Rock history June 17
1965, Working at Abbey Road studios in London The Beatles completed work on the new Paul McCartney song “Yesterday” with the overdubbing of an additional vocal track by McCartney and a string quartet. They also recorded “Act Naturally” for Ringo’s vocal contribution on the Help! album and the song “Wait” in four takes. “Wait” will not be included on ‘Help!’, it was included on the following LP, Rubber Soul.
1965, The Kinks and the Moody Blues made their US concert debut at the Academy of Music in New York City.
1966, The Who performed at City Hall in Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
1966, Guitarist Peter Green joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
1966, Paul McCartney buys himself a farm in Kintyre, Scotland. He would later write the song “Mull of Kintyre.”
1967, Pink Floyd played at the Ballroom, Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate, Kent, England, supported by the Tony Merrick Set.
1969, Neil Young & Crazy Horse appeared at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.
1971, Carole King went to number one on the album chart with Tapestry for the first of 15 consecutive weeks. The album contained “It’s Too Late,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” and “You’ve Got a Friend.”
1971, Black Sabbath and Ted Nugent played at the West Palm Beach Auditorium in West Palm Beach, Florida.
1972, The Allman Brothers Band performed at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1972, Don McLean had a number one UK single with “Vincent.” The song was written about the 19th century artist Vincent Van Gogh. The song is played daily at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
1972, David Bowie performed at Town Hall in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.
1972, Organist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan plays with the Grateful Dead for the last time at the Hollywood Bowl.
1972, Pink Floyd release their soundtrack Obscured by Clouds in the US.
1972, The Rolling Stones album Exile On Main Street started a four-week run at the top of the charts.
1973, Dolly Parton recorded “I Will Always Love You” in RCA’s Studio “B” in Nashville. Written for her one-time partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner (the two were splitting professionally at the time). The song was later a world-wide hit for Whitney Houston.
1974, KISS played at the Sunshine Inn, Asbury Park, New Jersey.
1975, Aerosmith appeared at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado.
1976, The Grateful Dead begin the first of three nights at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey.
1976, Ian Dury played his last gig with Kilburn and the High Roads before starting his solo career. The show at The Assembly Hall, Walthamstow also had The Sex Pistols, and The Stranglers on the bill.
1976, Neil Diamond performed at Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan.
1977, Steve Winwood releases his first self-titled solo album, three years after leaving Traffic.
1977, Eric Clapton played at Rhein-Neckar-Halle, Heidelberg, Germany.
1978, Andy Gibb became the first solo artist in the history of the US charts to have his first three releases reach number one. “Shadow Dancing” hit the top of the charts, spending seven weeks at the top, and becoming the best selling single in the US that year.
1978, Bob Dylan performed at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.
1978, “You’re The One That I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John started a nine week run at number one on the UK singles chart. The song was from the film Grease.
1978, As Jefferson Airplane prepare to play Germany’s Lorley Festival, Grace Slick is discovered too inebriated to perform. The band cancels.
1979, Yes played at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, Connecticut.
1980, Led Zeppelin performed at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany.
1981, Pink Floyd performed The Wall at Earl’s Court Exhibition Hall, Earl’s Court, London.
1983, David Bowie appeared at Freilichttheater, Bad Segeberg, Germany.
1983, James Brown, UB40, Fun Boy Three, The Beat, Curtis Mayfield, Jimmy Cliff, Marillion and Melanie all appeared at this years Glastonbury CND Festival, Shepton Mallet, England.
1984, Van Halen played at the Kansas Coliseum, Valley Center, Kansas.
1987, Florida real estate agent Vittoria Holman sued Motley Crue and their concert promoter for hearing loss allegedly incurred at a concert in December 1985. Holman and her daughter had front row seats less than 10 feet (3 meters) from the speakers. The case was settled out of court with the band’s insurance company paying Holman over $30,000. (£18,200.)
1997, Fans rioted at an Ozzfest concert in Columbus Ohio, after Ozzy Osbourne couldn’t perform due to throat problems. Angry fans broke windows, uprooted trees, and turned over a parked car.
2007, The Traveling Wilburys went to number one on the UK album chart with Collection. The lineup of the Wilburys was: George Harrison (Nelson Wilbury), Jeff Lynne (Otis Wilbury), Roy Orbison (Lefty Wilbury) ,Tom Petty (Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr.), and Bob Dylan (Lucky Wilbury).
2012, Bruce Springsteen played his longest show when he turned in a three-hour-and-48-minute, 32-song, set at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. This surpassed the previously longest show, Dec. 31, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York, which clocked in at 3:43.
Born on June 17: Norman Kuhlke, The Swinging Blue Jeans (1942); Chris Spedding, session guitarist for Donovan, David Essex, Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry (1944); Barry Manilow (1946); Greg Rolie, Santana (1947); and Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys (1958)
Get more Today in Rock History
Aerosmith, Andy Gibb, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Carole King, David Bowie, Dolly parton, Don McLean, Eric Clapton, James Brown, Jefferson Airplane, Jimmy Cliff, John Mayall, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Mötley Crue, Neil Diamond, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Green, Pink Floyd, Steve Winwood, The Allman Brothers Band, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Kinks, The Moody Blues, The Rolling Stones, The Traveling Wilburys, The Who, UB40, Van Halen, Yes.
