Today in Rock n' Roll History

[Koala]

1969 During a North American tour Led Zeppelin appeared at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Jethro Tull who opened for the band were at No.1 on the UK album chart with their second release 'Stand Up'.

1975 The Bee Gees started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Jive Talkin', the group's second US No.1 it made No.5 in the UK.

1980 Abba scored their eighth UK No.1 single with 'The Winner Takes It All'. Taken from their 'Super Trouper' album. By this time, both couples were divorced.

1980 AC/DC scored their first UK No.1 album with 'Back In Black'. It was the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, (who died on 19 February 1980 at the age of 33), and was dedicated to him. The album has sold an estimated 49 million copies worldwide to date, making it the second highest selling album of all time, and the best selling hard rock or heavy metal album, as well as the best selling album ever released by a band.

1980 Ten original Gerald Scarfe drawings for Pink Floyd’s album ‘The Wall’ were stolen from the foyer of Earls Court, London, England where they were being exhibited.

1986 Queen performs at Knebworth Stadium in Britain. It is their 658th and final concert performance.

1995 Jerry Garcia dies at age 53 of a heart attack after having checked into a drug-rehab facility in Forest Knolls, California.

2005 Marc Cohn survived being shot in the head during an attempted car jacking as he left a concert in Denver, Colorado. Cohn was struck in the temple by the bullet but it did not penetrate his skull. Police said a man tried to commandeer Cohn's tour van as it left after a show, the attacker was fleeing police after trying to pay a hotel bill with a stolen credit card.

[Koala]

1909 Leo Fender was born.

1959 Four members of The Platters were arrested after a gig in Cincinnati after being found with four 19 year old women, (3 of them white), in various stages of undress. The scandal resulted in radio stations across the US removing Platters records from their playlists.

1963 Motown's 12-year-old prodigy, Little Stevie Wonder, tops the pop charts with "Fingertips (Pt. II)" Recorded in concert, it is the first live single in history to reach Number One.

1970 Simon and Garfunkels album 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' was at No.1 on the UK album chart, The Beatles were at No.2 with 'Let It Be' and Bob Dylan was at No.3 with 'Self Portrait.'

1976 Elton John played the first of ten nights sold out nights at Madison Sq. Gardens in New York City. The $1.25 million generated from the shows broke the record set by The Rolling Stones in 1975.

1985 'Money for Nothing' by Dire Straits peaked at No.4 on the UK singles chart. Notable for its groundbreaking music video and a cameo appearance by Sting singing the song's falsetto introduction and backing chorus, "I want my MTV," who also co-wrote the song with Mark Knopfler. The video was also the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network started on 1 August 1987.

[Freypower]

1985 'Money for Nothing' by Dire Straits peaked at No.4 on the UK singles chart. Notable for its groundbreaking music video and a cameo appearance by Sting singing the song's falsetto introduction and backing chorus, "I want my MTV," who also co-wrote the song with Mark Knopfler. The video was also the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network started on 1 August 1987.

I've probably said this before; but the co-writing credit for Sting is not the great virtue of this song. In fact I think the only line he contributed was 'I want my MTV'. I have seen a clip of him performing it with the band. Not to diss Knopfler's fellow Geordie, you understand, but credit should be given primarily where it is due.

[Koala]

1956 Elvis Presley's double sided hit 'Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog was released. The single went to No.1 on the US chart, where it stayed for 11 weeks - a record that would not be broken until 1992's Boyz II Men hit 'End of the Road'.

1964 The High Numbers, (later to become The Who), played at The Railway Hotel in Harrow, England. Just before the band were due on stage, Roger Daltry’s father-in law came into the venue and dragged the singer outside and hit him. The band started their set and Daltry appeared back on stage after the fight.

