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Today in Rock History – September 9

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1965, The Hollywood Reporter ran the following classified ad, “Madness folk & roll musicians, singers wanted for acting roles in new TV show. Parts for 4 insane boys.” The Monkees were born.

1965, The Rolling Stones were at number one  with (“I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”

1967, Pink Floyd opened a four-date Scandanavian tour at the Boom Dancing Center in Aarhus, Denmark, supported by Wishful Thinking, Step by Step, Shaking Phantoms, and Barnet And His Dandy-Brothers. More than one thousand people attended the show. The microphones failed forcing the band to play an instrumental set.

1967, The Doors appeared at the Village Theater in New York City. The venue was to become The Fillmore East.

1968, Working at Abbey Road studios The Beatles recorded “Helter Skelter.” John Lennon played bass and honked on a saxophone, roadie Mal Evans tried his best at playing trumpet. Paul McCartney recorded his lead vocal and George Harrison ran about the studio holding a flaming ashtray above his head.

1970, Elvis Presley performs at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona.

1971, During a North American tour Led Zeppelin appeared at Hampton Roads Coliseum in Hampton.

1972, Slade were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Mama Weer All Crazee Now,” the group”s third UK chart topper, taken from their album Slayed?

1972, Jim Croce started a five-week run at number one on the album chart with You Don”t Mess Around With Jim.

1973, Genesis performed at The Olympia Theatre, Paris, as they began touring in support of Selling England By The Pound.

1975, The Allman Brothers Band play at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio.

1977, David Bowie appeared on Marc Bolan’s ITV show, Marc, singing “Heroes” as well as a duet with Bolan, “Standing Next To You,” which is prematurely terminated when Bolan fell from the stage, much to Bowie’s amusement. After the show the pair recorded demos together which were never finished because Bolan was killed in a car crash a week later.

1977, Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention appeared at the SDSU Open Air Theatre, San Diego, California.

1978, Frank Zappa, The Tubes, Peter Gabriel, The Boomtown Rats, Rockpile and Wilko Johnson’s Solid Senders all appeared at Knebworth Park, England tickets cost £5.50 ($8.80) in advance or £6.00 ($9.60) at the gate.

1978, U2 appeared at Top Hat Ballroom, Dublin, Ireland.

1980, Foghat played at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1982, Van Halen performed at The Forum, Inglewood, California.

1989, New Kids On The Block scored their second US chart topping single with “Hangin’ Tough,” also a number one in the UK in 1990. The group also went to number one on the US album chart on this day with Hangin’ Tough.

1992, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic knocked himself unconscious during the MTV music and video awards after being hit on the head with his guitar after throwing it ‘up in the air’.

2004, US guitar maker Ernie Ball died after a long illness. In the late 50’s Ball opened the first music store in the USA in Tarzana, California to sell guitars exclusively. He developed the guitar strings called ‘Slinkys’ specifically designed for rock and roll electric guitar.

2014, Scottish guitarist Robert “Throb” Young died at the age of 49. Young founded Primal Scream with school friend and singer Bobby Gillespie in Glasgow in 1984. As a member of Primal Scream, Young performed on all of the group’s records up to 2006’s Riot City Blues, and including their most famous album, Screamadelica.

Born on September 9: Joe Negroni, singer, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (1940), Otis Redding (1941) Doug Ingle, Iron Butterfly (1945); Bruce Palmer, bass, Buffalo Springfield (1946); Freddy Weller, Paul Revere and the Raiders (1947); Dave Stewart, Eurythmics (1952); Michael Buble (1975)

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Today in Rock History – August 19

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The Who, 1964 - from THE MARK AND COLLEEN HAYWARD COLLECTION (http://rockmusicprints.com/)
The Who, 1964 – from THE MARK AND COLLEEN HAYWARD COLLECTION (http://rockmusicprints.com/)

1964, The High Numbers, (The Who) played at The Scene in Soho London, England.

1964, The Beatles kicked off a North American tour at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, to a crowd of 17,130. Playing 12 songs which made up their repertoire for the entire tour: Twist and Shout, You Can’t Do That, All My Loving, She Loves You, Things We Said Today, Roll Over Beethoven, Can’t Buy Me Love, If I Fell, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Boys, A Hard Day’s Night, and Long Tall Sally. Supporting acts were The Righteous Brothers, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, and Jackie DeShannon.

1966, During a US tour The Beatles appeared at the Sam Houston Coliseum, playing two shows to over 25,000 fans. Tickets cost $5.00.

1967, The Beatles scored their 14th No.1 single with “All You Need Is Love.” Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Graham Nash, Marianne Faithfull and Walker Brother Gary Leeds all sang backing vocals on the track.

