December 7th

 

Musical birthdays today include Tom Waits (74), singer-songwriter Ron Hynes (73), former Bucks Fizz vocalist Mike Nolan (69), Psychedelic Furs bassist Tim Butler (65), ex-The Fall guitarist Craig Scanlon (63), former Juniper multi-instrumentalist Damien Rice (50), Muse drummer Dominic Howard (46), ex-Kumbia Kings singer Frankie J (45), and Sara Bareilles (44). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for trumpeter & singer Louis Prima, born on this day in 1910... for fiddler Jean Carignan, born in 1916... for Harry Chapin, who would have been 81 today... for Aaron Carter, who would would have been 36... for Dr. Peter Carl Goldmark, inventor of the microgroove LP vinyl record, who died on this date in 1977... for punk rocker Darby Crash, who took his own life today in 1980 at the age of 22... and for country singer Jerry Scoggins, who left us today in 2004. 

Also on December 7: The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden opens (1732)... Thelonious Monk completes the sessions for his Brilliant Corner album, his first in the Riverside label to contain his own compositions (1956)... The Beatles second album 'With The Beatles' starts a 21-week run at № 1 on the UK album chart. It replaces their first album 'Please Please me' which has been at the top of the charts since its release 30 weeks previously. Also today, all four Beatles appeared on BBC TV's 'Juke Box Jury'. Some of the songs group judge are ‘Kiss Me Quick’ by Elvis Presley, ‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’ by the Swinging Blue Jeans. ‘Did You Have a Happy Birthday’ by Paul Anka and ‘Where Have You Been All My Life’ by Gene Vincent... In America, Jeanine Deckers, AKA The Singing Nun, is at № 1 with 'Dominique' (1963)... Brian Wilson marries Marilyn Rovell in Los Angeles... In Britain, Jerry Lee Lewis ~ on his first tour of the country ~ plays the Town Hall in Birmingham with the Yardbirds as his opening act (1964)... Otis Redding goes into the studio to record '(Sittin' on) The Dock Of The Bay'. The song goes on to be his biggest hit. Redding wrote the first verse of the song, under the abbreviated title 'Dock of the Bay', on a houseboat at Waldo Point in Sausalito, California, a short time after his appearance at the Monterey Pop festival. [Redding's familiar whistling heard before the song's fade was the singer fooling around ~ he had intended to return to the studio at a later date to add words in place of the whistling. When he was killed in a plane crash three days later, the single was mixed as it was and rushed into pressing]... In London, the Beatles' Apple boutique at 94 Baker Street W1 opens its doors (1967)... Paul McCartney & Wings release their debut album Wild Life (1971)... One-hit wonder Carl Douglas starts a two week run at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Kung Fu Fighting'. The song, which was recorded in 10 minutes, went on to sell over 10 million copies (1974)... Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged EP becomes the first Sony MiniDisc to be released in the US (1992)... Aretha Franklin's 'Christmas Extravaganza' concert at the Detroit church where her father was once pastor leaves hundreds of fans out in the cold, literally. The New Bethel Baptist Church sold 2,500 tickets but the church's benches and pews can only accommodate 1,500. The church will apologize for the snafu and issue refunds to those who were denied entrance (1996)... At the Children's Television Workshop studios in NYC, B.B. King performs with Elmo and Big Bird for an episode of Sesame Street (2000)... James Brown and Loretta Lynn receive lifetime achievement awards in a ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC (2003)... The MBE medal that John Lennon returned to the Queen is found in a royal vault at St James' Palace. Lennon sent back the decoration in November, 1969 with an accompanying letter  saying, 'Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With Love, John Lennon'. Historians call for the medal to be put on public display (2005).

December 6th

 Musical birthdays today include British National Youth Jazz Orchestra director Bill Ashton (87), former Bread frontman Robb Royer (81), Maze frontman Frankie Beverley (77), jazz bassist & Weather Report founding member Miroslav Vitouš (76), former Jam drummer Rick Buckler (68), ex-R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck (67), ex-Pixies drummer David Lovering (62), Everything but the Girl guitarist Ben Watt (61), and Ace of Base keyboardist Ulf Ekberg (53). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for lyricist Ira Gershwin, born on this day in 1896... for Dave Brubeck, born in 1920... for composer Henryk Górecki, who would have been 90... for Dave Clark Five lead singer Mike Smith, who would have been 80... for heavy metal guitarist Randy Rhoads, who would have been 67... for The Sound lead singer Adrian Borland, who would have been 65... for Lead Belly, who died on this date in 1949... for Roy Orbison, who passed away in 1988... for  Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton and for Greg Lake, both of whom left us five years ago today.

