1964 - It was the third album released by the Beatles, with the hit single of the same name, and it served as the soundtrack to the movie, also of the same name...A Hard Day's Night. The album sticks to the basic rock'n'roll instrumentation, song format, and simple but personal lyrics that had made the band famous, and contains some of their most famous songs, including the title track and its distinct, instantly recognizable opening chord; and let's not forget the fabulous song, Can't Buy Me Love. Both were trans-Atlantic number one singles for the band. In 2000, London's Q magazine rated A Hard Day's Night at number five in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever, and in 2003, the album was ranked number 388 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. And from Shea Stadium in New York, in 1965, here's a live performance of Hard Day's Night. And this is truly amazing footage.
1966 - It's two years down the track and the Beatles once again showed their recording experimentation techniques when they became the first band to use a reversed tape effect in a recording, on the song Rain, which was released today. It was a B side to the song Paperback Writer. In this promotional video, George claims the Beatles invented MTV-style promo videos. I reckon they ma well have done just that. They revolutionised everything else in the music industry.
1967 - He's a modern day genius, Stevie Wonder, and his song, I Was Made To Love Her, was released on this day in '67. Amazing to think that 22 years later, in London, at his birthday party celebrations inside Wembley Stadium, Stevie Wonder shows his staying power and sings the song with more verve and zest than anybody ever did.
1976 - Paul McCartney and Wings set a record for an indoor concert crowd, today, when 67,100 fans gathered in Seattle, WA to watch the band perform. A year later and the new generation's punk ethic is starting to creep into music, The Clash being one of the more authentic punk bands. This is the day that two members, Joe Strummer and Topper Headon, were arrested for painting the band's name on a wall in London. After getting a record deal for GBP100,000, with only 30 gigs under their belt, the Clash wrote and performed this song. Great lyrics, great band.
1978 - Joe Walsh's Life's Been Good was released today, and set Joe on his very own trajectory in the music business. The song is a poke in the eye to the music business, demonstrates Walsh's brilliant sense of humour, and remains a great song today, 33 years on. He remains one of the most underrated guitar players of the rock era, a gentleman, scholar, and mad as a meat axe. This is a mother of a song, live at Wembley in London.
1981 - Little Bee Gee brother, Andy Gibb, opened in the role of Frederic in a Los Angeles production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, today, the same day that legendary Frank Sinatra was portrayed as a friend of organized crime in a Doonesbury comic strip. More than 800 newspapers carried the panel. And why wouldn't you? We go forward one year, and on the same day, Addie Harris from The Shirelles died of a heart attack after a show tonight in Atlanta. Twenty one years earlier, in 1961, her group, The Shirelles became the first all girl group to have a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. And this was the song, live and fabulous, an absolute classic.
1990 - Two members of 2 Live Crew were arrested in Hollywood, FL, on obscenity charges, today. The album had been judged as obscene by a federal judge. Two years after that, same day, June 9, a judge in Los Angeles, threw out a US$25 million palimony suit against Rod Stewart, that had been bought by Kelly Emberg, I think one of his girlfriends from somewhere - who knows or cares, really. And we move forward to 1997, June 9, the day INXS kicked off a seven date UK tour at Aberdeen Exhibition Centre, with tickets costing just GBP£17.50. As fate would have it, this would be the final tour of the band, lead singer Michael Hutchence committing suicide - or died by misadventure - at the start of the Australian leg of this tour. Here are the lads, same year, in Germany...Elegantly Wasted.
2004 - This was the sad day when Ray Charles died at his Beverly Hills, California, home from complications relating to liver disease. He was aged 73. The R&B legend was surrounded by his family and friends at the time of his deaths, according to a spokesperson. Charles, who had made his last public appearance on April 30, when his recording studio was designated a historic landmark by the city of Los Angeles, had been sidelined from performing by a hip ailment since August the previous year. There's a myriad of songs we could post for Charles, but none so better than this classic.
1966 - It's two years down the track and the Beatles once again showed their recording experimentation techniques when they became the first band to use a reversed tape effect in a recording, on the song Rain, which was released today. It was a B side to the song Paperback Writer. In this promotional video, George claims the Beatles invented MTV-style promo videos. I reckon they ma well have done just that. They revolutionised everything else in the music industry.
1967 - He's a modern day genius, Stevie Wonder, and his song, I Was Made To Love Her, was released on this day in '67. Amazing to think that 22 years later, in London, at his birthday party celebrations inside Wembley Stadium, Stevie Wonder shows his staying power and sings the song with more verve and zest than anybody ever did.
1976 - Paul McCartney and Wings set a record for an indoor concert crowd, today, when 67,100 fans gathered in Seattle, WA to watch the band perform. A year later and the new generation's punk ethic is starting to creep into music, The Clash being one of the more authentic punk bands. This is the day that two members, Joe Strummer and Topper Headon, were arrested for painting the band's name on a wall in London. After getting a record deal for GBP100,000, with only 30 gigs under their belt, the Clash wrote and performed this song. Great lyrics, great band.
1978 - Joe Walsh's Life's Been Good was released today, and set Joe on his very own trajectory in the music business. The song is a poke in the eye to the music business, demonstrates Walsh's brilliant sense of humour, and remains a great song today, 33 years on. He remains one of the most underrated guitar players of the rock era, a gentleman, scholar, and mad as a meat axe. This is a mother of a song, live at Wembley in London.
1981 - Little Bee Gee brother, Andy Gibb, opened in the role of Frederic in a Los Angeles production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, today, the same day that legendary Frank Sinatra was portrayed as a friend of organized crime in a Doonesbury comic strip. More than 800 newspapers carried the panel. And why wouldn't you? We go forward one year, and on the same day, Addie Harris from The Shirelles died of a heart attack after a show tonight in Atlanta. Twenty one years earlier, in 1961, her group, The Shirelles became the first all girl group to have a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. And this was the song, live and fabulous, an absolute classic.
1990 - Two members of 2 Live Crew were arrested in Hollywood, FL, on obscenity charges, today. The album had been judged as obscene by a federal judge. Two years after that, same day, June 9, a judge in Los Angeles, threw out a US$25 million palimony suit against Rod Stewart, that had been bought by Kelly Emberg, I think one of his girlfriends from somewhere - who knows or cares, really. And we move forward to 1997, June 9, the day INXS kicked off a seven date UK tour at Aberdeen Exhibition Centre, with tickets costing just GBP£17.50. As fate would have it, this would be the final tour of the band, lead singer Michael Hutchence committing suicide - or died by misadventure - at the start of the Australian leg of this tour. Here are the lads, same year, in Germany...Elegantly Wasted.
2004 - This was the sad day when Ray Charles died at his Beverly Hills, California, home from complications relating to liver disease. He was aged 73. The R&B legend was surrounded by his family and friends at the time of his deaths, according to a spokesperson. Charles, who had made his last public appearance on April 30, when his recording studio was designated a historic landmark by the city of Los Angeles, had been sidelined from performing by a hip ailment since August the previous year. There's a myriad of songs we could post for Charles, but none so better than this classic.
