ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

January 31st

1957 - Bill Haley

Decca Records announced that Bill Haley & His Comets, 'Rock Around the Clock' had sold over a million copies in the UK, mostly on 10inch 78's. The version of 'Rock Around the Clock' that was used in the movie Blackboard Jungle differs from the hit single version. The difference is in the two solo breaks.

and then the world began . . . . . . . . 

1967 - John Lennon

The Beatles spent a second day at Knole Park, Sevenoaks, Kent, England to complete filming for the 'Strawberry Fields Forever' promotional video. The film was shot in colour, for the benefit of the US market, since UK television was still broadcasting only in black and white. Taking time out from filming John Lennon bought a 1843 poster from an antiques shop in Surrey which provided him with most the lyrics for The Beatles song 'Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite'.

1969 - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin played the first of two nights at The Fillmore East, New York City during the band's first North American tour. Porter's Popular Preachers opened the night, then Led Zeppelin took the stage. It is alleged that Zeppelin's show was so powerful and got such an enthusiastic audience that headliners Iron Butterfly refused to follow them.


1970 - Slim Harpo
American blues musician Slim Harpo died of a heart attack while recording in London aged 46. His most successful and influential recordings included ‘I'm a King Bee’ (1957), ‘Rainin' In My Heart’ (1961), and ‘Baby Scratch My Back’ (1966). A master of the blues harmonica, his stage name was derived from the popular nickname for that instrument, the "harp". The Rolling Stones, Pretty Things, Yardbirds and Van Morrison's Them all covered his songs.

1970 - Jackson Five
The Jackson Five went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Want You Back'. The song was originally written for Gladys Knight & The Pips and was the first of four No.1's for the group. It made No.2 in the UK.

1976 - Abba

ABBA knocked Queen from the UK No.1 position on the UK singles chart with 'Mamma Mia.' Queen's single 'Bohemian Rhapsody' had enjoyed a nine week run at the top of the charts, by coincidence, Queen's single contains the famous "mamma mia, mamma mia, mamma mia let me go" line.

1981 - Blondie

Blondie went to No.1 on the US singles hart with 'The Tide Is High', the group's third US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK.

1984 - Queen

Queen's 'Radio Ga Ga' entered the UK charts at No.4. The track which was released after Queen's recording and touring hiatus of over a year spent eleven weeks in the chart, peaking at No.2.

1987 - Paul Simon

Paul Simon went back to No.1 on the UK album chart with Graceland the album stayed on the chart for a total 101 weeks. 'Graceland' later won the 1987 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, while the title song won the 1988 Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Still a favourite album and I always took the argument against accusation of cultural appropriation, it introduced more than any other album ever the world of African music to a white audience 

TURN IT RIGHT UP!

2007 - Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison was enlisted to help fight global warming more than 35 years after his death. 'Woman in the Window', a previously unreleased poem written and recorded by The Doors frontman shortly before he died in 1971 was being set to music and used to publicise the Global Cool campaign.

"What have they done to the earth?
What have they done to our fair sister? 
Ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit her 
Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn
And tied her with fences and dragged her down"

The Doors - When The Music's Over (Jim Morrison)

2008 - Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield entered the US chart at number three with her album Pocketful of Sunshine, equaling the record set by soul singer Sade in having the highest-ever US chart debut for a UK-signed female. The British singer sold 50,000 copies of the record in its first week of release.


2009 - Dewey Martin

Dewey Martin drummer with The Dillards and Buffalo Springfield died aged 68. The Canadian musician had the 1967 US No.17 hit single 'For What It's Worth' with Buffalo Springfield as well as working with The Monkees. In 1971, Martin retired from the music industry to become a car mechanic.


2009 - David Gilmour

David Gilmour appeared at Coldfall Primary School, Muswell Hill, London, during a charity show with The Seat Of The Pants Band. The black-tie dinner dance, at which Bob Hoskins, Suggs from Madness and comedian Les Dennis also appeared, raised over £50,000 for a cancer charity.



