Today In Music, July 31st

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 31st July):

Birth

1958. William Thomas Berry (R.E.M.) born in Duluth, Minnesota.

On Tour

1972. Dundee’s Lord Provost, W.K. Fitzgerald, announces that Hawkwind are banned from performing in the city’s Caird Hall after a nude dancer (Stacia) appeared on stage for the climax of their show on July 26th. Fitzgerald said that there was “A standing order to the person in charge that if anything like this does happen, the lights will be put out immediately, the police will be called and a charge will be brought against the person responsible”. Unfortunately, the usual person was not present when the incident took place and the instruction was not carried out”. 1,100 people attended the gig.

In Custody

1990. Axl Roses files a complaint against the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department after 13 deputies arrive at his Hollywood home with batons drawn.

In Court

1967. The convictions against Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are overturned by three judges sitting at the Appeal Court in London. Richards, who was convicted of allowing his house to be used for the smoking of cannabis, had his 12 month sentence set aside. Jagger, who was sentenced to three months for possessing “pep” pills, was given a conditional discharge. Providing he isn’t involved in any trouble in the next 12 months, this will not be recorded as a conviction.

The three judges – Lord Parker (The Lord Chief Justice), Lord Justice Winn and Mr. Justice Cusack – ruled that session chairman Judge Block had erred in his summing up to the jury at West Sussex Quarter Sessions. Lord Parker said there was only “tenuous” evidence that a girl clad only in a fur rug had smoked cannabis and that Richards must have known about it. It would, therefore, not be safe to allow the conviction to stand. Jagger’s case was somewhat less clear cut. He had been taking the amphetamines with the full knowledge of a doctor but without prescription. Teenagers, armed with “Save The Stones” placards, who had queued from 6.30 a.m. for seats in the public gallery, screamed and gasped as the judges’ decision was announced. Jagger later said that he would only ever take “pep” pills again if prescribed by a doctor.

On Television

1985. Late Night With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Musical guest: Nina Hagen

Death

1964. Jim Reeves and his pianist/manager Dean Manuel die when the small plane Reeves was piloting crashes into woods outside Nashville.

 

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Today In Music, July 30th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 30th July):

Birth

1949. Andy Scott (The Sweet) born in Wrexham, Wales.

On Tour

1971. A security guard is stabbed to death outside Forest Hills Tennis Stadium where The Who are playing. The guard, 22 year old George Etheridge, died after an announcement was made that the show was a sell-out and no tickets remained to be sold. A 21 year old man pulled a knife and shouted, “I’ll kill him”. The man suffered concussion and head wounds, in the scuffle that followed, and is in hospital in a “critical” condition. He has been charged with criminally negligent homicide.

In Custody

1993. Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers Band) is arrested in Saratoga Springs, New York, and charged with resisting arrest and obstructing govenmental administration. The arrest follows a post-gig argument with his wife, Donna, in the couple’s hotel room. She got so worried that she called the police. When they arrived, Betts agreed she could move to another room until things calmed down but just as she was about to leave, he changed his mind. A scuffle broke out and the guitarist pushed one of the cops. Betts was jailed overnight and released in the morning having posted $ 1,000 bail.

In Court

1997. Boys Don’t Cry file a $ 7 million lawsuit against Paula Cole, Warner Brothers Records and Imago Records alleging that Cole’s song “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?” is in part a copy of their 1986 hit, “I Wanna Be A Cowboy”.

On Television

1976. Midnight Special (NBC, U.S.A.) Host: David Brenner. Guests: George Benson; Hot Chocolate; Phoebe Snow; The Sylvers; Gary Wright. Here’s Gary with, “Dream Weaver”. 4m 30s.

Death

1999. The Grateful Dead‘s archivist, Dick Latvala, dies two days after suffering a heart attack. He was taken to hospital in a coma on July 28th and never regained consciousness. The Dead hired him in the early eighties and in 1993 he released the first of a series of thirteen personally selected live recordings under the title, “Dicks Picks”.

