November 23, 1995 - GARBAGE made their UK live debut at The Forum, Kentish Town, London, today. Garbage were an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994, and fronted by Scottish singer Shirley Manson on vocals. Also in the band were American musicians Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, and Nirvana's Nevermind producer, Butch Vig. All four members were involved in songwriting and production, and the band notched up 18 million in record sales. This was their first hit release, and a brilliant song.
1899 - THE first jukebox was installed at the gin joint Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco, today, and its popularity spread soon around the world, ostensibly the forerunner of iTunes. The Beatles travelled from Liverpool to London on the same day in 1962, for a BBC audition, but four days later Brian Epstein received a polite thumbs-down letter from the broadcaster. A year later, on June 23 in 1965, and Marc Bolan appeared live on the UK TV show Five O'Clock Funfair, performing The Wizard. This is his classic song, 20th Century Boy.
1967 - THE Who appeared at The New Barn, Lions Delaware County Fairgrounds, Muncie, Indiana, and a year later, Pink Floyd appeared at the The Large Hall, Regent Street Polytechnic, London, England. In 1971 on the same day, during a European tour, Frank Zappa's brilliant Mothers Of Invention appeared at The Rheinhalle in Dusseldorf, performing their version of this classic Led Zeppelin song.
1974 - ELTON John started an 11-week run at top of the charts around the world with his Greatest Hits album, and on the same day over the pond and around the world, one-hit-wonder Billy Swan started a two week run topping charts with I Can Help.
1975 - QUEEN started a nine-week run at #1 on world charts, today, with their master-song, Bohemian Rhapsody. The promotional video that accompanied the song is generally acknowledged as being the first pop video and only cost GBP£5,000 to produce. When the band wanted to release the single, various record executives predictably suggested that at 5 minutes and 55 seconds, it was far too long and, they claimed, would never be a hit. Wrong! How wrong.
1976 - Ten hours after his most recent arrest, bad boy Jerry Lee Lewis was nicked again after brandishing a Derringer pistol outside Elvis Presley's Graceland's home in Memphis, demanding to see 'the king'. When police arrived they found Lewis sitting in his car with the loaded Derringer pistol resting on his knee. This is Jerry Lee Lewis in the same year, live from the TV show, the Midnight Special.
1976 - WINGS kicked off a 19-date UK tour at Liverpool’s Royal Court today, and three years later on the same day Keith Richard's girlfriend Anita Pallenburg was cleared by a court of shooting a man found dead at her home. Keith must've been busy that day because another of his girlfriends, Marianne Faithfull was arrested at Oslo Airport, Norway, for possession of pot. On the same day in 1985, American blues artist Big Joe Turner died of a heart attack, aged 75. If you're a regular reader to this blog, you'll know Turner wrote Shake Rattle and Roll, (a hit for Bill Haley and His Comets), Sweet Sixteen, and this song, Flip Flop & Fly.
1991 - MICHAEL Jackson had his fourth UK #1 song with Black or White, today, featuring Slash on guitar, and a year later to the day, American country music singer Roy Acuff died, aged 89. Known as the 'King of Country Music', he was the first living artist elected to the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Another death on this day in 1994, was that of singer-songwriter Tommy Boyce, who committed suicide. He and his songwriting partner, Bobby Hart wrote a series of hit songs, including Last Train To Clarksville for the Monkees, I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, and I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite. His songs sold more than 40 million records.
1995 - JUNIOR Walker died of cancer aged 64 today. He and his band, the All Stars had a series of hit songs in the sixties, including How Sweet It Is, What Does It Take To Win Your Love, and this killer tune, Shotgun, filmed live at London's Ram Jam Club. Following that is another version of the same song by Buddy & Stacey, with a young Jimi Hendrix on guitar, circa 1964/65.
1996 - PRODIGY scored their second worldwide hit, firstly today in the UK where it went to #1, with Breathe. It was the second single from their album The Fat of the Land.
1899 - THE first jukebox was installed at the gin joint Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco, today, and its popularity spread soon around the world, ostensibly the forerunner of iTunes. The Beatles travelled from Liverpool to London on the same day in 1962, for a BBC audition, but four days later Brian Epstein received a polite thumbs-down letter from the broadcaster. A year later, on June 23 in 1965, and Marc Bolan appeared live on the UK TV show Five O'Clock Funfair, performing The Wizard. This is his classic song, 20th Century Boy.
1967 - THE Who appeared at The New Barn, Lions Delaware County Fairgrounds, Muncie, Indiana, and a year later, Pink Floyd appeared at the The Large Hall, Regent Street Polytechnic, London, England. In 1971 on the same day, during a European tour, Frank Zappa's brilliant Mothers Of Invention appeared at The Rheinhalle in Dusseldorf, performing their version of this classic Led Zeppelin song.
1974 - ELTON John started an 11-week run at top of the charts around the world with his Greatest Hits album, and on the same day over the pond and around the world, one-hit-wonder Billy Swan started a two week run topping charts with I Can Help.
1975 - QUEEN started a nine-week run at #1 on world charts, today, with their master-song, Bohemian Rhapsody. The promotional video that accompanied the song is generally acknowledged as being the first pop video and only cost GBP£5,000 to produce. When the band wanted to release the single, various record executives predictably suggested that at 5 minutes and 55 seconds, it was far too long and, they claimed, would never be a hit. Wrong! How wrong.
1976 - Ten hours after his most recent arrest, bad boy Jerry Lee Lewis was nicked again after brandishing a Derringer pistol outside Elvis Presley's Graceland's home in Memphis, demanding to see 'the king'. When police arrived they found Lewis sitting in his car with the loaded Derringer pistol resting on his knee. This is Jerry Lee Lewis in the same year, live from the TV show, the Midnight Special.
1976 - WINGS kicked off a 19-date UK tour at Liverpool’s Royal Court today, and three years later on the same day Keith Richard's girlfriend Anita Pallenburg was cleared by a court of shooting a man found dead at her home. Keith must've been busy that day because another of his girlfriends, Marianne Faithfull was arrested at Oslo Airport, Norway, for possession of pot. On the same day in 1985, American blues artist Big Joe Turner died of a heart attack, aged 75. If you're a regular reader to this blog, you'll know Turner wrote Shake Rattle and Roll, (a hit for Bill Haley and His Comets), Sweet Sixteen, and this song, Flip Flop & Fly.
1991 - MICHAEL Jackson had his fourth UK #1 song with Black or White, today, featuring Slash on guitar, and a year later to the day, American country music singer Roy Acuff died, aged 89. Known as the 'King of Country Music', he was the first living artist elected to the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Another death on this day in 1994, was that of singer-songwriter Tommy Boyce, who committed suicide. He and his songwriting partner, Bobby Hart wrote a series of hit songs, including Last Train To Clarksville for the Monkees, I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, and I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite. His songs sold more than 40 million records.
1995 - JUNIOR Walker died of cancer aged 64 today. He and his band, the All Stars had a series of hit songs in the sixties, including How Sweet It Is, What Does It Take To Win Your Love, and this killer tune, Shotgun, filmed live at London's Ram Jam Club. Following that is another version of the same song by Buddy & Stacey, with a young Jimi Hendrix on guitar, circa 1964/65.
1996 - PRODIGY scored their second worldwide hit, firstly today in the UK where it went to #1, with Breathe. It was the second single from their album The Fat of the Land.
