ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

1955 - Perez Prado

Perez Prado was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White'. Known as the 'King of the Mambo' the instrumental was the theme from the film 'Underwater' where Jane Russell can be seen dancing to 'Cherry Pink'.

1961 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan appeared on Harry Belafonte's album 'The Midnight Special' playing harmonica on the title track. Dylan was paid a $50 session fee for this his first ever recording.

1965 - Wayne Fontana

Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Game Of Love', a No.2 hit in the UK. Wayne took his name from DJ Fontana the Elvis Presley drummer. Eric Stewart guitarist in the Mindbenders went on join Hotlegs and 10CC.

I loved Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders and followed Eric through to 10cc as his guitar work made us sit up and take notice from this classic pop song to 'Groovy Kind of Love' sung by Eric and notably by then the band had become The Mindbenders with Wayne leaving. 

He [Jimmy Page]was doing a lot of studio work and one day I asked him if I could have a noodle on his black Les Paul. He said I could even play it on the record! And that was “Game of Love,” the first Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders hit. Playing Jimmy’s guitar inspired me further to be experimental. I wish I had written that one! – Eric Stewart

1975 - Peter Ham

Peter Ham, British singer, songwriter with Badfinger committed suicide by hanging himself in the garage of his Surrey home, aged 27. Ham co-wrote 'Without You', with band mate Tom Evans (who also later committed suicide). The song won an Ivor Novello award for Song Of The Year in 1973, and was a hit for Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey. Ham was a founder member of The Iveys, who became Badfinger, were signed to the Beatles' Apple label, their first hit 'Come And Get It' was written by Paul McCartney.

1976 - John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Paul and Linda McCartney spent the evening with John Lennon at his New York Dakota apartment and watched Saturday Night Live on TV. Producer of the show Lorne Michaels made an offer on air asking The Beatles to turn up and play three songs live. Lennon and McCartney thought about taking a cab to the studio, but decided they were too tired. This was the last time Lennon and McCartney were together.

In 2011, Paul McCartney went on recall to The Express the last time he saw Lennon: “I was at John’s place and Saturday Night Live was on and John said to me, ‘Have you seen this?’ I hadn’t, I was living in England, he was living in America. He said,

‘No, they’re offering us money to get back together – Lorne Michaels came on the show last week.’ And John said, ‘We should go down, just you and me. We’ll just show up. There’s only two of us, we’ll take half the money.’ For a second we were like, ‘Shall we do it?’ I don’t know what stopped us. It would’ve been work and we were having a night off so we elected to not go to work. It was a nice idea. We nearly did it.”

1976 episode of Saturday Night Live, producer Lorne Michaels made a plea to the guys to reunite, saying that NBC “has authorized me to offer you … a certified check for $3,000.” He assured them. “You can divide it anyway you want. If you want to give Ringo less, that’s up to you.”

   They briefly considered heading to Rockefeller Center where the show was being performed, as a gag, but in the end passed due to being too tired. The two last spoke on the phone in early 1980.

"That was a period when Paul just kept turning up at our door with a guitar. I would let him in, but finally I said to him, ‘Please call before you come over. It’s not 1956, and turning up at the door isn’t the same anymore. You know, just give me a ring.’ He was upset by that, but I didn’t mean it badly. I just meant that I was taking care of a baby all day, and some guy turns up at the door."

 McCartney left for Dallas, Texas, where the following day Wings began rehearsals for the US leg of their world tour. Although he stayed in contact with Lennon until the latter’s death in 1980, the pair would never again meet face-to-face. 

John & Paul . . . . .