Also on December 6: Berlioz's opera La Damnation de Faust premieres at the Opéra-Comique in Paris (1846)... John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best meet again with Brian Epstein to continue discussions about his proposal to manage them. Epstein wants 25% of their gross fees each week. He promises that their bookings will be better organised, more prestigious, and will expand beyond the Liverpool area. He also promises that they will never again play for less than £15, except for Cavern lunchtime sessions, for which he will get their fee doubled to ten pounds. Lennon, as leader of The Beatles, accepts on their behalf (1961)...  During sessions for what will become the 'Freewheelin’ album, Bob Dylan records 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' and versions of 'Hero Blues', 'Whatcha Gonna Do', 'Oxford Town', and 'I Shall Be Free' at Columbia Recording Studio A in NYC (1962)... The Beatles record their first Christmas record for their fan club (1963)... The Rolling Stones record '19th Nervous Breakdown' and 'Mother's Little Helper' at RCA's Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles... The Byrds release the album Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965)... James Taylor releases his eponymous debut album (1968)... Led Zeppelin make their debut on the US singles chart with 'Whole Lotta Love'; it will rise as high as № 4, the first of six Top 40 stateside singles for the group. During the band's career, Zeppelin never release any singles in the UK... The Rolling Stones play a free festival at Altamont, CA, along with  Jefferson Airplane, Santana, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. As the Stones play, 18-year-old fan Meredith Hunter is stabbed to death  by Hell's Angels hired to provide security at the event. Some reports claim that Hunter was waving a revolver. One other man drowned, two men were killed in a hit-and run accident, and two babies were born (1969)... While reading the morning newspaper in Nice, Keith Richards is surprised to learn that arrest warrants have been issued by  the French police for him and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg for drug possession (1972)... Paul Simon goes to № 1 with Still Crazy after All These Years, his first solo LP to top the US album chart... The Reverend Charles Boykin of Tallahassee, FL organizes a bonfire of Elton John and Rolling Stones records, claiming they are sinful. Boykin says that he is reacting to the results of a survey showing that 984 of 1,000 local unmarried mothers had sex when listening to rock music (1975)... Jackson Browne releases Running on Empty (1977)... Sex Pistol Sid Vicious smashes a glass in the face of Patti Smith's brother Todd during an altercation at NYC club Hurrah (1978)... In the studio, John Lennon mixes 'Walking on Thin Ice' and also takes time for an interview with British DJ Andy Peebles. Meanwhile, Mark David Chapman arrives in NYC (1980)... Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are  № 1 on the Billboard single chart with 'Say Say Say' (1983)... Jackson collapses and is treated for dehydration while rehearsing for the HBO special 'Michael Jackson: One Night Only' at the Beacon Theater in New York (1995)... Elvis Costello marries Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John's mansion outside of London (2003).

December 5th

 

Musical birthdays today include Jim Messina (76), ex-Foreigner bassist Rick Wills (76), Great White lead singer Jack Russell (63), Skinny Puppy keyboardist Nivek Ogre (61), country singer Ty England (60), Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik (58), French chanteuse Patricia Kaas (57), country singer Gary Allan (56), and jazz trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf (43).  

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Władysław Szpilman [the subject of Roman Polanski's film 'The Pianist'], born on this day in 1911... For Sonny Boy Williamson II, born in 1912... for Little Richard, who would have been 89 today... for J.J. Cale, and for Motown songwriter & producer Frank Wilson, both of whom would have been 84... for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who died on this date in 1791... for original Gin Blossoms lead guitarist Doug Hopkins, who took his own life at the age of 32 today in  1993... for avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, who passed away in 2007... and for Dave Brubeck, who left us today in 2012.

