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

Today In Music, September 13th

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.

 

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

Today In Music, September 1st

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Monday 1st September):

Birth

1955. Bruce Foxton (The Jam) born in Woking, England.

On Stage

1979. It’s revealed that the stage for tonight’s performance at Edinburgh’s Rock Festival had to be specially designed as the headlining act, Van Morrison, suffers from Vertigo if the stage is more than six feet high. Promoters for the festival, at Ingleston Showgrounds, said both the singer and the audience would be happy with the stage. Morrison’s problem came to light earlier in the year when he played Glasgow’s Apollo Theatre. During the show he never left the safety of the piano as the only other microphone was too close to the edge of one of Britain’s tallest stages!

In Court

1999. An acrimonious three year legal battle between George Clinton and his former talent agent comes to an end in Los Angeles Superior Court. Clinton had originally been sued by the agent, Earl Ciccel, who claimed wrongful termination of his services. Clinton counter sued when he discovered Ciccel was not properly licensed as an agent and claimed back all monies collected on his behalf. Although Clinton won that suit, Ciccel was today succesful in getting a motion barring its enforcement on the basis that the court had already ruled in his favour regarding the original suit. Both parties will now have to share the legal expenses for the past three years.

In Politics

1967. The House Of Keys, the lower house of the Manx (Isle Of Man) Parliament is forced to accept the British government’s ban on pirate radio stations. Mr. Charles Keruish, Speaker of The House Of Keys, said the British government may have the legal right to impose its will but lacked any moral justification. He said, “It’s the first time that the mother country has forced unwanted legislation on the island, and that makes it the blackest day in the history of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Isle Of Man”. As a result of the legislation, residents of the island have been banned from assisting Radio Caroline International which is moored 4 miles off Ramsay. Ronan O’Rahilly, head of the Radio Caroline organisation, said the station would get its supplies from the continent and would not be leaving the area.

On Television

1980. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 113. Eruption; Chris Roberts; Spider Murphy Gang; Ingrid Peters; Secret Service; Gitte; Oliver Onions; Olivia Pascal; Stefan Waggershausen; Village People. Here are Secret Service with “10 O’Clock Postman”. 3m 38s.

Death

2008. Country singer, songwriter and actor Jerry Reed (born Jerry Reed Hubbard) died in Nashville, Tennessee, of complications from emphysema, aged 71.

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

Today In Music, August 14th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 14th August):

Birth

1941. David Crosby born David Van Cortland in Los Angeles.

On Tour

1965. Composer Leonard Bernstein takes his two children to see The Beatles rehearse for tonight’s “Ed Sullivan Show”. The moment the group walked onstage the fans erupted and it was impossible to hear any of the songs. Bernstein later told reporters, “I think it’s shocking because they’re so good and I didn’t have a chance to hear them”.

In Custody

1970. Stephen Stills is arrested after being found crawling through a San Diego motel in an incoherent state. He is later released on $ 2,500 bail.

In Hospital

1983. Joey Ramone requires emergency brain surgery after being viciously kicked in a New York street fight by Seth Micklaw, member of punk band Sub Zero Construction. The fight, outside Johnny’s house, was over his girlfriend Cynthia “Roxy” Whitney. Arriving back at his house in a limo, Ramone saw his girlfriend and confronted them both. A brief fist fight followed before Micklaw got Ramone on the ground and started kicking him with his steel toe-capped boots. Police attending the scene tell Johnny to seek urgent medical help but he refuses. He collapses soon after and is rushed to St. Vincent’s Hospital where he undergoes four hours of surgery to remove blood clots from the brain.

On Television

1971. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 6. Midlle Of The Road; Susan Shirley; Mungo Jerry; Frumpy; J. Bastos; Status Quo; Ireen Sheer; McGuiness Flint; The Who; Drafi Deutscher. I decided to go for two clips today. The first is Status Quo’s, “Tune To The Music” in which Francis Rossi makes absolutely no attempt to get near the mic when miming. The other is Frumpy with “Life Without Pain”.

Death

1988. Robert Calvert (Hawkwind) dies of a heart attack at his home in Margate.

Babble

It’s an early start today. Well, the blog’s not usually up this early. I’m heading north again to Nairn. Having found the solicitor that handles the shop across from the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema Of Dreams Festival, I did expect to hear from him yesterday. As I didn’t, I think the best thing is to go see the man in person.

If I can get something sorted, I’ll have to go into hyperdrive to get back up and hung for tomorrow but I’ll just have to see what happens. I think if I could get open for Saturday that would be fine as it’s the Highland Games in Nairn and the town should be mobbed. Whether any of those attending are even interested in rock memorabilia is another matter. As usual, I’ll keep you posted.

 

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

Today In Music, August 13th

From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 13th August):

Birth

1921. R&B guitarist Jimmy McCracklin born James David Walker in St. Louis, Missouri.

On Tour

1992. Edinburgh’s senior Jewish cleric, Rabbi Shalom Shapira, calls on organisers of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to ban the rapping rabbi, MC Rebbe. His latest show at the Fringe depicts God as a drug-dealer called Hash M. Rabbi Shapira said, “His show will offend anyone who has religious beliefs”. It’s not the first time Rebbe has offended the religious community. He’s banned from some theatres in England for blaspheming and was recently been booed off stage for simulating sex with a bagel.

In Custody

1964. The Isle Of Man’s only police dog has a nervous breakdown on duty helping control 7,000 Rolling Stones fans. The screaming upsets the dog so much, it starts to snarl at the fans. It is relieved of duty for several days.

In Court

1999. Vince Neil (Motley Crue) files a lawsuit against the Rocketdyne Corporation. The singer is seeking undisclosed damages from the company over the death of his 4 year old daughter, Skyler. The suit claims that Rocketdyne dumped toxic substances on land next to the family’s home which led to Sklyer’s liver cancer. A similar class action lawsuit has already been filed against the corporation on behalf of more than 200 people. That suit is based on increased levels of cancer at the plant and in the surrounding areas. Medical expenses for Skyler’s treatment are thought to be $ 2 million.

On Television

1977. Musikladen (ZDF, Germany) 34. Mr. Walkie Talkie; Luv’; Etta Cameron; Laurent Voulzy; Showaddywaddy; Bonnie Tyler; Dana; Amanda Lear; Heart; Baccara; Tina Charles; Veronica Unlimited. Here are the dreadful Mr. Walkie Talkie with, “Be My Boogie Woogie Baby”. 1m 55s. Even the naked go-go dancers don’t make this worth watching. Sorry, I had real trouble finding anything from today!

Death

1993. Nicolette Powell, wife of Georgie Fame, walks up to two teenage girls, smiling. She hands them an envelope and says, “Excuse me, here’s my address, can you raise the alarm please?”. Seconds later she dives 245 feet to her death from the Clifton Suspension Bridge near Bristol.

 

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