1927 - Paul Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director and leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s. His recordings were immensely successful at a time when the industry of recording music and then selling the result on a record was brand spanking new. The press of the day loved him and reviews often referred to him as the "king of jazz." However, it is fair to say that Whiteman's place in the history of early jazz is somewhat controversial, many detractors suggesting that his ornately-orchestrated music was jazz in name only, and lacking the improvisational and emotional depth. They claimed he co-opted the innovations of black musicians. Whitman's defenders, though, say his fondness for jazz was genuine, that he worked with black musicians as much as was feasible during an era of racial segregation. In his autobiography, Duke Ellington declared, "Paul Whiteman was known as the 'king of jazz', and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity." (I'd disagree with that, I think The Duke deserves the title). Whitman's popularity faded in the swing music era of the 1930s, and by the 1940s he was semi-retired from music. During his peak he recorded many jazz and pop standards, including Wang Wang Blues, Mississippi Mud, Rhapsody in Blue, Hot Lips, and this little moody doozy, recorded 84 years ago today.
1963 - Bolt forward 34 years to 1963, and girl group, The Essex, who was an American R&B vocal group formed in 1962, and best known for their 1963 chart-topping and million selling debut track, Easier Said Than Done, released today, June 8. One of the hundreds of girl groups who came into the music industry during the end of the fifties and start of the sixties, The Essex had a few hit records, all similar in style to this, their first #1. Founding members Walter Vickers (guitar) and Rodney Taylor (drums) were U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, Japan. After being transferred to Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, they enlisted fellow Marines Billy Hill and Rudolph Johnson as group members, and next they added a female lead singer, Anita Humes, another Marine. In 1963, a demo earned them a recording contract with Roulette Records. Rocklore has it that they recorded Easier Said Than Done in 20 minutes. I was a teenager when this was released, and in those days it was tagged pop rhythm'n'blues.
1963 - Same year, and girl groups swathed the music world with a sexy feeling through a new-styled r'n'b-pop, with its oozing sensuality, double entendre from a girl's perspective; it reached out to young males, and gave confidence and sassy strength to young teen girls. One such group was The Crystals, and this was the day they released what has now become a classic song of the era, Da Doo Ron Ron. Produced by legendary Phil Spector, who used a multi-track recording system to build the song layer upon layer to achieve a result that become known as the "wall of sound". Backing musicians on this track include the very young Glen Campbell on guitar, just out of teens Leon Russell on piano, Hal Blain on drums and a young Nino Tempo on sax. A killer track! The video is pure gold!
1967 - They've been pivotal, and remain pivotal in the evolution of popular music, and so it is that this is the day when The Beatles landmark Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band went to #1 around the world. The album cost GBP£25,000 to produce, and it took 700 hours of studio time. It was also the first album to print the lyrics on the sleeve. The album spent 27 weeks at #1 on the UK chart, and achieved similar results around the world.
1967 - This was the day that Procol Harum reached top of the charts across the western world with their unique song, A Whiter Shade Of Pale, the group's only #1 hit. In 2004 the song was named the most played record of the past 70 years, and more than 900 recorded versions by other artists are known. Vocals and piano are played by Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher played the Hammond organ, and the original lyrics were written by Keith Reid. This video is original 16mm Scopitone conversion, from the 'summer of love' 1967 hit record, remixed and refurbished in 2006. Sound engineer of this mono mix was Keith Grant.
1974 - Dolly Parton was at #1 on the US country chart, today, with her heart-wrenching song, I Will Always Love You. The Parton-penned song later became a worldwide break-through hit for Whitney Houston in 1992. Right now, though, let's look at Dolly's original version...and yes, that's Burt Reynolds.
1974 - The former David Jones, David Bowie, started a four-week run at the top of the UK charts with his third #1 album, Diamond Dogs. This took Bowie to superstar heights, where has since remained. This is Bowie - perhaps a little worse-for-marching-powder-wear - live in Detroit, USA, performing Diamond Dogs, plus John, I'm Only Dancing.
1974 - Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band, Wings, went to #1 with the album, Band On The Run, 37 years ago today. This cemented McCartney's place eternally in the upper echelon of modern-day song writers, musicians and influences. And here they are, live in Seattle, at Seattle King Dome, in 1976.
1985 - One of the fads of the eighties for a short time, we saw the duo Tears For Fears, and today they started a two-week run at #1 on world charts with Everybody Wants To Rule The World. Some say this was an 80s masterpiece. What do you reckon?
1990 - She's the girl with the seven-octave range, they say - hard to believe, really, but here you have it, and it is now 21 years since Mariah Carey released her self-titled debut album. And this is her very first extensive interview from way back then. What has changed from her views here, I wonder.
1991 - In 1991, American dancer and singer, Paula Abdul, started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart with Spellbound, and on the same day, same year over in London, The Pixies appeared at Crystal Palace, London, tickets were GBP£15. Five years later, same day in '96, The Fugees scored their first #1 single with their version of the Roberta Flack 1973 hit, Killing Me Softly, the song's creation supposedly inspired by a Don McLean concert..
1998 - Surviving Beatles Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, along with other music stars such as Sting, Pete Townshend and Sir Elton John were among the mourners at a not-so-private service for McCartney’s late wife, Linda, held at St. Martins-in-the-Fields church in London. The crowd sang a version of McCartney’s Beatle-era classic Let It Be, and the Brodsky Quartet performed songs that McCartney penned for his wife, including The Lovely Linda and Calico Skies. American-born Linda McCartney, who died of cancer at age 56, was remembered as more than the wife of a former Beatle. Fans and others who knew the couple and their children shared memories of the photographer, musician and animal rights activist who built a multi-million dollar vegetarian food business. This first clip is a fan's tribute to Linda, the second clip from a Linda-memorial concert at Royal Albert Hall.
