Events in Music History in 1974

  • Jan 8 E Wilson Jr's musical "Let My People Come" premieres in NYC

"Joker"

Jan 12 "Joker" by Steve Miller Band peaks at #1

"Court and Spark"

Jan 17 Asylum Records releases "Court and Spark", Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell's 6th studio album; features the songs "Help Me" and "Free Man In Paris", it becomes her biggest seller

Music Premiere

Jan 27 Jules Styne, Betty Comdem & Adolph Green's musical "Lorelei", starring Carol Channing, opens at the Palace Theatre, NYC; runs for 320 performances

"The Way We Were"

Feb 2 Barbra Streisand's 1st #1 hit, "The Way We Were"

  • Feb 3 "Pajama Game" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 65 performances

Blazing Saddles

Feb 7 Mel Brooks' western spoof film "Blazing Saddles", starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder premieres at the Pickwick Drive-In in Burbank, California; patrons watched from horseback rather than cars

You're Sixteen

Feb 8 Ringo Starr releases a cover of "You're Sixteen" as a single in UK; originally released by Johnny Burnette in 1960

  • Feb 9 "Daddy What If" by Bobby Bare peaks at #41
  • Feb 9 "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)" by Gordon Sinclair peaks at #24
  • Feb 10 "Gigi" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 103 performances
  • Feb 13 Jill Williams' musical "Rainbow Jones" opens & closes at Music Box Theater, NYC, after 1 performance [1]

Pretzel Logic

Feb 20 ABC records releases "Pretzel Logic", the third studio album by rock band Steely Dan; it features hit single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"

Music Concert

Mar 1 George Harrison announces his concert tour of US in November

Grammy Awards

Mar 2 16th Grammy Awards: Roberta Flack Best Record - "Killing Me Softly", Stevie Wonder Best Album - "Innervisions"

  • Mar 3 Lawrence Hurwit and Lee Goldsmith's musical "Sextet" starring Dixie Carter, opens at Bijou Theater, NYC; runs for 9 performances
  • Mar 5 "Candide" opens at Broadway Theater, NYC; runs for 740 performances
  • Mar 6 "Over Here!" musical written by Richard & Robert Sherman opens at Shubert Theater, NYC for 341 performances (top-grossing production 1974)
  • Mar 10 Lawrence Hurwit and Lee Goldsmith's musical "Sextet" starring Dixie Carter, closes at Bijou Theater, NYC, after 9 performances
  • Mar 16 1st performance at new Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland in Nashville

Academy of Country Music Awards

Mar 25 9th Academy of Country Music Awards: Charlie Rich and Loretta Lynn win

Music History

Apr 6 19th Eurovision Song Contest: ABBA for Sweden wins singing "Waterloo" in Brighton, England

  • Apr 6 200,000 attend rock concert "California Jam" at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California; line-up includes Earth, Wind & Fire; Black Sabbath; Deep Purple; and Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Band on the Run

Apr 8 Paul McCartney & Wings release single "Band on the Run" in the US

  • Apr 16 "Words & Music" opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 127 performances

Julie and Dick In Covent Garden

Apr 21 "Julie and Dick In Covent Garden", music and comedy special starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, with Carl Reiner, premieres on ABC-TV

  • Apr 21 28th Tony Awards: "The River Niger" (play) & "Raisin" (musical) win

Theatrical Finale

Apr 21 Neil Simon's play "The Sunshine Boys" directed by Alan Arkin, closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC, after for 538 performances and 2 Tony Award wins

Music History

May 6 American composer Roger Sessions receives special Pulitzer Prize for his life's work in music

  • May 6 Scotland Yard recovers stolen Johannes Vermeer oil painting "The Guitar Player" at the cemetery of St Bartholomew-the-Great, in London's financial
  • May 11 "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield hits #7

Rikki Don't Lose That Number

May 11 ABC Records releases Steely Dan single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" from the "Pretzel Logic "album; it peaks at #4 in the US, making it their biggest hit

