From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 18th September):
Birth
1939. Frankie Avalon born Francis Avallone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On Tour
2000. Matchbox 20 are playing Gainsville in Florida but the night doesn’t go well. Guitarist Adam Gaynor has his favourite guitar stolen. The customized Taylor acoustic-electric is described as translucent green with brass hardware and a smoothcutaway design. The band is offering an undisclosed reward for the guitar, thought to be worth at least $ 3,300.
In Custody
1981. Jackson Browne and 36 other protestors are arrested whilst trying to blockade a nuclear power plant at Diablo Canyon in California. It’s the fourth day of protests and so far 966 people have been arrested. The Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission is due to vote on licensing the plant on September 21st. Until the licence is granted, it will be unable to start production. Environmental protestors are claiming that siting the plant so near an earthquake fault line is unsafe.
In Court
1978. Coroner Gavin Thurston records an open verdict at the inquest into the death of Keith Moon.
On Television
1986. Late Night With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Musical guest: Keith Emerson who joins Paul Shaffer and the “Late Show Band” to perform a rockin’ version of the song, ‘America’
Death
1970. Jimi Hendrix is taken from a flat in Landsdowne Crescent, Notting Hill, where he’s collapsed to St. Mary Abbott’s Hospital in Kensington but is found to be “dead on arrival”. It’s believed that his death is the result of a drug overdose. A hospital spokesman said “the matter had been referred to the coroner”. For an insight into the differing conspiracy theories surrounding Jimi’s death, why not check out an article I did many years ago for the magazine “Idols” here.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 16th September):
Birth
1944. Betty Kelly (Martha And The Vandellas) born in Detroit, Michigan.
On Tour
1979. Passing through London’s Heathrow Airport enroute for the United States, Elton John reveals what he’s been keeping under his hat until now – a new head of hair! Speaking of the hair transplant, Elton said, “I had the operation done in Paris and I have another two operations to go before it’s completely finished”. He refused to reveal how much the treatment cost but did say, “Looking at it now, I think it was absolutely worthwhile”.
In Court
1970. Robbie Krieger and John Densmore are called to give evidence at Jim Morrison‘s obscenity trial in The Circuit Court for Dade County, Miami, Florida. Judge Murray Goodman, presiding.
In Hospital
1970. Sandie Shaw announces that she’s preganant. The news came after the singer had collapsed in her car on the way to Heathrow Airport where she was due to leave for the Venice Festival. Doctors today revealed the reason for her exhaustion. Sandie’s been married to the fashion designer Jeff Banks for the last two years. The baby, which is due early next year, will be the couple’s first. Sandie’s performance in Venice has been cancelled and she’ll be resting for the next few days.
On Television
1965. Shindig! (ABC, U.S.A.) Opening medley (song excerpts): The McCoys, The Byrds, Jerry Naylor, The Everly Brothers and Chad & Jill; The Everly Brothers; The Byrds; Billy Preston; Jerry Naylor; Ketty Lester; The Byrds; The McCoys; Chad and Jill (Chad Stuart of Chad and Jeremy, and his wife Jill); Chad Stuart; The Rolling Stones; Finale: Everly Brothers. Here’s the first segment of the show which will link to the other two parts to give you the complete programme. 8m 57s.
Death
1977. Marc Bolan dies when the Mini in which he is travelling skids and hits a tree on Barnes Common in London. The car is being driven by Marc’s girlfriend, Gloria Jones, who survives.
And on this day in 1997, the Performing Rights Society erects a marker at the site of Marc’s fatal crash. On hand to assist in the proceedings is his son, Rolan.
I longed for another Pink Floyd album. I knew there was little likelihood of getting one but I nurtured a small hope that sometime in the future Dave, Nick and Rick as we used to refer to them would one again go into the studio and deliver a collection of songs. Maybe I’m being selfish but today’s a really bad day.
We’re all meant to know where we were when John Lennon was shot; remember how we heard the news. I do but neither The Beatles, nor John’s solo work is something that I listen to on a regular basis. That’s far from true with Pink Floyd.
As a kid, I got stoned to Echoes and fell deeply in love with a music that stays with me to this day. My best memory of ANY gig is Knebworth 1975 when the band, at the peak of its power played Dark Side Of The Moon and Animals and encored with Echoes. The Spitfire that flew overhead, the plane exploding into the stage and even “One Of Those days In England” that was warm and full of hope didn’t get close to the effect of the first few notes of Echoes drifting over a totally black night. Fires flickered around the edges of the festival field but all that could be seen were a few power lights on the amps on stage.
