This Day In Music History

1963, Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with '(You're The) Devil In Disguise'. His 14th UK No.1.

1965, The Beatles second feature film 'Help!' had its UK premiere at The Pavilion in London.

1966, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker made their live debut as Cream at The Twisted Wheel, Manchester, England.

1966, Datebook published Maureen Cleave’s interview with John Lennon in which he said ‘We’re bigger than Jesus now.” American Christian’s reacted with outrage, organising ‘Beatle bonfires’ burning the group's records.

1967, The Doors started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Light My Fire'. The group's first US No.1, it only reached No.49 on the UK chart. Re- issued in 1991 when it made No.7 in the UK.

1968, Gram Parsons left The Byrds on the eve of a tour of South Africa, refusing to play to segregated audiences.

1968, The first recording session of The Beatles seven-minute epic 'Hey Jude' took place at Abbey Road studios London. The Paul McCartney song was written about John Lennon's son Julian.

1974, Mamas And The Papas singer Cass Elliot died in her sleep from a heart attack after playing a sold out show in London, England. She was staying at Harry Nilson's London flat when she died. Her only solo hit was 'Dream a Little Dream of Me,' which also featured the rest of The Mamas and The Papas. Had also been a member of The Mugwumps.

1978, Prince appeared on the US charts for the first time with 'Soft and Wet'

1978, The film soundtrack to Grease featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John went to No.1 on the US album chart.

1986, English songwriter, producer and manager Gordon Mills died of stomach cancer. Worked with Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones and Gilbert O'Sullivan. Wrote the 1963 No.4 UK hit ‘I'll Never Get Over You’, for Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, and ‘I'm The Lonely One’ a hit for Cliff Richard.

1988, American record producer and pedal steel guitar player Pete Drake died of lung disease. Worked with Elvis Presley, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Played on such hits as Lynn Anderson's ‘Rose Garden’, Charlie Rich's ‘Behind Closed Doors', Bob Dylan's ‘Lay Lady Lay' and Tammy Wynette's ‘Stand by Your Man’.

2007, Heart problems forced Kiss singer and guitarist Paul Stanley to abandon a show in California. Paramedics stopped and restarted his heart to give it a regular rhythm after his heart spontaneously jumped to 190 plus beats per minute.

1946, Born on this day, Neal Doughty, keyboards, REO Speedwagon, (1981 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Keep On Loving You').

1953, Born on this day, Geddy Lee, bass, vocals, Rush, (1980 UK No.13 single 'Spirit Of Radio' 1982 US No. 21 single 'New World Man'). Lee was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio was the first rock band to be so honored, as a group.

1953, Born on this day, Patti Sciafa, US singer, worked with The Rolling Stones and on Keith Richards 'Talk Is Cheap' album. Toured with Bruce Springsteen Band from 1984 Born in the USA tour, married Springsteen on June 8th 1991. She has released two solo albums.

1972, Born on this day, Simon Jones, bass, The Verve, (1997 UK No.1 single 'The Drugs Don't Work').

Air Supply - Making Love Out of Nothing At All

"Making Love Out of Nothing At All" is a power ballad written and composed by Jim Steinman and first released by Australian rock band Air Supply for their 1983 compilation album Greatest Hits. It reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

It was held off from the top spot by another Steinman production, Bonnie Tyler's recording of "Total Eclipse of the Heart".
The song has been covered by many other artists, with the most successful cover being by singer Bonnie Tyler.

The song subsequently was released as a new track from their 1983 greatest hits album. The B-side of the single was "Late Again" They have included the song on their numerous greatest hits and live albums, and recorded an acoustic version for their 2005 album The Singer and the Song

Steinman offered the song, along with "Total Eclipse of the Heart", to Meat Loaf for his Midnight at the Lost and Found album; however, Meat Loaf's record company refused to pay Steinman for the material so Meat Loaf ended up writing compositions for the album himself. Steinman's songs were then offered to Bonnie Tyler & Air Supply

Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night

Corey Mitchell Hart (born May 31, 1962) is a Canadian musician.At 13, he sang for Tom Jones and recorded with Paul Anka in Las Vegas and, at 19, recorded demos with Billy Joel and Eric Clapton before signing to a major label at the age of 20.

Hart's first album was recorded in Manchester, England in the spring of 1982. Released in 1983, First Offense, featured the US Top 10 hit songs "Sunglasses at Night" and "It Ain't Enough". The album went platinum in both Canada and the United States.

"Sunglasses at Night" was the first single to be released off his debut album, 1983's First Offense, and became a hit single in the United States, rising to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1984. The song is considered by many to be a classic of 1980s pop rock and New Wave music, combining an unflagging synthesizer hook, characteristic arpeggio, rock guitar, obscure lyrics and a punk undercurrent throughout the song.

The song is included in numerous hits collections of the period, especially in the U.S., but it was not as popular throughout the rest of the world at the time. Peaking at #24 in Hart's native Canada, it was not a hit in Europe and failed to chart at all in the UK.

