Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for January 15th

Chart action for Zep and Eagles and a tribute to the stupefyingly unique Captain Beefheart...

1/15/1972 (48 years ago today) - Their manager never wanted 'em to release any singles at all, you know: "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin debuts on the U.S. singles chart -- They weren't really cut out for this side of the biz as this third single release of theirs stalls out at No. 15 and then simply disappears altogether after spending a total of just eight weeks on the chart, somewhat unbelievable for a track that still garners airplay every friggin' day all across the globe! By the way, the song's title refers to a nameless Black Lab Retriever that wandered around the studios during recording, so there you go then, question answered...

1/15/1977 (43 years ago today) - "Hotel California" by The Eagles hits No. 1 for eight non-consecutive weeks on the album chart -- It also went to the top spot in Australia, Canada, Holland, New Zealand and Norway while on its way to becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time (at last count, over 42 million worldwide) including two No. 1 singles -- the title track and "New Kid In Town", with "Life In The Fast Lane" just missing the Top Ten (it went up to 11, though). Pretty good for a record Don Henley has nonchalantly referred to as being about "a journey from innocence to experience, that's all".

1/15/1941 - Born this day, singer-songwriter-artist-extraordinaire Don Van Vliet a.k.a. Captain Beefheart -- His expressionist paintings and drawings have been exhibited in some of the most prestigious art galleries and museums all over the world, while his avant-garde records (with The Magic Band) are acknowledged to have been a deep and heavy influence on the works of Frank Zappa, Robert Plant, The Velvet Underground, Little Feat, Tom Waits, Laurie Anderson, The Clash, Jethro Tull, Public Image Ltd. and too-many-more-to-name/far-from-the-mainstream bohemians -- Don passed away at his California home on December 17, 2010, due to complications from multiple sclerosis; he was 69. A completely unapologetic one-of-a-kind artist, no question about it...

Share your if's, and's and but's with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"Didn't take too long 'fore I found out/What people mean by down and out...", xoxo!