ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

July 26th

1962 - Frank Ifield

Frank Ifield was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Remember You'. The singers first of four UK No.1's. I well remember this song and Frank with it and his yodelling voice scoring from the radiogram (ask you grandparents!)

I would have been 9!

one of the most popular European yodelling songs which frankly is a bit like being damned with faint praise to me but this always brings a smile. I would like it played at my cremation as the curtains close behind my casket!

1969 - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash released the single, 'A Boy Named Sue', a song written by Shel Silverstein. Cash was at the height of his popularity when he recorded the song live at California's San Quentin State Prison at a concert on February 24, 1969. The song tells the tale of a young man's quest for revenge on a father who abandoned him at 3 years of age and whose only contribution to his entire life was naming him Sue. This song always troubled me a little like finding out John Wayne's real name was Marion Montgomery! A VERY strange idea for a song if you asked me (no-one did ED)

1970 - Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix played in his home town of Seattle for the last time when he appeared at Sicks Stadium.

1975 - Van McCoy

Van McCoy and the Soul City went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Hustle', his only US chart hit, it made No.3 in the UK. McCoy died on 6th July 1979. Tell me this isn't one of the most memorable ear worms ever! 

1977 - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin cut short their 11th North American tour after Robert Plant's five-year-old-son Karac died unexpectedly of a virus at their home in England, UK. Terribly sad and I'm sure life for Robert and his family would never have been the same after this tragedy. I once saw him and his lovely wife at Wembley to see Joni Mitchell, CSNY and The Band and we saw them later in the car park and they were lovely.

Robert with Karac and Carmen - love this picture

Robert Plant - a wonderful man and his programme about him was exceptional and he is one of the most fascinating men. Barking mad but lovely!

1986 - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Sledgehammer', a No.4 hit in the UK. The song's music video has won a number of awards, including a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards. Gabriel was also nominated for three Grammy Awards. As of 2011, 'Sledgehammer' is the most played music video in the history of MTV.
As if I need another excuse to show this

The official Sledgehammer video in HD. 
Directed by Stephen R. Johnson, produced by Adam Whittaker. 
Claymation, pixilation, and stop motion animation provided by Aardman Animations and the Brothers Quay.

1990 - Brent Mydland

American keyboardist and vocalist Brent Mydland from the Grateful Dead was found dead on the floor of his home aged 38 from a drug overdose. His eleven-year tenure was longer than that of any other keyboardist in the band.

1992 - Mary Wells

American singer and Motown artist, Mary Wells, referred to as The First Lady of Motown and who had a 1964 US No. 1 and UK No. 5 single ‘My Guy’, died aged 49 of laryngeal cancer. Wells was forced to give up her career and with no health insurance, was forced to sell her home. Wells’ old Motown friends including Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, The Temptations and Martha Reeves, along with Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt, personally pledged donations in support.

https://oralcancerfoundation.org/people/arts-entertainment/mary-wells/

Listen to THAT voice!

The First Lady of Motown and no mistake!

2000 - Liam Gallagher

Oasis were booed of stage during a show at the Paleo Festival in Switzerland after singer Liam Gallagher had insulted the 35,000 strong audience. So stupid! Bite the hands that made you rich beyond any sense or reason. Class act Liam

2006 - Michael Jackson

Jeffrey Borer and Arvel Jett Reeves pleaded guilty to secretly videotaping Michael Jackson as he flew to Santa Barbara, California, to surrender in a child-molestation investigation. The two men admitted they installed two digital video recorders to record Jackson and his lawyer as the pair was traveling on a private jet from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara in November 2003. They faced enormous fines and prison time but got off lightly perjhaps not least because they installed cameras but they're unable to install voice recorders at the same time! The tapes showed Jackson relaxed and enjoying the flight have a soda pop and sparing himself with cologne! Dramatic stuff!

2006 - Paul McCartney

The guitar on which Sir Paul McCartney learned his first chords sold for £330,000 at an auction at London's Abbey Road Studios. The Rex acoustic guitar helped McCartney persuade John Lennon to let him join his band, The Quarrymen, in 1957.

The guitar that Paul McCartney learnt how to play his first chords on was expected to fetch £100,000.
The seller of the Rex acoustic guitar is McCartney’s friend Ian James from his schooldays at Liverpool Institute High School for Boys so it wasn't even Paul's guitar. They were assembled by Kay we think and distributed throughout the UK by Gretsch. 

Read more at Paul's guitar he learnt on - NME

2013 - JJ Cale

US singer-songwriter JJ Cale died of a heart attack at the age of 74. He became famous in 1970, when Eric Clapton covered his song 'After Midnight'. In 1977 Clapton also popularised Cale's 'Cocaine'. The two worked together on an album which won a Grammy award in 2008.

I bought his first album and loved 'After Midnight', Call Me The Breeze' and especially 'Clyde' for some reason. Think I have every album now . . . loved him to bits



Keep on Chooglin' . . . . . . 

BIRTHDAYS

1943 - Mick Jagger

Michael Philip Jagger, vocals, The Rolling Stones, (1969 UK & US No.1 single 'Honky Tonk Women', and over 35 UK & US Top 40 singles and albums). Solo (1985 UK No.1 single with David Bowie'Dancing In The Street'). 1985 UK No. 6 solo album 'She's The Boss.' In 2003 he was knighted for his services to popular music and in early 2009 he joined the electric supergroup SuperHeavy.

1942 - Dobie Gray

Dobie Gray, US singer, (1965 US No.13 and UK No.25 single 'The In Crowd', 1973 US No.5 single 'Drift Away'). Gray died on December 6, 2011, from complications of cancer surgery in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 71

and we'll finish today with this . . . . .CLASSIC

or two . . . . 


with thanks to On This Day In Music