January 20, 1966 - THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP were at #1 on UK singles charts today, with their sensational hit song, Keep On Running, featuring the voice and guitar playing of a very young Steve Winwood, who would later be part of major supergroups, and would himself become a superstar in his own right. This is an early live version of the song, performed by the group on the television show, Beat, Beat, Beat. Following that are two more global hits for the group, all songs featuring the amazing vocals and guitar work of the great Steve Winwood.
1958 - THE SILHOUETTES released their massive hit song, Get A Job, today, the song reaching #1 around the world. Doo-wop revival group Sha Na Na derived their name from the song's lyric refrain, 'sha na na na na na na na'. Get A Job is included in the soundtracks of the movies, American Graffiti, Trading Places and Stand By Me. They also performed in the 1986 movie, Joey. This video is introduced by a very young Dick Clarke, and just check out the rest of the day's top 20 was, on the sign behind the host. This song and video is 54 years old.
1958 - AS you have seen in previous editions of our weekly blog, *MUSICBACKTRACK* this was a fertile period in the army years of Elvis Presley, and it was this day that he got his orders from the US Army to report to duty. He was allowed a 60-day deferment so he could finish the film King Creole, which also featured one of his best songs, the title track. He pretends to play the guitar solo in this clip, but of course it wasn't Elvis playing, even though he definitely could play guitar. Love his haircut.
1964 - THE BEATLES became the music phenomenon of the latter part of this century, the post Elvis period, and this is the year they cemented that position. Following is a clip of the band playing I Saw Her Standing There, live tonight, and taken from their debut US album. I think the video is from a German or Dutch television show, and you can distinctly hear John's lower harmony on this track.
1965 - IN THE SIXTIES in USA, there were two TV shows on which acts had to appear if they were to crack the American market, and on this day The Rolling Stones & the Kinks made their first appearance on Shindig. First up, the Stones with Heart of Stone, then from the same show Glenn Campbell is featured - before he was super-famous, singing a Roy Orbison song. Following that is The Kinks with their first appearance on the show, & their hit All Day And All Of The Night - this video also stars early American acts Donna Loren and Bobby Vee.
1967 - THIS IS THE SONG that every band in the sixties had a go at covering, and this was the day that Arthur Conley recorded Sweet Soul Music. Otis Redding had taken a liking to the young Conley, and took him under his wing. Together they re-wrote the Sam Cooke song Yeah Man, turning it into Sweet Soul Music, which, at Redding's insistence, was released on the Atco-distributed label Fame Records, and was recorded at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This is a promotional performance on the Rick Shaw TV Show, Miami, Florida.
1968 - JOHN FRED & the Playboy Band became one-hit wonders today, when their novelty hit song began a two week run on some world charts. Judy In Disguise, (With Glasses) was supposedly inspired by The Beatles' Lucy In The Sky (With Diamonds).
1973 - JERRY LEE LEWIS mades his debut at the Grand Ole Opry television show tonight, as he attempted to go back to country music after the scandal of his young 14-year-old wife helped retard his rock'n'roll career. Jerry Lee continued a successful in both country and rock. For lots of videos and info on Jerry Lee, go to the *MUSICBACKTRACK* daily blog.
1982 - OZZY OSBOURNE supposedly bit the head off of a bat in Des Moines, Iowa, today, and supposedly hospitalised to undertake a series of rabies shots. Not sure about the truth of this story, as indeed I am not sure about lots of other stories about Ozzy. He and his wife were good publicists, so you never know. Right? Regardless, here he is talking briefly about the bat on a couple of TV shows.
1986 - STEVIE WONDER & BOB DYLAN appeared at a special-event concert tonight, which celebrate celebrate the first Martin Luther King day in the United States. I'll be surprised if anyone has seen this unusual version of Dylan's beautiful song, I Shall Be Released.
