THIS DAY IN HISTORY OF MUSIC
THIS DAY IN HISTORY OF MUSIC
JANUARY 17
BIRTHS
1913: Vido Musso
1920: George Handy
1927: Eartha Kitt
1943: Chris Montez
1944: Françoise Hardy
1945: William Hart (The Delfonics)
1948: Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones)
DEATHS
1970: Billy Stewart
1982: Tommy Tucker
EVENTS
1967: London's Daily Mail newspaper carries an article about potholes in Blackburn, Lancashire. It was this article that inspired the line John Lennon wrote in "A Day In The Life."
1971: Marvin Gaye performs the national anthem at Superbowl V in Miami, FL.
1972: Highway 51 South in Memphis, TN is renamed "Elvis Presley Blvd."
1974: Singer Dino Martin (not to be confused with his more famous father, Dean) is arrested on suspicion of possession and sale of firearms. He was arraigned and released the next day on $5,000 bail.
1979: Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton announce their intention to record what would be known as the Trio album together. It would be eight years before the recording was made, however.
1986: Olivia Newton-John gives birth to her daughter Chloe.
1990: The Fifth Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include Hank Ballard, Bobby Darin, The Four Seasons, The Four Tops, The Kinks, The Platters, Simon and Garfunkel, and The Who.
1993: President William Jefferson Clinton's Inauguration ceremonies feature a free outdoor concert at which Aretha Franklin, Michael Bolton, Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, and Diana Ross (among others) perform.
1994: Donny Osmond of the Osmonds and Danny Bonaduce of the Partridge Family appear in a three-round charity boxing match. The fight was created after Osmond taunted Bonaduce at the gym they both frequented. Bonaduce won the split decision.
1996: The Eleventh Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include David Bowie, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Jefferson Airplane, Little Willie John, Pink Floyd, The Shirelles, and The Velvet Underground.
RELEASES
1969: Elton John, "Lady Samantha"
1969: Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin
RECORDING
1941: Gene Krupa, "Drum Boogie"
1965: The Rolling Stones: "The Last Time," "Play with Fire"
1967: The Beatles, "Penny Lane"
1968: Elvis Presley, "U.S. Male"
1970: The Doors, Absolutely Live
CHARTS
1976: Barry Manilow's "I Write the Songs" hits #1
1976: Earth, Wind and Fire's album Gratitude hits #1
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EVENTS
1969 - Beatles release Yellow Submarine album in UK
1969 - Debut album of Led Zeppelin released in US
1974 - Styne, Comdem & Green's musical "Lorelei," premieres in NYC
1983 - 10th American Music Award: Kenny Rogers
BIRTHS
1517 - Antonio Scandello, Italian composer (Passion of Johannes)
1545 - Antonio Pace, composer
1574 - Robert Fludd, composer
1659 - Antonio Veracini, composer
1712 - John Stanley, composer
1719 - Jean-Joseph Vade, composer
1728 - Johann Gottfried Muthel, composer
1733 - Thomas Linley, composer
1734 - Francois-Joseph Gossec, Belgian-French composer (Les Pêcheurs, Mirza)
1745 - Nicolas Roze, composer
1769 - Ole Andreas Lindeman, composer
1828 - Eduard Remenyi, Hungarian violinist (d. 1898)
1835 - Johan Filip von Schantz, composer
1836 - Jose Silvestre de los Dolores White Lafitte, composer
1850 - Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev, St Petersburg Russia, composer
1857 - Wilhelm Kienzl, Austrian composer (Evangelimann)
1863 - Henry Charles Tonking, composer
1873 - Francois Rasse, composer
1877 - Hans Jelmoli, composer
1896 - Harry Reser, Ohio, orchestra leader (Sammy Kaye Show)
1901 - Vasily Petrovich Shirinsky, composer
1907 - Henk H Badings, Bandung Indonesia, Dutch opera composer (Orestes)
1911 - Hermann Pfrogner, Austria, musicologist (Zerrissene Orpheus)
1912 - Orest Alexandrovich Evlahkov, composer