In 2002, 19 years after the original version release, the song was re-recorded, with Original 3 as the producer of the 2002 remake.

Chris De Burgh - Don`t Pay The Ferryman

Chris de Burgh (born Christopher John Davison, 15 October 1948) is a British/Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red".

"Don't Pay the Ferryman" is a single from the album The Getaway. It was produced in 1982. In 1983, the single reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

The song tells the story of a man who boards a ferryboat and sets off. A storm approaches and the ferryman demands payment from the patron. The song's narrator warns the passenger not to pay the ferryman until the boat arrives at its destination on the other side.

The repetitive lyrics are believed to have a connection with mythology. The song describes the ferryman as "the hooded old man at the rudder," and seems to connect to the classic image of the Grim Reaper, a hooded being (usually a skeleton) who leads lost souls to "the other side," also a lyric in the song. The ferryman demanding his payment is also similar to the Greek ferryman of the dead, Charon. He demanded an obolus (coin) to ferry dead souls across the River Styx. Those who did not pay were doomed to remain as ghosts, remaining on the plane of the mare, the restless dead. Therefore in former cultures coins were laid below the tongues of dead persons.

In the bridge of the song, lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest can be heard, spoken very low by British actor Anthony Head.

Many fans of the British science fiction show Doctor Who believe that the actor who portrayed the "hooded old man at the rudder," in the video for the song is none other than Tom Baker, the fourth actor to play the famous Time Lord. Though he and Chris de Burgh deny this, the rumour persists.

This Day In Music History

1954, The first press interview with 19-year-old Elvis Presley was published in the 'Memphis Press- Scimitar'.

1956, Gene Vincent made his first appearance on national TV in the US on The Perry Como Show. Vincent had released ‘Woman Love’ the previous month, but it was the B-side, ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula,’ that eventually made the top 10. The song had been purchased from a fellow hospital patient when Vincent was recovering from leg injuries. A demo of the song made its way to Capitol Records as part of an Elvis sound-alike contest and a re-recorded version gave Vincent a hit.

1960, Cliff Richard and the Shadows were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Please Don't Tease', the singers third UK No.1. The song was chosen for release by a poll of Cliff's fans.

1973, Chicago went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Chicago IV', the group's second US No.1.

1973, The Watkins Glen outdoor summer jam was held outside of Watkins Glen, New York with The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead and The Band. Over 600,000 rock fans attended. Many historians claimed the event was the largest gathering of people in the history of the United States. 150,000 tickets were sold for $10 each, but for all the other people it was a free concert. The crowd was so huge that a large part of the audience was not able to see the stage.

1979, 'I Don't Like Mondays' gave The Boomtown Rats their second UK No.1 single. Bob Geldof wrote the song after reading a report on the shooting spree of 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer, who fired at children playing in a school playground across the street from her home in San Diego, California. She killed two adults and injured eight children and one police officer. Spencer showed no remorse for her crime, and her full explanation for her actions was "I don't like Mondays, this livens up the day."

1990, Elton John started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Sleeping With The Past', his fifth No.1 album.

1990, Partners In Kryme started a four-week run at No.1 with 'Turtle Power' the first rap chart topper in the UK. The one hit wonders track was featured in the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

1996, Marge Ganser from The Shangri-Las died of breast cancer. The group scored over ten hits during the 60's including the 1964 US No.1 'Leader Of The Pack.'

2008, Amy Winehouse was rushed to hospital after she started to have fits at her home in Camden North London. A spokesman said it appeared the singer had suffered a reaction to medication she was taking to help her off hard drugs.

1944, Born on this day, Mike Bloomfield, guitarist, member of the Paul Butterfield band and Electric Flag. Played on Dylan's album 'Highway 61 Revisited.' He died on 15th February 1981.

1945, Born on this day, Rick Wright, keyboards, vocals, Pink Floyd, (1973 US No.1 & UK No.2 album 'Dark Side Of The Moon', spent a record breaking 741 weeks on the US chart. 1979 UK and US No.1 single ‘Another Brick In The Wall, (part 2)’. Pink Floyd have sold over 200 million albums worldwide). Wright died on 15th Sept 2008 aged 65 from cancer. Wright appeared on the group's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, in 1967 alongside Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and Nick Mason.

1949, Born on this day, Peter Doyle, singer, The New Seekers, (1972 UK No.1 & US No.7 single 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing'). Doyle died on 13th October 2001.

1949, Born on this day, Simon Kirke, drums, Free, (1971 UK No.2 & US No.4 single 'All Right Now'). Bad Company (1974 UK No.15 single 'Can't Get Enough').

1949, Born on this day, Steve Took, percussion, T Rex, 1971 UK No.1 single 'Hot Love', plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles'). Took died on 27th October 1980.

1965, Born on this day, Nick Banks, drums, Pulp, (1995 UK No.2 single 'Common People').