2002 - STING won his first Golden Globe for his song Until from the Kate & Leopold movie soundtrack. And here is Mr. Modest accepting his Golden Globe award. Cameron Diaz and Mike Myers present the Best Original Song in a Motion Picture to Sting and Sting thanks the Hollywood Foreign Press, Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, James Mangold, Harvey Weinstein, everyone at Miramax, Kathy Schenker and his wife Trudie.
1958 - THE SILHOUETTES released their massive hit song, Get A Job, today, the song reaching #1 around the world. Doo-wop revival group Sha Na Na derived their name from the song's lyric refrain, 'sha na na na na na na na'. Get A Job is included in the soundtracks of the movies, American Graffiti, Trading Places and Stand By Me. They also performed in the 1986 movie, Joey. This video is introduced by a very young Dick Clarke, and just check out the rest of the day's top 20 was, on the sign behind the host. This song and video is 54 years old.
1958 - AS you have seen in previous editions of our weekly blog, *MUSICBACKTRACK* this was a fertile period in the army years of Elvis Presley, and it was this day that he got his orders from the US Army to report to duty. He was allowed a 60-day deferment so he could finish the film King Creole, which also featured one of his best songs, the title track. He pretends to play the guitar solo in this clip, but of course it wasn't Elvis playing, even though he definitely could play guitar. Love his haircut.
1964 - THE BEATLES became the music phenomenon of the latter part of this century, the post Elvis period, and this is the year they cemented that position. Following is a clip of the band playing I Saw Her Standing There, live tonight, and taken from their debut US album. I think the video is from a German or Dutch television show, and you can distinctly hear John's lower harmony on this track.
1965 - IN THE SIXTIES in USA, there were two TV shows on which acts had to appear if they were to crack the American market, and on this day The Rolling Stones & the Kinks made their first appearance on Shindig. First up, the Stones with Heart of Stone, then from the same show Glenn Campbell is featured - before he was super-famous, singing a Roy Orbison song. Following that is The Kinks with their first appearance on the show, & their hit All Day And All Of The Night - this video also stars early American acts Donna Loren and Bobby Vee.
1967 - THIS IS THE SONG that every band in the sixties had a go at covering, and this was the day that Arthur Conley recorded Sweet Soul Music. Otis Redding had taken a liking to the young Conley, and took him under his wing. Together they re-wrote the Sam Cooke song Yeah Man, turning it into Sweet Soul Music, which, at Redding's insistence, was released on the Atco-distributed label Fame Records, and was recorded at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This is a promotional performance on the Rick Shaw TV Show, Miami, Florida.
1968 - JOHN FRED & the Playboy Band became one-hit wonders today, when their novelty hit song began a two week run on some world charts. Judy In Disguise, (With Glasses) was supposedly inspired by The Beatles' Lucy In The Sky (With Diamonds).
1973 - JERRY LEE LEWIS mades his debut at the Grand Ole Opry television show tonight, as he attempted to go back to country music after the scandal of his young 14-year-old wife helped retard his rock'n'roll career. Jerry Lee continued a successful in both country and rock. For lots of videos and info on Jerry Lee, go to the *MUSICBACKTRACK* daily blog.
1982 - OZZY OSBOURNE supposedly bit the head off of a bat in Des Moines, Iowa, today, and supposedly hospitalised to undertake a series of rabies shots. Not sure about the truth of this story, as indeed I am not sure about lots of other stories about Ozzy. He and his wife were good publicists, so you never know. Right? Regardless, here he is talking briefly about the bat on a couple of TV shows.
1986 - STEVIE WONDER & BOB DYLAN appeared at a special-event concert tonight, which celebrate celebrate the first Martin Luther King day in the United States. I'll be surprised if anyone has seen this unusual version of Dylan's beautiful song, I Shall Be Released.
2002 - STING won his first Golden Globe for his song Until from the Kate & Leopold movie soundtrack. And here is Mr. Modest accepting his Golden Globe award. Cameron Diaz and Mike Myers present the Best Original Song in a Motion Picture to Sting and Sting thanks the Hollywood Foreign Press, Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, James Mangold, Harvey Weinstein, everyone at Miramax, Kathy Schenker and his wife Trudie.
