"Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J."
Jan 5 Columbia Records releases Bruce Springsteen's debut album "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J."
- Jan 7 Revival of Gary Geld and Peter Udell's musical "Purlie", based on Ossie Davis' "Purlie Victorious", closes at Billy Rose Theater, NYC. after 14 performances
Music History
Jan 8 Elvis Presley files for divorce from Priscilla Presley on his 38th birthday
- Jan 8 Jerry Blatt and Lonnie Burstein's musical "Tricks", based on Molière's classic “The Pranks of Scapin” and starring René Auberjonois, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 8 performances
- Jan 13 Jerry Blatt and Lonnie Burstein's musical "Tricks", based on Molière's classic “The Pranks of Scapin” and starring René Auberjonois, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 8 performances
"Aloha from Hawaii"
Jan 14 "Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite", an Elvis Presley concert broadcast live to Asia and Oceana, and on delay to Europe and US, becomes the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer
- Jan 14 Grateful Dead bass player, Phil Lesh, busted on drug possession charges at his Marin County, California home
- Jan 30 Rock band Kiss plays their 1st show at the Coventry Club in Queens, NY
"The Midnight Special"
Feb 2 "The Midnight Special" late night rock music show debuts on NBC-TV; performers include Ike and Tina Turner, Curtis Mayfield, Don Mclean, the Byrds, and George Carlin
Rich at Top of the Plaza
Feb 6 American jazz drummer Buddy Rich plays influential performance at the Top of the Plaza in Richmond, New York, later televised by PBS
- Feb 6 Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer's musical "Shelter" opens at John Golden Theater, NYC; runs for 31 performances
Raw Power
Feb 7 Iggy Pop and The Stooges release their influential 3rd album "Raw Power"
Paul Williams on The Tonight Show
Feb 9 American singer-songwriter and actor Paul Williams sings the torch song "Here's That Rainy Day" in full Planet of the Apes make-up and costume on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show"
A Little Night Music
Feb 25 Stephen Sondheim's musical "A Little Night Music" premieres at Shubert Theatre, later transferring to the Majestic, NYC; runs for 601 performances, winning 6 Tony Awards, ( Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy
Academy of Country Music Awards
Feb 26 8th Academy of Country Music Awards: Merle Haggard and Donna Fargo win
Dark Side of the Moon
Mar 1 Harvest (UK) and Capitol Records (US) release Pink Floyd's 8th studio album "Dark Side of the Moon"; it stays on Billboard Top 200 Album charts for most of the next 14 years, selling over 50 million copies worldwide
Music History
Mar 8 Paul & Linda McCartney are fined £100 for growing cannabis
Music History
Mar 27 Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) stopped for speeding and found in possession of LSD
Music History
Apr 1 John Lennon and Yoko Ono form a new country with no laws or boundaries, called Nutopia, its national anthem is silence
- Apr 7 18th Eurovision Song Contest: Anne-Marie David for Luxembourg wins singing "Tu te reconnaitras" in Luxembourg
Between Yesterday & Tomorrow
Apr 19 Barbra Streisand records "Between Yesterday & Tomorrow"
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Apr 26 Galt MacDermot and John Guare's musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" opens at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End, running for 237 performances
Red Rose Speedway
Apr 30 Paul McCartney releases "Red Rose Speedway" album, includes the hit single "My Love"
- May 4 Wings release "Red Rose Speedway" in UK
There Goes Rhymin' Simon
May 5 Columbia Records releases "There Goes Rhymin' Simon", the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon; it features songs "Loves Me Like a Rock", "Kodachrome", and "American Tune"
#1 in the Charts
May 17 Stevie Wonder releases the music single "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", goes to #1 and wins him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
