ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

February 4th

1965 - The Righteous Brothers

The Righteous Brothers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Phil Spector song 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. Also a US No.1 at the same time. In 1999 the PRS announced that it was the most played song of the 20th Century.

1966 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan and The Band played at the Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. This was the first date on a world tour which would become noted as Dylan's first that used electric instruments, after he had ‘gone electric’ at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

For no other reason . . . . . it's Bob!


1966 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones released '19th Nervous Breakdown' it reached No.2 on both the US and UK charts, while topping the NME charts and was the fifth best-selling single of 1966 in the UK. 

1967 - Monkees

The Monkees self-titled debut album started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK chart.


1968 - The Beatles

Working at Abbey Road studios, London, The Beatles recorded 'Across The Universe'. John and Paul decided the song needed some falsetto harmonies so they invited two girl fans into the studio to sing on the song. The two were Lizzie Bravo, a 16-year-old Brazilian living near Abbey Road and 17-year-old Londoner Gayleen Pease.

1972 - David Bowie

During sessions at Trident Studios, London, England, David Bowie recorded 'Rock 'n' Roll Suicide', 'Starman' and 'Suffragette City', the last songs recorded for the The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars album.


1975 - Louis Jordon

American jazz, blues, songwriter and saxophonist Louis Jordon died aged 66. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", between 1942-1950 he scored eighteen No.1 singles and fifty-four Top Ten hits on the US R&B chart.

I love Louis Jordan and have quite a few album that I played to death at one point . . . . . his story os fascinating and above all you can boogie along rot almost everyone. I loved songs called 'Caldonia', 'Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens', 'Let The Good Times Roll', 'Choo Choo Ch'Boogie', and 'Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby', which I first heard on a Tom and Jerry cartoon and I was hooked!










1977 - Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac released Rumours. The songs 'Go Your Own Way', 'Don't Stop', 'Dreams', and 'You Make Loving Fun' were released as singles. Rumours is Fleetwood Mac's most successful release; along with winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978, the record has sold over 45 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

1978 - Bee Gees

The Bee Gees started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Staying Alive'. From the film soundtrack Saturday Night Fever, it gave the brothers their fifth US No.1, also No.1 in the UK.


1978 - Althea and Donna

'Up Town Ranking' by Althea and Donna was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. It was the Jamaican duo's only hit, making the teenagers One Hit Wonders. Any excuse . . . . . . gotta love. Always makes me smile "nah pop nah style, I strictly roots . . . love is all I bring . . . . . "

1982 - Alex Harvey

Scottish singer Alex Harvey died of a heart attack while waiting to take a ferry back to shore after performing a concert with his new band, the Electric Cowboys. In an ambulance on the way to the hospital, he suffered a second heart attack, this one fatal. It occurred on the day before his 47th birthday, in Zeebrugen, Belgium. Formed Alex Harvey Big Soul Band in 1959 and then mid 1960s band Tear Gas. Had the 1975 UK No.7 single with Sensational Alex Harvey Band 'Delilah' and 1973 album 'Next'. Never a true fan I guess I did appreciate them but found them' funny' . . . . as in here:

1983 - The Smiths

The Smiths appeared at The Hacienda, Manchester, England. The group were set to release their debut single 'Hand in Glove' in two months time. 


1983 - Karen Carpenter

Happier days

Karen Carpenter died aged 32 of a cardiac arrest at her parent's house in Downey, California; the coroner's report gave the cause of death of imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa. The Carpenters 1970 album Close to You, featured two hit singles: ‘(They Long to Be) Close to You’ and ‘We've Only Just Begun.’ They peaked at No.1 and No.2, on the US chart. In 1975 - in Playboy's annual opinion poll; its readers voted Karen Carpenterthe Best Rock Drummer of the year.

Clearly unwell apparently to everyone but her

1984 - Culture Club

Culture Club started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Karma Chameleon' the group's 5th US Top 10 hit, also a No.1 in the UK.

1996 - Milli-Vanilli

Former Milli-Vanilli member Rob Pilatus was hospitalised after a man hit him over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood, California. Pilatus was attempting to steal the man's car at the time of the attack. Dead at 33 from alcohol and drug abuse

2000 - Bjorn Ulvaeus

Bjorn Ulvaeus confirmed that the members of ABBA had turned down a $1 billion (£0.58 billion) offer by American and British consortium to reform the group. "It is a hell of a lot of money to say no to, but we decided it wasn't for us," band member Benny Andersson told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

2003 - Courtney Love

Courtney Love was arrested at Heathrow airport for 'endangering an aircraft' on a transatlantic flight. The singer was said to have hurled abuse at the cabin crew on the flight from Los Angeles to London after her nurse who was in an economy seat was barred access to sit with Love in the upper class cabin.

2004 - Noel Gallagher

Police questioned Noel Gallagher after a photograph of him trespassing on a railway line appeared in a newspaper. The Oasis guitarist was in a studio in Cornwall recording the bands new album when he took a walk along the railway line. British Transport Police said 'he was setting a bad example.'

