Today in rock history: on this date in 1989, ex-Bauhaus lead singer Peter Murphy released his third solo album, Deep”. After leading the quintessential goth rock band and while his ex-bandmates were finding success on alternative charts with a spinoff band, Love & Rockets, Murphy found plenty of success of his own with this impressive record. As his best-selling and most popular album, Deep featured three singles that drew plenty of accolades and became darkwave classics: “The Line Between the Devil's Teeth (And That Which Cannot Be Repeat,)" "Cuts You Up" and "A Strange Kind of Love." “Cuts You Up,” an alternative dance floor hit, topped Billboard’s modern rock singles chart for seven weeks and almost scratched the top 40 on the publication's pop singles chart. The album, which is considered to be Murphy’s very best by his most dedicated followers, came close to cracking the top 40 on Billboard’s pop albums chart too.
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Review: Peter Murphy revisits the Bauhaus catalog at Orpheum, Ybor City
Today in rock history: on this date in 1955, rock and roll pioneer Carl Perkins recorded his most famous composition, “Blue Suede Shoes.” As legend has it, Perkins was inspired to write the song after encountering a young male giving his date grief after she’d scuffed up his shoes. While the song is more often associated with the version Elvis Presley recorded, his version only barely cracked the top 20 on U.S. singles charts and hung around for only five weeks before falling off completely whereas Carl Perkins’s version remained on sales charts for 17 weeks and climbed as high as No. 2.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1970, Elton John’s very first hit single in the United States entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Your Song,” a ballad Elton co-wrote with longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin from his self-titled album (which was also released in 1970), was originally issued as the B-side for another single. A different Elton John classic from the same album, “Take Me To The Pilot,” was intended as chosen hit but disc jockeys on American radio stations preferred the song on the flip side of the single and began to play it on regular rotation around the country. “Your Song” peaked at No. 8 on U.S. charts and became the first of 57 top 40 hits the hall of fame composer, singer and pianist has enjoyed in America throughout his long and fruitful career.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1964, the most successful girl group of them all, Motown Records singing group The Supremes made music history when it scored a third No. 1 single of the year. After “Where Did Our Love Go” and “Baby Love” both shot up to the top spot earlier in ’64, the three-piece singing group, featuring Diana Ross on lead vocals, repeated the feat when “Come See About Me” topped the charts. The song would hit the top spot again in January of 1965 after dueling for the No. 1 placing with “I Feel Fine” by The Beatles who were the fiercest chart competitors for the all-female group from Detroit. The Supremes would attain two more consecutive No. 1 hits in 1965: “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “Back In My Arms Again” bringing their amazing string of chart-toppers to five in a row.