February 17, 1975 - AC/DC released their debut album High Voltage, 37 years ago today. The album featured a cover version of an old Big Joe Williams blues song, Baby Please Don't GoBaby, and the rest were original songs, all written by Scott and the Young Brothers - except Soul Stripper which was written solely by the Youngs. The album was produced by Harry Vanda & George Young at the Albert Studios in Sydney, George being the older brother of Angus and Malcolm, and one-time integral member of the Easybeats. The LP has never been reissued by another label in this format, to my knowledge. The international version titled High Voltage, has a different track listing and cover art, and was issued on Atlantic Records in 1976. AC/DC was still developing its sound when High Voltage was recorded in November 1974, and Bon Scott and the Young brothers were backed by a different rhythm section than the Mark Evans/Phil Rudd combination featured on their next three full-length studio recordings. In Clinton Walker's biography of Scott, Rob Bailey claims he and Peter Clack played on the album, but it doesn't make it clear if they played on it all, or on certain tracks. Clack and Bailey were live members of AC/DC at the time. According to Murray Engleheart's book, AC/DC: Maximum Rock N Roll, bass duties were shared by Malcolm and older brother George, who also played live with the band infrequently, as well as Bailey. George may have also played some drums on the album, along with Tony Currenti. Malcolm and Angus trade-off lead guitar parts on Soul Stripper and Show Business, and Malcolm plays the solo on Little Lover. It was recorded in 10 days in between gigs. The title and artwork were the suggestion of Chris Gilbey of Albert Productions. The band's earliest appearances on pop show Countdown included a now-legendary live performance of Baby, Please Don't Go, headed by an obviously well-seasoned performer in Bon Scott, dressed as a blonde school girl & smoking a ciggie - as you'd expect of him. This was broadcast on the King of Pop Awards in Australia in October, 1975.
1904 - MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Madame Butterfly) is an opera, now in three acts, written by Giacomo Puccini, premiered 118 years ago today, at La Scala in Milan, Italy. Written four years earlier, Puccini based his opera in part on the short story Madame Butterfly, written by John Luther Long. According to one reference, the opera was based on events that actually occurred in Nagasaki in the early 1890s. It was poorly received, due in large part to the late completion and inadequate time for rehearsals. Set in the city of Nagasaki, Japan's best-known opera singer Tamaki Miura won international fame for her performances as Cio-Cio San; her statue, along with that of Puccini, can be found in Nagasaki's Glover Garden. Butterfly has become a staple of the standard operatic repertoire for companies around the world. You like opera? Get a load of this?
1960 - THE EVERLY BROTHERS reeked of style when they first came on the music scene 52 years ago - from the button-down shirts, skinny black ties, longish hair, to that new, unique harmony style, and a country tinge to an early exploding rock'n'roll style. The guitarist brothers harmonised in parallel thirds; each vocal melody line can stand on its own as a lead line. The standard and classic harmony lines are such that the harmony line would not stand up as a lead line on its own. Their style was the style used by Lennon, McCartney and Harrison in the Beatles. The Beach Boys used the same style, as did Simon and Garfunkel. The brothers are steeped in rock'n'roll tradition, having toured extensively with Buddy Holly during 1957 and 1958. According to Buddy Holly biographer Philip Norman, they were responsible for the change in clothing style for Holly and The Crickets from Levi's and T-shirts to the Everlys' sharp Ivy League suits. Phil Everly was one of Buddy Holly's pallbearers at his funeral in February 1959, although Don did not attend. He later said, "I couldn't go to the funeral. I couldn't go anywhere. I just took to my bed." This is the day 52 years ago, the brothers signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records. It was a 10-year contract worth a record-breaking $1million. Here is their number one hit record from the same year, Kathy's Clown, followed by more of their classics…listen to that harmony.
1966 - BRIAN WILSON'S genius continued to show itself more clearly today when the Beach Boys began recording Good Vibrations, and a new standard of pop song writing was set, right there. There are not many pop rock songs that come near this one. Following is the band performing the song live on the this 1979 episode of Midnight Special, Following that another live version from around 1983, Dennis clearly in some kind of trouble, the band aware of it.
1966 - NANCY SINATRA was on top of the world today, as her record, These Boots Are Made For Walking began hitting #1 on music charts around the world. The song was written by Lee Hazlewood, and during the recording he convinced her to sing it as though she were a 16-year-old girl telling an interested 40-year-old man to go away. She was 26 at the time. Frank Sinatra's little girl had other hit records, two being smash hits. The first, a duet with her father, Frank Sinatra, Something Stupid; the second, her cover version of Cher's Sonny Bono song, Bang, Bang My Baby Shot Me Down, which is the music playing in the opening of Quentin Tarrantino's Kill Bill movie. You can see both songs, & stories of both by going to this daily blog and using the search engine. Meanwhile, are you ready, boots?
1969 - GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY was the only duet released by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan from their recording session 43 years ago today, but what a powerful duet. The following video of the song is from that very recording session. Hard to find a stand-alone video version of this, so on those grounds I can tell you this is a hard to find vid. More Johnny Cash and Bobby D at this daily blog, just use the search engine and scan the archives.
