Brooklyn Music Milestones-September /October 2015
Sept. 11, 1999: A brief reunion of ‘70s New Wave rockers Annie Golden and the Shirts culminates in a headlining gig at New York City’s Bottom Line Cabaret.
Sept. 18, 1970: Robert Lamm’s first hit as a songwriter, 25 or 6 to 4, peaks at number 4 for Chicago. Lamm, who sang in the choir at Grace Episcopal Church in Brooklyn Heights as a teenager, goes on to compose or co-write more than a dozen of the band’s biggest hits.
The Left Banke in 1966 /photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Sept. 24, 1966: Co-written by 17-year-old Brooklyn keyboard player Michael Brown (nee Michael Lookofsky), Walk Away Renee cracks the Top 40 for The Left Banke. Five weeks later, the single peaks at number five. A cover version by The Four Tops would reach number 14 in 1968. Brown, writing solo, also penned his group’s only other top 20 hit, Pretty Ballerina.
Sept. 24, 1975: Seven years after his musical and marital breakup with Carole King, Brooklyn Tech alumnus Gerry Goffin begins a comeback as a lyricist with the release of Theme from “Mahogany” (Do You Know Where You’re Going To). It becomes a number one hit for Diana Ross and garners an Academy Award nomination for Best Song.
October 8, 2013: After several months of recording at Treefort Studios in Greenpoint, Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller release their third album, Bitter Rivals. Like its predecessors, Treats and Reign of Terror, it becomes a top 50 album and peaks high on the Rock (number 16), Alternative (15) and Independent (9) charts.
Sleigh Bells-Bittler Rivals album cover
October 12, 1999: Having previously collaborated on several projects with fellow Brooklynite Talib Kweli, Mos Def releases his first solo album, Black on Both Sides, which quickly soars to number 25 and number 3 on Billboard’s Top 200 and R&B charts, respectively. Less than four months after it hits the stores, Black on Both Sides is certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Talib Kweli / photo courtesy of talibkweli.com