1965, Born on this day, Texas Axile, keyboards, Transvision Vamp, (1989 UK No.3 single 'Baby I Don't Care').

Dionne Warwick - I'll Never Fall In Love Again

Dionne Warwick (born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health.
Best known for her partnership with Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers of the entire rock era (1955–1999), based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. According to Billboard Magazine, Warwick ranks second only to Aretha Franklin as the most charted female vocalist with 56 singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998.

"I'll Never Fall In Love Again" is a popular song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally written for the 1968 musical Promises, Promises, it soon became one of Bacharach and David's most enduring songs. It was nominated for Song of the Year in the 1969 Grammy awards. A version with studio singers was released as a single under Burt Bacharach's name in 1969, and achieved a low chart position.

"I'll Never Fall In Love Again" became a hit for Bobbie Gentry when it reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for a single week in October 1969. In January 1970, it became a number six hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and a number-one hit on the Easy Listening chart for Dionne Warwick.

Warwick's version, arranged and produced by Burt Bacharach and recorded in 1969, also reached number three on the Canadian Chart and crossed over into the Top 20 R&B Chart and became an international million seller. Warwick's album of the same name containing the single won a 1971 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance-Female. Ella Fitzgerald's version became a minor hit in September 1969 and charted briefly. It was also the best-charting single in a cover version for Scottish band Deacon Blue, peaking at number two in the UK Singles Chart.

The Jackson 5 - ABC

The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana. Founding group members Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael formed the group after performing in an early incarnation called The Jackson Brothers, which originally consisted of a trio of the three older brothers.

Active from 1964 to 1990, the Jacksons played from a repertoire of R&B, soul, pop and later disco. During their six-and-a-half-year Motown tenure, The Jackson 5 were one of the biggest pop-music phenomena of the 1970s, and the band served as the launching pad for the solo careers of their lead singers Jermaine and Michael, the latter brother later transforming his early Motown solo fame into greater success as an adult artist.

The Jackson 5 were one of very few in recording history to have their first four major label singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There") reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Several later singles, among them "Mama's Pearl", "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Dancing Machine", were Top 5 pop hits and number-one hits on the R&B singles chart. Most of the early hits were written and produced by a specialized songwriting team known as "The Corporation"; later Jackson 5 hits were crafted chiefly by Hal Davis, while early Jacksons hits were compiled by the team of Gamble and Huff before The Jacksons began writing and producing themselves in the late 1970s.

Significantly, they were one of the first black teen idols to appeal equally to white audiences thanks partially to the successful promotional relations skills of Motown Records CEO Berry Gordy. With their departure from Motown to CBS in 1976, The Jacksons were forced to change their name and Jermaine was replaced with younger brother Randy as Jermaine chose to stay at Motown. During these years, they continued to have a number of hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "Show You the Way to Go", and "Blame It on the Boogie". After two years under the Philadelphia International Records label, they signed with Epic Records and asserted control of their songwriting, production, and image, and their success continued into the 1980s with hits such as "Can You Feel It", "This Place Hotel", "Lovely One", and "State of Shock". Their 1989 album 2300 Jackson Street was recorded without Michael and Marlon. Michael and Marlon did appear, however, on the title track. The disappointing sales of the album led to the group being dropped by their record label at the end of the year. The group has never formally broken up, but has been dormant since then, although all six brothers performed together at two Michael Jackson tribute concerts in September 2001

"ABC" is a 1970 number-one hit song by The Jackson 5. "ABC" was written with the same design as "I Want You Back", and was first heard on American Bandstand (which, fittingly, aired on the ABC network) in February 1970. "ABC" knocked The Beatles song "Let It Be" out of the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. "ABC" was also number one on the soul singles chart for four weeks.

"ABC" was the first single from the second Jackson 5 album, ABC. It is considered one of the Jackson 5's signature songs.

Steam - Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye

"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" is a song written and recorded by Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer, attributed to a then-fictitious band they named "Steam". It was released under the Mercury subsidiary label Fontana and became a number one pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969, and remained on the charts in early 1970.

The song's chorus remains well-known, and is frequently used as a crowd chant at many sporting events.

Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer wrote a primitive version of the song in the early 1960s when they were members of a band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, called The Chateaus. The Chateaus disbanded after several failed recordings. In 1969, DeCarlo recorded several singles at Mercury Records in New York with Paul Leka as producer. The singles impressed the company's executives, who wanted to issue all of them as A-side singles. In need of "inferior" B-side songs, Leka and DeCarlo resurrected an old song from their days as the Chateaus, "Kiss Him Goodbye" with their old bandmate, Dale Frashuer.

