Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for January 22nd

Underpaid Bruce -- Big Macca! -- Remembering one of the best R&B/Soul singers ever...

1/22/1970 (50 years ago today) - Steel Mill (featuring Bruce Springsteen out front on guitar and vocals) opened for The Elvin Bishop Band at The Matrix in San Francisco; they were paid $5 for the gig! -- Elvin's band received $90 because they were the headliners. Hey, look, in 1970 a gallon of gas would set you back 36 cents...

1/22/1977 (43 years ago today) - It was his sixth post-Beatles No. 1: Paul McCartney took over the top spot on the album chart with "Wings Over America", a reasonably impressive feat for a 3-LP live set (George Harrison also hit No. 1 with his 3-album box "All Things Must Pass" in 1970; neither Ringo nor John Lennon ever released any triple-vinyl).

1/22/1931 - Born on this day, legendary soul singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, who scored no less than thirty Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1964; you already know most of 'em and what an influence they had: "You Send Me" (covered by many, including Steve Miller on his "Fly Like An Eagle" album), "Chain Gang", "Cupid", "Wonderful World" (ah, Louis Armstrong's version was sheer perfection!), "Another Saturday Night" (thank you Cat Stevens!), "Twistin' The Night Away" (see Rod Stewart), "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Having A Party" (practically a standard at every Southside Johnny show), and "Bring It On Home To Me" (The Animals recorded it at the height of the British Invasion) -- Sam had an incredibly smooth tone and delivery and a sad, weird end to his career: on December 11, 1964, at age 33, he was shot and killed by the female manager of a Los Angeles motel where he was...staying? Visiting? Fooling around? The courts ruled it a case of justifiable homicide, though the circumstances surrounding this event have long been questioned by the Cooke family. Anyway, a copy of "The Best Of Sam Cooke" will more than get you through, the guy was damn good...

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"At first I thought it was infatuation...", xoxo!