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Playing the Hits of the 60s, 70s & 80s

Music notes for Apr. 23:The late great Roy Orbison born this date. In 1987, Roy was among those inducted into the Rock H...
04/23/2025

Music notes for Apr. 23:

The late great Roy Orbison born this date. In 1987, Roy was among those inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame’s second class.

2016 - Bruce Springsteen salutes the recently deceased Prince by opening his show in Brooklyn with a rendition of "Purple Rain" (Nils Lofgren takes the guitar solo). The E Street Band wears purple for the show, deviating from their usual black.

1995- Sunday Times of London breaks the story that a welder in Liverpool named Peter Hodgson found a reel of Beatles material in his attic. The recordings turn out to be legit, as Hodgson's father had loaned the recorder to Paul McCartney. After hearing the recordings, McCartney buys the reel and uses some of it on the Anthology collection. Songs include the Lennon/McCartney original "Hello Little Girl" and the Ray Charles cover "Hallelujah, I Love Her So."

1977 - Thelma Houston's disco plea "Don't Leave Me This Way," originally recorded by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes in 1975, hits #1.

1971 - The Rolling Stones release Sticky Fingers, which includes "Brown Sugar," "Wild Horses" and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?" It's the first album released on their own label, Rolling Stones Records. The LP sleeve featured a close-up of a pair of jeans with a working zip. Widely assumed to be that of Mick Jagger, the crotch photographed for the cover was actually that of actor Joe Dallesandro.

1960 - The Nerk Twins appeared at The Fox And Hounds in Caversham, Berkshire, England. The Nerk Twins being John Lennon and Paul McCartney who were staying at Paul's aunt's pub.

04/22/2025

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1969:

1 AQUARIUS / LET THE SUNSHINE IN (Medley) –•– The 5th Dimension
2 YOU’VE MADE ME SO VERY HAPPY –•– Blood, Sweat and Tears
3 IT’S YOUR THING –•– The Isley Brothers
4 ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE –•– Jerry Butler
5 DIZZY –•– Tommy Roe

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 53 — THE COMPOSER –•– Diana Ross and the Supremes

IT WOULD PEAK AT #27

04/22/2025

Music notes for Apr. 22:

Happy birthday Peter Frampton. His “Frampton Comes Alive” is still one of the biggest selling live albums of all time.

The late great Glen Campbell born this date. As a singer, songwriter, actor and incredible musician, he could do it all. Many hits including “Wichita Lineman”, “Rhinestone Cowboy”, “Gentle on My Mind” and “Southern Nights”. In the 60’s he toured with The Beach Boys for six months.

2013 - Richie Havens, the singer who was the first to perform at the Woodstock festival passed away. He wasn’t supposed to be first on, but band Sweetwater was originally scheduled to open Woodstock were unable to get to the site in time due to traffic jams.

1994 - Prince released his seventh album, Around The World In A Day, the follow-up to Purple Rain. The album became Prince and the Revolution's second No.1 album on the Billboard 200. Two of its four singles reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100: 'Raspberry Beret' and 'Pop Life'.

1993 - The Broadway musical Tommy based on The Who's album, opens at St. James Theater.

1978 - The Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) make their debut on Saturday Night Live, later becoming the first characters from the show to get their own movie.

1968 - ”This Guy's in Love With You" becomes a #1 hit after Herb Alpert sings it to his wife on the TV special The Beat of the Brass. The song, written by Burt Bacharach, is released as a single two days later thanks to viewer demand.

04/20/2025

Music notes for Apr. 20:

2013 - Five days after three people were killed in bombings at the Boston Marathon, Neil Diamond makes a surprise appearance at Fenway Park, where he performs "Sweet Caroline" at the Red Sox game against the Kansas City Royals.

1992 - 'A Concert For Life' took place at Wembley Stadium as a tribute to Queen singer Freddie Mercury and for aids awareness. Acts appearing included; Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), David Bowie, George Michael, Seal, Paul Young, Annie Lennox, Lisa Stansfield, Joe Elliott from Def Leppard and Axl Rose and Slash from Guns N” Roses.

1985 - The Commodores land their first (and only) post-Lionel Richie hit with "Nightshift," which reaches #3. The song is a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye.

