Unusual Rock Trivia?

[Richland123]

On this date in Rock & Roll History - December 4th.

"Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Records Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session was published in the Memphis Press-Scimitar under the title "Million Dollar Quartet". The recording was first released in Europe in 1981 as The Million Dollar Quartet with 17 tracks. A few years later more tracks were discovered and released as The Complete Million Dollar Session. In 1990, the recordings were released in the United States as Elvis Presley - The Million Dollar Quartet. This session is considered a seminal moment in rock and roll.

The Million Dollar Quartet in 1956 - Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.

 

[Aberdumbie]

"Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Records Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session was published in the Memphis Press-Scimitar under the title "Million Dollar Quartet". The recording was first released in Europe in 1981 as The Million Dollar Quartet with 17 tracks. A few years later more tracks were discovered and released as The Complete Million Dollar Session. In 1990, the recordings were released in the United States as Elvis Presley - The Million Dollar Quartet. This session is considered a seminal moment in rock and roll.

The Million Dollar Quartet in 1956 - Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.

View attachment 2832796

Now that is totally cool. Wonder if those four young men had any inkling of the impact they would leave on music?

 

[FilterFunk]

"Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Records Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session was published in the Memphis Press-Scimitar under the title "Million Dollar Quartet". The recording was first released in Europe in 1981 as The Million Dollar Quartet with 17 tracks. A few years later more tracks were discovered and released as The Complete Million Dollar Session. In 1990, the recordings were released in the United States as Elvis Presley - The Million Dollar Quartet. This session is considered a seminal moment in rock and roll.

The Million Dollar Quartet in 1956 - Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.

View attachment 2832796

That's a whole lotta talent in a very small space!

 

[Richland123]

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter who has played guitar with Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers and many other acts has worked as a defense consultant and chairs a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense and as well as for defense-oriented manufacturers including Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Northrup Grumman Corp., General Dynamics, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. and others. He has also served on the NASA Exploration Systems Advisory Committee (ESAC). Baxter is listed as "Senior Thinker and Raconteur" at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and he is a Senior Fellow and Member of the Board of Regents at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

 

[tangentmusic]

Guitarist Steve Howe appears on the cover of the 2nd Yes album Time And A Word, yet did not play on the LP.

 

[Richland123]

The original version of "I Love Rock And Roll" was by the British/American band The Arrows in 1975. Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock 'n Roll" on their weekly UK television series Arrows when she was touring England with The Runaways in 1976. She first recorded the song in 1979 with two of The Sex Pistols: Steve Jones and Paul Cook. This first version was released on vinyl in 1979 on Vertigo records as a B-side to "You Don't Own Me". In 1981, Jett re-recorded the song, this time with her band, The Blackhearts. This recording became a U.S. #1 hit for seven weeks.

 

[Richland123]

Charles Patrick, lead singer of The Monotones, was a cousin of Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and Cissy Houston (who was their choir director and Whitney Houston's mother).

 

[Richland123]

Tris Imboden, who has been Chicago's drummer since 1990, has a long playing resume with many famous acts. At one time, he was a member of Kenny Loggin's band and played on the 1979 Keep The Fire album. There was a track on that album called "Who's Right, Who's Wrong" that also featured Michael Jackson on vocals, Richard Page (prior to Mr. Mister who also co-wrote the song with Kenny) on vocals and Michael Brecker on saxophone.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Tris Imboden, who has been Chicago's drummer since 1990, has a long playing resume with many famous acts.

Tris plays on one of Jeff Berlin's earliest solo albums, I think Pump It (though I couldn't tell you which tunes w/o looking at the liner notes). he also plays on a couple of cuts from Steve Vai's Passion & Warfare.
While I knew about his work w/ Kenny Loggins, I had no idea he'd been with Chicago for so long!

 

[Richland123]

Before forming The Cars with Ric Ocasek (born Richard Theodore Otcasek), Benjamin Orr (born Benjamin Orzechowski) was a member of the northeast Ohio band called The Grasshoppers as a teenager. In 1965, The Grasshoppers released two singles on the Sunburst label, "Mod Socks" and "Pink Champagne (and Red Roses)" and they were also the house band on the Big 5 Show, a musical variety TV show produced by WEWS-TV in Cleveland, OH.

Orr first met Ric Ocasek in Cleveland in the 1960s after Ocasek saw Orr performing with the Grasshoppers on the Big 5 Show. A few years later, Orr moved to Columbus, OH where he and Ocasek formed a musical partnership that would continue in various incarnations. After moving to Boston, MA, the two formed a folk band called Milkwood with guitarist James Goodkind. In 1973, the group released one album, How's the Weather?, which failed to chart.

