1960 - It was a song about the song writer's two-year-old daughter, and on this day in 1960, Itsy Bitsy, Teenie Weenie, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini was the #1 song around the world. The true story was inspired by songwriter Paul Vance’s two-year-old daughter, but it was teen idol Bryan Hyland who sang the song. Along with Fabian, Jimmy Clanton and others, Hyland was in the first wave of rock'n'roll-era pop teen idols.
1961 - This was the very day, The Beatles began their engagement residency as regular headliners at Liverpool's Cavern Club. They performed about 300 shows over the next two years, until their recording career took hold around the world. This is real footage, real sound, real Cavern, 20 days after they started their headlining residency. No audio or video enhancement, it's a truly historical clip. The song is Some Other Guy, a rock 'n roll song, written by famous writing team Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Richard Barrett. It was first released by Barrett as a single in 1962, with a backing band featuring an electric piano, in itself not featured much in rock'n'roll songs, the exceptions being Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. The song was first recorded by The Beatles during a live BBC radio session and included on an album, Live at the BBC. As far as I know this is the only known existing film with synchronised sound showing the Beatles performing live at the famous Cavern Club. It's crude, grainy and shows Lennon and McCartney singing the melody in unison. Just incidentally it's the first footage of Ringo Starr as the Beatles drummer, Pete Best having been discharged the week before. In fact, right at the end of the video you can hear someone in the audience screaming, "we want Pete!"
1962 - This is the day Robert Zimmerman legally changed his name to Bob Dylan, around the time when Dylan made his way to New York City in January of 1961, immediately making a substantial impression on the folk community of Greenwich Village. He began visiting his idol, Woody Guthrie in hospital, where he was slowly dying from Huntington's chorea. Dylan also began performing in coffeehouses, and his smooth, sullen charisma won him a significant following. In April, he opened for John Lee Hooker at Gerde's Folk City. Five months later, he performed another concert at the venue, which was reviewed positively by Robert Shelton in The New York Times. On the strength of the review, Columbia A&R man John Hammond sought out Dylan and signed the songwriter in the autumn of 1961. The name change happened not long afterwards. Here is a young, 19-year-old Dylan at the time.
1971 - Amongst the most consistent hit-makers since the late sixties, through all kinds of musical trends, has been The Bee Gees, and exactly 40 years ago today, their #1 song on worldwide charts was How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. The song was the first of nine #1 singles for the Gibb brothers. They remain amongst the best pop songwriters of our time - then there's their harmonies. Amazing act.
1981 - Hard to believe, but worldwide hit, Jessie’s Girl, by Rick Springfield, hit #1 in USA, 30 years today.. The song won Springfield a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. It was released on his album Working Class Dog. The song is about unrequited love, and centres around a young man in love with his best friend's girlfriend. The song was at #1 when MTV launched on August 1, 1981. Around 11 and 12 years earlier I shared the stage with Springfield many times, when he was in a band called Zoot, and I was in a band called Valentines.
1987 - This was the day David Martin, bass player with Sam The Sham & the Pharaohs, died of a heart attack aged 50. Martin co-wrote the group’s 1965 worldwide hit single, Wooly Bully. A fun, dippy song, I know, but while we're at it, howzabout their bigger hit, Little Red Riding Hood.
1991 - Rick James was arrested in Los Angeles, CA, and charged with the sex torture of a 24-year-old woman. Ten years earlier, good old Rick released this super smash hit...seemingly pre-empting the crime...perhaps it should've been I am A Superfreak.
2004 - Ah yes, a man of clothing distinction, is Eric Clapton, who bought a 50% share in Cordings today, to save the historic gentleman’s outfitters from closure. The store, based in London since 1839, had run into financial difficulties and was about to go bankrupt. The guitarist said he had been fond of the shop since a window display caught his eye when he was 16, and had become a regular shopper ever since. Cordings was the originator of the Covert coat and the Tattersall shirt and made riding boots for the Queen Mother, the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Simpson. A few months earlier, in April, he was on stage at le Bercy, Paris, performing yet another version of Sunshine of Your Love, and here's a real-time bootleg of the performance.
