Bill Haley and His Comets recorded "Rock Around The Clock" as a "B" side for their first Decca Records recording session. The "A" side was a song called "Thirteen Women And Only One Man In Town".
It's ironic that of the members of ZZ Top, Dusty Hill, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard-Beard is the only member of the classic trio not to sport a beard.
Boy George once admitted that he wanted to be reincarnated as Matt Dillon's underwear. No comment from Dillon.
Elvis' girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found him dead, lying on the floor of his bathroom. He had been seated on the toilet reading The Scientific Search For Jesus.
Twenty years after his death, a report showed that Elvis Presley was the world's best selling posthumous entertainer, with world-wide sales of over 1 billion dollars and 480 active fan clubs. He died owing $3 million.
The Association were turned down by every major label who heard their first album, which included the future number one smash, "Cherish".
Antoine "Fats" Domino and his wife Rosemary have eight children, all of whom have names that start with "A".
The same studio musicians who had just helped Bob Dylan record "Like A Rolling Stone" were asked by producer Tom Wilson to stay in the studio for one more song. He then recorded the electric guitar, bass and drums that were to be added to Paul Simon's voice and acoustic guitar. The result was the 1966 number one hit, "Sounds Of Silence".
Stevie Wonder wrote "Isn't She Lovely" for his daughter Aisha Zakia. The names mean "strength" and "intelligence" in an African language.
Brenda Lee graduated from high school in Hollywood, having already earned 12 top ten records.
Paul Revere and The Raiders' first chart entry, "Like Long Hair" was based on Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C-Sharp Minor", written in 1897.
The longest title of a US number one record belongs to a Dutch studio group called Stars On 45. Although their medley was simply known as "Stars On 45" in most parts of the world, the US single had a 41 word title: "Intro Venus / Sugar Sugar / No Reply / I'll Be Back / Drive My Car / Do You Want To Know A Secret / We Can Work It Out / I Should Have Known Better / Nowhere Man / You're Going To Lose That Girl / Stars On 45".
Performance contracts for the band Van Halen stipulated that they be provided with a supply of M&Ms at every show, but all of the brown ones had to be removed.
In 1964, an acoustics expert from New South Wales University measured the noise level during a Beatles' concert at 112 decibels. That's between 10 and 20 decibels higher than a Boeing 707 jet flying at 2,000 feet.
Doors guitarist Robby Krieger once said about lead singer Jim Morrison: "I loved the guy when he was straight. I disliked him immensely when he was drunk."
In 1956, a Protestant minister in Greenwich Village, New York said about Elvis Presley's music; "I don't think youth wants this sort of thing. It is the result of the letdown that follows every war."
Darlene Love, who sang lead vocals on The Crystals hits "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure The Boy I Love", played Danny Glover's wife in all four Lethal Weapon movies.
Harry Elston, co-founder of The Friends Of Distinction, used to work as a limousine driver for The Temptations.
Mercury Records released The Platters' "Twilight Time" on both 78 RPM and 45 RPM discs. The song went to number one in the U.S. in April, 1958 and sold one and a half million copies, of which 98.2 percent were 45s. By that June, Mercury became the first major record label to announce that it would stop producing 78s, effective immediately.
After Gene Simmons of KISS graduated form Richmond College, he became a school teacher. This career move was short-lived however, as he quit to form KISS. Why? "I wanted to kill those little pricks," he said.
Before Glen Campbell had a successful solo career, he was a studio musician who played lead guitar on The Beach Boys' "Dance, Dance, Dance" and Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night".
Friday, December 17, 2010
New Album Cover Art, Music News & Notes
Avril Lavigne's What the Hell Cover Art Released
Avril Lavigne's cover art for her "What the Hell" single has been revealed. Avril will debut the first single from the new album, 'What the Hell,' on New Year's Eve during Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.
The single is the first from fourth studio album, 'Goodbye Lullaby,' which is scheduled for release on March 8, 2011 via RCA Records .
------------------------
HEAVENWOOD: 'Abyss Masterpiece' Cover Artwork Unveiled
Portuguese dark-rock/metal vets HEAVENWOOD are set to release their fourth album, 'Abyss Masterpiece' on February 28, 2011 via Listenable Records. The effort was mixed and mastered by producer Kristian "Kohle" Kohlmannslehner (CREMATORY, AGATHODAIMON, BENIGHTED) at Kohlekeller Studios in Germany.
The "Abyss Masterpiece" artwork was created by Matthew Vickerstaff of Darkwave Art, who has previously worked with CRADLE OF FILTH, MY DYING BRIDE, GODFLESH, CARCASS, MENDEED, CATHEDRAL, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, THE HAUNTED, SOIL and DEICIDE. HEAVENWOOD guitarist Bruno Silva states, "The band is very delighted with the work done by Matthew Vickerstaff. He managed to illustrate in the perfection the essence and feeling contained on 'Abyss Masterpiece'.
