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February 16 – Two years of litigation between Grand Funk and former manager Terry Knight are finally resolved. The band gets the rights to its name but Knight wins a cash settlement.
Yes sells out the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden, without any advertising for the show.
Kiss release their self-titled debut album.
February 19 – The first American Music Awards are broadcast on ABC, two weeks before the Grammys. Helen Reddy and Jim Croce are among the winners.
February 20 – Cher files for divorce from her husband of 10 years, Sonny Bono.
February 22 – The English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Raymond Leppard performs the world premiere of Three Regions from Terrain by Douglas Young.[2]
Ivan Stepanov and His Balalaikas make their London debut at the Wigmore Hall.[4]
Baritone Hermann Prey cuts short a vocal recital in the Royal Festival Hall, London, due to vocal fatigue.[5]
March 10 – Hans Vonk makes his London debut in the Royal Festival Hall, conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a programme of Berlioz and Schubert, as well as the Violin Concerto by Roberto Gerhard, with Erich Gruenberg as soloist.[6]
March 12 – John Lennon is involved in an altercation with a photographer outside The Troubadour in Los Angeles. Lennon and friend Harry Nilsson have been heckling comedian Tommy Smothers and are forced to leave the club.
March 16 – Country music's Grand Ole Opry moves to a new location at the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee
March 30 – The Ramones play their first concert at the Performance Studio in New York.
March 31 – Record producer Phil Spector is badly injured in a car accident in Hollywood, details of which are largely suppressed at the time.
200,000 music fans attend The California Jam rock festival. Artists performing at the event include Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Black Oak Arkansas and the Eagles.
Swedish group ABBA wins the 19th Eurovision Song Contest in The Dome, Brighton, England, with the song "Waterloo", kickstarting their international career. The 1967 Eurovision winner, Sandie Shaw, attends.
April 14 – Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones, a concert film made during the Rolling Stones' 1972 North American Tour, premieres at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York.
April 16 – Queen play their first North American concert, opening for Mott the Hoople in Denver, Colorado.
April 24–25 – Music aired on the radio in Portugal acts as a secret signal to trigger the Carnation Revolution there: at 10:55 p.m. on April 24, Paulo de Carvalho's "E Depois do Adeus" (Portugal's entry in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest) on Emissores Associados de Lisboa alerts rebel captains and soldiers that the coup is beginning; at 12:20 a.m. on April 25, Rádio Renascença broadcasts "Grândola, Vila Morena", a song by José Afonso, an influential political folk singer-songwriter, signalling the Armed Forces Movement (MFA) to begin the takeover of strategic points of power in the country from 3.00 a.m.
Sotheby's Galleries in London sell a violin made in 1733 by Cremonese master Giuseppe Guarneri, formerly belonging to violinist Elaine Weldon, for the equivalent of $140,000, the second-highest price ever paid for a violin.[7]
Pam Morrison, Jim Morrison's widow, is found dead in her Hollywood apartment from an apparent heroin overdose.
May–December[]
May 7 – Led Zeppelin announces their new record label, Swan Song Records, with a lavish party at The Four Seasons Hotel in New York.
May 11 – The New York Policebagpipe band performs shortly after midnight at the Portsmouth, RI Ramada Inn, in connection with a National Police Week event, prompting a drunken spree lasting until dawn by at least a dozen off-duty members of the Boston Police Department. The officers ran naked through the motel, "smashing chairs and tables, soiling rugs, discharging fire extinguishers, exploding firecrackers, setting off a burglar alarm, disconnecting a security camera, slashing automobile tires and throwing pictures into the motel courtyard",[8] causing an estimated $1027.75 in damage, including liquor stolen from a locked cabinet and unpaid breakfast bills.[9]
May 25 – Twenty years after it was recorded, "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets returns to the Billboard top 40, after it gains renewed popularity from its use in the film American Graffiti and the TV series Happy Days.
May 28 – Experimental orchestra, the Portsmouth Sinfonia, plays a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, with its regular conductor John Farley. The performers included Michael Nyman and Brian Eno.[10]
June 1 – Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Brian Eno, Nico and other musicians perform at the Rainbow Theatre in London. The performances are later released as June 1, 1974.
Sly Stone married model-actress Kathy Silva on June 5, 1974, during a sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden.