1966 At a press conference held at The Astor Towers Hotel in Chicago, John Lennon apologised for his remarks that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus". Lennon told reporters “Look, I wasn’t saying The Beatles are better than God or Jesus, I said ‘Beatles’ because it’s easy for me to talk about The Beatles. I could have said ‘TV’ or ‘Cinema’, ‘Motorcars’ or anything popular and would have got away with it…”

1967 The Small Faces, The Move, Marmalade, Paul Jones, Pink Floyd, Amen Corner, Donovan, Zoot Money, Cream, Jeff Beck, John Mayall, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown all appeared at this years UK Reading festival. An advance 3 day ticket cost £2. Arthur Brown's trademark flaming helmet burnt out of control and organiser Harold Pendleton's father-in-law had to douse the flames with a pint of beer.

1979 Led Zeppelin played their last ever UK show when they appeared at Knebworth Park, England. Also on the bill, The New Barbarians, Todd Rundgren, Southside Johnny and the Ashbury Dukes, Chas and Dave and Fairport Convention.

1999 Kiss arrived on Hollywood Boulevard to unveil their star on The Walk Of Fame. The band had released over 30 albums and sold over 80 million records world-wide.

2002 Bruce Springsteen started a two week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘The Rising’, the singers fifth US No.1. Also No.1 in the UK.

[Koala]

1949 Mark Knopfler is born.
1964 The Beatles first film ‘A Hard Days Night’ opened in 500 American cinemas to rave reviews.

1968 Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham played together for the first time when they rehearsed at a studio in Lisle Street in London’s West End. The first song they played was a version of ‘Train Kept A-Rollin.’

1972 Alice Cooper was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'School's Out'. The singers only UK No.1, a No.7 hit on the US chart.

1984 As The Olympic Games came to a close, Lionel Richie performed, 'All Night Long' live from Los Angeles to an estimated television audience of 2.6 billion people around the world.

1989 The two day Moscow Music Peace Festival was held at The Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Western Acts who appeared included Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, Skid Row and The Scorpions. This was the first time that an audience had been allowed to stand up and dance at a stadium rock concert in the Soviet Union. Previous to this, all concerts had to be seated.

[Koala]

1938 Robert Johnson died three days after he was poisoned by the jealous husband of a woman he began seeing during a stint at the Three Forks juke joint in Greenwood, Mississippi.

1951 Dan Fogelberg is born.

1967 Fleetwood Mac made their live debut when they appeared at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor. Also on the bill Jeff Beck, Cream, Small Faces, The Move, The Pink Floyd, Donovan and Chicken Shack.

1971 John Lennon flew from Heathrow Airport to New York, he never set foot on British soil again.

1971 Pink Floyd played their first ever Australian date when they appeared at the Festival Hall in Melbourne.

1994 Woodstock '94 was held in Saugerties, New York, attended by over 350,000 fans, the festival featured Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Aerosmith and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tickets cost $135.00, (£89.00).

1994 Crosby, Stills & Nash return to the scene of an early triumph, performing at the Woodstock '94 festival. This year is the 25th anniversary of both Crosby, Stills and Nash's formation and the original Woodstock festival.

2004 'Angels' by Robbie Williams was voted the best single which should have been a number one but never was, in a poll for music channel VH1. The ballad, which reached No.4 in December 1997, beat Savage Garden's ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ and Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing.' Other songs said to have deserved a number one included Madonna with ‘Ray of Light’, ‘Beautiful Stranger’, ‘Crazy For You’ and ‘Material Girl’, Bon Jovi with ‘Always’ and Oasis with ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Live Forever’. Sir Cliff Richard's hit 'Millennium Prayer' was voted the worst number one single of all time.

　

[Ive always been a dreamer]

1971 John Lennon flew from Heathrow Airport to New York, he never set foot on British soil again.

That kinda choked me up when I read it!