1968, Pink Floyd release “Let There Be More Light”/ “Remember A Day” in the US.

1968, After 58 episodes, the final Monkees TV show airs on NBC. Since the its initial run, almost every major cable network has aired re-runs of the show, including a popular stint on CBS from 1969-1972.

1969, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Jefferson Airplane all appeared on the ABC TV Dick Cavett Show from Television Center in New York City.

1970, The Allman Brothers Band played at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1971, Led Zeppelin kicked off a North American tour at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada. The band played to a sold out crowd of over 17,000 fans, another 3,000 fans outside the venue who didn’t have tickets started a battle with local police.

the-who-19711971, The Who played at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

1972, Chicago started a nine-week run at No.1 on the album chart with Chicago V.

1972, David Bowie played the first of two nights at the Rainbow Theatre in England on his current 182-date Ziggy Stardust world tour.

1973, Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson were married in Malibu, California. Kristofferson had just enjoyed a number 1 country hit with “Why Me,” which included Coolidge on backing vocals. The couple divorced near the end of 1979.

1974, AC/DC appear at Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia.

1976, Yes perform at Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan.

1977, The Sex Pistols started an undercover UK tour as The Spots, (an acronym for Sex Pistols on tour secretly).

1978, Bruce Springsteen plays at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Actor Gary Busey joins the band for the Buddy Holly song “Rave On.”

1979, American Rockabilly singer Dorsey Burnette died from a heart attack at his home in Canoga Park, California. He wrote ‘It’s Late’, a hit for Ricky Nelson and Shakin’ Stevens. After his death, singer and friend Delaney Bramlett organized a benefit concert for Dorsey’s widow at the Forum in Inglewood, California, in which Kris Kristofferson, Hoyt Axton. Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Duane Eddy, Delaney and Bonnie, Gary Busey and Roger Miller appeared. Dorsey Burnette’s pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

1980, The Grateful Dead perform at Chicago’s Uptown Theater.

1981, ZZ Top played at the Kansas Coliseum, Wichita, Kansas.

1982, During a North American tour, Queen appeared at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi.

1983, Black Sabbath appeared at Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden.

1996, James Brown appeared in Montauk, New York, as part of his Back at the Ranch tour. Brown who had a history of beating his wife, offered money that was raised at the event to an anti-violence organization called The Retreat, but was turned down.

2001, American soul singer Betty Everett died aged 61. She had the 1964 US No.6 single “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss,”) later covered by Cher.

2005, A life-size bronze statue designed by Paul Daly of Phil Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street in Dublin. The ceremony was attended by his former Thin Lizzy band members Gary Moore, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham. Lynott died in 1986.

Born on this day: Ginger Baker,  Cream,  Ginger Baker’s Airforce; and Johnny Nash, singer (1940); Ian Gillan, Deep Purple (1945); and John Deacon,  Queen (1951)

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Today in Rock History – August 5

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1966, The Beatles Revolver was released in the UK. The US release took place on August 8th. The album had many diverse influences and unique sounds including the incorporation of tape loops on the experimental “Tomorrow Never Knows”, the use of a classical string octet on “Eleanor Rigby”, and the sitar based Indian-music of “Love You To”.   “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yellow Submarine” became an international hit when issued as a double A-side single.

1967, The Monkees played at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.

1968, The Who appeared at the International Amphitheater in Chicago, Illinois.

1968, Country guitarist Luther Perkins died at the age of 40 as a result of severe burns and smoke inhalation. Perkins fell asleep at home in his den with a cigarette in his hand. He was dragged from the fire unconscious with severe second and third degree burns. Perkins never regained consciousness. He worked with Johnny Cash and The Carter Family, and featured on the live album Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.

1969, George Harrison recorded two Moog synthesizer overdubs for the song “Because,” that would appear on Abbey Road. George was one of the first to use the brand new instrument in the UK. He had purchased it in California the prior November.

1972, Aerosmith signed to CBS Records for $125,000 after record company boss Clive Davis saw them play at Max’s Kansas City Club New York.

1972, The Allman Brothers Band played at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California

1972, Wizzard made their live debut at the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival, Wembley Stadium. Also on bill Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and Gary Glitter.

1974, The Grateful Dead performed at the Civic Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1975, Drummer Sandy West and guitarist Joan Jett formed the first ever all female heavy rock band after being introduced by producer Kim Fowley. The band released four studio albums, among its best known songs, “Cherry Bomb,” “Queens of Noise,” and a cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Rock n Roll.”

1975, Black Sabbath perform at the Convention Hall, in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

1977, The Police, The Clash, The Damned, The Boys, The Rich Kids, Electric Kellar and Asphelt Jungle all appeared at the Mont de Marsan Punk festival in France.

1978, Pete Meaden, former manager and publicist for The Who, committed suicide.