Patti Smith records "Hey Joe", her debut single, which arguably becomes the first punk rock single when released in August.
June 14 – David Bowie launches his Diamond Dogs tour at the Montreal Forum. One year previously he had announced that he was retiring from touring as Ziggy Stardust.
July 4 – Barry White marries Love Unlimited lead singer Glodean James.
July 19–21 – Ozark Music Festival is held in Sedalia, Missouri, with a crowd estimated between 100,000 and 350,000 people.
July 20 – The first Knebworth Concert is held in England, headlined by The Allman Brothers Band.
Having performed at two sold-out concerts at the London Palladium, "Mama" Cass Elliot dies in her sleep after suffering a heart attack in a Mayfair flat in London, aged 32.
Neil Peart officially joins Rush.
August 6 – Hugh MacCallum, of Stirling, wins the silver chanter for the third time, playing "Mrs MacLeod of Callisker's Salute" at the invitational bagpipe competition held at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. Second place was given to the previous year's winner, Donald Morrison from South Uist, who performed "Rory MacLeod's Lament".[11]
August 7
During a performance of Carmina Burana, conducted by André Previn, at The Proms, soloist Thomas Allen collapses because of the heat and eventually has to be carried out by members of the orchestra. Prommer Patrick McCarthy, just embarking on his professional singing career, offers his services as a replacement and completes the performance.[12]
Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J. Geils Band, marries actress Faye Dunaway.
August 16 – Ramones' first appearance on NYC's venue CBGB.[13] The venue would help establish their place at the forefront of punk rock.
September 15 – Gary Thain of Uriah Heep is shocked on stage at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas, and is seriously injured.
October 3 – Idi Amin, the President of Uganda, instructs his country's acting high commissioner in London to recruit two six-foot-tall Scots bagpipers with military backgrounds to serve as his bodyguards.[14]
AC/DC performs[where?] its first official show with Bon Scott as its new lead singer.
The North Coast Band Invitational competition, sponsored by St. Ann's CYO Band of Neponset, is held for the first time, at Nickerson Field on the Boston University campus.[15]
October 18 – Al Green is attacked while bathing by a girlfriend of several weeks, Mrs. Mary Woodson, a 29-year-old mother of three. She scalds his body with a pan of boiling grits and commits suicide a few moments later, reportedly because he rejected her marriage proposal.[16]
November 2 – George Harrison launches his "George Harrison & Friends North American Tour" in Vancouver. It is the first North American tour by a former Beatle since the band's August 1966 tour.
November 21 – Wilson Pickett is arrested in Andes, New York, after allegedly firing a bullet through the door of a hotel room where he was staying while on a hunting trip with The Isley Brothers.
November 28 – John Lennon joins Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden for three songs.
December 12 – Mick Taylor leaves The Rolling Stones after six years.
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks join Fleetwood Mac.
The third annual New Year's Rockin' Eve, moving this year from NBC to ABC, is aired with performances by Herbie Hancock, The Beach Boys, Chicago, Olivia Newton-John and The Doobie Brothers.
unknown date[]
Lord Shorty's Endless Vibrations is the first soca LP and the first major soca hit worldwide.
Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" comes to prominence when he enters it in a National Folk Festival songwriting competition in Brisbane, Australia.
Rover Thomas claims to have been visited in a dream by a deceased friend near Warmun, Australia, and receives the Krill Krill song cycle.
The original Alice Cooper group breaks up. The band's leader, Vincent Furnier, changes his name to Alice Cooper and goes on to a solo career.
Journey signs to Columbia Records.
Roland RE-201 and 101 Space Echo tape-based audio analogdelayeffects units introduced.
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions
in the charts of 1974.
