ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

October 9th

1965 - Paul McCartney

The Beatles started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Paul McCartney ballad 'Yesterday' giving the group their tenth US No.1. The track was not released as a single in the UK until 1976.

1969 - Top Of The Pops

For the first time in the history of the show, the BBC’s Top Of The Pops producers refused to air the No. 1 song, ‘Je T’aime... Moi Non Plus’, the erotic French language love song by Serge Gainsbourg and actress Jane Birkin. The song, an instrumental with the voices of Gainsbourg and Birkin apparently (sic) recorded in the act of love and superimposed over the top, caused such a stir in Britain that the original label, Fontana, dropped the record despite it being No. 2 on the charts. A small record company, Major Minor, bought the rights and saw the song climb to the top of the charts, the first French language song to ever do so. When challenged about the aspect of it recording the lovers in the act Birkin is recorded as saying somewhat disarmingly as "Of course not why it would be over half and hour long if that were true. It would have to have been an album at least" 

Bless . . . . . . . 

Jane thumbs a ride a few miles from my house!

The history of the song is very interesting. Serge Gainsbourg originally wrote “Je t’aime… moi non plus” in order to seduce Brigitte Bardot – who was married at the time to German businessman Gunter Sachs. In late 1967 Bridgitte Bardot was enduring a difficult period in her marriage when Serge Gainsbourg became infatuated with her. She agreed to go on a date with him. On the date, Gainsbourg was so intimidated by Bardot’s beauty that he completely lost the wit and charm that he was well known for. After the date, Bardot called him and insisted that he write her “the most beautiful love song you can imagine” to make amends for his poor performance on the date. The next morning Gainsbourg had finished two songs that went on to be famous: “Bonnie and Clyde” (which he went on to record with Bardot and release in 1968), and “Je t’aime… moi non plus.”
After listening to “Je t’aime… moi non plus”, Bardot headed to a recording studio in Paris with Gainsbourg to record it. According to the sound engineer involved in the recording, Bardot and Gainsbourg engaged in a lot of “heavy petting” during the recording. Apparently, the recording was played once on Europe 1 radio, and Bardot’s husband immediately threatened to sue (presumably Gainsbourg). Bardot begged Gainsbourg not to release the song, and so he shelved it. Bardot broke off the affair, but did later divorce her husband. Bardot later allowed the release of their recording of the song in 1986.

Serge and Jane some miles from my house!

1971 - The Who

The Who played a small, low-key show at the University of Surrey, Guildford, with guest John Sebastian (friends with Bob Dylan, playing harp with The Doors, hanging out with The Who, John boy got around that's for sure joining in on harmonica on ‘Magic Bus’ ) the only outside musician ever to jam with The Who on stage. Backstage, the group celebrated John Entwistle’s 27th birthday.

1971 - Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Maggie May', (first released as a B side to 'Reason To Believe'). The first of six UK No.1's for Stewart, spent five weeks at the top of the chart.

1973 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley and Priscilla divorced after six years of marriage. Priscilla was awarded property, $725,000 cash and $4,200 a month support. It is alleged that Elvis had great difficulty continuing his husbandly duties once Priscilla gave birth to Lisa-Marie and this is not uncommon as a syndrome or dysfunction he had not expressed particularly strong sexual attraction to Priscilla throughout their relationships including the 8 years prior to their marriage when Priscilla was 21.

"He had mentioned to me before we were married that he had never been able to make love to a woman who had a child" Priscilla Presley

Elvis at 24 meets the 14 year old Priscilla

Priscilla's family was not impressed

Elvis at 31 with his wife of 21 and their first and only child Lisa Marie

1976 - Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols signed to EMI records for £40,000 ($68,000). The contract was terminated three months later with the label stopping production of the 'Anarchy In The UK' single and deleting it from its catalogue. EMI later issued a statement saying it felt unable to promote The Sex Pistols records in view of the adverse publicity generated over the last few months.

1976 - Dr Feelgood

Dr Feelgood scored their only No.1 UK album when 'Stupidity' went to the top of the charts. It was the first ever live album to go to No.1 in the UK chart in its first week of release. Some of the album was recorded at The Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea. I loved that song! I first saw them at Oxford Poly and they blew us all away! I bought a 12" EP of this and frequently tried to blow that windows off!

1978 - Jacques Brel

Belgian singer songwriter Jacques Brel died of cancer aged 49. Artists who recorded his songs include, Ray Charles, Scott Walker, Alex Harvey, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie, Nina Simone and Terry Jacks.

1981 - The Rolling Stones

During a North American tour The Rolling Stones played the first of two nights at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Support act was Prince, who dressed in his controversial bikini briefs and trench coat ran off stage after 15 minutes due to the crowd booing and throwing beer cans at him.