1916 - Joel Herron, Chicago Ill, orchestra leader (Jaye P Morgan Show)
1917 - Oskar Morawetz, Svetla Czechoslovakia, composer
1917 - Ulyses Simpson Kay, composer
1920 - Joseph George Handy Hendleman, musician
1925 - Annie Delorie, Dutch opera singer (Scenes & Arias)
1927 - Donald Erb, Youngstown, Ohio, composer
1927 - Eartha Kitt, singer/actress (Catwoman-Batman)
1928 - Jean Barraqué, French composer (d. 1973)
1930 - Robert Ceely, composer
1931 - Frederick Alfred Fox, composer
1933 - Dalida, Cairo, actress/singer, Miss Egypt (The 6th Day)
1934 - Sydney Phillip Hodkinson, composer
1941 - Dame Gillian Weir, New Zealand organist
1942 - Ulf Hoelscher, German violinist
1943 - Chris Montez, rocker
1944 - Françoise Hardy, French singer
1945 - William Hart, US singer (4 Gents, Delfonics-I'm Sorry)
1945 - Javed Akhtar, Indian lyricist, poet and scriptwriter
1947 - Ulysses Dove, dancer/choreographer
1948 - Mick Taylor, rock bassist (Rolling Stones-Brown Sugar)
1948 - Anne Queffélec, French pianist
1952 - Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jap, rocker (Academy Award 1988, Yellow Magic Orch)
1953 - Sheila Hutchinson, rocker
1955 - Steve Earle, San Antonio Tx, country singer (Guitar Town)
1956 - Paul Young, rock vocalist/keyboardist (Every Time You Go Away)
1958 - Jez Strode, rocker (Kajagoogoo)
1959 - Susanna Hoffs, actress/rocker (Bangles-Walk Like an Egyptian)
1959 - Momoe Yamaguchi, Japanese singer and actress
1963 - Kai Hansen, German singer and guitarist (Gamma Ray)
1966 - Rexton Gordon, Jamaican dj/rapper (Shabba Ranks-Extra Naked)
1966 - Shabba Ranks, reggae singer
1971 - Kid Rock, American singer
1971 - Leonardo Ciampa, Italian-American musician
1972 - Ken Hirai, Japanese singer and songwriter
1974 - Vesko Kountchev, Bulgarian musician
1975 - Tom Jenkinson, English musician (Squarepusher)
1975 - Rami Yacoub, Swedish songwriter/producer
1980 - Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Ukrainian ballroom dancer
1981 - Ray J, singer
1981 - Ray J, American R&B singer
1982 - Amanda Wilkinson, Canadian singer
1982 - Alex Varkatzas, American Singer (Atreyu)
1983 - Julie Budet, French Electronic-Pop Musician
1985 - Simone Simons, Dutch singer (Epica)
1985 - Riyu Kosaka, Japanese singer BeForU
1985 - Kang-In, South Korean singer/dancer/actor/MC/DJ(Super Junior)
DEATHS
1103 - Frutolf, German monk/musicologist/historian, dies
1604 - Santino Garsi, composer, dies at 61
1625 - Nicolo Rubini, composer, dies at 50
1676 - Pier Francesco Cavalli, Italian opera composer, dies at 73
1738 - Jean-Francois Dandrieu, composer, dies
1750 - Tomaso Albinioni, Italian composer (Adagio in G Minor), dies at 78
1788 - Alessio Prati, composer, dies at 37
1826 - Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, Spanish composer (b. 1806)
1856 - Thomas Attwood Walmisley, composer, dies at 41
1869 - Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky, composer, dies at 55
1890 - Salomon Sulzer, composer, dies at 85
1891 - Johannes Josephus Hermanus Verhulst, composer, dies at 74
1892 - Alexandre Levy, composer, dies at 27
1913 - Carl Baermann, composer, dies at 73
1942 - Frederick Jerome Work, composer, dies at 61
1946 - Gottfried Rudinger, composer, dies at 59
1969 - Grazyna Bacewicz, composer, dies at 59
1970 - Billy Stewart, singer (I Do Love You), dies in auto-accident at 32
1972 - Betty Smith, American writer and singer (b. 1896)
1992 - Charlie Ventura, jazz sax (Bop for the people), dies at 75 of cancer
1994 - Noel Chiboust, trumpeter/sax, dies at 84
1996 - Robert Covington, drummer/singer, dies at 54
1996 - Mostafa Sid Ahmed, Sudanese singer (b. 1953)
2000 - Philip Jones, British trumpeter (b. 1928)
2003 - Balint Vazsonyi, Hingarian pianist (b. 1936)
2004 - Czeslaw Niemen, Polish musician (b. 1939)
2011 - Don Kirshner, American composer (b. 1934)
2012 - Johnny Otis, R&B musician and talent scout, known as the godfather of rhythm and blues, dies at 90.
