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Monday, February 17, 2014

Surfin', Duke of Earl & Eagles Greatest Hits

Today in Music History: February 17, 1962  & 1976
 

Today we celebrate three musical greats released on February 17, 2 singles and one album. This was the era when music was MUSIC...rhythm to dance by as you sang along because you could understand the words. This is music whose roots were firmly planted in 1940s' and 1950s' rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music. Enjoy the music as you take a walk down memory lane.



1962 - The Beach Boys started making waves with their first Southern California hit, "Surfin’". Their new musical style swept the U.S. like a tidal wave when they hit nationally with "Surfin’ Safari" in August of this same year.


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1962 - Gene Chandler hit #1 with Duke of Earl on this day. The song stayed at the tippy-top for three weeks. It hit #1 on the rhythm & blues charts, as well. Duke of Earl was Chandler’s biggest hit out of a half-dozen he recorded. His only other million seller came with Groovy Situation in 1970. Curtis Mayfield wrote several hits for Chandler, including Just Be True, What Now and Nothing Can Stop Me. Chandler’s real name is Eugene Dixon. He owned his own record label, Mr. Chand, from 1969 to 1973, though "Groovy Situation" was recorded in 1970 for Mercury.

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1976 - The Eagles album Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) was released. It would eventually sell more than 25 million copies in the US, second only to Michael Jackson’sThriller.

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And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times. . .
 

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