Music History Today: May 16, 2023

May 16, 1984: Prince released "When Doves Cry," written for his semi-autobiographical film Purple Rain. 

In the film Purple Rain, "When Doves Cry" plays under a montage after Prince's character loses his girl to his rival.

 

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The footage includes scenes of Prince's tumultuous relationship with his father and intimate moments with Apollonia. It became the Number 1 song of 1984 in the US, topping the charts for five weeks and keeping Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark" at Number 2. 

Read more: American Songwriter

May 16, 1919: Liberace was born Władziu Valentino Liberace was born in West Allis, Wisconsin. 

Liberace was known as "Lee" to his friends and "Walter" to his family. A child piano prodigy who became a flamboyant pianist, he had his own TV show twice and frequently performed in Las Vegas.

Liberace

At the height of his success, he was one of the world's highest-paid entertainers.  His flamboyant lifestyle and stage appearances earned him the nickname "Mr. Showmanship." Although critics dismissed him as overly sentimental, Liberace left a lasting impact on entertainment. His elaborate and sometimes flashy style has influenced the likes of Presley, Elton John, and David Bowie. 

Read more: Wikipedia

May 16, 1964: The Dixie Cups blasted into Billboard's top 40 section, from Number 42 to 14, with "Chapel of Love." The song would reach the top of the chart.

Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich wrote "Chapel of Love" for Phil Spector to produce. It was intended for Darlene Love, and she recorded the first version, with Spector producing. He wasn't happy with the outcome, so he tried it with The Ronettes. A year earlier, they had their biggest hit with "Be My Baby," written by Barry and Greenwich. 

Read more: Songfacts

May 16, 1987: U2 scored their first chart-topping single in the US with "With or Without You." 

U2 had only modest success until The Joshua Tree album. They had long been stars in their native Ireland, and with their previous album, The Unforgettable Fire, they broke through in the UK. Until "With Or Without You," their biggest US hit was "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" at 33. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" followed to the top spot. 

Read more: Songfacts

May 16, 2019: Rocketman, a musical fantasy about Elton John's breakthrough years, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

Set to his most beloved songs, Rocketman is the epic musical story of Elton John, his breakthrough years in the 1970s, and his unbelievable transformation from shy piano prodigy to international superstar. Taron Egerton stars in the film and provides the vocals.

In 1967, Bernie Taupin answered an advertisement seeking new songwriters. John responded to the same ad, and they were brought together. The pair's breakout hit was "Your Song." According to Taupin, " "I scribbled the lyric down on a lined notepad at Elton's mother's kitchen table in the London suburb of Northwood Hills, breakfast time sometime in 1969." John set the words to music. 

Read more: The Guardian 

When Doves Cry
Prince