January 21, 2012. R.I.P Etta James - As you all know by now, R&B/blues singer Etta James died in the early hours of this morning at the age of 73 due to complications arising from leukemia & dimentia. She was the greatest of Chess Records’ female singers, and had been inducted into the Rock & Roll, Blues, and Grammy halls of fame. Highly-regarded American music critic said this of Ms. James: 'she had one of the great voices in American popular music, with a huge range, a multiplicity of tones and vast reserves of volume.’ For more Etta James go to our blog. These two videos say it all. Thank you for your music Ms. James…R.I.P Etta.
1942 - COUNT BASIE was one of the all-time grand masters of music, and a giant of the big band swing era. He and His orchestra recorded the instantly recognisable song, One O'Clock Jump, 70 years ago today. The band on that consisted of the following musical greats: Count Basie, piano; Wardell Gray, tenor sax; Buddy DeFranco, clarinet; Clark Terry, trumpet; the great Freddie Green on guitar; Jimmy Lewis, bass; Gus Johnson, drums. This promotional clip is from the 1950 film, Rhythm and Blues Review. Outstanding.
1957 - PATSY CLINE appeared on the famous Arthur Godfrey night time TV show tonight, and performed Walking After Midnight, a song written by Alan Block and Donn Hecht. The song was originally given to pop singer Kay Starr but her record company, in typical fashion in any era of music, rejected the song, thinking it didn't have a hope in hell of catching on. The song was rediscovered, when Ms. Cline recorded 55 years ago. Following her performance there was a strong response from viewers, so the she rush-released the song as a single record, three weeks later, on February 11, 1957. Walkin' After Midnight became Cline's first major hit single, reaching #2 on the Billboard country music chart, and #12 on its pop chart, making the song, and Patsy, breakthrough to a mainstream audience. Although the song was her only hit until 1961, the single version sold over one million copies and is often included on authoritative lists of the all-time greatest songs in country music. Form more Patsy Cline, go to our blog, use the search engine and scan the archives.
1957 - CHUCK BERRY, one of my all-time faces, recorded School Days today, and what a classic piece of rock'n'roll it is. For more chuck Berry use the search engine here on the blog. Following video is obviously not from 1957 of course, but I have no clue as to when or where. i think it from Japan, and I am guessing it would be sometime in the eighties, but hey, they're the only clues, sorry. Anyone out there help me out with daye and location?
1957 - ELVIS PRESLEY'S second movie, Loving You, began filming today. This was the title track from the movie, written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. Elvis recorded this original version in February in at Radio Recorders studios. It is available on the Loving You soundtrack and also the King of Rock and Roll-Complete 50s Masters. We have lots more Elvis in the archives. just use the search engine and see what Elvis brings up.
1962 - JACKIE WILSON appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show 50 years ago tonight. Wilson remains one of the true great soul, rock, R&B, pop vocal influences of the modern music era. Known as 'Mr. Excitement', Jackie Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul and was a master showman to boot. In his early years he was a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes. He went solo in 1957 and recorded around 50 hit singles that spanned R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening. During a 1975 benefit concert, he collapsed on-stage from a heart attack and subsequently fell into a coma that persisted for nearly nine years until his death in 1984. By this time, he had become one of the most influential artists of his generation. These two videos are beautiful quality considering their vintage, and Wilson's talent explodes. By pure coincidence, it is also on this day, 22 years after his TV appearance on Sullivan, that Jackie Wilson died after being in that coma for 8 years.
1965 - THE BYRDS recorded the Bob Dylan song, Mr. Tambourine Man today, bringing to people's notice in the process, a new genre of music in rock'n'roll country mix. The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn aka Jim McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973. Although they never quite managed to attain the huge commercial success of contemporaries like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones, The Byrds are today considered by critics to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. Initially, they pioneered the musical genre of folk rock, melding the influence of The Beatles and other British Invasion bands with contemporary and traditional folk and country music of America. As the 1960s progressed, the band was also influential in being on the wave of psychedelic rock, raga rock, and country rock. In addition, the band's signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar, has continued to be influential on popular music up to the present day. But this was the beginning.
1966 - GEORGE HARRISON was in pure bliss today when he married his beautiful young bride, Pagtricia Anne Boyd, also in pure bliss today. And why not? She was marrying a Beatle, and he was marrying a young woman whom he met on the set of A Hard Day's Night. She was paling a small part as a School-dressed fan of the Beatles. Following is unedited, often silent, total bootleg footage of their wedding, the press, press conference and etc. Subjects covered include how they met and where. Well worth scanning through, dear reader. Following that footage are the two songs that Patti inspired Harrison and Clapton to write. The first one actually features Patti...and Linda...and Yoko…and Maureen and Beatles. The second video is Clapton song, Layla, performed here with a cast from the bible of rock music. Spot the musician.
1982 - B.B KING donated his entire record collection to the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture, today, delivered especially by truck. The collection included about 20,000 rare blues records. For plenty of B.B. Kiong go to the *MUSICBACKTRACK* archives and search, search, search. Here are a couple of super special videos: the first King string-spars with Gary Moore, and in the second he does the same with guitar greats Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Jim Vaughan.
