portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Saturday, December 28, 2019

ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

December 28th


1968 - The Beatles
The Beatles went to No.1 on the US album chart with the The White Album the group's 12th US No.1 album. A double album, its plain white sleeve has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed and numbered originally making mockery of the artworld's limited edition, designed with Richard Hamilton and Paul McCartney's influence whose burgeoning interest in the art world had already produced the Sgt Pepper collaboration with Peter Blake and Jan Haworth. The plain White Album cover which was intended as a direct contrast to the vivid cover artwork of the band's earlier Sgt. Pepper's although it's contents inside the sleeve produced a lavish collage poster by Hamilton and individual portrait photographs of the boys by John Kelly.  No singles were issued from the album in Britain and the United States, the songs 'Hey Jude' and 'Revolution' originated from the same recording sessions and were issued on a single in August 1968.
1968 - Miami Pop Festival
The three day Miami Pop festival took place, the first major rock festival held on the East Coast of the US, with The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceChuck Berry, The McCoys, Joni MitchellFleetwood MacMarvin Gaye, The Turtles, The Box Tops, Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, Pacific Gas and Electric, Procol Harum, Canned HeatIron Butterfly and The Grateful Dead.


Jimi at Miami Pop '68

Jerry G at Miami Pop '68
1968 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd appeared at the two day festival , The Netherlands, (replacing The Jimi Hendrix Experience). Other acts appearing included Jethro TullJeff Beck, The Pretty Things and The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

1971 - George Harrison
George Harrison was at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'My Sweet Lord' making him the first Beatle to score a No.1 US hit. The song was originally intended for Billy Preston.

1974 - Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Angie Baby', the singers third US No.1. The song was turned down by Cher.

1978 - The Rolling Stones
Rolling Stone magazine voted Some Girls by The Rolling Stones 'Album of the Year.' The cover designed by Peter Corriston, featured The Rolling Stones in garish drag alongside select female celebrities and lingerie ads. The cover immediately ran into trouble when Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli (representing her mother Judy Garland), Raquel Welch, and the estate of Marilyn Monroe who all threatened legal action.

1983 - Dennis Wilson
Having made two successful dives below a friend’s yacht to find items he’d drunkenly thrown off his own boat three years before, The Beach Boys Dennis Wilson took one last dive into the Pacific and never returned from the boat moored in Marina Del Rey, California. With the help of President Reagan he was given a burial at sea, normally reserved for Naval personnel. Dennis was the only genuine surfer in The Beach Boys.

1993 - Shania Twain
Canadian singer Shania Twain married record producer Mutt Lange. The couple separated in 2008 after 14 years of marriage.
1998 - Massive Attack
UK radio station BBC Radio 1 aired the 100 National Anthems, songs voted by listeners. At No.5 Radiohead, 'Creep', No.4 Underworld 'Born Slippy', No.3 The Verve 'Bitter Sweet Symphony', No.2 Nirvana 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' No.1 Massive Attack 'Unfinished Sympathy'.

2011 - Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O’Connor announced the end of her marriage to therapist Barry Herridge after only 16 days. O'Connor admitted that they had "made a mistake rushing into getting married". This was the Irish singers fourth marriage.

2015 - Lemmy
Lemmy, lead vocalist and bassist with Motörhead died at his home in Los Angeles, California, four days after his 70th birthday following a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. Lemmy played in several rock groups in the 1960s, including the Rockin' Vickers and worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and The Nice, before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971, singing lead on their hit 'Silver Machine'.

BIRTHDAYS


1950 - Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton, guitar, vocals, with The Box Tops who had the 1967 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'The Letter'. He formed Big Star in 1971. In the 1980s both R.E.M., and The Replacements cited Big Star group as a major influence. Chilton died in hospital of heart problems in New Orleans on March 17th 2010 aged 59. Today he would have only been 69.

1943 - Chas Hodges
English musician and singer Chas Hodges, who had worked with British producer Joe Meek as a session musician, backing Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent. Hodges later joined Heads Hands and Feet, (with guitarist Albert Lee). With Chas & Dave he scored the 1982 UK No.2 single 'Ain't No Pleasing You'. He also played piano for short-lived supergroup the Rockers, which featured Roy Wood, Phil Lynott and John Coghlan. He died from pneumonia on 22 September 2018, aged 74.










1938 - Charles Neville
Charles Neville, saxaphone, The Neville Brothers, (1989 UK No.47 single 'With God On Our Side').The second oldest of the four Neville brothers, Charles was born in New Orleans on Dec. 28, 1938 to Arthur Lanon Neville Sr. and Amelia (Landry) Neville and was raised in the Calliope housing project with his musical brothers, Art, Aaron, and Cyril. Their uncle, George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry, was lead singer of the Mardi Gras Indian group The Wild Tchoupitoulas. Charles left home when he was 15 to play saxophone with the Rabbit’s Foot Minstrel Show.


1921 - Johnny Otis
Johnny Otis, (1957 UK No.2 single 'Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me', 1958 US No.9 single 'Willie And The Hand Jive').

1915 - Roebuck 'Pop' Staples
Roebuck 'Pop' Staples, vocals, The Staple Singers, (1975 US No.1 single 'Let's Do It Again'). Died 19th December 2000.

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