ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

September 12th

1966 - Monkees

N.B.C. aired the first episode of The Monkees TV show in the US. The series ran for a total of 58 episodes. I have said before I rushed home from my paper round to watch these around 'tea-time' and must have watched every episode! I loved them!

1967 - The Beatles

Filming continued for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. The bus headed for Widecombe on the Moor, where the famous local fair was being held but the bus driver (Alf Manders) took a shortcut to bypass heavy traffic and ended up stuck on a bridge, the coach ended up having to drive in reverse for a half-mile before it could turn around. They then head for Plymouth, followed by a 20-car convoy of journalists and photographers. One might be forgiven for thinking the occupants of the bus included Uncle Tom Cobley and all . . . . . . . (sic)

WIDECOMBE FAIR

Tom Pearce, Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare.
All along, down along, out along lea.
For I want for to go to Widecombe Fair,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

And when shall I see again my grey mare?
All along, down along, out along lea.
By Friday soon, or Saturday noon,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

So they harnessed and bridled the old grey mare.
All along, down along, out along lea.
And off they drove to Widecombe fair,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

Then Friday came, and Saturday noon.
All along, down along, out along lea.
But Tom Pearce's old mare hath not trotted home,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

So Tom Pearce he got up to the top o' the hill.
All along, down along, out along lea.
And he seed his old mare down a-making her will,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

So Tom Pearce's old mare, her took sick and died.
All along, down along, out along lea.
And Tom he sat down on a stone, and he cried
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

But this isn't the end o' this shocking affair.
All along, down along, out along lea.
Nor, though they be dead, of the horrid career
Of Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

When the wind whistles cold on the moor of the night.
All along, down along, out along lea.
Tom Pearce's old mare doth appear ghastly white,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

And all the long night be heard skirling and groans.
All along, down along, out along lea.
From Tom Pearce's old mare in her rattling bones,
With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

1970 - The Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert

Bob Dylan (and The Band) joined Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.

1970 - Creedance Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater Revival scored their first UK No.1 album with Cosmo's Factory. It enjoyed a nine-week run at No.1 in the US where it sold over three million copies.

1970 - Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson and The Miracles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Tears Of A Clown', their first UK No.1. Stevie Wonder (who was discovered by Miracles member Ronnie White), and his producer Hank Cosby wrote the music for the song. 

1986 - John McGeoch

Public Image Ltd guitarist John McGeoch needed 40 stitches in his face after a two-litre wine bottle was thrown at the stage during a gig in Vienna.

1990 - Christine McVie & Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac announced they were leaving the band at the end of their current tour. At the time, some believed that Nicks’ and McVie’s departures were hastened by bad blood in the wake of Fleetwood’s memoir, Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac which revealed some “sordid revelations” about life in Fleetwood Mac.

1995 - Michael Hutchence

Hutchence leaves court

INXS singer Michael Hutchence pleaded guilty to punching photographer Jim Bennett outside a London hotel. He was fined £400 and ordered to pay £1,875 costs.

1997 - Stig Anderson

Founder of the Polar Music record label, songwriter, producer and ABBA's manager Stig Anderson died of a heart attack. Anderson co-wrote some of ABBA's biggest hits, such as ‘Waterloo’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘S.O.S’, ‘Fernando’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘The Name of the Game.’ His funeral was broadcast live on Swedish television an honour otherwise only reserved for distinguished statesmen or royalty.

2002 - Rod Stewart

The son of Rod Stewart was sentenced to 90 days in jail and ordered to undergo drug rehabilitation after pleading no contest to attacking a man outside a Malibu, California restaurant. 22 year-old Sean Stewart had been arrested on Dec. 5th, 2001, after he was witnessed kicking the man in the head unconscious and kicking him in the stomach. Stewart was also sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $5,600 to the victim. He was directed to continue anger managemnt and drug and alcohol treatment

Must be hard being a multi-millionaire's son

Sean Stewart

2003 - Johnny Cash

US singer songwriter Johnny Cash died of respiratory failure aged 71. One of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, known as "The Man in Black." He traditionally started his concerts by saying, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." Had the 1969 US No.2 & UK No.4 single 'A Boy Named Sue', plus 11 other US Top 40 singles. Cash also had his own US TV show in late 60s early 70s. Married to June Carter from the equally legendary Carter Family they were together for 35 years, Johnny passed away four months after she did.

2004 - Kenny Buttrey

American drummer and arranger Kenny Buttrey died in Nashville, Tennessee, Worked with Neil Young, (Harvest, and After the Gold Rush), Bob Dylan (Blonde on Blonde, Nashville Skyline & John Wesley Harding), and Bob Seger, Donovan, George Harrison, Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Kris Kristofferson, Jimmy Buffett,  Chuck Berry and Area Code 615. I first took note of Kenny's work on John Wesley Harding and the musicians on that album became legendary to me.

2007 - Led Zeppelin

The surviving members of Led Zeppelin announced they would reform for a star-studded tribute concert in London. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones would play at a show to remember the late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The place of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980, would be taken by his son Jason. The one-off concert, the trio's first performance for 19 years, would take place at the O2 arena in London on 26th November.

2008 - Kanye West

Kanye West was arrested on suspicion of vandalism after a row with a photographer at Los Angeles International Airport. The incident happened before he cleared security screening at the airport before boarding a flight to Hawaii. A camera valued at $10,000 (£5,709) was broken in the incident, according to an airport spokesman.

KW bodyguard taken away wonder if they treated the star the same way?!

2013 - Ray Dolby

Ray Dolby, the US engineer who founded Dolby Laboratories and pioneered noise reduction in audio recordings, died of leukemia at the age of 80. The analog Dolby noise-reduction system works by increasing the volume of low-level high-frequency sounds during recording and correspondingly reducing them during playback.

BIRTHDAYS

1981 - Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson, Academy Award-winning American actress and singer. One of the finalists on the third season of American Idol, she went on to star as Effie White in the 2006 motion picture musical Dreamgirls.

1956 - Barry Andrews

Barry Andrews, keyboards, XTC He left XTC in 1979, after two albums with the band, and embarked on a solo career and worked with Brian Eno, David Bowie, Iggy Pop and formed Shriekback and League of Gentlemen with Robert Fripp. 

1931 - George Jones

US country singer George Jones who had a string of number one songs between the 1950s and 1990s. Nicknamed Possum, his signature song was He Stopped Loving Her Today, a track about love and death. He was married to Tammy Wynette between 1969 and 1975 and the pair recorded several songs together in the 1970s. Jones died on 26th April 2013 aged 81.