1980 - 84 year old George Burns, who starred in the movie Oh God with John Denver, became the oldest person to have a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when 'I Wish I Was 18 Again' peaked at No.49. When asked if he wished he were 18 again, Burns replied "I wish I was 80 again."

1974 - The Soul Train theme song ("TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" by MFSB featuring The Three Degrees) hits #1. MFSB, which stands for Mother Father Sister Brother, is a studio group established by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff at Philadelphia International Records.

1968 - Apple Music ran advertisements soliciting tapes from unknown artists, offering financial grants as part of a deal to release records on the Apple label. Artists such as Badfinger and James Taylor were signed up.

04/19/2025

Music notes for Apr. 19:

2012 - Levon Helm, died aged 71. A drummer, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Helm formed his own high school band, the Jungle Bush Beaters, at 17, he later joined The Hawks (who became Bob Dylan's backing group) who then became known as The Band. He sang on Band classics like 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,' 'Up on Cripple Creek,' 'Rag Mama Rag,' and 'The Weight.'

2005 - It was announced that two 30-second television commercials designed to attract vacationing families to Graceland to experience the "real" Elvis Presley would air nationally starting in April 2006. It was the first time in the history of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. that the company has used television advertising to promote Graceland tourism.

1986 - Prince started a two week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Kiss.' Prince also had the No.2 song 'Manic Monday', by The Bangles, which he wrote under the pseudonym 'Christopher.'

1980 - Blondie went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Call Me', featured in the Richard Gere movie 'American Gigolo’

1974 - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band appeared at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The gig was unadvertised by its promoter, who gambled that word-of-mouth would be enough to fill the 550-seat venue, only 250 people attended. Tickets cost $4.50 and $5.50 in advance. That’s about $32 today.

1969 - "Good Times, Bad Times," the first Led Zeppelin single, reaches its chart peak of #80.

1968 - George Harrison and John Lennon, fearing that their instructor, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is a fraud and has been preying on women at his meditation camp in India, leave the retreat two weeks early and distance themselves from the Maharishi.

04/18/2025

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1974:

1 TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) –•– MFSB Featuring the Three Degrees
2 BENNIE AND THE JETS –•– Elton John
3 HOOKED ON A FEELING –•– Blue Swede
4 BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips
5 COME AND GET YOUR LOVE –•– Redbone

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 68 — BAND ON THE RUN –•– Paul McCartney and Wings

IT WOULD GO TO #1

04/18/2025

2020 - Paul McCartney, Elton John, , The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and several other stars performed from their homes on the One World: Together At Home concert during the coronavirus pandemic. The event was organized by Global Citizen of New York City in support of the World Health Organization.

1987 - Aretha Franklin and George Michael started a two week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'I Knew You Were Waiting' Aretha Franklin set a record for the artist with the longest gap between No.1 singles, it had been 19 years, 10 months from her last hit 'Respect' in June 1967.

1971 - The Diana Ross television musical special Diana, featuring guest stars The Jackson 5 airs on ABC.

1963 - After a Beatles performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the radio show Swingin' Sound '63, Paul McCartney met the actress Jane Asher for the first time. They later became engaged, but never married and split up in 1968. The relationship inspired several Beatles songs, including 'All My Loving' and 'I'm Looking Through You‘ and “You Won’t See Me”.

04/17/2025

Music notes for Apr. 17

2018 - Tina Turner's life story, already depicted in the 1993 film What's Love Got To Do With It, is adapted for the stage as Tina: The Musical, opens in London's West End. It opens on Broadway the following year.

2009 -Davy Jones of The Monkees visits Bikini Bottom when he plays himself on the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One."

1998 - Linda McCartney died after a long battle against cancer. Married Paul McCartney in 1969 when she was working as a photographer. As well as a being a member of Wings, she became an animal rights campaigner and launched her own brand of vegetarian food.

1982 - Vangelis was at No.1 on the album chart with Chariots Of Fire, he later also won an Oscar for the album for best original score.

1973 - Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side Of The Moon went gold. The LP went on to stay in the chart for more than ten years and became the longest charting rock record of all time.

1973 - The Eagles released their second studio album Desperado. Recorded at Island Studios in London, UK, two singles were released from the album 'Tequila Sunrise' and 'Outlaw Man‘, neither of which was a hit.