------------------------
BLACK SABBATH: Deluxe Edition Of 'Dehumanizer' Due In February
According to the unofficial BLACK SABBATH web site Black-Sabbath.com, Universal/Sanctuary has set a February 7 release date for the deluxe edition of BLACK SABBATH's 'Dehumanizer.' Originally issued in 1992, the LP was the first SABBATH effort to feature the vocals of the late, great Ronnie James Dio since 1981's 'Mob Rules.' With a lineup completed by founding members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler and drumming duties carried out by Vinny Appice, 'Dehumanizer' is arguably one of SABBATH's heaviest albums. This edition is expanded with the single edit of "Master Of Insanity", an alternate version of "Letters From Earth" that originally appeared as the B-side to the "TV Crimes" single, and a version of "Time Machine" originally recorded for the soundtrack to the movie "Wayne's World". In addition, the set includes five rare live tracks from Florida's Sundome recorded at the beginning of the "Dehumanizer" tour in July 1992, including a previously unreleased live version of "Master Of Insanity".
'Dehumanizer' deluxe edition track listing:
Disc One (Original Album 1992)
01. Computer God
02. After All (The Dead)
03. TV Crimes
04. Letters From Earth
05. Master Of Insanity
06. Time Machine
07. Sins Of The Father
08. Too Late
09. I
10. Buried Alive
Disc Two (Bonus Tracks)
01. Master Of Insanity (Single Edit)
02. Letters From Earth (B-Side Version)
03. Time Machine (Wayne's World Version)
Live at The Sundome,Tampa, Florida 25th July 1992:
01. Children Of The Sea
02. Die Young
03. TV Crimes
04. Master Of Insanity
05. Neon Knights
------------------------
Bobby Darin's 'That’s All' Gets Audiophile Release
Mastered from the Original Analog Mono Session Tape by Kevin Gray at AcousTech, one of the greatest male vocal LP’s of the century, Bobby Darin 'That’s All' is being reissued on Audiophile vinyl.
The new Boxstar LP unlocks hidden treasures only suggested on the original pressing, the enthralling magic that was Bobby Darin is now again here for all to enjoy. This is not just for audiophiles, but for any person in love with the art of the human voice. Included are the hits “Mack the Knife” and “Beyond The Sea” as you’ve never heard them before. Also included are standout cuts “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise,” and “I’ll Remember April.” It’s no accident that these historic sessions were produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Nesuhi Ertegun and Jerry Wexler and engineered by the legendary Tom Dowd.
------------------------
Beatles' John Lennon's 'Abbey Road' Suit Up For Auction
The white suit that was worn by John Lennon on the cover of The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ is up for auction. The iconic two-piece garment is one of a host of items due to go under the hammer at Braswell
Galleries in Connecticut on New Year’s Day (January 1). The owner is believed to be selling the item due to financial difficulties, reports the Associated Press.
The blazer Lennon for in the music video for ‘Imagine’ is also part of the auction.
------------------------
Ye Olde Record Shoppe
A new record store on the Palouse may be arriving at the right time after all.
Leah Sottile
The economy’s awful. So naturally two guys in a small North Idaho town decide to open a store specializing in vinyl records. Great plan, right?
It’s a question you can’t help but ask Zachary Johnson and Brandon Rowley, the owners of Moscow’s new bite-sized music shop, Deadbeat Records.
Why open now? Why open in North Idaho? And why vinyl? These are questions the pair — who just opened the store in early November — are already getting used to hearing.
“When we told people we were opening a record store, we had a lot of naysayers,” Johnson says. “But we’ve been more than pleased so far.”
Read the rest of the article HERE
------------------------
UK's largest collection of memorabilia from musicals left to the V&ACollection includes more than 10,000 records, posters and scores dating back to the 1950s
Maev Kennedy guardian.co.uk
In 1950 a small boy was taken by his parents to see the musical Annie Get Your Gun, at the Gaumont theatre in Southampton. The production transformed the fortunes of the theatre, now called the Mayflower, and also led to the creation of the largest private collection of musicals memorabilia, by the spellbound boy, who grew to be a banker but never forgot the stunning impact of his first live show.
Rexton Bunnett, who built up the archive with his late partner, John Muir, announced today that he is leaving the entire collection – more than 10,000 records, as well as books, programmes, music scores and posters – to the nation, in the care of the Victoria and Albert museum.
Read the rest of the article HERE
------------------------
10 Creative Album Cover Collage Artworks
Written by Igor Ovsyannykov
There is a new art in town, and its album cover art collages. This type of art was invented by Christian Marclay. Most of us probably know Marclay for being a DJ and composer who was the first to use gramaphone records and turntables as musical instruments to create sound collage. While collecting record covers, he develop a new execution on using them. He used different album covers to mix and match and create beautiful collage artworks. We decide to share his incredible achievement. The following pieces are a great example of how art is changing and growing.
Read the rest of the article HERE
------------------------
The Revival Of Vinyl Has Begun In The Midwest
By Kate Sullivan
Piles of slim cases are stacked high around the room while you are lying flat on your back in bed. With some popping and crackling a record starts to play.
