1959 - Rolling Stone magazine reckons this self-penned Isley Brothers record, Shout, is the 118th best song of all time, and there are a few other acts who thought the same. A few months after its release, Australian rock legend Johnny O'Keefe recorded his local hit version, and we have video of that, with his backing band, the Deejays, and the Delltones at Sydney's Rushcutter;s bay 'festival hall/tin shed'. After that we have yet another version, this time from Scotland's Lulu, from 1965, when she was just 17 years old. This version was a little 'poppier' than the others, but she sure had a voice. And what about her hairstyle. I've always liked Lulu. This clip and O'Keefe's clip are extremely precious and rarely seen. But first, the original recording by The Isley Brothers, their first hit, written by the brothers as a call-and-response answer to Jackie Wilson's seminal song, Lonely Teardrops.
1963 - Now Peter and Paul I wasn't too keen on, but that Mary sure had some sex appeal, right? Their hit version of Bob Dylan's Blowin In The weind, Blowin' In The Wind" was released. They had many hits, but three majors; Puff The Magic Dragon, If I Had A Hammer, and Bob Dylan's Blowing In The Wind, and that is the video that follows. And following that is Dylan's original version, and then a live version...with Carlos Santana...from Barcelona...a gem!!!
1965 - The Beatles movie, help, had its world premiere in London tonight. Underrated at the time, and since by some, here's a trailer, in all its glory. Directed by Richard Lester, who also directed the band's debut feature film A Hard Days Night, the story takes us on a journey with the fab four as they become passive recipients of an outside plot that revolves around Ringo's possession of a sacrificial ring - which he can't remove from his finger. Accordingly, he and his mates - John, Paul and George - are chased from London to the Austrian Alps and then to the Bahamas by religious cult members, a mad scientist and the London police. In addition to starring the Beatles, the movie has a crisp, witty script, a cast of excellent British character actors, and it features 7 classic Beatles tracks.
1966 - This was the day Bob Dylan suffered a broken neck vertebra when he crashed his Triumph 55 motorbike near his home in Woodstock, New York, and on the same day, Datebook magazine published Maureen Cleave’s interview with John Lennon in which he said, "We’re bigger than Jesus now.” American Christian’s reacted with outrage, organising ‘Beatle bonfires’ burning the group's records. folks, I ask the question, are we really moving forward?
1966 - The Grateful Dead played their first ever show outside the US, today, when they appeared in Vancouver while The Doors started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart, then around the world, with Light My Fire. For more information and videos of The doors, go to our archive search engine. On July 29, 1967, The Temptations released their song, You're My Everything. The American vocal group achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music. Known for its recognisable choreography, distinct harmonies, and flashy onstage suits, some say the Temptations were as influential to soul as The Beatles are to pop and rock. This song was written by Motown hit writer, Roger Penzabene as a testament to his love for his wife. After learning of her cheating, he was heartbroken, and he wrote I Wish It Would Rain, and painfully described his pain, then finally I Could Never Love Another, and a week after its release he committed suicide. As you do.
1968 - The Byrds left on their tour of South Africa 43 years ago, today, but without Gram Parsons, who refused to set foot in a country where apartheid was official policy, and on this in 1973, according to rocklore, $180,000 cash was stolen from Led Zeppelin's deposit box at the Drake Hotel in New York City, NY. This was also the day in 1974 when Mamas And The Papas singer Cass Elliot died in her sleep from a heart attack after playing her final of two weeks' sold out concerts in London. She was staying at Harry Nilson's London flat when she died. In 1998, Elliot, John Phillips, Denny Doherty, and Michelle Phillips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their work as The Mamas & the Papas. Cass Elliot's only solo hit was Dream a Little Dream of Me.
1978 - Australian song writer, John Farrar, came to the fore with major songs he'd written for the movie soundtrack to Grease, which hit #1 on the charts today. Featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, the soundtrack included many hit songs, including the two written by Farrar, Hopelessly Devoted To You and You're The One That I Want, both tracks becoming major international hits when released as singles during 1978. To view those videos and find out more about the movie, Grease, go to our archive search engine. John Farrar had many careers before this, starting off in one of Melbourne's most respected bands, The Strangers. Farrar became a key member of British instrumental pioneers, The Shadows, and has been a prominent song writer and producer in Los Angeles, for more than four decades. This is back in 1968, on Melbourne, Australia's TV show, Uptight.
