This Day in Rock & Roll History for February 5

Chuck Winfield, trumpet player for Blood, Sweat & Tears is born. (1943)

Al Kooper, keyboardist for Blood, Sweat & Tears, is born. (1944)

Nigel Olsson, drummer for Elton John, is born. (1949)

WNEW Radio in New York City announces the results of its annual music popularity poll. The winners are Perry Como, Patti Page, the Crew-Cuts and Ray Anthony. (1955)

Two big influences of '60s pop make their debuts. Mary Wells' with "Bye Bye Baby" and Gene Pitney with "Love My Life Away." (1961)

Guns N' Roses rocker Duff McKagan is born. (1964)

Surf-rockers the Marketts enter the Hot 100 for the fifth and last time with the "Batman Theme." It reaches #17 in nine weeks on the charts. (1966)

Sergeant Barry Sadler's "The Ballad of the Green Berets," enters the low reaches of the pop chart. It climbs quickly all the way to Number One and stays on the chart for 13 weeks. (1966)

The British tabloid, News of the World, runs the headline "Pop Stars and Drugs -- Facts that Will Shock You." The story reports on LSD parties put on by the Moody Blues and attended by Pete Townsend, Ginger Baker and others. The story quotes Mick Jagger admitting to having used LSD, and claims Jagger took Benzedrine tablets and displayed a quantity of hashish while in the reporter's company. That afternoon, Jagger says his lawyers will file of writ against the tabloid. It's revealed that the "News" reporter overheard Brian Jones talking about drugs in a London disco and mistook him for Jagger. The suit starts a fued between the tabloid and the band which leads to a police raid on Keith Richards' home five days later. (1967)

The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" album, the soundtrack to the animated film of that name, is awarded a gold record. The album contains only four previously unreleased Beatles songs: Harrson's "It's All Too Much" and "Only a Northern Song" and Lennon and McCartney's "Hey Bulldog" and "All Together Now." (1969)

Paul Simon releases his first new song without Art Garfunkel, "Mother and Child Reunion." It becomes a Top Five hit. The LP, "Paul Simon," does well reaching #4 and the second hit off the record "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," turns out to be one of quirkiest songs of the year. (1972)

Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" is released. (1972)

Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" goes gold. (1973)

The Pointer Sisters' version of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" turns gold the same month as it reaches #2. (1979)

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