33 years on and I want to be back there. I know you can never go back but it doesn’t quell the desire. The soundtrack to my life went quiet today. A quiet unassuming man passed and with his passing took a bit of our lives away too.
Forget the fact that the financial markets are in turmoil; that today was the worst day since the Great Depression on the stock markets. A man who was loved by family, friends and fans died today and as a result we’re all poorer.
Overhead the albatross
Hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves
An echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday 15th September):
Birth
1941. Les Braid (The Swinging Blue Jeans) born in Liverpool, England.
On Stage
1973. David Essex, the first man to play Jesus Christ onstage in London, leaves the musical “Godspell” tonight after almost two years, having re-enacted the crucifixion 750 times. The 26 year old singer’s current single, “Rock On”, has just climbed to number three in the charts. He’ll also soon be starring in the film, “That’ll Be The Day”
In Custody
1987. Three owners of the Eastern Bloc record shop in Manchester are charged under the obscene publications act after police seize all copies of the Flux Of Pink Indians album, “The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks” from the shop. The album has recently been re-released and suffered similar seizures in 1984 when it was first available.
On The Street
1993. The James Brown Soul Centre Of The Universe Bridge is officially opened in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Fans of the soul singer launched a campaign on his behalf when the town announced a competition to find a name for the bridge. The “Godfather Of Soul” was on hand to declare the crossing open with the words, “Papa’s gotta brand new bridge”
His appearance in a cowboy hat did little to pacify local residents who had opposed the plan. They made their feelings known by spraying the bridge with racist graffiti the night before the opening. The comments were removed before Brown’s arrival.
On Television
1979. American Bandstand (ABC, U.S.A.) 2385. The Beach Boys – “Sumahama” & “Lady Linda”. 7m 07s.
Death
1980. Jazz pianist Bill Evans dies of a bleeding ulcer in New York aged 51.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 14th September):
Birth
1950. Paul Kossoff (Free, Back Street Crawler) born in Hampstead, London, England.
In Court
1972. The inquest into the death of George Dew, 25 year old road manager with the Storm pop group, hears that he died as a result of overloading a stage cannon. An explosives expert from Scotland Yard told the inquest, at Romford in Essex, that the cannon, which was used to round off the group’s shows, was so weak it could only take an explosive charge of two or three ounces. He said the damage caused was probably the result of three pounds of explosives being used. The cannon killed Dew when it exploded on stage at Albermarle Youth Centre in May.
In Hospital
1965. French singer Juliet Greco is found unconscious in her Paris apartment in the early morning and rushed to hospital. The 38 year old star had overdosed on sleeping pills.
On The Street
1997. English Heritage honour Jimi Hendrix with the unveiling of a “Blue Plaque” on the wall outside his old flat at 23 Brook Street in London. Pulling the string was Pete Townshend flanked by Jimi’s old girlfriend Kathy Etchingham and Noel Redding.
The convivial atmosphere is ruined when Jimi’s father Al Hendrix and step-daughter Janie Wright turn up in a blatant attempt to grab publicity. Although they were sent invitations they claimed to know nothing of the event. Strange then that both the official Hendrix magazine and web-site announced they would be attending.
On Television
1968. Beat Club (WDR, West Germany) 35: Amen Corner, John Walker, Equals, Ben E. King, Nice, Status Quo, Dave Dee & Co, Canned Heat, Arthur Conley, Leapy Lee, Hollies. Here are The Nice with “America”. 4m 32s.
Death
1968. Fire destroys the lakeside home of Roy Orbison near Hendersonville, Tennessee. Two of his sons, 11 year old Duane and 6 year old Tony are killed in the blaze although 3 year old Wesley escapes without injury. Orbison is believed to be returning home after concerts in the U.K. The children were being cared for by their grandparents, their mother having been killed in a motorcycle crash two years ago. The fire also destroyed an adjoining garage housing the singer’s collection of vintage cars.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Saturday 13th September):
Birth
1977. Fiona Apple born Fiona Apple Maggart in New York City.
In Court
1999. Marcelo Rodriguez, the Beverly Hills cop who arrested George Michael for committing a lewd act in a public toilet, files a $ 10 million lawsuit against the singer. The policeman claims he’s been slandered in interviews and made mockery of a music videos.
All At Sea
1993. An R.A.F. helicopter and the local lifeboat are scrambled when Paul McCartney‘s 16 year old son, James, disappears in heavy seas while surfing with friends after school. He’s swept out to sea from a dangerous sandbar off Camber Sands near Rye in Kent but washed ashore three-quarters of a mile down the coast unhurt but exhausted.
