portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Monday, October 21, 2019

ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

October 21st

1958 - Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly's last recording session took place at Pythian Temple Studios, New York City. The songs recorded included 'Raining In My Heart', 'Moondreams' and 'It Doesn't Matter Anymore' which became a No.1 hit.

1965 - The Beatles
Wanting to improve on a previous recording session The Beatles started from scratch on a new song called 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)', finishing recordings in three takes. They also begin working on another new John Lennon song 'Nowhere Man.'

1965 - The Spencer Davis Group
The Spencer Davis Group recorded 'Keep On Running' at Pye Studios in London, England featuring the voice and guitar of the teenage Stevie Winwood. The track went on to top the UK chart the following January.

1972 - Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'My Ding-A-Ling', a novelty song wirriten by the legendary band leader New Orleans' Dave Bartholomew but gave Berry his first and only US and UK No.1, 17 years after his first chart hit Sweet Little Sixteen (1958) Roll Over Beethoven (1956) [sic].

1976 - The Who
Keith Moon played his last show with The Who at the end of a North American tour at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto. On September 7, 1978, Moon died of an overdose of a sedative Heminevrin, that had been prescribed to prevent seizures induced by alcohol withdrawal.
1997 - Elton John
Elton John's 'Candle In The Wind 97' was declared by the Guinness Book Of Records as the biggest selling single record of all time, with 31.8 million sales in less than 40 days and raising more than £20 million for charity.

2001 - Concerts for 9/11
Concerts at Madison Square Garden and the RFK stadium in Washington were expected to raise millions in funds for the victims of the Sept 11th attacks. Stars who appeared included Michael JacksonTom PettyPaul McCartneyDavid BowieEric Clapton, and The Who.

2006 - Sandy West
American musician, singer, songwriter, and drummer Sandy West died. Founding member (with Joan Jett) of all girl group The Runaways, hailed by fans and critics alike to be one of the most groundbreaking drummers in rock and roll history. In 2005, West, a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer which later spread to her brain, and she died on October 21, 2006 at age 47


2006 - John Peel
British broadcaster John Peel left over £1.8m and over 25,000 vinyl records in his will. Peel died suddenly at the age of 65 from a heart attack in 2004. He since received criticism for the age of his wife when they met and he was associated with the back-lash from the Jimmy Savile .His first wife was American and Peel felt he had been lied to by her and her parents too as regards he age but the marriage was never happy and they split and divorced in 73 when she committed suicide.  Friends note he stayed married to his second wife 'Pig' for the rest of his life and there was no suggestion he was ever interested in any underage youngsters per se after he married although has said fans made themselves available when they started out and he never asked how old they were when he was a single man . 
Mr and Mrs Peel

2006 - Evanescence
Evanescence were at No.1 on the US album chart with their second album 'The Open Door.' It became the 700th No.1 album in Billboard since the chart became a weekly feature in 1956.

2007 - Kid Rock
Kid Rock and five members of his entourage were arrested after an argument with a man escalated into a fight in a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. Kid Rock's tour bus was pulled over by police after it left the scene; Rock was released after posting $1,000 (£490) bail. Kid Rock also had the No.1 album on the US chart with 'Rock N Roll Jesus' his eleventh album release and first to debut at the top of the chart.


2014 - Wilko Johnson


Former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson said he has been "cured" of the terminal pancreatic cancer with which he was diagnosed in 2012. The 67-year-old was initially given 10 months to live after rejecting chemotherapy, but had radical surgery to remove the tumour earlier that year and continues to play tour and seemingly thrive. Honorary fellow 'Blockhead'!


BIRTHDAYS

1957 - Julian Cope

Julian Cope, guitarist singer/songwriter author, Teardrop Explodes, (1981 UK No.6 single 'Reward'), solo (1986 UK No.19 single 'World Shut Your Mouth'). Cope is the author of a favourite book, the Modern Antiquarian a gazetteer of ancient sites of the UK and his follow up volume of European sites The Megalithic European

The Modern Antiqurian here . . . .



1957 - Attila The Stockbroker
Attila The Stockbroker, pop poet, worked with John Otway and TV Smith.
John Baine, better known by his stage name Attila the Stockbroker, is a punk poet, multi instrumentalist musician and songwriter. He performs solo and as the leader of the band Barnstormer 1649, who combine early music and punk

1952 - Brent Mydland
American keyboardist and vocalist, Brent Mydland, best known for being in the Grateful Dead from 1979 to 1990. His eleven-year tenure was longer than that of any other keyboardist in the band. He was found dead on the floor of his home on 26th July 1990 aged 38 from a drug overdose.


1948 - John 'Rabbit' Bundrick

John 'Rabbit' Bundrick, American rock keyboardist, pianist and organist session player. Frankly he is simply a legend. Rabbit has played with an eclectic range of artists over his career from reggae artists Johnny Nash and Bob Marley, to rockers Free and The Who he is associated with Eric Burdon, Roger Waters, Crawler and was central to Mallard's first album formed by the members of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band. Frankly the man can play anything, he appears on albums by Sandy Denny, Jon Martyn, Donovan, the project 'June 1, 1974' by Eno, Cale, Kevin Ayers and Nico, Andy Fairweather Low, Jim Capaldi, Joan Armatrading, Pete Townshend's solo projects, Fairport Convention and Mick Jagger's solo album. He is considered the musical drive behind The Rocky Horror Picture Show and is style very active today at 70 years old (latest project this year 2019 with Neil Hamburger - sic!)



1942 - Elvin Bishop
Elvin Bishop, guitarist, (1976 US No.3 & UK No.34 single 'Fooled Around And Fell In Love'). Member of Paul Butterfield Blues Band 65-68.





1941 - Steve Cropper


Steve Cropper, guitarist, Booker T and the MG's, (1962 US No. 3 single 'Green Onions', 1969 UK No.4 single 'Time Is Tight'). Another legend 


1940 - Manfred Mann
South African/British keyboard player, guitarist, and vocalist Manfred Mann who had the 1964 UK & US No.1 single 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy' and '5,4,3,2,1' with his first band and hits include covers of Bob Dylan's 'Quinn The Eskimo' and later on with his 'Earth Band' with Bruce Springsteen's 'For You', 'Blinded by the Light' and 'Spirit in the Night'.



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