This can be true of a couple generations; the generation that witnessed the beginning of vinyl, the generation that tried to keep the format popular and the generation now that listened to its parent’s records growing up and now can’t seem to stop.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the vinyl record format continues to make a comeback. In 2008, the RIAA reported that the format more than doubled its sales to 57 million. This is the highest level of the vinyl format since 1990.
There are three record stores that are keeping afloat in a marketplace that is headed in an entirely new direction. Revival Records in Eau Claire, Wis. depends on the sales of popular 1970s rock albums while still maintaining an updated collection for costumers. Vinyl Cave Records in Superior, Wis. depends on its sales of popular 45’s. Treehouse Records in Minneapolis depends on their loyal customers who have been coming to the same location for decades. These three stores in the Midwest sell only vinyl records.
The store owners all have different views on the future of vinyl records, but they all seem to agree that vinyl just sounds better than other formats.
Read the rest of the article HERE
The single is the first from fourth studio album, 'Goodbye Lullaby,' which is scheduled for release on March 8, 2011 via RCA Records .
------------------------
HEAVENWOOD: 'Abyss Masterpiece' Cover Artwork Unveiled
The "Abyss Masterpiece" artwork was created by Matthew Vickerstaff of Darkwave Art, who has previously worked with CRADLE OF FILTH, MY DYING BRIDE, GODFLESH, CARCASS, MENDEED, CATHEDRAL, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, THE HAUNTED, SOIL and DEICIDE. HEAVENWOOD guitarist Bruno Silva states, "The band is very delighted with the work done by Matthew Vickerstaff. He managed to illustrate in the perfection the essence and feeling contained on 'Abyss Masterpiece'.
------------------------
BLACK SABBATH: Deluxe Edition Of 'Dehumanizer' Due In February
'Dehumanizer' deluxe edition track listing:
Disc One (Original Album 1992)
01. Computer God
02. After All (The Dead)
03. TV Crimes
04. Letters From Earth
05. Master Of Insanity
06. Time Machine
07. Sins Of The Father
08. Too Late
09. I
10. Buried Alive
Disc Two (Bonus Tracks)
01. Master Of Insanity (Single Edit)
02. Letters From Earth (B-Side Version)
03. Time Machine (Wayne's World Version)
Live at The Sundome,Tampa, Florida 25th July 1992:
01. Children Of The Sea
02. Die Young
03. TV Crimes
04. Master Of Insanity
05. Neon Knights
------------------------
Bobby Darin's 'That’s All' Gets Audiophile Release
Mastered from the Original Analog Mono Session Tape by Kevin Gray at AcousTech, one of the greatest male vocal LP’s of the century, Bobby Darin 'That’s All' is being reissued on Audiophile vinyl.
The new Boxstar LP unlocks hidden treasures only suggested on the original pressing, the enthralling magic that was Bobby Darin is now again here for all to enjoy. This is not just for audiophiles, but for any person in love with the art of the human voice. Included are the hits “Mack the Knife” and “Beyond The Sea” as you’ve never heard them before. Also included are standout cuts “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise,” and “I’ll Remember April.” It’s no accident that these historic sessions were produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Nesuhi Ertegun and Jerry Wexler and engineered by the legendary Tom Dowd.
------------------------
Beatles' John Lennon's 'Abbey Road' Suit Up For Auction
Galleries in Connecticut on New Year’s Day (January 1). The owner is believed to be selling the item due to financial difficulties, reports the Associated Press.
The blazer Lennon for in the music video for ‘Imagine’ is also part of the auction.
------------------------
Ye Olde Record Shoppe
A new record store on the Palouse may be arriving at the right time after all.
Leah Sottile
The economy’s awful. So naturally two guys in a small North Idaho town decide to open a store specializing in vinyl records. Great plan, right?
It’s a question you can’t help but ask Zachary Johnson and Brandon Rowley, the owners of Moscow’s new bite-sized music shop, Deadbeat Records.
Why open now? Why open in North Idaho? And why vinyl? These are questions the pair — who just opened the store in early November — are already getting used to hearing.
“When we told people we were opening a record store, we had a lot of naysayers,” Johnson says. “But we’ve been more than pleased so far.”
Read the rest of the article HERE
------------------------
UK's largest collection of memorabilia from musicals left to the V&ACollection includes more than 10,000 records, posters and scores dating back to the 1950s
Maev Kennedy guardian.co.uk
In 1950 a small boy was taken by his parents to see the musical Annie Get Your Gun, at the Gaumont theatre in Southampton. The production transformed the fortunes of the theatre, now called the Mayflower, and also led to the creation of the largest private collection of musicals memorabilia, by the spellbound boy, who grew to be a banker but never forgot the stunning impact of his first live show.
Rexton Bunnett, who built up the archive with his late partner, John Muir, announced today that he is leaving the entire collection – more than 10,000 records, as well as books, programmes, music scores and posters – to the nation, in the care of the Victoria and Albert museum.
Read the rest of the article HERE
------------------------
10 Creative Album Cover Collage Artworks
Written by Igor Ovsyannykov
Read the rest of the article HERE
------------------------
The Revival Of Vinyl Has Begun In The Midwest
By Kate Sullivan
Piles of slim cases are stacked high around the room while you are lying flat on your back in bed. With some popping and crackling a record starts to play.
