1962 - The great Benny Goodman led the first American jazz band to play in the Soviet Union, 49 years ago today. This is amazing footage of the historic state visit into Soviet Union by Goodman...communism, capitalism, classical, jazz...music covers all divides.
1966 - Today, 45 years ago in San Francisco, a new group named Jefferson Airplane performed at a benefit for the Haight-Ashbury Legal Organization. This was the big hit for Jefferson Airplane, Somebody To Love...great lyrics, still pertinent, and psychedelia at its best.
1968 - This was the day when the Beatles began recording their ninth official British album and fifteenth American album, a double album eventually named the White Album. It was commonly known as The White Album as there are no graphics or text other than the band's name (and, on the early LP and CD releases, a serial number) on its plain white sleeve. This was the first album undertook by the quartet, following the death of their manager, Brian Epstein; it was also the first released by their own record label, Apple. Originally entitled A Doll's House, the title was changed when the British progressive rock band Family released the similarly titled Music in a Doll's House earlier that year. The album was written and recorded during a period of turmoil for the group, and immediately following their visit to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India. The trip inspired the band into having particularly productive and fertile songwriting sessions in early 1968, the group entering the studio for recording from today, to October 1968.
However, there was conflict and dissent within the group, and members were driven apart. Drummer Ringo Starr quit the band for a brief time, leaving bassist Paul McCartney to perform drums on some of the album's songs. Upon release in November 1968, the album received mixed to positive reviews and reached the number one spot on the charts in the United Kingdom and United States. Noted for the eclectic nature of its songs, the finished album divided critics in evaluating the album's legacy. Many years later, with the advantage of hindsight and time, though, in 2003, the album was ranked number 10 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Here are three more songs from that album; Happiness Is A Warm Gun; one of my all time Beatles songs, Helter Skelter, and Yer Blues.
1972 - Glam rock group Roxy Music played their first major date at England's Great Western Express Festival today in 1972, just a couple of months prior to recording their debut hit single, Virgina Plain. Lots of people liked the ritzy, very clean, modern, glam-rock sound of Roxy Music. I didn't. But I did like some of their songs, this one particularly, Virginia Plain, from 1972. Former art student and lead singer of the band, Bryan Ferry wrote the song, taking the title Virginia Plain from one of his own paintings which featured images of the cigarette brand of the same name. Andy Warhol superstar Baby Jane Holzer is referenced in the lyrics, viz; "Baby Jane's in Acapulco / We are flying down to Rio", and, "can't you see that Holzer mane? Virginia Plain was recorded in July, 1972, and became a Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at #4. The song was not included on the original UK LP version of the band's debut, Roxy Music, and had not even been recorded when the album was released.
1989 - This was the day when Bobby Brown released his song On Our Own, before he went apeshit on drugs and ego. From Ghostbusters II, this is Bobby Brown when he was still Bobby Brown.
1990 - Midnight Oil closed down 6th Avenue in New York City as they played a protest concert in front of Exxon's offices, the protest in reaction to the then-recent Exxon Valdez disaster. The concert was not authorised, and full marks to Midnight Oil for doing this without question, without caring what authorities thought or did. And now BP have done even worse on the south-east coast of USA. If Midnight Oil had have still been in existence, I would like to think they'd be out there again.
1999 - In New Jersey, 12 years ago today, Lenny Kravitz walked off stage after 40 minutes, and collapsed from heat exhaustion. He had been performing in a fur coat. Was this the cold, the drugs, the vanity, or pure madness that Lenny decided to perform wearing a fur coat? I wonder what he was thinking. This is not that occasion, but a video for his song, American Woman, and I wonder if good ole Lenny was trying to imprint his masculinity here. Just a thought, mind.
1966 - Today, 45 years ago in San Francisco, a new group named Jefferson Airplane performed at a benefit for the Haight-Ashbury Legal Organization. This was the big hit for Jefferson Airplane, Somebody To Love...great lyrics, still pertinent, and psychedelia at its best.
1968 - This was the day when the Beatles began recording their ninth official British album and fifteenth American album, a double album eventually named the White Album. It was commonly known as The White Album as there are no graphics or text other than the band's name (and, on the early LP and CD releases, a serial number) on its plain white sleeve. This was the first album undertook by the quartet, following the death of their manager, Brian Epstein; it was also the first released by their own record label, Apple. Originally entitled A Doll's House, the title was changed when the British progressive rock band Family released the similarly titled Music in a Doll's House earlier that year. The album was written and recorded during a period of turmoil for the group, and immediately following their visit to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India. The trip inspired the band into having particularly productive and fertile songwriting sessions in early 1968, the group entering the studio for recording from today, to October 1968.
However, there was conflict and dissent within the group, and members were driven apart. Drummer Ringo Starr quit the band for a brief time, leaving bassist Paul McCartney to perform drums on some of the album's songs. Upon release in November 1968, the album received mixed to positive reviews and reached the number one spot on the charts in the United Kingdom and United States. Noted for the eclectic nature of its songs, the finished album divided critics in evaluating the album's legacy. Many years later, with the advantage of hindsight and time, though, in 2003, the album was ranked number 10 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Here are three more songs from that album; Happiness Is A Warm Gun; one of my all time Beatles songs, Helter Skelter, and Yer Blues.
1972 - Glam rock group Roxy Music played their first major date at England's Great Western Express Festival today in 1972, just a couple of months prior to recording their debut hit single, Virgina Plain. Lots of people liked the ritzy, very clean, modern, glam-rock sound of Roxy Music. I didn't. But I did like some of their songs, this one particularly, Virginia Plain, from 1972. Former art student and lead singer of the band, Bryan Ferry wrote the song, taking the title Virginia Plain from one of his own paintings which featured images of the cigarette brand of the same name. Andy Warhol superstar Baby Jane Holzer is referenced in the lyrics, viz; "Baby Jane's in Acapulco / We are flying down to Rio", and, "can't you see that Holzer mane? Virginia Plain was recorded in July, 1972, and became a Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at #4. The song was not included on the original UK LP version of the band's debut, Roxy Music, and had not even been recorded when the album was released.
1989 - This was the day when Bobby Brown released his song On Our Own, before he went apeshit on drugs and ego. From Ghostbusters II, this is Bobby Brown when he was still Bobby Brown.
1990 - Midnight Oil closed down 6th Avenue in New York City as they played a protest concert in front of Exxon's offices, the protest in reaction to the then-recent Exxon Valdez disaster. The concert was not authorised, and full marks to Midnight Oil for doing this without question, without caring what authorities thought or did. And now BP have done even worse on the south-east coast of USA. If Midnight Oil had have still been in existence, I would like to think they'd be out there again.
1999 - In New Jersey, 12 years ago today, Lenny Kravitz walked off stage after 40 minutes, and collapsed from heat exhaustion. He had been performing in a fur coat. Was this the cold, the drugs, the vanity, or pure madness that Lenny decided to perform wearing a fur coat? I wonder what he was thinking. This is not that occasion, but a video for his song, American Woman, and I wonder if good ole Lenny was trying to imprint his masculinity here. Just a thought, mind.
