Rock 'n' Roll History for
November 8


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1957 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
MGM releases the film Jailhouse Rock to nationwide audiences in the US. Shot in black and white, the picture was originally titled The Hard Way, and was changed to Jailhouse Kid before the company settled on the final title. The movie initially earned mixed reviews, with much of the negative targeted at Presley himself. However, it peaked at #3 on the Variety box-office chart and finished at #14 for the year, grossing $4 million. In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the US Library of Congress, who deemed it "culturally, aesthetically or historically significant."

1958 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Jazz drummer Cozy Cole had the top tune on the Cashbox Best Sellers chart with an instrumental called "Topsy (pt. 2)". The million selling record was an unusual entry for the US charts because it contained a lengthy drum solo. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Pop chart and #29 in the UK.

1962 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
A bullet is fired at Motown Records' tour bus while traveling through Savannah, Georgia. Fortunately no one is hurt. The entertainers are on a two-month long, package tour featuring The Miracles, The Supremes, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, The Contours, The Marvelettes, Martha And The Vandellas and Little Stevie Wonder.

1963 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Dick Clark's traveling Caravan Of Stars opens its Fall tour featuring Bobby Vee, The Ronettes, Brian Hyland, Little Eva and The Dovells.

1964 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Although Rock And Roll still dominated the air waves and the music charts, two performers from another generation had hits in the Billboard Top Ten. 49-year-old actor Lorne Greene was at #10 with a Western theme, spoken word record called "Ringo", and 48-year-old Dean Martin's "The Door Is Still Open To My Heart" sat at #6.

November 8
London, England's The Honeycombs enjoy their only Top 40 record in America when "Have I The Right" peaks at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In both England and Australia, the song went to #1. The band was notable for having Honey Lantree on drums, one of the few successful female Rock 'n' Roll drummers at that time.

1965 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
The Dave Clark Five perform for Queen Elizabeth II at the annual Royal Variety Performance in London, England. Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett, Dusty Springfield, Peter, Paul And Mary, and a wide variety of other entertainers also appeared on the show.

1968 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
After six years of marriage, Cynthia Powell Lennon is granted a divorce from her husband, John. He is absent from the London court, staying with Yoko Ono in a hospital, where it is feared she might suffer a miscarriage (which she did on November 21).

1969 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
"Wedding Bell Blues" topped the Billboard Hot 100, giving The Fifth Dimension their second US number one record. The song was originally recorded as a private joke between group members Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., who were engaged at the time.

November 8
On the second date of their US tour, The Rolling Stones break the Los Angeles concert gross record held by The Beatles since 1966. They added an extra date to their L.A. Forum stand and a fourth date to their upcoming gig at New York's Madison Square Garden.

1971 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Paul McCartney hosts a launch party for "Wild Life", the debut album of his new band, Wings. Among the 800 guests were Elton John, Keith Moon, John Entwistle, Ronnie Lane, Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan, Kenny Jones, Jimmy Page, Mary Hopkin, and members of Deep Purple.

1972 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" is released in the US where it will reach #1. The tune causes much speculation about who Carly was singing about, with popular guesses that included Mick Jagger (who sang unaccredited backing vocals on the song), Cat Stevens, Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson (with whom she had had brief relationships), her unfaithful finance William Donaldson, and her ex-husband, James Taylor. At one point, Carly said she was singing about a composite of many men she had known, but later claimed that the song was about openly gay record producer David Geffen.

1973 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Soul singer Ivory Joe Hunter died of lung cancer at the age of 60. Hunter was best known for his hits, "I Almost Lost My Mind" (US R&B #1 in 1950), "I Need You So" (US R&B #1 in 1950) and "Since I Lost You Baby" (US #12 in 1956).

November 8
While appearing on the BBC's Top Of The Pops, David Bowie is presented with an award for selling over a million singles as well as a million albums in the UK over the past two years.

1974 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
After appearing at the Westbury Music Fair in New York, Connie Francis is assaulted at knife point in her hotel room. Although she would win a three million dollar lawsuit, Connie would not perform again until 1981.

1975 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
David Bowie made his US TV debut performing "Fame", on the Cher CBS-TV show.

November 8
Elton John becomes godfather to John and Yoko Lennon's son, Sean.

1976 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
George Harrison releases the compilation album, "The Best of George Harrison". A collection of George's most popular songs, both from his time with The Beatles and some solo material, the LP would climb to #31 on the Billboard album chart. It would be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 1977. Somewhat surprisingly, it did not make the top 60 on the UK's Official Album chart.

1986 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
After "More Than A Feeling" reached number five (1976) and "Don't Look Back" made it to number four (1978), Boston finally scored their first and only number one single with "Amanda".

1987 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson married Dean Martin's daughter, Gina. The union would last until Carl's death on February 6th, 1998. Carl's first wife was Annie Hinsche, sister of Billy Hinsche of the sixties trio Dino, Desi And Billy.

1988 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
53-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis filed a personal bankruptcy petition listing more than $3 million in debts, including $2 million owed to the Internal Revenue Service.

1994 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Former Palm Springs mayor Sonny Bono is elected to the US House of Representatives. Author Ronald Kessler later pointed out in his expose book Inside Congress that Bono was widely ridiculed and was called one of the "dimmest bulbs" in Congress by the political magazine The Progressive.

2002 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

2006 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Proving that Classic Rock artists were alive and well, "The Greatest Songs of the Sixties" by Barry Manilow entered the Billboard Hot 200 album chart at #2, The Who's "Endless Wire" sat at #7, while Meat Loaf was at #8 with "Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose".

2008 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Australia's AC/DC start a two-week stay at the top of the Billboard 200 chart with "Black Ice", the band's 15th studio album. It also went to #1 in twenty-nine other countries, including Australia, Canada and England.

2011 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
67-year-old Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was presented with the Mailer Prize for Distinguished Biography, an award given for his million-selling memoir Life.

2012 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Reports surfaced that Jermaine Jackson had filed legal papers at Los Angeles County Superior Court asking to have the spelling of his surname altered to Jacksun for "artistic reasons." The request would be granted in February, 2013.

2021 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
The album "Led Zeppelin IV" is certified 24X Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The band's most successful LP, it sold over 37 million copies world wide.

2022 - ClassicBands.com

November 8
Dan McCafferty, lead vocalist for the Scottish band Nazareth on their 1976, Billboard #8 hit, "Love Hurts", died from unspecified causes. He was 76. The band placed eleven albums on the Billboard 200 chart between 1971 and 1982.

November 8
Jeff Cook, a founding member and lead guitarist of the Country group Alabama, died after an extended illness. He was 73. The band put five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1981 and 1999, including "Love In The First Degree", a #15 hit in 1982.



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