ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

December 1st

1957 - Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly and the Crickets appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show', performing 'That'll Be The Day' and 'Peggy Sue'. Sam Cooke was also a guest on the same show performing 'You Send Me'.

1961 - The Beatles

The Beatles performed a lunchtime show at the The Cavern in Liverpool. That night they headlined a six-group Big Beat Session at the Tower Ballroom, New Brighton in Wallasey. Between 1961 -1963, The Beatles played at The Tower Ballroom on 27 occasions.

1964 - The Who

The Who played the first of 22 consecutive Tuesday night gigs at The Marquee Club in London, the band were paid £50 for each gig. The Marquee Club saw the rise of some of the most important British artists in the 60s such as Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Cream, Manfred Mann, The Nice, Yes, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, King Crimson and many others who all appeared at the club.

1966 - Tom Jones

Tom Jones was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of 'Green Green Grass Of Home.' It stayed at No.1 for seven weeks giving Decca records its first million selling single by a British artist. Also a No.11 hit in the US.

1967 - Jimi Hendrix

The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their second studio album Axis: Bold as Love. Hendrix expressed dismay regarding the album cover art, which depicts him and the Experience as various forms of Vishnu, incorporating a painting of them by Roger Law, from a photo-portrait by Karl Ferris. Hendrix stated that the cover would have been more appropriate had it highlighted his American Indian heritage.

1967 - Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move, Nice, Outer Limits and Amen Corner played at the Central Hall, Chatham. The Chatham Standard later reported: ‘Hendrix opened his act with the Beatles’ number Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the three-piece group made as much of an impression as a studio full of musicians. He did several of his own numbers, including unfaultable versions of 'Hey Joe' and 'Purple Haze' and The Troggs 'Wild Thing'.

1976 - Bill Grundy

The Sex Pistols appeared on ITV's live early evening 'Today' show (in place of Queen who had pulled out following a trip to the dentists by Freddie Mercury). Taunted by interviewer Bill Grundy who asked the band to say something outrageous, guitarist Steve Jones says: 'You dirty bastard...you dirty fucker...what a fucking rotter!' Grundy died of a heart attack aged 69 on 9th Feb 1993.

1983 - Neil Young

Neil Young was sued by Geffen Records because his new music for the label was ‘not commercial in nature and musically uncharacteristic of his previous albums’. His latest album Everybody's Rockin' featured a selection of rockabilly songs (both covers and original material) which ran for just 25 minutes, Young's shortest album.

1984 - Jim Diamond

Jim Diamond was at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'I Should Have Known Better.' The song was displaced after one week by Band Aid's charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas’'. Diamond publicly requested that people not buy his single, but instead buy Do They Know It's Christmas?  Diamond was a friend of Father Ted actor Dermot Morgan and was present when Morgan died suddenly during a meal. Diamond himself passed away in his sleep  in 2015. He was 64. 

1987 - Pink Floyd

A Kentucky teacher lost her appeal in the US Supreme Court over her sacking after showing Pink Floyd's film The Wall to her class. The court decided that the film was not suitable for minors with its bad language and sexual content.

1989 - Sly Stone

Sly Stone was sentenced to 55 days after pleading guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of cocaine, (two weeks later he also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and was sentenced to spend 9-14 months in rehab)

2006 - Oasis

An Oasis fan enjoyed "the best day of his life" when Noel Gallagher popped round to his house in Poynton, Cheshire to play an intimate gig. Ben Hayes had won a BBC Radio 1 competition to have the star play in his front room as part of a week of gigs compered by DJ Jo Whiley. 15 people packed into his lounge for the tiny gig - with his mother on hand making cups of tea for the crew.

2008 - Wham

Wham's Last Christmas was the most played festive track of the last five years. The Performing Right Society put the 1984 hit at the top of their chart of seasonal songs, just ahead of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? The Pogues came third with Fairytale of New York, recorded with the late Kirsty MacColl and first released in 1987. Other featured artists include Slade, Mariah Carey and Bruce Springsteen.

2012 - Shakira

Shakira was being sued for $100m (£62.4m) by a former boyfriend who acted as her business manager for six years. Antonio de la Rua claimed he was the "principal architect" of a business plan that turned the singer into a global superstar. He was seeking to "recover his share of past and future partnership profits," according to papers filed in New York.

2013 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan was placed under judicial investigation in France for allegedly provoking ethnic hatred of Croats. It followed a legal complaint lodged by a Croat association in France over a 2012 interview Dylan gave to Rolling Stone magazine. In the interview Dylan allegedly compared the relationship between Jews and Nazis to that of Serbs and Croats.

2013 - Martin Sharp

Australian artist, cartoonist, songwriter and film-maker Martin Sharp died from emphysema aged 71. Sharp was called Australia's foremost pop artist.His psychedelic posters of Bob Dylan, Donovan and others, rank as classics of the genre. Martin co-wrote one of Cream's best known songs, ‘Tales of Brave Ulysses’, created the cover art for Cream's Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire albums, and in the 1970s became a champion of singer Tiny Tim. I adored the artwork of Martin Sharp and consider him one of the best artists of the counter culture era.

2013 - Richard Coughlan

English drummer and percussionist Richard Coughlan died age 66. He was one of the founding members of Caravan in 1968 and remained with the band until his death. Caravan who were signed to Decca Records, blended psychedelic rock, jazz and classical influences to create a distinctive progressive rock sound. We bought their 'In The Land of Grey and Pink when it came out and it was never off the turntable . . . . . . .

BIRTHDAYS

1956 - Julee Cruise

Julee Cruise, an American singer, songwriter, actress and musician best known for her collaborations with composer Angelo Badalamenti and film director David Lynch in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She has released four albums and collaborated with a variety of other artists, (1990 UK No. 7 single 'Falling').

1951 - Jaco Pastorius

Jaco Pastorius, jazz bass player, who had the 1976 hit with Weather Report, 'Birdland'. Also worked with Joni Mitchell and Pat Metheny. Died on 21st September 1987 aged 35. He suffered irreversible brain damage after being beaten into a coma after an altercation with a bouncer at the Midnight Club in Fort Lauderdale.

1944 - John Densmore

John Densmore, drums, The Doors, who had the 1967 US No.1 & UK No.49 single 'Light My Fire' & 1971 single 'Riders On The Storm'. Densmore allowed 'Riders on the Storm' to be used to sell Pirelli Tyres, in the UK only and later stated that he "heard Jim's voice" in his ears and ended up donating the money earned to charity. In 2002, Densmore vetoed an offer by Cadillac for $15 million for 'Break on Through (To the Other Side)' because of Morrison's vehement opposition to licensing the Doors' music for commercial use.

1944 - Bette Midler

Bette Midler, singer, actress, (1989 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'Wind Beneath my Wings'). Worked with Barry Manilow, starred in the film 'The Rose' based on the life of Janis Joplin.