#
Artist
Title
Year
Country
Chart entries
1
Carl Douglas
Kung Fu Fighting
1974
UK 1 – Aug 1974, US BB 1 – Nov 1974, Canada 1 – Nov 1974, Netherlands 1 – Oct 1974, France 1 – Sep 1974, Austria 1 – Dec 1974, Germany 1 – Jan 1975, Ireland 1 – Oct 1974, Australia 1 for 3 weeks Jul 1975, Switzerland 2 – Nov 1974, South Africa 2 of 1974, Norway 3 – Oct 1974, US BB 5 of 1974, Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1974, Sweden 8 – Aug 1998, POP 9 of 1974, Italy 10 of 1975, US CashBox 11 of 1975, Scrobulate 12 of disco, Australia 22 of 1974, Germany 27 of the 1970s, RYM 84 of 1974, OzNet 842
2
Mud
Tiger Feet
1974
UK 1 – Jan 1974
3
ABBA
Waterloo
1974
UK 1 – Apr 1974, Switzerland 1 – Apr 1974, Norway 1 – Apr 1974, Germany 1 – May 1974, Ireland 1 – Apr 1974, Netherlands 2 – Apr 1974, Austria 2 – May 1974, Canada 3 – Jun 1974, France 5 – Apr 1974, US BB 6 – Jun 1974, Scrobulate 6 of Swedish, Australia Goset 10 – Jul 1974, South Africa 14 of 1974, POP 23 of 1974, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1974, RYM 33 of 1974, Germany 49 of the 1970s, Italy 51 of 1974, Europe 55 of the 1970s, US CashBox 84 of 1974, OzNet 413, Acclaimed 1016
4
Steve Miller Band
The Joker
1974
UK 1 – Aug 1990, US BB 1 – Nov 1973, Netherlands 1 – Oct 1973, Ireland 1 – Sep 1990, Canada 2 – Dec 1973, Norway 2 – Nov 1990, Switzerland 5 – Oct 1990, Austria 6 – Oct 1990, Germany 7 – Jan 1991, Australia Goset 7 – Feb 1974, France 8 – Dec 1973, US CashBox 10 of 1974, Poland 11 – Sep 1990, DDD 13 of 1973, US BB 21 of 1974, POP 33 of 1974, RYM 61 of 1973, Scrobulate 62 of 70s, Virgin 84, TheQ 297, Germany 399 of the 1990s, OzNet 561, Acclaimed 1721
5
George McCrae
Rock Your Baby
1974
UK 1 – Jun 1974, US BB 1 – Jun 1974, Netherlands 1 – Aug 1974, Austria 1 – Oct 1974, Switzerland 1 – Aug 1974, Norway 1 – Sep 1974, Germany 1 – Jan 1975, Canada 2 – Jun 1974, France 4 – Aug 1974, Germany 7 of the 1970s, Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1974, Italy 11 of 1974, Australia 20 of 1974, Australia Goset 37 – Aug 1974, RYM 39 of 1974, US CashBox 40 of 1974, Acclaimed 807
November 25 – Nick Drake, singer/songwriter, 26 (overdose)
Awards[]
Grammy Awards[]
Grammy Awards of 1974
Country Music Association Awards[]
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Eurovision Song Contest[]
Eurovision Song Contest 1974
References[]
^George Clark, "Mr Feather Made a Life Peer: Mr Whitelaw Honoured". The Times (2 January 1974): 1.
^Stephen Walsh, "ECO/Leppard", The Times (23 February 1974): 9.
^Stanley Sadie, "Württemberg Chamber Orchestra", The Times (28 February 1974): 16.
^Anon., "Royal Festival Hall" [classified ad], The Times (2 March 1974): 11; Bryce Morrison, "London Debuts", The Times (13 March 1974): 19.
^William Mann, "Prey/Hokanson", The Times (5 March 1974): 10.
^Stanley Sadie, "RPO/Vonk", The Times (11 March 1974): 11.
^Agence France-Presse, "Violin by Guarnieri sold for $140,000", The Boston Globe (26 April 1974): 28.
^Jerry Taylor, "R.I. Chief Confirms Motel Vandalism", The Boston Globe (16 May 1974): 3
^Ken Hartnett, "Several Policemen from Boston Accused of R. I. Hotel Spree", The Boston Globe (14 May): 3; Ken Hartnett, "R. I. Spree Story Exaggerate, Policeman Says", The Boston Globe (15 May): 3; David B. Wilson, "Bagpipes Made Them Do It ...", The Boston Globe (20 May 1974): 17; Anon., "Patrolmen's Association Asked to Pay for Motel Damage", The Boston Globe (18 May 1974): 3.
^Seton Gordon, "A Strange Tune Gains Silver Chanter", The Times (Saturday, 24 August 1974): 12. Andrew T. Lenz, Jr. "Andrew’s Tips: Silver Chanter Winners", Andrew Lenz's Bagpipe Journey website, 2010 (Accessed 24 June 2014).
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