With DeCarlo as lead vocalist, the three musicians recorded the song in one recording session. Instead of using a full band, Leka spliced together a drum track from one of DeCarlo's four singles and played keyboards himself. "I said we should put a chorus to it (to make it longer)," Leka told Fred Bronson in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. "I started writing while I was sitting at the piano going 'na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na'... Everything was 'na na' when you didn't have a lyric." Someone else added "hey hey" (Bronson, 2003). "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" reached number one in the United States for two weeks, on December 6 and 13 of 1969; it was Billboard's final multi-week #1 hit of the 1960s and also peaked at number twenty on the soul chart.

By the beginning of the 21st century, sales of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" had exceeded 6.5 million records.

This Day In Music History

1958, Fan's of rock & roll music were warned that tuning into music on the car radio could cost you more money. Researchers from the Esso gas company said the rhythm of rock & roll could cause the driver to be foot heavy on the pedal, making them waste fuel.

1968, Cass Elliot released her first solo single following the break up of The Mamas and Papas. ’Dream a Little Dream of Me’ had been around since 1931 and had been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Frankie Laine and many others. Cass' version would be the most successful when it peaked at No. 12 on the US chart, and No.11 in the UK.

1974, John Denver started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Annie's Song', the singers second US No.1. The song was a tribute to his wife and was written in 10 minutes while he was on a ski lift.

1974, Wings started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Band On The Run', featuring the title-track, 'Jet' and the US hit 'Helen Wheels'. The album sold over 6 million copies world-wide

1985, Paul Young went to No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of the Daryl Hall song 'Every Time You Go Away'.

1985, The Eurythmics were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)', the duo's only UK No.1 single. The song featured a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder.

1986, Queen became the first western act since Louis Armstrong in 1964 to perform in Easton Europe when they played at Budapest's Nepstadion, Hungary, the gig was filmed and released as 'Queen Magic in Budapest'.

1991, Bryan Adams started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with '(Everything I Do), I Do It For You'.

1991, Natalie Cole started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Unforgettable Love'.

1996, Toni Braxton scored her first US No.1 single with 'You're Makin' Me High', a No.7 hit in the UK.

1997, The Soundtrack album 'Men In Black' started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart.

2001, Leon Wilkeson bass player with Lynyrd Skynyrd was found dead in a hotel room in Florida aged 49. Skynyrd scored the 1974 US No. 8 single, 'Sweet Home Alabama' and the 1982 UK No.21 single 'Freebird'. Member of the Rossington-Collins Band.

2006, Sharman Networks, a company that produced software called Kazaa, which made it easy for an estimated 400 million computer users to download music over the Internet, agreed to pay more than $115 million to music companies to settle global piracy lawsuits.

1933, Born on this day, Nick Reynolds, The Kingston Trio, (1958 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'Tom Dooley' plus nine other US Top 40 hits).

1943, Born on this day, Al Ramsey, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, (1965 US No.1 single 'This Diamond Ring' plus 11 other US Top 40 hits).

1953, Born on this day, Suzi Carr (Will To Power,) singer, 1989 UK No.6 single 'Baby I Love Your Way / Freebird').

1960, Born on this day, Conway Savage, bass, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, (1996 UK No.36 single with PJ Harvey, 'Henry Lee').

1962, Born on this day, Karl Mueller, bass, Soul Asylum, (1993 US No.5 and UK No.7 single 'Runaway Train').

The Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love

"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song composed by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and released by The Beatles on the A-side of their sixth British single, "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That".

When pressed by American journalists in 1966 to reveal the song's "true" meaning, McCartney stated that "I think you can put any interpretation you want on anything, but when someone suggests that 'Can't Buy Me Love' is about a prostitute, I draw the line." He went on to say: "The idea behind it was that all these material possessions are all very well, but they won't buy me what I really want." Although he was to later comment: "It should have been 'Can Buy Me Love' " when reflecting on the perks that money and fame had brought him.

"Can't Buy Me Love" was recorded on 29 January 1964 at EMI's Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris, France, where the Beatles were performing 18 days of concerts at the Olympia Theatre.

The Beatles established four records on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Can't Buy Me Love" at number one:

Until Billboard began using SoundScan for their charts, it had the biggest jump to number one: (number twenty-seven to number one; no other single had ever done this).

It gave the Beatles three consecutive number-one songs ("I Want to Hold Your Hand" was replaced at number one by "She Loves You" which was in turn replaced by "Can't Buy Me Love"). The three songs spent a combined total of 14 consecutive weeks at #1.

When "Can't Buy Me Love" went to number one (4 April 1964), the entire top five of the Hot 100 was by the Beatles, the next positions being filled by "Twist and Shout", "She Loves You", "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Please Please Me," respectively. No other act has held the top five spots simultaneously.

During its second week at number one (11 April 1964), the Beatles had fourteen songs on the Hot 100 at the same time.

Rolling Stone ranked "Can't Buy Me Love" at #289 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song spent five consecutive weeks at #1. The only Beatles songs to exceed that mark were "I Want To Hold Your Hand" at seven weeks and "Hey Jude" at nine weeks.