1978, The Rolling Stones went to number one on the US singles chart with “Miss You,” the group’s eighth US chart topper. It was a number three hit in the UK. The song was written by Mick Jagger after jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston  during rehearsals for the March 1977 El Mocambo club gigs.

1979, Def Leppard signed to Phonogram records with an advance of $180,000 (£120,000) giving them a 10% royalty on 100% of sales for the first two years.

1983, Crosby Stills Nash & Young member David Crosby was sentenced to five years in jail in Texas for cocaine and firearms offenses. Crosby had slept through most of his trial.

1984, Bruce Springsteen played the first of ten nights at the Meadowlands in New Jersey to mark the homecoming of the Born in the USA tour.

1992, Jeff Porcaro drummer from Toto died age 38. His death has been the subject of controversy.  Some speculation says the attack was caused by an allergic reaction to garden pesticide, while others suggest that Porcaro’s heart was weakened by smoking and cocaine use. Porcaro also worked with many other acts including Sonny and Cher, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Steely Dan, Paul Simon and Boz Scaggs.

2007, DNA testing on about a dozen people who claimed late soul star James Brown was their father revealed that at least two of them were telling the truth. A former adviser for the singer, Buddy Dallas, said he could not confirm exact figures, as further test results were forthcoming. His will, which is being disputed in court, named six children.

Born on August 5: Airto Moreira, drummer, Weather Report (1941); Rick Huxley, guitar, Dave Clark Five (1942); Jimmy Webb (1946); Rick Derringer (1947); Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda, guitar, Twisted Sister (1955); Pat Smear, Germs, Nirvana, Foo Fighters (1959); Jeff Coffin, sax, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones,  Dave Matthews Band (1965)

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Today in Rock History – August 4

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PInk-Floyd-Piper_at_the_Gates_of_Dawn1967, Pink Floyd released their debut album The Piper At the Gates of Dawn in the UK, on which most songs were penned by Syd Barrett.  When reviewed by the two main UK music papers, Record Mirror and NME both gave the album four stars out of five. The album was recorded at Abbey Road studios, London during the same time that The Beatles were recording Sgt Pepper’s. It peaked at number six on the UK album chart, and failed to chart in the US, when it was released on October 21st. Since that time, it has come to be regarded as a significant album in psychedelic rock.

1967, The Who performed at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.

1967, A female Monkees fan stowed away on the band’s plane between shows in Minneapolis and St Louis. The girl’s father threatened to bring charges for transporting a minor across state lines.

1968, Jimi Hendrix performed at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas.

1968, The second day of the two day Newport Pop Festival took place in Costa Mesa, California with Blue Cheer, Eric Burdon & The Animals, Grateful Dead, Illinois Speed Press, Iron Butterfly, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Byrds. Over 100,000 fans attended the festival.

1970, After falling asleep on a woman’s porch in Los Angeles, Jim Morrison is arrested for public drunkenness.

1971, Emerson Lake & Palmer appeared at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

1972, The Allman Brothers Band played at the Community Theater, Berkeley, California.

1974, KISS performed at the Morris Civic Auditorium, South Bend, Indiana.

1975, Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and his wife were both badly injured when the rented car he was driving spun off the road and crashed on the Greek island of Rhodes. Plant smashed both his ankle and his elbow, and was not fully fit for the best part of two years. A forthcoming North American tour had to be cancelled.

1976, The Grateful Dead played at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey.

1977, AC/DC played at Dubs, Gainesville, Florida.

1979, A benefit concert was held to raise money for Little Feat guitarist and singer Lowell George, featuring members of his band plus Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt.

1979, Led Zeppelin play to 120,000 people at Knebworth Park in England. It was their first concert in the U.K. in four years.

1980, Blue Oyster Cult appeared at the Mary E. Sawyer Auditorium, LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

1980, John Lennon began recording what would become his final album, Double Fantasy, at The Hit Factory, New York.

1980, Pink Floyd kick off five nights of The Wall tour at London’s Earls Court. During the ambitious show, a giant wall is built across the stage between the band and the audience.

1981, Bruce Springsteen performed at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.

1982, Metallica played at the Whiskey A-Go-Go, Hollywood, California.

1984, Prince started a 24-week run at the top of the US album charts with Purple Rain. His sixth studio album which features the hits “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” along with the title track. It has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, becoming the seventh best-selling soundtrack album of all time.

1990, Mariah Carey’s started a four week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Vision Of Love,” her debut release. The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 33rd annual ceremony, held on February 20, 1991, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, winning the latter.

1996, Oasis played two sold out nights at Balloch Castle Country Park, Loch Lomand, Scotland to over 80,000 fans.

