Bruce Springsteen “Blinded by the Light” released

Blinded by the Light Bruce Springsteen (later covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band)

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Lou Reed charted with “Walk on the Wild Side”

Walk on the Wild Side Lou Reed

Writer(s): Lou Reed (see lyrics here) Released: November 8, 1972 First Charted: February 17, 1973 Peak: 16 US, 17 CB, 18 GR, 17 HR, 1 CL, 1 CO, 10 UK, 18 CN, 100 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.2 UK, 0.2 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 73.87 video, 414.28 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Lou Reed, “who never ceased to offend somebody,” UCR references valium, oral sex, hustlers, and whores in what is likely the “the first transvestite rock song that middle America heard.” UCR The song title came from A Walk on the Wild Side by Nelson Algren. Reed was tapped to write songs for a musical based on the novel, but it never came about. RS500 On the resulting song, Reed served as the “narrator brilliantly delivering his cool rap-like observations” UCR about real people including Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, Joe Dallesandro, Joe Campbell, and Jackie Curtis. They were all actors and/or transsexuals Reed knew through artist Andy Warhol. WK As Reed said, “I always thought it would be kinda fun to introduce people you see at parties but don’t dare approach.” RS500 He “paints such as vivid picture of deliberate decadence that it can still be shocking…years later.” RY It also serves as “a chillingly stark portrait” RY about the underbelly of New York City, “America’s largest and darkest city.” RY When Reed “invokes the ‘colored girls’ to sing ‘do do-do do-do, do-do-do’ and their voices fade into the lush atmospheric sound of a lazy baritone sax solo, the music suggests the atmosphere of a New York City subway station at three in the morning.” RY Reed hadn’t found commercial success with his band Velvet Underground or his first solo outing. However, David Bowie idolized Reed and he’d achieved enough clout as “the rising star of British glam-rock” TB to “freely bestow his Midas touch upon other artists who interested him.” RY “The sweet touches in the vocal harmonies, and the quick and deceptively simple arrangements are in large part due to Bowie” TC and his production on the song and Transformer album. It gave Reed his “greatest solo success.” TB Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Lou Reed TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Page 290. RS500 Rolling Stone (2004). “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time“ RY Thomas Ryan (1996). American Hit Radio: A History of Popular Singles From 1955 to the Present. Prima Publishing: Rocklin, CA. Pages 458-9. TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 141. UCR UltimateClassicRock.com (6/20/2013). “Top 100 Classic Rock Songs” WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 4/28/2020; last updated 9/15/2023.

Patsy Cline 12 Greatest Hits released

12 Greatest Hits Patsy Cline

Released: February 14, 1973 Recorded: 1957 to 1963 Peak: -- US, 17 CW Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, -- UK, 10.9 world (includes US and UK) Genre: country

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. Walkin’ after Midnight (2/23/57, 12 US, 2 CW, airplay: 1 million) Sweet Dreams of You (4/20/63, 44 US, 5 CW, 15 AC, airplay: 2 million) Crazy (10/23/61, 9 US, 14 UK, 2 CW, 2 AC, airplay: 2 million) I Fall to Pieces (4/3/61, 12 US, 1 CW, 6 AC, airplay: 2 million) So Wrong (8/25/62, 85 US, 14 CW) Strange (1/27/62, 97 US) Back in Baby’s Arms She’s Got You (1/27/62, 14 US, 43 UK, 1 CW, 3 AC, airplay: 1 million) Faded Love (8/31/63, 96 US, 7 CW) Why Can’t He Be You You’re Stronger Than Me Leavin’ on Your Mind (1/26/63, 83 US, 8 CW)

Rating: 4.608 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings) Quotable: “The perfect introduction to one of the greatest singers in country music history” – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in 1932 in Virginia. After she got married in 1957 and gave birth the next year, she moved to Nashville. She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and signed with Decca Records in 1960. With producer Owen Bradley, she found major success on the country charts with hits like I Fall to Pieces, Crazy, and She’s Got You. In March 1963, she was on a flight from Kansas City, Kansas, back to Nashville. It crashed and she was killed. She was only 30 years old. Despite her short career, she has been celebrated as one of country music’s most important performers. Ten years after her death, she became the first female performer inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1967, Decca released a greatest hits collection with twelve songs. In addition to the nine featured chart hits, there are “lesser-known gems like Why Can’t He Be You, which are as good as the big hits.” AMG Overall, the set “may be brief, but it contains abosolutely no filler and leaves no gaps, making it the perfect introduction to one of the greatest singers in country music history.” AMG It reached #17 on the country charts. MCA Records reissued the album after Cline was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was reissued again in the CD era in 1988 and became the first album by a female country artist to go double platinum. By 2005, the album was certified for diamond, or ten-times platinum. Despite the massive sales, the album has never charted on the Billboard album chart.

Resources and Related Links: AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 5/30/2008; last updated 3/20/2024.