Thurs-Sun, August 4-7, 2005

Hot 100 debuts...

Billboard Magazine introduced the Hot 100 on this date in 1958. Tom Noonan who now heads the CBS Records Alumni Association, copyrighted that title and that of "Bubbling Under The Hot 100" for Billboard. "Prior to 1958 we had separate top 30 rankings for sales, radio airplay and juke box play. We just combined the three elements and came up with the Hot 100 chart."

Tom also adds, "airplay was very important in the beginning of a record and accounted for about 100% of the bottom (60-100) part of the chart, sales would start to show in the middle and would take over for the top third of the chart, juke box play was eventually phased out entirely."

Tom tells us why the Hot 100 was created, "we wanted to more accurately reflect the marketplace in addition to be of more service to dealers, one-stops, etc."

The first #1 hit on the Hot 100 was "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson...

More August 4 Memories...

1957) The Everly Brothers do "Wake Up Little Suzie" and "Bye Bye Love" live on the Ed Sullivan Show...

1958) The Hot 100 is born (feature story)...

1964) The bodies of 3 missing civil rights workers are found buried in Mississippi...

1974) Paul Simon releases "Love Me Like A Rock"...

1974) Robert Flack tops the charts with "Feel Like Makin' Love"...

1982) Joel Youngblood becomes the first major leaguer to get a hit for 2 different teams in the same day, doing it for the Mets, getting traded and doing it for Montreal...

1983) Yankee outfielder Dave Winfield throws a ball during warm-ups and accidentally kills a seagull on the field in Toronto, he is arrested by police...

1984) Carl Lewis captures a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics...

1985) Tom Seaver, pitching for the White Sox wins his 300th game against the Yankees on Phil Rizzuto Day (Holy Cow !)...On the same day, Rod Carew gets his 3,000th hit, different game...

1987) The "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack is released...

1987) The FCC rescinds the Fairness Doctrine requiring balanced reporting on controversial issues and political campaigns...

Happy Birthday to...

1920) Helen Thomas, the senior White House press conference reporter...

1944) Actor-comedian Richard Belzer...

1949) Ex-Jet, Redskins running back John Riggins...

1955) Billy Bob Thornton...

1961) Michael ("Gelman") Gelman, "Live with Regis and Kelly" producer...

1962) Roger ("The Rocket") Clemens...

1971) Racing driver Jeff Gordon...

Commentary (will appear at the end of blog)...

Friday, August 5, 2005

Dick Clark became a household name on this date in 1957 when "American Bandstand" was picked up by the ABC-TV network...Dick took over the local show in Philadelphia, replacing the scandalized Bob Horn in 1952...

August 5th also brought us the tragic death of Marilyn Monroe who was discovered in her Los Angeles home. Death was ruled a probable suicide from an overdose of sleeping pills but 43 years later, controversy remains as to what or possibly, who, took the life of the 36-year old bombshell...

More August 5 Memories...

1957) American Bandstand hits the network (feature story)...

1960) Detroit and Cleveland swap managers, a major league first with Jimmy Dykes traded for Joe Gordon...

1962) Marilyn Monroe found dead (feature story)...

1964) Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft walk down the aisle...

1966) Beatles release "Revolver" LP...

1966) John Lennon makes "Beatles are more popular than Jesus" pronouncement...

1967) Bobby Gentry releases "Ode to Billy Joe"...

1972) Moody Blues release "Nights in White Satin"...

1975) Stevie Wonder signs a $13 million contract with Motown, largest in recording industry...

1976) NBC-TV airs "The Beach Boys: It's O.K.", a 15-year anniversary special...

1979) The Giants' Willie Mays enters Baseball's Hall of Fame...

1980) The Osmonds split up...

1983) David Crosby is sentenced to 8 years for drug and weapons possession...

1985) The establishment of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is announced...

1992) Toto's Jeff Porcaro dies of cardiac arrest at 38...

1999) Robert Downey, Jr. is sentenced to 3 years for missing scheduled drug tests...

