Sunday, January 22, 2023

Music History Today: January 23, 2023

January 23, 1999: Lenny Kravitz moved into the Top 40 section of Billboard's Hot 100 with "Fly Away."
"Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz was done very quickly after the album was already finished.

Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz

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Kravitz originally intended it to be a B-side only, but a friend who heard the song convinced him to call his record company, stop the whole procedure and add it to the album. The song reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, topped both the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock Tracks charts and won a Grammy in 1998 for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. 
Read more: Songfacts
January 23, 1965: Petula Clark became the first British female to top the American chart during the rock era with "Downtown."
On the surface, Petula Clark's “Downtown” is about having a delightful time during a trip downtown. But Clark thinks of her songs as "mini-movies" when she performs them and considers the feelings behind them. This song, to her, isn't so chipper. "I've always thought there was this loneliness, and there's even a slight feeling of desperation in it," she said in her Songfacts interview. 
Read more: Songfacts

January 23, 1971: Tyrannosaurus Rex debuted at Number 89 on the US music chart with "Ride a White Swan." 
Like all Tyrannosaurus Rex's songs, "Ride a White Swan" was written by the singer, guitarist, and founder Marc Bolan.

Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan

 The song was included on the US version of the 1970 album T. Rex. According to Ned Raggett of AllMusic, the song "inadvertently founded glam rock mania." However, Bolan did not wear characteristic glam stage clothing until the promotion of the follow-up single "Hot Love." 

Read more: Wikipedia

 

January 23, 1988: The California Raisins entered the US music chart with a cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine."
The California Raisins were a fictional rhythm and blues animated musical group and advertising and merchandising characters.

The California Raisins
The California Raisins 

 Lead vocals were sung by musician Buddy Miles. The animated group was popular in the mid-to-late 1980s through claymation TV commercials and animated specials, winning an Emmy Award and one nomination. 

Read more: Wikipedia

January 23, 1999: Eagle-Eye Cherry peaked at Number 5 in the US with "Save Tonight."
"Save Tonight" by Eagle-Eye Cherry is a simple song that expresses the values of the night, relationships, and life. The singer will go away the next day and wants to cherish this last night spent with his love. He explains that you can't fight changes; all you can do is accept them. 
Read more: Songfacts

Fly Away
Lenny Kravitz

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