Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for February 7th

Thus, it begins... -- A first for the U.S. charts... -- Saxophone legend b'day...

2/7/1964 (53 years ago today) - It was like that moment at the beginning of "2001: A Space Odyssey", you know, when the apes figured it out: Pan Am flight 101 was greeted by over 5,000 screaming teens as it arrived at New York's JFK airport -- The Beatles touch down on U.S. soil for the very first time, social tidal waves ensue...

2/7/1970 (47 years ago today) - They were the first Dutch act to top the U.S. charts: one hit wonders Shocking Blue get to No. 1 with the classic single "Venus". Nifty guitar riffs on here actually, clearly inspired by Pete Townshend's playing on "Pinball Wizard"...

2/7/1934 - Born on this day, saxophonist Curtis Ousley, better known as the one and only King Curtis. A true virtuoso whose tenor, alto and soprano sax playing could seamlessly fuse rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, blues, funk and jazz -- King could do just about anything musically: depending upon what a particular project was, he could be a bandleader, band member, session musician, musical director or record producer! His most famous recordings include The Coasters' classic "Yakety Yak", Joe South's "The Games People Play" (with Duane Allman on guitar), "It's So Hard" by John Lennon, and the original theme song for TV's "Soul Train". For must-have listening, 1971's "King Curtis Live At The Fillmore West" still astounds! Curtis' life came a violent, sad, tragic end when he was stabbed during an argument with a pair of drug dealers he discovered on the steps outside his Manhattan apartment; he was only 37 years old when he died in the hospital a few days later on August 13, 1971. The cat could play...

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"Yeah, baby, she's got it...", xoxo!