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EVENTS
1953, American jazz singer Kay Starr (Katherine Starks) was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Comes A Long A Love'. Starr was born on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma; her father was a full-blooded American Indian and her mother Irish.
1963, The Velvets appeared at The Marquee Club, London with the Cyril Davies All Stars. Bottom of the bill, The Rolling Stones. Tickets cost 4 shillings, ($0.56).
1963, The Beatles played at the Cavern Club at lunchtime and in the evening played at the Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead. At the Majestic, every ticket had been sold in advance, leaving 500 disappointed fans waiting outside.
1964, The Rolling Stones released their first EP, which included, ‘You Better Move On’, ‘Poison Ivy’, ‘Bye Bye Johnny’ and ‘Money’. It peaked at No.15 on the UK chart.
1966, NBC-TV in the US bought The Monkees series, placing it on their 1966 autumn schedule.
Read the full story:
Daydream Believers
In September 1965, The Hollywood Reporter ran the following advertisement: "Madness folk & roll musicians, singers wanted for acting roles in new TV show. Parts for 4 insane boys." The Monkees were born.
These were the days when the seeds of Pop Idol and X Factor had yet to germinate in the mind of a five-year-old Simon Fuller.
So, where did these four cheeky, floppy-haired wannabes come from?
Englishman Davy Jones was a former jockey who had achieved some initial success on the musical stage (in 1964, Jones appeared with the cast of Oliver! on The Ed Sullivan Show the night of the Beatles' live American debut).
Texan Michael Nesmith had served a brief stint in the US Air Force and had also recorded for Colpix under the name Michael Blessing. Nesmith was the only one of The Monkees who had come in based on seeing the trade magazine ad. He showed up to the audition with his laundry.
Micky Dolenz, son of screen actor George M. Dolenz, Sr., had prior screen experience (under the name Mickey Braddock) as the 10-year-old star of the Circus Boy series in the 1950s.
Peter Tork was recommended to producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider by friend Stephen Stills at his own audition. Tork, a skilled multi-instrumentalist, had performed at various Greenwich Village folk clubs before moving west, where he was a dishwasher before becoming a Monkee.
The Monkees story began in 1965, when Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, a pair of producers, came up with an idea for a television series about a rock group. Inspired by Richard Lester's groundbreaking comedies with the Beatles, A Hard Day's Night and Help!, Rafelson and Schneider imagined a situation comedy in which a four-piece band had wacky adventures every week and occasionally burst into song.
The NBC television network liked the idea, and production began on The Monkees in early 1966. Don Kirshner, a music business veteran, was appointed music coordinator for the series, and Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, a producing and songwriting team, signed on to handle much of the day-to-day chores of creating music for the show's fictive band.
Avant-garde film techniques—such as improvisation, quick cuts, jump cuts—helped win the show two Emmy awards in 1967 and propelled its four stars to pop stardom. John Lennon called them "the Marx Brothers of rock", but in 1967, The Monkees outsold both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined, and went on to sell 50 million records.
The show also saw heavy cross-promotion and product placement, with prominent promotion of sponsors such as Gretsch (for musical instruments), Kellogg's breakfast cereals, and Yardley's shaving supplies. The series was sponsored on alternate weeks by Kellogg's Cereals and Yardley of London.
1967, The Daily Mail ran the story about a local council survey finding 4,000 holes in the road in Lancashire inspiring John Lennon's contribution to The Beatles song 'A Day In The Life'.
1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded a session for Radio Luxembourg's Ready Steady Radio. The band ran up a bar bill of £2.5 shillings, ($6.21), which they were unable to pay.
1969, Led Zeppelin I, the band's debut album, was released in the US, coinciding with the band's first headlining US concert tour. It was to peak at No. 10 in the US chart, and at No. 6 in the UK. The RIAA in the US has now certified it as having sold over 10 million copies in the US alone.
Read the full story
Led Zeppelin I
Led Zeppelin I, the band's debut album, was released in the US, on 17 January 1969, coinciding with the band's first headlining US concert tour. It was to peak at No.10 on the US chart, and at No.6 in the UK. The RIAA in the US has now certified it as having sold over 10 million copies in the US alone.
