It happened this week

This is the week that was in matters musical…

Good old J. Edgar Hoover checking out the lyrics to “Louie Louie” that’s law enforcement for ya 🙄

1954, Bill Haley and the Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock” is released but will not be successful until 1955 when it is featured on the soundtrack of the movie Blackboard Jungle…

1955, Ruth Brown’s signature song “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean” is banned in Britain by the BBC on the grounds that it might encourage wife beaters … also this week, Chuck Berry records his first single … it is called “Ida Red,” but during the session, Leonard Chess, who is producing the recording, wants a name change … the new name is “Maybellene,” inspired by a Chess secretary’s makeup case…

1958, it’s a big week for R&B as The Clovers sign with Poplar Records after seven years with Atlantic, The Drifter’s classic “Drip Drop” is released, and Jerry Butler & the Impressions make their recording debut with “For Your Precious Love” … it is a bad week for Jerry Lee Lewis … he is in England for a debut tour there, but it will be canceled after only 3 performances when the British press reports that Lewis has just married his 14-year-old cousin…

1960, instead of touring as the backup band for Billy Fury, the job they had been offered, The Silver Beatles wind up on tour in Scotland this week with Johnny Gentle, a Liverpool pop singer … feeling it beneath their dignity, the members use fake names for the tour … Paul becomes Paul Ramone, George becomes Carl Harrison (a nod to Carl Perkins), and Stu Sutcliffe temporarily becomes Stu deStael…

1963, The Beatles begin their first tour as a headliner at the Grenada Theatre in Slough, England…

1964, a new teen dance called “The Swim,” spawned in San Francisco’s Galaxy Club, begins to spread throughout California…meanwhile in Louisianna, a Shreveport radio station proclaims Elvis Presley Week … they feature a Presley song every hour and give away Presley albums and singles … it is all a hopeless attempt to counter the attention being given to The Beatles … during this same week, Jamaican singer Millie Small’s “My Boy Lollipop” charts for the first time … playing harmonica on the recording is an unknown British singer named Rod Stewart … the tune registers strongly because of its infectious rhythm…

1965, FBI agents drop in on Wand Records … they are investigating the song “Louie Louie” as recorded by The Kingsmen to determine just what the lyrics really are … the FBI’s ultimate report on the case concluded that no obscene lyrics can be distinguished and that much of the song is unintelligible gibberish…

1967, Jimi Hendrix signs with Reprise Records, his first recording deal with an American company…

1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono make a home tape that is later released as Two Virgins … the album has the two of them sans clothing on the cover … adding to the air of scandal, John’s wife Cynthia returns home this same day to find the pair in bed, Yoko wearing her nightshirt … John and Yoko will flee to Montreal where they will begin their infamous 10-day “bed-in” two days later…

1970, The Grateful Dead play at the Hollywood Rock Festival in England … it is their first concert outside of the U.S….

1979, three of The Beatles–Paul, Ringo, and George–are joined by Mick Jagger for a performance at Eric Clapton and Patty Boyd’s wedding reception … it is the first time since their ’69 breakup that the three have played together … Boyd, of course, is a former Mrs. Harrison…

1981, George Harrison’s “All Those Years Ago,” a tribute to John Lennon who died a year before, charts for the first time … Ringo Starr and Paul and Linda McCartney are also on the recording…

1990, Elton John plays at the Taj Mahal … that’s the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City … the occasion is the Donald Trump-owned casino’s grand opening…

2000, Chuck D testifies before the U.S. Congress in support of Napster and online music distribution…

2003, Les Miserables closes on Broadway after 16 years and 6,680 shows…

And that was the week that was.

Arrivals
May 18: Big Joe Turner (1911), Perry Como (1918), R&B songwriter Robert “Bumps” Blackwell (1918), The Earl’s Bobby Del Din (1942), Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys (1948), Rick Wakeman (1949), George Strait (1952)

May 19: UK pop star Alma Cogan (1932), Pete Townshend born Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (1945), Phil Rudd of AC/DC (1946), Gregory Herbert of Blood, Sweat, and Tears (1947), ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill (1949), Joey Ramone (1951), Grace Jones (1952), Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware (1956), Ian Harvie of Del Amitri (1962), Jenny Berggren of Ace of Base (1972)

May 20: Vic Ames of the Ames Brothers (1926), The Ink Spots’ Shorty Long (1940), Jill Jackson aka Paula of Paul and Paula (1942), Joe Cocker (1944), Cher born Cherilyn Sarkisian La Pier (1946), Jimmie Henderson of Black Oak Arkansas (1954), The Go-Go’s Jane Weidlin (1958), Susan Cowsill of the Cowsills (1960), Haircut 100’s Nick Heyward (1961), Tom Garman of Belly (1966), Busta Rhymes (1972), Naturi Naughton of 3LW (1984)

May 21: Thomas “Fats” Waller (1904), Ronald Isley (1941), Hilton Valentine of The Animals (1943), Vincent Crane of Atomic Rooster (1943), Bill Champlin of Chicago (1947), bassist Steve Currie of T. Rex (1947, Leo Sayer (1948)

May 22: Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813), Sun Ra born Sonny Blount (1914), Jimmy Keyes of The Chords (1930), Jackie Landry of The Chantels (1941), Bernie Taupin (1950), Morrissey of The Smiths (1959), Jesse Valenzuela of The Gin Blossoms (1962), Johnny Gill (1966), Dan Roberts of Crash Test Dummies (1967)

May 23: Jimmy Bracken of Vee-Jay Records (1908), Scatman Crothers (1910), Artie Shaw (1910), R&B singer Billy Wright ( 1918), Arthur Gunter of “Baby, Let’s Play House” fame (1926), Rosemary Clooney (1928), Robert Moog (1934), Jim Mankey of Concrete Blond (1955), Phil Selway of Radiohead (1967), Noel Gallagher of Oasis (1968), Maxwell (1972), Jewel (1974)

May 24: Nervous Norvus (1912), Bob Dylan born Robert Allen Zimmerman (1941), Derek Quinn of Freddie & the Dreamers (1942), Patti LaBelle (1944), Steve Upton of Wishbone Ash (1946), Albert Bouchard of Blue Oyster Cult (1947), Rosanne Cash (1955), Heavy D (1967), Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes (1969), country wunderkind Billy Gilman (1988)

Departures
May 18: Elvin Jones (2004), Augusto Pablo (1999), singer Robert Carr (1993), Ian Curtis of Joy Division (1980)

May 19: Arnold “Gatemouth” Moore (2004), Freyda Eptein of Trapezoid (2003), Susannah McCorkle (2001), Odia Coates (1991), Ron Wilson of The Surfaris (1989), Gene Mumford of Billy Ward & The Dominos (1977), tenor sax master Coleman Hawkins (1969), songwriter Kevin Gilbert (1966), Charles Ives (1954)

May 20: Renato Carosone (2001), harp player Willie Foster (2001), The O’Jays’ William Powell (1977), Rudy Lewis of The Drifters (1964)

May 21: Nicholas Dante co-author of “A Chorus Line” (1991)

May 23: session guitarist Mike Farrell (2000), metal bassist Jimmy Fernandez (1994), Joe Pass (1993), Iggy Pop bassist Craig Pike (1993), Will Sin (1991), jazz and blues pianist Lloyd Glenn (1985), Chitlin’ Circuit comedienne “Moms” Mabley (1975)

May 24: Franco-American bebopper Barney Wilen (1996), Gene Clark of The Byrds (1991), Duke Ellington (1974), slide guitar ace Elmore James (1967)