Music History

May 17 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 15th String quartet

#1 in the Charts

May 18 Novelty song "The Streak" by Ray Stevens hits #1

  • May 22 "Julie and Jackie: How Sweet It Is" music and comedy variety special starring Julie Andrews and Jackie Gleason airs on ABC-TV

Television Finale

May 24 "The Dean Martin Show" last airs on NBC-TV

Diamond Dogs

May 24 RCA releases "Diamond Dogs", David Bowie's 8th studio album, recorded in London and the Netherlands, with cover design by artist Guy Peellaert, it peaks in the U.S. charts at No. 5, and goes to No. 1 in the U.K. and Canada

  • May 26 During a David Cassidy concert at London's White City, a 14-year-old is trampled, and dies four days later
  • May 28 Stephen Schwartz' musical "Magic Show" opens at Cort Theater, NYC; runs for 1859 performances
  • Jun 1 "My Girl Bill" by Jim Stafford hits #12
  • Jun 8 Keyboardist Rick Wakeman quits rock group "Yes" (for the first time)

Feel Like Makin' Love

Jun 10 "Feel Like Makin' Love" single released by Roberta Flack (Billboard Song of the Year 1974)

Back Home Again

Jun 15 "Back Home Again" 8th studio album by John Denver is released (Billboard Album of the Year, 1975)

  • Jun 15 Novelty song "The Streak" by Ray Stevens hits #1 on UK pop chart
  • Jun 15 Robert Wilson, Alan Lloyd and Michael Galasso's musical theatre work "A Letter for Queen Victoria" premieres at Caio Melisso Theater, Spoleto, Italy
  • Jun 28 Paul McCartney & Wings release singles "Band on the Run" and "Zoo Gang" in UK
  • Jul 8 David Bowie's begins 6 consecutive nights of his "Diamond Dogs" tour at Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania; several shows were recorded and released as the double LP "David Live" later in the year

Music History

Jul 17 John Lennon is (again) ordered to leave US in 60 days, due to a 1968 marijuana charge in the UK (he doesn't)

  • Jul 17 The Moody Blues open 1st quadrophonic recording studio in UK
  • Aug 3 "Words & Music" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 127 performances
  • Aug 3 Jeff Baxter, guitarist and founding member of Steely Dan quits the band and joins the Doobie Brothers

Little Night Music

Aug 3 Stephen Sondheim's musical "Little Night Music" closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 601 performances, winning 6 Tony Awards, 6 Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy

  • Aug 5 Joan Jett forms her rock group Runaways in England

Music Concert

Aug 16 American punk rock band "The Ramones" concert debut at CBGB's in New York City

Pussy Cats

Aug 19 RCA records releases "Pussy Cats", the tenth album by American singer Harry Nilsson in the US; album was produced by John Lennon and Nilsson worked through a serious vocal chord injury which diminished his vaunted range

Irene

Sep 7 Revival of Harry Tierney and Joseph McCarthy's 1919 musical "Irene", starring Debbie Reynolds, closes at Minskoff Theater, NYC, after 605 performances

Blood on the Tracks

Sep 16 Bob Dylan begins recording his 15th album "Blood on the Tracks", in New York City

  • Sep 23 John Lennon's single "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night", featuring Elton John, released in US; it was Lennon's only solo No. 1 single during his lifetime

Gypsy

Sep 23 Revival of Jules Styne and Stephen Sondheim's musical "Gypsy" opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 120 performances, Angela Lansbury wins Tony Award for her role as Mama Rose

  • Sep 26 Apple Records releases John Lennon's fifth studio album, "Walls & Bridges" in US; features No. 1 single "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" (with Elton John) and "#9 Dream"

Music History

Sep 28 "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" single by Aretha Franklin peaks at #47

