Rock History February 18
1965, The Kinks were at number one on the singles chart with “Tired Of Waiting For You,” the group’s second chart topper.
1965, Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recorded two new songs. John Lennon’s “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” was recorded in nine takes, and a new Paul McCartney song “Tell Me What You See” was laid down in four takes.
1966, Beach Boy Brian Wilson recorded the future classic song “Good Vibrations,” which went on to become the band’s third US number-one hit. As a child, his mother told him that dogs could pick up “vibrations” from people, so that the dog would bark at “bad vibrations” Wilson turned this into the general idea for the song.
1966, News breaks in Melody Maker that The Who are leaving Brunswick and U.S. Decca for the new Reaction label in Europe and Atco in the U.S. Former producer Shel Talmy threatens the group with payback that he soon delivers, launching a lawsuit against the band and its managers. “Substitute” was to have been released on the 18th but is stopped because of the lawsuit. That night The Who are in Scotland, performing at the Volunteer Hall in Galashiels.
1966, The Rolling Stones kicked off an 11-date tour of Australia and New Zealand at the Commemorative Auditorium, Sydney, supported by The Searchers.
1967, The Buckinghams started a two week run at number one on the singles chart with “Kind Of A Drag,” the Chicago-based group’s only chart topper.
1968, The Byrds performed at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
1968, David Gilmour makes his film debut as a member of Pink Floyd as Belgian TV recorded several promotional clips over two days including filmed versions of “Astronomy Domine,” “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun,” “Apples and Oranges,” “Corporal Clegg,” Paintbox,” “Scarecrow,” and “See Emily Play.”
1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
1969, Pink Floyd and Fairport Convention appeared at the Manchester & Salford Students’ Shrove Rag Ball, held at the Main Debating Hall at Manchester University, in Manchester, England.
1971, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band made their New York debut at Unganos.
1972, On their first Australian tour, Led Zeppelin rescheduled to the following night their concert at the Memorial Drive, Adelaide, after heavy rain left the stage and equipment unsafe. Zeppelin had brought to Adelaide the largest PA system seen in Australia to produce what was expected to be the loudest rock show ever heard.
1972, David Bowie performed at Sheffield University in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
1972, Pink Floyd played at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
1973, The Rolling Stones appeared at the Kooyong Tennis Stadium, Melbourne, Australia.
1974, Yes headlined at Madison Square Garden, New York.
1977, Pink Floyd played at Oude Ahoy Hallen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
1978, winners at the Grammy Awards included Fleetwood Mac, Album of the year for Rumours, The Eagles, Record of the year for “Hotel California,” and Best pop vocal performance, The Bee Gees for “How Deep Is Your Love.”
1978, Parliament Funkadelic performed at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland.
1980, During an interview Rolling Stone Bill Wyman said that he intended to leave the band in 1982, on the group’s 20th anniversary. Wyman quit the band in 1993.
1983, Neil Young appeared Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto.
1987, Bon Jovi were at number one on the singles chart with “Livin’ On A Prayer.”
1989, Fine Young Cannibals scored their only UK number one album with The Raw And The Cooked.
1990, Freddie Mercury made his final public appearance on stage when he joined the rest of Queen to collect the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, held at the Dominion Theatre, London, England.
1995, Guitarist Bob Stinson from The Replacements died from a drug overdose, his body was found in his Uptown, Minneapolis apartment. Stinson was a founding member of The Replacements, was also a member of Static Taxi.
1998, Robert Smith of The Cure does battle with the forces of musical evil as embodied by a monstrous Barbra Streisand on the animated television show South Park.
2000, An American court ordered the release of FBI files relating to John Lennon’s interests and activities including his support for the Irish Republican cause, and the Workers Revolutionary Party. The British Government told the US that it wanted the files to remain secret. MI5 also had files on Lennon, which they had passed on the FBI during the ’70s.
2004, On his official Web site, Billy Corgan blames the 2000 split of the Smashing Pumpkins on guitarist James Iha. “James Iha broke up the Smashing Pumpkins, not me,” he writes. “I would have gone on forever, the Smashing Pumpkins were essentially my entire life.”
2007, Norah Jones scored her third US number one album with Not Too Late, also a number one in the UK and over 20 other countries.
2011, Radiohead released their 8th album The King of Limbs as a download.
2013, Soul and R&B singer Otis Damon Harris, who was a member of The Temptations, died at the age of 62 after a fourteen-year battle with prostate cancer. Harris was a member of The Temptations from 1971 to 1975, joining shortly after the departure of Eddie Kendricks.
Born on February 18: Yoko Ono (1933); Skip Battin, The Byrds (1934); Bobby Hart, singer, songwriter (1939); Herman Santigo, singer, Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers (1941);Dennis DeYoung, Styx (1947); Robbie Bachmann, drummer, BTO (1953); Derek Pellicci, Australian drummer, Little River Band, Mississippi (1953); John Trevolta (1954); Andre Young, aka Dr. Dre, rapper, producer, entrepreneur (1965)
Link to Today in Rock History main page.
Bon Jovi, David Bowie, Fine Young Cannibals, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Neil Young, Parliament, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Byrds, The Cure, The Eagles, The Kinks, The Replacements, The Rolling Stones, Yes.
