Wednesday, August 26, 2009

This Date In Music History-August 26

Birthdays:

Nik Turner - Hawkwind (1940)
Vic Dana (1942)
Valerie Simpson - Ashford and Simpson (1948)
Bill and Dick Cowsill - Cowsills (1950)
Billy Rush - Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (1952)
Jet Black - Stranglers (1958)
Jimmy Olander - Diamond Rio (1961)
Annie Holland - Elastica (1965)
Dan Vickrey - Counting Crows (1966)
Shirley Manson - Garbage (1966)
Jeff Tweedy - Wilco (1967)
Adrian Young - No Doubt (1969)
Allison Richardson - The Donnas (1979)


They Are Missed:

Ronnie White, an original member of The Miracles, died in 1995 at the age of 57.

Gov't Mule and Allman Brothers bassist Allen Woody was found dead in a Queens, NY hotel room in 2000. He was 44.

In 2004, singer Laura Branigan died of a brain aneurysm.

Born today in 1941, Chris Curtis, drums, The Searchers. Died on March 1, 2005 at the age of 63 after a long illness.


History:

In 1964, the Supremes topped the singles chart for the first time with "Where Did Our Love Go?"

Jimi Hendrix's classic cut "Purple Haze" was released in 1967.



Today in 1967 the song "Ode to Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.

In 1967, the Beatles appeared at a press conference with their new guru, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Maharishi, with the Beatles seated next to him, gave strong and sincere answers to the press' sarcastic and sometimes silly questions. Paul McCartney announced that the bandmates have given up drugs. "It was an experience we went through," he says. "We don't need it anymore. We're finding different ways to get there." For John Lennon, "different ways" would later mean Brandy Alexanders.

In 1968, Apple Corps released its first products: five singles including the Beatles' "Hey Jude" backed by "Revolution." It became the bands biggest hit.

Duane Allman started recording as a member of Eric Clapton's new band, Derek & the Dominoes in 1967. A double album was finished in less than 10 days. Clapton called Allman "the catalyst" of the whole project.

In 1970, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, (his last ever UK appearance), Donovan, Jethro Tull, Miles Davis, Arrival, Cactus, Family, Taste, Mungo Jerry, ELP, The Doors, The Who, Spirit, The Moody Blues, Chicago, Procol Harum, Sly and the Family Stone and Free all appeared over three days at the third Isle Of Wight Festival.

Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" peaked at #5 on the chart in 1972.



Looking Glass started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1972 with 'Brandy You're A Fine Girl."

Aerosmith was featured on the cover of "Rolling Stone" in 1976.

The Pretenders played their first public gig in 1977, opening for Strangeways.

Frankie Valli went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1978 with the Barry Gibb song "Grease." It went on to sell over 2 million copies in the US alone.

Cheap Trick bassist Tom Peterson quit the group in 1980 due to the inevitable "personal and musical differences." He was replaced by Pete Comita. However, he returned to the group in 1988.

In 1987, Sonny Bono announced he was running for mayor of Palm Springs. He won the election in 1988 and went on to win a seat in Congress in 1996.

In 1989, Ringo Starr won a court order to prevent a record producer from releasing material Starr considered to be of inferior quality due to the impaired state Starr was in when it was recorded.

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble played Alpine Valley, Wisonsin in 1990. For an encore, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Robert Cray joined the band for a jam. Flying to Chicago the next morning, Vaughan was killed when his helicopter crashed

Seal went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1995 with "Kiss From A Rose," taken from the film Batman Forever.

In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine named Jimi Hendrix as the greatest guitarist in Rock history. Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ry Cooder also made the top 10 list.

An "official bootleg, "Live In Paris & Ottawa 1968" from the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was released in 2008. Among the set’s dozen tracks is a cover of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

In 2008, Led Zeppelin issues their "Mothership" retrospective in a vinyl box set with audiophile-quality.

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