Music History

Sep 28 "I'm A Ramblin' Man" by Waylon Jennings peaks at #75

  • Sep 28 "Live It Up Part 1" by the Isley Brothers peaks at #52

Music History

Sep 28 "Papa Don't Take No Mess Part 1" by James Brown peaks at #31

  • Sep 28 "Rock Me Gently" by Andy Kim peaks at #1
  • Sep 28 "Surfin' USA" by Beach Boys reenters chart & peaks at #36
  • Sep 28 British rock guitarist Mick Ronson joins Mott the Hoople
  • Sep 28 John Lennon appears as guest DJ on WNEW-FM (NYC)
  • Oct 4 Apple Records releases John Lennon's fifth studio album, "Walls & Bridges" in UK; features No. 1 single "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" (with Elton John) and "#9 Dream"

Music History

Oct 6 Jerry Herman's musical "Mack & Mabel", about the romance between silent film figures Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, starring Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters, opens at Majestic Theater, NYC; runs for 66 performances

Streetlife Serenade

Oct 11 Columbia Records releases "Streetlife Serenade", singer-songwriter Billy Joel's third studio album

  • Oct 14 8th Country Music Association Awards: Charlie Rich

Album Release

Oct 15 Asylum Records releases "The Heart of Saturday Night", the second studio album by singer-songwriter Tom Waits

  • Oct 17 "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" closes at Playhouse NYC after 1065 per

Music History

Oct 18 Al Green's girlfriend, Mary Woodson, dies by suicide at his Memphis home, after assaulting him with a pot of boiling grits

  • Oct 18 Wings (Country Hams) release "Walking in the Park with Eloise"
  • Oct 20 Bard's presentation of "Richard III" opens at Lincoln Center NYC
  • Oct 25 Dmitri Shostakovich' 15th String Quartet premieres in Leningrad, USSR
  • Oct 25 Wings release single "Junior's Farm"
  • Nov 3 Jules Styne, Betty Comdem & Adolph Green's musical "Lorelei", starring Carol Channing, closes at the Palace Theatre, NYC, after 320 performances
  • Nov 5 Dmitri Shostakovich completes Michelangelo songs

Greatest Hits

Nov 8 "Greatest Hits" 11th studio album by Elton John is released

Callas' Final Appearance

Nov 11 Operatic soprano Maria Callas makes her final public appearance in Sapporo, Japan

  • Nov 15 Ringo Starr releases singles "Goodnight Vienna" and "Only You" in the UK
  • Nov 16 ABBA begin their first tour of Europe - their first tour outside of Sweden
  • Nov 16 John Lennon's single "Whatever Gets You Through the Night", featuring Elton John, goes to #1 in US; the last of the Beatles with a solo chart-topper, it was the only one during his lifetime

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Nov 18 "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" album by English progressive rock band Genesis is released, their last to feature original frontman Peter Gabriel

  • Nov 28 John Lennon's last concert appearance, as a guest of Elton John, Madison Square Garden, New York City NYC; they perform "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night"; "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"; and "I Saw Her Standing There"
  • Nov 30 "Good Evening" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 438 performances

Mack & Mabel

Nov 30 Jerry Herman's musical "Mack & Mabel", about the romance between silent film figures Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, starring Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters, closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 66 performances

"The Godfather Part II"

Dec 20 "The Godfather Part II", directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1975)

  • Dec 20 George Harrison releases "Dark Horse", his fifth studio album in UK
  • Dec 23 Dmitri Shostakovich' son cycle "Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti" premieres in Leningrad
  • Dec 23 Revival of Ray Henderson, B.G. DeSylva, and Lew Brown's musical "Good News" opens at St James Theater, NYC; runs for 16 performances

Music History

Dec 29 Murray Schisgal's stage comedy "All Over Town", directed by Dustin Hoffman, opens at the Booth Theatre, NYC; runs for 233 performances

  • Dec 30 Beatles are legally disbanded (4 years after suit was brought)

Buckingham, Nicks Join Fleetwood Mac

Dec 31 Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks join Fleetwood Mac