This can be true of a couple generations; the generation that witnessed the beginning of vinyl, the generation that tried to keep the format popular and the generation now that listened to its parent’s records growing up and now can’t seem to stop.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the vinyl record format continues to make a comeback. In 2008, the RIAA reported that the format more than doubled its sales to 57 million. This is the highest level of the vinyl format since 1990.
There are three record stores that are keeping afloat in a marketplace that is headed in an entirely new direction. Revival Records in Eau Claire, Wis. depends on the sales of popular 1970s rock albums while still maintaining an updated collection for costumers. Vinyl Cave Records in Superior, Wis. depends on its sales of popular 45’s. Treehouse Records in Minneapolis depends on their loyal customers who have been coming to the same location for decades. These three stores in the Midwest sell only vinyl records.
The store owners all have different views on the future of vinyl records, but they all seem to agree that vinyl just sounds better than other formats.
Read the rest of the article HERE
Universal Music Enterprises to Release Deluxe Expanded Reissues of Thin Lizzy's Groundbreaking Albums 'Jailbreak,' 'Johnny The Fox,' 'Live And Dangerous'
All Three Albums To Be Released February 8, 2011, and Include Previously Unreleased Material
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-four years have passed since the death of the iconic Phil Lynott, the world has changed, but the amazing body of work that is Thin Lizzy still retains all of its vibrancy and influence.
Universal Music Enterprises is proud to announce the imminent release of deluxe, expanded editions of three seminal Thin Lizzy albums – Jailbreak, Johnny The Fox, and one of the great live rock albums of all time, the iconic Live And Dangerous. These classic albums were remixed, remastered and embellished by original band member Scott Gorham and Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott. Each contains a remastered version of the original disc and a second disc of rare bonus tracks. Live And Dangerous is a two-disc audio set with the third disc a DVD.
1976's Jailbreak was Thin Lizzy's sixth studio album. This album proved to be Thin Lizzy's commercial breakthrough in the U.S. with the massive singles "Jailbreak" and the landmark "The Boys Are Back in Town" (the latter being Thin Lizzy's biggest hit ever). One of the classic rock albums of all time, this deluxe version contains a four-song BBC session from the period as well as previously unreleased tracks. The package is rounded off with new liner notes and has a booklet packed with rare photos and memorabilia.
Also released in 1976, Johnny The Fox was Thin Lizzy's seventh studio album. The album was written and recorded while bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott was recovering from a bout of hepatitis that took him off the road halfway through the "Jailbreak" tour. As a rock album, it stands with the best of Thin Lizzy's work. Released during the band's peak years (the mid-to-late '70s), the album highlights the twin guitar attack of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson and Lynott's own songwriting—the songs revealing a more focused craftsmanship. The overall tone of the album is looser than previous albums. It contains the all-time classic "Don't Believe a Word" and other Lizzy staples. This deluxe version also contains a BBC session from the time as well as previously unreleased tracks. The package is bolstered by new commentary and rare photos and memorabilia.
Live and Dangerous was released in 1978 and is arguably one of the great live albums of all time— the cover an iconic and instantly recognizable image of Phil Lynott. It was recorded in London and Toronto in 1977, during the tours accompanying the albums Jailbreak and Bad Reputation. Live and Dangerous was originally intended to be a studio album. The band had worked with producer Tony Visconti on their previous album Bad Reputation, and the group wanted to work with him again. But because Visconti had a very tight schedule, Phil Lynott instead came up with the idea that they spend two weeks together compiling a live album. The album is packed with Thin Lizzy's timeless greatest moments and remains one of the most influential and revered albums of all time.
A DVD was released (now included in this package) that contains all the recorded video from the Live and Dangerous concert, including (in order): "Rosalie," "The Boys Are Back In Town," "Emerald," "Dancing In The Moonlight," "Massacre," "Still In Love With You," "Don't Believe A Word," "Are You Ready," "Sha-La-La," "Baby Drives Me Crazy" and "Me And The Boys" (not included on the album). It also includes various other Thin Lizzy performances, including a show recorded during their farewell tour.
The Live and Dangerous deluxe expanded edition also gets new notes and is filled with photos and memorabilia.
The Deluxe Expanded Reissues of Jailbreak, Johnny The Fox and Live and Dangerous are to be released through Universal Music Enterprises on the February 8, 2011
A new lineup has formed to take Lizzy's music to a whole new generation of music fans. Led by alumni Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton (all of whom played in Thin Lizzy with Phil Lynott), this stellar lineup is completed by Def Leppard's Viv Campbell (guitar), bassist Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Ted Nugent) and The Almighty's Ricky Warwick on vocals and guitar. The new lineup will be touring Europe beginning in January 2011.
SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-four years have passed since the death of the iconic Phil Lynott, the world has changed, but the amazing body of work that is Thin Lizzy still retains all of its vibrancy and influence.
