Yes guitarist (also a member of Asia) Steve Howe was born on this day April 8th, in 1947. The band Yes was a passionate favorite of mine growing up in the seventies. In fact, one of the most crazy fun and highly memorable concerts I’ve attended was the co-headlining concert of Yes with Peter Frampton back in the summer of 1976, which took place before a crowd of 55,000 people at Anaheim Stadium in Southern California. Although he does not enjoy the level of continued buzz as, say, a player like Jimmy Page, to give you an idea of his popularity during Yes’s heyday, Steve was voted Best Overall Guitarist in Guitar Player magazine five years in a row from 1977 to 1981. Below, please enjoy a live clip of Steve playing “The Clap” and also the acoustic ballad “Mood For Day” to hear an example of his one-take perfection. Happy Birthday, Steve!
Tag Archives: Anaheim Stadium
Frampton Comes Alive! Is Released
On This Date, January 1st in 1976: Peter Frampton released his breakthrough double live album Frampton Comes Alive! The album would be certified gold less than 8 weeks after its release and go on to sell 6 million copies and is currently the biggest-selling Live rock album in history. Frampton Comes Alive! is definitely an important album in my personal history and, in my opinion, it’s among the best live albums ever released. That record unlocks so many great memories for me from that time in music. I was lucky enough to be one of about 56,000 people to see Frampton in concert (with co-headliners Yes) at California’s Anaheim Stadium back in the lovely summer of 1976, and that was a concert I will never forget.
Memory Of An Awesome Bicentennial Concert, 1976
Fun Fun Fun
On This Date, July 3rd, in 1976: Brian Wilson made his first appearance in 11 years with The Beach Boys in concert in Anaheim, CA at Anaheim Stadium. It was a co-headlining show with the band America – very appropriate to celebrate the country’s Bicentennial! And yes, I was there! Man, that was a great summer of an amazing year where I was lucky enough to attend concerts by The Who, Queen, Peter Frampton, Yes, Aerosmith and Jeff Beck, among others that my well-worn memory is now too hazy to recall. Happy holiday weekend, everybody!
Photo of Anaheim Stadium on July 3rd, 1976 Courtesy of Ang Jones
Happy Birthday, Pete Townshend!
Pete Townshend, guitarist for The Who and certainly one of the most awesome living Rock Stars ever in the universe of all time, was born on this day, May 19th, in 1945. I’m lucky enough (meaning that I am old enough now) to have seen The Who live in their prime before the death of Keith Moon. This was way back in March of 1976, at the Anaheim Stadium in Orange County, California where I grew up. I think the ticket was $12. I’d say that show is probably in the top three or four concert experiences of my life, and I do remember it was VERY LOUD, despite being held at an outdoor sports stadium with a capacity of over 55,000 people. My ears still hurt. In fact, according to Who legend, that concert is the one at which Townshend claims to have lost a good percentage of his hearing. “Happy Birthday, Pete!”
Happy Birthday, Peter Frampton!
Peter Frampton was born on this date, April 22nd in 1950. One of the most exhilaratingly memorable concerts I attended as a rebel youth was the 1976 co-headlining mega-tour featuring British Prog Rock legends Yes and Superstar Guitarist (and Sex Symbol), Peter Frampton. Frampton’s then-recently released double live album, Frampton Comes Alive! (you’ve probably heard of it) was number one on the charts, which helped to sell out the venue – Southern California’s Anaheim Stadium – to a capacity crowd of around 56,000. I was fifteen years old that summer and I had the time of my life. Thanks for the memories, Peter.