March 9, 1987 - U2's JOSHUA TREE was released on March 9, 1987, the album quickly becoming the fastest-selling album in British chart history, selling almost 250,000 copies within its first week of release. In the US it was equally successful, topping the Billboard album chart for nine weeks, and spending 58 weeks in the Top 40. The album earned the band a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and it gave birth to several major hit singles including With Or Without You and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, both of which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, along with Where The Streets Have No Name. The album was a watershed in U2's already-burgeoning career. Apart from winning several Grammy Awards (including for Best Rock Performance) the band also won a BRIT Award for Best International Group. The album is now recognised as an all-time rock classic. The story of the making of The Joshua Tree is told here, via interview and archive film footage, with contributions from band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen.
1942 - TOMMY DORSEY and his orchestra recorded one of their screamers, Well, Git It!, exactly 70 years ago today. This version features the great Charlie Shavers on trumpet and there is some nice clarinet work from Jimmy Dorsey. The song has been covered by many in the ensuing years, and while some come near, the original Dorsey version remains my fave.
1966 - BRIAN WILSON gave the lead vocal of one of the Beach Boys best to his brother, Carl, today, who has the voice of an angel. The song was one of Wilson's best compositions, God Only Knows, and while Brian Wilson originally intended to sing lead vocal on the song, in the end he sacrificed the lead vocal to his brother Carl: "Well, I thought I was gonna do it. As the song progressed, I said, 'Hey, I feel kind of natural doing this.' But when we completed creating the song, I said my brother Carl will probably be able to impart the message better than I could, so I sacrificed that one. But he had a good time singing it." Following are two vids, the first of the Beach Boys doing the song live in Amsterdam in 1969. The second circa 2000, Brian Wilson doing it live in Abbey Road studios where the Beatles recorded all their music. This is from the Beach Boys' LP Pets Sounds, which influenced the Beatles' Penny Lane, as did Pet Sounds influence Sergeant Peppers.
1970 - BLACK SABBATH changed their name from Earth and held their debut concert tonight at the roundhouse in London. Just three years later, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward kicked off an 8-date sold out UK tour at Green's Playhouse, Glasgow.
1975 - A BLOATED ELVIS PRESLEY began his final recording session tonight at RCA's Hollywood studios, just two years prior to his death. It's so sad what happened to Elvis and Michael Jackson, just sad, sad, sad. This live performance is just two months prior to has death, and is one of the songs he recorded today. This is just sad footage.
1974 - ALVIN STARDUST was at #1 on the UK singles chart with Jealous Mind. Know as Shane Fenton in the 1960s, it was the singer's only UK chart topper, although his best known and most played hit was this one, My Coo-ca-choo, his first top ten hit.
1976 - THE WHO'S American tour opened tonight At Boston Garden, Boston, 36 years ago. Unfortunately, though, Keith Moon collapsed after just 2 songs so the show was cancelled. Those two songs are on youtube, but audio only, so we have gone back two years to Charlton, with this video of the band performing Baba O'Reilly. Then a drum solo from Moon at Kilborn - his final concert.
1985 - DEAD OR ALIVE were at #1 on the UK singles chart today, with You Spin Me Round (Like A Record). It was the first No.1 for the production team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman who went on to produce over 100 UK Top 40 hits.
1991 - SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO gave The Clash their only #1 single, today, after the track was used for a Levi's TV advertisement. The song was first released in 1982 from their album Combat Rock. It was first written in 1981, and featured Mick Jones on lead vocals. In November 2004, it was ranked at 228 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
1995 - RADIOHEAD kicked off a 13 date UK tour, 17 years ago today, to promote their new album The Bends. This is Radiohead performing High & Dry and title track, The Bends. Radiohead released their debut single Creep in 1992, the song initially unsuccessful. It became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey in1993. Radiohead's popularity rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their second album, The Bends.
1997 - RAP VIOLENCE reached a high in the late nineties when Tupac was killed, and then, today in Los Angeles, the Notorius B.I.G, aka Christopher Wallace, was murdered by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting. B.I.G was 24 years old. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the American album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Following is a report on his suspected gangland murder.
1942 - TOMMY DORSEY and his orchestra recorded one of their screamers, Well, Git It!, exactly 70 years ago today. This version features the great Charlie Shavers on trumpet and there is some nice clarinet work from Jimmy Dorsey. The song has been covered by many in the ensuing years, and while some come near, the original Dorsey version remains my fave.
1966 - BRIAN WILSON gave the lead vocal of one of the Beach Boys best to his brother, Carl, today, who has the voice of an angel. The song was one of Wilson's best compositions, God Only Knows, and while Brian Wilson originally intended to sing lead vocal on the song, in the end he sacrificed the lead vocal to his brother Carl: "Well, I thought I was gonna do it. As the song progressed, I said, 'Hey, I feel kind of natural doing this.' But when we completed creating the song, I said my brother Carl will probably be able to impart the message better than I could, so I sacrificed that one. But he had a good time singing it." Following are two vids, the first of the Beach Boys doing the song live in Amsterdam in 1969. The second circa 2000, Brian Wilson doing it live in Abbey Road studios where the Beatles recorded all their music. This is from the Beach Boys' LP Pets Sounds, which influenced the Beatles' Penny Lane, as did Pet Sounds influence Sergeant Peppers.
1970 - BLACK SABBATH changed their name from Earth and held their debut concert tonight at the roundhouse in London. Just three years later, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward kicked off an 8-date sold out UK tour at Green's Playhouse, Glasgow.
1975 - A BLOATED ELVIS PRESLEY began his final recording session tonight at RCA's Hollywood studios, just two years prior to his death. It's so sad what happened to Elvis and Michael Jackson, just sad, sad, sad. This live performance is just two months prior to has death, and is one of the songs he recorded today. This is just sad footage.
1974 - ALVIN STARDUST was at #1 on the UK singles chart with Jealous Mind. Know as Shane Fenton in the 1960s, it was the singer's only UK chart topper, although his best known and most played hit was this one, My Coo-ca-choo, his first top ten hit.
1976 - THE WHO'S American tour opened tonight At Boston Garden, Boston, 36 years ago. Unfortunately, though, Keith Moon collapsed after just 2 songs so the show was cancelled. Those two songs are on youtube, but audio only, so we have gone back two years to Charlton, with this video of the band performing Baba O'Reilly. Then a drum solo from Moon at Kilborn - his final concert.
1985 - DEAD OR ALIVE were at #1 on the UK singles chart today, with You Spin Me Round (Like A Record). It was the first No.1 for the production team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman who went on to produce over 100 UK Top 40 hits.
1991 - SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO gave The Clash their only #1 single, today, after the track was used for a Levi's TV advertisement. The song was first released in 1982 from their album Combat Rock. It was first written in 1981, and featured Mick Jones on lead vocals. In November 2004, it was ranked at 228 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
1995 - RADIOHEAD kicked off a 13 date UK tour, 17 years ago today, to promote their new album The Bends. This is Radiohead performing High & Dry and title track, The Bends. Radiohead released their debut single Creep in 1992, the song initially unsuccessful. It became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey in1993. Radiohead's popularity rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their second album, The Bends.
1997 - RAP VIOLENCE reached a high in the late nineties when Tupac was killed, and then, today in Los Angeles, the Notorius B.I.G, aka Christopher Wallace, was murdered by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting. B.I.G was 24 years old. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the American album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Following is a report on his suspected gangland murder.
