Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for Rocktober 22nd

Today you find out what it took to knock The Beatles out of the top spot on the charts -- Props to an overlooked British songwriter -- and a soon-to-be-classic U.K. band gets some good news, then decide to change their name...

10/22/1964 (51 years ago today) - After auditioning for the prestigious EMI Records label, the band called The High Numbers receive a letter asking them for original material and another chance at a contract. Within a few weeks, they change their name to...The Who.

10/22/1966 (49 years ago today) - They were more popular than you remember, and quite good, too: The Supremes become the first female group to score a Number One album on the U.S. chart, replacing The Beatles "Revolver" for the top spot(!) -- "The Supremes a Go-Go" was their ninth studio LP; it stayed on the Billboard chart for an uncanny nine consecutive months and racked up sales of over 3,750,000, thanks to the smash hits "You Can't Hurry Love" and  "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart", along with covers of "Get Ready", "These Boots Are Made For Walking" and "Hang On Sloopy". A wicked fun party album, kids, get yours today!!! We've said it before: we totally love The Supremes!!!

10/22/1989 (26 years ago today) - English folk singer-songwriter-poet and political-activist and record producer Ewan MacColl passed away from complications after having heart surgery; he was 74 years old. Known mostly in the U.S. for writing "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (a Number One hit for Roberta Flack in 1972) and "Dirty Old Town" (a folk-revival staple famously covered quite a variety of artists: Donovan, Rod Stewart, The Spinners, The Clancy Brothers, David Byrne, The Pogues and Simple Minds are just a few!). Pete Seeger was a huge fan, as were Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley; Ewan was the father of singer/songwriter Kirsty MacColl, and someone we think you ought to know a little more about; he left behind a good bunch of songs and spoke up for many workers' right causes.

Let us know whatcha think about the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"Clouds are drifting across the moon/Cats are prowling on their beat...", xoxo!