Awakenings: Tunes & Trivia

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Tunes & Trivia

Today in Music History: April 12

Music: Essence of the Soul Around the Globe

1954 - Bill Haley and the Comets record 'Rock Around the Clock' at Pythian Temple on West Wide of New City. The song was first released (recorded on 20 March 1954) as an R&B number by Sonny Dae and His Knights but the record achieved only modest local success. Haley then recorded his version of 'Rock Around the Clock' on 12 April 1954, following which it eventually became a massive worldwide hit.

1975 - David Bowie announced his second career retirement, saying, "I've rocked my roll. It's a boring dead end, there will be no more rock 'n' roll records from me." One of Bowie's best-known songs is 'Changes', originally released on the album Hunky Dory in December 1971 and as a single in January 1972. The lyrics are often seen as a manifesto for his chameleonic personality, the frequent change of the world today, and frequent reinventions of his musical style throughout the 1970s. This single is cited as David Bowie's official North American debut, despite the fact that the song "The Man Who Sold the World" was released in North America two years prior. This is the last song Bowie performed live on stage before his retirement from live performances at the end of 2006.

1989 - Two DJ's on Los Angeles station KLOS asked what ever happened to David Cassidy. The singer called the station up and the presenters invited him onto the show. David played three songs live on air and was subsequently signed by a new record label. David Cassidy has been recording albums since 1970. His career is most notable for his solo music and his recordings with The Partridge Family.