Today In Music, November 10th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday 10th November):

Birth

1947. Glen Buxton (Alice Cooper) born in Akron, Ohio.

On Stage

1965. Bill Graham stages his first promotion at the Fillmore Auditorium featuring The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.

In Court

1978. Johhny Rotten starts legal proceedings in the High Court in London to wind-up The Sex Pistols. His lawyers are granted special leave to serve notice of the action on Sid Vicious who is currently on bail in a New York hospital accused of murdering his girlfriend, Nancy Spungeon. Vicious was admitted to hospital after slashing his wrists in an abortive suicide attempt. Further action is adjourned for a hearing date to be set.

In The Studio

1966. Brian Wilson is hard at work in Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles on the new Beach Boys album, “Smile”. The track “Fire” doesn’t seem to be coming together so he sends an aide out to a toy store to buy plastic red fire helmets for the orchestra, studio crew and friends assembled there. Even that doesn’t quite capture the feeling he’s trying to create so he gets the studio’s janitor, Brother Julius, to start a fire in a bucket in the middle of the studio. On the 24th take he is finally satisfied. Later in the evening, Brian is told that the studio was nearly burned down. A wave of fires had been sweeping the city during the week and Brian decides they’ve been caused by his recording of the track. He tries to set light to the master tape but it won’t ignite. Convinced that he’s imbued the track with magical properties he has the tape locked in a vault where it can do no harm.

On Television

1972. The Partridge Family (ABC, U.S.A.) Swiss Family Partridge. Here’s the complete episode. The first clip links to the other two parts.

Death

2006. Gerald Levert (LeVert) dies in Newbury, Ohio, U.S. from an accidental mix of prescription drugs and over the counter medications.

 

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Today In Music, September 15th

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.

 

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

Today In Music, September 3rd

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 3rd September):

Birth

1982. Dennis Wilson‘s girlfriend Shawn Love (illegitimate daughter of his cousin Mike Love) gives birth to his son, Gage.

Not In Space

2002. A spokesman for the Russian Space Agency today announced that Lance Bass, singer with ‘N Sync, has been asked to leave the Star City cosmonaut complex outside Moscow where he has been training for a trip to the international space station. Despite at least one extension to the deadline for receipt of sponsorship money, the $ 20 million, payable in advance, had still not been received. Had the trip gone as planned, Bass would, at 23 years old, have been the youngest person ever in space and only the third paying passenger on a Russian flight to the space station.

In Custody

1999. Nikki Sixx is arrested after a Motley Crue show in Raleigh, North Carolina and charged on four counts – felony riot plus misdemeanour offences of assault, disorderly conduct and inciting a riot. All the charges relate to a concert in Greensboro in October 1997 when Sixx and Tommy Lee hurled racist abuse at a security guard and encouraged the crowd to attack him. Lee was not arrested as he didn’t play at tonight’s show. Unless he turns himself in, Sheriff B.J. Barnes has said he will post Lee on a national wanted list. If that happens, the drummer could be arrested anywhere in the U.S. and forcibly returned to Greensboro. Sixx is released early the following morning after posting a $ 7,500 bond.

If the criminal charges weren’t enough, both Crue members have a civil trial to look forward to in November.

In Court

1970. In a list of petitions published at the Divorce Court in London today, it’s revealed that both Marianne Faithfull (23) and her husband, John Dunbar (26), have filed for divorce. The couple, who married in 1965, have been separated for the past 18 months. Marianne has simply filed for divorce but in a cross plea, Dunbar has named Mick Jagger. The cases are due to be heard in October.

On Television

1979. Rockpalast (WDR, West Germany) Martin Kolbe and Ralf Illenberger performing the “Ball In Play” from their first album, “Waves” (WDR Studio-L Köln). 6m 12s.

Death

1970. Al “Blind Owl” Wilson (Canned Heat) is found dead in Bob Hite‘s back garden having consumed a bottle of pills.

 

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

Today In Music, August 3rd

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 3rd August):

Birth

1953. Ian Bairnson (Pilot) born in Shetland.

On The Street

1999. 150 fans turn up to see a star unveiled on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame to country legend Patsy Cline. Her husband, Charlie Dick, was onhand to represent the family, 36 years after the singer’s death.

In Court

1969. Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys) is indicted in Los Angeles for failing to undertake his work as a hospital orderly in lieu of military draft.

In Hospital

1965. Johnny Little lead singer with The Vikings pop group is released from Perth Royal Infirmary following his accident on July 27th when he fell from scaffolding during his job as a painter.

On Television

1974. The Partridge Family (ABC, U.S.A.) in an episode entitled, “Keith And Lauriebelle”. 8m 26s. This clip will link to another two to give you the whole episode.

Death

1992. Jazz trombonist and rock ‘n’ roll singer Don Lang dies of cancer in London’s Royal Marsden Hospital. He had a long session career that included work on The Beatles‘ “white” album.

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