Today in Rock n' Roll History

1965 Queen Elizabeth II invests The Beatles with their MBEs at Buckingham Palace, London. According to an account by John Lennon, the group smoked marijuana in one of the palace bathrooms to calm their nerves. Many former recipients gave their MBE's back in protest, to which John Lennon responded "Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war, for killing people." He continued: "We received ours for entertaining other people. I'd say we deserve ours more." When asked how he enjoyed meeting Queen Elizabeth II, John said "She's much nicer than she is in the photos."

1970 A wake was held at the Lion's Share in San Anselmo, California to celebrate the life of Janis Joplin. The singer who died of an accidental drugs overdose had left $2,500 in her will to throw a wake party in the event of her demise. The party was attended by her sister Laura and Joplin's close friends; Brownies laced with hashish were unknowingly passed around amongst the guests. Joplin was cremated in the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Mortuary in Los Angeles; her ashes were scattered from a plane into the Pacific Ocean and along Stinson Beach.

1974 Barry White scored his only US No.1 album with 'Can't Get Enough.'
1984 19-year-old John D. McCollum killed himself with a .22 caliber handgun after spending the day listening to Ozzy Osbourne records. One year later, McCollum's parents took court action against Ozzy and CBS Records, alleging that the song "Suicide Solution" from the album Blizzard of Ozz contributed to their son's death. The case was eventually thrown out of court.

1994 MTV premieres "The Eagles: Hell Freezes Over." The music special receives a 2.5 Nielsen rating and more than 2 million viewers tune in for this concert performance. This show marks the first time since 1980 that the band members Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmidt perform together.


2004 Apple launched the U2 Special Edition iPod as part of a partnership between Apple, U2 and Universal Music Group. The new U2 iPod held up to 5,000 songs and featured a red Click Wheel and custom engraving of U2 band member signatures. The iPod was being introduced as the band released their new album ‘How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.’
　
2008 AC/DC went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Black Ice’ the Australian bands fifteenth studio album which went on to become a No.1 hit in 29 different countries and the second-best selling album of 2008.
　
　

1970 Black Sabbath played their first ever-live show in the US when they kicked of a 16-date tour at Glassboro State College.

1973 Genesis hits #3 in the UK with 'Selling England By the Pound'.

1975 The unknown Bruce Springsteen had the rare honour of simultaneous covers on both Time and Newsweek magazines in the US.

1977 Baccara were at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie'. They were the first Spanish act to score a UK No.1, and first female duo to do so.

1990 Paul Simon started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Rhythm Of The Saints' his third UK No.1 solo album.

1958 Buddy Holly appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, where he lip-synched ‘It's So Easy’ and ‘Heartbeat’. It would be Holly's last major TV appearance.

1972 The United States Council for World Affairs announced it was adopting The Who song 'Join Together' as it's official theme tune.

2001 The various artists album 'God Bless America' went to No.1 on the US chart, featuring tracks from Bruce Springsteen, Bill Withers, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra.

1946 Peter Green was born.

1965The Who release "My Generation."

1967 Cream played two shows at the Saville Theatre in London, England, billed as "Sundays At The Saville", The Bee Gees were appearing the following week.

1983 'Islands In The Stream', gave Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers a No.1 on the US singles chart. The song was written by The Bee Gees and co-produced by Barry Gibb.

1983 Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' marks its 491st week on the Billboard album chart in the US, surpassing the previous record holder, 'Johnny's Greatest Hits' by Johnny Mathis. When it finally fell off of list in October 1988, 'Dark Side' had set a record of 741 weeks on the chart.
1988 Dire Straits scored their fourth UK No.1 album with 'Money For Nothing'

2003 Research in the US found that songs get stuck in our heads because they create a 'brain itch' that can only be scratched by repeating a tune over and over. Songs such as the Village People's 'YMCA' and the Baha Men's 'Who Let The Dogs Out' owe their success to their ability to create a 'cognitive itch', according to Professor James Kellaris, of the University of Cincinnati College of Business Administration.

2005 A set of waxwork heads of The Beatles from their Sgt Pepper's album cover sold for £81,500. The "pepperheads" were auctioned off after recently being discovered in a back room at London's Madame Tussauds. They were used in 1967 by artist Sir Peter Blake in the backdrop of the "Lonely Hearts Club Band" album with the actual Beatles posing at the front.

2007 Walk the Line, the film about the life of singer Johnny Cash, was voted the greatest music biopic in a poll. The film starred Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as Cash and his wife June Carter as the country stars and won the actress an Oscar in 2006. It was followed by rapper Eminem's 8 Mile, with Mozart’s’ life story Amadeus next and Ray, starring Jamie Foxx as musician Ray Charles, at number four. The most recent film in the top 10 was Joy Division biopic Control.

1947 Timothy B. Schmit is born. :blueblob::birthday:

1967 Tyrannosaurus Rex recorded a session for the UK Radio 1 'Top Gear' show, the first group to do so without a recording contract.

1971 John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Imagine'. The album contained two tracks attacking Paul McCartney, 'How Do You Sleep' and 'Crippled Inside.'

