DJ Fred’s Rock N’ Roll Factoids For December 28th [VIDEOS]

The Beatles hit #1 with their 12th album on this date in 1968, inspiring legions of rock fans to do it in the road.  Have you ever tried it?  Man, you haven't lived until you've tried it.  Just make sure that the road isn't used much. Take a road kill inventory first, and then go for it.

The White Album, which is actually titled The Beatles. But the band's drug induced fans back in the sixties could only manage to mutter, "The White Album, man."  It was really the first album that members of the band went in their own musical direction and complied a double album with songs like Helter Skelter, and Why Don't We Do It In The Road?

Check out the kick ass version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps below, in which Prince fires off an amazing solo.

And speaking of which, it was  this date in 1971 that George Harrison became the first Beatle to hit #1 on his own.  My Sweet Lord, a song that was originally intended for Billy Preston to record became a massive hit for Harrison.  I've played it far too many times in my illustrious radio career. As a matter of fact, just put it on a continuous loop tape, and then throw it into my casket before they bury me so that it will stay with me for eternity.  Gee, thanks.

It was this date in 1974 that Helen Reddy hit #1 with Angie Baby. It was her first #1 song, and she can thank Cher for it, who turned down the song.  Here on I-95 we don't play Angie Baby very much, but are seriously considering playing it every hour in place of Freebird.

In 1978 Rolling Stone named Some Girls by the Rolling Stones the album of the year. The album featured the #1 song Miss You, in which Stones fans cried that the band had sold out and went disco.  It also featured a song made famous by the Temptations and the country flavored song Far Away Eyes.  At first the cover of the album got the Stones in trouble because if featured the likeness of movie and TV stars like Marylin Monroe, Liza Minnelli and Farah Fawcett, whose families threatened to sue.  The cover was quickly redesigned and the album was re-released.

Dennis Wilson, the drummer for the Beach Boys died on this day in 1983 in the waters of Marina Del Rey, in California.  Wilson was drunk at the time and had been diving under his friend's boat that was moored in the harbor looking for things that he had thrown into the water three years before.  During his third dive that day he never came back up.  He was buried at sea, and was the band's only real surfer.  Everyone else in the band just sang about surfing, Dennis actually lived the dream.

Country superstar Shania Twain married rock and roll record producer Robert "Mutt" Lange on this date in 1993. They'd still be married if Twain hadn't found her husband in bed with her best friend.  Besides albums for his former wife, Lange produced albums for bands like Foreigner, The Cars, AC/DC and Def Leppard.  The couple divorced in 2010, and to end the story for the time being, Twain married the former husband of her former best friend.  Just one big happy family it is.

Edgar Winter was born on this date in 1946.  Edgar's biggest song was Frankenstein, a song that showed off his tremendous keyboard skills. The song came from the album titled They Only Come Out At Night.  It featured a scary looking Edgar on the cover, and more than likely you hid it under your bed so your mother wouldn't question you about it.

That's it for now, more groovy stuff tomorrow.