Category: Flashback

Manfred’s Man turns 75

Flashback

Singer and guitarist Chris Thompson celebrates his birthday today. Chris was born in England but raised in New Zealand and is known both for his work with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, specifically for his lead vocal on the classic hit Blinded By the Light and for his solo accomplishments.

Blinded By the Light was written by Bruce Springsteen for his album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. but it was Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s cover that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February 1977 and was also a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada.

Rock That (Disco) Boat

Flashback

The Hues Corporation were an American pop and soul trio formed in California in 1969. They are best known for their 1974 hit Rock the Boat. The song was first featured on their 1973 debut studio album Freedom For The Stallion. A later re-mix version of that recording became one of the first Disco hits in 1974 and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It also topped the chart in Canada and made the top ten in a number of other countries including The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The hit version was included on The Hues Corporation’s second album, Rockin’ Soul.

Controversial Concert Causes Contradictory Claims

Flashback

On the 1st of March 1969 Jim Morrison of “The Doors” allegedly dropped his trousers and exposed a bit too much of himself to the nearly 12,000 fans at a concert. Whether or not Morrison really exposed himself is unclear. His band-mate, Ray Manzarek, claimed that he just took his shirt off and waved it in front of his crotch to taunt the audience. A number of conflicting stories about the exact details of this incident exist. Morrison was eventually charged and convicted. He died while the case was under appeal.

In 2010 the governor of Florida granted Morrison a posthumous pardon.

Happy Birthday to Steve Harley

Flashback

English singer and songwriter Steve Harley turns 72 today. He is probably best known as the front-man of rock band “Cockney Rebel.” Over the years “Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel” have had four studio albums in the UK album chart and twelve singles in the UK singles chart. In 1975 one of the singles, Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), made the top 10 in the Netherlands and Belgium while going to number 1 in the UK and Ireland.

A Smooth Supernatural Record

Flashback

This week in 2000 Santana won eight Grammy Awards for their star-studded, chart-topping album Supernatural, tying Michael Jackson’s record for the most awards won in a single night. The album featured guest performers like Rob Thomas, Lauren Hill, Eagle-Eye Cherry and Eric Clapton.

Supernatural was Santana’s first record in 28 years to top the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Kilroy Was Here

Flashback

On 22 February 1983 Styx released their eleventh studio album, Kilroy Was Here, a concept album about a dystopian future where rock and roll is banned and technology is out of control. The album produced two hit singles, the synth-pop Mr. Roboto which later became one of their signature songs, and the power ballad Don’t Let It End. Both of them were major hits in 1983 reaching the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100.

In Memory of the Legendary Ronald Belford Scott

Flashback

On 19 February 1980 AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott died after a night of heavy drinking. The coroner’s report listed “acute alcohol poisoning” as the cause of death, classified under “death by misadventure.”

Scott spent the night out in London drinking with friends at the popular club Music Machine. Leaving with a friend, Alistair Kinnear, he went back to Kinnear’s home in South London, falling asleep in the passenger seat. Upon arrival Kinnear couldn’t wake Scott, so he reclined the seat and left him to sleep in his Renault 5. In the morning Kinnear again attempted to wake Scott and realized he wasn’t breathing. Scott was rushed to King’s College Hospital and pronounced dead upon arrival.

Shortly after Scott’s death the remaining members of AC/DC briefly considered disbanding but it was eventually decided that Scott would have wanted them to continue. With the encouragement of Scott’s family the band hired Brian Johnson as their new lead singer.

AC/DC went on to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world but, sadly, Bon Scott never lived to receive the adulation he deserved.

An Introduction to understanding “Groupies”

Flashback

This week in 1969 Rolling Stone magazine’s front cover featured an article on “groupies,” a term used for the ladies who hang out at the stage door hoping for some intimate interaction with the band. Some sources have attributed the coining of the word to The Rolling Stones former bass player, Bill Wyman, during the group’s 1965 Australian tour. However Wyman has said he and his band-mates used other “code words” for women on tour.

For a more detailed understanding of the “Groupie” phenomenon please watch the video below.

Once I Had a Love…

Flashback

This week in 1979 “Blondie” topped the singles chart in the UK with Heart of Glass. Featured on the band’s third studio album, Parallel Lines. The song was originally called ‘Once I Had a Love’ and was inspired by The Hues Corporation’s disco hit, Rock the Boat. A 12-inch single version of “Heart of Glass” was first released in December 1978. Some radio stations in the United States were reluctant to play the song because of the “pain in the ass” lyric, so an edited 7-inch single was released in January 1979. The original album version was released as a single in the UK where the BBC bleeped out the word “ass”. Lead singer Debbie Harry told The Guardian:

“At first, the song kept saying: ‘Once I had a love, it was a gas. Soon turned out, it was a pain in the ass.’ We couldn’t keep saying that, so we came up with: ‘Soon turned out, had a heart of glass.’ We kept one ‘pain in the ass’ in – and the BBC bleeped it out for radio.”

Heart of Glass was a mega hit around the world and, apart from topping the chart in the UK, also made number 1 in the USA, New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland and West-Germany.