Recorded in October 1968 at Olympic Studios in London, the album was released via Atlantic Records on 12 January 1969. In a 1990 interview, Jimmy Page said that the album took only about 36 hours of studio time to create, including mixing, spread over some weeks. The song list was based on the band's live set, which itself included some numbers that Page had featured in The Yardbirds, reworked with the new entity. The album was produced by Jimmy Page, as would be all future Zeppelin albums, and engineered by Glyn Johns, who worked at Olympic a great deal and was to be associated with many of the biggest artists of all time, including The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Faces, Eric Clapton, and Eagles.
To help publicise the band in America before their debut tour, the band's manager Peter Grant sent white label advance copies of the album to key FM radio stations. Zeppelin initially played as the support act for bands such as Iron Butterfly and Vanilla Fudge (both of which were also signed to Atlantic Records) and Country Joe & the Fish. However, as the tour progressed, it became apparent that Led Zeppelin was easily outshining the headline acts, continually blowing them off stage!
This 35-date tour saw Zeppelin play in key areas, including four nights at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, another four nights at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, and a four-night run at the Boston Tea Party in Boston as well as shows in Detroit, Denver, Miami, and New York City.
Everything anyone needs to know about Led Zeppelin is apparent in the opening track, "Good Times, Bad Times" — thunderous drums, tight riffing, a wild vocal, and a bluesy guitar solo. The album also featured "Dazed and Confused", which became a centrepiece for the group during live performances, and was included in the set until 1975. "Dazed and Confused" featured Jimmy Page playing guitar with a violin bow, an idea that supposedly came from leading classical violinist David McCallum, who Page had met playing music sessions.
The album features another classic, "Communication Breakdown". Led Zeppelin make "Communication Breakdown" sound so easy that it makes the subsequent tsunami of lesser bands specialising in hard rock riffing more understandable. But it's not just the 2:30 concentrated sonic barrage that makes the recording so classic — it's the interplay between the group members, the trademark Zeppelin light and shade, the openness of the sound, and Robert Plant's banshee wail. Page launches an assault with his manic guitar solo, and the whole thing fades out with massed backing vocals chanting the chorus. It simply couldn't be any better.
The album closes with "How Many More Times"; at eight and a half minutes, it's the longest song on the album, and comprises various different sections, which Jimmy Page had developed in his time with the Yardbirds.
If you consider that the UK number one singles in the autumn of 1968 included Mary Hopkin and Hugo Montenegro, it gives some idea of the alternative that Zeppelin offered, one that was gratefully received by concert goers. They wouldn't be hearing much of Zeppelin on UK radio, but the band were to travel the breadth of the country, offering their phenomenally powerful show to anyone prepared to put them on, conquering Britain and the US in short order with drive, excitement, and most of all, musicianship.
Led Zeppelin I initially received negative reviews from the critics, which helped fuel an ongoing distrust of the press and various journalists within the Zeppelin camp. But they needn’t have worried; the fans voted with their hard earned cash. Zeppelin expert Dave Lewis noted that with the possible exception of the 12 hours that the Beatles took to record their first album at Abbey Road, rarely has studio time been used so economically. Led Zeppelin's debut album went on to gross more than £3.5 million, just short of 2,000 times more than they invested!
1970, The Doors played the first of four shows at the Felt Forum in New York City. The shows were recorded for the bands forthcoming 'Absolutely Live' album.
1972, A section of Bellevue Boulevard in Memphis was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard. The remaining length of road kept its original name after protests from the Bellevue Baptist Church.
1974, Dean Martin's son Dino Martin was arrested after attempting to sell two AK-47 machine guns to an undercover agent.
1975, Television and Blondie appeared at GBGB's, New York City.
1976, Barry Manilow scored his second US No.1 single with 'I Write The Songs', written by Beach Boy Bruce Johnson.
1981, Motley Crue formed when bass guitarist Nikki Sixx left the band London and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist, guitarist Greg Leon, (who later left). Sixx and Lee then added guitarist Bob "Mick Mars" Deal. Vince Neil accepted an offer to join (after turning them down) in April of this year.
1987, Kate Bush started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Whole Story'.
1994, Donny Osmond took part in a charity boxing match held in Chicago against former Partridge Family member Danny Bonaduce, Donny lost 2-1.
1998, All Saints scored their first UK No.1 single with 'Never Ever'. The track spent a total of twenty-four weeks on the UK chart and was the first of five No.1 singles for the London based girl group.
1998, Savage Garden started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Truly Madly Deeply'.
1999, Fatboy Slim started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'You've Come A Long Way Baby'.
