Doctor Don

01/02/2025

Music notes for Jan. 2:

2019 - Daryl Dragon from The Captain & Tennille passed away. Dragon's familiar image and stage name came from his time as a keyboard player with The Beach Boys from 1967 to 1972. Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love gave him the nickname "Captain Keyboard", and it stuck; Dragon began wearing a nautical captain's hat to go along with the name.

1975 - Suzi Quatro lands the cover of Rolling Stone magazine with the headline, "Suzi Quatro flexes her leather." With a string of UK hits under her cowhide, she's ready to conquer her home country (born and raised in Michigan), but fails to break through. The magazine does get the attention of Happy Days producers, who cast her on the show as Leather Tuscadero.

1971 - The George Harrison album 'All Things Must Pass' started a seven week run at No.1 on the album chart, making Harrison the first solo Beatle to score a No.1 album. The triple album included the hit singles 'My Sweet Lord' and 'What Is Life', as well as songs such as 'Isn't It a Pity' and the title track that were turned down by The Beatles.

1969 - The Beatles begin work on what becomes their Let It Be album and accompanying film. The project is filled with tension as the band quarrels over the songs and the direction of the band. George walked on January 10th. Both the film and the album are eventually released after the band breaks up.

01/01/2025

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1972:

1 ME AND MRS. JONES –•– Billy Paul
2 CLAIR –•– Gilbert O’Sullivan
3 YOU OUGHT TO BE WITH ME –•– Al Green
4 YOU’RE SO VAIN –•– Carly Simon
5 IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA –•– Albert Hammond

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: at # 73 - Peaceful Easy Feeling/Eagles

IT WOULD PEAK AT #22

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01/01/2025

Music notes for Jan. 1 -

1982 - ABBA made their final live appearance as a group when they played in Stockholm, Sweden.

1972 - Three Dog Night become the first rock band to ride on a float in the Rose Bowl parade. Three of their hits (including "Joy To The World") play on a loop as they traverse the route.

1972 - Carole King's album Music, featuring the hit “Sweet Seasons” hits #1. The album was the follow up to “Tapestry”.

1966 - Simon And Garfunkel started a two week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'The Sounds Of Silence'.

1964 - The first edition of the BBC TV show Top Of The Pops was transmitted from an old church hall in Manchester, England. Acts miming their latest releases included The Rolling Stones, (I Wanna Be Your Man), The Dave Clark Five, (Glad All Over), The Hollies, (Stay), and The Swinging Blue Jeans, (Hippy Hippy Shake). The first song played was Dusty Springfield's 'I Only Want To Be With You'. Also featured on film, The Beatles (I Want to Hold Your Hand).

1962 - The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records in London. They performed 15 songs. A&R boss at Decca Dick Rowe turned them down in what is considered one of the biggest mistakes in music industry history, Decca decided to reject the band, selecting instead The Tremeloes.

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12/31/2024

Music notes our Dec. 31:

The late great Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco born this date.
Summer amassed a total of 32 chart singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in her lifetime, including 14 top-ten singles and four No.1 singles.

The late John Denver born this date. Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs, about 200 of which he wrote himself. He had 33 albums and singles that were certified Gold and Platinum iwith estimated sales of more than 33 million copies.

Happy birthday Burton Cummings whose distinctive voice served as the lead singer for The Guess Who.

2022 - Anita Pointer died at her home in Beverly Hills, California, aged 74. She is best known as a founding member of the Pointer Sisters and co-wrote and was the lead singer on their hit song ‘Fairytale’, which garnered them their first Grammy Award in 1975.

2015 - singer Natalie Cole died aged 65 due to congestive heart failure. The daughter of Nat 'King' Cole, her hits included 'This Will Be', 'Inseparable', and 'Our Love'. In the 1990s, she re-recorded standards by her father, resulting in her biggest success, Unforgettable... with Love, which sold over seven million copies and also won Cole numerous Grammy Awards.

1996 - Paul McCartney became a Sir after he was listed in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. When receiving the award McCartney dedicated his knighthood to fellow Beatles George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon and the people of Liverpool.

1985 - Ricky Nelson was killed along with six others, when his charted light aircraft crashed in Texas. In his career he had over 30 Top 40 hit singles, including “Garden Party” in 1972.

1974 - Having lost guitarist Bob Welch, Fleetwood Mac make an offer to Lindsey Buckingham, but he comes as a package deal with his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks

1973 - Journey, formed by ex-Santana members Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon, make their live debut at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Rolie handles the lead vocals; Steve Perry doesn't join the group until 1977.

1972 - Dick Clark begins a new holiday tradition as his first New Year's Rockin' Eve concert is broadcast on NBC; guests include Three Dog Night and Al Green.

1970 - Paul McCartney filed a suit against the rest of The Beatles to dissolve their partnership. According to the court documents, McCartney's main reason for wanting to legally break up the group stemmed from the decision taken by the others to to appoint Rolling Stones manager Allan Klein as their manager. McCartney didn't trust Klein and had wanted his new in-laws, Lee and John Eastman, to look after their affairs.

1966 - The Monkees started a 7-week run at No.1 on the singles charts with the Neil Diamond written 'I'm A Believer'.

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12/30/2024

Music notes for Dec. 30:

Happy birthday Jeff Lynne, co-founder of the Electric Light Orchestra.

The late Davy Jones of The Monkees born this date. His television acting debut was on the British television soap opera Coronation Street. In addition to his career as an entertainer, Jones' other great love was horses. Having trained as a jockey in his teens in the UK, he had at first intended to pursue a career as a professional race jockey.

Mike Nesmith of The Monkees also born this date. He wrote 'Different Drum' (sung by Linda Ronstadt with the Stone Poneys), and was the executive producer of the cult film Repo Man (1984).

1967 - The Beatles' "Hello Goodbye" becomes their 15th #1 single.

1963 - The Beatles win Group and Record Of The Year ("She Loves You") in British music newspaper New Musical Express' annual year-end poll.

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12/29/2024

Music notes for Dec. 29:

Happy birthday Yvonne Elliman who had the 1978 No.4 single 'If I Can't Have You'. In 1977, the Bee Gees were working on Saturday Night Fever and wrote 'How Deep Is Your Love' for her, but the band's manager Robert Stigwood wanted the Bee Gees to perform it. Instead, she recorded 'If I Can't Have You”.

1985 - Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley have a daughter, Alexa Ray, her name a tribute to Ray Charles. She becomes a singer like her dad.

1980 - singer and songwriter Tim Hardin died. Hardin wrote the songs 'If I Were A Carpenter' (covered by Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash and June Carter, The Four Tops, Leon Russell, Small Faces, Robert Plant and Bob Seger,) and 'Reason To Believe', (covered by Rod Stewart). Hardin appeared at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

1973 - Jim Croce scored his second No.1 single of the year when 'Time In A Bottle' went to the top of the charts. Croce was killed in a plane crash on the way to a concert on September 20th 1973.

1966 - Working at Abbey Road studios, London, Paul McCartney began work on his new song ‘Penny Lane’. The song's title is derived from the name of a street near John Lennon's house, in the band's hometown, Liverpool. McCartney and Lennon would meet at Penny Lane junction in the Mossley Hill area to catch a bus into the centre of the city.

1966 - Gary whose band Gary Lewis and the Playboys charted seven Top 10 hits the previous two years, enters the Army. He serves in Korea and Saigon but never sees action.

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12/28/2024

Music notes for Dec. 28:

The late Alex Chilton born this date. He was the lead singer for those great hits by The Box Tops. Alex was only 17 when he sang “The Letter”, the band’s biggest hit.

Happy birthday Edgar Winter. He scored two big hits in the early 70’s with the instrumental “Frankenstein” and then “Free Ride” with Dan Hartman handling the vocals. Winter invented the keyboard body strap early in his career, an innovation that allows him the freedom to move around on stage during his multi-instrument high-energy performances.

1983 - Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys dies after diving into very cold water from a boat slip in Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles.

1978 - Rolling Stone magazine voted Some Girls by The Rolling Stones 'Album of the Year.' The cover designed by Peter Corriston, featured The Rolling Stones in garish drag alongside select female celebrities and lingerie ads. The cover immediately ran into trouble when Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli (representing her mother Judy Garland), Raquel Welch, and the estate of Marilyn Monroe all threatened legal action.

1974 - Helen Reddy went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Angie Baby', the singers third No.1. The song was turned down by Cher.

1968 - The Beatles went to No.1 on the Ualbum chart with The White Album the group's 12th No.1 album. A double album, its plain white sleeve has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed, which was intended as a direct contrast to the vivid cover artwork of the band's earlier Sgt. Pepper's.

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12/27/2024

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1964:

1 I FEEL FINE –•– The Beatles
2 COME SEE ABOUT ME –•– The Supreme
3 MR. LONELY –•– Bobby Vinton
4 SHE’S A WOMAN –•– The Beatles
5 SHE’S NOT THERE –•– The Zombies

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: at #69 — ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT –•– The Kinks

IT WOULD PEAK AT #7

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12/27/2024

Music notes for Dec. 27:

1980 - John and Yoko's Double Fantasy album started an eight-week run at No.1 on the chart. 'Just Like Starting Over' started a five-week stay at No.1 on the singles chart.

1975 - The Staple Singers went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Let's Do It Again' the group's second No.1. The song was written by Curtis Mayfield for the film of the same name starring Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier.

