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Today in rock history: on this date in 1948, Kate Pierson, co-lead singer of Athens, Georgia party band, The B-52s, was born in Weehawken, New Jersey. Formed in 1976, the band got together after partaking in an impromptu jam session at a Chinese restaurant in Athens and from there, created one of the quirkiest and most imaginative bands of the new wave era. Specializing in music made to inspire dancing, Pierson and the band unleashed a classic debut single — “Rock Lobster” — in 1978 on an independent label which led to a major recording contract and the release of The B-52s' essential, self-titled debut album in 1979. Besides adding her versatile vocals to every one of the band’s records, Pierson can also be heard alongside Iggy Pop on his 1990 single “Candy” and on “Shiny Happy People,” the 1991 hit from another Athens, Georgia band, R.E.M. Apart from solo recordings, Pierson has remained a constant member of the band who is still touring today. Incidentally, on this same date in 1983, The B-52s released its third full length album, Whammy!. The record found the band experimenting with synthesizers and drum machines and featured the singles “Legal Tender,” “Whammy Kiss” and “Song For a Future Generation” which featured vocal contributions from all five band members. “Whammy!” cracked the top 30 on Billboard’s pop albums chart and achieved gold sales status in the United States.
TODAY IN ROCK HISTORY
Ace Frehley is electrocuted in Lakeland
Today in rock history: on this date in 1951, Paul Daniel Frehley, better known as Ace, was born in the borough of The Bronx in New York City. “Space Ace” as he was referred to during his tenure as lead guitarist for American rock band Kiss, played on all the essential albums with the band up until his departure in 1982. Ace began being featured as a lead vocalist with the band on a track titled “Shock Me” from its 1977 album Love Gun as well as on several other tracks afterwards right up to his parting ways with Kiss. Soon after, while launching a solo career, Ace formed Frehley’s Comet and scored a highly successful debut album with that group in 1987. Of the four individual solo albums each Kiss member released simultaneously in 1978, Ace’s is most often referred to as the best of the lot and was the one to achieve the highest sales of the quartet thanks in great part to the hit single that hails from it: “New York Groove.”
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1993, while the future of California-based alternative band Jane’s Addiction was questionable, two members of the band, lead singer Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins (along with other musicians) released Porno for Pyros, the debut, self-titled album by their post-Jane’s band. Featuring some material that was originally conceived during the Jane’s Addiction days, the record bore similarities to that band’s sound and appealed greatly to its fans. Porno for Pyros made it as high as No. 3 on Billboard’s pop albums chart and featured the single “Pets” which rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s Modern Rock singles chart. Achieving a gold record award for sales exceeding 500,000 copies in America, the album was the first of only two records the band would release; its follow up, God’s Good Urge would be released in 1996. Jane’s Addiction would become active again in 1997 and would continue to tour and record new music.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1968, groundbreaking, interracial rock/soul/pop band Sly and the Family Stone released its second album, Dance to the Music. The album’s most relevant and best-known song is, of course, it’s title track which became a massive hit single and proved to be the band’s very first top 10 single on the Billboard charts. The song is commonly regarded as being one of the foundations in the creation of the funk genre as well as being instrumental in forming the psychedelic soul sub-genre that The Temptations and Curtis Mayfield would also help carve out. All songs on the album were written by lead singer Sly Stone who also handled production duties on the record, This was, for many, the introduction to this vital band who helped define the sound and the look of the late 60s and early 70s. Many more classic singles would follow as well as best-selling albums but this was the first bona fide success Sly and the Family Stone would enjoy.
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