Category: Music

Today in 1964, the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” hit number one and stayed there for 14 weeks:

Today in 1965, Bob Dylan took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival and played with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The controversy was that Dylan played electric, not acoustic, guitar.

Contrary to myth, Dylan didn’t leave after three songs because he was upset at the crowd’s reaction. Dylan left after three songs because those were the only songs the band knew. He did return to play two acoustic songs at the behest of Peter, Paul and Mary.

Today in 1969, Crosby, Stills and Nash performed at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

The band asked Neil Young to join them at the end of the concert, and liked the result so much they asked him to join the band.

Young joined, then quit, then rejoined, then quit. (I am told by someone more conversant than me with CSNY that Young didn’t like merely being a member of the group.)

The single version of this classic was released today in 1970:

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Today in 1964, a member of the audience at a Rolling Stones concert in the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England, spat upon guitarist Brian Jones, sparking a riot that injured 30 fans and two police officers.

The Stones were banned from performing in Blackpool until 2008.

Today in 1965, Bob Dylan released “Like a Rolling Stone,” which is not like said Rolling Stones:

Today in 1967, the Beatles and other celebrities took out a full-page ad in the London Times calling for the legalization of …

… marijuana.

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Today in 1963, high school student Neil Young and his band, the Squires, recorded in a Winnipeg studio a surf instrumental:

Today in 1965, the Beatles asked for  …

The number one single — really — today in 1966:

Today in 1979, Iran’s new ruler, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, banned rock and roll, an event that inspired a British band:

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Today in 1965, Rolling Stones Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Bill Wyman were fined £5 each in London after they were found guilty of “insulting behavior” — to wit, urinating on the wall of a gas station after the owner refused to let them use the bathroom.

Four years later, Aretha Franklin was arrested for disorderly conduct in a Detroit parking lot. Franklin posted $50 bail, and expressed her opinion of the police by running over a road sign with her car.

Today in 1972, the Who asked listeners to …

Today in 1987, a New York jury ruled that singer Morris Albert had plagiarized the 1956 song “Pour Toi” for his “Feelings.” Which brings to mind this question: Why?

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The number one song today in 1973:

The number one R&B song today in 1979:

Today in 1980, AC/DC released “Back in Black,” their first album with new singer Brian Johnson, who replaced the deceased Bon Scott:

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Today in 1968, Iron Butterfly’s “In-a-Gadda-da-Vita” reached the  charts. It is said to be the first heavy metal song to chart. It charted at number 117.

At the other end of the charts was South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela:

Quite a selection of birthdays today, starting with T.G. Sheppard:

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David Bowie might remember today for two reasons. In 1974, his “Diamond Dog” tour ended in New York City …

… six years before he appeared in Denver as the title character of “The Elephant Man.”

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The number one album today in 1980 was Billy Joel’s “Glass Houses”:

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Two Beatles anniversaries of note today: The movie “Yellow Submarine” premiered in London …

… six years before John Lennon was ordered to leave the U.S. within 60 days. (He didn’t.)

Birthdays today start with pianist Vince Guaraldi. Who? The creator of the Charlie Brown theme (correct name: “Linus and Lucy”):

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This is a slow day in rock music, save for one particular birthday and one death.

It’s not Tony Jackson of the Searchers …

… or Tom Boggs, drummer for the Box Tops …

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