December 3, 1976 - A giant 40ft inflatable pig could be seen floating above London after breaking free from its moorings, today, the pig having been photographed for Pink Floyd's Animals, album cover. This was the same day that an attempt was made on Bob Marley's life, when seven gunmen burst into his Kingston, Jamaica home injuring Marley, his wife Rita, and manager Don Taylor, the attack was believed to be politically motivated. The Smile Jamaica Concert was held three days later, at the National Heroes Park, Kingston, Jamaica. Just two days after the attempted assassination attempt on Marley, he nevertheless agreed to perform one song for the 80,000 people in attendance, but it turned into a whole 90-minute set, despite his injuries. Following the concert Marley left Jamaica for London where he stayed for 16 months until he returned in 1978 for the One Love Peace Concert. When asked why he performed on the show after the murder attempt on his life, Marley responded: "The people who are tryin' to make the world worse are not taken a day off. Why should I?"
1925 - GEORGE Gershwin's timeless piece, Concerto in F had its world premiere at New York's Carnegie Hall today, with Gershwin himself playing the piano. This is a modern version of the 3rd Movement, performed in Athens, Greece by the Orchestra of the Colors.
1955 - ELVIS Presley's first official commercial release for RCA Victor Records was announced today, the two songs (Mystery Train and I Forgot to Remember) being purchased from Sam Phillips of Sun Records. Mystery Train is a song written by Junior Parker and Sam Phillips and was first recorded in Phillips' Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Presley's version of the song would be ranked #77 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was again produced by Sam Phillips at Sun Studios, and featured Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Scotty Moore on lead guitar, and Bill Black on bass. Although Mystery Train is now considered to be an 'enduring classic', it was the flip side of this record, I Forgot to Remember to Forget, that reached the Billboard National Country music chart's #1 position. It was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a nationally known country music star.
1956 - GUY Mitchell was at the top of US singles charts, today, with his version of the Marty Robbins song Singing The Blues. His version was the best-known recording of the song, released in October 1956 and spending 9 weeks at the top spot, despite competition from rival versions by England's Tommy Steele and the song's writer, Marty Robbins.
1960 - Camelot the musical, written by Lerner and Loewe, opened on Broadway today, and a year later to the day, the Beatles met Brian Epstein for the first time at his record store in Liverpool. Four years later they had become the sensation of the music world. Many more Brit groups found global success, including the Rolling Stones, who were performing in Sacramento tonight in 1965, when Keith Richards was shocked and knocked unconscious during a concert. His electric guitar made contact with his microphone during a performance of The Last Time, stnning Richards.
1965 - RAY Charles' continued battle with drugs and his demons suffered another blow today, when the blind musical genius was convicted for possession of heroin and marijuana. He was given a hefty five-year suspended sentence and fined $10,000. The suspended sentence was light for the day, considering the offence, but the financial fine was hefty.
1971 - MONTREAUX Casino was destroyed by fire during a show by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, today. On the same day in 1973, Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr, released the song You're Sixteen. It was his second straight #1 single. The original hit was by Johnny Burnette 1960, 13 years earlier. The version by American rockabilly singer Burnette, peaked at # eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960. Ringo's version reunited him with his former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney. McCartney is credited on the liner notes of the album Ringo as having played the instrumental solo on a kazoo. Harry Nilsson sang backing vocals on Starr's version. The original Burnette 1960 version featured prominently on the 1973 motion picture soundtrack of the film American Graffiti. The 1978 video of Starr's version features Star Wars' Carrie Fisher as Ringo's love interest. Here are both versions.
1979 - AT Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum, today, 11 Who fans were trampled to death in the rush to gain admittance for general (unreserved) seats to the band's concert. Here is a news report of the disaster, with Pete Townshend passing comment on the event.
2002 - MIDNIGHT Oil's singer, Peter Garrett quite the band today, after 25 years, announcing he was heading into politics. We go back to one of the most pertinent rock songs from Midnight Oil, still lyrically relevant today, Short Memory from a 1983 concert in their home town of Sydney, Australia. This is followed by the international hit, Beds Are Burning. The song remains one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and in May 2001, the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel. Beds Are Burning was declared third behind the Easybeats' Friday on My Mind and Daddy Cool's Eagle Rock.
1925 - GEORGE Gershwin's timeless piece, Concerto in F had its world premiere at New York's Carnegie Hall today, with Gershwin himself playing the piano. This is a modern version of the 3rd Movement, performed in Athens, Greece by the Orchestra of the Colors.
1955 - ELVIS Presley's first official commercial release for RCA Victor Records was announced today, the two songs (Mystery Train and I Forgot to Remember) being purchased from Sam Phillips of Sun Records. Mystery Train is a song written by Junior Parker and Sam Phillips and was first recorded in Phillips' Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Presley's version of the song would be ranked #77 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was again produced by Sam Phillips at Sun Studios, and featured Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Scotty Moore on lead guitar, and Bill Black on bass. Although Mystery Train is now considered to be an 'enduring classic', it was the flip side of this record, I Forgot to Remember to Forget, that reached the Billboard National Country music chart's #1 position. It was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a nationally known country music star.
1956 - GUY Mitchell was at the top of US singles charts, today, with his version of the Marty Robbins song Singing The Blues. His version was the best-known recording of the song, released in October 1956 and spending 9 weeks at the top spot, despite competition from rival versions by England's Tommy Steele and the song's writer, Marty Robbins.
1960 - Camelot the musical, written by Lerner and Loewe, opened on Broadway today, and a year later to the day, the Beatles met Brian Epstein for the first time at his record store in Liverpool. Four years later they had become the sensation of the music world. Many more Brit groups found global success, including the Rolling Stones, who were performing in Sacramento tonight in 1965, when Keith Richards was shocked and knocked unconscious during a concert. His electric guitar made contact with his microphone during a performance of The Last Time, stnning Richards.
1965 - RAY Charles' continued battle with drugs and his demons suffered another blow today, when the blind musical genius was convicted for possession of heroin and marijuana. He was given a hefty five-year suspended sentence and fined $10,000. The suspended sentence was light for the day, considering the offence, but the financial fine was hefty.
1971 - MONTREAUX Casino was destroyed by fire during a show by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, today. On the same day in 1973, Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr, released the song You're Sixteen. It was his second straight #1 single. The original hit was by Johnny Burnette 1960, 13 years earlier. The version by American rockabilly singer Burnette, peaked at # eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960. Ringo's version reunited him with his former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney. McCartney is credited on the liner notes of the album Ringo as having played the instrumental solo on a kazoo. Harry Nilsson sang backing vocals on Starr's version. The original Burnette 1960 version featured prominently on the 1973 motion picture soundtrack of the film American Graffiti. The 1978 video of Starr's version features Star Wars' Carrie Fisher as Ringo's love interest. Here are both versions.
1979 - AT Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum, today, 11 Who fans were trampled to death in the rush to gain admittance for general (unreserved) seats to the band's concert. Here is a news report of the disaster, with Pete Townshend passing comment on the event.
2002 - MIDNIGHT Oil's singer, Peter Garrett quite the band today, after 25 years, announcing he was heading into politics. We go back to one of the most pertinent rock songs from Midnight Oil, still lyrically relevant today, Short Memory from a 1983 concert in their home town of Sydney, Australia. This is followed by the international hit, Beds Are Burning. The song remains one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and in May 2001, the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel. Beds Are Burning was declared third behind the Easybeats' Friday on My Mind and Daddy Cool's Eagle Rock.
