ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

1960 - The Beatles - the three drummers before Ringo

Drummer Tommy Moore made the fateful decision to quit The Beatles and return to his job of driving a forklift at Garston bottle works. He was briefly replaced by Norman Chapman, who was called into National Service after just three gigs. After going drummerless and mostly jobless for a few weeks, the band hired Pete Best on August 12th, only one day before they were to go to Hamburg to play a string of club dates.

Tommy Moore

Tommy Moore and The Silver Beetles

Norman Chapman

1964 Queen Elizabeth orders The Beatles to her birthday party, they attend. Ringo is released from hospital where he has been recuperating after a serious bout of tonsillitis

Fourth Beatles drummer, Jimmie Nichol

1966 "(I'm A) Road Runner" by Jr Walker & The All-Stars peaks at #20. Bought the single when it came out and still have it . . . 


1966 "I Am A Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel peaks at #3


1966 "Sloop John B" by The Beach Boys hits #1 in UK

I always assumed this was a Beach Boys classic composition and never really understood what it was about and the strange 'American' lingo. It wasn't until much later I learned of its folk club origins. Originally published as "The John B. Sails" it is a Bahamian folk song from Nassau. A transcription by Richard Le Gallienne was published in 1916, and a version was included in Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag in 1927. Later many many singers covered it and it became largely a 'trad arr' item but it took the Beach Boys to make it into a pop standard 

1966 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Paint It, Black', the group's third US No.1 single. Also a No.1 in the UK, it was the first No.1 single to feature a sitar on the recording.

1966 - The Who

European radio stations mistakenly reported that The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey was dead. Actually, it was guitarist Pete Townshend who had been injured in a car accident a few days earlier.

On the 30th Pete is in an auto accident on the M1 on his way back to London after the Morecambe gig. It is incorrectly reported in the Netherlands, Germany and France that Roger has been killed in the crash and Polydor is inundated with calls. That night The Who play at the Sincil Bank Football Ground in Lincoln for the Whit Monday Pop Gala Festival. The Kinks, the Small Faces, and the Yardbirds are also on the bill.On the 30th Pete is in an auto accident on the M1 on his way back to London after the Morecambe gig. It is incorrectly reported in the Netherlands, Germany and France that Roger has been killed in the crash and Polydor is inundated with calls. That night The Who play at the Sincil Bank Football Ground in Lincoln for the Whit Monday Pop Gala Festival. The Kinks, the Small Faces, and the Yardbirds are also on the bill.

1977 - THE CLASH - badboys steal pillow case!

Joe Strummer and Topper Headon were detained overnight in prison in Newcastle upon Tyne having failed to appear at Morpeth Magistrates on May 21st. Both The Clash members were to answer a charge relating to the theft of a Holiday Inn pillowcase. They were both fined £100 ($170). Police brutality? street cred ?? Its noticeable that members of The Clash were arrested twice. Once for stealing pillowcases and once for shooting at pigeons with an air rifle immortalised in the song Guns On The Roof. Hardly militant rebellion.

1988 - Nelson Mandellas 70th birthday WEMBLEY!

Nelson Mandellas 70th birthday tribute took place at Wembley Stadium, London, featuring Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman, George Michael, Eric Clapton, UB40, The Eurythmics and Simple Minds. The event was broadcast live on BBC 2 to 40 different countries with an estimated audience of 1 billion.

2003 - Adam Ant

Adam Ant was arrested after going berserk and stripping off in a London cafe. Adam's mental health began to be noticeable and cause for concern. The former 1980s pop star had thrown stones at neighbour's homes smashing windows before going to the nearby cafe.

2015 - The Kinks

The Kinks' front man and principle song writer Ray Davies was awarded with a London Legend Award at a ceremony held at the Camden Roundhouse. Davies said: “I accept this on behalf of all the young writers coming through, all the young people embarking on careers and as a symbol of the future.”

2009 - Peter Doherty

Peter Doherty was released on £50,000 bail to await trial accused of driving dangerously after a gig. The Babyshambles frontman was stopped after police saw a car being driven erratically in Gloucester. The 30-year-old appeared at Stroud Magistrates' Court and pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and to having no driving licence or insurance.

BIRTHDAYS

1949 - Frank Beard

Frank Beard, American drummer with ZZ Top, who had the 1984 US No.8 & 1985 UK No.16 single 'Legs'. Beard is notable as being the only musician in the band without a long beard, an ironic fact considering his last name. The band has had global album sales in excess of 50 million as of 2014

1951 - Lynsey De Paul

Lynsey De Paul, UK singer, songwriter, who scored the 1972 UK No.5 single 'Sugar Me'. She became the first woman to win an Ivor Novello song-writing award. She had been romantically involved with Dudley Moore, Chas Chandler, Roy Wood, Ringo Starr, James Coburn, Bill Kenwright, Dodi Fayed, Sean Connery, George Best, Bernie Taupin and David Frost. She had received five marriage proposals, one of which was from Chandler and another of which was from James Coburn. De Paul suffered a massive and sudden brain haemorrhage on the morning of 1 October 2014 and died later in a London hospital

De Paul with James Coburn

1958 - Kevin Wilkinson

English drummer Kevin Wilkinson who worked with Howard Jones, The League of Gentlemen, The Waterboys, China Crisis, and Squeeze. Wilkinson committed suicide on 17 July 1999, aged 41, by hanging himself in the family home.

Squeeze feat. Kevin on theright

1964 - Penny Ford

American singer-songwriter Penny Ford from Eurodance group Snap! Their debut album World Power (1990), sold over 7 million copies worldwide and became one of the most successful dance albums to date and contained the No.1 hit 'The Power'.

1987 - Dappy

Dappy, English singer, songwriter, rapper, and actor, best known for being the lead singer of grime trio N-Dubz.

with thanks to On This Day In Music