Universal Music Enterprises is proud to announce the imminent release of deluxe, expanded editions of three seminal Thin Lizzy albums – Jailbreak, Johnny The Fox, and one of the great live rock albums of all time, the iconic Live And Dangerous. These classic albums were remixed, remastered and embellished by original band member Scott Gorham and Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott. Each contains a remastered version of the original disc and a second disc of rare bonus tracks. Live And Dangerous is a two-disc audio set with the third disc a DVD.
1976's Jailbreak was Thin Lizzy's sixth studio album. This album proved to be Thin Lizzy's commercial breakthrough in the U.S. with the massive singles "Jailbreak" and the landmark "The Boys Are Back in Town" (the latter being Thin Lizzy's biggest hit ever). One of the classic rock albums of all time, this deluxe version contains a four-song BBC session from the period as well as previously unreleased tracks. The package is rounded off with new liner notes and has a booklet packed with rare photos and memorabilia.
Also released in 1976, Johnny The Fox was Thin Lizzy's seventh studio album. The album was written and recorded while bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott was recovering from a bout of hepatitis that took him off the road halfway through the "Jailbreak" tour. As a rock album, it stands with the best of Thin Lizzy's work. Released during the band's peak years (the mid-to-late '70s), the album highlights the twin guitar attack of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson and Lynott's own songwriting—the songs revealing a more focused craftsmanship. The overall tone of the album is looser than previous albums. It contains the all-time classic "Don't Believe a Word" and other Lizzy staples. This deluxe version also contains a BBC session from the time as well as previously unreleased tracks. The package is bolstered by new commentary and rare photos and memorabilia.
Live and Dangerous was released in 1978 and is arguably one of the great live albums of all time— the cover an iconic and instantly recognizable image of Phil Lynott. It was recorded in London and Toronto in 1977, during the tours accompanying the albums Jailbreak and Bad Reputation. Live and Dangerous was originally intended to be a studio album. The band had worked with producer Tony Visconti on their previous album Bad Reputation, and the group wanted to work with him again. But because Visconti had a very tight schedule, Phil Lynott instead came up with the idea that they spend two weeks together compiling a live album. The album is packed with Thin Lizzy's timeless greatest moments and remains one of the most influential and revered albums of all time.
A DVD was released (now included in this package) that contains all the recorded video from the Live and Dangerous concert, including (in order): "Rosalie," "The Boys Are Back In Town," "Emerald," "Dancing In The Moonlight," "Massacre," "Still In Love With You," "Don't Believe A Word," "Are You Ready," "Sha-La-La," "Baby Drives Me Crazy" and "Me And The Boys" (not included on the album). It also includes various other Thin Lizzy performances, including a show recorded during their farewell tour.
The Live and Dangerous deluxe expanded edition also gets new notes and is filled with photos and memorabilia.
The Deluxe Expanded Reissues of Jailbreak, Johnny The Fox and Live and Dangerous are to be released through Universal Music Enterprises on the February 8, 2011
A new lineup has formed to take Lizzy's music to a whole new generation of music fans. Led by alumni Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton (all of whom played in Thin Lizzy with Phil Lynott), this stellar lineup is completed by Def Leppard's Viv Campbell (guitar), bassist Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Ted Nugent) and The Almighty's Ricky Warwick on vocals and guitar. The new lineup will be touring Europe beginning in January 2011.
SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises
This Date In Music History - December 17
Birthdays:
Art Neville - Neville Brothers (1937)
Jim Bonfanti - Young Rascals, Raspberries (1948)
Paul Rodgers - Free, Bad Company, also a member of The Firm, with Jimmy Page (1949)
Wanda Hutchinson - Emotions (1951)
Mike Mills - R.E.M. (1958)
Sarah Dallen - Bananarama (1962)
Tim Chewning - Ricochet (1962)
Micky Quinn - Supergrass (1969)
DJ Homicide - Sugar Ray (1970)
Neil Christopher - Three Days Grace (1978)
Taylor York - Paramore (1989)
They Are Missed:
Delta blues musician and songwriter Big Joe Williams died in 1982 in Macon, Mississippi (age 79).
Born on this day in 1950, Carlton Barrett, The Wailers. Barrett was shot dead outside his home on April 17, 1987.
Born today in 1942, Paul Butterfield, blues singer, harmonica player. Appeared at The Bands, 'Last Waltz'. Died on May 4, 1987.
Born on this day in 1939, Eddie Kendricks, vocals, the Temptations, solo. Died on October 5, 1992.
Born today in 1959, Bob Stinson, guitar, the Replacements. Died of an accidental drug overdose February 18, 1995.
Jazz-funk, soul-jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr died of a heart attack in 1999 (age 56). He collapsed in the green room after taping four songs for The Early Show, at CBS Studios in New York City. He released over 20 solo albums and featured on the 1981 Bill Withers hit "Just The Two of Us."
English saxophonist Denis Payton died in 2006. Member of Dave Clark Five who had the 1964 UK #1 single "Glad All Over," 1965 US #1 single "Over And Over," plus over 15 other UK top 40 singles.