1961 - This was the very day, The Beatles began their engagement residency as regular headliners at Liverpool's Cavern Club. They performed about 300 shows over the next two years, until their recording career took hold around the world. This is real footage, real sound, real Cavern, 20 days after they started their headlining residency. No audio or video enhancement, it's a truly historical clip. The song is Some Other Guy, a rock 'n roll song, written by famous writing team Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Richard Barrett. It was first released by Barrett as a single in 1962, with a backing band featuring an electric piano, in itself not featured much in rock'n'roll songs, the exceptions being Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. The song was first recorded by The Beatles during a live BBC radio session and included on an album, Live at the BBC. As far as I know this is the only known existing film with synchronised sound showing the Beatles performing live at the famous Cavern Club. It's crude, grainy and shows Lennon and McCartney singing the melody in unison. Just incidentally it's the first footage of Ringo Starr as the Beatles drummer, Pete Best having been discharged the week before. In fact, right at the end of the video you can hear someone in the audience screaming, "we want Pete!"
1962 - This is the day Robert Zimmerman legally changed his name to Bob Dylan, around the time when Dylan made his way to New York City in January of 1961, immediately making a substantial impression on the folk community of Greenwich Village. He began visiting his idol, Woody Guthrie in hospital, where he was slowly dying from Huntington's chorea. Dylan also began performing in coffeehouses, and his smooth, sullen charisma won him a significant following. In April, he opened for John Lee Hooker at Gerde's Folk City. Five months later, he performed another concert at the venue, which was reviewed positively by Robert Shelton in The New York Times. On the strength of the review, Columbia A&R man John Hammond sought out Dylan and signed the songwriter in the autumn of 1961. The name change happened not long afterwards. Here is a young, 19-year-old Dylan at the time.
1971 - Amongst the most consistent hit-makers since the late sixties, through all kinds of musical trends, has been The Bee Gees, and exactly 40 years ago today, their #1 song on worldwide charts was How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. The song was the first of nine #1 singles for the Gibb brothers. They remain amongst the best pop songwriters of our time - then there's their harmonies. Amazing act.
1981 - Hard to believe, but worldwide hit, Jessie’s Girl, by Rick Springfield, hit #1 in USA, 30 years today.. The song won Springfield a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. It was released on his album Working Class Dog. The song is about unrequited love, and centres around a young man in love with his best friend's girlfriend. The song was at #1 when MTV launched on August 1, 1981. Around 11 and 12 years earlier I shared the stage with Springfield many times, when he was in a band called Zoot, and I was in a band called Valentines.
1987 - This was the day David Martin, bass player with Sam The Sham & the Pharaohs, died of a heart attack aged 50. Martin co-wrote the group’s 1965 worldwide hit single, Wooly Bully. A fun, dippy song, I know, but while we're at it, howzabout their bigger hit, Little Red Riding Hood.
1991 - Rick James was arrested in Los Angeles, CA, and charged with the sex torture of a 24-year-old woman. Ten years earlier, good old Rick released this super smash hit...seemingly pre-empting the crime...perhaps it should've been I am A Superfreak.
2004 - Ah yes, a man of clothing distinction, is Eric Clapton, who bought a 50% share in Cordings today, to save the historic gentleman’s outfitters from closure. The store, based in London since 1839, had run into financial difficulties and was about to go bankrupt. The guitarist said he had been fond of the shop since a window display caught his eye when he was 16, and had become a regular shopper ever since. Cordings was the originator of the Covert coat and the Tattersall shirt and made riding boots for the Queen Mother, the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Simpson. A few months earlier, in April, he was on stage at le Bercy, Paris, performing yet another version of Sunshine of Your Love, and here's a real-time bootleg of the performance.