2001, Dave Stewart married fashion photographer Anouska Fisz on a private beach on the French Riviera. Guest’s included Elton John, Mick Jagger, Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, and his former Eurythmics partner Annie Lennox.

2002, Bruce Springsteen scored his fifth UK number one album with The Rising, also a chart topper in the US.

2005, American blues singer and guitarist Little Milton died. Milton had suffered a brain aneurysm on  July 25th and had lapsed into a coma. In 1952, while still a teenager playing in local bars, he caught the attention of Ike Turner, who at the time a talent scout for Sam Phillips’ Sun Records. He signed a contract with the label and recorded a number of singles, including the 1965 US number 25 single “We’re Gonna Make It,” and 1969’s “Grits Ain’t Groceries.”

2007, US singer, songwriter Lee Hazlewood died of cancer, in his home near Las Vegas aged 78. Hazlewood wrote and produced many of Nancy Sinatra’s most famous hits, including “These Boots Were Made For Walkin’,” “Jackson,” and “Did You Ever” as well as “Something Stupid,” the duet Nancy recorded with her father Frank in 1967. Hazelwood also produced Duane Eddy and Gram Parsons.

Born on August 4: Louis Armstrong (1901); Elsberry Hobbs, The Drifters (1936); Larry Knechtel, guitar, Keyboards, Bread (1940); Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream (1947); Robbin Crosby,  guitarist, Ratt(1958); Paul Reynolds, A Flock Of Seagulls (1962); Max Cavalera,  singer, guitarist, Sepultura (1969); Tom Parker, singer, The Wanted (1988)

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Today in Rock History – July 9

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1967, On a tour supporting The Monkees, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appear at the Convention Hall, Miami, Florida. After it becomes plainly apparent that the group is not suited to teenybopper audiences, the tour’s promoter Dick Clark and Hendrix’s manager Chas Chandler concoct a story saying that the conservative Daughters of the American Revolution group had complained at Jimi’s act and so the Experience left the tour after just six shows.

1969, Working at Abbey Road studios in London The Beatles recorded “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” John Lennon returned to the studio after recovering from a car crash in Scotland, and a bed was installed in the Abbey Road studio for Yoko, who was pregnant, and who had been more seriously injured in the car accident.

1971, Jim Morrison is quietly buried in Paris’ Pere-Lachaise cemetery, making it a necessary stop on any rock fan’s European itinerary.

1972, Paul McCartney and Wings played their very first show in the small French town of Chateauvillon. The band included Denny Laine, Denny Seiwell, Henry McCullough, and Paul’s wife, Linda. It was McCartney’s first time on the road since the Beatles quit touring in 1966.

1974, Crosby Stills Nash & Young kicked off a reunion tour in Seattle in front of 15,000 fans.

1976, The Pretty Things, Supercharge, and third on the bill, The Sex Pistols, all appeared at The Lyceum, London, England, tickets £1.75 ($2.63.)

1977, Alan O’Day went to number one on the US singles chart with “Undercover Angel,” his only solo hit.

1977, Elvis Costello quit his day job at Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics to become a full time musician.

1978, The Rolling Stones drop in on Chicago’s Quiet Knight club to jam with hero Muddy Waters.

1979, The Pretenders kicked off a 23-date UK tour at Smatyz, Chester. The band’s single “Kid” was released that week.

1983, The Police started an eight week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Every Breath You Take” It was also a chart topper in the UK. Taken from the band’s album Synchronicity, Sting won Song of the Year and The Police won Best Pop Performance for the song at the 1984 Grammy Awards.

1983, Wham! went to number one on the UK album chart with their debut release Fantastic!, which went on to spend 116 weeks on the chart.

1988, Cheap Trick went to number one on the US singles chart with “The Flame,” the group’s only US chart topper.

1995, The Grateful Dead give their last concert with leader Jerry Garcia at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Jerry would die of a heart attack a month later while in drug rehab. The last song played at the concert – “Box of Rain.”

2006, Muse started a two week run at number one on the UK album chart with Black Holes & Revelations, the band’s fifth album release and second chart topper.

2006, Lily Allen scored her first UK number one single with “Smile.” The organ riff is a sample of Jackie Mittoo playing keyboards on “Free Soul” by The Soul Brothers. Lily’s actor dad, Keith Allen, was part of the Fat Les band who had a hit with “Vindaloo” in 1998.

2011, Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant joined three local musicians at a fundraising charity show in Monmouth Wales, where tickets cost £3 ($4.50.) The event was a tribute to his friend, former Led Zeppelin producer Pat Moran, who died of a rare dementia in January. Plant delighted the small crowd in the Monmouthshire town with songs from his Led Zeppelin days, as well as tunes from his solo career.

