Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Squackett, Noel Gallagher, Kate Bush Announce Record Store Day Releases

Squackett is the new collaboration between Yes’ Chris Squire and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. The duo have announced that they will issue a limited edition 7-inch vinyl single on April 21 to celebrate Record Store Day. A single edit of a song called “Sea of Smiles” will be backed with “Perfect Love Song.”

Kate Bush is set to release a limited-edition two track 10” picture-disc vinyl for Record Store Day. The cuts are "Lake Tahoe" and "Among Angels," which are both taken from Bush’s current album '50 Words For Snow.'

And Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will release "Song From The Great White North," an exclusive 12” pressed on opaque white heavyweight vinyl. It will comprise of four tracks previously released as B sides; "The Good Rebel," "Let The Lord Shine A Light On Me," "I’d Pick You Every Time" and "Shoot A Hole Into The Sun." Only 2000 copies of each will be pressed for the UK and will be individually numbered.

Gallagher said of Record Store Day: “Record shops are as important as the records themselves.”

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and in music history for march 17th:

In 1957, Elvis Presley buys the Graceland mansion from Mrs. Ruth Brown-Moore for $102,500, outbidding the YMCA's offer of $35,000. The 23 room, 10,000 square foot home, sitting on 13.8 acres of land, would be expanded to 17,552 square feet of living space before the king moved in a few weeks later. The original building had at one time been a place of worship, used by the Graceland Christian Church and was named after the builder's daughter, Grace Toof.

In 1958, the Coasters record what will prove to be their only US number one hit, "Yakety Yak." In the UK, it reached #12.

In 1958, the Champs started a five week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Tequila," a #5 hit in the UK.

In 1967, Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, Carla Thomas, Sam & Dave and Booker T and The MG's appeared at London's Finsbury Park Astoria on the first night of a 17-date UK tour.

Also in 1967, working at Abbey Road studios in London, the Beatles finished the recording of "She's Leaving Home" after adding backing vocals to the track. Harpist Sheila Bromberg who was part of the string section on the track became the first woman to play on a Beatles recording.

In 1967, Bobby Vee recorded "Come Back When You Grow Up", which will reach number 3 on the Billboard Pop chart next September, becoming the 12th of his 14 Top 40 hits.

German single cover
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix released the single "Purple Haze."

In 1968, the Bee Gees made their television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. They performed "To Love Somebody" and "Words."

In 1970, Eddie Holman received a Gold record for the single, "Hey There Lonely Girl", originally recorded by Ruby and the Romantics under the title, "Hey There Lonely Boy" in the 1960s.

In 1972, Ringo Starr released the single "Back Off, Boogaloo." In a 1977 interview, Starr explained that the phrase "Back Off Boogaloo" was inspired when he and fellow musician (and close friend) Marc Bolan had dinner one night, and Bolan used the word "boogaloo" multiple times in his sentences. Starr said that after dinner, when he had been half awake and half asleep, the beat and tune for the song had become stuck in his head. He went to find a tape recorder to record the song but had trouble when all his tape recorders either were broken or had no batteries, adding, "So, I stole batteries from the kids toys and I got the song down."

In 1973, Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show’s single, “The Cover of the Rolling Stone,” peaked at #6 on the US chart, but was banned in the U. by the BBC, due to rules about product placement.

In 1978, four Irish, high school teens who call themselves U2, win the top prize of £500 ($1,000) in the Limerick Civic Week Pop '78 Competition, sponsored by The Evening Express and Guinness Harp Lager. They also win a chance to audition for CBS Ireland next June.

In 1982, Samuel George, Jr., lead singer of The Capitols, who had a US # 7 single with “Cool Jerk” was killed, aged 39, after being stabbed during a family argument.

In 1984, Van Halen's "Jump" peaks at #1 in the US and #7 in the UK. Over the years, David Lee Roth has given various accounts of the meaning behind the lyrics, but most often says they are about a TV news story he saw where a man was about to kill himself by jumping off a building.

In 1990, Hall And Oates, Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick and Barry Manilow take part in Arista Records' 15th anniversary concert where they raise over $2 million for various AIDS organizations.

In 1990, Rick Grech, bass player with Family, Blind Faith and Traffic died of kidney and liver failure.

In 1996, Terry Stafford, whose Elvis sound-a-like voice helped make the song "Suspicion" a Billboard #3 hit in 1964, died of liver failure at the age of 54.

In 1997, the RIAA announced that the Eagles' 'Greatest Hits' album had tied Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' as the all-time best-selling album in the US.

In 2002, the Soundtrack album 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' started a two week run at #1 on the US album chart.

In 2004, the Kinks' Ray Davies received a CBE medal (Commander of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for services to the music industry. The CBE is considered to be one level below knighthood.

In 2006, Michael Jackson closed the house on his Neverland Ranch in California and laid off a handful of employees, although some workers remained to maintain the rest of the property.

In 2008, Ola Brunkert, the drummer for ABBA on all of their albums, died after he hit his head against a glass door in his dining room, shattering the glass and cutting himself in the neck. He managed to wrap himself with a towel around but collapsed before reaching help. He was 62.

In 2010, Alex Chilton, the lead singer for the Box Tops on their Billboard Top Ten hits "The Letter" and "Cry Like A Baby", died following a heart attack. He was 59.

In 2011, Ferlin Husky, a Country-music entertainer who reached the Billboard Top 40 twice with "Gone" (#4 in 1957) and "Wings of a Dove" (#12 in 1960), died of heart related problems at the age of 85.

Celebrating birthdays today include Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane/Starship (1941), Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins (1967), Caroline Corr of The Corrs (1973), & John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful (1944), among others.