 

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Today In Music, July 29th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 29th July):

Birth

1953. Geddy Lee (Rush) born Gary Lee Weinrib in Toronto, Canada.

On Stage

1996. The Pogues play their last ever gig in front of 300 mourning fans at The Dome in London. In deference to the occasion Shane MacGowan is poured onto the stage with the band that sacked him. He manages one song before stumbling off stage with the words, “Goodbye forever, thank Christ for that”.

In Custody

1973. Shortly before Led Zeppelin are due onstage at New York’s Madison Square Gardens, road manager Richard Coles discoveres that $ 180,000 is missing from their safety deposit box at the city’s Drake Hotel. After the gig, the band are taken to a party hosted by Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun where they are presented with gold discs for “Houses Of The Holy”. When they do get back to the hotel, manager Peter Grant is arrested for assaulting New York Daily News photographer Charles Ruppermann.

In Court

1986. Boy George appears at Marylebone Magistrates’ Court, charged with possessing an unspecified quantity of heroin. He’s fined £ 250. Mr. Geoffrey Neil, presiding, told him, “I think it’s right to say that you faced up to this charge manfully. It is quite clear that you started to attempt to act on this matter long before the police raid”.

During a live TV interview later in the day, George said, “I have had letters from kids that made me feel so ashamed. I don’t want to say I have an excuse, I don’t … I started taking it a long, long time ago, casually. One day you wake up and you realise it is a problem”. He told another television interviewer that he pleaded guilty so that police could convict the dealers that supplied him.

On Television

1977. The Midnight Special (NBC, U.S.A.) 210. Hosts: KC & The Sunshine Band. Guests: The Bay City Rollers, The Emotions, Peter McCann, Willie Nelson (Tribute) Flora Purim, Cat Stevens (music video). Here are KC & The Sunshine Band with “I’m Your Boogie Man”. 3m 58s.

Death

1988. Country session guitarist Pete Drake dies aged 55.

 

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Today In Music, July 28th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday 28th July):

Birth

1949. Steve Peregrine Took (Tyrannosaurus Rex) born in London, England.

On Tour

2002. Rapper Ja Rule (real name Jeffrey Atkins), who’s appearing at Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica’s Montego Bay, is served with a summons to appear in court on the island tomorrow to answer a charge of using a profanity during last year’s Sumfest.

In Ecology!

1958. It’s official – listening to rock and roll on your car radio costs you more money. The findings of the Esso Research Center published today in “Billboard” show that the beat of the music causes drivers to fluctuate their speed subconsciously and thereby waste fuel.

In Court

1966. Donovan (real name Donovan Philip Leitch) is fined £ 250 at Marylebone Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis resin at his flat in Alexander Court on June 10th. His flat-mate, David John Mills, described as a musical director is fined the same amount on the same charge. Although the two men had attempted to stop police entering and had then jumped on their backs, no charges of assault were raised against them. Also in court was 20 year old Doreen Febienne Samuel who was found by police in a bedroom. She was put on 12 months probation. Donovan’s business manager, Ashley Cozac, appeared in court earlier in the day on charges of possessing cannabis and amphetamines. He was fined £ 100 on the first charge and £ 50 on the second.

In Hospital

1986. Keith Richards‘ wife Patti Hansen gives birth to a daughter, Alexandra Nicole Richards, at New York’s Lennox Hill Hospital. The 9lb 3oz girl is Keith’s fourth child and his second with Patti.

On Television

1979. American Bandstand (ABC, U.S.A.) 2378. Maxine Nightingale – “Lead Me On”. 2m 58s.

Death

1996. Margie Ganser (The Shangri-Las) dies from breast cancer aged 48.

Babble

At long last, Rockmine has a new front page! The previous one didn’t give nearly enough information and the main page had way too much. Hopefully this is a viable compromise. You wouldn’t believe how many pages needed replacing in order to give every entrance point the same look. If you find one that hasn’t been changed – please let me know.

Anyway, the new front page is here. The next problem I have is updating all the pages off that. The Beatles and Stones pages haven’t been touched for years and EVERYTHING needs a make-over. The new front page does now lead directly to the John Lennon Autograph, The Doors Tapes, Elton John’s Sotheby’s Catalogues and the Rock Film Posters – all of which are for sale. Needless to say, there’s also a link to Rockmine’s Garage Sale, although nothing new has been added since yesterday.

