Today In Music, January 26th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday, 26th January):

Birth

1963. Andrew Ridgeley (Wham!) born in Windlesham, Surrey.

On Tour

1997. Lars Ulrich (Metallica) secretly marries his girlfriend Skylar in secret at a small ceremony in Las Vegas. James Hetfield does the honours as best man/witness.

In Hospital

1998. Joey Ramone‘s appearance as DJ at Toronto’s Phoenix Club is cancelled when it’s announced that the 46 year old punk has been ordered not to work for two monts. Ramone was hospitalised for tests earlier in the month. Although his management told The Toronto Sun that “Joey’s condition is very serious” they gave no other details.

In Church

1962. The Catholic Bishop of Buffalo, New York State bans The Twist being danced, sung or talked about at any catholic school or youth event.

On Television

1978. Rockpalast. (WDR, West Germany). Roy Harper (WDR Studio-L, Koln). Here he is with “Another Day”

Death

1991. Singer Karen Young dies in Philadelphia from a bleeding ulcer.

Babble

It’s amazing the things you find by accident. Looking for the clip of Roy Harper I was more than a little taken aback to see the man himself pictured in Sky Trax “studio” back in 1985. What took me by surprise was that I set up the interview and live set that he did and apart from my own VHS copy, thought it sunk without trace. It seems that “Rock Arena” rebroadcast the “Pat Sharp Show” session.

I’d set up a small Scottish tour for Roy and was looking to get as much publicity as possible. He was touring in Europe before hitting Scotland, so Sky Trax was perfect to promote him there and would certainly help me. Anyone I contacted in the BBC or ITV stations seemed to take fright at the mention of his name and his promo video for “Elizabeth” was deemed unplayable by most stations. That meant getting Roy in to do a live set.

Sky Trax studios were hidden away behind the Post Office Tower in London and he’s pictured in a loading bay, straight off the street. they weren’t used to live sessions and we were plagued by mains hum that no-one seemed able to eliminate. Happy days indeed! Here he is with “One Man Rock ‘n’ Roll Band”:

 

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

Today In Music, January 3rd

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Saturday, 3rd January):

Birth

1964. Raymond McGinley (Teenage Fanclub) born in Glasgow, Scotland.

On Tour

1963. The Beatles first ever tour starts with a gig at The Two Red Shoes in Elgin. Last night’s show at the Longmore Hall in Keith was cancelled due to bad weather. Paul McCartney filled in the wasted evening by flying home to Liverpool and returning this morning. Check out the Two Red Shoes blog here.

In Court

1996. After the jury is selected to try her stalker’s case, Madonna appears at the Superior Court in Los Angeles. Before the jury take their places, the singer asks for a motion to seal court documents to stop them being made public and also asks that her alleged stalker, Robert Dewey Hoskins a.k.a. Herbert Hoskins, be excluded during her testimony to the court. Hoskins is the subject of an order prohibiting him from being in close proximity to Madonna and has admitted that his “not guilty” plea was a planned action to ensure he would be in the same room as her. After arguments for both sides, the motions are denied. Once the jury take their places Madonna, obviously shaken, gives her testimony for the prosecution. The judge then adjourns the case until the next day. The court minutes for today’s proceedings.

In Hospital

2001. Moby is walking down a street in New York’s Chinatown when he stops to stroke a cat. The feline is obviously no fan as it bites deep into the ambient star’s hand. Despite the hand becoming more and more swollen throughout the day, Moby leaves it until the next morning when the pain becomes unbearable and he heads for the local E.R. He’s rushed into an urgent care ward, given a tetanus shot and dosed up with anti-biotics.

On Television

1964. NBC’s “The Jack Paar Show” becomes the first U.S. TV show to feature The Beatles playing live. Despite Brian Epstein having an exclusive contract with “The Ed Sullivan Show”, NBC licensed the live footage of “She Loves You”, shot for the documentary “The Mersey Sound”, direct from the BBC. Epstein’s fury was short lived and although he tried to block the screening, he accepted the £ 225 fee received from the BBC. Without this piece of advance publicity it’s doubtful that the ground-breaking “Ed Sullivan Show” would have had quite the same impact in sparking Beatlemania in the States. Here’s the original clip!