Also on December 5:  In Karlsruhe, Germany, Berlioz's opera Les Troyens is performed in its entirety for the first time, 21 years after the composer's death (1890)... The Beatles play their last ever show in their hometown when they appear at the Liverpool Empire during the group's final UK tour. Only 5,100 tickets were available to the 40,000 applicants for tickets. The group also has the UK № 1 single with 'We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper' (1965)... Buffalo Springfield release their eponymous debut album (1966)... The Rolling Stones release Beggar's Banquet. An ailing Keith Richards will miss the album's Connaught Hotel launch party, during which a custard pie fight breaks out (1968)... Judy Collins' version of the hymn 'Amazing Grace' enters the UK singles chart for the first of eight times; it will spend a total of 67 weeks on the chart without ever reaching the № 1 position (1970)... Paul McCartney & Wings release Band on the Run (1973)... A New Musical Express review says of the Sex Pistols debut single 'Anarchy In The UK' that 'Johnny Rotten sings flat, the song is laughably naive, and the overall feeling is of a third-rate Who imitation' (1976)... Belinda Carlisle is at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Heaven in a Place on Earth' (1987)... U2 top the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic with How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)... Phish play the final show of their US fall tour at the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena. As the band's first set opens, a fully nude male fan runs on stage, hugs guitarist Trey Anastasio and kisses him on the cheek. He then completes three laps around the stage before finally being tackled by security (2009)... After spending 45 weeks in the top 10 of the UK album charts, Adele’s second collection, 21, becomes the biggest selling LP in Britain this century, surpassing the late Amy Winehouse’s 2006 LP Back to Black (2009).

December 4th

 Musical birthdays today include operatic soprano Yvonne Minton (85), early rock 'n roll singer Freddy Cannon (84), original Byrds bassist Chris Hillman (79), Anna McGarrigle (79), Pogues guitarist Terry Woods (76), Gary Rossington (72), jazz singer Cassandra Wilson (68), Black Crowes bassist Andy Hess (57), Jay-Z (54), singer-songwriter Kate Rusby (50), and rapper Big Pokey (46).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for singer-actress Deanna Durbin, born on this day in 1921... for  jazz guitarist Jim Hall, born in 1930... for Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, who would have been 79... for Bert 'The Cowardly Lion' Lahr, who died on this date in 1967... for composer Benjamin Britten, who passed away in 1976... and for Frank Zappa, who left us today in 1993.

Also on December 4: In NYC, Nellie Melba makes her debut with the Met in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (1893)... 
The 'Million Dollar Quartet' session with Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash takes place at Sun Studios in Memphis (1956)... The Beatles make their London TV debut on the BBC programme 'Tuesday Rendezvous' (1962)... The Byrds hit № 1 on the US singles chart with Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965)... Led Zeppelin have the № 1 album  in the UK with their fourth [and officially untitled] LP, while Sly & the Family Stone are tops in the US with their single 'Family Affair'... In Montreux, Switzerland, the casino fire immortalized by Deep Purple in the song 'Smoke on the Water' occurs (1971)... Workers at London's EMI distribution centre stage a walkout strike rather than package the Sex Pistols single 'Anarchy in the UK' (1976)... U2 make a decidedly inauspicious London debut. Billed as 'The U2s' at the Hope & Anchor pub in Islington, they play before 9 patrons before being forced to abandon the show when the Edge breaks a guitar string (1979)... Prince opens his 'Dirty Minds' tour in Buffalo, NY. Told by arena management that he cannot wear Spandex pants without underwear, the singer adopts what will become his signature look of a long trench coat, black high-heeled boots and leggings, and bikini briefs... In London, Led Zeppelin formally announce their decision to disband following the death of John Bonham (1980)... The Jam score their final UK № 1 single with 'Beat Surrender' (1983)... Madonna files for divorce from Sean Penn (1987)... In Cleveland, OH, Roy Orbison plays what will turn out to be his final concert (1988)... In the 'Better late than never' department, Van Halen play a free concert in Dallas to make up for a show in the city on the band's 1988 tour during which lead singer Sammy Hagar lost his voice mid-set (1991)... Courtney Love takes  break from rehab, playing an impromptu set with local band Let's Go Sailing at a Los Angeles club (2003).

December 3rd

 

Musical birthdays today include English folk guitarist & singer Ralph McTell (79), Ozzy Osbourne (75), Jefferson Starship vocalist Mickey Thomas (73), .38 Special guitarist & lead singer Don Barnes (72), Gentlemans Pistols guitarist Bill  Steer (54), Polkadot Cadaver frontman Todd Smith (46), and Napster co-founder Sean Parker (44). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for violin maker Nicolo Amati, born on this day in 1596... for composer Anton Webern, born in 1883... for  operatic soprano Phyllis Curtin, born in 1921... for country singer Ferlin Husky, born in 1925... for Andy Williams, born in 1927... for boogie-woogie pianist Charlie 'Cow Cow' Davenport, who died on this date in 1955... and for former Velvet Teen drummer Logan Whitehurst, who left us today in 2006 at the age of 29 as the result of a brain tumour.

