1923 - At the age of just 14, Benny Goodman took a job as a clarinet player, today, on a Chicago-based excursion boat on Lake Michigan, such was his dedication and love for music. He remained as a musician from then until the end of his life in 1986, and during his life the American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader, was commonly tagged as the King of Swing. Following are two Goodman clips, one from his trio, way back in the '30s, the second from the early 80s, both with the legendary Gen Krupa on drums, George Duviver on bass, and the legendary Lionel Hampton. The songs? China Boy, Sheik of Araby, and Moonglow.
1960 - This is the day that London's Decca Records took a hammer and scrapped 25,000 copies of Ray Peterson's morose hit song, Tell Laura I Lover Her, because they felt the song, which recounts the last thoughts of a teenager dying from a car accident, was "too tasteless and vulgar". A cover version by Ricky Valance, went to No.1 on the UK chart a month later. Here's a very irreverent resin from comedian Billy Connolly, with Doner and the Kebabs.
1963 - Emerging from the so-called Merseybeat scene in the early sixties, The Searchers hit #1 on British charts today, with this cover version of the Drifters' 1961 hit, Sweets For My Sweet. The beat group emerged with other groups like The Merseybeats, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and the Beatles. The Searchers had several worldwide hits, including Jackie de Shannon cover Needles & Pins, and a cover of the Clovers' Love Potion #9.
1969 - One of the most iconic album covers from the past 60 years of music is the Beatles' Abbey Road, the photo session of which took place today under the direction of photographer Iain McMillan. The session place on the crossing outside Abbey Road Studios, and McMillan balanced on a step-ladder in the middle of the road to take the shots. In all, he took six shots of John, Ringo, Paul, and George walking across the zebra crossing while a policeman held up the traffic. The band then returned to the studio and recorded overdubs on The End, I Want You (She's So Heavy) and Oh! Darling. Following is a badly-put-together montage of the band talking about their demise, years after it was all over. apologies for the lack of free-flow, but just slide forward to the next scene when there is silence. The resulting interviews, though, are revealing and fun to look back on.
1970 - One of the defining American bands of the late sixties, early seventies was Creedence Clearwater Revival, who, for a short period of time, were the hottest band on the planet. Led by singer, song writer John Fogerty, the group had a string of hits from a string of successful albums. They were seen as southern rock stylists, often as not singing about their own southern social and environmental iconography. The group has sold around 35 million album around the world, and was inducted into the Rock'n'roll Hall of Fame in 1993. It's now 41 years ago today that CCR released Looking Out My Back Door, from the Cosmo's Factory album.
1970 - In 1937 the body Bessie Smith was originally laid out at Upshur's funeral home, and as word of her death spread through Philadelphia's black community, the body had to be moved to the O.V. Catto Elks Lodge to accommodate the estimated 10,000 mourners who would later past her coffin. Not many people attended her burial, though, indeed her grave remained unmarked for 33 years - until one of her biggest fans, Janis Joplin, and Smith's former child-cleaner, Juanita Green, paid for and erected a tombstone for the blues legend. The heart-felt gesture from Joplin is remembered in a song written and perfumed by Dory Previn, Stone For Bessie Smith. So, dear reader, today's the day gorgeous Janis tipped her hat to the beautiful Bessie. Two months later, Janis Joplin was dead. Following is our little tribute to Bess, Janis and Dory.
1980 - This is the day three decades ago that The Greater London Council banned The Plasmatics from blowing up a car up stage during their UK live debut at London's Hammersmith Odeon. For details and videos of the amazing Plasmatics and their super singer/performer Wendy O, go to our archive search engine. Three years later on the same day, Harold Melvin and members from The Bluenotes were arrested in Atlantic City on charges of cocaine possession. Speaking of coke, David Crosby of Crosby, Stills and Nash was released from prison today, after serving three years for drug and weapons possession. His conviction would be later overturned by a Texas appeals court in November 1987. And on this day in the same year, U2 scored their second #1 around the world, the single from their Joshua Tree album. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. This is the U2 performing the song live, in Paris, the same year.
1960 - This is the day that London's Decca Records took a hammer and scrapped 25,000 copies of Ray Peterson's morose hit song, Tell Laura I Lover Her, because they felt the song, which recounts the last thoughts of a teenager dying from a car accident, was "too tasteless and vulgar". A cover version by Ricky Valance, went to No.1 on the UK chart a month later. Here's a very irreverent resin from comedian Billy Connolly, with Doner and the Kebabs.
1963 - Emerging from the so-called Merseybeat scene in the early sixties, The Searchers hit #1 on British charts today, with this cover version of the Drifters' 1961 hit, Sweets For My Sweet. The beat group emerged with other groups like The Merseybeats, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and the Beatles. The Searchers had several worldwide hits, including Jackie de Shannon cover Needles & Pins, and a cover of the Clovers' Love Potion #9.
1969 - One of the most iconic album covers from the past 60 years of music is the Beatles' Abbey Road, the photo session of which took place today under the direction of photographer Iain McMillan. The session place on the crossing outside Abbey Road Studios, and McMillan balanced on a step-ladder in the middle of the road to take the shots. In all, he took six shots of John, Ringo, Paul, and George walking across the zebra crossing while a policeman held up the traffic. The band then returned to the studio and recorded overdubs on The End, I Want You (She's So Heavy) and Oh! Darling. Following is a badly-put-together montage of the band talking about their demise, years after it was all over. apologies for the lack of free-flow, but just slide forward to the next scene when there is silence. The resulting interviews, though, are revealing and fun to look back on.
1970 - One of the defining American bands of the late sixties, early seventies was Creedence Clearwater Revival, who, for a short period of time, were the hottest band on the planet. Led by singer, song writer John Fogerty, the group had a string of hits from a string of successful albums. They were seen as southern rock stylists, often as not singing about their own southern social and environmental iconography. The group has sold around 35 million album around the world, and was inducted into the Rock'n'roll Hall of Fame in 1993. It's now 41 years ago today that CCR released Looking Out My Back Door, from the Cosmo's Factory album.
1970 - In 1937 the body Bessie Smith was originally laid out at Upshur's funeral home, and as word of her death spread through Philadelphia's black community, the body had to be moved to the O.V. Catto Elks Lodge to accommodate the estimated 10,000 mourners who would later past her coffin. Not many people attended her burial, though, indeed her grave remained unmarked for 33 years - until one of her biggest fans, Janis Joplin, and Smith's former child-cleaner, Juanita Green, paid for and erected a tombstone for the blues legend. The heart-felt gesture from Joplin is remembered in a song written and perfumed by Dory Previn, Stone For Bessie Smith. So, dear reader, today's the day gorgeous Janis tipped her hat to the beautiful Bessie. Two months later, Janis Joplin was dead. Following is our little tribute to Bess, Janis and Dory.
1980 - This is the day three decades ago that The Greater London Council banned The Plasmatics from blowing up a car up stage during their UK live debut at London's Hammersmith Odeon. For details and videos of the amazing Plasmatics and their super singer/performer Wendy O, go to our archive search engine. Three years later on the same day, Harold Melvin and members from The Bluenotes were arrested in Atlantic City on charges of cocaine possession. Speaking of coke, David Crosby of Crosby, Stills and Nash was released from prison today, after serving three years for drug and weapons possession. His conviction would be later overturned by a Texas appeals court in November 1987. And on this day in the same year, U2 scored their second #1 around the world, the single from their Joshua Tree album. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. This is the U2 performing the song live, in Paris, the same year.
