THE WEEK IN ROCK n' ROLL

I am going to try out this new spot in the Bathroom Blog - The Week In Rock N' Roll. Basically a bunch of milestones from rock history. Enjoy


1931
February 14
Ted Lewis' version of "Just A Gigolo" is the most popular tune in America. David Lee Roth would score a number 12 hit with the same song in 1985. Diamond Dave is obviously best loved for his work in Van Halen with Eddie Van Halen


1956
February 10
Little Richard records "Long Tall Sally", which will go on be his highest charting record in the US, climbing to number 6 by next April. No T-shirt plug here, but lets face it, none of the music here would exist if it wasn't for Little Richard.


1959
February 13
The Skyliners appear on American Bandstand, performing their hit "Since I Don't Have You". All you rockers may recognise the song from Guns N’ Roses’ covers album – The Spaghetti Incident


1961
February 13
Frank Sinatra launched his own record label. Although he vowed that he would never sign any rock artists, Reprise Records later became the home of, amongst others, Jimi Hendrix.


1966
February 12
The Rolling Stones tape a performance for The Ed Sullivan Show, which will be shown the following night. As always, Keith Richards is the star, although you can’t knock the great Brian Jones


1967
February 12
London police bust Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful on drug charges. The is just one of the incidents that inspired the Dr Keith’s Rock N’ Roll Pharmacy T-shirt


1968
February 12
Jimi Hendrix was presented with a key to the city of Seattle. He also played a free show for students at Garfield High School, where he is given an honorary diploma. Hendrix was thrown out of the school at the age of 16, apparently for holding the hand of a white girl in class.


1969
February 13
The Doors' "Touch Me" and Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People" are awarded gold records. – Hang tight as we have both Morrisson and Sly Stone T-shirts due VERY soon.


1970
February 14
Billboard Magazine reports that the Recording Industry Association of America is "Mounting Total War Against Tape Pirating of Pre-recorded Music." This is obviously the start of the bullshit phoney war that would ultimately lead to Metallica’s Lars Ulrich turning on his fans. God rest his soul, Cliff Burton would be spinning in his grave. Better pick up a Cliff tribute T-shirt


1972
February 13
Led Zeppelin is forced to cancel a concert in Singapore when officials won't let them off the plane because of their long hair. How cool is that. The Singapore officials probably heard about the Mudshark Incident – immortalised in our Led Zep Fishing Academy T-shirt


1974
February 12
Stevie Wonder jammed with Johnny Winter and Dr. John at the opening of the Bottom Line club in New York. Stevie Wonder T-shirt


1979
February 10
Rod Stewart enjoyed his third Billboard number one hit with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". The record also went to the top in ten other countries. However we can try to forget this and concentrate on his days with the Faces. A Rod T-shirt is also on its way soon.


1982
February 13
A 300 pound stone that marks the grave of Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant was stolen from an Orange Park, Florida cemetery. Police found it two weeks later in a dry river bed. Ronnie Van Zant tribute T-shirt


1983
February 13
Marvin Gaye performs a unique, sensual version of the American National Anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Check out the T-shirt


1986
February 14
Frank Zappa appears on the TV show Miami Vice, playing a crime boss named Mr. Frankie. Respect to Mr Zappa – buy the T-shirt


1992
February 14
Wayne's World, the motion picture starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, opens in movie theaters across the US. The soundtrack includes cuts from Queen, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Yes, of course we do T-shirts for Queen (and a Brian May), Clapton (and Cream) and Hendrix


1997
February 10
Brian Connolly, vocalist for Sweet, died of kidney failure on February 10th at the age of 52. Another real star that also has a T-shirt coming


2003
February 11
The British Phonographic Industry reported that the year 2002 saw the largest sales decline in decades, with the most severe slump in a single year since the birth of the CD market in the early 1980s. Piracy, illegal duplication and distribution of CD's by international criminals were blamed for the decrease. Although we believe that this has more to do with the industry putting out so much rubbish. We can start to redress the balance by killing James Blunt – yep, you can get a T-shirt for that here too.


2005
February 10
Roger Daltrey of The Who was awarded the CBE by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for services to the music industry. Yep, of course we do a Roger Daltry T-shirt. But the Keith Moon T-shirt is even cooler as it is one of our Rock Star Academy shirt "Keith Moon School of Driving"


February 13
At the 47th Grammy awards, Led Zeppelin received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Guitarist Jimmy Page was on hand along with bassist John Paul Jones and the children of late drummer John Bonham. Robert Plant wasn't there for some reason. Another T-shirt subject who took home a statue is Bruce Springsteen for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "Code Of Silence" from his album "The Essential Bruce Springsteen".


2007
February 11
Artists who won awards at the 49th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles included Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder.