Today In Music, September 11th
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.
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