Doctor Don

12/12/2024

Music notes for Dec. 12:

The late Mike Smith, lead singer of The Dave Clark Five Borgen this date.

Happy birthday Sheila E. Her 80’s hits were “The Glamorous Life (written by Prince) and “Love Bizarre”.

2003 - Mick Jagger became a Sir after being knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Jagger's 92-year-old father was at the Palace to see his son receive the award.

1985 - On her 45th birthday, Dionne Warwick is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1976 - Yikes!. At a show in Lakeland, Florida, Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley is nearly electrocuted when he grabs a metal railing on the poorly wired set, completing a circuit that sends current through his body.

1970 - The Doors played what would be their last ever live show with Jim Morrison when they played at the Warehouse in New Orleans.

1969 - The movie The Magic Christian, starring Ringo Starr, premieres in the UK. The film includes three Badfinger songs, including "Come And Get It," written by Paul McCartney.

1965 - The Beatles sixth album Rubber Soul started a 42-week run on the UK albums chart. It was the second Beatles LP to contain only original material. For the first time in their career, the band were able to record the album over a continuous period, uninterrupted by touring commitments.

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12/11/2024

Music notes for Dec. 11:

2016 - Bob Dylan said it was "truly beyond words" to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. In a speech read on his behalf at the ceremony in Sweden, he said he thought his odds of winning were as likely as him "standing on the moon“.

1968 - Filming began for The Rolling Stones 'Rock & Roll Circus.' As well as clowns and acrobats, John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards. It was originally meant to be aired on the BBC, but the Rolling Stones withheld it because they were unhappy with their performance. The film was eventually released in 1996.

1966 - Elton John's band, Bluesology, opened for Little Richard at The Savile Theatre in London. John, who was listed in the concert program as the Bluesology organist, later said: "When I saw Little Richard standing on top of the piano, all lights, sequins and energy, I decided there and then that I was going to be a rock and roll piano player”.

1964 -Sam Cooke was shot dead at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles. Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel, told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defence because he had attacked her. Cooke was only 33.

1961 - The Marvelettes went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Please Mr Postman', Motown’s first No. 1. The session musicians on the track included Marvin Gaye on drums. drums. The song gave The Carpenters a No.1 in 1975.

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12/10/2024

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1977:

1 YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE –•– Debby Boone
2 DON’T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE –•– Crystal Gayle
3 HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE –•– Bee Gees
4 BLUE BAYOU –•– Linda Ronstadt
5 IT’S SO EASY –•– Linda Ronstadt

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 65 — STAYIN’ ALIVE –•– Bee Gees

IT WOULD PEAK AT #1

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12/10/2024

Music notes for Dec. 10:

2021 - Mike Nesmith of The Monkees passed away. was best His song writing credits include ‘Different Drum’, which became a hit for Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys. After the break-up of the Monkees, Nesmith continued his successful songwriting and performing career, first with the seminal country rock group the First National Band, with whom he had a top-40 hit, ‘Joanne’.

2007 - Led Zeppelin played their first concert in 19 years, at London's 02 Arena as part of the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were joined on stage by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham. More than one million people had taken part in a ballot for the 20,000 tickets available for the show with all proceeds going to Ahmet's own charity.

1983 - Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson started a six week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Say Say Say'. It was Jackson's 10th No.1 (solo & The Jackson's) and McCartney's 29th, (solo and The Beatles).

1975 - ABBA released Fernando. The song is one of ABBA's best-selling singles of all time, with six million copies sold in 1976 alone and is one of fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) physical copies worldwide. The song was written for group member Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

1967 - Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash, aged 26. Redding and his band had made an appearance in Cleveland, Ohio on the local ‘Upbeat’ television show the previous day. The plane carrying Otis Redding and his band crashed at 3.28.pm into icy waters of Lake Monoma near Madison.
1966 - The Beach Boys went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Good Vibrations', the group's third No.1.

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12/09/2024

Music notes for Dec. 9:

Happy birthday Donny Osmond

1989 - Billy Joel started a two week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'We Didn't Start The Fire'. Its lyrics are made up from rapid-fire brief allusions to over a hundred headline events between 1949 (Joel was born on May 9 of that year) and 1989, when the song was released on his album Storm Front.

