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Today in Rock History – June 20

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beatles-butcher-baby1966, The Beatles release their album Yesterday & Today, featuring the band wearing butcher’s aprons on the front cover surrounded by decapitated baby dolls. At the time, some of the Beatles defended the use of the Butcher photograph. John Lennon said that it was “as relevant as Vietnam” and McCartney said that their critics were “soft.” However, this opinion was not shared by all band members. George Harrison said in The Beatles Anthology that he thought the whole idea “was gross, and I also thought it was stupid. Sometimes we all did stupid things thinking it was cool and hip when it was naive and dumb; and that was one of them.” After advance copies were sent to disc jockeys and record reviewers, negative reaction to the cover photo was so strong Capitol recalled 750,000 copies from distributors to replace the cover. They have become a valued collectors item.

1967, At San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the Grateful Dead, Big Brother & the Holding Company, and Quicksilver Messenger Service all perform for the summer solstice celebrations.

1967, Pink Floyd, John Bassett, Georgie Fame, Herbie Goins, and comedian Frankie Howerd played at the Commemoration Ball, Main Marquee, Magdalen College, Oxford England. Floyd performed two twenty-minute sets, at 11pm, and again at 3;15 am.

1969, Yes appeared at Kent University, Canterbury, England.

1969, David Bowie recorded “Space Oddity” at Trident Studios London. Rick Wakeman was an in house session player on mellotron on the song. It reached number five in the UK, but upon it’s US re-release in 1973 and UK in 1975, it became a chart topper.

1969, The Allman Brothers Band performed at Boston Tea Party, Boston, Massachusetts.

1969, The first of a three day Festival in Newport, California, featuring: Ike And Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, The Rascals, Steppenwolf, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Eric Burdon and Love. A three day ticket cost $15 (£10.) Hendrix received $125,000 for his appearance, at the time it was the highest fee ever paid to a rock act for a single appearance.

1970, The FBI begins a search of Memphis International Airport after a bystander hears Who guitarist Pete Townshend talking about “the bomb.” It turns out he was only referring to his new album Tommy, and in the nicest possible way.

1971, Pink Floyd played the last night of a European tour at the Pallazo Dello Sport in Rome Italy.

1973, Neil Diamond appeared on the 20th anniversary show of American Bandstand. The US TV show also featured Little Richard, Cheech and Chong, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and Three Dog Night.

1973, Bread play their last show in Salt Lake City. The band decides to quit after its equipment truck flipped over earlier in the day, destroying $30,000 worth of gear.

Van Morrison

1974, Van Morrison, The Allman Brothers, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tim Buckley, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Doobie Brothers all appeared at Knebworth Park, Stevenage, England. A special PA system was used for the event, claiming to be the best ever for an outside show, weighing 12 tons and needing five technicians.

1975, At England’s Wembley Stadium, Elton John headlines the killer bill of the Eagles, the Beach Boys, Rufus, and future Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh

1979, Former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor releases his self titled solo debut.

1980, During a UK tour Fleetwood Mac played the first of six sold-out nights at Wembley Arena, London, England.

1986, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Tina Turner and Elton John all appeared at the fourth annual ‘Prince’s Trust Rock Gala’ held in London.

1995, Jeff Buckley played the first night of a UK tour at The Queens Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland.

1998, Black Sabbath, Foo Fighters, Korn, Pantera, Soulfly, Slayer, Fear Factory, Coal Chamber, Life of Agony, Limp Bizkit, Entombed, Human Waste Project, Neurosis, and Pitchshifter all performed at Ozzfest, Milton Keynes Bowl, England.

2000, The Ronettes were awarded $2.6 million (£1.6 million) in back earnings from Phil Spector. New York judge Paula Omansky ruled that the legendary producer had cheated them out of royalties.

2006, Claydes Charles Smith, co-founder and lead guitarist of Kool & the Gang died aged 57 after a long illness. Smith stopped touring with the band in January 2006.

2009, Dave Matthews Band went to number one on the US album chart with Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, the band’s seventh studio album.

Born on June 20: Chet Atkins (1924); Mickie Most, producer (1936); Brian Wilson (1942); Ray Davies (1944); Dolores “LaLa” Brooks, American-English singer-songwriter, The Crystals (1947); Lionel Ritchie (1949); Alan Longmuir, Scottish bass player, songwriter, actor, Bay City Rollers (1949);  Michael Anthony, American bass player, Van Halen, Chickenfoot (1954); John Taylor, English singer-songwriter, bass player, producer, Duran Duran, The Power Station (1960); Stone Gossard, Pearl Jam (1966); Jeordie White, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass player, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, Goon Moon (1971);

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Today in Rock History – September 18th

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1968,  The Beatles recorded 20 takes of “Birthday” while working at Abbey Road studios on new songs for their forthcoming White Album Roadie Mal Evans added handclaps, and Yoko Ono and Pattie Harrison contributed backing vocals on the track.

1968,  The Doors film a six-song set for Danish Radio Television  at TV-Byen in Gladsaxe, near Copenhagen, Denmark. The program is simply called “The Doors” but it’s come to be known as the Danish Television Special. Curiously, rather than perform “Hello, I Love You” after “Texas Radio” as they had been doing in concert for much of the year, the band chooses instead to perform “Love Me Two Times.” The special was broadcast on October 30, 1968.

1969, King Crimson performed at Penthouse, Scarborough, England.

