♫Tunes & Trivia♫

We are at the beginning of a new month and the music is rollin' right along. While some of the same recording artists manage to hit the charts again and again, others slip in as one-time wonders. The music keeps spinning as listeners yearn for more, more, more. Songs are rockin' and reelin' from one decade to the next with just the right amount of trivia to keep everything interesting.
 

Today in Music History: August 1

1964 The Beatles scored their fifth US No.1 single in seven months when 'A Hard Day's Night' went to the top of the charts. The group had now spent seventeen weeks at the No.1 position in this year.

A Bit of Music Trivia...
 

1964 Billboard Magazine reported that the harmonica was making a comeback in a big way thanks to its use by Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

 

1980  Def Leppard made their first US live debut when they appeared at the New York City concert opening for AC/DC. It was also Def Leppard singer Joe Elliot's 21st birthday.

1981 Australian singer Rick Springfield started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Jessie's Girl', which later won the singer a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The song was at No.1 when MTV launched on 1 August 1981. Rick had played Noah Drake in the TV show General Hospital.

1981 Welsh singer Shakin' Stevens had his second UK No.1 single with his version of 'Green Door', which had been a hit in the US for Jim Lowe in 1956 (squeezing out 'Love Me Tender' by Elvis Presley). Frankie Vaughan also scored a UK No.2 hit with the song in 1956.

1987 Bob Seger scored his first US No.1 single with the Harold Faltermeyer penned 'Shakedown', which was taken from the film 'Beverly Hills Cop II'. The song was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, but it lost both awards to Dirty Dancing's '(I've Had) The Time of My Life'.

 1987 Los Lobos were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Ritchie Valens song 'La Bamba', which was also a No.1 hit in the US. The song was the title track from the film based on Ritchie Valens who died in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly.

A Bit of Music Trivia...

2002 A new book 'Show the Girl the Door' written by a former tour manager disclosed some strange demands by female acts. It revealed that Shania Twain would travel with a sniffer dog in case of bombs. Jennifer Lopez liked her dressing room to be all white, including carpet, flowers and furniture. Cher would have high security rooms for her wigs. Janet Jackson would have a full medical team on standby including a doctor nurse and throat specialist and Britney Spears would demand her favorite Gummie Bear soft sweets.

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