Tag Archives: May Music et al

Music et al, Today in history

May 11 Music et al

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May 11 Music et al

Canadian Beatles album

May 11 Music et al

May 11, 1964: recorded in 1963, the Beatles  released The Beatles’ Long Tall Sally album in Canada on the Capital Canada label. It was the last time such a type of release was done.

Capital deleted the album in 1967 but reissued it in 1971 along with the two other unique Canadian Beatles albums in Capitol’s “6000 Series”.

See Wikipedia entry for more.

May 11 Music et al

The Byrds

May 11, 1965: The Byrds made their TV debut with “Mr. Tambourine Man” on NBC’s “Hullabaloo.” (see June 16)

May 11 Music et al

The Road to Bethel

May 11 Music et al

May 11, 1970:  release of the triple soundtrack album ‘Woodstock’ in the US, going gold within two weeks. Eddie Kramer was the sound engineer.

This album’s version of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performance of “Sea of Madness” was actually recorded a month after the festival, during a performance at the Fillmore East. The live Woodstock version can be found on the 2009 album Woodstock: 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur’s Farm. (see February 9, 1973)

“Going up the Country” – Canned Heat

May 11 Music et al

John Lennon

May 11, 1972: John Lennon appeared on the ‘Dick Cavett Show.’ Lennon and Ono discussed their possible deportation that year due to Nixon’s displeasure at their anti-war activities. Lennon claimed that he was under surveillance from the FBI.

Slide up to the 30 minute mark to see them or watch the great show thru. (see May 17)

May 11 Music et al

All Those Years Ago

May 11, 1981: originally recorded by George Harrison in November 1980, after Lennon’s murder Harrison, Ringo, and Paul McCartney collaborated and re-released All Those Years Ago on this date.

Harrison originally released it as as single from his 1981 album Somewhere in England. The re-recording tailored the lyrics to serve as a personal tribute to Lennon.

Ringo played drums and McCartney overdubbed backing vocals. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, (see June 22)

 

 I’m shouting all about love
While they treated you like a dog
When you were the one who had made it so clear
All those years ago

I’m talking all about how to give
They don’t act with much honesty
But you point the way to the truth when you say
All you need is love
Living with good and bad
I always looked up to you
Now we’re left cold and sad
By someone the devil’s best friend
Someone who offended all
We’re living in a bad dream
They’ve forgotten all about mankind
And you were the one they backed up to the wall
All those years ago
You were the one who imagined it all
  All those years ago

All those years ago
Deep in the darkest night
I send out a prayer to you
Now in the world of light
Where the spirit free of lies
And all else that we despised
They’ve forgotten all about God
He’s the only reason we exist
Yet you were the one that they said was so weird
All those years ago
You said it all though not many had ears
All those years ago
You had control of our smiles and our tears
All those years ago
All those years ago
All those years ago
All those years ago
May 11 Music et al
Music et al, Today in history

May 9 Music et al

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May 9 Music et al

Steve Katz

May 9 Music et al

May 9, 1945: Steve Katz of Blues Project and Blood Sweat and Tears, born. (see SK for much more.)

May 9 Music et al

Alan Freed

May 9 Music et al

May 9, 1958: a Suffolk County, NY grand jury indicted Alan Freed on charges of inciting the unlawful destruction of property during a riot touched off at a performance of his rock ‘n’ roll show the previous Saturday night. [Newspapers dot com article] (see May 16)

May 9 Music et al

Billy Vaughn

May 9 – 15, 1960: Billy Vaughn and His Orchestra’s album Theme from a Summer Place was Billboard’s #1 album.

May 9 Music et al

Louis Armstrong

May 9 – 15, 1964, ending The Beatles’ streak of three number-one hits in a row over 14 consecutive weeks, “Hello Dolly” by Louis Armstrong  #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became the most successful single of Armstrong’s career, followed by a gold-selling album of the same name.

At 62 years old, the song also made Armstrong the oldest artist ever to reach #1 on the Hot 100 since its introduction in 1958. [NPR audio story]

May 9 Music et al

Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions

May 9, 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono released Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions, the second of their three experimental albums of avant-garde music on Zapple, a sub label of Apple. It was a successor to 1968’s Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins, and was followed by the Wedding Album. LIfe With the Lions peaked in the US at number 174. The album, whose title is a play on words of the BBC Radio show Life with The Lyons, was recorded at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London and live at Cambridge University, in November 1968 and March 1969.

William Rhulmann wrote in his All Music review, “If, as they suggested, their lives were their art, then this is, too. Maybe.” 

Edmund O. Ward wrote in Rolling Stone magazine that the album was “utter bullshit” and “in poor taste” (see May 24 – June 27)

I dare you!

May 9 Music et al
Birthdays, Music et al, Today in history

May 7 Music et al

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May 7 Music et al

Oh Dear, Miss Morse/Pearls Before Swine

Happy birthday to…

Bill Kreutzmann. Grateful Dead drummer and so much more born on May 7, 1947. [Kreutzmann site]

And Alan Spenner drummer for the Grease Band on May 7, 1948.

Roots of Rock

May 7, 1954: Bill Haley and His Comets released “Rock Around The Clock.” Dick Clark once called the song, “The national anthem of Rock and Roll” John Lennon said, “I had no idea about doing music as a way of life until rock and roll hit me.” Interviewer asked: “Do you recall what specifically hit you?” John Lennon: “It was “Rock Around The Clock.” [Rockabilly Hall of Fame article] (see Aug 1)

May 7 Music et al

see Monday Monday for expanded story

May 7 – 27, 1966: “Monday, Monday” by the Mamas and the Papas #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

May 7 Music et al

Pearls Before Swine

May 7 Music et al

May 7, 1967: Pearls Before Swine began recording their ‘One Nation Underground’ album. The LP included the song ‘Oh Dear, Miss Morse’, which NYC would ban stations discovered that lead singer Tom Rapp was singing F-U-C-K in Morse code. DJ Murray The K had played the record on the air and some Morse Code-savvy Boy Scouts correctly interpreted the chorus and phoned in a complaint.  [Tom Rapp obituary] (Fear, see March 23, 1969, BSA, see July 29, 1992)

Ozzy Osbourne

May 7, 1991: a judge in Macon, Georgia dismissed a wrongful death suit against Ozzy Osbourne. A local couple failed to prove their son was inspired to attempt suicide by Ozzy’s music.

John Lennon’s leather jacket

May 7, 1992: a leather Jacket worn by John Lennon was sold at Christies, London, England for £24,200. Lennon wore the jacket both onstage and off in the early 1960s, when the Beatles were playing clubs in their northern England hometown of Liverpool and in Hamburg, Germany. The jacket had been expected to fetch $7,000 to $11,000.(see January 19, 1994)

May 7 Music et al