ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

1966 - Cream

Supergroup Cream released their debut studio album 'Fresh Cream' in the UK. The three piece of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker also released their second single 'I Feel Free' on the same day.

1967 - The Doors

The Doors appeared at the New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut. Before the show a policeman found singer Jim Morrison making out with an 18 year-old girl in a backstage shower and after an argument the policeman sprays mace in Morrison’s face. Once on stage Morrison tells the story of the backstage episode and starts taunting the police who drag him off the stage and arrest him. The crowd riots leaving the venue in disarray and many are arrested. Later over 100 protestors gathered at the police station in demonstration and more arrests were made.






1972 - Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond released the live double album Hot August Night, from a concert on August 24, 1972, which was one of ten sold out concerts that Diamond performed that month at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The album peaked at No.5 on the US chart and spent 29 weeks at No.1 on the Australian chart.

1978 - Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious was charged with assault after attacking Todd Smith, singer Patti Smith's brother, at a Skafish concert at Hurrah, a New York dance club. Vicious was sent to Rikers Island metro jail for fifty-five days to undergo a painful and enforced detoxification.

1978 - Boney M

Boney M had their second UK No.1 single with their version of the Harry Belafonte 1957 hit 'Mary's Boy Child'. On the list of the all-time best selling singles in the UK, Boney M. appear in fifth place (with 'Rivers of Babylon' a rastafarian song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970.) and tenth place (with 'Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord'). The single sold almost 1.8 million copies.

my problem (of course!) is that I recall the original from the film soundtrack to The Harder They Come  and had it on a compilation featuring The Melodians and felt the choice of Boney M cover was sufficiently distant to be a rip off!

so we'll post this and then the original and my favourite single version too . . . . 

1978 - Chic

Chic started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Le Freak.' Nile Rodgers later stated that the song was devised during New Years Eve of 1977, as a result of him and bassist Bernard Edwards being refused entrance to Studio 54, in New York City, where they had been invited by Grace Jones, due to Jones's failure to notify the nightclub's staff. He said the lyrics of the refrain were originally "Fuck off!" rather than "Freak out!"

1988 - Neil Diamond

According to a poll released in the US, the music of Neil Diamondwas favoured as the best background music for sex, Beethoven was the second choice and Luther Vandross was voted third.

1989 - Billy Joel

Billy Joel started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'We Didn't Start The Fire'. Its lyrics are made up from rapid-fire brief allusions to over a hundred headline events between 1949 (Joel was born on May 9 of that year) and 1989, when the song was released on his album Storm Front.

1992 - George Harrison

George Harrison was the recipient of the first Century Award, presented by Tom Petty at the third Billboard Music Awards in Universal City, California.

1995 - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson scored his 6th solo UK No.1 single when 'Earth Song' started a 6-week run at the top of the charts. It gave Jackson the UK Christmas No.1 of 1995 and his best-selling UK single ever. The song kept the first single released by The Beatles in 25 years, 'Free as a Bird', off the No.1 position.

2000 - U2

U2 made their first-ever appearance on the long-running NBC program 'Saturday Night Live.' The band played ‘Beautiful Day’ and ‘Elevation.’

2000 - Sharon Corr

Sharon Corr of The Corrs called for the legalisation of cannabis, claiming that the drug has medicinal properties. Sharon said, 'Some people with certain conditions can get a brief reprieve from their symptoms through cannabis'.

2001 - Madonna

Channel 4 TV apologised to viewers after Madonna said 'motherfucker' during live UK TV coverage at The Tate Gallery, London. Madonna was presenting a prize to artist Martin Creed. A TV spokesman said that did have a bleeper system but they missed the offending word.

2001 - Britney Spears

Winners at The Smash Hits awards included Atomic Kitten, Best single for 'Whole Again', Westlife won Best band and Best album for 'World Of Our Own', and Blue won Best newcomer, Steps won Best live act, Shaggy won Best male act, Britney Spears won Best Female Act, Destiny's Child won Best R&B act, S Club 7's Rachel Stevens won Most Fanciable Female and Best Video went to Gorillaz, 'Clint Eastwood.'

2005 - Joss Stone

Joss Stone, Lemar and Ms. Dynamite backed by the African Children's Choir and 1,200 school children set a new world record for the most children singing simultaneously. The ‘Big Sing’ was held at The Royal Albert Hall, London. The singers led a performance of ‘Lean On Me’ which was broadcast to more than half a million people.

2006 - Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey threatened legal action against porn star Mary Carey in an attempt to stop her trademarking her similar-sounding stage name. The singer believed fans could get the two performers confused if the adult film actress Mary Carey's trademark application was successful. Well she said it. Confused the singer with the porn star?

2010 - Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton announced he was to sell off part of his extensive guitar collection to raise money for his Crossroads rehab Centre in Antigua. Highlights of the sale would include a guitar Clapton played at the Cream reunion shows in 2005, estimated to sell for more than £13,000. The sale to be held by Bonhams in New York would also feature a vast collection of amps and speakers, including a pair of Marshall speaker cabinets.

BIRTHDAYS

1969 - Jakob Dylan

Beautiful Man! Why it's almost as if he were a cross between his father and mother . . . . . 

American singer and songwriter Jakob Dylan, (the son of Bob Dylan and his wife Sara), from American rock band The Wallflowers who had the 1997 US No.3 album Bringing Down The Horse.

Here a peerless mini set featuring back up vocals for Neko Case and Kelly Horgan

1958 - Nick Seymour

Nick Seymour, bass, Crowded House, (1992 UK No.7 single 'Weather With You'). Think I bought every Crowded House album . . . . . .certainly loved these guys since Split Enz

1950 - Joan Armatrading

British singer-songwriter and guitarist Joan Armatrading, who scored the 1983 UK No.11 single 'Drop The Pilot'. She also received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996.

1944 - Neil Innes

English writer, comedian and musician Neil Innes who was a member of Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. They had the 1968 UK No.5 single 'I'm The Urban Spaceman'. He composed music for Monty Python's Flying Circus and wrote and performed The Rutles a TV spoof on The Beatles.. I followed Neil from Bonzos days to Grimms with Rickin' Duck and more besides . . . . . . definitely The Rutles!

1941 - Dan Hicks

Dan Hicks, best-known as the lead musician and founder of the 70s acoustic band Hicks and His Hot Licks. He died on 6 Feb 2016 at the age of 74 after suffering with throat and liver cancer. Hot Licks' hits included 'I Scare Myself' and 'Canned Music', which blended genre such as country, blues, jazz and swing.

1932 - Junior Wells

Junior Wells, US blues singer, harmonica player. Worked with Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, toured with The Rolling Stones in 1970. He died on 5th January 1998.

with untold thanks to On This Day in Music