1924 - GEORGE Gershwin completed one of his classic compositions today, Rhapsody in Blue. The great American song writer was 39 years of age at the time, and this is a very rare clip of Gershwin playing the composition, I've Got Rhythm. The clip following that one, is a short movie trailer for the movie, Rhapsody In Blue, which is about the life and times of George Gershwin.
1941 - GOOD FOR NOTHIN' JOE was recorded by the sultry Lena Horne with Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra on Bluebird Records, 71 years ago today. Unfortunately, we cannot find even an audio on this one, but I love this version of Stormy Weather by Lena, surely one of the most sexy women ever to hit the big screen. This is from the movie of the same name, two years later, in 1943.
1955 - ROCK Around The Clock by Bill Haley and his Comets, entered the UK chart for the first time, today, and if you want more Bill Haley, go to our blogsite for info and videos. In the same year and on the same, at the other end of the musical scale we saw the great Marian Anderson become the first African-American to sing at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Great break through, to be sure, but it took her more than a decade to get there. She should have been there ten years earlier, and had she been white she probably would have been accepted much earlier. For more information on Marian Anderson use our search engine and scan our archive.
1963 - GARY U.S BOND filed a $100,000 suit against Chubby Checker, today, the charge being that Checker stole Bond's hit song, Quarter to Three and turned it into the song Dancin' Party. The case was settled out of court. Of course this happened a lot back then…and now, too…have a listen to both versions and see what you think.
1964 - LONG JOHN BALDRY, who was one of the mainstays of early British rhythm and blues music, formed the original Hoochie Coochie Men today. Baldry had Elton John playing piano in his backing band in his previous band. Indeed, Reggie Dwight's stage surname - Elton John - is named after Baldry's Christian name. This first clip of Baldry is from Brit tele show, Top of the Pops in 1967. The second clip is his appearance on a Beatles special, with the Beatles singing back-up vocals.
1970 - MAX YASGUR was sued for $35,000 in property damages by neighboring farmers today. It was Yasgur's farm on which the August 1969 Woodstock Festival was held. This humble man made it possible for a younger generation to express themselves through his faith in mankind, and his trust in the people who attended the festival. Far from being fined, he should have been knighted. He remains one of the major icons of Woodstock for me.
1989 - KYLIE MINOGUE and Jason Donovan started a three-week run at #1 on the UK singles chart today, with the Stock, Aitken & Waterman produced song, Especially For You. Its strongest market was the UK, where its release followed the on-screen wedding of the two actors' respective characters, Charlene and Scott, on the Australian soap series, Neighbours. This episode of the soapy brought peak audiences in their millions. In the UK, the song lodged for 4 weeks at #2 during the Christmas market behind Cliff Richard (a Christmas fixture) and reached #1 for 3 weeks in early 1989, selling just shy of one million copies. It remained Minogue's best selling single in the UK until 2001's Can't Get You out of My Head which became a million seller. The single was a big hit throughout Europe and sold 23,037 copies in Sweden. It was her longest running single in New Zealand, peaking at #2, and staying there for 21 weeks.
1994 - OASIS started recording their debut album Definitely Maybe, today, at Monrow studios in South Wales. When released in August 1994, it became the fastest selling debut album of all time in the UK, (being surpassed in 2006 by Arctic Monkeys debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not). The album went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide, firmly placing the band as a force with which to be reckoned.`
1941 - GOOD FOR NOTHIN' JOE was recorded by the sultry Lena Horne with Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra on Bluebird Records, 71 years ago today. Unfortunately, we cannot find even an audio on this one, but I love this version of Stormy Weather by Lena, surely one of the most sexy women ever to hit the big screen. This is from the movie of the same name, two years later, in 1943.
1955 - ROCK Around The Clock by Bill Haley and his Comets, entered the UK chart for the first time, today, and if you want more Bill Haley, go to our blogsite for info and videos. In the same year and on the same, at the other end of the musical scale we saw the great Marian Anderson become the first African-American to sing at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Great break through, to be sure, but it took her more than a decade to get there. She should have been there ten years earlier, and had she been white she probably would have been accepted much earlier. For more information on Marian Anderson use our search engine and scan our archive.
1963 - GARY U.S BOND filed a $100,000 suit against Chubby Checker, today, the charge being that Checker stole Bond's hit song, Quarter to Three and turned it into the song Dancin' Party. The case was settled out of court. Of course this happened a lot back then…and now, too…have a listen to both versions and see what you think.
1964 - LONG JOHN BALDRY, who was one of the mainstays of early British rhythm and blues music, formed the original Hoochie Coochie Men today. Baldry had Elton John playing piano in his backing band in his previous band. Indeed, Reggie Dwight's stage surname - Elton John - is named after Baldry's Christian name. This first clip of Baldry is from Brit tele show, Top of the Pops in 1967. The second clip is his appearance on a Beatles special, with the Beatles singing back-up vocals.
1970 - MAX YASGUR was sued for $35,000 in property damages by neighboring farmers today. It was Yasgur's farm on which the August 1969 Woodstock Festival was held. This humble man made it possible for a younger generation to express themselves through his faith in mankind, and his trust in the people who attended the festival. Far from being fined, he should have been knighted. He remains one of the major icons of Woodstock for me.
1989 - KYLIE MINOGUE and Jason Donovan started a three-week run at #1 on the UK singles chart today, with the Stock, Aitken & Waterman produced song, Especially For You. Its strongest market was the UK, where its release followed the on-screen wedding of the two actors' respective characters, Charlene and Scott, on the Australian soap series, Neighbours. This episode of the soapy brought peak audiences in their millions. In the UK, the song lodged for 4 weeks at #2 during the Christmas market behind Cliff Richard (a Christmas fixture) and reached #1 for 3 weeks in early 1989, selling just shy of one million copies. It remained Minogue's best selling single in the UK until 2001's Can't Get You out of My Head which became a million seller. The single was a big hit throughout Europe and sold 23,037 copies in Sweden. It was her longest running single in New Zealand, peaking at #2, and staying there for 21 weeks.
1994 - OASIS started recording their debut album Definitely Maybe, today, at Monrow studios in South Wales. When released in August 1994, it became the fastest selling debut album of all time in the UK, (being surpassed in 2006 by Arctic Monkeys debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not). The album went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide, firmly placing the band as a force with which to be reckoned.`
