Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for July 30th

Today you got a pair of "happy accidents" that become totally classic-moments-in-rock; plus, an '80's No. 1 single that may have borrowed its riffage from another song. Well, okay, maybe more than maybe...

7/30/1954 (66 years ago today) - Let's go to "The Hillbilly Hoedown" that's being held at the Overton Park Shell in Memphis, Tennessee -- Headlining is Slim Whitman; also on the bill are Billy Walker, Sugarfoot Collins, Tinker Fry and others, but most notable is a young up-and-coming hep-cat called Elvis Presley -- Elvis is so freakin' nervous that when he performed, he stood up on the balls of his feet and shook his leg in time with the music. When he came offstage, he wanted to know why were people yelling at him?!?! Elvis was told because of his leg-shake, the baggy pleated pants he was wearing created a wild gyrating effect in time with the music. Thus it begins...

7/30/1969 (51 years ago today) - The Beatles are at Abbey Road in London, finishing overdubs on "Come Together", "Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window", "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight" -- Work is just getting started on assembling the Side Two medley when Paul tells tape operator John Kurlander to discard "Her Majesty"; instead, without giving it any thought at all, the engineer tacks that quickie-segment onto the end of the tape, about 20 seconds after the end of "The End". When McCartney hears it like this in playback, he loves it and says to keep it that way for the album, including the silence preceding it! Sometimes when there are no plans at all...

7/30/1988 (32 years ago today) - Steve Winwood begins four weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Roll With It" -- Later on, however, the Subliminal Inspiration Dept. steps in: Motown songwriters Holland/Dozier/Holland end up getting co-songwriting credits because of the tunes (rather obvious) resemblance to the Jr. Walker hit "(I'm A) Roadrunner". Whaddaya think?...

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

"When this world turns its back on you/Hang in and do that sweet thing you do...", xoxo!