History:
In 1892, Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" was first performed in St. Petersburg by the Russian Imperial Ballet.
Bill Haley and his Comets put the first Rock and Roll song on the UK singles chart in 1954 with "Rock Around The Clock," which would later peak at number 4.
While their hit "Only You" was still at #2, The Platters' "The Great Pretender" entered the Billboard R&B chart at #13 in 1955.
Carl Perkins wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1955. Less than 48 hours later, he recorded it in Memphis, TN.
Tennessee Ernie Ford's version of "Sixteen Tons" was #1 on both the Billboard Pop and Country & Western charts in 1955. The song had first recorded in 1946 by American Country singer Merle Travis.
In 1957, Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" entered the Billboard Pop chart for the first time, where it will reach #6. It will make the chart again in December 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1962.
Returning from Hamburg in 1960, the Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined the Beatles on bass guitar (to replace Stuart Sutcliffe, who had remained in Hamburg), a position he would hold for only two weeks and four performances. When Newby bowed out to return to college, Paul McCartney became the Beatles' bass player.
In 1962, Bob Dylan arrived in England for the first time; he played his first UK date the following night at the Troubadour Club in London.
In 1963, James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, DC, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles' record on American radio. Carroll played "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend; who had brought the single back from the UK. Due to listener demand, the song was played daily, every hour. Since it hadn't been released yet in the States, Capitol Records initially considered court action, but instead released the single earlier than planned.
Judy Garland and The Supremes performed at the opening of the Astrodome in Houston in 1965.
The Royal Guardsmen's "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" entered the Billboard Pop chart in 1966, where it will peak at #2 during its eleven week run.
Also in 1966, the Four Tops' "Standing in the Shadows of Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100. During a ten week stay, the tune will peak at #6. It also reached #2 on the R&B chart.
The Who played their Xmas party at the Marquee Club, London in 1968. Also on the bill was a new group called Yes. Members 15 shillings, ($1.80) or £1 ($2.40) on the night. Other acts appearing at the club this month included Joe Cocker, Free and Led Zeppelin.
In 1969, an estimated 40 million viewers tuned in to see 36 year-old Tiny Tim marry 17 year old Victoria May Budinger, whom he referred to as "Miss Vicki," on The Tonight Show. The couple would later have one daughter, Tulip, but divorced in 1972.
The Beach Boys played a command performance for Princess Margaret at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1970.
In 1975, Aerosmith and Blue Oyster Cult appeared at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.
In 1977, Mr. David Ackroyd purchased the one-millionth copy of "Mull Of Kintyre," by Wings in the UK and became the first record buyer to receive a Gold Disc.
Elvis Costello appeared on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live in 1977 (subbing for the Sex Pistols, who could not get visas to enter the US), where producer Lorne Michaels refused to allow him to perform "Radio, Radio" (because of the song's criticism of the broadcasting industry). A few measures into "Less than Zero," Costello halted his group and goes into "Radio, Radio."
Also in 1977, George Harrison played an unannounced live set for the regulars at his local pub in Henley-On-Thames.
In 1982, Karen Carpenter made her last live appearance with The Carpenters singing Christmas carols at Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California.
The Who played the "last concert of our farewell tour" at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in 1982. However, The Who continues to say goodbye through the ‘90s. And it proves highly lucrative.
Wayne "Danke Schoen" Newton won a $19.2 million suit against NBC News in 1986. NBC had aired reports claiming a link between Newton and mob figures. The reports were proven to be false.
Paul McCartney's limo catches fire en route to a TV taping in Newcastle, England in 1986. Both he and his wife Linda escape unharmed.
The Doobie Brothers reunited for a benefit in Palo Alto, California in 1986. The performance inspires a reunion tour the next year.
Ini Kamoze started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1994 with "Here Comes The Hotstepper."
Also in 1994, a remixed version of The Four Seasons' "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" re-entered the US Hot 100, where it stayed for another 27 weeks, just as it did when it first charted in 1976. The combined run will establish a record for the longest total chart appearance in US chart history.
In 1995, a statue of the late Frank Zappa was unveiled in Vilnius, the capital of the Republic Of Lithuania. It had been organised by Zappa fan club President Saulius Pauksty.
David Bowie launched his BowieNet on the Internet in 1997.
In 1999, the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards decides to keep a guitar that he was asked to autograph, outside his birthday party at the Russian Tea Room in New York City. The owner of the guitar decides not to press charges saying, "It's Keith, man."
In 2004, Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert FX Sillerman in a deal worth $100,000,000. Sillerman will run Presley's Memphis home, Graceland, will own Elvis' name and likeness, as well as the rights to his photographs and revenue from his music and films. Lisa Marie will retain possession of Graceland and many of her father's personal effects. The agreement was to pay her $53 million in cash and absolve her of $25m in debts owed by the estate. She will also receive shares in the new company expected to be worth more than $20 million. Actress Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie's mother and Presley's former wife, remained executive consultant to the business.
A letter written by late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to Courtney Love in 1991 sells for more than $19,000 at a Christie’s memorabilia auction in NY in 2004.