Born on July 9: Bon Scott, AC/DC (1946); Mitch Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix Experience (1947); Jim Kerr, Simple Minds (1959); Courtney Love (1965);  Jack White (1975)

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Today in Rock History – July 8

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beatles-nowhere-man-ep1966, The Beatles released the Nowhere Man 4-track EP in the UK, which included “Drive My Car,” “Michelle,” and “You Won’t See Me.” All four tracks were taken from The Beatles’ sixth UK studio album, Rubber Soul.

1966, The Who appeared at Top Rank Suite in Cardiff, Wales.

1966, The Rolling Stones performed at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan.

1967, UK music weekly the Melody Maker ran a front-page comment condemning the 3-month jail sentence given to Rolling Stone Mick Jagger for possession of Benzedrine tablets. Jagger was later given a conditional discharge.

1967, The Monkees began a 29-date tour with The Jimi Hendrix Experience as support act. They requested Hendrix because they were fans, but their young audience disliked the Experience, who left the tour after six shows. Hendrix manager Chas Chandler later admitted that he engineered the tour in an effort to gain publicity for Hendrix.

1968, Pink Floyd kicked off their second North American tour at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago. Visa problems meant a delayed start to the tour, and the band had to spend time in Canada while the paperwork was sorted out.

1969, Marianne Faithful collapsed on the set of Ned Kelly after taking a drug overdose. She was admitted to a Sydney Hospital, (she was later dropped from the movie).

1970, The Everly Brothers Show started an eleven-week prime time slot on ABC- TV.

1971, Yes performed at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.

1971, A minor riot occurred during a Mott The Hoople gig at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England. Some fans were injured and two boxes were damaged causing a temporary ban on rock gigs at the venue.

1972, Bill Withers started a three week run at number one on the singles chart with “Lean On Me.”

1972, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Convention Center, Louisville, Kentucky.

1972, Donny Osmond was at number one on the singles chart with his version of the Paul Anka song “Puppy Love.” The first of three solo chart toppers for Donny.

1972, The Concert 10 Festival was held at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Acts performing included, Claire Hamill, The Groundhogs, Edgar Winter, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Faces with Rod Stewart, Humble Pie, The J. Geils Band, and Three Dog Night.

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy1973, Led Zeppelin’s fifth album Houses Of The Holy was on both the US and UK album charts. The album spent a total of 39 weeks on the US chart. The cover art for Houses Of The Holy was inspired by the ending of Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Childhood’s End. It is a collage of several photographs which were taken at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland, by Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis.

1974, David Bowie plays Philadelphia’s Tower Theatre. The week-long series of concerts is recorded and later released as David Live.

1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd played at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia.

1976, Aerosmith appeared at the MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1977, ZZ Top performed at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana.

1978, Gerry Rafferty’s album City To City went to number one on the US charts knocking off Saturday Night Fever, which had reigned supreme at the top of the charts for almost six months.

1978, Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon from The Clash were arrested for being drunk and disorderly after a gig at the Apollo in Glasgow, both were fined.

1979, The B-52’s made their UK live debut at London’s Lyceum Ballroom, supported by The Tourists.

1980, Roxy Music appeared at the Tendastrisce, Rome.

1981, The Grateful Dead perform at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.

1983, Iron Maiden played at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.

1984, Bob Dylan’s current European tour came to an end at Slane Castle, County Meath in Ireland. Dylan was joined on stage by Van Morrison and they duetted on “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.” U2’s Bono, who was sent to interview Dylan for the Irish rock magazine Hot Press, ended up duetting with Dylan on “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat.” Carlos Santana also joined Dylan on stage and played guitar on the last seven songs of the set.

1995, TLC started a seven week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Waterfalls,” the group’s second US chart topper, and a top four hit in the UK.

2002, Michael Jackson spoke out against the music industry’s treatment of artists, alleging that the business was rife with racism. Speaking at a civil rights meeting in New York, Jackson claimed there was a “conspiracy” among record companies, especially towards black artists. A spokesman for Jackson’s record label said the remarks were “ludicrous, spiteful and hurtful.”

2006, Queen guitarist Brian May made a “substantial” donation to save hedgehogs from slaughter in the Outer Hebrides. Although the exact amount was not revealed it was said to be enough to pay for the rescue of hundreds of hedgehogs from the Uists, where Scottish Natural Heritage has been culling the animals for the past four years. May’s money would go towards funding cash rewards for islanders so hundreds more hedgehogs can be saved.

2007, Prince was forced off stage by police halfway through his set at the First Avenue nightclub during a late-night gig in his home town of Minneapolis. The club was only allowed to stay open until 3 am, but Prince took to the stage at 2.45 am. Prince had already played two concerts in Minneapolis before his late-night club appearance. His first performance was at a department store, where he promoted his new cologne with a nine-song, 45-minute set.