Can't Buy Me Love became the Beatles' fourth UK number-one single and their third single to sell over a million copies in the UK.

The song was also released in the following albums: A Hard Day's Night (both the American United Artists and British Parlophone versions); Big Hits From England And The U.S.A., a various artists compilation album from Capitol issued in 1964; the British-only LP release A Collection Of Beatles Oldies; the 1970 compilation Hey Jude (also known as The Beatles Again); the 1973 double disc collection 1962–1966 (the Red Album); the 1982 release Reel Music, which features songs from Beatles films; the 1982 compilation 20 Greatest Hits (both in England and America); and 1, released in November 2000.

The Beatles - There's a Place

"There's a Place" is a song composed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and was first released as a track on The Beatles' British debut LP, Please Please Me. Lennon and McCartney share lead vocals with George Harrison providing backing vocals.

The title was inspired by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's "Somewhere" from West Side Story, which contained the line: "somewhere there's a place for us". McCartney owned the album of the soundtrack at the time of writing "There's a Place" and acknowledges its influence. The "place" in question was "the mind", making its subject matter slightly more cerebral than Britain's kissing and cuddling songs and America's surf music from that period. Lennon is quoted as saying: "'There's a Place' was my attempt at a sort of Motown, black thing." It says the usual Lennon things: 'In my mind there's no sorrow...' It's all in your mind."

Composed at McCartney's Forthlin Road home, it was part of the group's stage repertoire in 1963.With its major seventh harmonica intro (later reprised) and searing two-part vocal harmonies in fifths (Lennon low, McCartney high), it stands out as an early Beatles milestone track. The song was recorded on 11 February 1963 in ten takes during the first of three sessions for Please Please Me.

The song was officially credited to "McCartney/Lennon", as were all other Lennon/McCartney compositions on the original UK release of Please Please Me.

The Beatles - Twist and Shout

"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers.

The song was covered by The Mamas & the Papas (in the style of a ballad) in 1967 on their album Deliver, and on a film soundtrack by Cliff Richard. It was also covered by The Tremeloes. The Who performed it throughout their career, most notably on Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 and 1982's Who's Last.

The Beatles released the song on their first UK album, Please Please Me, the recording of which on 11 February 1963 was their first album session and is notable for 11 songs recorded in a mere 10 hours. "Twist and Shout", with John Lennon on lead vocals, was the last song recorded; producer George Martin knew Lennon's voice would suffer from the performance, so he left it until last, with only 15 minutes of scheduled recording time remaining.

Lennon was suffering from a cold, and was drinking milk and sucking on cough drops to soothe his throat. His coughing is audible on the album, as is the cold's effect on his voice. Even so, he produced a memorable vocal performance: a raucous, dynamic rocker. He later said his voice was not the same for a long time afterward, and that "every time [he] swallowed, it felt like sandpaper".

A second take was attempted, but Lennon had nothing left and it was abandoned.George Martin said, "I did try a second take ... but John's voice had gone."

The Beatles' cover was released on 2 March 1964 in the U.S. as a single, with "There's a Place" as its B-side,by Vee-Jay Records on the Tollie label. It reached No. 2 on 4 April 1964, during the week that the top five places on the chart were all Beatles singles. (In the Cashbox singles chart for the same week, "Twist and Shout" was No. 1.)

In the United States, "Twist and Shout" was the only million-selling Beatles single that was a cover record, and the only Beatles cover single to reach the Top 10 on a national record chart. The song failed to hit #1 because the Beatles had another song occupying the top spot, Can't Buy Me Love.

In the UK, "Twist and Shout" was released by Parlophone on an EP with three other tracks, "Do You Want to Know a Secret", "A Taste of Honey", and "There's a Place", from the Please Please Me album. Both the EP and album reached No. 1 (see Twist and Shout (EP)). In Canada, it became the title track to the second album of Beatles material to be issued by Capitol Records of Canada, on February 3, 1964.

It is regarded as one of the finest examples of British rock and roll for its vocal performance.The song was used as a rousing closing number on Sunday Night at the London Palladium in October 1963 and at The Royal Variety Show in November 1963, the former signalling the start of "Beatlemania". They performed it on one of their Ed Sullivan Show appearances in February 1964.

The Beatles continued to play the song live until the end of their August 1965 tour of North America. Additionally, they recorded "Twist and Shout" on nine occasions for BBC television and radio broadcasts, the earliest of which was for the Talent Spot radio show on 27 November 1962.

This Day In Music History

1962, Frank Ifield was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Remember You'. The singers first of four UK No.1's.

1968, The Jackson Five signed a one-year contract with Motown Records.

1969, Brian Jones was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents, (2/6).

1974, Graffiti artists were hired to spray paint sites in London to promote the UK release of The Rolling Stones new single 'It's Only Rock 'n' Roll'.

1975, The Eagles started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'One Of These Nights'.

1980, The Rolling Stones started a seven week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Emotional Rescue', the group's eighth US No.1.