2003 - It's eight years ago and Former Midnight Oil singer, and former political protestor Peter Garrett was made a Member of the Order of Australia by Queen Elizabeth II. It's been less singing and more defending since Garrett became part of the Australian kock 'em down, hurly burly political landscape, as he is now a member of the country's Labour party. But here he is, six years earlier with one of my favourite Oil songs, great video.
1963 - Bolt forward 34 years to 1963, and girl group, The Essex, who was an American R&B vocal group formed in 1962, and best known for their 1963 chart-topping and million selling debut track, Easier Said Than Done, released today, June 8. One of the hundreds of girl groups who came into the music industry during the end of the fifties and start of the sixties, The Essex had a few hit records, all similar in style to this, their first #1. Founding members Walter Vickers (guitar) and Rodney Taylor (drums) were U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, Japan. After being transferred to Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, they enlisted fellow Marines Billy Hill and Rudolph Johnson as group members, and next they added a female lead singer, Anita Humes, another Marine. In 1963, a demo earned them a recording contract with Roulette Records. Rocklore has it that they recorded Easier Said Than Done in 20 minutes. I was a teenager when this was released, and in those days it was tagged pop rhythm'n'blues.
1963 - Same year, and girl groups swathed the music world with a sexy feeling through a new-styled r'n'b-pop, with its oozing sensuality, double entendre from a girl's perspective; it reached out to young males, and gave confidence and sassy strength to young teen girls. One such group was The Crystals, and this was the day they released what has now become a classic song of the era, Da Doo Ron Ron. Produced by legendary Phil Spector, who used a multi-track recording system to build the song layer upon layer to achieve a result that become known as the "wall of sound". Backing musicians on this track include the very young Glen Campbell on guitar, just out of teens Leon Russell on piano, Hal Blain on drums and a young Nino Tempo on sax. A killer track! The video is pure gold!
1967 - They've been pivotal, and remain pivotal in the evolution of popular music, and so it is that this is the day when The Beatles landmark Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band went to #1 around the world. The album cost GBP£25,000 to produce, and it took 700 hours of studio time. It was also the first album to print the lyrics on the sleeve. The album spent 27 weeks at #1 on the UK chart, and achieved similar results around the world.
1967 - This was the day that Procol Harum reached top of the charts across the western world with their unique song, A Whiter Shade Of Pale, the group's only #1 hit. In 2004 the song was named the most played record of the past 70 years, and more than 900 recorded versions by other artists are known. Vocals and piano are played by Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher played the Hammond organ, and the original lyrics were written by Keith Reid. This video is original 16mm Scopitone conversion, from the 'summer of love' 1967 hit record, remixed and refurbished in 2006. Sound engineer of this mono mix was Keith Grant.
1974 - Dolly Parton was at #1 on the US country chart, today, with her heart-wrenching song, I Will Always Love You. The Parton-penned song later became a worldwide break-through hit for Whitney Houston in 1992. Right now, though, let's look at Dolly's original version...and yes, that's Burt Reynolds.
1974 - The former David Jones, David Bowie, started a four-week run at the top of the UK charts with his third #1 album, Diamond Dogs. This took Bowie to superstar heights, where has since remained. This is Bowie - perhaps a little worse-for-marching-powder-wear - live in Detroit, USA, performing Diamond Dogs, plus John, I'm Only Dancing.
1974 - Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band, Wings, went to #1 with the album, Band On The Run, 37 years ago today. This cemented McCartney's place eternally in the upper echelon of modern-day song writers, musicians and influences. And here they are, live in Seattle, at Seattle King Dome, in 1976.
1985 - One of the fads of the eighties for a short time, we saw the duo Tears For Fears, and today they started a two-week run at #1 on world charts with Everybody Wants To Rule The World. Some say this was an 80s masterpiece. What do you reckon?
1990 - She's the girl with the seven-octave range, they say - hard to believe, really, but here you have it, and it is now 21 years since Mariah Carey released her self-titled debut album. And this is her very first extensive interview from way back then. What has changed from her views here, I wonder.
1991 - In 1991, American dancer and singer, Paula Abdul, started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart with Spellbound, and on the same day, same year over in London, The Pixies appeared at Crystal Palace, London, tickets were GBP£15. Five years later, same day in '96, The Fugees scored their first #1 single with their version of the Roberta Flack 1973 hit, Killing Me Softly, the song's creation supposedly inspired by a Don McLean concert..
1998 - Surviving Beatles Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, along with other music stars such as Sting, Pete Townshend and Sir Elton John were among the mourners at a not-so-private service for McCartney’s late wife, Linda, held at St. Martins-in-the-Fields church in London. The crowd sang a version of McCartney’s Beatle-era classic Let It Be, and the Brodsky Quartet performed songs that McCartney penned for his wife, including The Lovely Linda and Calico Skies. American-born Linda McCartney, who died of cancer at age 56, was remembered as more than the wife of a former Beatle. Fans and others who knew the couple and their children shared memories of the photographer, musician and animal rights activist who built a multi-million dollar vegetarian food business. This first clip is a fan's tribute to Linda, the second clip from a Linda-memorial concert at Royal Albert Hall.
2003 - It's eight years ago and Former Midnight Oil singer, and former political protestor Peter Garrett was made a Member of the Order of Australia by Queen Elizabeth II. It's been less singing and more defending since Garrett became part of the Australian kock 'em down, hurly burly political landscape, as he is now a member of the country's Labour party. But here he is, six years earlier with one of my favourite Oil songs, great video.
