Rock History January 24
1965, The film Ferry Cross the Mersey premieres at the Liverpool Odeon. It was the first to be shot on location in Liverpool after the city’s emergence into the music mainstream For authenticity, many scenes were shot in clubs near the home of Gerry and the Pacemakers’ frontman Gerry Marsden. Marsden wrote nine new songs for the film which also starred Julie Samuel, Cilla Black, Jimmy Savile, and The Fourmost.
1967, Jimi Hendrix performed at the Marquee Club in London.
1969, The Beatles work on recording “On Our Way Home,” “Teddy Boy,” “Maggie Mae,” “Dig It,” “Dig A Pony,” and “I’ve Got A Feeling” at the Apple Studios in London.
1969, Jethro Tull played in America for the first time. They open up for Led Zeppelin in New York City.
1969, New Jersey state prosecutors issue a warning to US record dealers that they would be charged with distributing pornography if they were caught selling the John Lennon / Yoko Ono LP Two Virgins. The front cover of the album showed the pair frontally nude, while the back cover showed them from behind. The album still managed to reach number 124 on the US, but failed to chart at all in the UK, where only 5,000 copies were ever pressed.
1969, The Doors played at Madison Square Garden, New York City, They were paid over $50,000 for the gig making them one of the highest paid acts this year.
1970, The Who play in Copenhagen at Det Kunglige Teater. They had been turned down for hotel reservations at the Copenhagen Inn because of that establishment’s policy against “long-haired pop groups.” The Danish Royal family does not have a problem with The Who’s hair as they attend that night’s show. Due to the cold weather Pete announces their opera as “Tommy On Ice!”
1970, Led Zeppelin appeared at Leeds University, Leeds, England. It was at this show when Zeppelin had a meeting with fine arts lecturer Zacron to discuss their ideas for the album sleeve of the band’s next album, Led Zeppelin III. Zacron, born Richard Drew, had studied at Kingston College of Art with members of the Yardbirds.
1970, The Grateful Dead played at the Civic Auditorium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1971, Neil Young performed at the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, Missouri.
1972, Black Sabbath played at Town Hall, Birmingham, England.
1974, Emerson, Lake & Palmer appeared at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia.
1975, Genesis performed The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The show was included in the Genesis box set release.
1976, Bob Dylan started a five-week run at number one on the US album chart with Desire his third US chart topper.
1979, The Clash’s “I Fought the Law” becomes their first single released in the United States.
1979, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys divorced his wife Marilyn after 15 years together. She was a member of the Honeys, and mother of Wendy and Carnie Wilson, who would go on to sing in Wilson-Phillips.
1980, A billboard was erected on Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, California to promote Pink Floyd’s new album The Wall. A blank wall was pasted up and each day a brick was ‘removed’ to slowly reveal the inside spread and title of the album.
1982, ZZ Top appeared at the Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, West Virginia.
1984, Eric Clapton performed at the Teatro Tenda Lampugnano, Milan, Italy.
1992, Nirvana played their first ever show in Australia at the Phoenician Club in Sydney. Also on the bill, Tumbleweed and The Meanies.
1998, Oasis went to number one on the UK singles chart with “All Around The World.” The longest running-time for a UK chart topper with a total duration of 9 minutes 38 seconds. It was one of the first songs to be written by Noel Gallagher.
2007, Record producer Dave Shayman, also known as Disco D, was found dead at his home in New York City. 26-year-old Shayman was famous for his production work on hip hop records and was a rising star in the business. His death was being treated as a potential suicide after he was recently diagnosed with manic depression.
2008, Amy Winehouse was admitted into rehab in a battle to kick her addiction to drugs. A statement from her record company, Universal said she entered the facility “after talks with her record label, management, family and doctors to continue her ongoing recovery against drug addiction.”
Born on this day: Zeke Carey, singer, The Flamingos (1933); Aaron Neville (1941); Neil Diamond (1941); Ray Stevens (1941); Warren Zevon (1947) and John Belushi (1949); Jools Holland, founding member of Squeeze and British TV presenter (1955)
Link to Today in Rock History archive.
Amy Winehouse, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Eric Clapton, Genesis, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Jethro Tull, Neil Young, Nirvana, Oasis, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Clash, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, The Who, ZZ Top.
