ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

February 12th

1964 - The Beatles

The Beatles returned to New York City by train from Washington, D.C. for two performances at Carnegie Hall. There was such a demand for tickets that some extra seating was arranged surrounding the stage. Tickets ranged from $1.65 to $5.50. 

1965 - Donovan

Pye Records announced that they'd signed 'the British Bob Dylan', when they added Donovan to the label. The Scottish singer-songwriter produced a series of hit albums and singles between 1965 and 1970 and became a friend of leading pop musicians including Joan Baez, Brian Jones and The Beatles. He influenced John Lennon when he taught him a finger-picking guitar style in 1968. I bought my first Donovan album on Marble Arch and can't recall whether it was 'What's Been Did and What's Bin Hid' or a more simple collection. What I do know is that it wasn't Fairytale his first album and it was one that included 'Hey Gyp', 'Catch The Wind', 'Universal Soldier' et al. I loved it . . . . and him!

Donovan appears on Ready Steady Go with Cathy MacGowan

1967 - Keith Richards

15 police officers raided Redlands the West Sussex home of The Rolling Stone Keith Richards during a weekend party. The police who were armed with a warrant issued under the dangerous drugs act took away various substances for forensic tests. George and Pattie Harrison had been at the house, but it was said that the police waited for them to leave before they raided the house in order not to bust the holder of an MBE.

1969 - Amen Corner

'(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice' by Amen Corner was at No.1 on the UK singles chart, the group's only UK No.1. The song was first offered to The Tremeloes as a potential single, who rejected it. Andy Fairweather-Low has had an intriguing career and I bought this and later his 'Spider Jiving' LP [74] but I find his guitar session work with the likes of Eric Clapton's touring band endlessly fascinating too

1970 - John Lennon

John Lennon performed 'Instant Karma!' on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops, becoming the first Beatle to have appeared on the show since 1966. Lennon wrote, recorded, and mixed his new single, all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history. Lennon later stated, "I wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch, and we're putting it out for dinner."

1972 - Al Green

Al Green went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Let's Stay Together', his only US chart topper. It was ranked the 60th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Tina Turner had a hit with the song in 1984.

1977 - The Police

The Police recorded their first single, 'Fall Out' for £150 ($255) at Pathway Studios, London, England.

1977 - Blondie, Tom Petty and the Ramones

Blondie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and the Ramones all appeared at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, California.

1977 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd released their tenth studio album Animals in the US, where it reached No.3 in the charts. The album's cover image, a pig floating between two chimneys on Battersea Power Station, was conceived by bassist Roger Waters and realised by long-time design and photographic collaborators Hipgnosis. Again simplistic and mannered not to say laboured but this had really begun to leave me cold by now . . . . . . .soulless dirges

1989 - Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin lost a court case against Broadway producer Ashton Springer, who sued for $1 million (£0.58 million) when Aretha failed to turn up for rehearsals for the stage show Sing Mahalia Sing, blaming her fear of flying on the non appearance.


1997 - U2

People even recorded it as a bootleg!

U2 held a press conference in the Lingerie Department at the Greenwich Village Kmart store in Manhattan, New York City, to announce their Pop Mart world tour. The tour was set to start in Las Vegas on April 25th of this year.

2000 - Screamin Jay Hawkins

American singer, songwriter, musician Screamin' Jay Hawkins died aged 70 after emergency surgery for an aneurysm. A Golden Gloves boxing champion at 16, he was married nine times, fathered over 30 children, spent two years in jail and was temporary blinded by one of his flaming props on stage in 1976. He recorded 'I Put A Spell On You' in 1956, (which was covered by many acts including The Animals, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Nina Simone).

Jools, Mica and David Gilmour . . . . . 

2003 - John Densmore

Former Doors drummer John Densmore took out legal action against The Doors keyboard player Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger for breach of contract, trademark infringement and unfair competition. The band had reformed with Ex- Cult singer Ian Astbury and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Densmore said "It shouldn't be called The Doors if it's someone other than Jim Morrison singing."