1984 - The Jacksons' Victory tour comes to an end with a show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. It would be the only tour featuring all six members of The Jacksons (including Michael).

1978 - Chic started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Le Freak.' Nile Rodgers later stated that the song was devised during New Years Eve of 1977, as a result of him and bassist Bernard Edwards being refused entrance to Studio 54, in New York City, where they had been invited by Grace Jones, due to Jones's failure to notify the nightclub's staff.

1972 - Neil Diamond released the live double album Hot August Night, from a concert on August 24, 1972, which was one of ten sold out concerts that Diamond performed that month at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The album peaked at #5.

1972 - Helen Reddy becomes the first Australian to land a #1 hit in America when "I Am Woman" tops the chart.

1965 - A Charlie Brown Christmas makes its debut, airing on CBS in place of The Munsters. The famous score, which becomes synonymous with the Peanuts, is written by the jazz musician Vince Guaraldi and performed by his trio. The show was the first to use real kids voices instead of adults who could sound like a kid.

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12/08/2024

Music notes for Dec. 8:

The late Gregg Allman born this date. The Allman Brothers Band who released the classic album Eat a Peach in 1972 and had the 1973 No.12 single 'Ramblin Man'. Allman was referred to as a Southern rock pioneer and received numerous awards, including several Grammys.

The late Jim Morrison born this date. Due to his wild personality and performances, he is regarded by some people as one of the most iconic, charismatic and pioneering frontmen in rock music history.

1980 - A tragic day.
John Lennon, 40 years old, is shot and killed outside his apartment in New York City. Lennon's album Double Fantasy, released a month earlier, goes to #1 in many countries. The single "(Just Like) Starting Over" rises to #1.

1979 - Styx went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Babe', the group's only No. 1.

1976 - The Eagles released their fifth studio album Hotel California, their first album with guitarist Joe Walsh, who had replaced founding member Bernie Leadon. The album topped the US chart for eight weeks (non-consecutively) and at the 20th Grammy Awards, the Eagles won a Grammy Award for 'Hotel California', which won Record of the Year. Worldwide sales now stand at over 32 million.

1976 - An updated version of the musical drama A Star is Born debuts in movie theaters, starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, and featuring the Academy Award-winning chart-topper "Evergreen."

1968 - Singer and guitarist Graham Nash left The Hollies and started work with David Crosby and Stephen Stills who went on to form Crosby Stills & Nash.

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12/07/2024

Music notes for Dec. 7:

The late Harry Chaplin born this day. He gave is “Cat’s in the Cradle”, “Taxi” and “W-O-L-D”.

2016 - Greg Lake, who fronted both King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, died aged 69 after a battle with cancer. One of the founding fathers of progressive rock, the band combined heavy rock riffs with a classical influence. They scored hit albums with Pictures at an Exhibition, Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery and Lake had his solo hit 'I Believe in Father Christmas'.

1987 - Harry Chapin receives a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts in fighting hunger. Along with Bill Ayres, Chapin founded World Hunger Year, which is later re-named WhyHunger and becomes a very effective organization in distributing food to those in need.

1974 - Carl Douglas started a two-week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Kung Fu Fighting'. The song was recorded in 10 minutes and had started out as a B-side and went on to sell over 10 million and became one of the Best Selling Singles of all time.

1968- Lead singer Eric Burdon announces that The Animals will call it quits by the end of the year. Burdon later joins the band War.

1967 - The Beatles Apple boutique on 94 Baker Street, London, opened its doors. The store closed seven months later when it fell foul of council objections over the psychedelic mural painted on the outside. All the goods from the shop were given away free to passers by and to people who had queued throughout the night for a chance of getting a free item.