In Hospital
1965. Ringo Starr‘s wife, Maureen, gives birth to the couple’s first child at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London. The baby boy will be called Zak. After visiting his wife and child, Ringo told reporters, “We’ve chosen the name because it’s short”. It’s also said they picked the name because the couple liked Westerns.
On Television
1975. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 57. Hank The Knife + The Jets; Adam + Eve; Sweet; Olga Garcia; Roland Kaiser; Albert Hammond; Vicky Leandros; Rubettes. Here’s Albert Hammond with “Down By The River”. 3m 17s.
Death
1996. Tupac Amaru Shakur (aka Makaveli) dies from a drive-by shooting in New York.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 11th September):
Birth
1958. Mick Talbot (Merton Parkas, The Style Council) born in London, England.
In Court
1997. Toy makers Mattel (home to Barbie and G.I. Joe) file a lawsuit against MCA Records, Universal Music and other related distribution companies in the Superior Court for the County Of Los Angeles. The suit claims trademark infringement and unfair competition and relates to the tune, “Barbie Girl” on the Danish pop group Aqua‘s album, “Aquarium”. They also claim that lines like “You can brush my hair, undress me anywhere” link “sexual and other unsavory themes” with the much loved doll
Mattel is seeking the return of all CDs, tapes and videos containg the track and the destruction of all promotional materials carrying the track title in “the Barbie-pink colors”. They are also seeking unspecified damages and court costs. Strangely, Aqua are not directly named in the suit.
MCA will later countersue but when the case comes to court in 1998, the judge rules that Aqua’s song was merely a parody of a much loved institution and did not seek to benefit from Barbie’s good name.
In Hospital
2002. Marie Fredriksson of the Swedish duo Roxette faints and hits her head against a sink at her home in Stockholm. The singer was taken to Karolinska Hospital where tests found a small tumour in the back of her head.
In The Press
1993. The Sun publishes an exclusive with the shocking headline “Telly Una: I Had Fling With Cliff And My Husband Knew”. The expose was by Una Stubbs, the much loved English actress who was star of “Till Death Us Do Part” in the 1960s and later “Give Us A Clue”.
Una explained that she met Cliff Richard in 1962 when he asked the casting director to include her in the film, “Summer Holiday” after seeing her audition. While the pair became friends instantly, it was two years later that it blossomed into a romance on the Canary Islands while they were filming “Wonderful Life”. Una went on say “Even my closest friends did not know about it”. The romance ended as Cliff was unwilling to ruin Una’s marriage to actor Peter Gilmore.
On Television
1991. Late Night With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Musical guests: Pere Ubu performing “Oh Catherine”. David goes out of his way before and after the song to point out that the band paid for themselves to appear on the show. (6m 21s)
Death
1987. Peter Tosh is shot dead during a robbery at his house in Kingston, Jamaica. He was 42 years old.
1997. Master P is number one in the U.S. album chart with “Ghetto D”, so it’s no surprise that his show at the Doraville International Ballroom in Atlanta will be popular. Unfortunately 12,000 people manage to squeeze into the club which only holds 5,000. The police get a report of overcrowding and head down for a look. First, they try to evacuate the building. Then they spot some fans trying to get in through a side door and hit them with pepper sprays. Police plan number 2: clear half the fans and run two shows. Master P agrees. The first gig starts. The support act finishes its set and just before the rapper hits the stage, a fight breaks out. A shot is heard and Master P cancels the show instantly. The fans, left with nothing else to do trash the stage and P.A. before heading outside to clash with police. Only five arrests are made but thousands of dollars worth of damage is caused to the venue.
In Court
2002. Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is ordered to pay $ 2.45 million to a limo driver who alleges he was injured by the rapper’s bodyguards during a concert in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1995. Judge William Z. Wood, presiding, ordered the payment after Combs failed to answer the lawsuit brought by driver Cedric Bobby Lemon within 30 days as laid down in state law.
Records of the Civil Superior Court for Forsyth County, North Carolina show that Combs refused to accept a summons from a County deputy when the rap star appeared in concert in Greensboro Coliseum on June 21. In a brief statement to the media a spokesperson for Combs later announced they would be seeking to dismiss the judgment.
In Hospital
1966. French pop star, Johnny Halliday, is taken to hospital after suffering an overdose of sleeping pills. The 23 year old singer was visited later in the day by his estranged wife, singer Sylvie Vartan. She was described as looking stunned by those who saw her leave after a short while
On Television
1993. Late Show With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) David Sanborn becomes the first musician to sit in with The CBS Orchestra. Musical guest: Robert Plant with “29 Palms” plus brief interview. 6m 40s.
Death
2005. Blues guitarist and singer Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown dies of cancer in Vinton, Louisiana, U.S.A.
