1956 - It's 55 years ago today when a young 24-year-old country musician, Johnny Cash, made his very first appearance on the country music television show, Grand Ole Opry. This is a truly vintage performance from a very slim, serious Cash, with his huge hit Walk The Line, a song that became his signature song.
1956 - When I was nine years old, I bought a 78 rpm record, my first ever, from Coles general store in Murray Street, Perth, called My Prayer, by the Platters. The group was a five-piece doo-wop harmony group, with one female in the line-up. My Prayer was released today in 1956. I bought it for my mother's birthday because she loved this song. I borrowed the money from her to buy it. For more Platters videos and details go to our archive search engine. But for today's *MUSICBACKTRACK* we have for you two more of their biggest hits, released during the two prior years, '54/'56, Great Pretender and Only You. The clips are introduced by Maynard G Krebbs, who was a beatnik character in the TV series, The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis; and Ed Byrnes, whose television character was Kookie, from the tele series 77 Sunset Strip.
1967 - This is the day The Monkees employed Jimi Hendrix as their opening act, when they began their national American tour. It was an ill-fated union, as you can imagine. For more details and ids on Hendrix and The Monkees, go to our archive search engine. Enjoy this rather quaint and amusing radio spot ab out the tour. The slideshow is something that youtuber bat15 put together. The voice is that of DJ Scott Regan.
1968 - On July 7, 43 years ago today, one of the most influential British bands, The Yardbirds, called it a day and disbanded. During its short reign the band had as its members, at some time, the guitar playing of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, who also played bass at one stage. Here are three of the band's biggest hits - and they had many - featuring all three guitar players…at some stage. See if you can spot them. The songs are: For Your Love, Shapes Of Things To Come, and I'm A Man, which is taken from the US TV show, Hullabaloo, which is funny for its frenetic go-go dancers.
1971 - Forty years ago today Bjorn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Faltskog of Abba provided substance for many of the lyrics in the band's songs when they married. They were divorced two years later. Two years later on the same day, Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die was released, the song being commissioned for the theme song of the James Bond movie of the same name. And in 1975 on the same day, Keith Richards was charged with possession of an offensive weapon and reckless driving in Arkansas. He was arrested and charged but escaped a jail sentence. Again. July 7 was also the day, in 1980, when the original lineup of Led Zeppelin gave its final show. This following video is from their final tour, and was their final original member performance because drummer John Bonham died soon after this performance.
1984 - There was universal outrage from the conservatives 27 years ago today when the video of the song about cumming - or not coming - Relax, was seen for the first time. The song by Frankie Goes To Hollywood became the biggest selling single of all time in Britain. It has since been surpassed, I think, by Elton John's Diana song, and maybe Geldof's Live-Aid single. Not sure, dear reader, maybe you know and can tell me. Anyway, this was the biggest at this time, and this is the banned version, so don't be offended.
1990 - History was made today, July 7, when the world's top tenors were brought together to perform in Rome. The Three Tenors is the name given to the Spanish singers Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and the Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti who sang in concert under this banner during the 1990s and early 2000s. The trio began their collaboration with a performance at the ancient Baths of Caracalla, in Rome, Italy, on July 7, 1990 – the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup final. Zubin Mehta conducted the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and the Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. In the video we have, stage left Placido Domingo, Center Jose Carreras, Right Luciano Pavarotti.
1999 - This is the day when Coolio was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 40 hours of community service, and two years probation after he pled guilty to a charge of illegal gun possession. A year later and Bobby Brown was released from a Florida jail after serving 26 days for violating probation. The probation stemmed from a 1996 drunk driving incident in Hollywood, FL.
2000 - Hard to believe, but it is now 11 years since the BBC imposed an early-evening ban on Robbie Williams' latest video entitled Rock DJ. Can you handle it?
1956 - When I was nine years old, I bought a 78 rpm record, my first ever, from Coles general store in Murray Street, Perth, called My Prayer, by the Platters. The group was a five-piece doo-wop harmony group, with one female in the line-up. My Prayer was released today in 1956. I bought it for my mother's birthday because she loved this song. I borrowed the money from her to buy it. For more Platters videos and details go to our archive search engine. But for today's *MUSICBACKTRACK* we have for you two more of their biggest hits, released during the two prior years, '54/'56, Great Pretender and Only You. The clips are introduced by Maynard G Krebbs, who was a beatnik character in the TV series, The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis; and Ed Byrnes, whose television character was Kookie, from the tele series 77 Sunset Strip.
1967 - This is the day The Monkees employed Jimi Hendrix as their opening act, when they began their national American tour. It was an ill-fated union, as you can imagine. For more details and ids on Hendrix and The Monkees, go to our archive search engine. Enjoy this rather quaint and amusing radio spot ab out the tour. The slideshow is something that youtuber bat15 put together. The voice is that of DJ Scott Regan.
1968 - On July 7, 43 years ago today, one of the most influential British bands, The Yardbirds, called it a day and disbanded. During its short reign the band had as its members, at some time, the guitar playing of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, who also played bass at one stage. Here are three of the band's biggest hits - and they had many - featuring all three guitar players…at some stage. See if you can spot them. The songs are: For Your Love, Shapes Of Things To Come, and I'm A Man, which is taken from the US TV show, Hullabaloo, which is funny for its frenetic go-go dancers.
1971 - Forty years ago today Bjorn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Faltskog of Abba provided substance for many of the lyrics in the band's songs when they married. They were divorced two years later. Two years later on the same day, Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die was released, the song being commissioned for the theme song of the James Bond movie of the same name. And in 1975 on the same day, Keith Richards was charged with possession of an offensive weapon and reckless driving in Arkansas. He was arrested and charged but escaped a jail sentence. Again. July 7 was also the day, in 1980, when the original lineup of Led Zeppelin gave its final show. This following video is from their final tour, and was their final original member performance because drummer John Bonham died soon after this performance.
1984 - There was universal outrage from the conservatives 27 years ago today when the video of the song about cumming - or not coming - Relax, was seen for the first time. The song by Frankie Goes To Hollywood became the biggest selling single of all time in Britain. It has since been surpassed, I think, by Elton John's Diana song, and maybe Geldof's Live-Aid single. Not sure, dear reader, maybe you know and can tell me. Anyway, this was the biggest at this time, and this is the banned version, so don't be offended.
1990 - History was made today, July 7, when the world's top tenors were brought together to perform in Rome. The Three Tenors is the name given to the Spanish singers Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and the Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti who sang in concert under this banner during the 1990s and early 2000s. The trio began their collaboration with a performance at the ancient Baths of Caracalla, in Rome, Italy, on July 7, 1990 – the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup final. Zubin Mehta conducted the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and the Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. In the video we have, stage left Placido Domingo, Center Jose Carreras, Right Luciano Pavarotti.
1999 - This is the day when Coolio was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 40 hours of community service, and two years probation after he pled guilty to a charge of illegal gun possession. A year later and Bobby Brown was released from a Florida jail after serving 26 days for violating probation. The probation stemmed from a 1996 drunk driving incident in Hollywood, FL.
2000 - Hard to believe, but it is now 11 years since the BBC imposed an early-evening ban on Robbie Williams' latest video entitled Rock DJ. Can you handle it?