- May 19 "Smith" opens at Eden Theater, NYC: runs for 17 performances
- May 19 Sentimental ballad "Daisy A Day" by Jud Strunk hits #14
- May 20 Galt MacDermot and John Guare's musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona", starring Clifton Davis and Raul Julia, closes at St James Theater, NYC, after 614 performances and 2 Tony Award wins
Give Me Love
May 25 George Harrison releases single "Give Me Love" in UK
- May 26 "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players hits #15
- May 26 "Super Fly Meets Shaft" by John & Ernest hits #31
- May 26 Beatles' "Beatles 1967-1970" album (the blue one) goes #1
- May 26 British composer Michael Tippett's 3rd Piano Sonata premieres
- May 30 George Harrison releases his fourth studio album "Living in the Material World" in the US
- Jun 1 George Harrison's "Living in the Material World" album goes gold, 2 days after its US release
- Jun 1 Paul McCartney & Wings release single "Live & Let Die"
- Jun 2 "Nash at Nine" closes at Helen Hayes Theater NYC after 21 performances
- Jun 3 "Smith" closes at Eden Theater, NYC, after 17 performances
Let’s Get It On
Jun 15 “Let’s Get It On” single released by Marvin Gaye (Billboard R&B Song of the Year, 1973; No. 4 overall)
I Will Always Love You
Jun 17 Dolly Parton records her song "I Will Always Love You" (later a huge hit for Whitney Houston) for RCA in Nashville
- Jun 22 George Harrison releases his fourth studio album "Living in the Material World" in the UK
- Jun 23 "Cyrano" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 49 performances
- Jun 23 Jule Styne and Bob Merrill's musical "Sugar", a musical adaptation of 1959 film "Some Like It Hot" starring Robert Morse, Tony Roberts, and Elaine Joyce, closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 506 performances
- Jun 26 London production of musical "Grease" premieres
Hall of Fame
Jun 28 Black Sports Hall of Fame forms: Paul Robeson, Elgin Baylor, Jesse Owens, Jim Brown, Wilma Rudolph, Joe Louis and Althea Gibson elected
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jul 1 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar", starring Jeff Fenholt and Ben Vereen closes at Mark Hellinger, NYC, after 711 performances
You've Never Been This Far Before
Jul 2 "You've Never Been This Far Before" single released by Conway Twitty (Billboard Song of the Year, 1973)
Music History
Jul 14 Phil Everly storms off stage at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California and declares an end to "The Everly Brothers"; the show was planned as their last, his exit improvised
Music History
Jul 15 Ray Davies announces his retirement from The Kinks, then attempts suicide; neither effort successful
- Jul 25 George Harrison pays £1,000,000 tax on his Bangladesh concert & album
Equus
Jul 26 Peter Shaffer's musical "Equus" premieres in London
- Jul 28 600,000 attend the "Summer Jam" rock festival featuring The Grateful Dead, The Band, and The Allman Brothers Band, at Watkins Glen, New York; at the time the largest ever audience at a pop festival
- Jul 29 Led Zeppelin has more than $200,000 in cash stolen from a safety-deposit box at the New York Hilton hotel
- Aug 6 Stevie Wonder involved (as a passenger) in car crash in North Carolina, goes into a 4 day coma
- Aug 9 Northern Irish guitarist Henry McCullough quits rock band Wings, founded by Paul McCartney
Music History
Aug 18 Drummer Gene Krupa plays for the final time, appearing with the Benny Goodman Quartet in Saratoga Springs, New York
- Aug 19 Pirate World Music Radio (Holland) closes down after 10 years
- Aug 25 Butch Trucks, drummer of the Allman Brothers, breaks a leg in a car crash
- Aug 28 "Smoke on the Water" single by British rock band Deep Purple goes gold
- Aug 28 Bobby "Boris" Pickett's song "Monster Mash" goes gold
- Aug 28 Tamla/Motown Records releases "Let's Get It On", the 13th studio album by Marvin Gaye
- Aug 30 Drummer Danny Seiwell quits rock band Wings, which he co-founded with Paul McCartney
Golf Tournament
Sep 3 American golfer Billy Casper finishes at 20-under-par 264 to beat Australian Bruce Devlin by 1 stroke to win the Sammy Davis Jr. Greater Hartford Open; his 50th PGA Tour title