2007 - Razorlight

A Razorlight's gig in Lyon was halted mid-set because of an altercation between singer Johnny Borrell and bassist Carl Dalemo. The pair exchanged insults before they came to blows onstage. Borrell then stormed off leaving the French crowd amazed and unsure about what was going on.

2009 - Lux Interior

Lux Interior, (Erick Lee Purkhiser) singer and founding member of The Cramps died aged 62. He met his wife (better known as Poison Ivy, a.k.a. Ivy Rorschach), in Sacramento in 1972, when he and a friend picked her up when she was hitchhiking. The couple later founded The Cramps.

2009 - Led Zeppelin

Robert Plant said he felt Led Zeppelin couldn't reunite for a full tour because the band feels incomplete without drummer John Bonham. In an interview on Absolute Radio Plant stated, 'The reason that it stopped was because we were incomplete, and we've been incomplete now for 29 years,' he said. He admitted: 'I think the thing about it is really, is that to visit old ground, it's a very incredibly delicate thing to do, and the disappointment that could be there once you commit to that and the comparisons to something that was basically fired by youth and a different kind of exuberance to now, it's very hard to go back and meet that head on and do it justice'.

O2 Arena 2007 the last gig Ross Halfin/Exclusive by Getty Images

2013 - Reg Presley

Reg Presley lead singer with the Sixties rock and roll band The Troggs, died aged 71. Hit singles, included 'Wild Thing' [most notable and perhaps surprisingly at the time covered by Jimi Hendrix], 'I Can't Control Myself' and the UK No.1 'With a Girl Like You'. He also wrote the song 'Love Is All Around', which featured in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral and was a No.1 hit for Wet Wet Wet in 1994. Presley used his royalties from that cover to fund research subjects such as alien spacecraft, lost civilisations, alchemy, and crop circles, and outlined his findings in the book Wild Things They Don't Tell Us, published in October 2002.

2016 - Van Morrison

.Van Morrison described becoming a Sir as "amazing" and "exhilarating" after receiving a knighthood from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. He received his knighthood for services to the music industry and tourism in Northern Ireland

Sir Van and daughter Shana

BIRTHDAYS

1982 - Kimberly Wyatt

The Pussycat Dolls (Kimberly right)

Kimberly Wyatt, American singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress and choreographer. She is best known as a former member of the Pussycat Dolls who she joined in 2003. In 2010, she announced her departure from the group, continuing with her new band Her Majesty & The Wolves.  I find her witty and what the Americans would call sassy or spunky and she is nobodies fool her appearances on TV panel shows have endeared to an audience that may not care for the music. I like her! Dumb blonde she ain't!

1975 - Natalie Imbruglia

Natalie Imbruglia, actress, singer, who had the 1997 UK No.2 single 'Torn', from the 1997 UK No.5 album 'Left Of The Middle'. Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours.

this always amused me too . . . . . There are/were Ednas in the Swapp family!

1962 - Clint Black

Clint Black, country music singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and actor. Black made his debut with his Killin' Time album, which produced four No.1 singles on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. He has amassed more than 30 singles on the US country charts (of which 13 have reached No.1). I bought this album (Nothin' But The Taillights') when it came out for some reason

I dedicate this to my wife and guess I was feeling a bit soppy . . . . . .still, I like his voice

1960 - Tim Booth

Tim Booth, vocals, with English group James who had the 1991 UK No.2 single 'Sit Down'. Booth has also released solo projects.

1948 - Alice Cooper

Alice, love him

American singer, songwriter Alice Cooper, (Vincent Furnier), who formed the Earwigs, and then the Alice Cooper Band, who had the 1972 UK No.1 & US No.7 single 'School's Out', the 1972 hit 'Elected' and the 1973 US & UK No.1 album Billion Dollar Babies. Cooper's live shows featured guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, deadly snakes, baby dolls, and dueling swords. Cooper is now also a radio presenter.

Keen golfer Vince

1947 - Margie and Mary Ann Ganser

Margie and Mary Ann Ganser, vocalists for The Shangri-Las, who had a 1964 US No.1 & UK No.11 single with ‘Leader Of The Pack’. Mary Ann died in New York on March 15, 1970, aged 22, of a drug overdose(barbiturates). Margie died of breast cancer on July 28th 1996 age 48.

Margie extreme left and Mary Ann extreme right

1943 - Jimmy Johnson

Jimmy with Mick and Mick Taylor

Jimmy Johnson, American guitarist best known as part of the studio backing band known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Alabama. He played on many hits and countless sessions including, Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Arthur Conley, Wilson Pickett, Joe Cocker, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart. He also engineered The Rolling Stones album, Sticky Fingers. Johnson died of a suspected heart attack on 11 September 2019 at his home in Waller, Texas, at the age of 58.

1941 - Mike Deasy

American rock and jazz guitarist Mike Deasy. He worked as a member of The Wrecking Crew on sessions for Phil Spector, and contributed guitar parts to The Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds. In the 1960s and later years he also worked on records by the Monkees, the Association, Scott McKenzie, Randy Newman, Spanky & Our Gang, Tommy Roe, Fats Domino, The Byrds, Michael Jackson, Helen Reddy, Frank Zappa, and others.