Rock & Roll Historical Perspective

[myrosiedog]

What a great book. I love music history and trivia.

I'm sure you already know but Fess Parker owns a winery and the label on the bottles features a coonskin cap. (caps can also be ordered from the gift store online if anyone feels the need to have one. )

[Google]

 

[razorbacker]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

What a great book. I love music history and trivia.

I'm sure you already know but Fess Parker owns a winery and the label on the bottles features a coonskin cap. (caps can also be ordered from the gift store online if anyone feels the need to have one. )

During the late 90's, Walt Disney World held an annual Disneyana Convention at the Contemporary Hotel. People from all over the world would show up to share the enthuiasm for all things Disney & buy all sorts of exclusive Disney merchandise. Well, one particular year, Fess PArker was one of the celebrity guests that were asked to appear. This particular year The Contemporary had just opened a really nice new restaurant on the 15th floor of the Hotel overlooking the Magic Kingdom. Fess, went to dinner there one night & noticed that the restaurant wasn't carrying his wine label. The ugly side of celebrity reared it's ugly head that night.

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by razorbacker

During the late 90's, Walt Disney World held an annual Disneyana Convention at the Contemporary Hotel. People from all over the world would show up to share the enthuiasm for all things Disney & buy all sorts of exclusive Disney merchandise. Well, one particular year, Fess PArker was one of the celebrity guests that were asked to appear. This particular year The Contemporary had just opened a really nice new restaurant on the 15th floor of the Hotel overlooking the Magic Kingdom. Fess, went to dinner there one night & noticed that the restaurant wasn't carrying his wine label. The ugly side of celebrity reared it's ugly head that night.

Ewww, I hate it when celebrities don't act well. He could have said something to someone in charge privately.

I have stayed many times in the Contempory Hotel. My dad used to go to these business conventions and for years they were ALWAYS held at Disney, so mom and I got to go too. This was back when the Magic Kingdom was the ONLY park (EPCOT was being built) and the Contemporary and the Polynesian were I think the only 2 hotels besides the campground.

[razorbacker]

Here are a few of the things I gleaned by browsing through the Billboard Charts Book the first time…I’m working graveyard right now, so I haven’t had much time…All rankings are based on a point system…

1) Top Recording Artist of all time…Elvis, by a big margin over The Beatles. They list the Top 500 based on a point system & coming in at #500.…Ice Cube

2) Top Single of all time…Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls….it spent 18 weeks at #1. It is followed up by Don’t Speak by No Doubt. The last song on the list coming in at #100, Call Me by Madonna.

3) Top Songwriter, Paul McCartney by 2,000 points over his partner John Lennon. With the old Motown Trio of Holland/Dozier/Holland coming in at 3,4,& 5.

4) Top Live Recording…Coming Up… Paul & Wings from Glasgow Scotland

5) Top Instrumental…Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado. This was the #1 song in 1955 & has held onto the title of Top Instrumental song ever since.

6) Top Novelty Song…Purple People Eater…Sheb Wooley 1958. David Seville & The Chipmunks are all over this listing.

7) Top Foreign entry…The Macarena. The artists that sang this song were also named the top 1 hit wonder group.

8) There are numerous “B” sides listed for every year through 1997, when they stopped releasing singles as such.

9) A whole bunch of Christmas songs have charted every year with 17 of them in 1963 alone. Bing Crosby’s White Christmas charted in 10 years, The Drifters make it a hit in 3 years & even Michael Bolton got in on the action in 1992.

10) There are a total of 24,456 songs listed (not including the "B" sides) as having hit the Top 100, even if it was only for 1 week. The year with the least was 1955 with 247, & the most was 1966 with 743.

This book is packed with cool stuff. I’ll be starting with 1955 & working my way forward. Now, all I need to do is find a great download service that isn’t going to break me. But, a bunch of the older stuff is probably now in the public domain

[razorbacker]

I know most of this stuff is ancient History & happened before most of us were even born, but we wouldn’t be to where we are in Rock without a starting point. So, in that regard, here are some of the interesting things that I got out of the Billboard Charts from 1955.

There were 14 songs that Hit #1 that year. Some of the better known ones were:

Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado. This was not only the biggest hit of the year, but remains until today, the biggest Instrumental Hit in History, spending 10 weeks at the top.

The Ballad of Davy Crockett by Bill Hayes
Ain’t that a Shame – Pat Boone
Sixteen Tons – Tennessee Ernie Ford
Yellow Rose of Texas – Mitch Miller
Sincerely – The McGuire Sisters

And the song that Historians point to as the beginning of Rock & Roll: Rock Around the Clock by Bill Hayley & The Comets, which spent 8 weeks at the top & comes in as the third biggest song of the year.

There were 247 songs that made it into the Top 100 & the last song on the list coming in at #247 with only 1 week at #100 was Johnnie’s Comin Home by Johnnie Ray.

In a previous post, I mentioned that The Ballad of Davy Crockett had 4 different entries on the charts this year. But, that wasn’t the only song to have multiples. Also in this category were Simon Cowells favorite, Unchained Melody, also with 4 entries. Suddenly There’s a Valley had 5.
But, the topper of them all was Autumn Leaves with 6 different artists charting the song:
Roger Williams took it all the way to #1 for 4 weeks
Steve Allen (yep that Steve Allen) saw his version peak at #35
Mitch Miller #41
Jackie Gleason (to the moon Alice) had his only chart hit with this song making him a certified One Hit Wonder.
Victor Young at #52
And last & least were The Ray Charles Singers who’s version peaked at #55 & comes in as the #199 song of the year.

The Top 10 artists making their chart debuts in 1955:
1) Pat Boone
2) Fats Domino
3) The Platters
4) The Drifters
5) Chuck Berry
6) Billy Vaughn
7) Roger Williams
8) Jaye P. Morgan (remember her from The Original Gong Show?)
9) LaVerne Baker
10) Gale Storm (My Little Margie)


The Top 10 Artists of the year

1) Four Aces
2) The Fontane Sisters
3) The McGuire Sisters
4) Bill Hayley & The Comets
5) Nat King Cole
6) Eddie Fisher
7) Georgia Gibbs
8) Jaye P. Morgan
9) Perry Como
10) The Crew Cuts

If everybody wants me to stop with this stuff, let me know & I will. I just find it interesting.

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by razorbacker

I know most of this stuff is ancient History & happened before most of us were even born, but we wouldn’t be to where we are in Rock without a starting point. So, in that regard, here are some of the interesting things that I got out of the Billboard Charts from 1955.

There were 14 songs that Hit #1 that year. Some of the better known ones were:

Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado. This was not only the biggest hit of the year, but remains until today, the biggest Instrumental Hit in History, spending 10 weeks at the top.

The Ballad of Davy Crockett by Bill Hayes
Ain’t that a Shame – Pat Boone
Sixteen Tons – Tennessee Ernie Ford
Yellow Rose of Texas – Mitch Miller
Sincerely – The McGuire Sisters

And the song that Historians point to as the beginning of Rock & Roll: Rock Around the Clock by Bill Hayley & The Comets, which spent 8 weeks at the top & comes in as the third biggest song of the year.

There were 247 songs that made it into the Top 100 & the last song on the list coming in at #247 with only 1 week at #100 was Johnnie’s Comin Home by Johnnie Ray.

In a previous post, I mentioned that The Ballad of Davy Crockett had 4 different entries on the charts this year. But, that wasn’t the only song to have multiples. Also in this category were Simon Cowells favorite, Unchained Melody, also with 4 entries. Suddenly There’s a Valley had 5.
But, the topper of them all was Autumn Leaves with 6 different artists charting the song:
Roger Williams took it all the way to #1 for 4 weeks
Steve Allen (yep that Steve Allen) saw his version peak at #35
Mitch Miller #41
Jackie Gleason (to the moon Alice) had his only chart hit with this song making him a certified One Hit Wonder.
Victor Young at #52
And last & least were The Ray Charles Singers who’s version peaked at #55 & comes in as the #199 song of the year.

The Top 10 artists making their chart debuts in 1955:
1) Pat Boone
2) Fats Domino
3) The Platters
4) The Drifters
5) Chuck Berry
6) Billy Vaughn
7) Roger Williams
8) Jaye P. Morgan (remember her from The Original Gong Show?)
9) LaVerne Baker
10) Gale Storm (My Little Margie)


The Top 10 Artists of the year

1) Four Aces
2) The Fontane Sisters
3) The McGuire Sisters
4) Bill Hayley & The Comets
5) Nat King Cole
6) Eddie Fisher
7) Georgia Gibbs
8) Jaye P. Morgan
9) Perry Como
10) The Crew Cuts

If everybody wants me to stop with this stuff, let me know & I will. I just find it interesting.

I find it fascinating. And Many of those artists, I have owned in the past or now own albums/CD's or any variation there of since the advent of vinyl and 8 track tapes and everything in between.

And my parents used to listen to many of those same artists as well, which is probably how I got to listening to them.

My dad LOVED Perry Como and used to get his hair cut by Perry Como's barber (it was a big deal to my dad. )

I did not know that about Jaye P. Morgan. I thought her only fame was Gong Show.

Keep going with it. I love reading this stuff.

[razorbacker]

If you have XM Radio & listen to channel 40 you have probably heard these guys before. If you don't know anything about them, then do yourself a favor & give them a listen. They are called The California Guitar Trio & they are just beyond brilliant.

Give them a listen & watch them on stage here….HEAR!! Pay special attention to the Beethovens Fifth video & watch these guys tear up some acoustic guitars.

MySpace.com - California Guitar Trio - Los Angeles, California - Acoustic / Progressive / Experimental - www.myspace.com/californiaguitartrio

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by razorbacker

If you have XM Radio & listen to channel 40 you have probably heard these guys before. If you don't know anything about them, then do yourself a favor & give them a listen. They are called The California Guitar Trio & they are just beyond brilliant.

Give them a listen & watch them on stage here….HEAR!! Pay special attention to the Beethovens Fifth video & watch these guys tear up some acoustic guitars.

MySpace.com - California Guitar Trio - Los Angeles, California - Acoustic / Progressive / Experimental - www.myspace.com/californiaguitartrio

What's that particular channel called? We have XM through our direct tv, but the channel numbers are different than what they are in a car or other XM adapter.

[razorbacker]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

What's that particular channel called? We have XM through our direct tv, but the channel numbers are different than what they are in a car or other XM adapter.

It's called Deep Tracks. I think it would be 840 or 940 or something like that for you.

[myrosiedog]

Thanks. I listen to Deep Tracks occasionally.