Happy Birthday to...

1930) Astronaut Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon...

1935) John Saxon...

1946) Loni Anderson...

1946) Songwriter Jimmy Webb...

1947) Rick Derringer...

1953) Samantha ("Emotion") Sang...

1956) Maureen ("Brady Bunch") McCormick...

1962) Patrick Ewing...

1966) Jonathan Silverman...

Saturday, August 6, 2005...

Having gone "network" 7 years earlier, in 1957, "American Bandstand" was probably the singlemost influence in starting careers in the 50's and 60's and when Chubby Checker performed "The Twist", although a lip-synch, on this date in 1960, the biggest dance in the land was born as was the career of the man who introduced it to national TV...It happened on August 6, 1960...

More August 6 Memories...

1921) KDKA in Pittsburgh, broadcasts the first baseball game on radio...

1960) Chubby Checker introduces "The Twist" (feature story)...

1965) LBJ signs the Voting Rights Act giving everyone the right to vote...

1970) Janis Joplin, Paul Simon, Steppenwolf and Johnny Winters perform in an anti-war festival at Shea Stadium...

1973) Stevie Wonder is seriously injured in a car accident, slips into a four-day coma...

1981) A 7-week baseball strike ends, season is split into 2 halves...

1989) The Red Sox retire Carl Yastrzemski's #8 uniform number at Fenway Park...

1991) Harry Reasoner leaves us at 68...

1998) Monica Lewinsky spends 8 1/2 hours testifying before a grand jury on her relationship with President Bill Clinton...

Happy Birthday to...

1938) Peter ("Bob Newhart") Bonerz...

1965) David ("The Admiral") Robinson...

1970) Writer-director M.Night Shyamalan ("The Village", "The Sixth Sense")...

1972) Spice Girl Geri Halliwell...

1976) Soleil Moon ("Punky Brewster") Frye...

Sunday, August 7, 2005

Through the years...

On this date, we put a shield over the desert, enshrined New York heroes, welcomed a new Fleetwood Mac member, listened to the Turtles do Dylan and witnessed the first Jewish person being selected for a national office...

Now to the headlines...

1965) The Turtles release their version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe"...

1970) Christine McVie joins Fleetwood Mac...

1974) Yogi Berra and Sandy Koufax enter Baseball's Hall of Fame...

1974) French stuntman Philippe Petit walks a tightrope between the World Trade Centers twin towers...

1974) Peter Wolf (J.Geils Band) and Faye Dunaway tie the knot...

1990) Desert Storm begins in Saudi Arabia...

1999) The Giants' Lawrence Taylor enters the Football Hall of Fame...

1999) Wade Boggs becomes the only player in major league history to homer for his 3,000th hit...

2000) Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore selects Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman to be the first Jewish vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket...

2002) Former ImClone chief executive Samuel Waksal is indicted...

2003) Arnold Schwarzenegger announces his candidacy for governor of California...

Happy Birthday to...

1926) Stan Freberg...

1929) Don ("perfect game") Larsen...

1942) Garrison Keillor...

1942) B.J. Thomas...

1955) Wayne (Seinfeld's "Newman") Knight...

1960) David Duchovny...

1975) Charlize Theron...

Commentary...

I'd like to thank Tom Noonan for supplying the information on the formation of Billboard's Hot 100. Tommy was there at the beginning and now works tirelessly to keep the CBS Records family in touch, rekindling friendships and great memories for those of us who were lucky enough to work for the best record company in the business...

The anniversary of "American Bandstand" being carried by the network in 1957 gives me another opportunity to mention how lucky I was to not only meet Dick Clark but work for him at United Stations Radio Network. I recall working in the ABC mailroom at the time that "Bandstand" went "network". While no one outside Philadelphia was familiar with the show, there was a great deal of excitement and anticipation about what we were about to see. The announcement by the network started out as a press release distributed to the mailroom and then the world. We would soon find out why the network decided to carry this show...