BOB DYLAN JOHNNY CASH Girl From The North... by Leorrojo
1979 - BLONDIE scored their first British #1 album, today, when Parallel Lines began a four-week run at the top of the charts, featuring the singles Heart Of Glass, Hanging On The Telephone, and Sunday Girl. Heart of Glass was written by Debbie Harry and her lover and songwriting partner, Chris Stein. The song is ranked #255 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time. For more Blondie go to the archives and use the search engine. Meanwhile…how's your heart? From 30 years ago, Heart of Glass, live.
1990 - AEROSMITH appeared on Wayne's World in a no drugs sketch, tonight, a very short segment, and certainly a long way from their condition in the drug-fuelled days. Then the band live in the same year; first-up at the Monsters Of Rock Festival, then a small club in London, the legendary Marquee Club.
1904 - MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Madame Butterfly) is an opera, now in three acts, written by Giacomo Puccini, premiered 118 years ago today, at La Scala in Milan, Italy. Written four years earlier, Puccini based his opera in part on the short story Madame Butterfly, written by John Luther Long. According to one reference, the opera was based on events that actually occurred in Nagasaki in the early 1890s. It was poorly received, due in large part to the late completion and inadequate time for rehearsals. Set in the city of Nagasaki, Japan's best-known opera singer Tamaki Miura won international fame for her performances as Cio-Cio San; her statue, along with that of Puccini, can be found in Nagasaki's Glover Garden. Butterfly has become a staple of the standard operatic repertoire for companies around the world. You like opera? Get a load of this?
1960 - THE EVERLY BROTHERS reeked of style when they first came on the music scene 52 years ago - from the button-down shirts, skinny black ties, longish hair, to that new, unique harmony style, and a country tinge to an early exploding rock'n'roll style. The guitarist brothers harmonised in parallel thirds; each vocal melody line can stand on its own as a lead line. The standard and classic harmony lines are such that the harmony line would not stand up as a lead line on its own. Their style was the style used by Lennon, McCartney and Harrison in the Beatles. The Beach Boys used the same style, as did Simon and Garfunkel. The brothers are steeped in rock'n'roll tradition, having toured extensively with Buddy Holly during 1957 and 1958. According to Buddy Holly biographer Philip Norman, they were responsible for the change in clothing style for Holly and The Crickets from Levi's and T-shirts to the Everlys' sharp Ivy League suits. Phil Everly was one of Buddy Holly's pallbearers at his funeral in February 1959, although Don did not attend. He later said, "I couldn't go to the funeral. I couldn't go anywhere. I just took to my bed." This is the day 52 years ago, the brothers signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records. It was a 10-year contract worth a record-breaking $1million. Here is their number one hit record from the same year, Kathy's Clown, followed by more of their classics…listen to that harmony.
1966 - BRIAN WILSON'S genius continued to show itself more clearly today when the Beach Boys began recording Good Vibrations, and a new standard of pop song writing was set, right there. There are not many pop rock songs that come near this one. Following is the band performing the song live on the this 1979 episode of Midnight Special, Following that another live version from around 1983, Dennis clearly in some kind of trouble, the band aware of it.
1966 - NANCY SINATRA was on top of the world today, as her record, These Boots Are Made For Walking began hitting #1 on music charts around the world. The song was written by Lee Hazlewood, and during the recording he convinced her to sing it as though she were a 16-year-old girl telling an interested 40-year-old man to go away. She was 26 at the time. Frank Sinatra's little girl had other hit records, two being smash hits. The first, a duet with her father, Frank Sinatra, Something Stupid; the second, her cover version of Cher's Sonny Bono song, Bang, Bang My Baby Shot Me Down, which is the music playing in the opening of Quentin Tarrantino's Kill Bill movie. You can see both songs, & stories of both by going to this daily blog and using the search engine. Meanwhile, are you ready, boots?
1969 - GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY was the only duet released by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan from their recording session 43 years ago today, but what a powerful duet. The following video of the song is from that very recording session. Hard to find a stand-alone video version of this, so on those grounds I can tell you this is a hard to find vid. More Johnny Cash and Bobby D at this daily blog, just use the search engine and scan the archives.
BOB DYLAN JOHNNY CASH Girl From The North... by Leorrojo
1979 - BLONDIE scored their first British #1 album, today, when Parallel Lines began a four-week run at the top of the charts, featuring the singles Heart Of Glass, Hanging On The Telephone, and Sunday Girl. Heart of Glass was written by Debbie Harry and her lover and songwriting partner, Chris Stein. The song is ranked #255 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time. For more Blondie go to the archives and use the search engine. Meanwhile…how's your heart? From 30 years ago, Heart of Glass, live.
1990 - AEROSMITH appeared on Wayne's World in a no drugs sketch, tonight, a very short segment, and certainly a long way from their condition in the drug-fuelled days. Then the band live in the same year; first-up at the Monsters Of Rock Festival, then a small club in London, the legendary Marquee Club.