Death

2002. Zac Foley, bass player with EMF dies aged 31. The circumstances surrounding his death are not revealed at the time of the announcement.

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

Richard Wright 1945 – 2008

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.

Today In Music, August 28th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 28th August):

Birth

1943. Honey Lantree (The Honeycombs) born Ann Lantree in Hayes, Middlesex.

On Stage

1999. During Blur‘s set at the Reading Festival tonight, Damon Albarn gets into a confessional mood and tells the audience (and the rest of the world) that he took ecstacy on “Top Of The Pops”. According to the singer, he and another, un-named, member of the band were given the drug by someone from their record label prior to the show in the early 1990’s. He does go on to say it was “a bit crap” to have taken the drug but the tabloid press just concentrate on the confession.

In Court

1978. Rick Wright (Pink Floyd) and his children’s tutor, Professor Michael Smith file lawsuits against the Chief Of Police on the Greek island of Lindos claiming ill-treatment. Wright and his family have been staying in a villa owned by Pink Floyd to which police were called following complaints from neighbours about noise. When they arrived an argument started and Michael Smith was arrested. Wright and his wife, Julia, went to the police station to establish why Smith was being held. There, they claim they were threatened with a revolver. The keyboard player also received bruised eyes and cut lips having been beaten about the face. The Chief Of Police has been recalled to Rhodes awaiting the outcome of an internal investigation.

In Hospital

1985. Mick Jagger‘s girlfiend Jerry Hall gives birth to a son, James Leroy Augustine Jagger at New York’s Lennox Hill Hospital.

On Television

1982. Rockpalast (WDR, West Germany) Frankie Miller & Band; The Eric Burdon Band; Bap; David Lindley’s El Rayo X; Rory Gallagher (Loreley, St. Goarshausen). Here’s David Lindley with his wonderful “Mercury Blues”. 4m 58s.

Death

2006. Drummer “Pip” (Philip) Pyle dies in Paris, France. He worked with Hatfield And The North, Robert Wyatt, National Health, Chicken Shack, Gong, The Paul Jones Group, The Hugh Hopper Band and many more.

Babble

Well, the week has been a bit of a disaster. Since Saturday, I haven’t been able to get this or my Ballerina Ballroom Blog online. Every day I’ve requested new passwords, I’ve reset my machine and been totally stumped by the fact that I couldn’t get in.

Somehow, I sussed it today. I’ve no idea how or why but Safari (the web browser I use) was set to “Private Browsing”. The moment I took that off, I got straight back in to my account. About time!

Anyway, I’d like to say the week’s been packed with excitement but there’s not much to report. I decided to go back to the garage sale and put some stuff on ebay. Most of it is cheap and cheerful but I did get carried away and put a copy of Derek Taylor’s “Fifty Years Adrift” up as an auction item. It was one of Genesis Publications’ first rock music limited edition books back in 1985. 2,000 hand-made, leather bound, gilt edged books packed with bits of memorabilia and the insight of one of rock’s true insiders. It’s even edited and annotated by George Harrison. No wonder that the edition sold out extremely quickly. Anyone who invested £ 185 in buying it twenty-three years ago is now looking at something valued up to £ 5,000! All 2,000 copies of the limited edition were signed by Derek and George but mine is rather unusual. It carries the disclaimer that it is neither signed nor numbered and is a review copy and therefore not part of the limited edition. Presumably, as one of only a few review copies, it’s even rarer! Time will tell.

The on-off-and-on-again state of the memorabilia exhibition is still up in the air although there are moves afoot. Anyway, I got bored hanging around and decided to get on with Rockmine’s sales section. I’m not sure if I want to call it a mall or a gallery but that will no doubt work itself out. The first new page up is as yet very small but definitely of interest. It’s “Handbills and Flyers” and it’s already got several real gems on it. There are three Marquee Club handbills. Each features a festival on the front and Marquee listings for a month on the reverse. There’s one for the Sunbury Festival with August 1968, Plumpton Festival with August 1969 but the real oddity is for Stockley Festival with July 1969. Stockley, near West Drayton was the original site for 1969’s 9th National Jazz, Blues & Popular Music Festival which went on to take place at Plumpton. I know how difficult it is to change venues for a small gig, changing the site for a complete festival must have been a nightmare.  

One other item on the page is  a handbill for Pink Floyd at Liverpool Empire Theatre on 15th February 1970. It may be missing its corners but this really is a cracker! I suppose I better get back to it. There’s more to get online – including a handbill for Bob Dylan at the Isle Of Wight Festival in 1969. 

 

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

Today In Music, August 15th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Friday 15th August):

Birth

1951. Hard rocker (Captain Beyond, Armaggedon) turned one-hit balladeer (“What You Can’t Do For Love”) turned million selling songwriter (“The Next Time I Fall”) turned musical actor (“The Rat Pack”) Bobby Caldwell born in Manhattan, New York.

On The Road

1970. Derek McEwen, 32 year-old co-promoter of the Yorkshire Pop, Blues & Jazz Festival goes missing only hours after the event is abandoned because of bad weather. His car is spotted later in the morning on a Yorkshire/Lancashire motorway. Along with the other promoter, Brian Highley, it’s thought that McEwen shares a loss of £ 12,000 on the event. A police search is later mounted of the moors near Scammonden Bridge close to his last sighting.

In Chains

1967. 19 year old telephonist, Deirdre Meehan, arrives outside Buckingham Palace at 3.30 p.m. and proceeds to chain herself to the railings. She then tells onlookers that she doesn’t have a key for the set of handcuffs that she’s used. After 20 minutes standing in the rain, a police van pulls up and she’s quickly released before being ordered home. Deirdre and her 20 year old flat mate, Pat Cameron, have just returned from delivering a letter of protest to Prime Minister Harold Wilson while he was holidaying on the Isles Of Scilly. The girls are protesting at the order to deport two Australian members of The Bee Gees from the U.K.

In Custody

1997. Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian Rosenfield is arrested after breaking into the New York Yankees’ training camp at Legend’s Field in Tampa, Florida. He and his girlfriend, 23 year old Angela Roberts, are charged with burglary and grand theft after being caught on video trying to carry a large foam mat bearing the team’s logo to their car. The couple are released on bail of $ 7,500 each after spending 6 hours in jail. Rosenfield later explains that he’s been a life-long Yankees fan and while he’s sorry he did have a great time running around the bases. He blamed the prank on too much wine.

On Television

1997. Rockpalast (WDR, Germany) Beck; Foo Fighters; Ash; Pavement; Veruca Salt (11Th Bizarre-Festival Köln, Butzweiler Hof). Here’s Beck with “Derelict”. 4m 50s.

Death

1984. Norman Petty, Buddy Holly‘s manager and record producer dies in Lubbock Texas, aged 57. He ceased to be Holly’s manager in 1958 after disagreements over songwriting royalties (Petty claimed a percentage of all Holly’s royalties) and Buddy’s marriage. That didn’t stop him continuing to re-release material and milk the legend of his client up to his death.

Babble

It’s finally over! I gave up! After another fruitless day in Nairn trying to find last minute premises for my rock memorabilia exhibition, I realised it was turning into a waste of time.

By the time I’d got back to the office in the evening, I’d decided to get a new blog up. One for the Ballerina Ballroom and all the bands that played there. So far I’ve got a full listing for 1966 and half of 1967 along with period clips of some of the biggest names that played there. I say some because the real gem I discovered was a clip of The Poets from Shindig! A must-see if you’re even vaguely interested in the British Beat Boom of the mid sixties.

I’m hoping to add a selection of adverts and pics of the Scottish bands that gigged there. All I’ve got to do is get them scanned and up. What I really want though is feedback from the folk that went to the ballroom. That’s where the real social history in this lies. The blog’s late up today as I’ve been working on that and also flyers to get in the Ballerina during the film festival which starts this afternoon.

I’d like to think of the blog as a virtual fringe event. You can check it out for yourselves here.

Strangely, the highlight yesterday was probably sitting in a wine bar in Nairn with a guy who was giving the gossip on what REALLY goes on in this sleepy wee town in the North of Scotland. Trouble is, I’m not sure I believe any of it. Think I’ll stick to what I know – sex and dogs and rock ‘n’ roll.

