Wednesday, December 3, 2008

This Date In Music History-December 3

Birthdays:

Duane Roland, guitar, Molly Hatchet (1952)

Montell Jordan, singer (1968)


Birthday wishes to the “Prince of Darkness”- Ozzy Osbourne

John Cale, Velvet Underground (1940)

Crooner Andy Williams (1928)


They Are Missed:

Guitarist Grady Martin died in 2001 (age 72). Martin worked with Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Buddy Holly and played the riff on Roy Orbison's 'Pretty Woman'.

Hoyt Curtin, composer, died of heart failure in 2000. He wrote the themes to 'The Flintstones', 'Yogi Bear', 'The Jetsons' and other cartoon themes.

History:

In 1965, while performing "The Last Time" in Sacramento, Calif., Keith Richards' guitar accidentally touched his microphone. The resulting electric shock knocked him unconscious. He recovered after seven minutes and the show went on.

Elvis Presley's first release on RCA Victor Records was announced in 1955. The first two sides were actually purchased from Sam Phillips of Sun Records: "Mystery Train" and "I Forgot to Remember to Forget". Elvis was described by his new record company as 'The most talked about personality in recorded music in the last 10 years.'

The Beatles met future manager Brian Epstein for the first time in 1961, at his Liverpool record store.

In 1969, John Lennon was asked to play the title role in the stage musical "Jesus Christ, Superstar" (the offer was withdrawn the next day).

In 1971, the Montreaux Casino burned to the ground during a show by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. The incident was immortalized by Deep Purple's 1973 hit, "Smoke on the Water." (some stupid with a flare gun, burned the place to the ground...")

Elvis Presley's "comeback" TV special aired on NBC in 1968.

In 1929, Britain's Gramophone Company Ltd. bought a house at 3 Abbey Road in London. The residence was later converted into the famous Abbey Road studios, where groups like the Beatles and Pink Floyd have recorded.

In 1979, a concert by The Who at The Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, turned to disaster when 11 members of the audience were trampled to death after a stampede to claim unreserved seats.

A lawsuit was filed against Judas Priest and CBS Records in 1986, alleging that two fans shot themselves after listening to the band's music for six hours.

An inflatable pig was spotted floating over London's Battersea Power Station in 1976. It's only the prop being used for the album cover to Pink Floyd's Animals. However, the balloon breaks free of its moorings and drifts away, prompting the Civil Aviation Authority to issue a warning to pilots flying over London. I guess pigs do fly.

According to the Royal Albert Hall, it had received more than 3.5 million applications for a total of 11,212 tickets to the forthcoming Abba shows at the London venue in February of 1976.

In 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America gave Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers a Diamond Award, marking the sale of 10 million copies of the band's "Greatest Hits" album in the United States.

Boyz II Men knocked themselves off the No.1 position on the US singles chart in 1994, when 'On Bended Knee' started a six week run a No.1. The groups 'I'll Make Love To You' had been at No.1 for a record breaking 14 weeks.

The Rolling Stones recorded 'Brown Sugar' at Muscle Shoals studios in 1969. The single went on to be a UK & US No 1.

An attempt was made on Bob Marley's life in 1976, when seven gunmen burst into his Kingston home injuring Marley his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor, the attack was believed to be politically motivated.

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