Saturday, November 28, 2009

This Date In Music History-November 28

Birthdays:

Berry Gordy - founder of Motown Records (1929)

Gary Troxel - Fleetwoods (1939)

Bruce Channel - (1962 US #1 single "Hey! Baby") (1940)

Glen Curtis - Fortunes (1940)

Randy Newman ("Short People") (1943)

R.B. Greaves - (1969's "Take a Letter Maria") (1944)



Beeb Birtles - Little River Band (1948)

Hugh McKenna - Sensational Alex Harvey Band (1949)

David Letterman sidekick Paul Shaffer (1949)

Matt Cameron - Soundgarden/Pearl Jam (1962)

Dawn Robinson - En Vogue (1968)

Matt Cheslin - Neds Atomic Dustbin (1970)

Rapper Chamillionaire (1979)


They Are Missed:

Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton was killed in a car crash not far from his Santa Barbara, California home in 1993 (age 47).


History:

In 1960, Elvis Presley started a six week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Are You Lonesome Tonight," his third #1 of 1960. The single included a spoken passage loosely based on Shakespeare.

"Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las hits #1 on the U.S. pop chart in 1964.



Willie Nelson made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry in 1964.

In 1966, several gold records were certified on this day. The Righteous Brothers get one for their album "Soul and Inspiration." The Monkees earn their third gold record for "I'm a Believer," which was #1 for seven weeks and a gold record went to the New Vaudeville band for their '20s style novelty song, "Winchester Cathedral."

The Beatles recorded their last fan club record as a group in 1967; 'Christmas Time Is Here Again!'

On their first North American tour in 1968, Deep Purple played the first of four nights at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, California.

In 1968, John Lennon pled guilty to possession of cannabis following his arrest in October. He was fined 150 pounds. Lennon and Yoko Ono are found not guilty of obstructing the police. The cannabis charge would come back and cause him visa problems later on.

George Harrison's All Things Must Pass was released in 1970. The first triple album by a solo artist, the original vinyl release featured two records of rock songs, while the third, entitled "Apple Jam" was composed of informal jams led by Harrison with musician friends and other famous musicians. It was eventually certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA.

George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and Elton John's "Your Song" were released in 1970.



In 1974, Elton John made John Lennon make a promise. If Lennon's "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" hit #1, he would join Elton on stage for Madison Square Garden appearance. The song did and Lennon does joined him on stage for three tunes, "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds." It turns out to be Lennon’s last-ever live performance. Backstage, Lennon has a brief reunion with Yoko Ono, from whom he'd been separated for over a year.

Foreigner's ballad "Waiting For A Girl Like You" stalled at #2 on the US pop charts in 1981. It’s held out of the top spot by Olivia Newton-John’s "Physical."

Taken from the film Dirty Dancing, the Jennifer Warnes' duet with Bill Medley "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life," went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1987.

REM had their first entry in the Top 10 on the US singles chart in 1987 with "The One I Love."



In 1990, law enforcement officials in Los Angeles decide there isn't enough evidence to prosecute singer Axl Rose for assault in connection with a dispute involving his neighbor. The neighbor claims that Rose hit her over the head with an empty wine bottle.

Nirvana recorded a performance for BBC TV music show Top Of The Pops in London in 1991. When asked to lip-sync ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ to a pre-recorded tape Kurt Cobain protests by singing in a low-pitched funny voice with the rest of the band not even trying to mime in-time to the track.

Whitney Houston started a record-breaking fourteen-week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1992 with "I Will Always Love You," taken from the Bodyguard soundtrack. The song was written by Dolly Parton.

1999, Rage Against The Machine were at #1 on the US album chart with ‘The Battle Of Los Angeles’ the bands second US #1.

David Bowie was crowned the musician's musician in 2000. Bowie beat the Beatles and alternative rockers Radiohead in a survey by the NME that asked hundreds of top rock and pop stars to name their biggest musical influence.

Also in 2000 - About nine million people watched a Madonna concert over the Internet. The 29-minute, six-song event was performed at London's Brixton Acedemy in front of about 2,800 people. According to MSN.com the show set a record for such events.

Aretha Franklin sued a tabloid in 2001 for $50 million over their story claiming she had a drinking problem. That would buy a lot of beer.

Metallica played the last show on their 137-date ‘Madly in Anger with the World Tour’ at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California in 2004. It became the fourth-highest grossing tour of 2004, reaping $60,500,000 in ticket sales.

In 2007, Kanye West and stuntman Evel Knievel settled a copyright dispute over West's use of the name "Evel Kanyevel" in a music video. The 69-year-old daredevil had claimed his image was tarnished by the video’s "vulgar, sexual nature." The clip for Touch The Sky, showed the rap star cavorting with Pamela Anderson and trying to jump a rocket-powered motorcycle over a canyon.

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