1986, Peter Gabriel went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Sledgehammer', a No.4 hit in the UK.

1986, The film soundtrack to 'Top Gun' went to No.1 on the US album chart.

1990, Brent Mydland from The Grateful Dead was found dead on the floor of his home aged 38 from a drug overdose.

1992, American singer and Motown artist, Mary Wells, referred to as The First Lady of Motown and who had a 1964 US No. 1 and UK No. 5 single ‘My Guy’, dies aged 49 of laryngeal cancer. Forced to give up her career and with no health insurance, forced to sell her home, Wells’ old Motown friends including Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, The Temptations and Martha Reeves, along with Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt, personally pledged donations in support.

1997, Puff Daddy and Faith Evans went back to No.1 on the UK singles chart for another three weeks with 'I'll Be Missing You'.

2001, Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews was admitted to a rehabiliation centre, after collapsing with exhaustion. Her record company said the Welsh singer was "receiving treatment for exhaustion and a recurrent asthma complaint - both of which have been exacerbated by drinking and smoking".

2006, The final edition of Top of the Pops was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London. Just under 200 members of the public were in the audience for the show which was co-hosted by veteran disc jockey Sir Jimmy Savile, its very first presenter. Classic performances from the Spice Girls, Wham, Madonna, Beyonce Knowles and Robbie Williams featured in the show alongside the Rolling Stones – who were the very first band to appear on Top of the Pops on New Year's Day in 1964.

1941, Born on this day, Bobby Hebb, US singer, (1966 US No.2 and UK No.12 single 'Sunny').

1941, Born on this day, Darlene Love, The Crystals, (1962 US No.1 single 'He's A Rebel', 1963 UK No.2 single 'Then He Kissed Me').

1943, Born on this day, Mick Jagger, vocals, The Rolling Stones, (1969 UK & US No.1 single 'Honky Tonk Women', and over 35 UK & US Top 40 singles and albums). Solo (1985 UK No.1 single with David Bowie 'Dancing In The Street'). 1985 UK No. 6 solo album 'She's The Boss.'

1949, Born on this day, Roger Taylor, drums, vocals, Queen, (1975 UK No.1 single 'Bohemian Rhapsody' also UK No.1 in 1991, plus over 40 other UK Top 40 singles, 1980 US No.1 single 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'). Also a member of The Cross.

1961, Born on this day, Andy Connell, Swing Out Sister, (1986 UK No.4 single 'Breakout').

1962, Born on this day, Miranda Joyce, vocals, The Belle Stars, (1983 UK No.3 single 'Sign Of The Times').

1963, Born on this day, Scott Francis Crago, American session drummer, worked with The Eagles since 1994 as well as Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Bryan Adams, Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger and Chris Isaak.

Elvis Presley - Blue Moon

"Blue Moon" is a classic popular song. It was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934, and has become a standard ballad.

The lyrics presumably refer to an English idiomatic expression: "once in a blue moon" means very rarely. The narrator of the song is relating a stroke of luck so unlikely that it must have taken place under a blue moon. The title relies on a play on words, since Blue is also the colour of melancholy, and indeed the narrator is sad and lonely until he finds love.

"Blue Moon"'s first crossover recording to rock and roll came from
Elvis Presley in 1956. His cover version of the song was included on his self-titled debut album Elvis Presley.

In Jim Jarmusch's 1989 film "Mystery Train", the three distinct stories that make up the narrative are linked by a portion of Elvis Presley's version of "Blue Moon" (as heard on a radio broadcast) and a subsequent offscreen gunshot, which are heard once during each story, revealing that the three stories occur simultaneously in real time.



Mel Tormé did a cover version of "Blue Moon" that reached the Billboard charts in 1949. It was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 15428. It first reached the Best Seller chart on April 8, 1949, and lasted five weeks on the chart, peaking at number 20. The record was a two-sided hit, as the flip side, "Again", also charted.[5] [6]

Elvis Presley - Just Because

Written by Bob Shelton, Joe Shelton, and Sid Robin. Elvis recorded it September 10, 1954 at Sun Records.

It remained unreleased until his first LP, Elvis Presley was released in March 1956. It was the B-side to Blue Moon. It is available on Elvis Presley, The Sun Sessions, and The King of Rock n Roll-The Complete 50s Masters.

Elvis Presley - Trying To Get To You

“Trying To Get To You” is a song performed by Elvis Presley in 1955 on his Sun recordings.

It was written by Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton. It was originally recorded by the rhythm and blues outfit The Eagles in 1954 .
Presley recorded five versions of the song. The first on March 23, 1955 and the second on July 11, 1955, with the second session being released during his lifetime.