Babble
The never ending saga continues and I’m heading back up to Elgin with hopes of putting this exhibition to rest or on display this month. As ever, publicity is being left to the last minute but that may be no bad thing. Who can tell how it will go ahead, if it does! It would have been great to try and link in with Bootstock the intimate little rock festival being held just a short distance along the coast this weekend but no-one ever thinks of these things.
The only good thing (if there is one) is it gives me a chance to get all the listings for The Two Red Shoes Ballroom. I should have them by now but lost three whole years when I left the papers in the footwell of the car. they got soaked, either by a leak or rainwater, and when I went to get them the ink had all run. There’s a moral in there somewhere.
My plan is simple: to put a Two Red Shoes blog up with complete listings of everyone who played, YouTube clips of the major bands, adverts, photos and cuttings. It’s what I’ve done with The Ballerina Ballroom in Nairn, the sister venue also run by promoter Albert Bonici. While the new blog does exist at the moment, I’m not going to link to it until all the years are online. I think it will have far more impact and certainly get local publicity if it’s complete.
Talking of The Ballerina, I put an advert in the Nairnshire Telegraph which came out yesterday but as yet have had no response. I was looking for paper items and photographs relating to the bands that played there. I know that when the ballroom was being painted prior to the “Cinema Of Dreams” festival someone walked in and told John Byrne they’d found a Syd Barrett autograph they’d obtained in 1967. Why don’t people like that contact me?
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 9th September):
Birth
1941. Russell Hardy (Kilburn And The High Roads) born in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
On Stage
2003. Dizzee Rascal wins this year’s Mercury Music prize for his album, “Boy In da Corner”. The teenager was up against stiff opposition from Athlete’s “Vehicles And Animals”, Coldplay’s “Rush Of Blood To The Head”, Radiohead’s “Hail To The Thief” and The Darkness’s “Permission To Land” amongst others.
In Court
1980. Cher is fined $ 180 for singing too loudly. Nevada State officials find that her performance, at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on July 3rd, reached 115 decibels. This broke the state’s maximum limit of 90 decibels. Strangely, the complaint wasn’t brought by officials or disgruntled fans but by the American Musicians Union, which wants noise levels reduced to protect the hearing of its members.
In Hospital
1997. Bluesman Junior Wells slips into a coma in a Chicago hospital. He had been undergoing treatment for lymphoma but suffered a heart attack four days ago.
On Television
1997. The Rosie O’Donnell Show (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Guests include The Bee Gees performing “This Is Where I came In”. 4m 32s.
Death
1979. Two members of a pop group playing a residency at Pontin’s Holiday Camp in Brixham, Devon, die whilst swimming at Newquay, Cornwall. Terry Hughes (22) and Michael Lemon (21) were seen by two girls as they waded in into choppy seas. After the men had disappeared, the girls ran for help but their bodies were later washed ashore.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 7th September):
Birth
1957. Margot Chapman (Starland Vocal Band) born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
On Tour
1965. Sandie Shaw announces she’s cancelling a week’s residency at a cabaret in Manchester and two television shows due to laryngitis. Sandie suffered from the same problem only three weeks ago when she was preparing to leave for a concert tour of New Zealand.
In Court
1966. Vivian Martin Prince, 25, former drummer with The Pretty Things, is fined a total of £ 102 at Marlborough Magistrates Court. Prince pleaded guilty to possession of three Drynamil tablets (for which he is fined £ 50), a gas gun (£ 50) and seven cartridges of tear gas (£ 2). He is given 28 days to pay. Prince told police that the drugs had been left by a friend and the gun was a souvenir of his German tour last year. Prince already has a drugs conviction from 1963, for which he was fined £ 25.
In Hospital
1997. Julio Iglesias‘s 31 year old Dutch girlfriend, Miranda Rijnsburger, gives birth to the couple’s first child, Michael Alexander, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami, Florida. The 53 year old crooner was present for the birth. He already has three other children in their twenties.
On Television
1976. Rockpalast (WDR, West Germany) Mallard (WDR Studio-L Köln). “Back On The Pavement” 3m 40s.
Death
1978. Keith Moon‘s body is discovered by his 23 year old fiancee, Annette Walter-Lax at the couple’s penthouse flat in Curzon Street, Mayfair, London. The couple had spent a night out at the London premiere of “The Buddy Holly Story” after a large dinner with Paul McCartney and other friends, where they’d announced their engagement. In the morning, Moon got up, had some breakfast and took some pills to help him sleep before returning to bed. He never woke up again. Initial reports indicate death was due to an overdose of Heminevrin, prescribed for insomnia.
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