Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for December 19th

Two of the best singles ever and a gone-but-not-forgotten guitar ace...

12/19/1964 (53 years ago today) - We told you last week that our love of '60's girls groups was major, and this is one of the biggest: The Supremes score their third No. 1 single of the year when "Come See About Me" hits the top spot. The trio was on an astonishing roll; the other two No. 1's were "Where Did Our Love Go" (in July) and "Baby Love" (in October), and it wasn't anywhere near over yet -- Their next two singles also go to No.1: "Stop! In The Name Of Love" (in February '65) and "Back In My Arms Again" (May, '65). Fact: before 1970 arrives, The Supremes will end up with no less than twelve No. 1 singles! Incredible, and every one a bona fide classic...

12/19/1970 (47 years ago today) - It kinda starts here: Elton John's "Your Song" enters the Billboard Hot 100 chart, eventually peaking at Number Eight. Did you know:  the song was first offered to The Hollies, but they turned it down; and before Elton released his (definitive) version, Three Dog Night had already recorded it as an album track on their "It Ain't Easy" LP...

12/19/1944 - Born on this day, former Ten Years After main-man and guitarist-extraordinaire Alvin Lee -- Even though (deservedly so) Alvin's guitar skills remain his trademark, we believe he was rather underrated as a songwriter-arranger-producer, and there are definitely a few Ten Years After albums that were seriously as good as anything anyone else was peddling back in the day -- The standouts were "Ssssh" (1969, featuring "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl"), "Cricklewood Green" (1970, with the amazing "50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain") and "A Space In  Time" (1971, the bands no-doubt-about-it masterpiece including the classic hit "I'd Love To Change The World" that startlingly still sounds even more important today!!!) -- Those albums deserve to be listened to with new ears, they're quite overdue for a serious re-think. Alvin passed away most unexpectedly on March 6, 2013, following "unforeseen complications following a routine surgical procedure"; he was 68.

Share your brainpans with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"Tax the rich/Feed the poor...", xoxo!