The Doors it certainly wasn't - Ray, Ian Astbury, Robbie and Stewart Copeland

2005 - Joe Strummer

The Class 47 locomotive 47828 was named after Clash frontman Joe Strummer at a ceremony in Bristol. The diesel train, owned by Cotswold Rail, was named after the singer/guitarist who died, aged 50, in 2002.

2007 - The Police

During a press conference at West Hollywood's Whisky a Go Go club Sting confirmed that The Police were getting back together. The band were set to kick off a world tour on May 28 in Vancouver, Canada, supported by Sting's son Joe Sumner's band, Fiction Plane.

2008 - Ronald Isley

Ronald Isley's appeal against a three-year jail term for tax fraud was rejected by a US court. The 65-year-old singer of the Isley Brothers argued against being imprisoned in an Indiana jail on the grounds of age and poor health. The court heard he cashed royalty cheques belonging to his brother O'Kelly, who died in 1996 and spent millions of dollars made from undeclared performances on a yacht and two homes. Isley was ordered to pay more than $3.1m (£1.62m) to the US tax service for "pathological" evasion.

Ron and Ernie Isley

2009 - Madonna

A full frontal nude photo of Madonna taken in 1979 by legendary art photographer Lee Friedlander before she became famous, sold at auction for $37,500. The black and white picture was taken at a time when Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was a 20-year-old dancer trying to make ends meet in New York. Friedlander said "she seemed very confident, a street-wise girl. She told me she was putting a band together but half the kids that age are doing that. She was a good professional model." He doesn't recall now but in 1979 may have paid her as little as $25 for the session. Some of the shots appear in Friedlander's book 'Nudes' in 1991

Madonna by Freidlander

Master photographer Lee Freidlander

2015 - Steve Strange

Welsh singer Steve Strange, (born Steven Harrington) lead singer of Eighties pop band Visage, died aged 55 following a heart attack in hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. His band, Visage, formed in 1979 (with Rusty Egan and Midge Ure from Rich Kids, Billy Currie from Ultravox, and Barry Adamson, John McGeoch and Dave Formula from Magazine), and their breakthrough single, 'Fade To Grey', peaked at No.8 in the UK in 1981. Strange appeared in the video for David Bowie's No.1 hit ‘Ashes to Ashes’.




2017 - Adele

Adele was the biggest winner at The 59th Annual Grammy Awards with five trophies, including Album of the Year for 25, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year for 'Hello'. Adele also became the first artist in history to win all three general field awards in the same ceremony twice, previously winning all three categories in 2012. David Bowie won Best Rock Performance, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Song and Best Recording Package for Bla
ckstar.

2017 - Al Jarreau

American singer and musician Al Jarreau died of respiratory failure at the age of 76, just two days after announcing his retirement. During his career he received a total of seven Grammy Awards and is best known for his 1981 album Breakin' Away. He also sang the theme song of the late-1980s television series Moonlighting.

BIRTHDAYS

1981 - Lisa Hannigan

Lisa Hannigan, Irish singer with Damien Rice. Appeared on his 2003 album 'O' featuring the single 'Cannonball.' I LOVE Lisa Hannigan and her spot at Glastonbury blew me away, so that I have bought everything since . . . . .I had been aware of her with Damien Rice but nearly missed her solo spots until I heard 'I Don't Know' . . . . she is really worth following

1952 - Michael McDonald

Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter Michael McDonald, who with The Doobie Brothers had the 1979 US No.1 single 'What A Fool Believes', and the 1993 UK No.7 single 'Long Train Runnin'. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan and has also worked with Kenny Loggins, David Cassidy, Van Halen, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin and Toto
I bought the single 'What a Fool. . . ' when I found it in the sale bins and the vpooice fascinated me though I never really cared for The Doobies (which is ironic!)

1939 - Ray Manzarek

Ray Manzarek, keyboards, with The Doors, who had the 1967 US No.1 & UK No.9 single 'Light My Fire' and the 1971 single 'Riders On The Storm'. Manzarek died on 20th May 2013, he had suffered from bile duct cancer for many years. He formed the band with lead singer Jim Morrison in 1965 after a chance meeting in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.