 

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© Copyright 1995 – 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Today In Music, July 27th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 27th July):

Birth

1944. Bobby Gentry born Bobby Lee Street in Chickasaw County, Mississippi.

On Tour

1969. Scott Walker is playing Blackpool’s ABC Theatre. Unfortunately, his audience aren’t happy. More than 200 demand their money back complaining that the singer was confused and sang one song twice. His publicist, Mr Chris Williams, later says that the confusion arose after taking tablets for headaches he has been suffering from since his car accident two weeks ago. The publicist goes on to say that Walker was “not aware of any discontent among his audience” but he will not be undertaking any other bookings for the immediate future.

In Custody

1997. Two Primal Scream roadies are arrested and charged with possessing marijuana and an “unidentified white powder” at the Lollipop Festival in Sweden. Initial press reports claimed that it was two members of the band who were arrested but the only band member to be searched was Throb who dropped his trousers to prove he wasn’t hiding anything. The roadies are released the next morning after paying a £ 500 deposit toward possible fines.

In Hospital

1986. Ella Fitzgerald collapses after a concert in Lewiston, New York. The 68 year old singer is taken to the Niagra Falls Medical Centre where an initial examination indicates the singer has congestive heart failure. Further tests will be carried out over the next feew days to see if she really did have a heart attack. Her manager, Pete Cavello, says she suffers from respiratory problems.

On Television

1999. Late Show With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Show #1260. Musical guests: Los Lobos with “This Time”. 4m 19s.

Death

1974. Bluesman Lightnin’ Slim (born Otis Hicks) dies from a stomach tumour in Pontiac, Michigan aged 61.

Apology

It’s not unusual for the blog to be up late morning. In some ways it’s never seemed to matter. After all, the Eastern seaboard of North America is 5 hours behind. A mid-day publishing time in the U.K. is 7 a.m. Eastern and 5 a.m. Pacific. Unfortunately it’s now nearly 16.00 GMT and here I am, adding my babble.

I know everyone has off days but this has turned into an off week with a complete absence of anything on Friday. I did manage to resurrect my eBay “Garage Sale” on Friday, getting 28 items online but that’s where it stopped. I thought it would be good to clear out some of the original 1970’s Dragon’s World/Dragon’s Dream/Paper Tiger art cards I’ve had taking up crate space for decades. No sooner had I put up a set of wonderful Bob Carlos Clarke cards than eight of them were bought. No big deal but it does mean I need to put more stuff online! Maybe I should take time for a blatant plug here and say if you’re a fan of Bob Carlos Clarke’s photography or the science fantasy art of Roger Dean, Patrick Woodroffe or Bruce Pennington then point your browser at the Rockmine Garage Sale.

The other big issue for me at the moment is getting a new front page for Rockmine’s site. It’s been really hard to find a simple and clear way of navigating round everything. At long last I think I’ve got it but I’m getting bogged down by the fact I can’t quite match the drop shadow section titles I’ve got on the old version. Seems crazy to get stuck on something so simple, so I think I’ll get the page up and add the images later when I’ve sorted the problem. Let’s see if I can get it done for tomorrow. Oh, and maybe Friday’s blog up as well!

 

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© Copyright 1995 – 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Today In Music, July 26th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Saturday 26th July):

Birth

1961. Gary Cherone (Extreme) born in Malden, Massachusetts.

On Tour

1977. Robert Plant is in New Orleans preparing for Led Zeppelin‘s show on the 30th when he is told that his five year old son Karac has died from a virus at home in England. He flies back with John Bonham and the band cancel the rest of their U.S. tour.

On The Internet

2002. The Record Industry Association of America’s web site, RIAA.org suffers a denial-of-service attack which lasts until the morning of July 29th. The attack, which mimics thousands of users sucking up the site’s bandwidth, rendered it unviewable for the duration. Although a spokesman said they would not speculate about the reason for the attack, experts believe that it’s a response to the RIAA’s endorsement yesterday of a bill allowing copyright holders to actively block or disrupt file trading networks.