1980 - David Bowie had previously opened on Broadway, acting in the lead role of The elephant man, and tonight the show premiered, with Bowie, Denver, Colorado.
1963 - Now Peter and Paul I wasn't too keen on, but that Mary sure had some sex appeal, right? Their hit version of Bob Dylan's Blowin In The weind, Blowin' In The Wind" was released. They had many hits, but three majors; Puff The Magic Dragon, If I Had A Hammer, and Bob Dylan's Blowing In The Wind, and that is the video that follows. And following that is Dylan's original version, and then a live version...with Carlos Santana...from Barcelona...a gem!!!
1965 - The Beatles movie, help, had its world premiere in London tonight. Underrated at the time, and since by some, here's a trailer, in all its glory. Directed by Richard Lester, who also directed the band's debut feature film A Hard Days Night, the story takes us on a journey with the fab four as they become passive recipients of an outside plot that revolves around Ringo's possession of a sacrificial ring - which he can't remove from his finger. Accordingly, he and his mates - John, Paul and George - are chased from London to the Austrian Alps and then to the Bahamas by religious cult members, a mad scientist and the London police. In addition to starring the Beatles, the movie has a crisp, witty script, a cast of excellent British character actors, and it features 7 classic Beatles tracks.
1966 - This was the day Bob Dylan suffered a broken neck vertebra when he crashed his Triumph 55 motorbike near his home in Woodstock, New York, and on the same day, Datebook magazine published Maureen Cleave’s interview with John Lennon in which he said, "We’re bigger than Jesus now.” American Christian’s reacted with outrage, organising ‘Beatle bonfires’ burning the group's records. folks, I ask the question, are we really moving forward?
1966 - The Grateful Dead played their first ever show outside the US, today, when they appeared in Vancouver while The Doors started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart, then around the world, with Light My Fire. For more information and videos of The doors, go to our archive search engine. On July 29, 1967, The Temptations released their song, You're My Everything. The American vocal group achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music. Known for its recognisable choreography, distinct harmonies, and flashy onstage suits, some say the Temptations were as influential to soul as The Beatles are to pop and rock. This song was written by Motown hit writer, Roger Penzabene as a testament to his love for his wife. After learning of her cheating, he was heartbroken, and he wrote I Wish It Would Rain, and painfully described his pain, then finally I Could Never Love Another, and a week after its release he committed suicide. As you do.
1968 - The Byrds left on their tour of South Africa 43 years ago, today, but without Gram Parsons, who refused to set foot in a country where apartheid was official policy, and on this in 1973, according to rocklore, $180,000 cash was stolen from Led Zeppelin's deposit box at the Drake Hotel in New York City, NY. This was also the day in 1974 when Mamas And The Papas singer Cass Elliot died in her sleep from a heart attack after playing her final of two weeks' sold out concerts in London. She was staying at Harry Nilson's London flat when she died. In 1998, Elliot, John Phillips, Denny Doherty, and Michelle Phillips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their work as The Mamas & the Papas. Cass Elliot's only solo hit was Dream a Little Dream of Me.
1978 - Australian song writer, John Farrar, came to the fore with major songs he'd written for the movie soundtrack to Grease, which hit #1 on the charts today. Featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, the soundtrack included many hit songs, including the two written by Farrar, Hopelessly Devoted To You and You're The One That I Want, both tracks becoming major international hits when released as singles during 1978. To view those videos and find out more about the movie, Grease, go to our archive search engine. John Farrar had many careers before this, starting off in one of Melbourne's most respected bands, The Strangers. Farrar became a key member of British instrumental pioneers, The Shadows, and has been a prominent song writer and producer in Los Angeles, for more than four decades. This is back in 1968, on Melbourne, Australia's TV show, Uptight.
1980 - David Bowie had previously opened on Broadway, acting in the lead role of The elephant man, and tonight the show premiered, with Bowie, Denver, Colorado.
