Rock 'n' Roll History for
November 1


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1894 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
William Donaldson and James H. Hennegan published their first edition of Billboard as "A monthly resume of all that is new, bright and interesting on the boards." The eight page magazine was "devoted to the interests of advertisers, poster printers, bill posters, advertising agents & secretaries of fairs." It later began reporting on circuses, carnivals, vaudeville and other forms of live entertainment before focusing on motion pictures and later still, the music industry. The cost of that initial publication was 10 cents or 90 cents a year.

1954 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
The November issue of Billboard magazine lists Elvis Presley at number eight of the Most Promising New Hillbilly or Country Singers.

November 1
An R&B group called The Famous Flames, led by singer James Brown, cut their first demo of "Please, Please, Please" at a radio station in Macon Georgia. It will lead to their signing with King Records, where they re-recorded the song in February, 1956 and watched it climb to #6 on Billboard's R&B chart.

November 1
Buddy Holly And The Crickets started a three week run at #1 on the UK singles chart with "That'll Be The Day".

1956 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
A Rock 'n' Roll oddity happened when two different versions of the same song, "Cindy, Oh Cindy", were tied at #12 on the Billboard chart. Eddie Fisher's version was to be his last Top 40 entry, while the rendition by Vince Martin And The Tarriers proved to be the only time they made the list.


1958 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Communist East Germany leaders dub Elvis Presley as "Public enemy number one." An East Germany youth publication wrote: "The 23 year old star Presley is no artist and enjoys only limited brain power."

1959 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
After cracking the US Top 40 twice while with Atlantic Records, Ray Charles signs with ABC-Paramount, where he will have 24 more Billboard hits.

November 1
For the first time since 1954, Elvis Presley doesn't have a record on any of the Billboard charts. He is currently in Germany serving with the US Army and won't leave active duty until March 5th, 1960.

1962 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
While The Beatles were appearing at The Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, a recording was made on a small, portable tape recorder which would be pressed and issued by Singasong Records in 1977 as "Live! At the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, 1962". The album would enjoy limited commercial success, reaching a peak position of #111 during a seven-week run on the Billboard 200 album chart.

1964 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
The Dave Clark Five appear on The Ed Sullivan Show singing their hit "Glad All Over". Sullivan likes them much better than The Rolling Stones, saying that unlike the latter, the DC5 are "nice, neat boys."

November 14
The Nashville Teens' rendition of "Tobacco Road" reached its peak position of #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Oddly enough, the band wasn't really from Nashville and their two vocalists were now in their early twenties. (They were actually from Nottingham, England).

1965 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Rochester, New York police halt a Rolling Stones concert until over 3,500 screaming fans return to order.

1966 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Three Elvis Presley albums are certified Gold: his 1956 debut album, "Elvis Presley", "Elvis' Golden Records, Vol. 2" and "Elvis' Golden Records, Vol. 3".

November 1
With "Good Vibrations" at the top of the UK chart, The Beach Boys kick off the first of seven sold out shows at Finsbury Park Astoria in London, England. Over 600 city buses were adorned with posters announcing their arrival.

1968 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
George Harrison releases his first solo album, "Wonderwall Music" on the Apple label. The songs are mostly Harrison instrumentals, aided by Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and an unaccredited banjo contribution by Peter Tork of The Monkees. The LP would reach #49 in the US, but did not chart at all in the UK and would become the first album to be deleted from the Apple Records catalog.


1969 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
"Suspicious Minds" reaches the top of the Billboard chart, becoming Elvis Presley's 17th and final US number one hit during his lifetime. Elvis had recorded it in a 4 AM to 7 AM session last January, with the eighth take being the keeper. The song climbed to #2 in the UK.

1971 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Sly And The Family Stone continue to cancel many concerts at the last minute because Sly doesn't show up. Of 80 concerts booked in 1970, he cancelled 26 and ducked out of 12 of 40 shows in '71. The band is still successful on the radio however, enjoying a number one hit with "Family Affair" in December, 1971.

1972 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Gilbert O'Sullivan had the top tune on the UK charts with a song called "Clair", a number he wrote for three year old Clair Mills, the daughter of his manager, Gordon Mills. The record would reach #2 in America during a fourteen week stay. She would later recall; "My mum said it would be lovely if Gilbert wrote a song about me, so he did." The little girl's giggle at the end of the song is Clair herself.

November 1
The 33rd and final film of Elvis' career, Elvis On Tour opens in the US. It would be awarded the 1972 Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary, making it the only Elvis film to win an award of any kind.

1975 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Elton John, who teamed up with Neil Sedaka on last week's Billboard chart topper, "Bad Blood", took over the top spot himself with "Island Girl". He wouldn't enjoy another solo number one record in the United States for twenty-two years when "Candle In The Wind" (Princess Diana version) did the trick. He would however reach the top with two duets, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Kiki Dee in 1976, and "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" with George Michael in 1992.

November 1
The Carpenters are forced to cancel their upcoming British tour because of Karen's deteriorating health.

1987 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Dire Straits' CD "Brothers In Arms" passes the three million sales mark, becoming the UK's all-time best selling album.


1990 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Nearly twenty years after their first US chart appearances, two former teen heart-throbs returned to Billboard's Hot 200 album list. The Partridge Family's David Cassidy reached number 27 with his self titled L.P., while Donny Osmond was enjoying the success of "My Love Is A Fire", which would climb to number 21.

2000 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
The Recording Industry Association Of America introduces guidelines for Parental Advisory labeling on recordings.

2004 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
61 year old Terry Knight, the former manager of Grand Funk Railroad, was murdered at his home in Killeen, Texas. Knight was defending his daughter during a domestic disturbance when he was stabbed by her boyfriend, 26 year old Donald Alan Fair. Knight began his music career by leading a Michigan band called Terry Knight And The Pack, who scored a Billboard top 50 hit with "I, Who Have Nothing".

2005 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Black Sabbath is inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame by Queen's guitarist, Brian May.

2008 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Jimmy Carl Black, the original drummer for Frank Zappa And The Mothers Of Invention, passed away after a bout with lung cancer. He was 70.

2011 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
At a lecture on the modern music industry at Britain's Radio Festival in Salford, Pete Townshend accused Apple's iTunes website of "bleeding" artists like a "digital vampire". He went on to insist that iTunes bosses should do more to help artists, rather than just taking the money.

2015 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
Beach Boys' vocalist Mike Love released a song called "(You'll Never Be) Alone on Christmas Day", a new version of an old yuletide bootleg that was available exclusively www.RollingStone.com.

2018 - ClassicBands.com

November 1
The Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending November 1st, 2018, showed that Michael Jackson's song "Thriller" had come in at #31 thanks to its annual Halloween gains.




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