Robert Hilburn on The Jam, March 18, 1980

March 18, 1980: Robert Hilburn wonders whether The Jam will be The Who of the 1980s. Actually, they broke up about 1983.

Voices – Alex Chilton

June 16, 1985: "Having a band is a very difficult thing, especially if you're not making a whole lot of money,” Alex Chilton tells Don Snowden.

Robert Hilburn on 38-Special, Rush

March 10, 1980: “Bearable by most standards, 38-Special was a godsend next to headliner Rush,” Robert Hilburn says.

Kennedy Pulls Even With Nixon in Poll

March 4, 1960: Nancy Sinatra greets Elvis!

March 4, 1960: Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass.) pulls even with Vice President Richard Nixon – even though Kennedy is Catholic! (More on the jump).

Fiery Train Wreck Kills 17

The San Francisco Santa Fe Chief smashes into an oil tank truck and trailer 12 miles west of Bakersfield.

March 2, 1960: Gov. Pat Brown gives up hope that the California Legislature will abolish the death penalty ...  and Elvis Presley is being discharged from the Army. Presley tells reporters he's been dating a pretty high school student named Priscilla. On the jump, Philip K. Scheuer reviews "The Pleasure of His Company" and Gil Hodges brings his first baseman's mitt to training camp, saying that if the Dodgers want to move him to third to make way for Frank Howard, they'll have to buy him a new one.

Matt Weinstock, March 1, 1960

Way Out Walkout     A great many people walked out on Miles Davis and John Coltrane, two great men of music they had primarily come to see and hear, at last Saturday's jazz concert at Shrine Auditorium, thereby provoking a recurrent point of controversy in listener-ship.     The Miles Davis sextet was the main event of the evening, last on the program, eagerly awaited.     Without any formality they went into a way-out number. It went on and on, with Davis and Coltrane alternating on solo passages.  After about 15 minutes a few people got up and left.  Then more and more, particularly during Coltrane's solos.  He probably blows more notes than any other saxophonist but they seemed meaningless and repetitious.     Most of those who got up and left doubtless felt that whatever it was the group was trying to convey wasn't coming through to them and they'd had it.  After all, they'd applauded wildly for the polished, subtle Modern Jazz Quartet, which preceded them.

Doobie Brothers, Billy Joel Shut Out Disco at Grammys

Feb. 28, 1980: The Doobie Brothers' "What a Fool Believes" wins the Grammy for best single while Billy Joel's "52nd Street" wins for best album. Bonus appearance: Bob Dylan! … and Jim Murray writes about Spectacular Bid.

Matt Weinstock, Feb. 25, 1960

Mad Memories       The prohibition era (1920-1933) was a long time ago but to many persons it remains the most unforgettable time of their lives.  It had for them an aura of pleasurable deviltry.       It also provided the setting of the rise of gangsterism and lawlessness, but that's another story which can be seen regularly on TV.       Last weekend some people in Laurel Canyon who revere the memorable past invited 40 guests to an old-fashioned home brew party.       THEY PROCURED a big crock and the makings from one of the several markets around town which stock them, and put up four batches -- 56 quarts -- of the bubbly stuff.  In their case, being somewhat on the sybaritic side, they used wild rice instead of malt.       The hostess reports that 48 of the 56 bottles were consumed and  a fine time was had by all.  And after the imbibers downed their first jug the same old silly smiles that she remembers from 1928 came over their faces.        Only one mad moment occurred.  A writer moved over to a group where a surgeon was describing a particularly grisly operation he had lately performed.  The writer, unaware of the narrator's identity, was appalled.  Afterward he asked in deep concern of the man standing next to him, "Is he a doctor?"  Assured that he was, the writer said, "That's a relief!"   ::       SPEAKING OF home brew, a large lady in a Glendale Blvd. bar announced savagely that she would be a prime murder suspect if she ever located her spouse.       "Don't say that, ma'am," Leo the bartender said, "we're all gentlemen here!"       At which, Frederick Keller reports, she looked around and snorted, "Gentlemen! Why, this looks like the second Appalachian meeting!"   ::       STALEMATE I always liked my game     of chess, My play is quite meticulous, Chessmen are supposed     to move But this is most ridiculous.         WALTER JARVIS   ::        MONDAY Bob Simmons, 30, of Bellflower, a phone company employee, went scuba diving with two friends off a deserted beach about two miles south of Laguna.        They had swum out past the breakers when Bob had difficulty clearing his face mask.  He became exhausted and tried to head for shore.  His companions went on, not knowing of his distress.  His wife, Cindy, saw from the beach that he was in trouble but no one was around.       Just then three young couples on a picnic arrived.  Told of Bob's plight, the three youths, about 18, rushed fully clothed into the 10-foot deep water and pulled Bob out.  A woman nurse happened by and gave artificial respiration.  Bob's heart had stopped.  Meanwhile, one youth ran to the highway and waved down a policeman, who summoned help.       Bob, who was unconscious for hours, is going to be all right and his wife Cindy hopes the boys who saved him, the nurse and the officer may see this and understand how grateful they are.  In the excitement she didn't get their names.   ::       DR. Vierling Kersey, president of the L.A. College of Optometry, spoke on eyestrain at the California Optometric Assn. congress the other day and afterward held a press conference for high school newspaper reporters who were present.        In various ways they all asked the same question:  "If we didn't get so much homework, we wouldn't get eyestrain, would we?"       Dr. Kersey, former superintendent of city schools, replied unblinkingly, "Are there any other questions?"   ::       AT RANDOM -- Man I know received a token bottle of sweet-smelling stuff with this note from the press agent: "Only 72 hours ago the contents of this bottle, Arpege perfume, were succulent flowers peacefully basking in the warm sun of southern France.  Only three dawns have passed since they were plucked, processed and placed on your desk."  The next step is obvious.  You order it from your favorite supermarket . . . Bob Ritchey thinks people will look back on February, 1960, as the month they had to look twice at the headlines to see if they were about Caryl or Carole.

Robert Hilburn on Kenny Loggins

Feb. 25, 1980: Robert Hilburn wears a tie to a Kenny Loggins concert. “Sugar alone is not a satisfying – or healthy – diet,” Hilburn says. Ouch.

Radio Consultant Sees Dim Future for New Wave Rock

Feb. 16, 1980: New Wave rock is a cult phenomenon that is on its way out, says AOR radio consultant Lee Abrams. "With the exception of the Boomtown Rats, the Police and a few other bands, we're not going to be seeing many of the New Wave circuit acts happening very big over here (in America). As a movement, we don't expect it to have much influence." Patrick Goldstein says: "This may mean bad news for fans of acts such as the Clash, Elvis Costello and the Talking Heads, who have begun to enjoy regular airplay on many AOR stations."

Bette Midler in Pasadena

Feb. 15, 1980: Lee Grant covers the filming of Bette Midler's "Divine Madness." Midler says of "The Rose," "The director had to explain to me that for the film to have any semblance of reality there would be moments when other people were on the screen besides me. I recovered."

The Specials at the Whisky

Feb. 11, 1980: The long-awaited merger of punk and reggae is message, mirth and mayhem, Richard Cromelin says.