This Day in Music
December 29th
Ringo gets knighted, but Elvis is still the king, on this day in music.
Releases
1973: "Time in a Bottle," the third single from singer-songwriter Jim Croce's third album, "You Don't Mess Around with Jim," reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the second No. 1 hit for Croce, and sadly his last, as he died in a plane crash two months before the song was released.
Events
1966: American-British band The Jimi Hendrix Experience appears on the BBC TV show, Top of the Pops. They performed the song “Hey Joe,” which would be released the following month as a single in the UK, reaching No. 6 on the charts, and included on the US version of their debut album, “Are You Experienced,” though the song did not chart in the US.
1967: Singer-songwriter and guitarist, Dave Mason, quits the band “Traffic,” one of the most successful in the UK at the time. Mason would enjoy moderate success in his solo career, placing eight albums in the Billboard 200 in the next eight years, and seven more albums that failed to chart following. His most successful solo single was “We Just Disagree,” released in 1977 and peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
2017: In the UK, the Cabinet Office announces that Ringo Starr will be made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, while Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees will be made a Commander, both for their service to British music. They are henceforth known as Sir Richard and Sir Barry. Ringo joins bandmates Paul McCartney and George Harrison as Members.
1968: One hundred thousand people attend The Miami Festival, the first big rock festival held on the east coast. Performers include Jose Feliciano, Procol Harem, Three Dog Night, Chuck Berry, Fleetwood Mac, Marvin Gaye, The Turtles, Canned Heat, and Joni Mitchell.
The Daily Elvis
1956: Elvis makes history by charting ten songs on the weekly Billboard 100 all at the same time. The songs were:
Love Me Tender
Love Me
Don’t Be Cruel
When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
Hound Dog
Old Shep
Poor Boy
Anyway You Want Me
Paralyzed
Blue Moon
There was Elvis, then there was everybody else.
Pictured: Sir Richard Starkey, MBE flashes the peace sign while displaying his patronage medal.
