Rock History June 22
1968, Herb Alpert started a four week run at number one on the singles chart with “This Guys In Love With You.” It was his first chart topper, plus first number one for the A&M label, as well as for writers Burt Bacharach and Hal David
1968, The Rolling Stones go to number one in the UK with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” It was the first time they had visited the top spot in two years.
1968, Rolling Stone, reviews the bootleg Basement Tapes in an article titled “The Missing Bob Dylan Album.”
1968, Actor Richard Harris goes to number two with his seven-minute reading of “MacArthur Park.”
1968, The Jeff Beck group featuring Rod Stewart made their US debut at the Fillmore East, New York.
1968, The Otis Redding album Dock Of The Bay went to number one posthumously. Redding was killed in a plane crash on December 10th 1967.
1969, Singer, actress, Judy Garland, died of a barbiturate overdose at age 47. She was found on the floor of her rented Chelsea home, in London. She made more than two dozen films, most notably playing Dorothy in 1939’s Wizard Of Oz, singing “Over The Rainbow” in the film.
1969, Supergroup Blind Faith release their self-titled album.
1970, Led Zeppelin appeared at Laugardalsholl Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland on the group’s one and only visit to Iceland. It is suggested that Robert Plant was inspired to write the lyrics to “Immigrant Song” during this trip.
1974, Gordon Lightfoot started a two-week run at number one on the album chart with Sundown.
1975, At New York’s Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton joins the Rolling Stones onstage to jam on “Sympathy for the Devil.”
1978, The Boomtown Rats, supported by Matt Vinyl & The Decorators appeared at the Odeon Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland.
1985, Bryan Adams started a two week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Heaven,” his first chart topping single, which made it only to number 35 in the UK.
1990, Ry Cooder and David Lindley, The Cure, Happy Mondays, Sinead O’Connor, Deacon Blue, De La Soul, Adamski, Blue Aeroplanes, Julian Cope, Del Amitri, Jesus Jones, James and The Pale Saints all appeared on day one of the Glastonbury Festival. A three day ticket cost £38.
2008, Coldplay went to number one on the UK singles chart with “Viva La Vida,” their first UK chart topper. The song won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2009.
2013, “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke started a 13 week run at number one on the US singles chart. The song featured American rapper T.I. and American singer and producer Pharrell, the video was made in two versions; the first video features models Emily Ratajkowski, Jessi M’Bengue, and Elle Evans being topless, the second features them covered. The topless version of the video was removed from YouTube for violating the site’s terms of service regarding nudity, though it was later restored, but flagged as inappropriate. “Blurred Lines” topped the charts in 14 countries.
Born on June 22: Kris Kristofferson (1936); Chris Blackwell, English record producer, co-founder Island Records (1937); Murphy Dunne, American actor, keyboards, The Blues Brothers (1942); Peter Asher, English singer, guitarist, producer, Peter and Gordon (1944); Howard Kaylan, The Turtles, Flo & Eddie, Frank Zappa (1947); Todd Rundgren (1948); Larry Junstrom, American bass player, 38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd (1949); Craig Gruber, American bass player, Rainbow, Elf, Bible Black, and Raven Lord (1951); Cyndi Lauper (1953); Derek Forbes, Scottish bass player, guitarist, Simple Minds, Big Country (1956); Garry Gary Beers, Australian bass player, songwriter, producer, INXS, Absent Friends (1957); Jimmy Somerville, Scottish singer-songwriter, Bronski Beat, The Communards (1961); Bobby Gillespie, Scottish singer-songwriter, Primal Scream, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Wake (1962); Dicky Barrett, American singer, actor, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (1964); Steven Page, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist Barenaked Ladies (1970);
Get more Today in Rock History
Blind Faith, Coldplay, Eric Clapton, Gordon Lightfoot, Herb Alpert, Jeff Beck, Jesus Jones, Julian Cope, Led Zeppelin, Otis Redding, Pharell, Richard Harris, Robin Thicke, The Boomtown Rats, The Cure, The Rolling Stones, Todd Rundgren.
