LookBack #20: Mooning Around

This week our Classic Track LookBack looks back at moon songs. We sure have a ton to pick from, starting with the dawn of rock and sliding through all of the decades that we cover, so let’s lean toward the road less travelled and call on some songs that might not instantly come to mind.

1965 - The Beatles

Our first choice comes from Beatles 65, a North American LP release. The last track on the album is one called Mr. Moonlight and it’s rare to the point that some of you might not even remember it. But here on the LookBack, we never let that stand in our way. We’ll just link to it and then you’ll know the song.

Mr. Moonlight

1972 - April Wine

Our 70s moon music comes to us from one of the best all-time Canadian bands, April Wine, best known in the U.S. for their song You Could Have Been a Lady. I’ve always believed that their music was under-represented in the U.S. for some reason, so I’ll take this opportunity to give you the chance to hear one of their best, an Elton John/Bernie Taupin composition. And it fits just right in with our moon theme.

Bad Side of the Moon

1982 - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

From 1982 comes a Bob Seger track written by country singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell, who had his own version of this song, which charted as a country hit. At any rate, here’s Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band who proclaim "Shame on the Moon".

Shame on the Moon



Till next time, that’s another Classic Track LookBack. In the meantime, don’t forget that the previous week’s #rockhistory tweets and links are always Storified here.

LookBack #19: Defining Tracks

This week our Classic Track LookBack looks back at two tracks and a double album that could arguably be termed career defining.

1968 - The Beatles

If we check the singles charts for this week in November 1968, we find The Beatles at #1 for what would be the first of 9 weeks. Hey Jude stands as a Fab Four defining track because both then and now it stands as one of the longest chart-topping singles in the history of the charts. Even for the Fab Four, who set a new standard for chart success, Hey Jude, backed by Revolution, was a record that made rock history.

Hey Jude

1968 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Meanwhile, the #1 album for this week in 1968 was a double album from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Electric Lady Land is, for me at least, the Hendrix career defining album. It featured the Dylan penned All Along the Watch Tower, Cross Town Traffic, Voodoo Chile and Rainy Day, Dream Away is the track we'll feature here to give you something a little different from the tracks we usually hear from Jimi. Guest performers on the album included Dave Mason, Steve Winwood and Al Kooper. It was nothing short of brilliant.

Rainy Day, Dream Away

1976 - Rod Stewart

Moving ahead to this week in 1976, Rod Stewart was launching his own 8 week visit to the top of the US singles charts. The record was not without controversy, which never hurts sales. First, there were the contributions to the song from Britt Ekland, Rod's girlfriend at the time. I'm sure if you know the song, you know exactly what I mean. Then there were lyric lines that some folks weren't pleased to hear. One of the lines in question was "don't say a word, my virgin child. Just let your inhibitions run wild". Credit the controversy or the fact that people just found it to be a really good record. For Rod Stewart, former member of both the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces, Tonight's the Night stands as a defining track.

Tonight's the Night


Till next time, that's another Classic Track LookBack at rock history Oh and don't forget that last week's #rockhistory tweets and links are now Storified!

LookBack #18: October Monkee-ing Around

This week our Classic Track LookBack looks back at The Monkees first single, a late 80s #1 album from the Boss and the making of one specific Beatles LP.

1966 - The Monkees

We'll begin with this week in 1966, when The Monkees had their first #1 song with Last Train to Clarksville. It was later revealed that though they sang on their early recordings, they did not play any of the instruments due to TV filming commitments. Since we were not privy to that fact until later, could we say that someone was engaging in a little Monkee business? (Ok, I'll wait while you groan.) Then, since most of us who listened to pop music back in '66 are familiar with the A Side of The Monkees' first hit single, we'll flip it over and treat you to the B Bide.

Take a Giant Step

1967 - The Beatles

It seems that albums are born in all sorts of ways. Take The Beatles' album Magical Mystery Tour for instance. This week in 1967, the group finished recording the tracks Flying, Magical Mystery Tour, and the rather eclectic Blue Jay Way. At that point, they had recorded six new songs, which was not enough for a new album. So they decided to release a Double EP, a format which meant that the 6 songs would be spread over 2 45s, with each including two songs on one side with one song on the other. Still with me? Ok, the story continued with Capitol Records concluding that the EP format wouldn't fly in North America. So they took the 6 new songs, added 5 of the 6 tracks that had released on singles during 1967 and voila, the Magical Mystery Tour album was born. Here's its most eclectic track.

Blue Jay Way

1987 - Bruce Springsteen

In November '87 Springsteen's 8th studio album Tunnel of Love topped the charts. The album went triple platinum in the US and featured one of the Boss' biggest hit singles, Brilliant Disguise, which peaked at number 5 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Brilliant Disguise


Till next time, that's another Classic Track LookBack at rock history.

Oh and don't forget that here at Maindog Sound, you can always visit previous #rockhistory tweets at their new(ish) Storify home!

Some Time for Britain

It's an all British Classic Track Look Back this week, with an artist and a group who were part of the British Invasion and well beyond, and a record setting band with iconic status.

1965 - The Who

First, back to this week in 1965 when The Who released My Generation. The song reached #2 in the UK, but only #74 in America. What's interesting about this chart anomaly is that later on, Rolling Stone would list the strack as #11 among the Top 500 of All Time. Further, VH1 rated it #13 among history's top 100 Greatest Rock and Roll Songs. So it seems that even a song that is buried in the middle of the top 100's bottom 50 when charting can later distinguish itself on "all time" lists. I think if My Generation had been released 2 or 3 years later, it would have been an American smash as well. Perhaps in 1965 the record buying public, who was busy buying hits from Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers and classic Motown artists and groups, just wasn't ready for it.

My Generation

1971 - John Lennon

In the Fall of 1971 as October became November, John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band's album Imagine was the UK's #1 album and was doing great west of the Atlantic as well. Two tracks on the LP demonstrated that John was still working out his resentment toward Paul McCartney. One was called Crippled Inside, while the other, is featured this week.

How Do You Sleep

1983 - Pink Floyd

This week in 1983 marked Pink Floyd's 491st week on the US album charts with Dark Side of the Moon. That made it the longest charting album in history, surpassing Johnny's Greatest Hits by Johnny Mathis. When it finally slipped from the list in October 1988 it had spent a grand total of 741 weeks on the chart. It could be said that our featured track from the album gets too much radio play on classic rock stations, but who can argue with its success?

Time


Till next time, that's another Classic Track Look Back at rock history. Oh, and don't forget that last week's #rockhistory tweets and links are now Storified!