This week in 1990 “Nelson” released their debut album After the Rain, which sold over 2 million copies in the USA thanks to their number 1 single (Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection. The band was founded by twins Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. Their Father, Ricky Nelson, was an actor who also had a long and successful recording career, with hits including Hello Mary Lou (1961) and Garden Party (1972), before he died in a plane crash in 1985.
Category: Flashback
This week in 1979 the Charlie Daniels Band released The Devil Went Down to Georgia from the album Million Mile Reflections. The song tells the story of a young man named Johnny, who makes a deal with the devil. It was the band’s biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and prevented from a higher peak by After the Love Has Gone by “Earth, Wind and Fire” and My Sharona by “The Knack.
The song begins as a disappointed Devil arrives in Georgia, apparently “way behind” on stealing souls, when he notices a young man named Johnny who is playing a fiddle, and quite well. Out of desperation, the Devil, who claims that he also is a fiddle player, bets a fiddle of gold against Johnny’s soul to see who is the better fiddler. Although Johnny believes taking the Devil’s bet might be a sin, he fearlessly accepts, confidently boasting that he’s “the best that’s ever been.”
Listen below to hear how the story ends.
This week in 1972 David Bowie released his fifth studio album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The concept album introduced us to Bowie’s alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, a fictional rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour to bring a message of hope to humanity before an impending apocalypse. The album peaked at number 5 in the UK and remains on that chart for two years, bolstered by Bowie’s performance of “Starman” on “Top of the Pops” in July 1972.
This morning I suddenly remembered a hit from 1981 which, until now, had disappeared somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind. I don’t know how it slipped in there as it arguably should have been on RadiJohan’s playlist all along.
Gary U.S.Bonds is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer who had a few hits in the US and the UK in the early 60’s but otherwise remained largely unknown until the early 80’s. Bonds’ had an 80’s career resurgence with two albums recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, and the E Street Band. The first of these, Dedication, was released in 1981 and featured his US and UK comeback hit, This Little Girl, which also charted in New Zealand, peaking at number 11.
This week in 1974 Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You hit number 1 on the US Country chart. Dolly wrote the ballad of undying platonic love for her longtime mentor, Porter Wagoner, with whom she recorded 13 duet albums before she decided to part ways.
Nearly two decades later, Whitney Houston’s version of the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
This week in 1973 the “Wings” album Red Rose Speedway hit the top of the albums chart in the USA. Its lead single, My Love, written by Paul McCartney as a love song to his wife (and Wings bandmate) Linda, started a four-week run at number 1 on the Hot 100. It was the band’s first number one.
Frank Sinatra topped the UK chart this week in 1966 with the title track of his most commercially successful album album, Strangers In The Night. The song also reached number 1 in the USA. Sinatra despised the song, apparently calling it “a piece of shit” at one time. Glen Campbell played rhythm guitar on the record.
This week in 1969 “The Who” released their album Tommy, a rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind boy who plays a mean pinball. The lavish double concept album introduced a new genre: Rock Opera. The single Pinball Wizard became a classic hit. The album was developed into an acclaimed movie in 1975 starring Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Elton John, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and Jack Nicholson.
Formed in 1976 British pop group “Racey” achieved success in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Lay Your Love on Me was their first hit single, reaching number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 2 in Ireland in December 1978. It was a number 1 hit in the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.
This week in 1989 Michael Jackson, wearing a wig and fake Moustache, entered a jewelry store in California. Security thought he looked like a suspicious person and called the police. Michael, who wore the disguise in order to do some shopping without the drama of being recognised by fans, discovered that wearing a disguise to a jewelry store only replaced one drama with another.