November 25, 1957 - GENE Vincent and the Blue Caps appeared for their first national TV appearance on Ed Sullivan's weekly variety TV show. Their appearance showcased the debut performance of one of the prime architects of rock'n'roll spirit. Born Vincent Eugene Craddock, American Gene Vincent, along with Elvis, combined and pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, Be-Bop-A-Lula, is considered a significant early example of rockabilly. Dead at just 36, Vincent is a member of the Rock and Roll and Rockabilly Halls of Fame. His song, Be-Bop-A-Lula sits at # 102 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Rock and Roll Songs of All Time. He was the first inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame upon its formation in 1997. Here's that debut performance, along with one of rock's legendary songs.
1961 - EVERLY Brothers started active service for the 8th Battalion Marine Corps Reserves, working as artillerymen today, and four years later London's Harrods department store closed to the public so The Beatles could do their Christmas shopping. Same day, same year and The Seekers were at #1 on UK singles chart with The Carnival Is Over, the group's second #1 hit.
1966 - JIMI Hendrix & his band the Experience made its London performance debut at the Bag O' Nails Club tonight, and for more info and vids on Hendrix go to our archive search engine. Today in 1968 The Beatles' double White album was released in the United States, and on the same day one year later, John Lennon returned his MBE award to The Queen on the grounds of the "UK's involvement in the Nigeria Biafra war, America in Vietnam, and against my latest single Cold Turkey slipping down the charts". Three years later and one of Lennon's rock'n'roll idols, Chuck Berry, sat atop world charts with this decidedly non rock'n'roll song.
1974 - NICK Drake, the legendary UK singer/songwriter now enjoying a revived legendary status in the music industry, died in his sleep of an overdose of anti-depressant drug, tryptasol. Drake was just 26 years old. He was signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old, and recorded the classic 1972 album, Pink Moon. In 2000, Volkswagen featured the title track from Pink Moon in a television advertisement, and within a month Drake had sold more records than in the previous 30 years. Video for Day is Done from Nick Drake's legendary first album Five Leaves Left, and following that an extract from a doco about his life.
1976, THE Band made its final performance tonight. Entitled The Last Waltz, the show was filmed by movie director, Martin Scorsese, and all these years later remains one of the best ever rock'n'roll films of all time. It features Joni Mitchell, Dr John, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Eric Clapton Bob Dylan, and so, so many more musical acts.
1978 - MAKING one of their first gigs, the Police appeared at The Electric Ballroom in London, England, with an admission fee of just GBP£1.50. On the same day four years later, The Jam started their final UK tour at Glasgow's Apollo Theatre in Scotland, and in 1984 on November 25, the cream of the British pop world gathered at S.A.R.M. Studios, London, to record the historic Do They Know It’s Christmas? Written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the record featured Paul Young, Bono, Boy George, Sting, George Michael and others. It has sold almost four million copies in the UK, becoming the bestselling record ever, and raised more than GBP£9 million worldwide.
1989 - MIME duo Milli Vanilli started a two week run on top of world charts, today, with Blame It On The Rain, their third world hit. Same year and day, American band New Kids On The Block had a partial world hit with You Got It. In 1992, movie The Bodyguard, opened around the world and starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, while three years later on the same day, Radiohead singer Thom Yorke blacked out halfway through a show in Munich, Germany, suffering from exhaustion. This is a rare interview with the band in Vancouver, Canada, from the same year.
1997 - ORIGINAL lineup of the Zombies played onstage for the first time in 30 years today, and two years later, in 1999, Creation records boss Alan McGee announced that he was leaving the label he had created earlier in the decade. McGee had signed Oasis to the label after seeing them play a gig in Glasgow, Scotland. The label was also the home to other acts including Teenage Fanclub and the enigmatic Primal Scream. This is one of rock's classic rock songs.
1961 - EVERLY Brothers started active service for the 8th Battalion Marine Corps Reserves, working as artillerymen today, and four years later London's Harrods department store closed to the public so The Beatles could do their Christmas shopping. Same day, same year and The Seekers were at #1 on UK singles chart with The Carnival Is Over, the group's second #1 hit.
1966 - JIMI Hendrix & his band the Experience made its London performance debut at the Bag O' Nails Club tonight, and for more info and vids on Hendrix go to our archive search engine. Today in 1968 The Beatles' double White album was released in the United States, and on the same day one year later, John Lennon returned his MBE award to The Queen on the grounds of the "UK's involvement in the Nigeria Biafra war, America in Vietnam, and against my latest single Cold Turkey slipping down the charts". Three years later and one of Lennon's rock'n'roll idols, Chuck Berry, sat atop world charts with this decidedly non rock'n'roll song.
1974 - NICK Drake, the legendary UK singer/songwriter now enjoying a revived legendary status in the music industry, died in his sleep of an overdose of anti-depressant drug, tryptasol. Drake was just 26 years old. He was signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old, and recorded the classic 1972 album, Pink Moon. In 2000, Volkswagen featured the title track from Pink Moon in a television advertisement, and within a month Drake had sold more records than in the previous 30 years. Video for Day is Done from Nick Drake's legendary first album Five Leaves Left, and following that an extract from a doco about his life.
1976, THE Band made its final performance tonight. Entitled The Last Waltz, the show was filmed by movie director, Martin Scorsese, and all these years later remains one of the best ever rock'n'roll films of all time. It features Joni Mitchell, Dr John, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Eric Clapton Bob Dylan, and so, so many more musical acts.
1978 - MAKING one of their first gigs, the Police appeared at The Electric Ballroom in London, England, with an admission fee of just GBP£1.50. On the same day four years later, The Jam started their final UK tour at Glasgow's Apollo Theatre in Scotland, and in 1984 on November 25, the cream of the British pop world gathered at S.A.R.M. Studios, London, to record the historic Do They Know It’s Christmas? Written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the record featured Paul Young, Bono, Boy George, Sting, George Michael and others. It has sold almost four million copies in the UK, becoming the bestselling record ever, and raised more than GBP£9 million worldwide.
1989 - MIME duo Milli Vanilli started a two week run on top of world charts, today, with Blame It On The Rain, their third world hit. Same year and day, American band New Kids On The Block had a partial world hit with You Got It. In 1992, movie The Bodyguard, opened around the world and starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, while three years later on the same day, Radiohead singer Thom Yorke blacked out halfway through a show in Munich, Germany, suffering from exhaustion. This is a rare interview with the band in Vancouver, Canada, from the same year.
1997 - ORIGINAL lineup of the Zombies played onstage for the first time in 30 years today, and two years later, in 1999, Creation records boss Alan McGee announced that he was leaving the label he had created earlier in the decade. McGee had signed Oasis to the label after seeing them play a gig in Glasgow, Scotland. The label was also the home to other acts including Teenage Fanclub and the enigmatic Primal Scream. This is one of rock's classic rock songs.