In Court

1996. Leshaun Williams drops her lawsuit against LL Cool J for unlawful dismissal and accepts an undisclosed sum as settlement. She also abandons her plans to stage a protest outside the star’s forthcoming Radio City Music Hall date. The suit had been filed with assistance from the Equal Opportunities Commission after Williams was told she was too fat to star in one of Cool J’s videos.

On Television

1969. The Johnny Cash Show (ABC, U.S.A.) 7. Guests include Marty Robbins. Here he is with “El Paso”. 4m 04s.

Death

1990. Brent Mydland (The Grateful Dead) dies from an overdose of cocaine and morphine outside his home in Lafayette, California aged 38.

 

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© Copyright 1995 – 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Today In Music, July 24th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 24th July):

Birth

1935. Songwriter Les Reed (“It’s Not Unusual”, “There’s A Kind Of Hush” and many more) born in Woking, Surrey.

On Tour

1964. Britain’s biggest rock riot takes place during The Rolling Stones concert in Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom. Blackpool is besieged by drunken Glaswegians, in the city for their annual holiday. Unfortunately hundreds of them are amongst the audience of 9,000. Things turn sour when Keith Richards objects to Brian Jones being spat at by youths at the front of the stage. He retaliates with his boot, first standing on someone’s hands and then kicking another in the face. Within moments, the band are running for their lives.

It takes several hours for calm to be restored. By that time more than £ 2,000 worth of Stones’ equipment has been smashed, curtains in the hall are pulled down, seating is destroyed and the ballroom’s chandelier damaged. Two policemen and thirty members of the audience require treatment at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital.

The band are booked in to spend the night at a hotel in Preston, twenty miles away and hastily arrange a round the clock police guard in case they’ve been followed.

In Custody

1996. Rapper Warren G is arrested at the Los Angeles gay and lesbian nightclub Peanuts following the discovery of a loaded 9mm assault weapon in his trunk. Police are called to a disturbance outside the club and notice the truck which matches the description of one used in an armed robbery last week.

The rapper later holds a press conference to admit that he was arrested at the club but insists he was there on a lesbian only night (?). He is released on $ 10,000 bail and will appear in court on August 16th to face charges of possessing a concealed loaded weapon.

In Church (well, almost)

1999. Following their civil marriage yesterday, Phil Collins, 48, and his new bride Orianne Cevey, 27, have a religious blessing at the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland. After the ceremony, a lavish reception is held in the hotel with guests including Eric Clapton.

During their stay at the hotel, Phil arranged for Jack (his Jack Russell Terrier) to have his own suite at a cost of £ 220 a night. Jack got a double bed, minibar, sunken bath and balcony. If that wasn’t enough, a dog-sitter was booked to take Jack walkies, whenever the need arose. Orianne’s mother didn’t fare so well. While Jack was living it up in a suite, she had to make do with a standard room!

On Television

1968. Kraft Music Hall (NBC, U.S.A.) 84. The Turtles – “Elenore”. 2m 33s.

Death

1972. Bobby Ramirez (drummer with Edgar Winter’s White Trash) dies in a knife fight in a back alley off Rush Street, Chicago aged 23.

 

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© Copyright 1995 – 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Today In Music, July 23rd

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (July):

Birth

1965. Slash born Saul Hudson in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire. His father, Anthony designed album covers (Joni Mitchell‘s “Court & Spark” amongst others) and his mother, Ola was a costume designer for “The Man Who Fell To Earth”.

In Church

1971. John Maus, better known as John Walker (The Walker Brothers) marries Julie Parker Cann at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Norwich. The event is kept secret to avoid an invasion of fans, and is only seen by a few passers-by. Miss Cann was formerly secretary to DJ Simon Dee.

In Custody

1977. Led Zeppelin run into trouble after their concert at the Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. John Bonham, manager Peter Grant and crew members Richard Cole and John Bindon are arrested and charged with battery following a number of minor arguments with members of Bill Graham’s staff.

In Court

1976. George Harrison and Ringo Starr fail in their attempt to get a court injunction stopping Polydor Records from releasing “The Beatles Tapes”. The album is a compilation of interviews gathered by David Wigg from 1968 to 1973 for the London Evening News. The Fabs tried to stop the release claiming that the interviews didn’t reflect their current views and it might be construed as a genuine “Beatles” album. The judge refused the injunction saying such claims were “ridiculous”.