2003, A long-lost recording featuring John Lennon and Mick Jagger was set to spark a biding war at a London auction. The acetate record was recorded in 1974 with Jagger singing the blues song 'Too Many Cooks' and Lennon playing guitar. The track had never been released because the two artists were both signed to different record companies.
2003, Singer Lou Rawls was arrested at Albuquerque Airport, New Mexico after an incident with his companion, Nina Inman. Officers reported that she and Rawls had been talking about their relationship when the conversation escalated into a shoving match resulting in Rawls being booked on one count of battery on a household member.
2008, The Police played the first nine dates in Australian and New Zealand at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, on their 152-date Reunion tour.
BIRTHS
1927, Born on this day, Eartha Kitt, US female singer, (1955 UK No.7 single 'Under The Bridges Of Paris,' 1989 UK No.32 single with Bronski Beat, 'Cha Cha Heels'). Kitt died from colon cancer on December 25 2008 at her Weston, Connecticut home at the age of 81.
1943, Born on this day, Chris Montez, UK singer, (1962 UK No.2 & US No.4 single 'Let's Dance').
1945, Born on this day, William Hart, vocals, The Delfonics, (1968 US No.4 & 1971 UK No.19 single 'La-La Means I Love You').
1948, Born on this day, Mick Taylor, guitar, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, joined The Rolling Stones, in 1969 (aged 20), left in 1974. (1971 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Brown Sugar'). Also worked with Bob Dylan, Mike Oldfield, Jack Bruce and Ron Wood.
1953, Born on this day, Sheila Hutchinson, vocals, The Emotions, (1977 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'Best Of My Love').
1954, Born on this day, Cheryl Bentyne, singer, Manhattan Transfer, (1977 UK No.1 'Chanson D'amour', 1981 US No.7 single 'Boy From New York City').
1955, Born on this day, Steve Earle, US singer, songwriter who had the 1988 UK No. 45 single 'Copperhead Road' and the Country and independent No.1 album 'Transcendental Blues'. Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Gretchen Peters, Shawn Colvin and Eddi Reader have all covered his songs.
1956, Born on this day, Paul Young, singer, (1983 UK No.1 single 'Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Home', 1985 US No.1 single 'Everytime You Go Away'. The Streetband, (1978 UK No.18 single 'Toast.' Also lead singer with 1980's Q-Tips a soul covers band.
1958, Born on this day, Jez Strode, bass, Kajagoogoo, (1983 UK No.1 single 'Too Shy').
1959, Born on this day, Susanna Hoffs, guitar vocals, The Bangles, (1986 UK No.2 single with Prince song 'Manic Monday', 1986 US No.1 single 'Walk Like An Egyptian').
1960, Born on this day, John Crawford, bass, keyboards, Berlin, (1986 UK & US No.1 single 'Take My Breath Away').
1961, Born on this day, Dave Collard, keyboards, Jo Boxers, (1983 UK No.3 single 'Boxer Beat').
1963, Born on this day, Andy Rourke, bass, The Smiths, (1984 UK No.10 single 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now', plus 15 other UK Top 40 singles).
1966, Born on this day, Shabba Ranks, singer, (1993 UK No.3 single 'Mr Loverman').
1971, Born on this day, Kid Rock, (Robert James Ritchie), American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper who had the 2000 US #2 album 'History Of Rock' and the 2007 US #1 album 'Rock N Roll Jesus' which featured the hit 'All Summer Long' charting at #1 in eight countries.
1971, Born on this day, Jon Wysocki, drummer, Staind, (2001 US No.1 album, 'Break The Cycle', 2001 US No. 7 & UK No. 15 single 'It's Been A While', 2005 US No.1 album' Chapter V').
1978, Born on this day, Ricky Wilson, vocals, Kaiser Chiefs, (2005 UK No.3 album 'Employment', 2005 UK No.6 single 'Oh My God', 2007 UK No.1 single 'Ruby').
1984, Born on this day, Calvin Harris, singer-songwriter and producer. Has written and produced records for Kylie Minogue and Dizzee Rascal. Had the 2009 UK No.1 single 'I'm Not Alone.'
DEATHS
1970, R&B singer Billy Stewart and three of his band were killed when the car they're traveling in crashed off a bridge. Had the 1966 US No.10 single 'Summertime'.
1982, Tommy Tucker died, aged 48, after being overcome by poisonous fumes while he was renovating the floors of his New York City home. Tucker wrote the 1964 US No.11 hit 'Hi Heel Sneakers'.