 

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

Today In Music, August 7th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 7th August):

Birth

1949. Tim Renwick (Quiver, Mike & The Mechanics) born in Cambridge, England.

On Tour

1984. Death threats have been received by The Knoxville News Sentinel against Michael Jackson who is performing the first of two shows in the city tonight. The threats are taken seriously enough that the F.B.I. are called in. The F.B.I. think the threats are unfounded but organisers step up security all the same. Both tonight’s concert and another on the 9th pass off without incident.

In Court

1998. Bernard Ortiz, a homeless man who has been stalking Linda Ronstadt for three years, is sentenced to ten months in jail. It was his second time in court over the singer. He had previously been given three years probation and ordered not to contact Ronstadt or her family. He violated the probation after only three months, sending his “victim” a watch, candles and a letter on her birthday.

In Hospital

1997. Richard Marsh (Bentley Rhythm Ace) breaks his back during a parachute jump at Langar Airfield, Nottinghamshire. The jump was being filmed for the video of the band’s next single, “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out” but Marsh was caught by a gust of wind during landing and thrown heavily onto his back. He was taken to Nottingham General Hospital where doctors said he would make a full recovery but need three months rest.

On Television

1957. American Bandstand (ABC, U.S.A.) 3. Paul Anka; The Tassels. This was Paul Anka’s first network TV appearance in the U.S.A. Aged only 16, he performed his soon to be massive international number 1 hit, “Diana”. While I can’t guarantee this is the correct clip, it is the correct period and I’m a bit short of time today. 2m 13s.

Death

1978. Les Perrin, publicist for The Rolling Stones and others, dies.

Babble

There’s not a huge amount to report since yesterday. I spent another three hours in the Heritage Centre in Elgin digging through microfiche copies of the Northern Scot newspaper. So far I’ve compiled a list from 1966 to 1970 of the bands that played the Ballerina Ballroom in Nairn. 

Here’s a sample from July – December 1967:

July 07 – Cream plus Newton’s Theory with its Go-Go Girls. The gig was cancelled when the van carrying the band’s equipment failed to turn up.

July 10 – Cream return to play their concert.

July 21 – Pink Floyd

July 28 – Gino Washington and The Ram Jam Band plus The Copy Cats

August 18 – The Small Faces – concert cancelled.

August 31 – Zoot Money and his new group Dantalion’s Chariot plus The T-Set

September 08 – The Freddie Mack Show

September 15 – The Throb plus The Life N’ Soul

September 22 – Tony Merrick plus The T-Set

October 06 – The Who plus Gideon’s Few

October 13 – The Beatstalkers plus The Rebel Sound

October 20 – The Four Shades Of Blue plus The T-Set

October 27 – The Tamala Express plus The Beatroute

November 03 – The Rhubarb plus The Barons

November 10 – Clock-work Orange plus Last Chapter

November 17 – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

December 01 – The Delroy Williams Show plus Keith Taylor

December 08 – The Troggs plus The Throb

December 15 – Symon Dupree

December 22 – Cash Boutique Queen For 1967. Grand Final

December 25 – Aberdeen Students’ Charities’ Campaign present Their Xmas Beatnik Ball with The Circle plus The T-Set

December 29 – The 1967 Last Fling with The Middle Earth plus The T-Set

I have to say it’s been a bit disappointing. While I wasn’t expecting a weekly or monthly catalogue of household names, they’ve so far been few and far between apart from the period above. That said, it paints an incredible picture of the constant touring of small to medium sized bands. The names that have stood out are the likes of Writing On The Wall, My Dear Watson, Spiggy Topes and Archemedes Principle. Now what i’m trying to do is find photos and adverts for some of them.

I went back to the Ballerina and found that John Byrne had more or less completed the area that will serve as exhibition space and festival cafe. I’ll get up some images either later today or tomorrow.

 

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

Today In Music, August 6th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 6th August):

Birth

1952. Pat MacDonald (Timbuk 3) born in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

On Tour

1970. The “Popanalia” Festival in Nice, France becomes the second one in a week to be abandoned. It should have lasted 36 hours and featured Derek & The Dominoes, Pink Floyd and Soft Machine as headliners but turned into a riot when fans discovered that Soft Machine were refusing to play after being told they wouldn’t get their agreed fee. Only Joan Baez, Country Joe and Rare Bird actually performed before disgruntled fans stormed the stage. As well as throwing a grand piano off the stage, the mob also set fire to two mobile recording studios belonging to the broadcaster RTL.