Born on July 8: Jaimoe Johanson, Allman Bros (1944); Andy Fletcher, Depeche Mode (1960);  Toby Keith (1961); Joan Osborne (1963); Beck (1970); Jamie Cook, guitarist, Arctic Monkeys (1985)

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Today in Rock History – June 24

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The Mothers of Invention

1966, The Mothers of Invention support comedian Lenny Bruce at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium.

1966, At the Cow Palace, the Beach Boys’ Summer Spectacular features performances by the Jefferson Airplane, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Percy Sledge, the Byrds, and the Sir Douglas Quintet.

1966, After holding a press conference aboard a yacht in New York City, The Rolling Stones kicked off their fifth North American tour at the Manning Bowl, Lynn, Massachusetts, with support acts The McCoys and The Standells.

1967, The Monkees went to number one on the US album charts with Headquarters, the group’s third chart topper.

1967, Pink Floyd make their debut performance on the BBC’s Top of the Pops, performing their new single “See Emily Play.” Syd Barrett wears a suit of velvet and satin.

1967, Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” entered the Billboard chart, where it would peak at number five. The song was written by the band around a melody composed by the group’s organist, Matthew Fisher. He was inspired by the chord progression of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Orchestral Suite in D,” composed between 1725 and 1739.

1969, Led Zeppelin recorded “Whole Lotta Love,” “What Is And What Should Never Be,” “Travelling Riverside Blues,” and “Communication Breakdown” for BBC Radio 1 at Maida Vale Studios, London. The session was broadcast on June 29, 1969.

1969, The Doors appeared at The Roach, New Orleans, Louisiana.

1972, David Bowie appeared at the Guildford City Hall, England, on his Ziggy Stardust world tour.

1972, In Fort Worth, Texas, the Rolling Stones film the concert that will be released as Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones.

1973, The Grateful Dead appeared at the Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon.

1973, Longtime Blues Project fans are overcome in New York’s Central Park when Al Kooper rejoins his old band onstage.

1978, Genesis, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, Devo, Brand X and The Atlanta Rhythm Section all appeared at Knebworth Park, England, tickets cost $10 (£6.66.)

1991, Frank Zappa took part at the concert “Adieu Soviet Army,” organized in Prague, as the farewell to the last soldiers of Soviet Red Army, leaving free Czechoslovakia (the Red Army had occupied Czechoslovakia since the Prague spring). This was probably Zappa’s last rock appearance on the stage and it is recorded on the album Adieu C. A. (Soviet Army).

1999, Eric Clapton put 100 of his guitars up for auction at Christie’s in New York City to raise money for his drug rehab clinic, the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. His 1956 Fender Stratocaster named Brownie, which was used to record the electric version of “Layla,” sold for a record $497,500 (£331,000.) The auction helped raise nearly $5 (£3.33) million for the clinic.

2001, Blink 182 scored their second US number one album with Take Off Your… The group’s fourth studio album has sold over 12 million copies worldwide and contains the singles “The Rock Show,” “Stay Together for the Kids,” and “First Date.”

2005, The Thrills, The Zutons, Doves, The Killers, White Stripes, Kaiser Chiefs, Ash, The Coral, Keane, New Order, Coldplay, James Blunt, Brian Wilson, Garbage, Primal Scream and Basement Jaxx all appeared at the UK Glastonbury Festival.

2007, The White Stripes went to number one on the UK album chart with Icky Thump the duo’s sixth and final studio album. Icky Thump won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2008.

2013, Former Devo drummer Alan Myers died aged 58 in Los Angeles, California, following a long bout with cancer. Myers drummed for Devo between 1976 and 1986

Born on this day: Arthur Brown (1942);  Jeff Beck (1944); Chris Wood- Traffic (1944); and Colin Blunstone, The Zombies (1945); Mick Fleetwood, English-American drummer, Fleetwood Mac John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (1947);  Patrick Moraz, Swiss keyboard player, songwriter, Yes, The Moody Blues, Refugee (1948); Andy McCluskey, English singer-songwriter, bass player,  producer, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1959); – Dennis Danell, American singer, guitarist, Social Distortion (1961);  Richard Z. Kruspe, German guitarist, Rammstein, Emigrate, and First Arsch (1967)

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Today in Rock History – June 9

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1964, During an evening session Bob Dylan recorded “Mr. Tambourine Man” at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City. This was the first session for the album Another Side Of Bob Dylan, which saw Dylan recording fourteen original compositions that night.

1967, Pink Floyd played two gigs in one day, the first at the College of Commerce in Hull, and then the UFO at The Blarney Club, Tottenham Court Road, London, England.

1967, The Velvet Underground performed at Boston Tea Party in Boston, Massachusetts.