1972 Genesis hits #12 in the UK with 'Foxtrot'.

1978 The animated cartoon, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, was shown on NBC-TV in the U.S. The four rock stars had to deal with a mad scientist who went crazy in an amusement park. All four members of Kiss had just released their individual solo albums.

1982 Australian band Men At Work went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Who Can It Be Now'' the group's first US No.1, a No.45 hit in the UK.

1998 All four original members of Black Sabbath reunited momentarily to play ‘Paranoid’ on US TV’s David Letterman Show.

2005 Hundreds of people queued outside the Sheffield Arena to make sure of getting tickets to see a Sir Cliff Richard. By the time the tickets went on sale some fans had been outside the Arena for nine days, the concert was not until November 2006.

　

1964 Barbra Streisand started a five-week run at Noi.1 on the US album chart with 'People'.

1970 Led Zeppelin started a four week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Led Zeppelin III', the bands second US chart topper.


1974 Led Zeppelin launched their record label 'Swan Song'. Named after an unreleased Zeppelin instrumental track.

1986 Roger Waters files suit to formally dissolve Pink Floyd, a legal battle that will drag on for years without deterring David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright from recording as Pink Floyd.

1987 Fleetwood Mac started a two week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with their third No.1 LP 'Tango In The Night.'

1995 "MTV Unplugged" presents a one-hour concert performance with the legendary hard rock band Kiss. The show marks the first time all four original band members performed together in 15 years.

1996 Slash announced he was no longer in Guns N' Roses. The guitarist said that Axl Rose and he had only been civil to each other on two occasions since 1994.

2002 The mother of pop star Bjork ended a hunger strike she had staged to protest against plans for a by a US company to build a aluminum smelter and hydroelectric plant power plant in the Icelandic wilderness. Hildur Runa Hauksdottir began eating again after four week's of fasting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Koala

2003 Research in the US found that songs get stuck in our heads because they create a 'brain itch' that can only be scratched by repeating a tune over and over. Songs such as the Village People's 'YMCA' and the Baha Men's 'Who Let The Dogs Out' owe their success to their ability to create a 'cognitive itch', according to Professor James Kellaris, of the University of Cincinnati College of Business Administration.

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So that explains it!! Apparently my brain itches A LOT because there are always songs stuck in my head!!!! :nod:

1963 The Beatles kicked off a UK tour performing two shows at the Odeon Cinema in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Their repertoire for the tour was ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘You Really Got a Hold On Me’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Boys’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Money’, and ‘Twist and Shout’. Supporting The Beatles were The Rhythm & Blues Quartet, The Vernons Girls, Frank Berry, The Brook Brothers, Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers, and The Kestrels.

1968 Poco, a band formed by former Buffalo Springfield members Richie Furay and Jim Messina, makes its debut at the Troubadour.

1968 George Harrison released his first solo album, 'Wonderwall Music' on the Apple label. The songs which were mostly Harrison instrumentals, featured Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and an unaccredited banjo contribution by Peter Tork of The Monkees.

1969 Elvis Presley went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Suspicious Minds', his 18th US No.1 single. A No.2 hit in the UK.

1975 Elton John started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Island Girl', his 5th US No.1, a No.14 hit in the UK.

1980 Bruce Springsteen scored his first No.1 US album with 'The River', featuring the US No.5 & UK No.44 single 'Hungry Heart.'
　

1957 Sun Records released 'Great Balls Of Fire', by Jerry Lee Lewis. The single went on to sell over five million copies worldwide, a No.1 in the UK & No.2 in the US.

1964 During a Rolling Stones North American tour a 17 year-old Rolling Stones fan fell from the balcony during a gig in Cleveland, Ohio. The Mayor of Ohio banned all future pop concerts, saying; "Such group's do not add to the community's culture or entertainment."

1973 Neil Young supported by The Eagles appeared at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, England.

1979 The Eagles started a nine-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'The Long Run', the group's fourth US No.1 album.

1988 ‚American Dream', by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, is released. Recorded at Neil Young's California ranch studio, it is the second studio album by the CSNY foursome, appearing 18 years after 'Deja Vu'.
　

1963 The Beatles topped the bill at The Royal Variety Show at The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London. With the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in the audience, this was the night when John Lennon made his famous remark “In the cheaper seats you clap your hands. The rest of you, just rattle your jewellery”. The show was broadcast on UK television on the Nov 10th 1963.

1965 The Rolling Stones were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Get Off Of My Cloud', also a No.1 in the US.

1978 Crosby Stills Nash & Young were sued by former bass player Greg Reeves for over a $1 million claiming he was owed from sales of their album 'Deja Vu'.

1979 Heartache Tonight (The Eagles) was a hit.

1987 U2 were on the front cover of UK pop magazine 'Smash Hits', which also had features on the Pet Shop Boys, Wet Wet Wet, T'Pau, Sting and Black. Reviewed in the new singles page The Smiths 'I Started Something I Couldn't Finish'.

1989 Roxette scored their second US No.1 single with 'Listen To Your Heart', a No.6 hit in the UK the following year.

2002 Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin received the Music Industry Trusts Award for one of the greatest songwriting partnerships of all time.