2003 - MICHAEL ANDREWS featuring Gary Jules went to #1 on the UK singles chart, today, with their version of the Tears For Fears song, Mad World. The song took just 90 minutes to record in 2001, and was featured in the film Donnie Darko. OK, so this is that song, do you remember? Not so long ago, only a decade. Then you can watch the original if you have the time, and finally a beautiful version from six years ago, at the Rotterdam Night of The Proms, in Netherlands. Beautiful version, dead set!
1942 - COUNT BASIE was one of the all-time grand masters of music, and a giant of the big band swing era. He and His orchestra recorded the instantly recognisable song, One O'Clock Jump, 70 years ago today. The band on that consisted of the following musical greats: Count Basie, piano; Wardell Gray, tenor sax; Buddy DeFranco, clarinet; Clark Terry, trumpet; the great Freddie Green on guitar; Jimmy Lewis, bass; Gus Johnson, drums. This promotional clip is from the 1950 film, Rhythm and Blues Review. Outstanding.
1957 - PATSY CLINE appeared on the famous Arthur Godfrey night time TV show tonight, and performed Walking After Midnight, a song written by Alan Block and Donn Hecht. The song was originally given to pop singer Kay Starr but her record company, in typical fashion in any era of music, rejected the song, thinking it didn't have a hope in hell of catching on. The song was rediscovered, when Ms. Cline recorded 55 years ago. Following her performance there was a strong response from viewers, so the she rush-released the song as a single record, three weeks later, on February 11, 1957. Walkin' After Midnight became Cline's first major hit single, reaching #2 on the Billboard country music chart, and #12 on its pop chart, making the song, and Patsy, breakthrough to a mainstream audience. Although the song was her only hit until 1961, the single version sold over one million copies and is often included on authoritative lists of the all-time greatest songs in country music. Form more Patsy Cline, go to our blog, use the search engine and scan the archives.
1957 - CHUCK BERRY, one of my all-time faces, recorded School Days today, and what a classic piece of rock'n'roll it is. For more chuck Berry use the search engine here on the blog. Following video is obviously not from 1957 of course, but I have no clue as to when or where. i think it from Japan, and I am guessing it would be sometime in the eighties, but hey, they're the only clues, sorry. Anyone out there help me out with daye and location?
1957 - ELVIS PRESLEY'S second movie, Loving You, began filming today. This was the title track from the movie, written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. Elvis recorded this original version in February in at Radio Recorders studios. It is available on the Loving You soundtrack and also the King of Rock and Roll-Complete 50s Masters. We have lots more Elvis in the archives. just use the search engine and see what Elvis brings up.
1962 - JACKIE WILSON appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show 50 years ago tonight. Wilson remains one of the true great soul, rock, R&B, pop vocal influences of the modern music era. Known as 'Mr. Excitement', Jackie Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul and was a master showman to boot. In his early years he was a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes. He went solo in 1957 and recorded around 50 hit singles that spanned R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening. During a 1975 benefit concert, he collapsed on-stage from a heart attack and subsequently fell into a coma that persisted for nearly nine years until his death in 1984. By this time, he had become one of the most influential artists of his generation. These two videos are beautiful quality considering their vintage, and Wilson's talent explodes. By pure coincidence, it is also on this day, 22 years after his TV appearance on Sullivan, that Jackie Wilson died after being in that coma for 8 years.
1965 - THE BYRDS recorded the Bob Dylan song, Mr. Tambourine Man today, bringing to people's notice in the process, a new genre of music in rock'n'roll country mix. The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn aka Jim McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973. Although they never quite managed to attain the huge commercial success of contemporaries like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones, The Byrds are today considered by critics to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. Initially, they pioneered the musical genre of folk rock, melding the influence of The Beatles and other British Invasion bands with contemporary and traditional folk and country music of America. As the 1960s progressed, the band was also influential in being on the wave of psychedelic rock, raga rock, and country rock. In addition, the band's signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar, has continued to be influential on popular music up to the present day. But this was the beginning.
1966 - GEORGE HARRISON was in pure bliss today when he married his beautiful young bride, Pagtricia Anne Boyd, also in pure bliss today. And why not? She was marrying a Beatle, and he was marrying a young woman whom he met on the set of A Hard Day's Night. She was paling a small part as a School-dressed fan of the Beatles. Following is unedited, often silent, total bootleg footage of their wedding, the press, press conference and etc. Subjects covered include how they met and where. Well worth scanning through, dear reader. Following that footage are the two songs that Patti inspired Harrison and Clapton to write. The first one actually features Patti...and Linda...and Yoko…and Maureen and Beatles. The second video is Clapton song, Layla, performed here with a cast from the bible of rock music. Spot the musician.
1982 - B.B KING donated his entire record collection to the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture, today, delivered especially by truck. The collection included about 20,000 rare blues records. For plenty of B.B. Kiong go to the *MUSICBACKTRACK* archives and search, search, search. Here are a couple of super special videos: the first King string-spars with Gary Moore, and in the second he does the same with guitar greats Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Jim Vaughan.
2003 - MICHAEL ANDREWS featuring Gary Jules went to #1 on the UK singles chart, today, with their version of the Tears For Fears song, Mad World. The song took just 90 minutes to record in 2001, and was featured in the film Donnie Darko. OK, so this is that song, do you remember? Not so long ago, only a decade. Then you can watch the original if you have the time, and finally a beautiful version from six years ago, at the Rotterdam Night of The Proms, in Netherlands. Beautiful version, dead set!