1967, The Monkees kicked off a North American summer tour at the Hollywood Bowl in California.

1968, Cream performed at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.

1969, The Rolling Stones announce that guitarist Brian Jones will be replaced by the John Mayall Band’s Mick Taylor.

1970, The Who appeared at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado.

1970, Jimi Hendrix played at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.

1970, Princeton University gives Bob Dylan an honorary doctorate in music.

1972, The Allman Brothers Band performed at McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas.

1972, The Rolling Stones appeared at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

1972, Elvis Presley made entertainment history by performing four sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden. George Harrison, John Lennon David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Art Garfunkel were among music stars that attended the shows. The shows were recorded and became the album Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden.

1972, Bruce Springsteen signed with Columbia Records and started to assemble the E Street Band from various Asbury Park ex-band mates.

1973, The Grateful Dead play the first of two nights at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

1974, Aerosmith played at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.

1975, Windsor Davies and Don Estelle were at number one on the UK singles chart with “Whispering Grass.” It was a spin-off from the BBC TV sitcom It Ain’t Half Hot Mum. The song was originally recorded by The Ink Spots in 1940.

1975, Pink Floyd performs at the Capital Centre in the Washington suburb of Landover, Maryland. Tickets cost $7.50.

1976, Yes played at the Broome Country Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, New York.

1977, George and Patti Harrison were officially divorced.

1978, The Rolling Stones released Some Girls, their first studio album recorded with Ronnie Wood as a full member. The album cover was designed by Peter Corriston and featured The Rolling Stones in garish drag alongside select female celebrities and lingerie ads. The cover immediately ran into trouble when Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli, representing her mother Judy Garland, Raquel Welch, and the estate of Marilyn Monroe threatened legal action.

1978, Ian Dury and the Blockheads appeared at St George’s Hall, Bradford, England.

1979, Van Halen appeared at the Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas.

1980, Genesis performed at the Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan.

1981, Rush played at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.

1983, David Bowie appeared at the Auteuil Hippodrome in Paris

1990, M.C. Hammer’s debut album started a record breaking 21-week stay at the top of the US album charts, making it the longest uninterrupted stay at the top since the album charts started.

1998, The Ronettes appeared in the Supreme Court of New York for their lawsuit against producer Phil Spector. The Ronettes, whose hits included “Be My Baby” and “Walking In The Rain,” claimed that Spector had breached the group’s 34-year-old contract by paying the members no royalties since 1963. Although The Ronettes went on to win the case, the New York State Court of Appeals overturned the decision in October, 2002, saying that the contract the Ronettes signed with Spector in 1963 was still binding.

Born on June 9: Cole Porter (1891);  Les Paul (1916);  Johnny Ace (1929); Jackie Wilson (1934); Jon Lord, Deep Purple (1941); George Bunnell, Strawberry Alarm Clock (1949); Trevor Boulder, bass, Spiders From Mars, Uriah Heep (1950); Dean Felber, bass, Hootie & The Blowfish (1967); Matthew Bellamy, Muse (1978)

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Song of the Day – “Circle Sky” by The Monkees

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45-adapter-logo2monkeeshead

Song of the Day by Eric Berman – “Circle Sky” by The Monkees

Right from the beginning, it was always intended that The Monkees would make the jump from the small screen to the big screen. However, by 1968 when the group made their debut film Head, The Monkees’ TV show had been cancelled and they were in dire need of some credibility in the music world.

Enter film maker Bob Rafelson and an up-and-coming actor named Jack Nicholson who wrote and directed a film that made Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels look positively coherent in comparison. Head is a psychedelic mess in the first degree…but an interesting one interspersing drug-induced visuals with graphic scenes of war…and, of course, The Monkees.

The Head album had some fine songs on it sprinkled with sound collages that made it an uneven listening experience. Today’s Song of the Day by Eric Berman is one of Mike Nesmith’s finest songs which also served as the centerpiece performance of the film.

The Head album was expertly expanded into a 3 CD box set by Andrew Sandoval and Rhino Handmade several years ago…it’s not for the casual fan for sure…but if you are a Monkees obsessive it’s well worth the price of admission.

Today in Rock History – June 4

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Procol Harum

1967, Procol Harum, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Denny Laine all appeared at The Saville Theatre London, England.

1967, The Monkees wins an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, beating out Andy Griffith, Bewitched, Get Smart, and Hogan’s Heroes.

1968, Having been arrested the month before on charges of marijuana possession, Rolling Stone Brian Jones elects for trial by jury. The rest of the Rolling Stones are in the studio working on tracks for Beggars Banquet and being filmed by Jean-Luc Godard for the movie One Plus One. However, the studio catches fire while the film crew shoots the band on the roof.