Bon Jovi's show in Washington, D.C., was transmitted live through Sprint wireless phones and multimedia devices in 2005, becoming the first full-length concert streamed through the carrier. Subscribers watch by tuning in Sprint TV.
U2 had the top-grossing tour of 2005, according to an end-of-year chart compiled by US magazine Billboard. More than three million people watched the band's sell-out 90-date Vertigo tour which grossed $260m. The Eagles, took $117m from 77 shows and Neil Diamond grossed more than $71m. Kenny Chesney was fourth with $63m, Paul McCartney $60m, Rod Stewart with $49m, Elton John with $45.5m, Dave Matthews Band with $45m, Jimmy Buffett with $41m and Green Day with $36.5m.
Rumors that John Frusciante had left the Red Hot Chili Peppers are confirmed on the guitarist’s MySpace blog in 2009. “To put it simply, my musical interests have led me in a different direction.” According to Frusciante, this isn’t exactly new news. He writes that he left the band over a year earlier when the Peppers were on indefinite hiatus. At the time of the announcement, RHCP are in the studio recording a follow-up to ‘06’s “Stadium Arcadium” with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. It’s the second time Fusciante has parted company with the RHCP.
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke crashed the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009 by pretending to be a member of the press. "Do you imagine they'd let me in otherwise,” asks Yorke. He later criticizes the conference as ineffective.
In 2009, insisting that he has let go of all his "anger and bitterness," John Lennon’s son Julian said that he has finally forgiven his late father for walking out on him as a child. "I realized if I continued to feel that anger and bitterness towards my dad, I would have a cloud hanging over my head." After John was murdered in 1980, it was revealed that he had left very little to Julian in his will.
Art Neville - Neville Brothers (1937)
Jim Bonfanti - Young Rascals, Raspberries (1948)
Paul Rodgers - Free, Bad Company, also a member of The Firm, with Jimmy Page (1949)
Wanda Hutchinson - Emotions (1951)
Mike Mills - R.E.M. (1958)
Sarah Dallen - Bananarama (1962)
Tim Chewning - Ricochet (1962)
Micky Quinn - Supergrass (1969)
DJ Homicide - Sugar Ray (1970)
Neil Christopher - Three Days Grace (1978)
Taylor York - Paramore (1989)
They Are Missed:
Delta blues musician and songwriter Big Joe Williams died in 1982 in Macon, Mississippi (age 79).
Born on this day in 1950, Carlton Barrett, The Wailers. Barrett was shot dead outside his home on April 17, 1987.
Born today in 1942, Paul Butterfield, blues singer, harmonica player. Appeared at The Bands, 'Last Waltz'. Died on May 4, 1987.
Born on this day in 1939, Eddie Kendricks, vocals, the Temptations, solo. Died on October 5, 1992.
Born today in 1959, Bob Stinson, guitar, the Replacements. Died of an accidental drug overdose February 18, 1995.
Jazz-funk, soul-jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr died of a heart attack in 1999 (age 56). He collapsed in the green room after taping four songs for The Early Show, at CBS Studios in New York City. He released over 20 solo albums and featured on the 1981 Bill Withers hit "Just The Two of Us."
English saxophonist Denis Payton died in 2006. Member of Dave Clark Five who had the 1964 UK #1 single "Glad All Over," 1965 US #1 single "Over And Over," plus over 15 other UK top 40 singles.
History:
In 1892, Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" was first performed in St. Petersburg by the Russian Imperial Ballet.
Bill Haley and his Comets put the first Rock and Roll song on the UK singles chart in 1954 with "Rock Around The Clock," which would later peak at number 4.
While their hit "Only You" was still at #2, The Platters' "The Great Pretender" entered the Billboard R&B chart at #13 in 1955.
Carl Perkins wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1955. Less than 48 hours later, he recorded it in Memphis, TN.
Tennessee Ernie Ford's version of "Sixteen Tons" was #1 on both the Billboard Pop and Country & Western charts in 1955. The song had first recorded in 1946 by American Country singer Merle Travis.
In 1957, Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" entered the Billboard Pop chart for the first time, where it will reach #6. It will make the chart again in December 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1962.
Returning from Hamburg in 1960, the Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined the Beatles on bass guitar (to replace Stuart Sutcliffe, who had remained in Hamburg), a position he would hold for only two weeks and four performances. When Newby bowed out to return to college, Paul McCartney became the Beatles' bass player.
In 1962, Bob Dylan arrived in England for the first time; he played his first UK date the following night at the Troubadour Club in London.
In 1963, James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, DC, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles' record on American radio. Carroll played "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend; who had brought the single back from the UK. Due to listener demand, the song was played daily, every hour. Since it hadn't been released yet in the States, Capitol Records initially considered court action, but instead released the single earlier than planned.
Judy Garland and The Supremes performed at the opening of the Astrodome in Houston in 1965.
The Royal Guardsmen's "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" entered the Billboard Pop chart in 1966, where it will peak at #2 during its eleven week run.