He also recorded live versions of the song on Elvis (NBC TV Special), Elvis: As Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis, and Elvis in Concert.
On the earlier version that appeared on the 1999 album Sunrise, Presley recorded this song while simultaneously playing the piano (and not aided by his rhythm guitar, as previously believed). Because his piano playing was not up to the expected standards, producer Sam Phillips erased the sound of the piano on the master take so, in addition to Elvis’ tantalizing vocals, all one hears is the lead guitar, the bass and the drums.

Elvis’ piano is heard on the July session version and appeared on his self-titled 1956 LP. Presley’s vocal delivery appears to be influenced by that of The Eagles’ lead singer,but Scotty Moore’s guitar solo on the Presley recording replaces a saxophone solo heard on the original.

The track was released on Presley’s March 1956 RCA debut album Elvis Presley. It also featured on the famous 1976 The Sun Sessions release and on numerous other Elvis efforts and collections as well.

“Trying To Get To You” was next recorded by Roy Orbison in April 1956 with “Ooby Dooby” on the B-side.

After Eric Burdon performed it a few times on his own shows he reunited with The Animals in late 1983 and recorded the song in the studio. It appeared on their album Ark but was retitled “Trying To Get You”. It was also included on their live shows before they disbanded again in early 1984.

Later it was also covered by Faith Hill, Susie Arioli, Gene Summers and many others.

This Day In Music History

1960, Roy Orbison reached No.2 on the US singles chart with ‘Only the Lonely,’ his first hit. The song was turned down by The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley, so Orbison decided to record the song himself.

1963, Cilla Black made a recording test for EMI Records after George Martin had spotted her while at a Gerry And The Pacemakers gig in Liverpool.

1964, The Beatles third album 'A Hard Days Night' started a twenty-one week run at the top of the UK charts.

1969, Neil Young appeared with Crosby, Stills and Nash for the first time when played at The Fillmore East in New York. Young was initially asked to help out with live material only, but ended up joining the group on and off for the next 30 years.

1970, The Carpenters started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with '(They Long To Be) Close To You'. The first of three US No.1's and 17 other Top 40 hits. The song was written in 1963 by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and was first offered to Herb Alpert, who said he didn't feel comfortable singing the line 'so they sprinkled moon dust in your hair'.

1971, T Rex were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Get It On', the group's second UK No.1 which spent four weeks at the top of the charts. In the US it was retitled Bang A Gong, (Get It On). Power Station had a UK & US hit with their version of the song in 1985.

1981, Air Supply went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The One That I Love', the group's only US No.1 and the first Australian band to top the US singles chart.

1984, Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton died at the age of 58 died in Los Angeles of heart and liver complications. She had a No.1 R&B hit in 1953 with ‘Hound Dog’ (later covered by Elvis Presley). She also wrote and recorded ‘Ball 'n' Chain,’ which Janis Joplin recorded.

1987, Madonna had her fifth UK No.1 single with the title track from her 1987 film 'Who's That Girl'. Also a US No.1 hit.

1987, Terence Trent D'arby went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Introducing The Hardline According to Terence Trent D'arby'.

1995, Grammy Award winning country singer, songwriter Charlie Rich died in his sleep aged 62 years old. Rich began as a Rockabilly artist for Sun Records in Memphis in 1958. He scored the 1974 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'The Most Beautiful Girl' and 'Behind Closed Doors', was a No.1 country hit.

1998, Jamiroquai went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Deeper Under Ground', their thirteenth hit and first UK No.1.

1998, Jane McDonald went to No.1 on the UK album chart with her debut album. The singer had been featured in a BBC documentary 'Cruise', and became the first singer to debut at No.1 without having a hit single.

2003, Erik Braunn from American psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, died of cardiac failure at the age of 52. Braunn was just 16 years old when he joined Iron Butterfly who had the 1968 US No.14 single 'In-A- Gadda-Da-Vida’.

1925, Born on this day, Bennie Benjamin session drummer, one of ‘The Funk Brothers’ played on many Tamla Motown hits including, The Four Tops, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and Stevie Wonder. Film ‘Standing In The Shadows Of Motown’ released in 2003. Died 20th April 1969.

1941, Born on this day, Manuel Charlton, Nazareth, (1973 UK No.9 single 'Broken Down Angel', 1976 US No.8 single, 'Love Hurts').

1942, Born on this day, Bruce Woodley, vocals, The Seekers, (1965 UK No.1 & US No.5 single 'I'll Never Find Another You').

1943, Born on this day, Jim McCarty, drums, The Yardbirds, (1965 UK No.3 &
US No.6 single 'For Your Love').

1946, Born on this day, Jose Chepito Areas, percussionist, Santana, (1970 US No.4 single 'Black Magic Woman', 1977 UK No.11 single 'She's Not There').

1951, Born on this day, Verdine White, bass, vocals, Earth Wind and Fire, (1975 US No.1 single 'Shining Star', 1981 UK No.3 single 'Let's Groove').

1958, Born on this day, Thurston Moore, guitar, vocals, Sonic Youth, (1993 UK No.26 single 'Sugar Kane').

