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Music et al

September Music et al

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September Music et al

Ornette Coleman

In September 1961: Free Jazz by Ornette Coleman released. According to the Internet site, allmusic: As jazz’s first extended, continuous free improvisation LP, Free Jazz practically defies superlatives in its historical importance. Ornette Coleman’s music had already been tagged “free,” but this album took the term to a whole new level. Aside from a predetermined order of featured soloists and several brief transition signals cued by Coleman, the entire piece was created spontaneously, right on the spot.

September Music et al

News Music

Bob Dylan & The Road to Bethel

In September 1962:  Dylan wrote A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall in the basement of the Village Gate, in a small apartment occupied by Chip Monck, later to become one of the most sought-after lighting directors in rock music and a voice associated with the Woodstock Festival. (Dylan, see  Dec 14; see Woodstock, Chronology for expanded story)

Janis Ian

September Music et al

In September 1966: Society’s Child released. Recorded in 1965, 15-year-old Janis Ian’s song about teenage interracial romance was daring even in an age of openness. She was criticized by both conservatives because of the song’s topic and by folk musicians because of the song’s use of drums and harpsichord. [2009 NPR story] (see Sept 10)

2009 interview with Ian

September Music et al

Beatles

In September 1966: George Harrison went to India for 6 weeks to study sitar with Ravi Shankar (see Sept 10)

September Music et al

Arlo Guthrie

September Music et al

In September 1967: Arlo Guthrie (age 20) released first album, Alice’s Restaurant. 

Lindsay Planer in All Music talks about the album’s songs that are “uniformly outstanding, yet astoundingly overlooked,(see “in October”)

September Music et al

Rock Against Racism

September Music et al

In September 1976: Rock Against Racism (RAR) founded by Red Saunders, Roger Huddle and others in the United Kingdom as a response to an increase in racial conflict and the growth of white nationalist groups such as the National Front. The campaign involved pop, rock, punk rock and reggae musicians staging concerts with an anti-racist theme, in order to discourage young people from embracing racist views. David Widgery, active with the RAR, wrote, “We want Rebel music, street music, music that breaks down people’s fear of one another. Crisis music. Now music. Music that knows who the real enemy is.”

September Music et al
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September 26 Music et al

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September 26 Music et al

Connie Francis

September 26 – October 9, 1960: “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” by Connie Francis #1 Billboard Hot 100

September 26 Music et al

Kingston Trio

September 26 – October 30, 1960: the Kingston Trio’s String Along is their 3rd Billboard #1 album in 1960.

Bob Dylan

September 26 Music et al

September 26, 1961: Dylan started as opening act for the Greenbriar Boys. He stayed two weeks. (see Sept 29)

Oh Pretty Woman

September 26 – October 16, 1964: “Oh Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The title was inspired by Orbison’s wife Claudette interrupting a conversation to announce she was going out; when Orbison asked if she was okay for cash, his co-writer Bill Dees interjected “A pretty woman never needs any money.

AND! Roy Orbison performs “Oh, Pretty Woman” as the finale of the Black & White Night Concert. Backed by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Tom Waits, kd lang, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, T Bone Burnett, Steven Soles, and Jennifer Warnes.  Recorded September 30, 1987. [KRXB story]

September 26 Music et al

Brian Epstein

September 26, 1966: Brian Epstein hospitalized in a London clinic. The official given reason was that it was a check-up, although it later transpired that he had overdosed on prescribed drugs. Epstein had been suffering from depression and anxiety for some time, a condition exacerbated by his use of drugs – both prescribed and illegal. His anxiety had heightened following The Beatles decision to stop touring, which left Epstein with less involvement in their careers. Each member was undertaking individual projects in the late summer of 1966 and he had intended to join John Lennon in Spain on the set of How I Won The War.

However, as a result of the hospitalization, he was forced to cancel his visit to Spain. Although Epstein is known to have made later suicide attempts, it is believed that this overdose was accidental. (see Oct 3)

September 26 Music et al

Abbey Road

September 26, 1969: UK release of Abbey Road album. Though recorded after material for the Let It Be lp had already been recorded, it is released before Let It Be.

  • Label: Parlophone (UK), Capitol (US)
  • Recorded: 22 February – 20 August 1969, EMI, Olympic and Trident Studios, London. [Rolling Stone review] (see Oct 1)
September 26 Music et al

Walls and Bridges

September 26, 1974, The Beatles post break-up: US release of Walls and Bridges, the fifth album by John Lennon (released on 4 October in the UK)  Written, recorded and released during his 18-month separation from Yoko Ono (June 1973–January 1975), the album captures Lennon in the midst of his “Lost Weekend”. Walls and Bridges was an American Billboard number 1 album. [1974 Rolling Stone review] (see Nov 28)

September 26 Music et al
Music et al, Today in history

September 15 Music et al

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September 15 Music et al

Pendletons aka, the Beach Boys

September 15, 1961, the Pendletons,  from Hawthorne, California, attended their first real recording session at Hite Morgan’s studio in Los Angeles. The band recorded ‘Surfin’. They soon changed their name to the Beach Boys. (see Dec 8)

Four Seasons

September 15 – October 19, 1962: “Sherry” by the Four Seasons #1 Billboard Hot 100. Written by Bob Gaudio.

From Wikipedia: According to Gaudio, the song took about 15 minutes to write and was originally titled “Jackie Baby” (in honor of then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy). In a 1968 interview, Gaudio said that the song was inspired by the 1961 Bruce Channel hit “Hey! Baby”.

At the studio, the name was changed to “Terri Baby”, and eventually to “Sherry”, the name of the daughter of Gaudio’s best friend, New York DJ Jack Spector. One of the names that Gaudio pondered for the song was “Peri Baby,” which was the name of the record label for which Bob Crewe worked, named after the label owner’s daughter.

September 15 Music et al

Otis Redding

September 15, 1965: Otis Redding released his Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul containing his composition “Respect”

From AllMusic: “Otis Redding’s third album, and his first fully realized album, presents his talent unfettered, his direction clear, and his confidence emboldened, with fully half the songs representing a reach that extended his musical grasp. More than a quarter of this album is given over to Redding’s versions of songs by Sam Cooke, his idol, who had died the previous December, and all three are worth owning and hearing. Two of them, “A Change Is Gonna Come” and “Shake,” are every bit as essential as any soul recordings ever made, and while they (and much of this album) have reappeared on several anthologies, it’s useful to hear the songs from those sessions juxtaposed with each other, and with “Wonderful World,” which is seldom compiled elsewhere.”

September 15 Music et al

Fear of Rock

September 15, 1970: Vice President Spiro Agnew stated that  American youth were being destroyed by rock music, the drug culture, and underground newspapers. (see March 27, 1971)

September 15 Music et al