1934 - Composer George Gershwin was one of the first skeptical listeners to sign up for one of the newly invented Hammond Organs, final patent placed 77 years ago today. The inventor was Laurens Hammond, the quiet, hard-working head of the Hammond Clock Co. of Chicago. Though no musician, Hammond could see that a pipeless organ would have many practical advantages; pipes require space, are expensive to install and usually anchor an organ for life. Mechanism of the new instrument was all in the console, in a bed of magnets, coils and whirling disks. With the turn of a switch, the motor was on and at the touch of a key, electrical vibrations generated the sound through an ordinary amplifier. The Hammond organ can produce countless variations simply by setting a few switches and thus combining or eliminating the various electrical impulses which make the harmonics. See how Billy Preston masters the Hammond Orgab, right here, performing Summertime.
1936 - Two years later to the exact day, Benny Goodman and his pumpin' trio recorded China Boy. These guys rocked, no kidding there, they take off like a rocket on this video then ease on into the Sheik Of Araby. On drums is the man that Keith Moon and many other skin men name as the best ever...and that is Gene Krupa
1957 - He was just 17 when Ricky Nelson recorded his first record, Teenager's Romance, and it was released 54 years ago today. Nelson was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and an actor. He placed fifty-three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973, including nineteen top-ten hits, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. This is Ricky Nelson.
1961 - This was the day Bob Dylan earned a $50 session fee for playing harmonica on Harry Belafonte's version of the traditional folk song, Midnight Special. It was Dylan's recording debut. The song is historically performed in the country-blues style from the viewpoint of the prisoner. The song has been covered by many different recording artists, including ABBA, Burl Ives, Johnny Rivers, Big Joe Turner, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Mungo Jerry, Van Morrison, Odetta, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Little Richard, Buckwheat Zydeco, Pete Seeger, Otis Rush, The Kingston Trio, The Spencer Davis Group, Lonnie Donegan, Eric Clapton, Harry Belafonte, Big Bill Broonzy, Ursa Major and Paul McCartney and more...but here's Harry's version. with Bob Dylan on harmonica. Just a still photo...but the sound is for real...if you can, ignore the clunks, thunks and funks.;>)))
1968 - It's 1968, and this was the day that Apple Records chose not to sign brand new act, David Bowie, to the label, thinking there was not much potential. Don't know who the A&R person was, but I bet they don't do A&R anymore. Almost a decade later, and a new band from New York City, Talking Heads, began its first European tour, supporting the Ramones. These bands were part of a new wave of music, punk, mostly erupting from Manhattan, and also included Blondie, Television and other so-called punk bands, mostly playing in the bowels of NYC's downtown CBGB's.
And as a special treat, for those of you who doubted the prowess, the power and the passion of the legendary Ramones...feast your eyes on this.
1984 - Jerry Lee Lewis married his sixth wife, Kerrie McCarver 27 years ago today, and six years after that the road crew for Roger Waters discovered an unexploded World War II era bomb while constructing the set for The Wall concert in Potsdamer Platz, Germany. And it was today in 1996 that Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) was in a drug rehab and could not perform, causing the cancellation of several shows. Here's a performance that shows they were very willing to do small record promo gigs...this is about as bootleg as you can get, the band performing Trippin'.
2002 - It's April 24, almost a decade ago when Jewel was thrown from a horse, suffering in the process, a broken collarbone and a rib. Same day, same year and a judge ruled that Courtney Love will not have to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, after all, as part of her legal struggle with Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic over control of Nirvana’s recordings. And it was only nine years ago to the day that the first official UK download chart was compiled after the big five record companies - EMI, Warners, Sony, BMG and Universal -combined for a Digital Download day. Over 150,000 computer users had downloaded 1.1m songs. The Net Parade Top 3 was: #3, Tatu, All The Things She Said; # 2, Coldplay, Clocks and #1, Christina Aguilera, Beautiful. And so to celebrate this technological breakthrough that is now taken for granted, who better to perform than Christina, eh? Great song, great performance.
2003 - The White Stripes perform their cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene on Late Night With Conan O’Brien. The feted Detroit rockers play four straight nights on the TV talkfest. None of their songs are available, but first up there's a piece from the duo on Conan's show, a comedy, skit - then Jolene, love from Blackpool.
2007 - It's just four years ago since The Arctic Monkeys sold 85,000 copies of their new album Favourite Worst Nightmare on its first day in UK shops, putting it on course to be the year’s fastest-selling new release. So how about Mardy Bun live at Glastonbury...then Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor, live on Jools Holland Show two years earlier.
2007 - Sheryl Crow said a ban on using too much toilet paper should be introduced to help the environment. The singer suggested using “only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required”. Crowe made the comments on her website after touring the US on a biodiesel-powered bus to raise awareness about climate change. Crow had also designed a clothing line with what she called a “dining sleeve”. The sleeve is detachable and can be replaced with another “dining sleeve” after the diner has used it to wipe his or her mouth. OK, she's weird, she's cooky, but she's also fabulous and original and gorgeous, and this is a classic.