On Television

1980. Rockpalast (WDR, Germany) The Beat (WDR Studio-B Koln)

Death

1995. Two men die during R.E.M.‘s concert at Dublin’s Slane Castle. One drowns while swimming across the River Boyne to get in for free. The other is accidentally pushed from a bridge into the river. The drownings happen despite a special river rescue team patrolling all weekend.

 

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Today In Music, July 22nd

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 22nd July):

Birth

1963. Emily Saliers (The Indigo Girls) born in New Haven, Connecticut.

In The Skies

1994. The Minor Planet Circular issued today, announces that minor planet 3834 which was discovered on 11th May 1980 has been named Zappafrank in memory of Frank Zappa.

In Custody

1996. Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) is arrested in the early hours of the morning following allegations that he assaulted a fan at his hotel in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina. Soundgarden had returned to the hotel after playing the Lollapalooza at around 1am. Thayil went to his room and discovered it had been broken into. On going downstairs to discuss the matter with the hotel’s manager, he was harassed by drunk party-goers attending a wedding reception. He grabbed the disposable camera of one guest and threw it away. The guests then charged at him. In his flight, he is thought to have hit one of the group in the face. He is charged with assault on a girl and damage to property and released on $ 2,500 bail.

In Court

1997. Robbie Williams is in the High Court in London, defending a lawsuit brought by his former manager Nigel Martin-Smith. The ex-manager is seeking £ 1 million which includes £ 78,000 in unpaid commission on royalties and advances and a percentage of the singer’s earnings until 2006.

On Television

1967. American Bandstand (ABC, U.S.A.) 1784. The Doors – “Light My Fire” & “Crystal Ship”; Bee Gees (on film) – “New York Mining Disaster 1941”. Here’s “Light My Fire”.

Death

1996. Rob Collins (The Charlatans) crashes his BMW on the journey from a local pub to Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales where the band are recording their fifth album. He is resuscitated by a nurse at the crash site but dies in the ambulance on his way to hospital. A sound engineer travelling with him escapes serious injury but is in shock.

 

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Today In Music, July 21st

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday 21st July):

Birth

1945. Mike Wilsh (The Four Pennies) born in Stoke On Trent, England.

On Tour

1963. The Beatles appear at Blackpool’s Queens Theatre. Police are called to deal with the crowd of 4,000 in the street outside who couldn’t get tickets. Because of the fans, the band make it into the theatre across the rooftop from an adjoining building.

In Custody

1997. Police are called in to investigate after Whitney Houston is taken to a hospital on the island of Capri with a deep cut on her face. She and Bobby Brown have been sailing the Medirranean in a yacht and have just arrived on the island. The soul diva said she’d gashed her face while diving near rocks but a member of the yacht’s crew said she’d received the cut on board.

In Court

1997. C. Delores Tucker, lobbying against gansta-rap lyrics files a lawsuit against the estate of Tupac Shakur alleging intentional infliction of emotional distress, slander and invasion of privacy relating to lyrics about her on Shakur’s last album.

On Television

1973. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 31. The Tremeloes; Rebekka; Alice Cooper; Wolfgang; Millie; Ricky Shayne; Love Generation; Dawn; Michael Holm; Oliver Onions; Daisy Door.

Death

2002. Producer Gus Dudgeon (59) and his wife, Sheila die in the early hours of the morning when their Jaguar XK8 leaves the M4 motorway near Reading and crashes into a concrete embankment 20 feet below. Dudgeon had worked with a wide variety of artists from Joan Armatrading to XTC over the years but he’s best known for his work with Elton John. His production credits for Elton include the classics, “Your Song”, “Goodye Yellow Brick Road”, “Candle In The Wind” and “I’m Still Standing”. In a statement on his web site, Elton said, “I am devastated by the tragic news about Gus Dudgeon”. He went on to describe him as “an incredibly talented producer and a very dear friend for many years” adding, “I will miss him terribly”.

 

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