2011 - Mark Ryan

English guitarist Mark Ryan died aged 51. He joined The Ants appearing with the band in the Derek Jarman movie Jubilee (released in July 1977). Subsequently, he joined The Photons, and was involved with 'The Moors Murderers'.


2015 - Don Covay

R&B rock and roll singer and songwriter Don Covay passed away at the age of 78. His most successful recordings include 'Mercy, Mercy' (1964), 'See-Saw' (1965), and 'It's Better to Have (and Don't Need)' (1974). He also wrote 'Pony Time', a US No.1 hit for Chubby Checker, and 'Chain of Fools', a Grammy-winning song for Aretha Franklin.

2017 - John Wetton

English singer, bassist, and songwriter John Wetton died in his sleep at his home in Bournemouth, Dorset, UK from colon cancer. He rose to fame with bands Mogul Thrash, Family, King Crimson, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, and Wishbone Ash. After his period with King Crimson, Wetton formed UK, and later he was the frontman and principal songwriter of the supergroup Asia. Their biggest hit 'Heat of the Moment', reached No. 4 in the US in 1982.

2019 - Harold Bradley

Harold Bradley the American country and pop guitarist died age 93. As a session musician into the 1970s, he performed on hundreds of albums by country stars such as Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and Slim Whitman. Bradley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. A Country Music Hall of Fame member, he is believed to be one of the most recorded instrumentalist in history.

BIRTHDAYS

1987 - Marcus Mumford

Marcus Mumford, English musician, best known as the lead singer of Mumford & Sons. Their second studio album 'Babel' released in 2012 debuted at No.1 on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. It became the fastest selling album of 2012 in the UK. The live performance at the 2011 Grammy ceremony with Bob Dylan and The Avett Brothers led to a surge in popularity for the band in the US. The band received eight total Grammy nominations for Babel and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

1981 - Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake, singer with *NSYNC who had the 2000 US No.1 single 'It's Gonna Be Me' and the 1999 UK No.5 single 'I Want You Back'. As a solo artist scored the 2003 UK No.2 & US No.3 single 'Cry Me A River'. His second solo album 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' was released in 2006 with the US No.1 hit singles 'SexyBack', 'My Love' and 'What Goes Around... Comes Around.' With his first two albums, Timberlake has sold over fourteen million albums worldwide. Timberlake has his own record label called Tennman Records. He also has an acting career, having starred in films such as The Social Network, Bad Teacher and Friends with Benefits and of course Inside Llewyn Davis which featured some of Timberlake best acting (and singing!sic)




1970 - Minnie Driver

and yes she does sing and yes she can play the guitar

Minnie Driver, actress, singer, songwriter who had the 2004 album 'Everything I've Got In My Pocket'. Was once a member of UK band 'Puff, Rocks and Brown' who were signed to Island records. One of the most uniquely beautiful women on the planet and I suspect mad as a hatstand!

1961 - Lloyd Cole

Lloyd Cole, English singer, songwriter, who formed Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Had the 1985 UK No.19 single 'Brand New Friend', from their debut album 'Rattlesnakes' and as a solo artist the 1995 UK No.24 'Like Lovers Do'. An avid golfer, he is known for playing concerts in towns suspiciously close to famous golf courses.

yeah, you got it, when it came out . . . . . . 

1956 - Johnny Rotten

John Lydon, (Johnny Rotten,) singer with the Sex Pistols who had the 1977 UK No.2 single 'God Save The Queen' and 1977 UK No.1 album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols'. Formed Public Image Ltd who scored the 1983 UK No.5 single 'This Is Not A Love Song'.

1951 - Phil Manzanera

Phil Manzanera, guitarist with Roxy Music who with Roxy Music scored the hit singles 'Street Life', 'Love is the Drug', 'Dance Away', 'Angel Eyes', 'Jealous Guy' and 'Avalon'. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's No.1 album album On An Island.

1941 - Jerry Scheff

American bassist Jerry Scheff best known for his work with Elvis Presley in the 1960s and 1970s as a member of his TCB Band and his work on The Doors' final recordings. Scheff has also worked with Willy DeVille, Bob Dylan, John Denver and Elvis Costello.

with eternal thanks to On This Day In Music