1936 - It's now 75 years since Benny Goodman and his band recorded the old Jelly Roll Morton-penned song, King Porter Stomp. It swings. This version took off like gangbusters and led to an unprecedented January 1938 Goodman concert at Carnegie Hall. Those who were there at the time claimed this concert legitimized and established swing and jazz into mainstream popular music, an important record in the scheme of things. Fast forward 49 years to 1985, The New York Marriott Marquis, Benny Goodman's still alive and swinging with that same old song, King Porter Stomp. This is pure class.
1956 - This is the day, 55 years ago (as you can tell by the quality of the video), and Elvis Presley appeared on The Steve Allen Show. He was told not to dance, just in case girls became too excited and felt sexy. Allen had him sing Hound Dog to a real basset hound wearing tails. And wasn't Steve Allen so pompous, so presumptuous, so arrogant. Great song, Elvis. I Want You I need You...then Hound Dawg, the Big Mama Thornton blues classic.
1963 - Hardcore Beatles fans will know that today is exactly the 48th anniversary from when the mop tops recorded She Loves You and I'll Get You. Here are two versions of She Loves You, the first on a German TV show, in black and white; the second in Britain somewehere, in colour the other of them performing live, and in colour, no less. Brilliant vids, both of them. Ninety per cent of the audience in both videos are female. The Brit audience is far more expressive, noisy, and up for it. The Germans, too, but in a more reserved manner. What do you think all you German *MUSICBACKTRACK* readers.
1973 - This is the day the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar closed in New York City after 720 performances on Broadway. This is an absolute gem of a video, starring the original Broadway cast performing live at the Tony Awards of 1972, a year prior to its closure, with Jane's dad, Henry Fonda giving a brief introduction. JC Superstar was a total breakthrough musical and set the stage for so many more to follow.
1995 - Wolfman Jack was THE disc jockey man on radio in USA during the sixties and seventies. His distinctive gravel-voice, his original up-vibe style, knowledge of the artists, and his intimate rapport with his audience set the pace for all rocky jockeys for the next decade. His knowledge of music was impeccable, his support for acts slightly left of mainstream made him a legend. Today is the day DJ Wolfman Jack died of a heart attack aged 57. RP Wolfman Jack.
2006 - It's now five years since Robbie Rocket Watts, guitarist for Australian rock act the Cosmic Psychos, died in Melbourne. He was 47. He died after a show in Ballarat, a country town in the the state of Victoria, Australia. The Melbourne band did not click onto the commercial merry-go-round, but its churning high-octane rock has been cited as an influence by better-known bands, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, L7 and Spiderbait. Some feel UK band Prodigy based Fuel My Fire on the Cosmic Psychos’ Lost Cause. Neil Rogers, who hosted The Australian Mood on radio station Triple R in Victoria, managed the band in its early days. “People here have just taken them for granted," he said following Watts' death. "They’ve never been fully recognised for the influence they’ve had,” he said. “Without them a lot of the whole grunge (movement) wouldn’t have happened. It’s sad, you don’t realise how influential someone is until they’re dead,” Rogers said. Watts, 47, joined the band in 1990. His first album with the group, Blokes You Can Trust, and was produced by Butch Vig, fresh from completing Nirvana’s Nevermind. The father of four was a strong banjo player and often busked outside football games. RIP Robbie Watts.
1956 - This is the day, 55 years ago (as you can tell by the quality of the video), and Elvis Presley appeared on The Steve Allen Show. He was told not to dance, just in case girls became too excited and felt sexy. Allen had him sing Hound Dog to a real basset hound wearing tails. And wasn't Steve Allen so pompous, so presumptuous, so arrogant. Great song, Elvis. I Want You I need You...then Hound Dawg, the Big Mama Thornton blues classic.
1963 - Hardcore Beatles fans will know that today is exactly the 48th anniversary from when the mop tops recorded She Loves You and I'll Get You. Here are two versions of She Loves You, the first on a German TV show, in black and white; the second in Britain somewehere, in colour the other of them performing live, and in colour, no less. Brilliant vids, both of them. Ninety per cent of the audience in both videos are female. The Brit audience is far more expressive, noisy, and up for it. The Germans, too, but in a more reserved manner. What do you think all you German *MUSICBACKTRACK* readers.
1973 - This is the day the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar closed in New York City after 720 performances on Broadway. This is an absolute gem of a video, starring the original Broadway cast performing live at the Tony Awards of 1972, a year prior to its closure, with Jane's dad, Henry Fonda giving a brief introduction. JC Superstar was a total breakthrough musical and set the stage for so many more to follow.
1995 - Wolfman Jack was THE disc jockey man on radio in USA during the sixties and seventies. His distinctive gravel-voice, his original up-vibe style, knowledge of the artists, and his intimate rapport with his audience set the pace for all rocky jockeys for the next decade. His knowledge of music was impeccable, his support for acts slightly left of mainstream made him a legend. Today is the day DJ Wolfman Jack died of a heart attack aged 57. RP Wolfman Jack.
2006 - It's now five years since Robbie Rocket Watts, guitarist for Australian rock act the Cosmic Psychos, died in Melbourne. He was 47. He died after a show in Ballarat, a country town in the the state of Victoria, Australia. The Melbourne band did not click onto the commercial merry-go-round, but its churning high-octane rock has been cited as an influence by better-known bands, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, L7 and Spiderbait. Some feel UK band Prodigy based Fuel My Fire on the Cosmic Psychos’ Lost Cause. Neil Rogers, who hosted The Australian Mood on radio station Triple R in Victoria, managed the band in its early days. “People here have just taken them for granted," he said following Watts' death. "They’ve never been fully recognised for the influence they’ve had,” he said. “Without them a lot of the whole grunge (movement) wouldn’t have happened. It’s sad, you don’t realise how influential someone is until they’re dead,” Rogers said. Watts, 47, joined the band in 1990. His first album with the group, Blokes You Can Trust, and was produced by Butch Vig, fresh from completing Nirvana’s Nevermind. The father of four was a strong banjo player and often busked outside football games. RIP Robbie Watts.