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12/06/2024

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1970:

1 I THINK I LOVE YOU –•– The Partridge Family (Starring Shirley Jones and Featuring David Cassidy
2 THE TEARS OF A CLOWN –•– Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
3 GYPSY WOMAN –•– Brian Hyland
4 I’LL BE THERE –•– Jackson 5
5 WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN –•– The Carpenters

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 81 — LONELY DAYS –•– The Bee Gees

THE SONG WOULD PEAK AT #3

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12/06/2024

Music notes for Dec. 6:

2013 - After its authenticity is verified on the PBS series History Detectives, the Fender Stratocaster that Bob Dylan played in his historic performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 is purchased for an astounding $965,000. It had spent the previous 48 years with the family of Dylan's personal pilot, who received no reply when he told Dylan to retrieve the gear he left behind.

2011 - Singer Dobie Gray passed away at age 71. His two biggest hits were “The In Crowd” in 1965 and “Drift Away” in 1973. His given name is Lawrence Brown, but it was suggested that he record under the name "Dobie Gray", an allusion to the then-popular sitcom TV The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

1988 - Roy Orbison, in the midst of a career resurgence thanks to his supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, dies of heart failure at age 52. His album Mystery Girl, completed at the time of his death, is released in January 1989. During the 60’s he had over twenty Top 40 hits including “Pretty Woman”, “Only the Lonely” and “Crying”.

1977 - Jackson Browne releases Running On Empty, a live album compiled from performances at various stops on his summer tour. Live albums typically rely on songs that have already been released, but this one features all new songs, the first major rock album to do so.

1969 - One Hit Wonders Steam started a two week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye'. The song was actually recorded by Gary De Carlo, who intended it to be the "B" side of his first single. Gary didn't like the song and when record executives wanted to issue it as the "A" side, he insisted it be released under an assumed name.

1961 - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best met with Brian Epstein for further discussions about his proposal to manage them. Epstein wanted 25% of their gross fees each week. He promises that they will never again play for less than £15, except for The Cavern lunchtime sessions, for which he will get their fee doubled. Lennon, as leader of The Beatles accepts on their behalf. Converting pounds to dollars and figuring inflation that comes to $355 a week.

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12/05/2024

Music notes for Dec. 5:

Happy birthday Jim Messina. As well as being part of the Loggins & Messina, he was also a founding member of Poco and for a brief period Buffalo Springfield.

Happy birthday Andy. His hits include the #1 song “Rock Me Gently” as well as ”Be My Baby”and “Baby I Love You”. He also co-wrote The Archies hit “Sugar, Sugar”.

1984 - Beverly Hills Cop, an action comedy starring Eddie Murphy, debuts in theaters. Its hit soundtrack, which goes on to win a Grammy Award, features tunes from Patti LaBelle ("New Attitude," "Stir It Up"), The Pointer Sisters ("Neutron Dance"), Glenn Frey ("The Heat Is On"), and Harold Faltermeyer ("Axel F").

1973 - Paul McCartney and Wings released Band On The Run, his fifth album since his departure from The Beatles. Two hit singles from the album – 'Jet' and 'Band on the Run' made it McCartney's most successful album. The majority of Band on the Run was recorded at EMI's studio in Lagos, Nigeria, as McCartney wanted to make an album in an exotic location. FYI, Jet was the name of the pony at Paul and Linda’s Scottish farm.

1968 - The release of The Rolling Stones' new album Beggars Banquet was celebrated at a party in London. A food fight with custard pies was the highlight of the event that went on without an ill Keith Richards. The original cover for the LP was in the form of a plain white invitation, but was later changed.

1965 - The Beatles played their last ever show in their hometown of Liverpool when they appeared at The Liverpool Empire during the group's final UK tour. Only 5,100 tickets were available, but there were 40,000 applications for tickets. The group also had the UK No.1 single with 'We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper.'

1964 - Beach Boys started a four week run at No.1 on the album chart with 'Beach Boys Concert', the group's only No.1. The album was recorded live at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California and is one of the few live documents of the original line up of the Beach Boys in officially released LP form.

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12/04/2024

Music notes for Dec. 4:

The last Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys born this date. He was the group’s drummer.

2015 - A new statue of The Beatles was unveiled in Liverpool - 50 years after their last show in Merseyside. The bronze sculpture, which weighed over 2,000 pounds. It had been given to the city by The Cavern Club the venue synonymous with the Fab Four in the 1960s.

