Teddy Pendergrass RIP

Early this morning the music world lost a great voice in Teddy Pendergrass. Although paralyzed from a car accident in 1982 he was able to perform again.
Read the full LA Times obituary here
Here is the song that made him famous in 1972, "If You Don't Know Me By Now". Teddy was the lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes and made this song legendary and took it to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the fall of 1972.

Trailer Park

Today its a double feature of upcoming movies for 2010.
First up is the movie on the girl rockers "The Runaways". It chronicles the rise, and fall, of the group that gave the world Joan Jett and Lita Ford and became a somewhat legendary group in the underground rock scene of the late 70s.



Next up is the new movie for Jim Carrey, "I Love You Phillip Morris". This based on the real life events in the life of con artist Steven Jay Russell.
This has a little bit of everything with comedy,drama,a gay sex scene with Jim Carrey and lots of men kissing men. Be prepared.

Jan Gabriel RIP

You probably dont know the name but you know what he made famous: "SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!"
Jan Gabriel died on Sunday ironically, but left us his legacy advertising drag racing outside of Chicago.

here is a video profile of Mr Gabriel done by WTTW's Bob Sirott.
sadly the video advertises the fact that Mr. Gabriel was very sick and needed a kidney transplant.

Oliver Stone...Crazy? or Crazy like a fox?

Article about Stone's upcoming new series on Showtime.

Read it here

Top of the Pops!

Today our Top of the Pops! goes waaaay back to commerate the 75th birthday of the King of Rock N Roll, Elvis Presley.
Here is the top 5 for the week ending April 21st 1956.
This was an odd top 5 because 2 of the hits were instrumentals and very little if any video exist of the original artist performing or in this case conducting their orchestras.
This was the week that rock n roll made it clear that is was not going away but getting bigger.
Lets get it started!

#5- Lisbon Antigua - Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra
A former #1 hit that spent 4 weeks at the top in February/March.


#4- Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins
This was written by Carl Perkins and it topped out at #2 and beat Elvis' version to the charts.


#3- Poor People of Paris - Les Baxter
Another former #1 that was knocked off by Elvis Presley and his first #1. This spent 4 weeks at the top in March and April. This song had followed Nelson Riddle's "Lisbon Antigua" into the top spot and was the only time in the rock era that 2 instrumentals would be back to back #1 songs.


#2- Hot Diggity - Perry Como
One of the few times a Perry Como song didnt reach the top of the charts, but he had the misfortune of hitting #2 behind that new sensation Elvis Presley. Even Mr. Smooth couldnt budge the future King of Rock N Roll from the top.


#1- Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
Here is the first #1 single for Elvis Presley and was the first of his 17 to top the Billboard Hot 100. This was released on January 27th and when it reached the top on April 21st it would stay there for 8 consecutive weeks. This was Elvis' first recording for RCA Victor and it would be the biggest
selling single of 1956.

Ripley's Believe It or Not

Song of the Week

Today to honor the passing of Redbone lead singer Tony Bellamy we have their #5 hit from 1974 "Come and Get Your Love".
Tony Bellamy died on Christmas morning 2009 at the age of 69.