[Koala]

1941 David Crosby is born.

1962 Unhappy with drummer Pete Best's role in The Beatles Brian Epstein and the other three members decide to sack him. Best played his last gig the following night at The Cavern, Liverpool. Ringo Starr who was nearing the end of a three-month engagement with Rory Storm & the Hurricanes at a Butlin's holiday camp received a telephone call from John Lennon, asking him to join The Beatles. Ringo gave Rory Storm three days notice and on August 18, appeared as a member of The Beatles for the first time.

1965 Sonny & Cher started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Got You Babe'.

1985 Michael Jackson won a bid over Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney to secure the ATV Music Publishing catalogue. At $47.5m he gained the rights to more than 250 songs written by Lennon and McCartney. McCartney had been negotiating with Yoko Ono, who had decided to withdraw her side of the deal because of ‘astrological’ reasons.

1988 Guitarist Roy Buchanan died after hanging himself by his own shirt in Fairfax County Jail, Virginia after being arrested for drunkenness. Buchanan released over 15 solo albums; Jeff Beck dedicated the song 'Cause We've Ended As Lovers' to Buchanan in 1975 on his Blow by Blow album.

1993 Freddie Mercury had his first solo UK No.1 single with 'Living On My Own'. The song had been a minor hit in 1985 when released from his solo album Mr. Bad Guy, this remixed version was reissued.
　
　

[Koala]

1965 The Beatles set a new world record for the largest attendance at a pop concert when they played in front of 55,600 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City. Sharing the bill with The Beatles; Brenda Holloway, The King Curtis Band, The Young Rascals and Sounds Incorporated. The Beatles were paid $160,000 for the show, the set list: ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘She's a Woman’, ‘I Feel Fine’, ‘Dizzy Miss Lizzie’, ‘Ticket to Ride’, ‘Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby’, ‘Can't Buy Me Love’, ‘Baby's In Black’, ‘Act Naturally’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, ‘A Hard Day's Night’, ‘Help!’, and ‘I'm Down’. Two of the Rolling Stones were among the audience, Mick Jagger and Keith Richard and later that evening; Bob Dylan visited The Beatles at their hotel.

1969 During a North American tour Led Zeppelin appeared at the Hemisfair Arena in San Antonio. Jethro Tull and Sweet Smoke were also on the bill. During the show Zeppelin received abuse from locals due to the length of their hair.

1969 Woodstock Festival was held on Max Yasgur's 600 acre farm in Bethel outside New York. Attended by over 400,000 people, the event featured, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Santana, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band, Canned Heat, Joan Baez, Melanie, Ten Years After, Sly and the Family Stone, Johnny Winter, Jefferson Airplane, Ravi Shanker, Country Joe and the Fish, Blood Sweat and Tears, Arlo Guthrie, and Joe Cocker. During the three days there were three deaths, two births and four miscarriages. Joni Mitchell was booked to appear but had to pull out due to being booked for a TV show, wrote the song 'Woodstock.'

1981 Diana Ross and Lionel Richie started a nine week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Endless Love', a No.7 in the UK. The song was the title from a film starring Brooke Shields.

[Koala]

1962 Little Stevie Wonder, (aged 12), released his first single, 'I Call It Pretty Music, (But The Old People Call It The Blues)', the single featured Marvin Gaye on drums.

1966 During a US tour The Beatles appeared at the John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia playing their set during huge electric storm.

1968 Bruce Springsteen’s new band Earth made their live debut at the Off Broad Street Coffee House in Red Bank, New Jersey, admission was 75c. The lineup of the group consisted of Springsteen (guitars & vocals), John Graham (bass), Michael Burke (drums) and ‘Flash Craig’ (organ). The group only had a 6-month existence.

1970 This week's UK Top 5 singles: No.5, Free, 'All Right Now', No.4, Shirley Bassey, 'Something', No.3, Hotlegs, 'Neanderthal Man', No.2, The Kinks, 'Lola' and No.1, Elvis Presley, 'The Wonder Of You', (his 16th UK No.1).

1975 Peter Gabriel announced he was leaving Genesis to go solo.