January 23, 2000 - SANTANA started a three week run at #1 on the US album chart, today, with Supernatural, an album crammed full of hit songs with guest singers. The album spent a total of nine weeks on top of charts.
1941 - ARTIE SHAW and his orchestra recorded Moonglow, 71 years ago today, the song quickly becoming on of his signature songs. The American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings. A self-proclaimed "very difficult man," Shaw was married eight times. He took several sabbaticals from music, during which times he did things such as studying advanced mathematics. His first interregnum, at the height of his success, was met with disbelief by booking agents. They predicted that Shaw would not only be abandoning a million-dollar enterprise but that nightclub and venue operators would sue him for breach of contract. Shaw's offhand response was, "Tell 'em I'm insane. A nice, young American boy walking away from a million dollars, wouldn't you call that insane?" Widely regarded as one of jazz's finest clarinetists, Shaw also happened to be leader of one of America's most popular big bands of the late 1930s and early '40s. Musically restless, Shaw was also an early proponent of so-called 'third stream', which blended classical and jazz, and recorded some small-group sessions that flirted with be-bop before he permanently retired from music in 1954. This is Shaw introducing singer Helen Forrest for one of Shaw's big hits, Deep Purple, preceded by a mini blogodoc.
1965 - PETULA CLARKE became the first British female singer since Vera Lynn to have a #1 record on American charts, today, as she scored with the Tony Hatch song, Downtown. Incidentally, there was a host of studio musicians on this song, including guitar player, Jimmy Page.
1971 - GEORGE HARRISON became the first solo Beatle to have a #1 hit when his song, My Sweet Lord, went to the top of the UK single charts. The song, taken from his All Things Must Pass album, stayed on top of charts for five weeks. The track returned to the top of the UK charts in 2002, following his death. Ten years ago I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Concert for George at London's Royal Albert Hall, with an all-star cast, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison's son, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, Phil Collins, Tom Petty, Billy Preston & more. The concert was a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne. The profits from the event went to the Material World Charitable Foundation, an organisation set up by Harrison. It was one of the most amazing concerts of my life, and this was their version of Harrison's #1 hit from 42 years ago.
1986 - RAY CHARLES was honoured at the first annual induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, tonight, the event being held in New York City. There does not appear to be film footage of the event so here is the genius of Charles three years later, in a giant landmark concert, The Legends of Rock'n'Roll.
1988 - NIRVANA recorded a ten song demo tape, today, with producer Jack Endino, and on drums was the Melvin's Dale Crover. This is footage, from around the same time, of the band rehearsing at bass player Krist Novoselic's mother's house, in Aberdeen, Washington around the same time, in 1988.
1989 - JAMES BROWN continued his troubles with the law, today, when he was sentenced in Georgia to 6 years in jail in connection with a police chase through two states. This is from Rome a little later in the year, after he had been released from jail, for good behaviour.
1994 - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE headlined the Rock For Choice benefit at The Palladium, Hollywood, California, today with other acts including Screaming Trees, Eddie Vedder, Mary's Danish, 7 Year Bitch and Green Apple Quick Step. Again no footage, so here we have Rage Against The machine appearing a few months later, in May, at Pinkpop Festival, Landgraaf, Holland.
1995 - COURTNEY LOVE appeared in an Australian court on charges of abusing a flight attendant. She admitted to responding with an obscenity when a Quantas flight attendant told her to take her feet down from the airplane cabin wall. Love's sentence was one month of good behavior. This is an interview with Ms. Love a year later, on London's Later With Jools Holland TV show on the BBC.
1941 - ARTIE SHAW and his orchestra recorded Moonglow, 71 years ago today, the song quickly becoming on of his signature songs. The American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings. A self-proclaimed "very difficult man," Shaw was married eight times. He took several sabbaticals from music, during which times he did things such as studying advanced mathematics. His first interregnum, at the height of his success, was met with disbelief by booking agents. They predicted that Shaw would not only be abandoning a million-dollar enterprise but that nightclub and venue operators would sue him for breach of contract. Shaw's offhand response was, "Tell 'em I'm insane. A nice, young American boy walking away from a million dollars, wouldn't you call that insane?" Widely regarded as one of jazz's finest clarinetists, Shaw also happened to be leader of one of America's most popular big bands of the late 1930s and early '40s. Musically restless, Shaw was also an early proponent of so-called 'third stream', which blended classical and jazz, and recorded some small-group sessions that flirted with be-bop before he permanently retired from music in 1954. This is Shaw introducing singer Helen Forrest for one of Shaw's big hits, Deep Purple, preceded by a mini blogodoc.
1965 - PETULA CLARKE became the first British female singer since Vera Lynn to have a #1 record on American charts, today, as she scored with the Tony Hatch song, Downtown. Incidentally, there was a host of studio musicians on this song, including guitar player, Jimmy Page.
1971 - GEORGE HARRISON became the first solo Beatle to have a #1 hit when his song, My Sweet Lord, went to the top of the UK single charts. The song, taken from his All Things Must Pass album, stayed on top of charts for five weeks. The track returned to the top of the UK charts in 2002, following his death. Ten years ago I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Concert for George at London's Royal Albert Hall, with an all-star cast, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison's son, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, Phil Collins, Tom Petty, Billy Preston & more. The concert was a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne. The profits from the event went to the Material World Charitable Foundation, an organisation set up by Harrison. It was one of the most amazing concerts of my life, and this was their version of Harrison's #1 hit from 42 years ago.
1986 - RAY CHARLES was honoured at the first annual induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, tonight, the event being held in New York City. There does not appear to be film footage of the event so here is the genius of Charles three years later, in a giant landmark concert, The Legends of Rock'n'Roll.
1988 - NIRVANA recorded a ten song demo tape, today, with producer Jack Endino, and on drums was the Melvin's Dale Crover. This is footage, from around the same time, of the band rehearsing at bass player Krist Novoselic's mother's house, in Aberdeen, Washington around the same time, in 1988.
1989 - JAMES BROWN continued his troubles with the law, today, when he was sentenced in Georgia to 6 years in jail in connection with a police chase through two states. This is from Rome a little later in the year, after he had been released from jail, for good behaviour.
1994 - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE headlined the Rock For Choice benefit at The Palladium, Hollywood, California, today with other acts including Screaming Trees, Eddie Vedder, Mary's Danish, 7 Year Bitch and Green Apple Quick Step. Again no footage, so here we have Rage Against The machine appearing a few months later, in May, at Pinkpop Festival, Landgraaf, Holland.
1995 - COURTNEY LOVE appeared in an Australian court on charges of abusing a flight attendant. She admitted to responding with an obscenity when a Quantas flight attendant told her to take her feet down from the airplane cabin wall. Love's sentence was one month of good behavior. This is an interview with Ms. Love a year later, on London's Later With Jools Holland TV show on the BBC.
