Today in Rock n' Roll History

[MikeA]

Verna scored tickets to the Crosby/Nash concert at the casino in Oklahoma the 16th of April. I'm told that you have to get there an hour before the concert to find a good place to park it for the concert.

[Koala]

1967 Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest held in Vienna representing Britain with the song 'Puppet On A String'. She became the first UK female artist to win the contest.

1970 The UK premiere of the Woodstock movie took place in London. The film was a documentary of the festival that took place in August 1969 at Bethel in New York.

1972 Written after the 'Bloody Sunday Massacre', in Northern Ireland Paul McCartney and Wings released 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish.' The song was banned by the BBC and the IBA. It peaked at No.16 in the UK and No.21 in the US.

1982 New Order's bass player Peter Hook was knocked unconscious during a riot at a gig in Rotterdam.

1989 Roxette went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Look', the duo's first US No.1, a No.7 hit in the UK.

1998 Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood was rescued along with 11 other passengers from a boat off the coast of Brazil after the engine exploded. The boat was exploring the islands near Angra Dos Reis, south of Rio De Janeiro, when one of the boat's engines caught fire. Passengers were rescued by nearby journalists, the boat exploded moments after the group was evacuated.

2000 Maria Maria, another single from Santana's 'Supernatural', hits #1 for the first of ten straight weeks.

2008 Led Zeppelin topped the list of Classic Rock magazine’s ‘Best Live Acts Of All Time’. The Who were voted in at No.2 and AC/DC at No.3.
　
　

[Koala]

1932 Carl Perkins was born.

1949 Ray Charles makes his chart debut with a solid hit, "Confessin' Blues," which appeared on the Downbeat (later Swingtime) label.

1970 Paul McCartney announces his "break with the Beatles" in a typed statement enclosed in copies of the solo album McCartney sent to the British press. Paul McCartney attributes the split to "personal differences, musical differences, business differences, but most of all because I have a better time with my family."

1977 Abba went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Dancing Queen', the group's 7th US Top 40 hit and first No.1. Also a No.1 in the UK in 1976.

1993 Take That released 'It Only Takes A Minute', in the US, along with a Take That breakfast cereal box.

2003 Paul McCartney played his first Manchester show in 24 years when he appeared at the MEN Arena as part of the UK leg on the 'Back In The World Tour 2003.'

2006 Former Smiths singer Morrissey went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his 8th solo album 'Ringleader Of The Tormentors.'

[Troubadour]

2006 Former Smiths singer Morrissey went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his 8th solo album 'Ringleader Of The Tormentors.'

Morrissey is one of my favourite artists. His music means so much to me. His latest stuff is just as good as the old - possibly even better.

[Koala]

Like Morrissey too!


1956 Nat King Cole was attacked on stage by a group of five racial segregationists during a show at the Municipal Hall in Birmingham, Alabama. The attackers were arrested by police and Cole returned later that night for a second show.

1970 Doors singer Jim Morrison was dragged off stage by keyboardist Ray Manzarek during a concert in Boston, after Morrison asked the audience, 'Would you like to see my genitals?'. Theater management quickly switched off the power. Morrison had been arrested in Miami a year earlier for "lewd and lascivious behavior" during a performance.

1976 UK music weekly The Melody Maker reviewed a Sex Pistols gig with the words, 'I hope we shall hear no more of them.'

1994 over 5,000 fans attended a US public memorial service for Kurt Cobain at Seattle Flag Pavilion.

1999 a charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney was held at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Among the performers were Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinead O'Connor.

2001 Bruce Springsteen won a court battle to keep the rights to his early songs. Ronald Winter of Masquerade Music had released the album 'Before The Fame' was found to be in breach of copyright. Springsteen was awarded more than £2m damages.

2005 The final episode of The Osbournes was aired on MTV in the UK. The show reached a peak audience of eight million at it's height during a three year run, Ozzy was at a loss to explain its popularity, saying, "I suppose Americans get a kick out of watching a crazy Brit family like us make complete fools of ourselves every week."