Also in 1966, the Four Tops' "Standing in the Shadows of Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100. During a ten week stay, the tune will peak at #6. It also reached #2 on the R&B chart.
The Who played their Xmas party at the Marquee Club, London in 1968. Also on the bill was a new group called Yes. Members 15 shillings, ($1.80) or £1 ($2.40) on the night. Other acts appearing at the club this month included Joe Cocker, Free and Led Zeppelin.
In 1969, an estimated 40 million viewers tuned in to see 36 year-old Tiny Tim marry 17 year old Victoria May Budinger, whom he referred to as "Miss Vicki," on The Tonight Show. The couple would later have one daughter, Tulip, but divorced in 1972.
The Beach Boys played a command performance for Princess Margaret at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1970.
In 1975, Aerosmith and Blue Oyster Cult appeared at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.
In 1977, Mr. David Ackroyd purchased the one-millionth copy of "Mull Of Kintyre," by Wings in the UK and became the first record buyer to receive a Gold Disc.
Elvis Costello appeared on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live in 1977 (subbing for the Sex Pistols, who could not get visas to enter the US), where producer Lorne Michaels refused to allow him to perform "Radio, Radio" (because of the song's criticism of the broadcasting industry). A few measures into "Less than Zero," Costello halted his group and goes into "Radio, Radio."
Also in 1977, George Harrison played an unannounced live set for the regulars at his local pub in Henley-On-Thames.
In 1982, Karen Carpenter made her last live appearance with The Carpenters singing Christmas carols at Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California.
The Who played the "last concert of our farewell tour" at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in 1982. However, The Who continues to say goodbye through the ‘90s. And it proves highly lucrative.
Wayne "Danke Schoen" Newton won a $19.2 million suit against NBC News in 1986. NBC had aired reports claiming a link between Newton and mob figures. The reports were proven to be false.
Paul McCartney's limo catches fire en route to a TV taping in Newcastle, England in 1986. Both he and his wife Linda escape unharmed.
The Doobie Brothers reunited for a benefit in Palo Alto, California in 1986. The performance inspires a reunion tour the next year.
Ini Kamoze started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1994 with "Here Comes The Hotstepper."
Also in 1994, a remixed version of The Four Seasons' "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" re-entered the US Hot 100, where it stayed for another 27 weeks, just as it did when it first charted in 1976. The combined run will establish a record for the longest total chart appearance in US chart history.
In 1995, a statue of the late Frank Zappa was unveiled in Vilnius, the capital of the Republic Of Lithuania. It had been organised by Zappa fan club President Saulius Pauksty.
David Bowie launched his BowieNet on the Internet in 1997.
In 1999, the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards decides to keep a guitar that he was asked to autograph, outside his birthday party at the Russian Tea Room in New York City. The owner of the guitar decides not to press charges saying, "It's Keith, man."
In 2004, Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert FX Sillerman in a deal worth $100,000,000. Sillerman will run Presley's Memphis home, Graceland, will own Elvis' name and likeness, as well as the rights to his photographs and revenue from his music and films. Lisa Marie will retain possession of Graceland and many of her father's personal effects. The agreement was to pay her $53 million in cash and absolve her of $25m in debts owed by the estate. She will also receive shares in the new company expected to be worth more than $20 million. Actress Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie's mother and Presley's former wife, remained executive consultant to the business.
A letter written by late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to Courtney Love in 1991 sells for more than $19,000 at a Christie’s memorabilia auction in NY in 2004.
Bon Jovi's show in Washington, D.C., was transmitted live through Sprint wireless phones and multimedia devices in 2005, becoming the first full-length concert streamed through the carrier. Subscribers watch by tuning in Sprint TV.
U2 had the top-grossing tour of 2005, according to an end-of-year chart compiled by US magazine Billboard. More than three million people watched the band's sell-out 90-date Vertigo tour which grossed $260m. The Eagles, took $117m from 77 shows and Neil Diamond grossed more than $71m. Kenny Chesney was fourth with $63m, Paul McCartney $60m, Rod Stewart with $49m, Elton John with $45.5m, Dave Matthews Band with $45m, Jimmy Buffett with $41m and Green Day with $36.5m.
Rumors that John Frusciante had left the Red Hot Chili Peppers are confirmed on the guitarist’s MySpace blog in 2009. “To put it simply, my musical interests have led me in a different direction.” According to Frusciante, this isn’t exactly new news. He writes that he left the band over a year earlier when the Peppers were on indefinite hiatus. At the time of the announcement, RHCP are in the studio recording a follow-up to ‘06’s “Stadium Arcadium” with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. It’s the second time Fusciante has parted company with the RHCP.
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke crashed the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009 by pretending to be a member of the press. "Do you imagine they'd let me in otherwise,” asks Yorke. He later criticizes the conference as ineffective.
In 2009, insisting that he has let go of all his "anger and bitterness," John Lennon’s son Julian said that he has finally forgiven his late father for walking out on him as a child. "I realized if I continued to feel that anger and bitterness towards my dad, I would have a cloud hanging over my head." After John was murdered in 1980, it was revealed that he had left very little to Julian in his will.
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