Music History Today: August 19, 2020

August 19, 1969: On the Dick Cavett Show, Crosby, Stills, and Nash gave an account of the Woodstock festival. Joni Mitchell skipped the festival to keep her appearance on the show and performed a song she wrote about it called "Woodstock."

Aerial view of Woodstock festival

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August 19, 1964:  Roy Orbison released the single "Oh Pretty Woman."

“Oh, Pretty Woman” is a song written from a place of romantic bliss and pure silliness. 

Roy Orbison

The story goes that Orbison was sitting down with his songwriting partner Bill Dees when Claudette, Orbison’s wife, came in to tell him that she was going shopping. Orbison asked her if she needed money, and Dees joked that a pretty woman never needs money. By the time Claudette got back from the store, they had the song written.  

Read more: Stereogum

August 19, 1967:  The Supremes shot up from Number 61 to 20 with the "Reflections."

What happens when soul meets psychedelia?

The Supremes

 The Supremes' 1967 single "Reflections" perfectly represents how  Motown tried to incorporate the increasingly dominant "Summer of Love" vibe into their soul/pop music. In addition, it became the first single released under "Diana Ross and the Supremes."   

Read more: Deep Soul

August 19, 1974:  Reunion released "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)" on this date.

This single established the template for songs with scores of cultural references spit out in a machine gun like, rapid fire delivery. R.E.M’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” (1987) and Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (1989) followed in a similar vein. Listen closely. Some of the references are pretty hip for 1974.  

Read more: Rock n' Roll Remnants

August 19, 1978:  Bob Seger's song "Hollywood Nights" moved from 78 to 38 on this date.

"Hollywood Nights" – the second single from Stranger in Town – is the story of a Midwestern boy who finds himself in the bright lights of Hollywood (much like Seger himself). 

Bob Seeger

He meets a beautiful woman "born with a face that would let her get her way." They have a wild time in Hollywood, until one morning he wakes up alone.  

Read more:  Rolling Stone

Woodstock
Joni Mitchell