ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

November 18th

1956 - Fats Domino

Fats Domino appeared on the US TV Ed Sullivan Show performing 'Blueberry Hill.' Before the song became a rock and roll standard it had been recorded by various artists including Louis Armstrong, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Gene Autry and Jimmy Dorsey. The version by Fats Domino was ranked No.82 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Now I am known for not singling out Fats for my New Orleans favourites, I find him too middle of the road compared to the Allen Toussaints and Archibald, Tuts Washington, Dr John and Professor Longhair for me. Not that I don't appreciate him its just a bit like Ray Charles he isn't up there compared to Huey Piano Smith for me!

1963 - The Beatles

The Beatles received silver LP discs for 'Please Please Me' and 'With the Beatles' at a ceremony held at EMI House in London. They also received a silver EP for 'Twist and Shout' and a silver single for 'She Loves You'. The band then attend a cocktail party and a formal lunch in the EMI boardroom with company executives and invited guests. Also on this day, the US NBC news program "The Huntley-Brinkley Report" was the first to air footage (albeit pre-recorded) of The Beatles in concert.

1970 - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin III was at No.1 on the UK & US album charts. The original cover and interior gatefold art consisted of a surreal collection of random images. Behind the front cover was a rotatable laminated card disc, covered with more images, including photos of the band members, which showed through holes in the cover. The distinctive cover was based on a suggestion of Jimmy Page's that it should resemble an old-fashioned gardening seed chart. Designed by Richard Drew aka Zacron, the sleeve photographs were taken by fellow Leeds Polytechnic lecturer Martin Salisbury.

1972 - Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Catch Bull At Four'. The title was taken from one of the Ten Bulls of Zen a series of short poems and accompanying pictures that are intended to illustrate the stages of a Buddhist practitioner's progression towards enlightenment.


1972 - Danny Whitten

Singer, songwriter Danny Whitten died of a drug overdose aged 29. He was a member of Neil Young's Crazy Horse and writer of 'I Don't Wanna Talk About It', covered by Rod Stewart, Rita Coolidge and Everything But The Girl. A favourite song
The Neil Young song ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ was written about Whitten’s heroin use (before he died of an overdose). 

1974 - Genesis

Genesis released the double concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway their sixth studio album and the last album by the group to feature the involvement of lead singer Peter Gabriel.

1975 - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen made his live debut in the UK at London's Hammersmith Odeon. The set list included: Thunder Road, 10th Avenue Freeze-out, Born To Run The 'E' Street Shuffle, Jungleland, 4th of July, Asbury Park, Detroit Medley, For You and Quarter To Three.

1976 - Richard Hell

Richard Hell and the Voidoids made their debut at CBGB's New York. Hell was an innovator of punk music and fashion and was one of the first to spike his hair and wear torn, cut and drawn-on shirts, often held together with safety pins. Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols, has credited Hell as a source of inspiration for the Sex Pistols' look and attitude.

1983 - R.E.M.

R.E.M. made their first appearance outside the US when they appeared on Channel 4 UK TV show The Tube. The following night they made their live UK debut when the played at Dingwalls, London.

1993 - Nirvana

Nirvana recorded their MTV unplugged special at Sony Studios, New York. Nirvana played a setlist composed of mainly lesser-known material and cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets and Lead Belly. The album won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996.

2003 - Michael Kamen

American composer and orchestral arranger Michael Kamen died of a heart attack in London aged 55. Worked with Pink Floyd, Queen, Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, David Bowie, Eurythmics, Queensryche, Rush, Metallica, Herbie Hancock, The Cranberries, Bryan Adams, Jim Croce, Sting, and Kate Bush. Kamen co-wrote the Bryan Adams' ballad ‘(Everything I Do), I Do It for You.’

2003 - Michael Jackson

Following allegations of sexual abuse of a 12-year old boy, police raided Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch. Jackson denied the allegations, the search came on the day that his latest greatest hits album, 'Number Ones' was released in the US.

2005 - Madonna

A Belgian songwriter won a plagiarism case against Madonna over her 1998 hit single ‘Frozen.’ Salvatore Acquaviva claimed that the song copied one of his recordings, the judge agreed that Madonna's single used four bars of his song ‘Ma Vie Fout L'camp’, which roughly translates as ‘My Life's Getting Nowhere.’




2007 - Leona Lewis

22-year-old X Factor winner Leona Lewis set a British record for the fastest-selling debut album with Spirit. The singer sold more than 375,000 copies in seven days, 12,000 more than the Arctic Monkeys' 2006 release Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Oasis still had the overall record for the fastest selling British album, selling 813,000 copies in 1997.

2015 - Eagles of Death Metal - BATACLAN 89

Eagles of Death Metal, the band whose concert was stormed by gunmen which killed 89 people during a gig at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris made their first statement since returning to the US. The band issued a statement saying they were "bonded in grief with the victims, the fans... and all those affected by terrorism". 
Everyone has played there and I don't believe we will ever forgot the attack on a music venue by terrorists that killed 89 innocent audience members . . . . . . . 

BIRTHDAYS

1960 - Kim Wilde

Kim Wilde, singer, (1981 UK No.2 single 'Kids In America', 1987 US No.1 single 'You Keep Me Hanging On', plus 20 other Top 50 UK singles).

1950 - Graham Parker

Graham Parker, singer, The Rumour, (1978 UK No.32 single 'Hey Lord Don't Ask Me Questions') It is alleged the heckler on The Comic Strip presents is a drunken Parker and Alexei Sale copes admirably with  'someone who receives messages from Bob Dylan' Excruciating and it put me off Parker and The Rumour forever after. I bought the first album and then that happened . . . . . you can't follow on after your musical heroes are found to be twats!

1936 - Hank Ballard

Hank Ballard, US singer, songwriter, (1960 US No.6 single 'Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go', wrote 1960 US No.1 hit for Chubby Checker 'The Twist.'