1988 - Roy Orbison played his final ever gig when he appeared in Cleveland, Ohio. Orbison died of a heart attack two days later.

1980 - Two months after the tragic death of drummer John Bonham Led Zeppelin made decision to break up. The surviving members decided that it was not right to tamper with their legacy by bringing someone else in to play drums. They never fully re-form, but do play some shows with Jason Bonham filling in for his father.

1971 - 1971 Sly and the Family Stone's "Family Affair" hits #1 for the first of three weeks. It was the last #1.

1965 - The Byrds started a three week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' the group's second No.1. Unlike their first chart topper, ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’, the entire band was allowed to play on the recording, instead of studio musicians.
Folk singer Pete Seeger composed the music. The lyrics come from the Bible's book of Ecclesiastes.

1964 - The Beatles released their fourth album 'Beatles For Sale'. The album featured: ‘No Reply’, ‘I'm a Loser’, ‘Baby's in Black’, ‘Rock and Roll Music’, ‘I'll Follow the Sun’, ‘Mr. Moonlight’, ‘Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey’, ‘Eight Days a Week’, ‘Words of Love’, ‘Honey Don't’, ‘Every Little Thing’, ‘I Don't Want to Spoil the Party’, ‘What You're Doing’, and ‘Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby.

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12/03/2024

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1976

1 TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT (Gonna Be Alright) –•– Rod Stewart
2 THE RUBBERBAND MAN –•– The Spinners
3 LOVE SO RIGHT –•– Bee Gees
4 MUSKRAT LOVE –•– The Captain and Tennille
5 THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD –•– Gordon Lightfoot

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 40 — I WISH –•– Stevie Wonder

IT WOULD GO TO #1

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12/03/2024

Music notes for Dec. 3:

2015 - Crosby, Stills & Nash, which formed in 1968, finally implode at the White House National Christmas Tree Lighting concert when Stephen Stills throws a pick at David Crosby for talking over him. They get though a performance of "Silent Night," but never play together again.

1988 - Carole King and Gerry Goffin receive a Lifetime Achievement award from the US National Academy of Songwriters.

1971 - Deep Purple arrive in Montreux, Switzerland to record their Machine Head album at the Montreux Casino. It doesn't go as planned: The casino burns down the next day and they end up recording in a hotel using the Rolling Stones' mobile unit. They tell the tale in the song "Smoke On The Water."

1968 - A TV special simply called Elvis airs on NBC, drawing a huge audience and revitalizing the career of Elvis Presley. Footage from two June concerts makes up most of the special, which pays tribute to Bobby Kennedy with the closing number, "If I Can Dream."

1966 - The Monkees, who are stars thanks to their TV show, play their first concert. About 8,000 screaming fans show up for the performance in Honolulu, confirming their status as real-life superstars.

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12/02/2024

Music notes for Dec. 2:

1978 - Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand's ‘You Don't Bring Me Flowers’ was at No.1 on the US singles chart. The song had its beginnings in Louisville at WAKY Radio where Program Director Gary Guthrie took solo versions of the song and turned them into a duet as a going away present to his wife. When Neil Diamond was told about it, he decided to re-record the song with Streisand herself, and within weeks of its release, the single went to No.1 .

1972 - The Temptations "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" hits #1. Running 6:58, it's one of the longest chart-topping singles. The full album version was over 12 minutes long.

1972 - Steely Dan make the Billboard 200 for the first time when their debut album, Can't Buy a Thrill, lands at #197. The title comes from the Bob Dylan song "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry," where he sings: Well, I ride on a mailtrain, baby Can't buy a thrill.

1967 - The Monkees album, ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd’ went to No.1 on the album chart. It was their fourth album to sell over a million copies, following ‘The Monkees’, ‘More Of The Monkees’ and ‘Headquarters’. The album featured the Carole King-penned “Pleasant Valley Sunday”.

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12/01/2024

Music nites for Dec. 1:

Happy birthday Gilbert O’Sullivan. The Irishman gave us the 70’s hits “Alone Again Naturally”, “Clair” and “Get Down”.

