This Day in Rock & Roll History for January 1

Country Joe McDonald is born. (1942)

RCA victor announces "Operation TNT," an attempt to spur record sales. RCA drops the list price on LP's from $5.95 to $3.98, EP's from $4.95 to $2.98, 45 EP's from $1.58 to $1.49 and 45's from $1.16 to eighty-nine cents. Other labels start doing the same thing. (1955)

The Beatles perform their first audition for a major record company, Decca, in London. They run through fifteen songs, mostly standards for Decca's Mike Smith who also auditions Brian Poole & the Tremeloes the same day. Decca signs the Tremeloes, not the Beatles. (1962)

The Beatles start a five-day tour of Scotland to promote their first record, "Love Me Do." (1963)

The BBC broadcasts the first "Top of the Pops" TV rock show. The show features the top rock acts of the day. (1964)

Englands "New Musical Express" reports the U.S. government, for undisclosed reasons, has denied working visas to British rock bands. This means the cancellation of tours by groups like the Nashville Teens, the Zombies and the Hullabaloos, who are all ready in New York with DJ Murray the K of New York's WMCA. (1965)

The Beach Boys enter the Hot 100 for the 23rd time with "Barbara Ann," previously a hit for the Regents in 1961. The Beach Boys version will hang in the charts for eleven weeks peaking at #2. (1966)

Motown girl group, the Marvelettes enter the Hot 100 for the fifth time with "Don't Mess with Bill." It makes it to #7 in its 12 weeks on the charts. (1966)

Americans spent an unprecedented sum of more than $1 billion on records last year. According to Billboard, album sales were 192 million with single sales at 187 million. (1968)

Melanie Safka, better known simply as Melanie, enjoys the biggest hit of her career with "Brand New Key," which remains at Number One for the third straight week. (1972)

The Clash headline the gala opening of the Roxy. The former gay disco in London's Covent Garden fills the vacancy left by the widespread London club ban on punk groups and immediately the Roxy becomes the place for punk music. (1977)

Following a New Years Eve concert featuring the Blues Brothers and the Grateful Dead, Bill Graham closes San Francisco's Winterland Theater. The Dead had performed there a record 48 times. (1979)

At a New Years Eve concert in Cleveland, Bruce Springsteen's cheek is ripped open by a fire-cracker thrown onstage from the audience. (1979)

Cliff Richard is awarded the MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the British Empire. He gets a title held by the Beatles and Elton John alone among pop musicians. (1980)

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