Welcome back to another wild week in music history as we look back on Elvis Presley’s 10 week run at number 1 on the U.S. album chart; Keith Richards reading about his French arrest warrant; Chic’s ‘Le Freak’ is born; Elton and George Michael team to fight AIDS; and an historic microphone sells for $37,500!
The ’60s
It happened this week in 1960, Elvis Presley started a ten-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘G.I. Blues’ — his fifth US No.1 album. Music on this album comprised songs that had appeared in the film of the same name.
Meanwhile, three years later The Singing Nun would start her four week run at No.1 with “Dominique” selling an amazing 1.5 million copies and winning a GRAMMY that year for Best Gospel Song!
Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images
The ’70s
Off we go to 1972, while reading the morning newspaper in Nice, France, Rolling Stone legend Keith Richards was surprised to learn that arrest warrants had been issued for him and his girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg for drug possession. Talk about choking on your coffee!
Talk about choking on your morning coffee!
Nile Rodgers in studio at WCBS-FM. (Photo: Louis Pulice/WCBS-FM)
The ’80s
It would be this week in 1978, Chic started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Le Freak.’ Nile Rodgers said that the song came about during New Year’s Eve of 1977, when he and bassist Bernard Edwards were refused entrance to Studio 54 where they had been invited by Grace Jones.
He said the lyrics of the refrain were originally “F%$# off!” rather than “Freak out!”
(AP Photo/Julie Kramer)
And it’s back to 1988, American singer songwriter Roy Orbison died of a heart attack at the age of 52.
JOHNNY EGGITT/AFP/Getty Images
The ’90s
It happened this week in 1991, George Michael and Elton John were at No.1 in the UK with a live version of ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, (a hit for Elton in 1974). All proceeds from the hit went to AIDS charities.
photo:Thinkstock
The 2000’s
And for all you radio geeks…. It would be this week in 2004, one of three RCA microphones used by radio station KWKH for the historic Elvis Presley appearance at the Louisiana Hayride was sold for $37,500.
—Joe Causi/WCBS-FM