In Custody

1999. Following an incident at the city’s Music Hall on July 31st, misdemeanour assault charges are filed against Art Alexakis and Brian Lehfeldt of Everclear in Austin, Texas. Alexakis stormed off stage during the show after being hit by a plastic water cup. Security guards pulled a 17 year old girl to the front of the stage, claiming she was responsible. On his return, Alexakis is said to have thrown a plastic water bottle at the girl calling her, “a f***ing redneck bitch” while Lehfeldt kicked her.

In Court

1990. Kevin Rowland (Dexy’s Midnight Runners) is fined £ 50 and ordered to pay £ 25 costs at Marlborough Magistrates Court after admitting threatening behaviour. He was stopped by police in London’s Soho in the early hours of the morning with two others. Rowland and pal David Philips (Earth) had obviously been fighting as both had blood on their faces. Initially police just spoke to the men but shortly after being allowed to go, they started fighting again and were arrested. Another friend, Lawrence Coles was arrested for shouting and swearing.

On Television

1987. Late Night With Letterman (U.S.A.) Musical guest: Patty Smyth – “Isn’t It Enough” 4m 52s.

Death

1973. Chicago Blues singer Memphis Minnie dies in a nursing home in Memphis, Tennessee.

Babble

A trip back to the Ballerina Ballroom in Nairn gave me a pleasant surprise. I was taking some memorabilia up to let John Byrne see the sort of stuff I planned to hang and walked in to discover he’d painted one wall with the wording “Rock Dreams”. It’s reproduced below but he said it would be “Improved on”. I can’t wait to see how it develops.

Yesterday, I gave a link to the myspace site for the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema Of Dreams but the “official site” can be found here. As I said, I spent a few happy hours trawling through microfiche reels looking for a complete listing of gigs at the Ballerina. I got a couple of years done but one of the things confusing me is that it originally seems to have been in a different venue but I need to check that out. Needless to say, I’ll keep you posted with any developments.

 

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

Today In Music, August 5th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 5th August):

Birth

1959. Pete Burns (Dead Or Alive) born Pete Jozeppi in Port Sunlight, Merseyside.

On Tour

1980. David Bowie starts a three week run as “The Elephant Man” at Chicago’s Blackstone Theater.

In Rubble

1973. The Rolling Stones‘ producer, Jimmy Miller suffers the loss of at least £ 75,000 of studio gear when the Mercer Arts Center in New York (which houses Jimmy Miller Productions) collapses into a pile of rubble. The hotel next door collapses at the same time and although two people are killed, recent Rolling Stones Records signing, Kracker, who are staying there, escape unhurt.

In Court

1983. David Crosby is sentenced to five years in jail by Judge Pat McDowell in Dallas, Texas after being found guilty of possessing cocaine and carrying a gun into a bar. His lawyers lodge an instant appeal and he is released on bail.

On Television

1965. Where The Action Is (U.S.A.) The Byrds; Jewel Akens; Linda Scott; Steve Alaimo. Here are The Byrds with “All I Really Want To Do”. 2m 02s. The quality of this clip is probably the poorest I’ve ever included but its a real rarity.
Death

1978. Pete Meadon, The Who‘s first manager and writer of “Zoot Suit” dies of barbiturate poisoning at his parents’ home in London.

Babble

Regular readers will know I’ve been struggling since April to stage a rock and pop memorabilia exhibition at the Red Shoes Theatre in Elgin. In the 1960s it was one of Scotland’s busiest and best known venues for the hundreds of bands who constantly toured the U.K. The Beatles, The Who and Pink Floyd were among the star names that played there. I was in Elgin yesterday, fully intending to have one last go at rescuing the exhibition but ended up driving another half hour west to Nairn.

Nairn was home to another venue run by Albert Bonici, the Elgin promoter who’d put The Fabs and all the others on. The Ballerina Ballroom (as it was then called), which played host to The Who, Cream, Pink Floyd et al., has lain empty for years until recently when Nairn based Hollywood actress, Tilda Swinton decided to re-open the venue and stage a film festival there. The Ballerina Ballroom Cinema Of Dreams festival lasts 8 1/2 days, starting August 15th.

It was easy to find, driving off the main road to Edinburgh, turning left for the town centre and straight into the High Street. A few hundred yards later, I passed it. I found a parking space and walked back. The doors weren’t locked, so I just walked in. There I found Tilda’s husband, the artist and playwright, John Byrne. I explained my troubles with the Ballerina’s sister venue and he instantly showed me a huge ante-room off the main ballroom with large unobstructed walls and agreed it was a great idea and a perfect adjunct to the film festival.

So, now I’ve got 10 days to promote and create the exhibition. I’m heading back to the ballroom this morning with some of the pieces I’m planning to hang and get some images for tomorrow’s blog. My plan is to replicate the real exhibition with a virtual version online. Sadly, I’d spent a lot of time researching the bands who played the Two Red Shoes and now I’m going to have to redo that for the Ballerina. I loved the idea of boards with gig adverts, reviews and listings to spark the memories of those who’d attended them.

Anyway, enough of what’s to be done. I love ferreting through old newspapers, so I can’t complain. Click on the film festival link above for full details. For some background to the festival, there’s a really great article from The Independent dated July 23rd here.

 

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

Today In Music, August 2nd

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Saturday 2nd August):

Birth

1941. Doris Coley Kenner (The Shirelles) born in Passaic, New Jersey.

In Politics

1963. Lord Sutch (real name David Edward Sutch) is officially nominated as a candidate for the Stratford-Upon-Avon bi-election on August 15th. The nomination wasn’t without problems. When he first arrived he had only £ 125 of the required £ 150 deposit. On his return it was discovered his proposer, a local taxi driver, wasn’t on the electoral roll. After his successful third trip with the correct money and a valid proposer, Sutch took sherry with the Town Clerk.

In Custody

1976. Keith Richards arrives at Newport Pagnell police station to be charged with possession of cannabis and cocaine. The charges date back to May when Keith drove his Bentley off the M1 motorway into a field. After the crash he was searched at Newport Pagnell police station where the drugs were found. At the time he asked for 10 weeks police bail so he could complete The Rolling Stones‘ tours of Europe and America. He is once again bailed and will appear in court next month.

In Court

1988. Nick Cave appears at Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court in London charged with possession of heroin. Cave pleads guilty to possessing 884 milligrammes of the drug. Although it is his second offence he is given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £ 15 court costs. The condition of his discharge is that Cave enters a rehabilitation clinic in two days time.

On Television

1969. Beat Club (WDR, West Germany) 45: Dave Clark Five, Steppenwolf, Marmalade, Rainbow People, Robin Gibb, Zager & Evans, Clodagh Rodgers, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Thunderclap Newman, Plastic Ono Band, Paul Revere & the Raiders. Here’s Thunderclap Newman with, “Something In The Air”.

Death

1976. Ex-Pink Floyd road manager, Peter “Puddy” Watts, dies of a heroin overdose in a house owned by the band in Notting Hill, London. He is one of the voices that can be heard on “Dark Side Of The Moon”. Although he was living in a house belonging to the group, he hadn’t worked for them for over a year following an argument.

 

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

Today In Music, July 9th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 9th July):

Birth

1916. R&B pianist Joe Liggins (The Honeydrippers) born in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

In Politics

1992. At the Democratic Party Convention in New York, Bill Clinton announces Al Gore will be his running mate. Frank Zappa, Luther Campbell (2 Live Crew) and Joey Ramone are among the musicians to condemn the appointment. In the main, the protests are not about Gore himself but his wife, Tipper, who founded the Parents Music Resource Centre which forced labels to put warning stickers on albums with content unsuitable for minors. Zappa, who crossed swords with Al Gore at a Congressional Hearing on Record Labeling in 1985 said, “I’ve been a registered Democrat my whole life, but I just can’t endorse this ticket”.

Meanwhile, Carter USM try and hi-jack the convention in their own way with billboards across New York carrying a smiling picture of ex-President Jimmy Carter and the wording, “The Unstoppable Sex Machine Coming Any Moment”. As if that wasn’t enough, Fruitbat and Jim Bob hand out postcards outside the convention hall in the hope they might actually meet that “other” Carter.

In Court

1999. After a 12 minute hearing at the High Court in London, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall’s lawyers issue a joint statement announcing that they have “amicably and formally agreed to separate after more than two decades as a couple and seek an annulment”. Although it was thought there would be a long and drawn-out divorce case, Jagger’s lawyers had contested that their 1991 Hindu wedding in Bali was not legally binding in Britain. Jerry Hall’s solicitors had been quite happy to fight the case believing that even if the marriage was declared invalid, after such a long period their client would be entitled to the same settlement as a wife. Hall had been seeking a settlement in the region of £ 30 million. Although the actual amount agreed has not been divulged, her solicitors, Mishcon de Reya, described it as a “mutually acceptable legal and financial settlement”. After the settlement was announced Jagger and Hall flew to their French Chateau for a family holiday.

In Hospital

1969. Marianne Faithfull collapses in her suite at the Chevron Hotel in Sydney, Australia. She’s admitted to the intensive care unit of the city’s St. Vincent’s Hospital in a coma. Mick Jagger, who’s in Australia filming in the title role of “Ned Kelly”, told a press conference at the hotel that his girlfriend had not taken an overdose. He said, “Marianne is not seriously ill. She’s a delicate woman. The trip was hard for her. She’s a lot of work to do and we want to make sure she’s alright”. According to the hospital, she is under observation and will remain at least overnight.

Despite local reports that officers from the local drug squad were waiting to question Faithfull, a police spokesman said no action would be taken unless hospital authorities told them it had been an overdose. They confirmed that two containers had been removed from Marianne’s room but refused to say what they contained. After interviewing Mick, police removed a further two containers and several capsules from his room. A spokesman for Jagger said the singer would be travelling to Melbourne for the filming of the hanging scenes at Pentride Jail. These have to be shot now as the Victoria State Government has only made the jail available for a limited period.

On Television

2001. Late Show With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) Show #1636. Musical guest: Jonatha Brooke with “Linger”.

Death

1993. R&B saxophonist Red Prysock (born Wilbert Prysock) dies in Chicago, Illinois from a Heart attack.

Babble

On Saturday night I was at a 1973 party watching a video of Roland Petit’s Pink Floyd Ballet and last night I found myself in Forfar watching Scottish Ballet dancing to Radiohead. It’s strange how little things change. 35 years and yet ballet companies still find inspiration in the work of rock musicians. Back in 1972, when Petit’s ballet was first performed, the music still had the air of the avant-garde about it and in many ways little has changed. Last night’s venue was a public hall in Forfar, that seemed locked in a time-warp of some bygone gang-show age. Probably less than half full, the audience looked to have drawn every young girl from every dance class in the area, along with their mums. The first half of the programme was a lavishly costumed production of Othello set to Franz List: a real crowd-pleaser in the traditional classical ballet idiom.

The interval provided a breathing space that would have been far too difficult to bridge without a break. The house lights went down and the lights came up on a stark, empty stage bathed in an eery glow. The dancers had eschewed their tights and shoes and their steps had taken on a visceral connection to the music. We were treated to two excerpts from “Ride the Beast”, which debuted to critical acclaim at last year’s Edinburgh Festival – “Fitter Happier” and “Creep”. The elderly ladies who had spent their interval marveling at the mastery of the first half could almost be heard wincing behind me.

Choreography suffers from a limited vocabulary of movement, much as music is limited to a finite number of notes. Many of the moves were the same and yet the combination of music, lighting and lack of costume had turned it into an avant-garde experience that shocked as much as it challenged. At the end of the evening, the ladies behind me were still buzzing about the first half, and planning their next trip, to see “Sleeping Beauty” in all its classical splendour. Maybe for them, the music of Radiohead had fallen on deaf ears but there were many who whooped and cheered this young company taking their art out of the great venues and into the towns around Scotland. The dancers, who had gathered for their bus by the time I’d left the venue, have much to be proud of.

 

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