1939 - This is the day the bobby sox king, Frank Sinatra, made his first appearance with the great Harry James band with an old standard, Stardust, an historic recording, well worth a listen.
1966 - It's exactly 45 years since The Supremes made the studio recording of You Keep Me Hangin' On, a version of which also was released around the same time by Vanilla Fudge song. Here they perform the song, live, at The Hollywood Palace in 1966. It was their 8th #1 hit. This performance features the original, and arguably, most popular lineup of The Supremes: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross. The song rose to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (called the US Pop Singles Chart back then) and also managed #1 on the US R&B Singles Chart. The song was written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, who had written and produced all the group's hits up to then. The song morphs into their version of Somewhere, a song from the musical West Side Story, written by the great Leonard Bernstein.
1975 - Cher and Greg Allman were married today, and divorced just 10 days later. Five months later, Cher had her own TV show and shared the stage with her guest David Bowie. If you want to see just how Schmaltzy Bowie was - in addition to being a taste-making trend-setting artist, just check this out.
1977 - KISS, eh, love 'em or loathe 'em, this was the day they released the song, Love Gun. The phenomenon that was, and remains KISS still exists decades later, their merchandise assault on fans' money keeping them in the millionaire style to which they have become accustomed. Not for me, but knew what they were doing, that's for sure. To coincide with this release, same day, Marvel Comics issued the first of two comic books based on the group.
1978 - This was the day Sex Pistol Sid Vicious sang Frank Sinatra's My Way, and released it and the following video. It was a confusing time for all involved in this venture that was The Sex Pistols, certainly a lesson in conning, media, youth, rock'n'roll, and a change of guard for rock music. The very fact that Sid Vicious chose this song is a statement in itself, but the video is just one of the most brilliant rock videos of all time...poignant, vicious and murderous, like the music industry itself. It was released under the Sex Pistols moniker for legal reasons.
1986 - On June 30, a quarter century ago, perfectionist, Steve Winwood released his album, Back in the High Life. With this LP Winwood has created an undeniably superb record, following almost 10 years of a solo career. When it was announced, its arrival is was momentous as its protracted deferment was disturbing. The passion explodes in the album-opening duet with Chaka Khan, Higher Love, as Winwood cuts through their lustrous harmony to intone: "I could light the night up with my soul on fire/I could make the sun shine from pure desire!"From his glowing debut in the Spencer Davis Group, Winwood has starred as an instrumentalist and composer, and his abilities as a distinctively soulful vocalist are legendary.
1994 - Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, today testified at a congressional hearing concerning rising concert ticket prices. Obviously didn't do much good as concert ticket prices for concerts are now the highest they've ever been, and Pearl Jam ticket prices are amongst the highest of them all. Greedy, greedy, greedy. Greedy promoters, greedy musical acts. Punters exploited once again. Same day two years later, Neil Young premiered his album, Broken Arrow via the internet - that's15 years ago. Two years later The Lucinda Williams album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was released. One of my favourite songs from one of my very favourite artists, I love her to death. So why not a bootleg version of Lake Charles, too?
1966 - It's exactly 45 years since The Supremes made the studio recording of You Keep Me Hangin' On, a version of which also was released around the same time by Vanilla Fudge song. Here they perform the song, live, at The Hollywood Palace in 1966. It was their 8th #1 hit. This performance features the original, and arguably, most popular lineup of The Supremes: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross. The song rose to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (called the US Pop Singles Chart back then) and also managed #1 on the US R&B Singles Chart. The song was written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, who had written and produced all the group's hits up to then. The song morphs into their version of Somewhere, a song from the musical West Side Story, written by the great Leonard Bernstein.
1975 - Cher and Greg Allman were married today, and divorced just 10 days later. Five months later, Cher had her own TV show and shared the stage with her guest David Bowie. If you want to see just how Schmaltzy Bowie was - in addition to being a taste-making trend-setting artist, just check this out.
1977 - KISS, eh, love 'em or loathe 'em, this was the day they released the song, Love Gun. The phenomenon that was, and remains KISS still exists decades later, their merchandise assault on fans' money keeping them in the millionaire style to which they have become accustomed. Not for me, but knew what they were doing, that's for sure. To coincide with this release, same day, Marvel Comics issued the first of two comic books based on the group.
1978 - This was the day Sex Pistol Sid Vicious sang Frank Sinatra's My Way, and released it and the following video. It was a confusing time for all involved in this venture that was The Sex Pistols, certainly a lesson in conning, media, youth, rock'n'roll, and a change of guard for rock music. The very fact that Sid Vicious chose this song is a statement in itself, but the video is just one of the most brilliant rock videos of all time...poignant, vicious and murderous, like the music industry itself. It was released under the Sex Pistols moniker for legal reasons.
1986 - On June 30, a quarter century ago, perfectionist, Steve Winwood released his album, Back in the High Life. With this LP Winwood has created an undeniably superb record, following almost 10 years of a solo career. When it was announced, its arrival is was momentous as its protracted deferment was disturbing. The passion explodes in the album-opening duet with Chaka Khan, Higher Love, as Winwood cuts through their lustrous harmony to intone: "I could light the night up with my soul on fire/I could make the sun shine from pure desire!"From his glowing debut in the Spencer Davis Group, Winwood has starred as an instrumentalist and composer, and his abilities as a distinctively soulful vocalist are legendary.
1994 - Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, today testified at a congressional hearing concerning rising concert ticket prices. Obviously didn't do much good as concert ticket prices for concerts are now the highest they've ever been, and Pearl Jam ticket prices are amongst the highest of them all. Greedy, greedy, greedy. Greedy promoters, greedy musical acts. Punters exploited once again. Same day two years later, Neil Young premiered his album, Broken Arrow via the internet - that's15 years ago. Two years later The Lucinda Williams album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was released. One of my favourite songs from one of my very favourite artists, I love her to death. So why not a bootleg version of Lake Charles, too?