Remaining in Boston, Ocasek and Orr then formed another band, Richard and the Rabbits, featuring keyboardist Greg Hawkes, followed by another band, Cap'n Swing, which included guitarist Elliot Easton. After the group broke up in 1976, the three of them along with Hawkes and drummer David Robinson formed The Cars.

 

[Aberdumbie]

Before forming The Cars with Ric Ocasek (born Richard Theodore Otcasek), Benjamin Orr (born Benjamin Orzechowski) was a member of the northeast Ohio band called The Grasshoppers as a teenager. In 1965, The Grasshoppers released two singles on the Sunburst label, "Mod Socks" and "Pink Champagne (and Red Roses)" and they were also the house band on the Big 5 Show, a musical variety TV show produced by WEWS-TV in Cleveland, OH.

Orr first met Ric Ocasek in Cleveland in the 1960s after Ocasek saw Orr performing with the Grasshoppers on the Big 5 Show. A few years later, Orr moved to Columbus, OH where he and Ocasek formed a musical partnership that would continue in various incarnations. After moving to Boston, MA, the two formed a folk band called Milkwood with guitarist James Goodkind. In 1973, the group released one album, How's the Weather?, which failed to chart.

Remaining in Boston, Ocasek and Orr then formed another band, Richard and the Rabbits, featuring keyboardist Greg Hawkes, followed by another band, Cap'n Swing, which included guitarist Elliot Easton. After the group broke up in 1976, the three of them along with Hawkes and drummer David Robinson formed The Cars.

You are a veritable encyclopedia of cool info. Wish I could sit and have a beer with you.

 

[MonetBass]

I was just reading about Ben Orr and the Grasshoppers on Rolling Stone yesterday. Thanks for posting this. That early take on "Bye Bye Love" thankfully became the version that appeared on The Cars' first album.

 

[nixdad]

Late Actor/Comedian Phil Hartman of Saturday Night Live fame (he was also fantastic in "Jingle All the Way" with Arnold Schwarzenegger) was also an artist.

He's responsible for at least 2 classic album covers:
Legend, by Poco:

America's Greatest Hits:

His real last name is "Hartmann," but at some point he dropped the second "n."

 

[Aberdumbie]

Late Actor/Comedian Phil Hartman of Saturday Night Live fame (he was also fantastic in "Jingle All the Way" with Arnold Schwarzenegger) was also an artist.
View attachment 2846012

He's responsible for at least 2 classic album covers:
Legend, by Poco:
View attachment 2846013

America's Greatest Hits:
View attachment 2846014

His real last name is "Hartmann," but at some point he dropped the second "n."

Always loved the simplicity of the America cover art.... I never had a clue.

 

[Richland123]

Skid Row founding guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo grew up down the street in Sayerville, NJ from John Bon Jovi (Bongiovi) and was the original guitarist for the band Bon Jovi in 1983. He played several local shows with them before Richie Sambora replaced him. He formed Skid Row in 1986 with bassist Rachel Bolan (born James Richard Southworth) in 1986.

 

[Richland123]

For some more cool music stuff, check out this original song versions thread that Bob Young started.

Obscure original versions which were as good if not better than hit cover versions

 

[Richland123]

Before Geddy Lee joined Rush, bassist/vocalist Jeff Jones, performed with Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey in the first incarnation of Rush in the summer of 1968. Geddy joined in September 1968. Jeff Jones went on to be a member of Ocean who had several hits including a cover of "Put Your Hand In The Hand". He then became a member of Red Rider and has played with many other acts such as Bachman-Cummings, The Carpet Frogs, and more.

 

[Richland123]

Australian musician "Sia" Kate Isobelle Furler is a cousin of founding member/singer/drummer/guitarist Peter Furler of the multi-million selling Christian rock band Newsboys.

 

[Richland123]

Before becoming a big solo artist, Cyndi Lauper was in a band called Blue Angel that released one album in 1980 that "went lead" as she puts it. In 1978, Lauper met saxophonist/keyboardist John Turi and they formed a band named Blue Angel and recorded a demo tape of original music. Steve Massarsky, manager of The Allman Brothers band at the time heard the tape and liked Lauper's voice. He bought Blue Angel's contract for $5,000 and became their manager. Lauper has been married to actor David Thornton since 1991.

 

[Richland123]

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr's. father, Cuba Gooding, Sr. was the lead singer of the vocal group The Main Ingredient starting in 1971 and performed on numerous pop and R&B hit songs. The Main Ingredient took their name came from a Coca-Cola bottle.