Historic events this week from Soundgarden, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Faces and AC/DC
MARCH 26, 1994: SOUNDGARDEN’S SUPERUNKNOWN IS #1
Soundgarden’s fourth album, Superunknown, debuted at #1 ahead of Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Sprial.
The band finally became Grammy winners when the album won two Grammys:
Best Metal Performance (“Spoonman”) and Best Hard Rock Performance (“Black Hole Sun”).
MARCH 28, 1978: ALICE COOPER ON THE MUPPET SHOW
Hesitant to appear on The Muppet Show, because he didn’t want to soften the “Alice Cooper” character, he agreed after being told recent guests had included Christopher Lee and Vincent Price.
Acting as an agent of the Devil, he offers The Muppets fame & fortune if they’ll just sell their souls to him.
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MARCH 28, 1973: LED ZEPPELIN’S HOUSES OF THE HOLY
Led Zeppelin’s fifth album, Houses of the Holy, turns 50 years old this week.
The #1 album contains the singles “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “D’yer Mak’er”.
Houses of the Holy topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks and has sold over 11 million albums in the U.S.
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MARCH 30, 1967: SGT. PEPPER’S COVER SHOOT
The most iconic album cover of all time, had a very simple concept.
I offered the idea that if they had just played a concert in the park, the cover could be a photograph of [them] just after the concert with the crowd who had just watched the concert… it could be a magical crowd of whomever they wanted.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Photographer, Peter Blake
Among the Beatles’ “invited guests” were Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe
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MARCH 31, 1973: FACES’ OOH LALA
After his 3rd & 4thh solo albums went to #1 & #2, respectively, Rod Stewart returned to Faces for the band’s fourth and final LP.
The album contains “Cindy Incidentally” and the popular, Ronnie Lane-sung “Ooh La La”.
Ooh La La was released 50 years ago this week.
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APRIL 1, 1980: BRIAN JOHNSON JOINS AC/DC
A month after the passing of singer Bon Scott, AC/DC brought in Geordie’s Brian Johnson for an audition.
Johnson audition with “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Nutbush City Limits”.
On April 1, he was publicly announced as the new lead singer for one of the greatest rock bands in history.