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Wednesday, December 11, 2019

ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

December 11th

1961 - The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Please Mr Postman'. The session musicians on the track included 22 year old Marvin Gaye on drums. 
The Beatles covered it on 'With The Beatles' in 1963 and it was years, possibly decades, before I heard the original.

1964 - Sam Cooke
Soul singer Sam Cooke was shot dead at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California. Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel, told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defence because he had attacked her. Police found Cooke's body in Franklin's apartment-office, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes, but no shirt, pants or underwear. The shooting was ultimately ruled a justifiable homicide.
Ms Boyer who had sought protection from Franklin fearing Cooke would rape her
Liverpool folk group The Scaffold were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Lily The Pink', this year's Christmas No.1. 'Lily the Pink' was a new version of an older folk song entitled 'The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham', and a similar version was the unofficial regimental song of the Royal Tank Corps, at the end of World War II. I mentioned Grimms the other day with Neil Innes birthday but firstly there came the Scaffold and I LOVED them. WE went around singing this sing at every opportunity  I loved Roger McGough's poetry [and The Liverpool Scene] on the strength of this band and have done ever since




1968 - The Rock & Roll Circus
Filming began for The Rolling Stones 'Rock & Roll Circus.' As well as clowns and acrobats, John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric ClaptonMitch Mitchell, and Keith Richards. It was originally meant to be aired on the BBC, but the Rolling Stones withheld it because they were unhappy with their performance. The film was eventually released in 1996.









1971 - Benny Hill
UK comedian Benny Hill was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the innuendo-laden novelty song, 'Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)', giving Hill his only No.1 and the Christmas No.1 hit of 1971. The song was originally written in 1955 as the introduction to an unfilmed screenplay about Hill's milkman experiences. Still somehow inexplicably popular in the USA we have outgrown dear Benny's schoolboy titilation and innuendo ridden sexism . . . . . . . it is occasionally still fun and the women actors who worked with him didn't have a bad word to say of him except that he cut a rather sad and lonely figure. Despite being a millionaire several times over he never owned a house but preferred to rent, he never own a car though could drive, Hill never married and he had no children. He had proposed to two women, but neither accepted him. He was found dead after several days of  unanswered phones calls and had passed away sat in front of the television from a heart attack.
1972 - James Brown
James Brown was arrested after show in Tennessee for trying to incite a riot. Brown threatened to sue the city for $1m, the charges were later dropped.

1982 - Toni Basil
Singer, TV actress and dancer Toni Basil [Antonia Christina Basilotta] went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Mickey', making her a US One Hit Wonder. Also a No.2 hit in the UK, the song was written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as 'Kitty', and was first recorded by UK group Racey during 1979. She had worked with The Monkees early on and went on to work with David Byrne and David Bowie. She is a towering success in choreographic cycles as a result. At the age of 75 she has just choreographed Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' feeling strongly about the film as she knew two of the victims of the Manson psychopaths, Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring.

1982 - The Jam
The Jam played their last ever gig as a band when they appeared in Brighton, England. Singer and guitarist Paul Weller went on to form The Style Council with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee.

1983 - Flying Pickets
The Flying Pickets were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Yazoo song 'Only You'. Also this years Christmas No.1 and the first a cappella chart-topper in the UK.


1993 - Mr Blobby
The character Mr Blobby as featured on UK TV's 'The Noel Edmunds House Party', started a one-week run as the UK No.1 single with the novelty song 'Mr Blobby'. The single later received the dubious honour of being voted the most irritating Christmas No.1 single in a HMV poll.
No I am NOT going to share the video! Google it if you must!?. It is rubbish and rightly won its award . . . . . . 
Mr Blobby on the right . . . . I think

1996 - Morrissey
Johnny Marr and Morrissey were left with a £300,000 legal bill after loosing a case over unpaid royalties with former Smiths members Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce. 

2000 - Richard Ashcroft
Former Verve front man Richard Ashcroft was forced to cancel the remaining dates on his current UK tour after he fell on stage and broke two ribs. The accident happened during a show in Birmingham.

2003 - Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown was charged with battery after allegedly hitting wife Whitney Houston in the face. Brown, turned himself in to the police three days after a reported domestic dispute at the couple's home in Atlanta, Georgia. Houston, who accompanied her husband to court, said they were trying to work out their problems "privately."


2012 - Ravi Shankar
Indian musician Ravi Shankar died after undergoing heart valve replacement surgery. He was one of the best-known exponents of the sitar and influenced many other musicians throughout the world. George Harrison who was first introduced to Shankar's music by Roger McGuinn and David Crosby, became influenced by Shankar's music and went on to help popularize Shankar. Nor least responding to Ravi's request that he try to support his concern over the famine in Bangladesh resulting in the first ever charity aid concert. Ravi Shanker's set was amongst many's first experience of true Indian music

2016 - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan said it was "truly beyond words" to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. In a speech read on his behalf at the ceremony in Sweden, he said he thought his odds of winning were as likely as him "standing on the moon". Patti Smith performed 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' at the ceremony. But the singer had to apologise during her rendition after nerves got the better of her and she forgot the lyrics. I found it so incredibly moving . . . . . . intense and we love Patti whatever . . . . . .she is a human poet artist rock star punk legend force of nature without equal

BIRTHDAYS

1972 - Easther Bennett
Easther Bennett, from British R&B girl group Eternal who had the 1997 UK No.1 single 'I Wanna Be The Only One', and the 1993 UK No.2 album Always & Forever. They achieved 15 UK Top 20 hits between 1993 and 1999.


1961 - Darryl Jones

Keef and 'The Munch'
Darryl Jones also known as "The Munch.’ American bassist who has played with The Rolling Stones since Bill Wyman's departure in 1993. Also worked with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, StingPeter GabrielMadonnaEric Clapton and Joan Armatrading.

The Stones modern version
The Stones announce their new bass player(though never a member of the band, can't think why . . . . . 

1944 - Brenda Lee


Brenda Lee, singer, (1960 US No.1 single 'I'm Sorry', UK No.4 single 'Sweet Nothin's', plus 27 US & 18 other UK Top 40 singles). Another for the collective subconscious . . . . . . . 

a 13 year old Brenda Lee dancing with Elvis Presley

1940 - David Gates
American singer-songwriter, musician and producer, David Gates, best known as the co-lead singer of the group Bread, who scored the 1970 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'Make It With You'. His song 'Popsicles and Icicles' hit No.3 on the US chart for The Murmaids in January 1964 and The Monkees recorded another of his songs, 'Saturday's Child'. By the end of the 1960s, he had worked with many leading artists, including Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Merle Haggard, Duane Eddy and Brian Wilson.




1926 - Big Mama Thornton
Big Mama Thornton, singer, songwriter, Janis Joplin covered her song 'Ball And Chain'. Thornton also scored the 1953 hit with her version of 'Hound Dog'. She died in 1984.






1916 - Perez Prado
Perez Prado, (1955 US & UK No.1 single 'Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White'). He died on 14th September 1989.

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