Happy birthday to the Divine Miss M. Bette Midler.

The late Lou Rawls born this date.

2012 - San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders declared 'Peaceful Easy Feeling Day' in honor of Jack Tempchin, who wrote the Eagles hit in the city. The ceremony took place at a hot dog joint called the Wienerschnitzel, where he wrote the last verse while waiting for his order. Tempchin was presented with a golden wiener at the event.

1973 - The Carpenters went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Top Of The World', becoming the duo's second of three No.1 singles, following '(They Long to Be) Close to You' and preceding 'Please Mr. Postman.

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11/30/2024

Music notes for Nov. 30:

Happy birthday Billy Idol.

The late Rob Grill, lead singer on all of those Grass Roots born this date.

Dick Clark, host of TV's longest running music show American Bandstand and he created and produced the annual American Music Awards show born this date.

2022 - musician and singer Christine McVie died of a stroke at the age of 79. She was the keyboardist and one of the vocalists and songwriters of Fleetwood Mac. McVie was a member of several bands, notably Chicken Shack, in the mid-1960s British Blues scene. She initially began working with Fleetwood Mac as a session player in 1968, before officially joining the band two years later. Eight songs she wrote or co-wrote, including 'Don't Stop', 'Everywhere' and 'Little Lies', appeared on Fleetwood Mac's 1988 Greatest Hits album.

2012 - Glen Campbell played the very last live performance of his lifetime when he appeared at Uptown Theatre in Napa, California. Campbell revealed his Alzheimer's diagnosis to the public in 2011, and had set out on his Goodbye Tour as a way to say farewell to his fans.

1982 - Michael Jackson's Thriller album was released. It became the biggest selling pop album of all time, with sales over 66 million copies. Seven singles were released from the album, including 'Beat It', which featured guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather from Toto on 'Billie Jean'.

1979 - Pink Floyd's album The Wall is released, seeing out the '70s in spectacular fashion as it sells over 13 million copies. The powerful concept album spawns a #1 single - "Another Brick In The Wall (part II).

1969 - Neil Diamond makes his only appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, where he performs "Sweet Caroline" and "Holly Holy."

1971 - Sly And The Family Stone were at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Family Affair', their fourth and final No.1.

11/29/2024

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1981:

1 PHYSICAL –•– Olivia Newton-John
2 WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU –•– Foreigner
3 PRIVATE EYES –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates
4 EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC –•– The Police
5 HERE I AM (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) –•– Air Supply

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 78 — YOU COULD HAVE BEEN WITH ME –•– Sheena Easton

IT WOULD PEAK AT #15

11/29/2024

Music notes for Nov. 29:

Happy birthday Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals.

Happy birthday trumpeter extraordinaire Chuck Mangione. In 1978 he scored a #4 hit with the instrumental “Feels So Good”.

2001 - Beatles guitarist George Harrison died in Los Angeles of lung cancer aged 58. Following the breakup of The Beatles Harrison had a successful career as a solo artist and later as part of the Traveling Wilburys. The youngest member of The Beatles, (aged 16 when he joined), his compositions include ‘Taxman’, ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Something’, and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. Harrison released the acclaimed triple album, All Things Must Pass, in 1970, from which came the worldwide No.1 single 'My Sweet Lord“.

1980 - John and Yoko's Double Fantasy album was released. Though initially poorly received, the album is notable for its association with Lennon's murder three weeks after its release, whereupon it became a worldwide commercial success, and went on to win the 1981 Album of the Year at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards.

1975 - Silver Convention's "Fly, Robin, Fly" hits #1 in America for the first of three weeks. The disco tune has very few lyrics because the German group can't speak English.

1969 - The Beatles went to No.1 on the singles chart with their twenty-sixth release. 'Come Together / Something', which became the group's 18th US No.1. Lennon was inspired by Timothy Leary's campaign for governor of California titled "Come together, join the party" against Ronald Reagan giving him the idea for the track. ’Something’ was the first Beatles song written by George Harrison to appear as an A-side.