10th Day of Christmas Past
1975
1975 saw the end of the war in Vietnam, an assassination attempt on President Ford, and and a rash of terrorist kidnappings, bombings and hostage incidents throughout the world.
Rock Splits
By late December, it was clear that Faces had broken up once and for all. Rod Stewart moved to America to pursue his solo career. Kenny Jones became The Who’s drummer. Ron Wood signed on with the Rolling Stones. Kenny Lane went off to form the group Slim Chance.Bernie Leadon is upset that it took the Eagles so long to record One Of These Nights (released in the summer of ’75) and quits the band. Joe Walsh is picked to replace him in late December.
Live Firsts
In November, Bruce Springsteen does his first live performance in England, at London’s Hammersmith Odeon.Paul McCartney and Wings begin a marathon 13-month world tour. At the opposite extreme, Sex Pistols make their live debut at London’s St. Martins School of Art. The performance lasts 10 minutes.
TV First
David Bowie made his first U.S. television appearance during the 1975 holiday season. He performed “Fame” on Cher’s CBS variety show.Cover Stories
Bonnie Raitt makes the cover of Rolling Stone and releases her fifth album, Home Plate, featuring collaborations with Bill Payne (Little Feat) and Tom Waits.Bruce Springsteen makes the covers of both Time and Newsweek, and Born To Run reaches #23 on the U.S. charts.
Evils of Rock
A minister in Tallahassee, Florida makes a holiday event out of a mass burning of records by the Rolling Stones and Elton John. The minister cites a survey that purports to prove that 98.4% of single mothers in Tallahassee had sex while listening to rock music. This is apparently not an issue for the folks in Los Angeles, who observe "Elton John Week" in late November 1975.Plotting the Charts
- Queen’s A Night At the Opera becomes the band’s first #1 album at the end of December. The single “Bohemian Rhapsody” begins a nine-week run at #1, and the band produces what is generally considered to be the first rock music video.
- On December 13, Chicago begins a five-week run at #1 on the U.S. album chart with Chicago IX - Greatest Hits, their fifth #1 album.
- Still Crazy After All These Years becomes Paul Simon’s first #1 album.
- Elton John’s Rock Of the Westies becomes his seventh U.S. #1 album on the day that he becomes godfather to Sean Taro Ono Lennon.
- In mid-November, the #1 single in the U.K. is David Bowie’s "Space Oddity" which is something of an oddity in itself since it was originally released in 1969 to coincide with the first moon landing.
1975 Holiday Season Releases
Brian Eno – Another Green WorldKiss – Alive!
Joni Mitchell – The Hissing of Summer Lawns
Mike Oldfield – Ommadawn
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Patti Smith – Horses
Styx – Equinox
Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Zuma
- 1st Day Of Christmas Past - 1966
- 2nd Day Of Christmas Past - 1967
- 3rd Day Of Christmas Past - 1968
- 4th Day Of Christmas Past - 1969
- 5th Day Of Christmas Past - 1970
- 6th Day Of Christmas Past - 1971
- 7th Day Of Christmas Past - 1972
- 8th Day Of Christmas Past - 1973
- 9th Day Of Christmas Past - 1974
- 10th Day of Christmas Past - 1975
- 11th Day Of Christmas Past - 1976
- 12th Day Of Christmas Past - 1977
- 12 Days of Christmas Past Index