1971 - Three Dog Night started a six week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Joy To The World', the group's second No.1.
Interestingly, the trio did not think music of the song and only put it on the album as they needed as filler.

1970 - Paul McCartney releases his first solo album, McCartney. Unlike the grand Beatles' productions, this one is stripped-down, with Paul playing all the instruments himself.

1965 - Bob Dylan's second studio album 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan was at No.1. The album opens with 'Blowin' in the Wind', which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary.

04/16/2025

Music notes for Apr. 16:

The late Gerry Rafferty born this date. With his group Stealer’s Wheel they scored a tope 10 hit with “Stuck in the Middle”. As a sol artist his hits included “Baker Street”, “Right Down the Line” and “Get it Right Next Time”.

The late Dusty Springfield born this date. With her blonde bouffant hair style and evening gowns she became an icon for the Swinging Sixties. She was indicted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 1999, the year she passed.

1993 - Paul McCartney headlined a concert at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate 'Earth Day' along with Ringo Starr, Don Henley and Steve Miller. McCartney had last performed there as a member of The Beatles in 1965.

1977 - The late David Soul hit #1 with “Don’t Give Up on Us”.
He starred as Detective Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson for 5 seasons on the TV series “Starsky & Hutch”.

1973 - Paul McCartney's first television special, James Paul McCartney, airs on ABC, featuring a few Beatles songs, new Wings tracks, sketches, and a final performance of a song called "Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance," originally written for Twiggy.

1971 - Ringo releases his second solo single. “It Don't Come Easy," will peak at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1970 - The Led Zeppelin single 'Whole Lotta Love' was certified Gold in the after selling over a million copies. The single had peaked at No. 4 on the singles chart, their highest charting single

04/15/2025

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1982:

1 I LOVE ROCK ‘N ROLL –•– Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
2 WE GOT THE BEAT –•– The Go-Go’s
3 CHARIOTS OF FIRE – TITLES –•– Vangelis
4 FREEZE-FRAME –•– The J. Geils Band
5 MAKE A MOVE ON ME –•– Olivia Newton-John

HIGH DEBUT IF THE WEEK: 68 — HEAT OF THE MOMENT –•– Asia

IT WOULD PEAK AT #4

Music notes for Apr. 15:Happy birthday Dave Edmunds. He hit #4 in 1970 with “I Hear You Knocking”.1989 - Roy Orbison's ...
04/15/2025

Music notes for Apr. 15:

Happy birthday Dave Edmunds. He hit #4 in 1970 with “I Hear You Knocking”.

1989 - Roy Orbison's posthumous single "You Got It" climbs to #9 in America four months after his death. It's his first Top 10 hit in that country since "(Oh) Pretty Woman" in 1964.

1982 - Billy Joel was reported to be in ''quite good'' condition after major surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. The singer broke his left wrist when his 1978 Harley Davidson hit a car in Long Island, New York. The hospital switchboard was jammed with calls from his fans, and Joel issued a plea through a spokesman that the calls ceased because they were ''tying up lines for those people who are really sick.

1973 - Alice Cooper makes the cover of Forbes magazine under the headline, "A New Breed Of Tycoon." The story, which plays into Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies album, is about how rock music has become big business.

1972 - Roberta Flack started a six week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'. Written in 1957 by political singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who was later to become his wife. The song was featured in the Clint Eastwood film 'Play Misty For Me”.

1967 - Nancy and Frank Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid" goes to #1 in for the first of four weeks. It's the only father-daughter duet ever to top the Hot 100.

1964 - After long day of filming their first movie, Ringo Starr tells the other Beatles it's been "a hard day's night." John Lennon turns the phrase into a song, and the movie title is changed from Beatlemania! to A Hard Day's Night.

1966 - The Rolling Stones release the album Aftermath, which includes "Mother's Little Helper" and "Under My Thumb.

04/14/2025

Music notes for Apr. 14:

2018 - Dire Straits is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but with frontman Mark Knopfler skipping the ceremony, nobody inducts them and they do not perform.

1969 - The recording of 'The Ballad Of John and Yoko' took place, with just two Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Paul played bass, drums and piano with John on guitars and lead vocals. The song was banned from many radio stations as being blasphemous. On some stations, the word 'Christ' was edited in backwards to avoid the ban.

