1973 release, Goat’s Head Soup. The album contained the hits “She’s So Cold” and the disco-tinged title track which fared well on singles charts. The album cover featured thermographic x-ray looking photos of the band and the first pressing of the record included a massive, foldout colorful poster that wrapped around the album’s jacket. Coincidentally, lead singer Mick Jagger celebrates his 74th birthday today. The great-grandfather and longtime Stones singer was born on this date in 1943 in Dartford, Kent, England and is still going strong as one of the rock era’s most exciting and entertaining frontmen.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1941, legendary singer Darlene Love was born in Los Angeles, California. Love was a huge part of producer Phil Spector’s rise to fame and her larger than life, soaring vocal style was what made hits like “He’s A Rebel” and “He’s Sure The Boy I Love” such successes. The part-time actress appeared in the entire film series of Lethal Weapon and became known for her annual Christmas appearances on Late Night With David Letterman for several years. The powerhouse vocalist turns 76 today.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1968, young family act The Jackson 5 signed its very first contract with renowned Detroit record label, Motown Records. The band of brothers was a success from the beginning and exceeded the expectations of everyone at the label. The band developed a loyal young fan base which helped the group make musical history by having all four of its initial hit singles go straight to no.1. “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There” were all chart-topping hits on both pop and R&B charts and made the Jackson brothers stars.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1979, The Clash’s self-titled debut album was released in America, more than two years after its original release in England, making it the second album the band would officially release in the U.S. The band's second album, Give ‘Em Enough Rope was released worldwide in 1978, hence making the release of the first album its second release in the States. The original release sold over 100,000 copies as a highly sought after import here in the U.S. as the momentum and the buzz continued to grow for the groundbreaking band. When the U.S. version of the album was released, it featured a drastically different track listing, adding tracks that had been issued as singles in England after the original release date of the album. The initial pressing even featured a bonus 7-inch single included with two previously unreleased tracks that were exclusive to the bonus single. The album covers in both territories were similar with the exception of the placement of the band’s logo on the sleeve.
This article appears in Jul 20-27, 2017.