Also on December 3: With the composer at the piano, George Gershwin's Concerto in F premieres at Carnegie Hall, Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Symphony Society orchestra (1925)... Elvis Presley's first release on RCA Victor Records is announced. The first two songs. ‘Mystery Train’ and ‘I Forgot to Remember to Forget’ were purchased from Sam Phillips of Sun Records (1955)... Camelot premieres on Broadway (1960)... Brian Epstein invites The Beatles into his office to discuss the possibility of becoming their manager. John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best arrive late for the 4 pm meeting (they had been drinking at the Grapes Pub in Matthew Street), but Paul McCartney is not with them, because, as Harrison explains, "He's just got up and he's taking a bath" (1961)... On the same day that Rubber Soul is released, The Beatles set out on what will be their final UK tour at Glasgow's Odeon Cinema... The Who release their debut studio album My Generation (1965)... The Rolling Stones record 'Brown Sugar' at Muscle Shoals Studios. The single goes on to be a UK & US № 1 (1969)... An attempt is made on Bob Marley's life when seven gunmen burst into his Kingston home. Marley is shot twice, and his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor are wounded as well, but all will recover. The attack was believed to be politically motivated... In the UK, an estimated three and a half million people apply for Abba's forthcoming Royal Albert Hall concerts ~ there are just over 11 thousand tickets available (1976)... Wings start a nine-week run at № 1 in the UK with 'Mull Of Kintyre'. The first single to sell over 2 million copies in the UK, it was co-written by Denny Laine, who will sell his rights to the song when he declares bankruptcy in 1983 (1977)... A concert by The Who ~ on tour for the first time since the death of Keith Moon ~ at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, turns to disaster when 11 members of the audience are trampled to death after a stampede to claim unreserved seats, another 26 fans being injured. The concert was using a 'festival seating' scheme whereby seats were available on a first come-first served basis. When the waiting fans outside the Coliseum heard the band performing a late sound check, they thought that the concert was beginning and tried to rush in by the still-closed doors (1979)... Bob Dylan releases Real Live, a partial record of his summer European tour (1984)... Bono has his missing laptop computer returned after losing it. A young man had bought it for £300 and discovered he had the missing computer, which contained tracks from the forthcoming U2 album (1999)... At a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, Diana Ross and Brian Wilson both receive awards for their contributions to American culture. President and Mrs. Bush are in attendance. (2007). 

December 2nd

 Musical birthdays today include Manfred Mann guitarist Tom McGuinness (82), jazz guitarist Tonino Horta (75), session keyboardist & producer Rob Mounsley (71), Def Leppard bassist Rick Savage (63), Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel (55), Nelly Furtado (45), and Britney Spears (42). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Maria Callas, born on this day in 1923... for Miles Davis sideman Wynton Kelly [pianist on Kind of Blue], born in 1931... for Hanoi Rocks drummer Nick 'Razzle' Dingley, who would have been 63... for Aaron Copland, who died on this date in 1990... for former Shocking Blue lead singer Mariska Veres, who passed away in 2006... and for Odetta, who left us today in 2008.