1967 - Polydor Records released The Bee Gees 'New York mining Disaster 1941' It was released with a promotional slogan announcing 'The most significant talent since The Beatles. The record became a Top 20 hit.

1963 -The Beatles, who are filming an appearance on the show Thank Your Lucky Stars at a nearby studio, stop by the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, England, where the The Rolling Stones are performing. The bands meet for the first time backstage and hang out that evening. The name of the club derived from Bo Diddley's 1960 song 'Doing the CrawDaddy', which The Rolling Stones regularly performed as part of their set. In turn the club would inspire the name of the American music magazine Crawdaddy.

04/13/2025

Music notes for Apr. 13:

Happy birthday Al Green. He had 10 Top 40 hits including the #1 “Let’s Stay Together” In 1972.

2012 - Five of Tom Petty's guitars were stolen from a soundstage in Culver City, California, where Petty and his band, the Heartbreakers, were rehearsing for their upcoming worldwide tour. Petty was offering a "no questions asked" reward bounty of $7,500 to anyone with information leading to the guitars' return. Police recovered the guitars a few days later.

1987 - Fleetwood Mac release the album Tango In The Night, featuring the songs “Everywhere” and “Little Lies”.

1974 - Paul McCartney and Wings' Band On The Run went to No.1 on the album charts. McCartney's third No.1, went on to sell over 6 million copies world-wide. It's performance was aided by two hit singles 'Jet' and 'Band on the Run”.

1974 - Elton John went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Bennie And The Jets', his second No.1. John was set against releasing it as a single, believing it would fail. CKLW in Windsor, Ontario, began heavy airplay of the song and it became the No.1 song in the Detroit market with other radio stations adding it to playlists.

1969 - Diana Ross makes her first television appearance as a solo act, performing on Dinah Shore's NBC special Like Hep.

1965 - The Beatles record the song ‘Help!’ during an evening recording session at Abbey Road in London. During an interview in 1980, John Lennon recounted: "The whole Beatles thing was just beyond comprehension. I was subconsciously crying out for help".

1965 - The Beatles win their first Grammy Awards, taking Best New Artist and Best Performance by a Vocal Group for "A Hard Day's Night."

04/12/2025

Music notes for Apr. 12:

The late David Cassidy born this date. The actor, singer, songwriter, is best-known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his stepmother Shirley Jones), in the 1970s musical-sitcom The Partridge Family, which led to him becoming one of popular culture's teen idols and pop singers of the 1970s. The Partridge Family had the 1970 No.1 single 'I Think I Love You'.

Happy birthday John Kay, lead singer of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf sold over 25 million records worldwide, released eight gold albums and scored 12 Billboard Hot 100 singles, including “Born to Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride”.

1999 - Billy Joel's Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II becomes just the fourth album certified by the RIAA as Double Diamond for sales of over 20 million in the US, following Thriller, Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975 and The Wall.

1990 - The Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center announced that Asteroids 4147-4150, would be named Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr after the four members of The Beatles.

1975 - Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom," named after the professional tennis team his friend Billie Jean King coaches, hits #1 on the Hot 100, his 4th #1 song.

1969 The 5th Dimension started a six week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Aquarius / Let The Sunshine”. The song had its origins in the Broadway musical “Hair”.

1966 - In an eerie recreation of the duo's single from the year before, Jan Berry of Jan & Dean crashes his Corvette into a parked truck on Beverly Hills' Whittier Drive, near a stretch of road in Los Angeles known as Dead Man's Curve. Berry suffers paralysis and extensive brain damage, and will require four years of rehabilitation to be able to talk and a full decade in order to perform live again.He passed away in 2004.

04/11/2025

WDGY’d Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1966:

1 (You’re My) SOUL AND INSPIRATION –•– The Righteous Brothers
2 DAYDREAM –•– The Lovin Spoonful
3 19TH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN –•– The Rolling Stones
4 BANG BANG (My Baby Shot Me Down) –•– Cher
5 THE BALLAD OF THE GREEN BERETS –•– S/Sgt. Barry Sadler

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 65 — LEANING ON THE LAMP POST –•– Herman’s Hermits

IT WOULD PEAK AT #9

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