February 5, 2011

SONG OF THE DAY: AXL ROSE, frontman of the band, GUNS N'ROSES celebrates his 48th Birthday this weekend (on Sunday).. The song and video for "Welcome to the Jungle" first appeared on GNR's 1987 breakthrough release "Appetite for Destruction" and was written by AXL ROSE while he was in Seattle, WA stating in a "Hit Parader" magazine interview that Seattle seemed more "rural" compared to L.A... AXL ROSE claims that GNR's biggest influence was Finland's glam rock band, HANOI ROCKS..




...AND YES!!! IT is SATURDAY!!!! Anyone remember THESE 80's cartoons?


FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN TODAY: actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, actress Barbara Hershey, actor Michael Sheen, "This is Spinal Tap!" actor Christopher Guest, Baseball great Hank Aaron.. Posthumously: writter William Burroughs..

February 4, 2011

Happy 63rd Birthday to VINCENT DAMON FURNIER whom we know as ALICE COOPER.. Check out this clip from Season 3 of the "Muppet Show" which features the shock rock icon!!




SONG OF THE DAY:
ALICE COOPER's hit "You and Me" went to #9 on the American pop charts and could have easily passed for a song by THE LITTLE RIVER BAND or another 70's soft rock radio favorite of the time.. The song even inspired a cover by "ol' Blue Eyes", FRANK SINATRA.. The song came from ALICE's 1977 album "Lace and Whiskey"..


OTHER FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN TODAY: Boxer Oscar De La Hoya, singer Natalie Imbruglia, former U.S. Vice President, Dan Quayle, Horror flick director, George A Romero.. Posthumously: Civil Rights Icon, Rosa Parks, "Pluto" discoverer, Clyde W. Tombaugh

"Dawn of the Dead" director GEORGE A ROMERO was born today..

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Civil Rights Icon, ROSA PARKS was born today..

February 3, 2011 -- Happy Chinese New Year!! The Year of the Rabbit has began..

DAVID BOWIE's 1983 classic "China Girl" first appeared on his "Let's Dance" album and was co-written by IGGY POP.. The song was actually originally recorded by IGGY POP and appeared on his 1977 album "The Idiot"..



Brief History of "CHINA GIRL":


HANNA BARBERA featured a CHINESE-AMERICAN family in their short-lived 1972 cartoon "The Amazing Chan & Chan Clan" which was based on a Charlie Chan movie series from the 1930's and 1940's.. Reruns of the cartoon can be spotted on the "Boomerang!" network.. Although it only lasted 16 weeks, the cartoon still has made it's place in cartoon history..




Watch The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan in Animation  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

.. And let's mark the Year of the Rabbit once and for all with this classic from Grace Slick & The Jefferson Airplane performed on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"..


新年快樂

February 2, 2011 SONG OF THE DAY:

TIME MAGAZINE cover from FEBRUARY 1982 feat.. APPLE founder & CEO STEVE JOBS..

The duo of DARRYL HALL & JOHN OATES were on top of the U.S. charts today in 1982 with "I Can't Go for that (No Can Do)" which appeared on their LP, "Private Eyes".. The song topped both the Pop and R&B Charts, making HALL & OATES one of the only white acts to accomplish that feat.. DARRYL HALL sketched the song during an evening of recording in NYC in 1981.. The song also allegedly inspired MICHAEL JACKSON's "Billie Jean", but this is according to DARRYL HALL, so I don't know how much creedence I would put into that..


The Top 5 Songs This Week in 1982 (Courtesy: Billboard):

1. HALL & OATES - "I Can't Go For that (No Can Do)"
2. FOREIGNER - "Waiting for a Girl Like You" ** 10th Week at #2 without EVER hiting #1***
3. J GEILS BAND - "Centerfold"
4. OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN - "Physical"
5. QUARTERFLASH - "Harden My Heart"

Seems like a pretty SOLID early 80's Top 5..

FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN ON FEB. 2nd: singer and activist SHAKIRA, "Pretender" actor MICHAEL T. WEISS, BILLY JOEL's Ex-Wife & Model, CHRISTIE BRINKLEY, GRAHAM NASH of CSNY and CSN, TOM SMOTHERS of "The Smothers Brothers".. POSTHUMOUSLY: Philosopher, AYN RAND, writer JAMES JOYCE and...

JILL from "CHARLIE'S ANGELS", the late FARRAH FAWCETT...

Happy Groundhog Day

FEBRUARY 1, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the late-RICK JAMES (AKA: JAMES AMBROSE JOHNSON, JR.) whom worked as a singer, songwriter, musician and record producer... Best known for this 1981 hit "Super Freak", which was released on MOTOWN records and features backing vocals by THE TEMPTATIONS..



FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN TODAY: OUTKAST's Big Boi, actor PAULY SHORE, SHERILYN FENN of "Twin Peaks", DON EVERLY of "The Everly Brothers, actress LISA MARIE PRESLEY, actor SHERMAN HEMSLEY of "The Jeffersons", "Dexter" actor MICHAEL C HALL, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.. Posthumously: actor Clark Gable, poet Langston Hughes..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAULY SHORE:


THE LATE ACTOR, BRANDON LEE, WAS BORN TODAY:

Song of the Day: The Carpenters - "Please Mr. Postman"

This week in 1975, the #1 song on the U.S. Singles chart was RICHARD & KAREN CARPENTER's rendition of THE MARVELETTES' Motown classic "Please Mr. Postman".. THE CARPENTERS were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970's and scored 12 Top 10 hits..




The Top 5 songs this week in 1975 (Source: Billboard)
1. The Carpenters - "Please Mr. Postman"
2. Neil Sedaka - "Laughter in the Rain"
3. Barry Manillow - "Mandy"
4. The Ohio Players - "Fire"
5. Stevie Wonder - "Boogie on Reggae Woman"

FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN TODAY: Pop star and actor Justin Timberlake, actress Minnie Driver, baseball star, Nolan Ryan, actress Carol Channing, Congressman Dick Gephardt, actress Kelly Lynch..
Posthumously: writer Norman Mailer, baseball star Jackie Robinson..

...AND THE WINNER IS........

SONG OF THE DAY: Phil Collins - "Sussudio"

SONG OF THE DAY: Happy 60th Birthday to Phillip David Charles Collins, whom we know better as ex-Genesis frontman and solo star, PHIL COLLINS..
During the summer of 1985, PHIL hit #1 on the U.S. charts with "Sussudio", a song that drew criticism for sounding like Prince's "1999".. PHIL came up with "Sussudio" while working on a beat for his drum machine.. The first thing that popped out of his mouth while working on the lyrics was "Sussudio", and the hit was born..




OTHER FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN TODAY: "Batman" actor Christian Bale, "Grace Under Fire" star Brett Butler, Steve Marion of "Humble Pie", Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship, actress Vanessa Redgrave, former U.S. Vice President, Dick Cheney, actor Gene Hackman.. POSTHUMOUSLY: "Laugh-In" Co-Creator, Dick Martin, Former U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt..