This Month In Rock and Roll History

March 19, 1955: The film "The Blackboard Jungle" opens. The film, a relatively tame treatment about juvenile delinquency (at least by today's standards) included Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" which played over the credits. In theatres where the kids weren't actually dancing on the seats and in the isles, they were literally tearing up the seats and acting "horribly" (at least according to accounts of the time). In the U.K. the film was pulled from several theatres due to the wild behavior of some of the local 'Teddy Boys". It was the first time a link was attempted between rock and roll and insurrection. When the single was later released in June 1955, it went straight to #1, a first for a rock and roll record.

March 22, 1956: Carl Perkins was badly injured in an automobile accident while enroute from Memphis to New York for a television spot. Perkins was the heir apparent, at least according to Sam Phillips who had sold Elvis's contract to RCA for $35,000, to the Sun Records crown. While recuperating in a hospital, he watched Elvis perform his song "Blue Suede Shoes" on television. By the time Perkins had recovered, his moment seemed to have passed. Many Perkins fans are still convinced that if not for the accident, Perkins would have been a bigger star than Elvis, who they termed the "Memphis Flash".

March 17, 1962: The Ealing Club opens in West London, U.K. A month after the club opened owner Alexis Korner introduced Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. Many of the U.K.'s foremost R&B and rock performers spent time working at The Ealing Club; everyone from Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce to Eric Burdon from the Animals to Rod Stewart. The Rolling Stones also played the club often as well with their final performance in March 1963. The club still exists today as The Red Room.

March 4, 1966: John Lennon claims The Beatles are "more popular than Jesus". During a casual conversation with friend and reporter for London's Evening Standard, regarding the book The Passover Plot, Lennon said "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. We're more popular than Jesus now. I don't know which will go first – rock and roll or Christianity". The comment was more or less tolerated in Great Britain as it showed up in proper context within the framework of an article. However, taken out of context in the United States, the comment had been whittled down to 'Lennon says The Beatles More Popular Than Jesus," which sparked an angry anti-Beatle sentiment resulting in thousands of Beatles albums burned and almost forced the cancellation of their U.S. Tour slated to being later in the year.

March 12, 1967: "The Velvet Underground and Nico" album is released. Although initially ignored, this album has come to be considered one of the most influential rock and roll records ever recorded. The raw and gutter infused lyrics and grinding groove took rock from it's similes and metaphor lyricism and gave it the street credibility that continued to roll on through the seventies and beyond. It also tried to establish Lou Reed as the down and dirty street version of Bob Dylan. Whether it was successful or not is a matter for debate.

March 24, 1973: Pink Floyd releases "Dark Side Of The Moon". With already five albums to their credit and a growing popularity in both Great Britain and the U.S.. "Dark Side Of The Moon" vaulted Pink Floyd into the stratosphere in popularity. The album charted for 367 weeks in the U.K. and went to #1 in the U.S. upon release and remained on the charts for a record 741 weeks. It has sold in excess of 15 million copies worldwide. This album is still considered a masterwork and aside from establishing Pink Floyd as one of the premier rock bands of all time, it also legitimized progressive-rock as a genre.

March 29, 1973: Dr. Hook finally gets on the "Cover Of The Rolling Stone". In 1972, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show released their "Sloppy Seconds" album which included an irreverent and if not down-right novelty song "On The Cover Of The Rolling Stone" which was penned by poet/author/songwriter Shel Silversteen. The song lamented that no matter how successful they were, they would 'never be on the cover of the Rolling Stone" magazine. The song actually became a hit for Dr. Hook both in the U.S. and in Great Britain (where it was called "On the cover of the Radio Times" to get it past the BBC censors who had a problem with advertising a trade name). On March 29, 1973, Rolling Stone did put Dr. Hook on the cover, albeit a caricature rather than a photograph.

March 19, 1982: Iron Maiden releases "The Number Of The Beast". Although Iron Maiden had two previous albums out and a small cult following in the U.K. prior to this release, it was "The Number Of The Beast" that brought the band to international attention, both good and bad. According to many fans and a majority of rock critics, this album is often touted as being one of the finest rock recordings ever made. Along with fame and vastly larger fan base, it brought with it some inherent difficulties. Many right-wing and Christian fundamentalist point to this album as something straight from Hell itself and Iron Maiden has fought off the label of Satanists since the albums release and on through their careers.

March 9, 1987: U2 releases "The Joshua Tree". Their fifth studio album shot U2 from a great rock and roll band to international superstars. Produced by Brian Eno, "The Joshua Tree" shows a slight drift in direction for the band with tighter lyrical content, a more stinging professional technique to The Edge's guitar playing and an over-all reach back to roots music for it's underlying tone. This album was the fastest selling album in British chart history, went Number #1 in the U.S. for nine weeks and earned the band 2 Grammy's. It is also ranked 26th on Rolling Stone Magazines list of The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.

March 27, 2000: Ian Dury dies. Lead singer of the Blockheads dies after battling colon cancer. A true British character, Dury rose to fame during the late 70's and early 80's during the punk / new wave craze. He was known for his acerbic lyrics and outlandish style. During a BBC interview following his diagnosis, Dury is quoted as saying that he had "a good crack at life" and was supposed to have been joking and cracking wise up until he drew his final breath.