[MikeA]

1956 Nat King Cole was attacked on stage by a group of five racial segregationists during a show at the Municipal Hall in Birmingham, Alabama. The attackers were arrested by police and Cole returned later that night for a second show.

The South...not just Alabama...was NOT the place to be African American, or long haired, or gay or anything that deviated from what the locals considered "normal".

I myself was never able to distinguish a Hippy from anyone else just by looking at them. I came to understand that being a "Hippy" was more a state of mind than length of hair. But that wasn't true of others where I grew up. You had long hair...you WERE a Dirty Ole Hippy Freak. Hair was a small part of it. More than anything else though, it was about living together in harmony or trying to live that way. It was a whole lot about "Acceptance". Embracing almost anything or at least giving it a chance.

We unfortunately "embraced" some things we shouldn't have embraced, but kids fall down some when learning to ride a bicycle! It was a new and different way to be...and something had to change: There were just TOO MANY PEOPLE on the Planet not to do something different when the 60's arrived!

[Koala]

1954 Doris Day was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Secret Love'. The song featured in the film, Calamity Jane, and won the Best Song Oscar for 1953.

1970 Peter Green quit Fleetwood Mac while on tour in Germany, to avoid breach of contract he agreed to finish the current tour.

1988 Cher won an Academy Award for best actress for her work in 'Moonstruck.'

2001 Robbie Williams raised £165,000 at a charity auction with the money going to his old school in Stoke to build a performing arts block. The items sold were Robbie's personal possessions, including a toilet from a stage show, a Union Jack bikini, Tiger's head briefs, a Millennium jet pack and the hand written lyrics to 'Angels' which sold for £27,000.

[Koala]

1954 Bill Haley recorded 'Rock Around The Clock' at Pythian Temple studios in New York City. Considered by many to be the song that put rock and roll on the map around the world. The song was used over the opening titles for the film 'Blackboard Jungle', and went on to be a world-wide No.1 and the biggest selling pop single with sales over 25 million. Written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers, 'Rock Around The Clock' was first recorded by Italian-American band Sonny Dae and His Knights.

1963 Bob Dylan performed his first major solo concert at the Town Hall in New York City.

1975 Sweet hits #2 in the UK with "Fox on the Run."

1975 Elton John started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Philadelphia Freedom', his fourth US No.1, it made No.12 in the UK.

1995 Two weeks after her death, George W. Bush, (then the governor of Texas), declared "Selena Day" in Texas. The Mexican American singer Selena was murdered aged 23 by the president of her fan club Yolanda Saldívar on 31st March 1995.

1997 R Kelly started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his Grammy award winning song 'I Believe I Can Fly.' A No.2 hit in the US, the track was featured in the film 'Space Jam'.

[TimothyBFan]

1975 Sweet hits #2 in the UK with "Fox on the Run."

One of my faves!! I was 11 years old and remember this single so well!!!

[Koala]

1966 During a four month world tour, Bob Dylan appeared at Sydney Stadium in Sydney Australia, the first of seven shows in Australia.

1967 Nancy and Frank Sinatra were at UK No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Somethin' Stupid', making them the only father and daughter to have a No.1 single as a team.

1970 Genesis appeared at Friars, Aylesbury, England. Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and band received £10 for the gig.

1971 The Rolling Stones released 'Brown Sugar' the first record on their own label, Rolling Stones Records, which introduces the infamous licking- tongue and lips logo.

1985 USA for Africa started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'We Are The World.'

1991 Londonbeat went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I've Been Thinking About You', a No.2 hit in the UK.

2003 The Beatles Apple Corp company was listed as Britain's fastest profit-growth firm with an annual profit growth of 194%.

2007 Julian Lennon sold a “significant” stake of his share in the songs his father John wrote for The Beatles to US music publishing company Primary Wave. The firm would now receive payments when any Lennon compositions were sold on CD, performed live or played on the radio. The company who were about to market Julian Lennon's new music project, declined to reveal how much the deal was worth.