Historic events this week from Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Faces, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, and Traffic.
MARCH 29, 1975: LED ZEPPELIN HAS SIX ALBUMS ON THE CHARTS
Led Zeppelin became the first band in history to have six albums at once on the Billboard Albums chart.
The albums and their chart position were:
124: Led Zeppelin III
116: Led Zeppelin
104: Led Zeppelin II
92: Houses of the Holy
83: “Led Zeppelin IV”
1: Physical Graffiti
MARCH 30, 1967: PHOTOSHOOT FOR SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND ALBUM COVER
The Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover had a very simple concept.
I offered the idea that if they had just played a concert in the park, the cover could be a photograph of [them] just after the concert with the crowd who had just watched the concert… it could be a magical crowd of whomever they wanted. –Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Photographer, Peter Blake
Among the Beatles‘ “invited guests” were Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe.
MARCH 31, 1967: JIMI HENDRIX SETS HIS GUITAR ABLAZE
Before the famous footage of burning a guitar at Monterey, Jimi Hendrix performed the stunt for the first time at Astonia Theatre in London.
The stunt resulted in four foot flames, and the legendary guitarist going to the hospital to be treated for burns on his hands.
MARCH 31, 1973: OOH LA LA BY FACES
After his 3rd & 4th solo albums went to #1 & #2, respectively, Rod Stewart returned to Faces for the band’s fourth and final LP, Ooh La La. The album contains “Cindy Incidentally” and the popular, Ronnie Wood-sung “Ooh La La.”
The track “Glad and Sorry” was later recorded by Golden Smog on their 1995 debut, Down By the Old Mainstream.
MARCH 31, 1987: PRINCE RELEASES SIGN O’ THE TIMES
After the dissolution of The Revolution, Prince released the sprawling double album Sign O’ the Times, widely regarded as his magnum opus. The record is a masterclass in musical versatility, blending funk, rock, soul, and spiritual themes across tracks like the socially conscious title track, the playful “U Got the Look,” and the epic “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man.”
MARCH 31, 1992: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN RELEASES HUMAN TOUCH AND LUCKY TOWN
Bruce Springsteen‘s first studio albums in five years were released on the same day. Human Touch and Lucky Town both went Platinum and charted in the Top 5 of the US Billboard 200. Human Touch would go on to receive a 1993 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance.
APRIL 2, 1967: STEVE WINWOOD FORMS TRAFFIC
After three LPs as lead singer of The Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood formed Traffic at age 19.
Along with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and guitarist Dave Mason, they immediately began recording their debut album.
Despite intermittent lineup changes, Traffic would release 7 albums from 1967-1974 including the classics Traffic (1968) and The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971).
