This Day in History: 2023-11-05

NOVEMBER 5^th

“Woke up this morning got myself a beer.  The future’s uncertain and the end’s always near.” The Doors complete the recording of “Roadhouse Blues.”  The track kicks off the “Morrison Hotel/Hard Rock Café” album which arrives three months later.  The song, with the Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian on harmonica, becomes a concert favorite.  1969

“Madman Across The Water,” the fourth studio set by Elton John, is released.  The album, which contains the tracks “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon” goes gold three months later and eventually platinum (one million copies sold). 1971

Traffic earn a gold record for “When The Eagle Flies.” It is the group’s final gold album in the ’70s. 1974

It’s the band’s fourth consecutive studio album to reach the Billboard Top 10.

The Pretty Reckless’ “Take Me Down” is the group’s fourth single to reach #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart (“Heaven Knows,” “Messed Up World” and “Follow Me Down” all from ‘14’s “Going To Hell” album, are the first three). The group now has the most #1 singles by a female-fronted Rock act.  2016

“Bad Things” tops Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.  The song is from I Prevail’s third album, “True Power.”  2022

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Legendary guitarist/bandleader, Ike Turner (of Ike & Tina fame), is born. 1931

One-time Byrds guitarist, Graham Parsons, enters the world. 1946

Canadian singer Bryan Adams has a birthday. 1959

Guitarist/vocalist David Bryson (Counting Crows) is born. 1961

Tesla bassist Brian Wheat is born.  1963

The Monkees first hit, “Last Train To Clarksville,” is a chart-topper. The song charts before the “The Monkees” TV show premieres. 1966

Multi-instrumentalist Jon ‘Jonny’ Greenwood starts his life. He is the younger brother of fellow Radiohead member Colin Greenwood. 1971

Bruce Springsteen’s sophomore release, “The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle,” drops. It contains “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” which becomes Springsteen’s most-used set-closing song for a decade.  1973

Angela Nathalie Gossow, the former lead vocalist for Arch Enemy, is born in Cologne, Germany.  1974

Alt./Country singer-songwriter, Ryan Adams, is born in Jacksonville, NC. 1974

The Eagles release the laid-back hit, “Best Of My Love.” It becomes the band’s first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  1974

“Heart And Soul,” from Huey Lewis & The News, is #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.  1983

Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” tops the U.K. chart. It’s Joel’s biggest U.K. seller to date. 1983

“Blind” is the title of Corrosion Of Conformity’s third studio album. It’s their first release with rhythm guitarist Pepper Keenan and their only recording with vocalist Karl Agell and bassist Phil Swisher. 1991

Garbage plays their first live show. It’s in Minneapolis, MN, at the 7th Street Entry. 1995

Van Halen announce that singer Gary Cherone is out. 1999

Guitar innovator Link Wray dies at his home in Copenhagen, Denmark. Wray is best remembered for his ’58 instrumental hit “Rumble.” He got the distorted guitar sound by punching holes in his speaker with a pencil. 2005

Jimi Hendrix is inducted into Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame. A commemorative star honoring the late guitarist unveiled. Hendrix began his professional music career in Nashville during the early ’60s following his discharge from the Army. 2007

Ozzy Osbourne is presented with the Legend of Live honor at the Billboard Touring Awards in New York. 2009

U2 play a free concert at the Brandenburg Gate to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the falling of the Berlin Wall. Part of the performance is transmitted to Berlin’s O2 Arena for the MTV Europe Music Awards show where U2 picks up the Best Live Act award. 2009

Blur bassist Alex James is awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree at Bournemouth University’s International Center in his hometown of Bournemouth, U.K. 2010

A John Lennon tooth is auctioned in England for almost $32,000. The tooth was given to Lennon’s former housekeeper, Dot Jarlett, after it had been pulled. Lennon told Jarlett to give it to her daughter as a ‘souvenir’. A Canadian dentist has the highest bid. 2011

KISS begin their first-ever residency (19 nights) in Las Vegas at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. 2014

Ozzy Osbourne returns to San Antonio to apologize for urinating on the Alamo Cenotaph in ’82. “Certainly, as a city, we feel very, very good about his efforts to come to our great city and apologize for the actions of a not-so-sober person,” says District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino. The apology is filmed for Ozzy’s History Channel show.  2015

Worst song ever?  According to the readers of the New York Post it’s Starship’s “We Built This City.”  Times change. The ’85 release went to #1 on the Billboard 200.  2016

At Ozzfest Meets Knotfest (in Devore, CA) Marilyn Manson pulls out a fake rifle and points it at the audience drawing attention to the mass shootings that had taken place across the U.S. Manson calls it “an act of theater” and claims he meant no disrespect. 2017

 Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea presents his memoir, “Acid For The Children.” His publisher says the book “tells his fascinating life story, complete with all the dizzying highs and the gutter lows you’d expect from an L.A. street rat turned world-famous Rock star.” 2019

Finally, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Judas Priest! Reunited with guitarist K.K. Downing and drummer Les Binks, Priest performs a three-song medley of “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight” during the Hall of Fame ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in L.A. Halford also joins fellow inductee, Country legend Dolly Parton, for a rendition of her classic “Jolene.” Halford is a major Parton fan.  2022

During Duran Duran’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, singer Simon Le Bon reads a letter written by Andy Taylor, the band’s original guitarist who is absent from the festivities, that reveals the guitarist is battling Stage 4 prostate cancer.  2022