1969, Seven years after his first hit, Tommy Roe was at number one on the UK singles chart with “Dizzy,” his only chart topping hit.

1969, Hundreds of people in Glenrowan, Australia signed a petition protesting against the casting of Mick Jagger in the role of the Australian folk hero, Ned Kelly.

1970, Elvis Presley began five days of recording at RCA’s studio B in Nashville, starting each day at 6pm and working until dawn.

1971, Elton John appeared at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.

1971, Alice Cooper performed at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan.

1971, Pink Floyd appeared at Philips Veranstal Tungshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany.

1972, Jethro Tull played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

1973, Murry Wilson, father of Beach Boys Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, dies of a heart attack. His alleged physical abuse left songwriting genius Brian deaf in one ear. Murray also managed the group when it was first starting out.

1974, David Bowie kicked off his 73-date Diamond Dogs tour at the Montreal, Forum in Canada.

1974, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

1975, The Rolling Stones became the first rock band to receive royalties for sales of their records in Russia.

1976, Elton John appeared at The Capitol Theatre, Leeds, England.

1976, Live recordings were made at the new wave venue GBGB’s of performances from Blondie, Mink DeVille, Talking Heads, Laughing Dogs and Tuff Darts. The tracks featured on the album Live At CBGB’S New York.

1976, Yes performed at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.

1976, The Sex Pistols appeared at The Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England. The now legendary night is regarded as a catalyst to the punk rock movement. In the audience was, Morrissey, Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook (soon to form Joy Division) and Mark E Smith, (The Fall). Tickets cost £1 ($1.50.)

1977, Police cancel a planned Led Zeppelin performance in Tampa Bay, Fla., after fans rioted the night before, when the band’s set was interrupted by a vicious thunderstorm.

1977, Eric Clapton played at National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland.

1977, The Grateful Dead performed at the Forum in Inglewood, California.

1977, The Jam’s debut single “In The City” made it to number 40 on the UK singles chart. They went on to score 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four chart topping hits.

1978, Bob Dylan performed at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.

1978, David Bowie’s European tour plays at the  Scandanavium in Gothenberg, Sweden.

1979, Rush and Dire Straits performed at the Pinkpop Festival in Geleen, The Netherlands.

1980, Roxy Music appeared at Foret National, Brussels, Belgium.

1981, Bruce Springsteen played at Wembley Arena in London.

1983, The Police started a four week run at number one in the UK with “Every Breath You Take,” the group’s fifth and final chart topping single. It was taken from the band’s album Synchronicity. Sting won Song of the Year and The Police won Best Pop Performance for the song at the 1984 Grammy Awards.

1984, Bruce Springsteen released the album, Born In The USA, which became the best-selling album of 1985 in the United States, and Springsteen’s most successful album ever. The album produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles, tying him with Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814.

1985, Elton John sued publisher Dick James Music, seeking the rights to his early songs and recordings, plus damages estimated at more than £30 million ($51 million). The singer lost a six-month court battle to recover the copyright to 169 songs however, the court ordered Dick James to hand over millions in unpaid royalties.

1986, The first of a six date Conspiracy of Hope tour was held at Cow Palace, San Francisco, California. The benefit concerts on behalf of Amnesty International were held to increase awareness of Amnesty on the 25th anniversary of its work for human rights. The shows were headlined by U2 and Sting, and also featured Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Joan Baez, and The Neville Brothers.

1990, American punk rock singer Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church died after being hit by a taxi in Paris, France. Bators had been out drinking when he was hit by a taxi while crossing the road. He was taken to a hospital, but left before seeing a doctor. He died in his sleep as the result of a concussion.

1994, Wet Wet Wet started a fifteen-week run at number one on the UK singles chart with “Love Is All Around,” from the film Four Weddings & A Funeral. The song was written by Reg Presley of The Troggs, and was a former top ten hit for his band in 1967

1997, Jeff Buckley’s body was discovered floating in the Mississippi River. Buckley had disappeared when swimming on May 29th in Wolf River Harbor, while wearing boots, all of his clothing, and singing the chorus of “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin. A roadie in Buckley’s band, had remained on shore. After moving a radio and guitar out of reach of the wake from a passing tugboat, he looked up to see that Buckley had vanished.

2012, Herb Reed, bass singer and founder member with American doo-wop group The Platters died aged 83. The Platters scored four number one singles in the late 50’s: “The Great Pretender,” “My Prayer,” “Twilight Time,” and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” Reed is credited with coming up with the group’s name, inspired by disc jockeys who referred to their records as “platters.”

Born on June 4: Freddie Fender (1937);  Michelle Phillips (1944); Gordon Waller, Peter & Gordon (1945); and Jimmy McCulloch, Thunderclap Newman, Wings (1952)

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