Also on December 2: Saint-Saëns' opera Samson et Dalila premieres in Weimar (1877)... The Monkees album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd goes to № 1 on the US album chart. It is their fourth LP to sell over a million copies, following The Monkees, More Of The Monkees and Headquarters (1967)... George Harrison's Wonderwall Music appears in shops. It is the first official solo album by one of the Beatles, as well as Apple Records' first LP release... Cindy Birdsong of the Supremes is kidnapped at knifepoint by a maintenance man employed by the building she lives in. She later escapes unharmed by jumping out of his car on the San Diego freeway. The kidnapper will be arrested in Las Vegas four days later (1968)... Queen release A Night at the Opera in the US (1975)... The first day of the photo shoot for the cover of Pink Floyd's forthcoming album Animals takes place at Battersea Power Station in London with a giant inflatable pig lashed between two of the structure's tall towers. A trained marksman is standing by ready to fire if the floating swine escapes, but will not be needed on this, the first day. The following day, unfortunately, the marksman had not been rebooked, so when the inflatable breaks free from its moorings, it is able to float away, eventually landing in Kent where it is recovered by a local farmer, reportedly furious that it "scared the devil out of my cows" (1976)...  Rod Stewart is at № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy'. A plagiarism lawsuit brought by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben alleging that the song had been derived from his composition 'Taj Mahal' will be upheld, and Stewart agrees to donate all his royalties from the song to the United Nations Children's Fund (1978)...  Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand's ‘You Don't Bring Me Flowers’ hits № 1 on the US singles chart. A Chicago radio station engineer had spliced Neil's version together with Barbra's and got such a good response that the station added it to their playlist. When Diamond was told about it, he approached Streisand to re-record the song as a duet, and she agreed. Within weeks of its release, the single went to the top in America and № 5 in Britain (1979)... MTV airs the full 14-minute version of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video for the first time. Now regarded as the one of the most influential pop music videos of all time, the video was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress  in 2009, the first music video to ever receive this honour, for being 'culturally, historically or aesthetically significant' (1983)... Jerry Lee Lewis checks into the Betty Ford Clinic to be treated for an addiction to painkillers (1986)... The new edition of the Guinness Book of World Records confirms that the Swedish band Ace of Base have set a new mark for the biggest selling debut album in history, with 19 million copies sold worldwide to date (1995)... The Smashing Pumpkins play their final concert when they appear at the Metro Club in Chicago (2000)... 25 year old singer/actress Beyoncé Knowles signs a contract for more money than any other black actress in history to perform in her latest film 'Dreamgirls'. The musical based on the history of Diana Ross and the Supremes will earn the singer an $8.2 million fee (2006)... Led Zeppelin are given an award by President Obama for their significant contribution to American culture and the arts. Dressed in black suits and bow ties, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page are among a group of artists who receive Kennedy Center Honours at a dinner event at the White House. In his tribute to the band, Mr Obama says: "When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham burst onto the musical scene in the late 1960s, the world never saw it coming". The President draws laughter from guests when he thanks the former band members for behaving themselves at the White House given their history of "hotel rooms being trashed and mayhem all around" (2012).

December 1st

 

Musical birthdays today include session drummer Sandy Nelson (85), Doors drummer John Densmore (79), Blue Öyster Cult guitarist & lead singer Eric Bloom (79), Bette Midler (78), Gilbert O'Sullivan (77), Megadeath guitarist Chris Poland (66), former Medway Poets guitarist Billy Childish (64), singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton (59), Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore (50), Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson (46), and Janelle Monáe (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for saxophonist & Cecil Taylor sideman Jimmy Lyons, born on this day in 1931... for Lou Rawls, who would have been 90 today... for soul singer Billy 'Me and Mrs. Jones' Paul , who would have been 89... for chansonnier Alain Bashung, who would have been 76... for fusion bassist Jaco Pastorious, who would have been 72... for Vesta Williams, who would have been 66... and for jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, who left us today in 1997. 

Also on December 1: Franz Liszt makes his concert debut at the age of 11 in Vienna (1822)... Buddy Holly and the Crickets appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing 'That'll Be The Day' and 'Peggy Sue'. Sam Cooke is also a guest, performing 'You Send Me' (1957)... 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' is released as The Beatles first single in America (1963)...  The Who play the first of 22 consecutive Tuesday night gigs at The Marquee Club in London, the band receiving £50 for each gig... Also in London, Ringo Starr is booked into University College Hospital for a tonsillectomy (1964)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience release Axis: Bold as Love (1967)... The Carpenters are at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Top of the World' (1973)... The Sex Pistols appear on ITV's live early evening 'Today' show (in place of Queen, who had to withdraw when Freddie Mercury hd a dental emergency). Prodded by interviewer Bill Grundy who asks the band to say something outrageous, guitarist Steve Jones says: "You dirty bastard... You dirty fucker...  What a fucking rotter!" (1976)... Talking Heads play the Hammersmith Palais, London, with U2 as their opening act (1980)...  Neil Young is sued by David Geffen because his new music for the label has been ‘not commercial in nature and musically uncharacteristic of his previous albums’. His latest album Everybody's Rockin' features a selection of rockabilly songs (both covers and original material) which runs for just 25 minutes, the shortest album of Young's career (1983)... A Lexington, KY teacher loses her appeal in the US Supreme Court over her firing after showing the film 'Pink Floyd's The Wall' to her class. The court decided that the film was not suitable for minors, given its frequent use of bad language and sexual content (1987)... Kenny G sets a new world record when he holds a note on a saxophone for 45 minutes and 47 seconds using a technique that allows him to blow and breathe at the same time (1997)... An Oasis fan enjoys "the best day of his life" when Noel Gallagher pops round to his house in Poynton, Cheshire to play an intimate solo gig. Ben Hayes won a BBC Radio 1 competition to have the star play in his front room as part of a week of gigs with DJ Jo Whiley as compere. 15 people packed into his lounge for the show, with his mum on hand making cups of tea for the crew (2006).