1970, Jimi Hendrix was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Mary Abbot’s Hospital in London at the age of 27 after choking on his own vomit. Hendrix left the message “I need help bad man,” on his managers answer phone earlier that night. Rumors and conspiracy theories grew up around Hendrix’s death. Eric Burdon claimed Jimi had committed suicide, but that’s contradicted by reports that he was in a good frame of mind. In 2009, a former Animals roadie published a book claiming that Jimi’s manager had admitted to him that he arranged the murder of Hendrix, since the guitarist wanted out of his contract.

1970, Alice Cooper performed at Rainy Daze in Chesterfield, Missouri.

1970, Santana, Country Joe McDonald, and Bread appeared at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1971, The Who scored their first and only number one album with Who’s Next, the bands sixth release, featuring “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

1971, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

1971, Pink Floyd play the first of two nights at the Festival de Musique Classique, at the Pavillion de Montreaux, Montreaux, Switzerland. The show included a performance of “Atom Heart Mother” with members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and choir.

1972, The Who, Mott The Hoople, The Faces and Atomic Rooster all appeared at The Oval, London.

1972, Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull entered the last of it’s 11-week run on the Aussie album charts.

1974, KISS appeared at the Electric Ballroom, Atlanta, Georgia.

1975, The Allman Brothers Band played at The Spectrum, Philadelphia.

1976, One hit wonders Wild Cherry started a three week run at number one on the singles chart with “Play That Funky Music.”

1976, Frampton Comes Alive! is number one in the US for the seventh of ten total weeks during April, July, August, September, and October.

1977, Yes performed at the Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington.

1978, Neil Young and Crazy Horse kicked off a 23 date US tour at Cobo Hall in Detroit promoting the album Comes A Time.

1979, The Who performed at Madison Square Garden, New York.

1980, Yes appeared at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1981, Gary Numan took off on a round the world trip in a single engine Cessna plane. The attempt ended after he was forced to land in India, where local police arrested him.

1982, The seven-minute epic by Dire Straits “Private Investigations” went to number two on the UK singles chart, held off by Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger” at number one.

1982, Blue Oyster Cult performed at Weedsport Speedway, Syracuse, New York.

1983, Kiss appeared without their make-up for the first time during an interview on MTV.

1987, The Grateful Dead played the third of five nights at Madison Square Garden in New York.

1993, Garth Brooks went to number one on the US album chart with In Pieces. The album spent 25 weeks on the chart and sold over six million copies. The album peaked in the second spot on the UK chart.

1996, At Sotheby’s in London, Julian Lennon successfully bid just over $39,000 (£21,000), for the recording notes for the song Paul McCartney wrote for him, “Hey Jude.” At the same event, John Lennon’s scribbled lyrics to “Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite” sold for $103,500, (£57,500).

2006, 73 year old country singer Willie Nelson and four members from his band were charged with drug possession after marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms were found by police on his tour bus. Police had stopped the tour bus near Lafayette, Louisiana.

2009, Leonard Cohen collapsed on stage during a concert in Valencia, Spain and was taken to hospital. He was later discharged after doctors told him he had food poisoning. Cohen was in the middle of singing his song “Bird On The Wire” when he fainted, prompting the band to stop playing and rush to help him.

Born on this day: Jimmie Rodgers (1933);  Frankie Avalon (1939); Alan King, Ace (1946); Kerry Livgren, Kansas (1947); Mike Hossack, drums, The Doobie Brothers (1950); Dee Dee Ramone (1952); and Joanne Catherall, vocals, The Human League (1962)

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Song Of The Day – “Make It With You” by Bread

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breadonthewatersTo some, Bread’s brand of soft rock was nothing more than insipid drivel. To others they were purveyors of well-crafted, easy listening staples that provided some of the greatest guilty pleasures to be heard on AM radio during the early ‘70s. To me, their songs were minor annoyances that didn’t make me rush to change the station when they used to pop up on the radio, but now their heavenly brand of melody-driven soft rock provides a welcome dose of nostalgia for the wonder years every time I hear them.

When they released their first eponymously titled album in 1969, the band consisted of three songwriters David Gates, Jimmy Griffin and Robb Royer. Griffin and Royner had worked together in a group called Pleasure Fair, when they met Gates who was initially brought in to produce them. While the first Bread album laid the groundwork for the group’s pleasing sound, it ultimately yielded no hits.

Their second album, “On The Waters,” included their first hit, the 1971 chart-topper “Make It With You,” firmly establishing Bread as hit makers and Mike Botts was added to the lineup on drums in order to allow the group to go out on the road and tour. A second top-ten hit followed with “If,” from their third album “Manna,” before Royner left the lineup to be replaced by session musician Larry Knechtel.

With Knechtel on board they recorded their most popular album, “Baby I’m-A Want You”, in 1972 which included the hits “Everything I Own,” “Mother Freedom” and “Diary.” The following album, “Guitar Man” (also 1972) included the hits “Aubrey,” “Guitar Man” and “Sweet Surrender,” however the group broke up after its release due to a dispute over songwriting credits between Gates and Griffin.

After the breakup, Gates released two solo records before again joining forces with Griffin to record the Bread album Lost Without Your Love in 1977, resulting in another top-ten hit with the title track. The reunion didn’t last long, and Gates and Griffin parted ways with much animosity. Gates wanted to go out on his own using the Bread name, but Griffin (who co-owned the name with Gates) sued him, bringing an end to their partnership and the group for good.

Listening to a group Fleet Foxes today, makes me realize the debt they owe to Bread.