1975 - The Faces announce their split. Rod Stewart devotes himself to his solo career and Ron Wood officially joins The Rolling Stones.

1969 - Diana Ross & The Supremes' "Someday, We'll Be Together" hits #1 , the last of their 12 chart-toppers on that tally. It's the last release by the group with Diana Ross, who is the only member to perform on the track.

1969 - Led Zeppelin II was at No.1 on the album charts, the band's first album to reach No.1 on charts it went on to sell over six million copies in the alone. It featured the hit “Whole Lotta Love”.

1964 - The Supremes appeared on the Ed Sullivan TV Show for the first time, singing 'Come See About Me.' They would go on to appear on the show 20 more times (14 with Diana Ross), more than any other musical act.

1960 - The Beatles appeared at Litherland Town Hall Ballroom in Liverpool. Added to the bill at the last minute, The Beatles were not advertised to appear, so banners had been pasted onto advertising posters, saying "Direct From Hamburg, The Beatles!" Since The Beatles were playing in an area they'd only played in once before, most of the audience assumes they were a German group.

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12/26/2024

Music notes for Dec. 26:

1999 - singer, songwriter,producer arranger Curtis Mayfield died aged 57. He was a member of The Impressions and solo hits with “Superfly” and “Freddie’s Dead” in 1972.

1970 - George Harrison started a four week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'My Sweet Lord', making him the first Beatle to score a No.1 hit. The song was originally intended for Billy Preston.

1968 - Led Zeppelin started their first North American tour opening Vanilla Fudge and Spirit at Denver Auditorium, Colorado, tickets for this Sunday night gig cost $5. That‘s $43 today,

1963 - Capitol Records, the EMI-affiliated company which rejected the US rights to every Beatles record that they were offered until then, finally released I Want to Hold Your Hand backed with 'I Saw Her Standing There'. Within five weeks, the record would rise to number one where it would stay for seven weeks. The song was recorded the previous October and the hit version was take number 17.

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12/25/2024

Music notes for Dec. 25th:

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE BEST LISTENERS IN THE TWIN CITIES.

Happy birthday Annie Lennox from Eurythmics

The late Jimmy Buffett born this date.

1981 - Michael Jackson phoned Paul McCartney and suggested they write and record together, the first result being ‘The Girl Is Mine’. The song was a No.2 the duo.

1976 - Boston’s debut single, "More Than A Feeling," reaches its chart peak at #5. When it was released, group leader Tom Scholz still had his day job working for Polaroid.

1973 - The Sting, a crime caper starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as con men in 1930s Chicago, debuts in theaters. With Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" as its theme, the film's soundtrack goes to #1 and revives the ragtime genre.

1968 - Led Zeppelin arrived in the United States for the very first time in preparation of their debut North American tour. The group were paid an average of $1,500 for each show. That’s $13,500 today.

1960 -Twelve-year-old James Taylor gets his first guitar as a Christmas present.

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12/24/2024

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1985:

1 SAY YOU, SAY ME –•– Lionel Richie
2 BROKEN WINGS –•– Mr. Mister
3 PARTY ALL THE TIME –•– Eddie Murphy
4 ALIVE AND KICKING –•– Simple Minds
5 SEPARATE LIVES –•– Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 61 — KYRIE –•– Mr. Mister
IT WOULD PEAK AT #1

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12/24/2024

Music notes for Dec. 24:

1987 - Rogers Waters cuts a deal with his former Pink Floyd bandmates, ending a long legal standoff over whether or not the band can continue without him. David Gilmour and Nick Mason are allowed to use the name Pink Floyd, but Waters gets the copyright on The Wall concept

1977 - The Bee Gees started a three week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'How Deep Is Your Love', the group's 4th No.1. It stayed in the top 10 for 17 weeks giving it the longest chart run in history.

1976 - The Eagles sixth album, Hotel California spent the first of eight non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard chart. The band's first LP with Joe Walsh and last with bassist Randy Meisner which has now sold over 34 million copies worldwide. Some of the album was recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami. While the band were recording Black Sabbath were recording Technical Ecstasy in an adjacent studio and The Eagles were forced to stop recording on numerous occasions because Black Sabbath were too loud and the sound was coming through the wall.

1965 - The Beatles had the No.1 album in the for the third Christmas in a row. Rubber Soul was at the top of the LP chart, following Beatles For Sale in 1964 and With The Beatles in 1963. The Fab Four would repeat this feat again in 1968 with The Beatles (The White Album) and again in 1969, with Abbey Road.

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12/23/2024

Music notes for Dec. 23:

2002 - Sir Paul McCartney was granted his own coat of arms by the College of Arms, the English heraldic body formed in 1484. The crest featured a bird that appeared to be holding a guitar in its claw. The motto is "Ecce Cor Meum", Latin for 'Behold My Heart', which is the title of an oratorio he composed.

1989 - Phil Collins started a four week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Another Day In Paradise', his 7th solo No.1. Taken from his No.1 album ...But Seriously 'Another Day in Paradise' was written to bring attention to the problem of homelessness.

1969 - Elton John meets for the first time with what would become his classic team - songwriter Bernie Taupin, arranger Paul Buckmaster, and producer Gus Dudgeon - to begin work on his first solo album.

1966 - Eighteen-year-old Olivia Newton-John makes her film debut in the Australian musical comedy Funny Things Happen Down Under, about a group of kids who stumble upon a formula to make rainbow-colored sheep's wool.

1964 - After appearing on the TV show Shindig! where they perform their Christmas hit "Little Saint Nick," The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson has a nervous breakdown on a flight to Houston, where they begin a two-week tour. Wilson decides to stop performing, and Glen Campbell replaces him on the tour.

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12/22/2024

Music for Dec. 22:

The late Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees born this date. He passed away in 2012.

2020- guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Leslie West died age 75. He was a founding member and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Mountain that formed on Long Island, New York in 1969 and are best known for their cowbell-tinged song "Mississippi Queen".

2014 - Joe Cocker died in Crawford, Colorado aged 70. The Sheffield, England born singer was known for his gritty voice, spasmodic body movement in performance and definitive versions of popular songs of varying genre. Cocker had a career lasting more than 40 years, with hits including his cover of The Beatles' With a Little Help from My Friends, 'You Are So Beautiful' and 'Up Where We Belong”.

1979 - Rupert Holmes started a two week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Escape, (The Pina Colada Song) becoming the last chart-topper of the '70s and the first of the '80s.

1967 - The Graduate, starring Anne Bancroft and newcomer Dustin Hoffman, premieres in US theaters. It spawns a hit soundtrack featuring songs from Simon & Garfunkel, including "Mrs. Robinson."

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12/21/2024

Music notes for Dec. 21:

The late Carl Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys born this date. He sang lead on many”Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t it Be Nice”. He was also the lead guitarist.

1985 - Bruce Springsteen's album, Born in the USA passed Michael Jackson's Thriller to become the second longest-lasting LP in the Billboard Top 10. It stayed there for 79 weeks. Only The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews lasted longer at 109 weeks.

1979 - Willie Nelson makes his acting debut in the film The Electric Horseman, starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

1970 - A stretch limousine carrying Elvis Presley pulled up outside the White House in Washington, D.C. The driver handed over a letter from Elvis addressed to President Nixon requesting a meeting to discuss how the King of Rock and Roll could help Nixon fight drugs. The President agreed to give Presley a Narcotics Bureau badge - but only after learning that the chief of the narcotics bureau had turned down the same request earlier that day and told Presley the only person who could overrule his decision was the President.

1969 - The Supremes made their last TV appearance together with Diana Ross on 'The Ed Sullivan show', singing their last No.1 'Someday We'll Be Together'.

1968 - Glen Campbell topped the album chart with 'Wichita Lineman'. Although the LP would stay on the chart for 46 weeks, it would be Campbell's only No.1 album.

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12/20/2024

WDGY’s Doctor Don presents the Top 5 songs this week in 1975:

1 THAT’S THE WAY (I Like It) –•– K.C. and the Sunshine Band
2 LET’S DO IT AGAIN –•– The Staple Singers
3 FLY, ROBIN, FLY –•– Silver Convention
4 SATURDAY NIGHT –•– The Bay City Rollers
5 LOVE ROLLERCOASTER –•– The Ohio Players

HIGH DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 74 — 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER –•– Paul Simon

IT WOULD PEAK AT #1

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12/20/2024

Music notes for Dec. 20:

Happy birthday Anita Ward, a rare one-hit wonder whose only hit, “Ring My Bell” went to #1.

Happy birthday Alan Parsons. He doesn’t sing, he’s a studio engineer who put together The Alan Parsons Project using different lead singers. Hits include “Games People Play”, “Time” and “I Wouldn’t Want to be Like You”.

1986 - Thanks to its use in the movie of the same name, Ben E. King's "Stand By Me," originally released in 1961, reaches #9.

1986 - The Bangles started a four-week run at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Walk Like An Egyptian'.

1974 - Former James Gang guitarist Joe Walsh officially replaced Bernie Leadon in the Eagles after producer Bill Szymczyk had recommended Walsh to The Eagles. Joe makes hit first appearance on the Hotel California album.

1969 - Peter Paul and Mary went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Leavin' On A Jet Plane'. John Denver wrote the song in 1966 with the original title of 'Oh Babe I Hate to Go.

1962 - The Osmonds, minus 5 year old Donny, appeared for the first time on the NBC TV Andy Williams show. The brothers performed 'I'm A Ding D**g Daddy From Dumas'.

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