Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for April 24th
Today it's all very early 1960's stuff, because because because of the wonderful stuff they does...
4/24/1961 (57 years ago today) - Not what you would have guessed, but this was Bob Dylan's first recorded performance release: Zimmy plays harmonica on the title track of Harry Belafonte's "The Midnight Special" album -- He gets paid $50 for the session...
4/24/1961 (57 years ago today) - Did you know this artist was the first to have a hit with a Beatles song in the U.S. with his May 1963 version of "From Me To You"? -- On today's date, Del Shannon started four weeks at No. 1 with the sublimely ultra-classic single "Runaway", which also hits the top spot in England -- Bonnie Raitt would famously cover the track on her 1977 album "Sweet Forgiveness", and big fan Tom Petty would produce Del's 'comeback' LP "Drop Down And Get Me" in 1981 -- Sadly, not enough: suffering from depression, Del committed suicide with a .22-caliber rifle on February 8, 1990. He was inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999.
4/24/1965 (53 years ago today) - They had one of the coolest band names of the British Invasion: Let's give it up for Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders as they hit No. 1 on the singles chart with "Game Of Love" (No. 2 in the U.K.) -- Pseudo-interesting factoids: Wayne took his name from Elvis' drummer DJ Fontana(!), and Mindbenders guitarist Eric Stewart went on to form influential art-rockers and recording studio innovator/wizards 10cc; they made some of the most imaginative albums of the Seventies and, frankly, your musical life is woefully incomplete if you haven't heard "The Original Soundtrack" (1975) and {especially} "How Dare You!" (1976): 10cc were fantastic!!!
Share your gear with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.
"It started long ago in the Garden of Eden...", xoxo!