ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

1967 - The Beatles

Working at Abbey Road studios, London, The Beatles started recording a new John Lennon song 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'. The song was inspired by a drawing his 3 year-old son Julian returned home from school with one day. The picture, which was of a little girl with lots of stars, was his classmate - Lucy O’Donnell, who also lived in Weybridge, and attended the same school as Julian.

1968 - Elton John

Elton John's first single 'I've Been Loving You' was released on the Phillips label, with lyrics credited to Bernie Taupin (although John later admitted that he wrote the song by himself, giving Taupin credit as an effort to earn Taupin his first publishing royalties). The song didn't chart.

1969 - Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison of The Doors was charged with lewd and lascivious behaviour after allegedly showing his penis to the audience during a show in Miami. He was found guilty and sentenced to eight months hard labour. Morrison died in Paris while the sentence was on appeal possibly from a mistaken overdose of heroin. The entire show was filmed and there were loads of cameras there and no-one recorded any such thing. He threatened to and teased the crowd saying 'Oh is THAT what you want'? "There; there you see it?". There is no evidence whatsoever he flashed them and lets face it if you do such behaviour on film and before a phalanx of photographers the likelihood is pretty high someone would have it? Nope, nada, nothing!

1973 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd released their eighth studio album The Dark Side Of The Moon in the US. It remained in the US charts for 741 discontinuous weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any other album in history. After moving to the Billboard Top Pop Catalog Chart, the album notched up a further 759 weeks, and had reached a total of over 1,500 weeks on the combined charts by May 2006. With an estimated 45 million copies sold, it is Pink Floyd's most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums worldwide. I've said enough before about Dark Side and this is pretty much where I left them, only to visit their csolo efforts (well largely David Gilmour's) since. This effort was like a stereo test disc to me devoid of any great musical relevance or creativity, crass and sophomoric in its story telling . . . . . . . dull dull dull

1974 - Chris Difford

Chris Difford placed an advert in a shop window saying: 'lyricist seeks musician for co-writing'. Glen Tillbrook answered the ad and the pair went on to form Squeeze and had hits with 'Cool for Cats', 'Up the Junction', 'Tempted', 'Labelled With Love', and 'Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)'.

1995 - R.E.M.

During a gig at the Patinoire Auditorium in Lausanne, Switzerland, R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry collapsed on stage from a ruptured brain aneurysm. He recovered and later re-joined the band. 

1995 - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen's 'Streets of Philadelphia' won three Grammys for Song of the Year, Best Male Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song. The track was featured in the film Philadelphia (1993), an early mainstream film dealing with HIV/AIDS which stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. This song really made me sit up and take notice . . . . . 

1997 - Motley Crue

A Motley Crue fan who claimed his hearing had been irreparably damaged after a show in New Jersey had his lawsuit thrown out of court. The judge told Clifford Goldberg who had sat near the front of the stage, knew the risk he was taking.

1997 - David Bowie

'Bowie Bonds' were issued on the US Stock Exchange. Linked to David Bowie's back catalogue albums with money earned on the bonds via interest from royalties, investors could expect to make an 8% profit in about 10 years.

2001 - Sean Puffy Combs

Sean 'Puffy' Combs became the star witness of his own defence in a New York court claiming he didn't have a gun during a shooting in a New York club. The singer claimed he thought he was being shot at.

2016 - Ginger Baker

76-year-old Ginger Baker posted on his blog that he had cancelled all of his scheduled shows for the year and was going into immediate retirement. The former drummer for Cream and Blind Faith revealed that his doctor had just diagnosed him with serious heart problems, causing him to announce all forthcoming shows.

BIRTHDAYS

1944 - Roger Daltrey

English singer and actor Roger Daltrey, The Who. They scored the 1965 UK No.2 single My Generation plus over 20 other UK hit singles, 16 US Top 40 singles, and the rock opera albums Tommy and Quadrophenia. Daltrey had the 1973 solo UK No.5 single 'Giving It All Away'. The Who are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, selling over 100 million records worldwide. He and Pete Townshend received Kennedy Center Honors in 2008 and The George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at UCLA in 2016.

1944 - Mike D'Abo

Mike D'Abo, singer, songwriter, who with Manfred Mann had the 1968 UK No.1 & US No.10 single 'Mighty Quinn'. He wrote 'Handbags & Gladrags' covered by Rod Stewart and Stereophonics. Also wrote 'Build Me Up A Buttercup' a 1968 hit for The Foundations.

1927 - Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte, US singer, who had the 1957 UK No.1 & US No.12 single with ‘Mary’s Boy Child’ and a 1957 UK No.2 & US No.5 with ‘Banana Boat Song’. He also scored over 15 US Top 40 albums, including the 1956 Calypso. He is 93 today
Uncle tiom? Try telling Fozzy and Kermit that and they'll set Miss Piggy on you!

1904 - Glenn Miller

American big-band musician, arranger, composer, and bandleader Glenn Miller. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best-known big bands. In just four years Glenn Miller scored 23 No.1 hits. Miller's recordings include 'In the Mood', 'Moonlight Serenade', 'Pennsylvania 6-5000', and 'Chattanooga Choo Choo'. On December 15, 1944, while traveling to entertain US troops in France during World War II, Miller's aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel.