Today In Music, October 27th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday 27th October):

Birth

1942. Philip Catherine (Focus, Larry Coryell) born in London, England.

In Sickness And In Health

1970. Peter Asher, 26, (Peter & Gordon) marries former Rolling Stones publicist Betsy Doster, 27, at Marylebone Register Office in London.

In Court

1997. Following toy company Mattel’s lawsuit against MCA Records and Danish pop group Aqua, alleging trademark violation in the hit single, “Barbie Girl”, MCA today file a countersuit. The label claims that it has been defamed by the toy maker which has subjected it to “hatred, contempt and ridicule”. It goes on to allege that Mattel’s suit has caused a loss of reputation as well as an unspecified sum of money.

In Hospital

1979. The Specials/Selector/Madness gig at Hatfield Polytechnic is disrupted when 30 banner carrying members of the Hatfield Anti-Fascist League gatecrash the venue. They make several random attacks on members of the audience with razors and knives and at least one of the gang is knocked unconscious after being caught by skinheads. Some members of the audience are taken to the local hospital where they are detained overnight for treatment. It seems likely that the gang, also known as the Cockney Reds, is responsible for a recent attack on an Upstarts gig at the Nashville in London.

On Television

1973. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 34. Cherrie Vangelder-Smith; Tony Marshall; Sweet; Christian Anders; Mungo Jerry; Adamo; John Kincade; Bobbie McGee; Udo Jürgens. Here are Mungo Jerry with “Alright, Alright, Alright”.

Death

1980. Steve Peregrine-Took (real name Steve Ross Porter) dies when he chokes on a cocktail cherry at his flat in London.

Babble

There’s a new addition to the ballroom blogs. The Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco is now online with 1966. It includes a number of posters for the gigs and a dozen YouTube clips with some great bands like Sopwith Camel, Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs, The Turtles and The Wildflower. There’s even Jefferson Airplane from the night of the listing!

Here’s the direct link to it.

There is one band that links the Fillmore to the Two Red Shoes and Ballerina ballrooms, they played all three venues in 1966 – The Mindbenders! It’s fascinating to compare the acts playing the different ballrooms at the same period. In the U.K., we were dancing to beat groups and chart acts but in San Francisco it was a more underground scene that seemed to develop out of the jug band and folk cultures. That said, there’s blues, psychedelia and pop all thrown in for good measure.  

One thing’s sure, the Fillmore has a treasure trove of rare rock video to plunder. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, there’s no need for standards conversion which was long the bane of collectors. I remember the days of optical copies of NTSC video tapes. A multi-standard VCR and TV would have a video camera set up in front of them and the show would be recorded to PAL that way. Digital conversions in the 1980s were expensive and often no better quality. 

 

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