- Sep 5 Limited run revival of Sigmund Romberg, Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein 2d and Frank Mandelnburg's musical "The Desert Song" opens at Uris Theater NYC for 15 performances
- Sep 16 "Desert Song" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 15 performances
- Sep 17 Stephen Sondheim's musical "A Little Night Music" transfers from the Shubert to the Majestic Theater, NYC
- Sep 27 Barbra Streisand releases single "The Way We Were" (Billboard Song of the Year, 1974)
Music History
Sep 28 CBS-TV airs singer Cass Elliot's variety show special "Don't Call Me Mama Any More"; guests include Joel Grey, Dick Van Dyke, and Bruno the Bear (aka Gentle Ben)
- Sep 29 "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" by Looking Glass peaks at #33
- Sep 29 "We're An American Band" by Grand Funk peaks at #1
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Oct 5 "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" 7th studio album by Elton John is released
- Oct 15 7th Country Music Association Awards: Roy Clark wins
- Oct 15 Country music artist Dolly Parton releases her single "Jolene"
- Oct 18 Judd Woldon & Robert Britten's musical"Raisin" opens at 46th St Theater, NYC for 847 performances
Photograph
Oct 19 Ringo Starr releases music single "Photograph" in the UK
Sydney Opera House
Oct 20 Queen Elizabeth II opens the Sydney Opera House
- Oct 24 John Lennon sues US government to admit FBI is tapping his phone, they deny doing so
- Oct 26 Wings release single "Helen Wheels"
- Oct 29 Apple Records releases John Lennon's fourth studio album, "Mind Games" in US
- Nov 1 Jerry Livingston and Mack David's musical "Molly", starring Kaye Ballard, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 68 performances
- Nov 2 "Barbra Streisand...and Other Musical Instruments" special premieres on CBS TV
- Nov 2 Apple Records releases "Ringo", Ringo Starr's third studio album, in the US; his biggest commercial and critical success, featuring the singles "Photograph", "You're Sixteen", and "Oh My My"
- Nov 5 Columbia Records releases Bruce Springsteen's second album "The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle"
- Nov 9 Apple Records releases "Ringo", Ringo Starr's third studio album, in the UK - a week after its US release; his biggest commercial and critical success, featuring the singles "Photograph", "You're Sixteen", and "Oh My My"
Piano Man
Nov 9 Columbia Records releases "Piano Man", singer-songwriter Billy Joel's second studio album
- Nov 10 "Ship Ahoy" album by The O'Jays is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1974)
Shostakovich's 14th String Quartet
Nov 12 Dmitri Shostakovich's 14th String Quartet premieres in Leningrad, Soviet Union
- Nov 13 "Gigi" opens at Uris Theater NYC for 103 performances
- Nov 14 "Good Evening" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 438 performances
- Nov 16 Apple Records releases John Lennon's fourth studio album, "Mind Games" in UK
Bowie on Midnight Special
Nov 16 Singer David Bowie performs on TV's "Midnight Special", set includes duet with Marianne Faithfull covering Sonny & Cher's hit "I Got You, Babe"
- Dec 5 Apple Records releases Paul McCartney & Wings album "Band on the Run" in US; the commercial and critical pinnacle of his post-Beatle work tops the charts in 7 countries
- Dec 7 Apple Records releases Paul McCartney & Wings album "Band on the Run" in UK; the commercial and critical pinnacle of his post-Beatle work tops the charts in 7 countries
- Dec 8 "Seesaw" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 296 performances
- Dec 9 "Pajama Game" opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC for 65 performances
"The Sting"
Dec 25 "The Sting" directed by George Roy Hill, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, with music inspired by Scott Joplin, premieres in Los Angeles and New York (Best Picture 1974)
- Dec 29 Jerry Livingston, Leonard Adelson and Mack David's musical "Molly", starring Kaye Ballard closes at Alvin Theater. NYC, after 68 performances
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