Thursday, June 25, 2009

This Date In Music History-June 25

Birthdays:

Mario Calire – Wallflowers (1974)

Mike Kroeger – Nickelback (1972)

Georgios Panayiotou- aka George Michael – Wham! and public restroom freak (1963)

David Paich – Toto (1954)

Tim Finn - Split Enz (1952)

Allen Lanier - Blue Oyster Cult (1946)

Ian McDonald - King Crimson, Foreigner (1946)

Eddie Floyd – Falcons (1935)

Carly Simon (1945)





They Are Missed:

Born in 1940, Clint Warwick of the Moody Blues. He died from liver disease on May 18, 2004.

Born today in 1939, Harold Melvin of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. He died on March 24, 1997.

Songwriter Boudleaux Bryant died in 1987. Wrote with his wife Felice, the Everly Brothers hits, “Bye Bye Love,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream” and “Wake Up Little Susie.” Other acts to record their songs include Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, Beatles, Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, R.E.M. and many more.

Hillel Slovak, the original guitarist and founding member of The Red Hot Chili Peppers died from a heroin overdose in 1988 shortly after the band returned from a European tour.

In 2007, American singer and record producer Hank Medress died of lung cancer at 68. He was the vocalist on The Tokens 1961 #1 hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Also produced the hit single “He's So Fine” by The Chiffons, as well as Tony Orlando's “Knock Three Times.”

Television producer and journalist Elkan Allan died in 2006 (age 83). Allan produced the ground-breaking British pop show Ready Steady Go! in the 60's.

Turkish-American music producer and arranger Arif Mardin died in 2006 (age 74) from pancreatic cancer. He worked at Atlantic Records for over 30 years, before moving to EMI. The winner of 11 Grammy Awards, he worked with Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Wilson Pickett, Average White Band, The Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand and Norah Jones.


History:

In 1964, New York radio station WMCA plays the entirety of the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" album 10 days before it's due to be in stores. The record company rush-released the album the next day.

Today in 1966, "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks. Also #1 hit in the UK.

In 1967, an estimated 400 million people saw The Beatles perform “All You Need Is Love,” live via satellite as part of the TV global link- up, 'Our World', Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, Keith Moon and Gary Leeds provided backing vocals.



The Hollies recorded “He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother” in 1969. Elton John played piano on the session.

Talking Heads’ fifth album, “Speaking in Tongues,'”was released in 1983. It became their highest-charting album, rising to #15 and launching the Top Ten hit “Burning Down the House.”

The film soundtrack to “Flashdance” started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1983.

The Police scored their fourth US #1 album in 1983 with “Synchronicity,” also #1 in the UK and featuring the singles “Every Breath You Take” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger.”

Patti Scialfa joined the E Street Band as a vocalist in 1984. She would later become Mrs. Bruce Springsteen.

In 1988, Debbie Gibson went to #1 on the US singles chart with “Foolish Beat,” making her the youngest female to write, produce and record a US #1 single.

Van Halen started a four-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1988 with “OU812.”

In 1995, Pearl Jam canceled their tour because of an ongoing feud with Ticketmaster. They contended that the ticket giant held a monopoly and charged fans too big of a surcharge on concert tickets.

At a Grateful Dead show in Washington, D.C. in 1995, three people are struck by lightning.

Pink Floyd were at #1 on the US album chart in 1995 with “Pulse” the band’s fifth US #1.

In 2003, Ozzy Osbourne denied charges that he fathered a child out of wedlock, noting that he had a vasectomy 17 years ago. Nice try though.

2003 - The Recording Industry Association of America disclosed its plans to fight Internet piracy. The plan was to sue hundreds of individual computer users who illegally share music files online. The process was planned to begin the next day.

Prince's 'Purple Rain': 25th anniversary today

Purple Rain is an epic album by Prince and The Revolution and also the soundtrack to the film of the same name.

Purple Rain has regularly ranked among the best albums in rock music history. Time magazine ranked it the 15th greatest album of all time in 1993, and it placed 18th on VH1's Greatest Rock and Roll Albums of All Time countdown. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it the second-best album of the 1980s and 72nd on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. According to Billboard magazine, the album spent 24 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard album charts (August 4, 1984 to January 18, 1985) becoming one of the top soundtracks ever. Zounds magazine ranked it the 18th greatest album of all time. Finally, in 2007, the editors of Vanity Fair labeled it the best soundtrack of all time and Tempo magazine named it the greatest album of the 1980s.

The 1000th issue of Entertainment Weekly dated July 4, 2008 listed Purple Rain at number one on their list of the top 100 best albums of the past 25 years. The RIAA lists it as having gone platinum 13 times over.




Prince and The Revolution - When Doves Cry from the LP Purple Rain

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