Historic events this week from Paul McCartney, Janis Joplin, Rush, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Tom Petty and Dave Grohl
NOVEMBER 15, 1969: PAUL IS DEAD THEORY
Two years after their release, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour returned to the Billboard charts.
With the great Paul Is Dead theory gathering momentum, people were buying the albums to scour the covers and lyrics for clues to “prove” the theory.
• • •
NOVEMBER 15, 1969: JANIS JOPLIN IS ARRESTED
A cop uses a bullhorn to tell the audience to remain in their seats.
Janis responds:
“DON’T F*&% WITH THOSE PEOPLE!”
The cop implores Janis to ask the audience to remain in their seats.
Janis replies:
“I’M NOT TELLING THEM S–T!”
She was arrested and charged with using “vulgar, indecent language.”
• • •
NOVEMBER 16, 1977: THREE RUSH ALBUMS ARE CERTIFIED GOLD
2112, A Farewell to Kings and the live All the World’s a Stage were all certified Gold on the same day.
2112 has since gone 3x Platinum in the US and 2x Platinum in Canada.
• • •
NOVEMBER 17, 1994: MTV UNPLUGGED
Dylan’s MTV Unplugged appearance occurred over two nights at Sony Music Studios in New York.
With a setlist dominated by classic tracks, the only new song in the set was “Dignity”.
“Dignity”, an outtake from Oh Mercy (1989), was released on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Volume 3 two days before the the Unplugged shows.
• • •
NOVEMBER 18, 1978: BILLY JOEL’S 52ND STREET IS #1
52nd Street contained two of Billy Joel’s biggest singles: “My Life” (#3) and “Big Shot” (#14).
The album would spend the rest of 1978 (seven consecutive weeks) at #1.
52nd Street would go on to sell 7 million copies in the US.
• • •
NOVEMBER 19, 1994: DAVE GROHL & THE HEARTBREAKERS
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were without a drummer when they were booked for their 5th SNL appearance.
Heartbreakers drummer, Stan Lynch, had quit the band a month and a half earlier.
Petty tapped (former) Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl for the gig, and offered him a permanent job afterwards.
After careful consideration, they both agreed Grohl needed to focus his burgeoning talent on his own project, which would come to be known as Foo Fighters.
