New Order formed in 1980 after the demise of Joy Division, following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. Prior to his death, the members of Joy Division had agreed not to continue under the Joy Division name should any one member leave. In 1983 New Order released “Blue Monday” as a 12-inch single. Clocking in at 7:29 it made the top 10 in many countries. In New Zealand, it peaked at number 2 and spent 74 weeks (spread across three calendar years) in the top 50, while being the number one song in the 1983 year end top 100 and the number 8 song in the 1984 year end chart.
Category: Flashback
Joy Division were an English band formed in 1976 and, arguably, one of the greatest bands to come out of Manchester. Their career was however tragically cut short when their vocalist, Ian Curtis, took his own life on 18 May 1980. He had suffered from depression and had lived with severe epilepsy for some time. His death came just before the release of Joy Division’s classic single Love Will Tear Us Apart which would go on to top the singles chart in New Zealand.
On this day in 1979 Robert Palmer released “Bad Case of Loving You.” From his album “Secrets” it became his biggest hit up to that time, reaching number 14 in the US Hot 100, number 2 in The Netherlands and number 1 in Canada. The song was also nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards.
American guitarist Carlos Santana turns 75 today. He rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. In 2015 Rolling Stone magazine listed Carlos at number 20 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists. He has won 10 Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards and was inducted along with his band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
“Get Down” is a song by British-Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan, from his 1973 album I’m a Writer, Not a Fighter. Released as a single, it became a number one in the UK, Ireland and (West) Germany. besides making it to the top 10 in numerous other countries. Despite the line, “You’re a bad dog baby, but I still want you around,” this song is not about an actual dog, although it has long been rumored to be. Apparently Gilbert O’Sullivan has said it’s about “an over-zealous lady,” not a poorly trained pooch.
Dion Francis DiMucci, born on 18 July 1939 and better known simply as Dion, celebrates his 83rd birthday. Dion’s biggest and best known hits include “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer.” These classics, and others, still feature on RadiJohan, along with some great songs Dion has released in more recent years, including the awesome “Song For Sam Cooke (Here In America).”
On 26 May 1974 “Sugar Baby Love” was the number one song in the UK. It was the debut single of the Rubettes, a bunch of session musicians who were offered the song by songwriters Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington on condition that they would become an actual group. The Rubettes went on to have a string of hits but Sugar Baby Love would be their only No.1. It also reached No. 1 in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Australia, and No. 2 in South Africa.