AUG 21-27: Historic events this week from Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Huey Lewis, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bruce Springsteen
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AUGUST 22, 1970: DEREK & THE DOMINOES BEGIN RECORDING LAYLA ALBUM
The collaboration between Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock and Duane Allman stands as one of the greatest one-off supergroups of all time.
Duane Allman would contribute lead guitar to 11 of the album’s 14 tracks.
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000, and the reissue won the Grammy for Best Surround Sound Album in 2012.
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AUGUST 23, 1969: “HONKY TONK WOMEN” IS #1
Less than two months after its release, “Honky Tonk Women” went to #1 for four straight weeks.
One of the biggest Stones hits to not appear on a studio album, it was included on the Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) compilation. A country version called “Country Honk” would be released on Let It Bleed.
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AUGUST 24, 1985: “POWER OF LOVE” IS #1
Huey Lewis and the News’ first #1 Billboard Hot 100 single, “The Power of Love”, spent back-to-back weeks at the top.
The Grammy-nominated hit single appears in the 1985 blockbuster film Back to the Future.
The single helped the film’s soundtrack (featuring tracks from Eric Clapton and Lindsey Buckingham) sell over 500,000 copies.
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AUGUST 24, 2021: CHARLIE WATTS DIES
Charlie Watts, legendary drummer for The Rolling Stones, passed away a year ago this week.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family. Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also a member of the Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation.” – The Rolling Stones
He was 80.
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AUGUST 25, 1975: BRUCE RELEASES BORN TO RUN
Springsteen’s breakthrough album peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200.
The title track is far and away Springsteen’s most played song in concert.
With 6 million sold in the US, Born to Run remains his 2nd biggest album behind the massively successful Born In the USA (20M in sales worldwide).
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AUGUST 27, 1990: STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN DIES
SRV boarded a helicopter after an Alpine Valley show of classic songs including “Tightrope”, “Pride and Joy” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”.
Limited visibility, due to fog, resulted in the helicopter crashing shortly after takeoff.
He was 35.