1985 - John Lennon

Marking what would have been John Lennon's 45th birthday, Yoko Ono formally opened the three and a half acre garden at the Strawberry Fields site in New York's Central Park. The area was planted with trees, shrubs and flowers gathered from across the world and with a $1m donation from Yoko.

1993 - Nirvana

Nirvana entered the US album chart at No.1 with 'In Utero', their third and final studio album. Kurt Cobain had originally wanted to name the album 'I Hate Myself and I Want to Die.'

1993 - Lulu

Take That had their second UK No.1 single with 'Relight My Fire'. The song which was written and released by Dan Hartman in 1979, where it topped the US dance charts for six weeks. The Take That version featured Scottish singer Lulu and gave her a No.1 hit nearly 30 years after her first hit in 1964.

1999 - George Michael

Eurythmics, George Michael, David Bowie, Robbie Williams and Bono all appeared at 'Netaid' an event to raise money for global poverty. The concerts in London, New York and Geneva were all broadcast live on the internet.

2003 - Sheryl Crow

Ambrose Kappos, 37, of New York, was charged with three counts of stalking and harassing singer Sheryl Crow. He was arrested after being accused of sneaking into New York's Hammerstein Ballroom then trying to get into Crow's limousine when she left the venue. Mr Kappos' brother said he was harmless but "infatuated" with the singer.

2007 - The Imagine Peace Tower

The Imagine Peace Tower was officially unveiled in Kollafjorour Bay near Reykjav’k, Iceland. The memorial to John Lennon from his widow, Yoko Ono, consists of a tall "tower of light", projected from a white stone monument that has the words "Imagine Peace" carved into it in 24 languages.

2008 - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney, (a vegetarian for 30 years), was said to be furious when he heard that a Liverpool branch of McDonald's restaurant displayed his picture, accusing them of using it to attract customers. Sir Paul was quoted as saying "What sort of morons do McDonald's think Beatles fans are?"

2017 - Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters were at No.1 on the US album chart with their ninth studio album Concrete and Gold and their second album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Dave Grohl had ended a self-imposed six-month hiatus from music to record the album while recovering from an injury sustained on the Sonic Highways World Tour.

BIRTHDAYS

1975 - Sean Lennon

Sean Taro Ono Lennon was born, the only child of John Lennon by Yoko Ono. John Lennon retired from music for five years to become a house-husband. Sean went on to become a singer, songwriter, musician and actor.

1970 - Polly Harvey

English musician, singer-songwriter Polly Harvey, guitar, vocals, who had the 1993 UK hit single '50ft Queenie'. Rolling Stone awarded her 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter and 1995's Artist of the Year. In June 2013, she was awarded an MBE for services to music.

1954 - James Fearnley

James Fearnley, accordion, from Irish-British Celtic punk band The Pogues who scored the 1987 UK No.8 single 'The Irish Rover'.

1948 - Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne, singer, songwriter, (1978 UK No.12 single 'Stay', 1978 album 'Running On Empty', 1982 US No. 7 single 'Somebody's Baby').

1944 - Nona Hendryx

Nona Hendryx, Labelle, (1975 US No.1 & UK No.17, single 'Lady Marmalade').

1944 - John Entwistle

English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter John Entwistle from The Who, (nicknamed The Ox). The Who scored the 1965 UK No.2 single 'My Generation' plus over 20 other UK Top 40 hits, as well as 16 US Top 40 singles. In the early days of The Who, once the lineup had stabilised and it was settled that Roger Daltrey was to be the front man, Entwistle started to dye his fair hair black, and continued to so do until the 1980s. Entwistle died in Las Vegas on 27th June 2002, one day before the scheduled first show of The Who's US tour.

1940 - John Lennon

John Lennon singer, songwriter, guitarist, The Beatles sold over 20m singles in the UK (1962-1970), and scored more UK & US No.1 albums than any other group. 1967 'Sgt. Pepper's' is the UK's biggest selling album ever. In 1990 Lennon's song 'Imagine' was played simultaneously in 130 countries to commemorate what would've been Lennon's 50th birthday. The 'big brother' to Paul McCartney and the other Beatles, John was notoriously unpredictable, by turns taciturn and curmudgeonly, with a cutting rapier like wit, to sensitive and emotionally vulnerable and loving, he was the most mercurial of the four boys.  John was shot dead in New York by psychopath Mark Chapman on 8th December 1980.

1937 - Pat Burke

Pat Burke, from British soul band The Foundations who scored the 1967 UK No.1 single 'Baby Now That I've Found You' and the 1969 US No.3 single 'Build Me Up A Buttercup'. The group was the first multi-racial group to have a No.1 hit in the UK in the 1960s.