Lena Horne - Honeysuckle Rose

"Honeysuckle Rose" is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, whose lyrics were written by Andy Razaf. Fats Waller's 1934 recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Lena Horne sings the song in the film "Thousands Cheer".

Thousands Cheer is a 1943 American comedy musical film released by MGM. Produced at the height of the Second World War, the film was intended as a morale booster for American troops and their families.The film was nominated for three Academy Awards; Best Cinematography, Best Score and Best Art Direction

BENNY GOODMAN - Minnie's in the Money

Written for: The Gang's All Here (1943)
Lyric: Leo Robin
Music: Harry Warren

There's a lot of talk about our old pal Minnie,
All around the neighborhood;
Ev'rybody's happy when you mention Minnie,
She's been doin' mighty good,
But we always knew she would.

Have you heard that Minnie's in the money?
Take my word that Minnie's in the money.

She hasn't got a guy who's got a diamond mine,
But she's a welder on the old assembly line.
So bless her, yes, sir, Minnie's in the money,
Minnie's in the money, that's fine!
She's helping Uncle Sam to keep his people free,
She's okay, hooray, Minnie's in the dough re mi.

Harry James with Helen Forrest - I've Heard That Song Before

"I've Heard That Song Before" is a 1942 popular song with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. It was introduced by Martha O'Driscoll (dubbed by Margaret Whiting) in the 1942 film Youth on Parade.

It was recorded by Harry James and his Orchestra with Helen Forrest on vocal on July 31, 1942. This was the last day of recording before the Musician Union's ban. The recording was issued on Columbia 36668 and became a number one hit on both the pop and R&B charts in the USA in early 1943. This version of the song can be heard in Woody Allen's movie Hannah and Her Sisters

Henry Haag “Harry” James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician and bandleader. James was an instrumentalist of the swing era, employing a bravura playing style that made his trumpet work identifiable. He was one of the most popular bandleaders of the first half of the 1940s, and he continued to lead his band until just before his death, 40 years later.

Helen Forrest (April 12, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was one of the most popular female jazz vocalists during America's Big Band era. She was born Helen Fogel to a Jewish family in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 12, 1917. She first sang with her brother's band at the age of 10, and later began her career singing on CBS radio under the name Bonnie Blue

This Day In Music History

1965, The Byrds were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Bob Dylan song 'Mr Tambourine Man'. The first Bob Dylan song to reach No.1.

1967, All four Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein signed a petition printed in The Times newspaper calling for the legalisation of marijuana.

1974, George McCrae was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Rock Your Baby'. Written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band. Regarded by some as the first Disco No.1.

1976, The Beach Boys '20 Golden Greats' album started a ten-week run at No.1 on the UK chart.

1976, The Manhattans started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Kiss And Say Goodbye', the group's only US No.1, it made No.4 in the UK.

1976, Elton John scored his first UK number 1 single with ‘Don't Go Breaking My Heart’ a duet with Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin under the pseudonym "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" and was Elton's first UK No.1 after 16 Top 40 hits. John had met Dee when she was working as a backing singer. John would later re-record the song with RuPaul for his 1993 'Duets' album.

1977, Donna Summer was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Giorgio Moroder produced 'I Feel Love'. The disco diva's only UK chart topper.

1980, Peter Sellers, actor, singer, died of a heart attack. (1956 UK No.9 single 'Ying Tong Song' with The Goons, 1960 UK No.4 single 'Goodness Gracious Me', with Sophia Loren, 1965 UK No.14 single 'A Hard Day's Night').

1982, Survivor started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Eye Of The Tiger', taken from the film 'Rocky III'. Also No.1 in the UK. Survivor won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance for the song.

1984, The Rev. C.L. Franklin died, (father of soul singer Aretha Franklin). Franklin who was an American Baptist minister as well as a Civil Rights activist had been in a coma since 1979 after being shot by burglars at his home in Detroit.

1993, U2 started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Zooropa' the Irish bands fourth US No.1.

1993, UB40 started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Can't Help Falling In Love. Elvis Presley had the first hit with the song, in 1961, Corey Hart was next up with a top 30 hit in 1987, and Hall and Oates recorded the song for 1990’s, The Last Temptation of Elvis charity album. UB40 originally covered the song for the Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack, but Bono’s version was chosen instead. Also on the same day UB40 went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Promises And Lies'.

1944, Born on this day, Jim Armstrong, Them, (1965 UK No.2 & US No.24 single 'Here Comes The Night').

1947, Born on this day, Alan Whitehead, drummer, Marmalade, (1969 UK No.1 single 'Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da', 1970 US No.10 single, 'Reflections Of My Life').

1957, Born on this day, Larry Gott, guitar, James, (1991 UK No.2 single 'Sit Down').

1958, Born on this day, Mick Karn, bass, sax, Japan, (1982 UK No.5 single 'Ghosts').

1970, Born on this day, Jennifer Lopez, singer, actress, (2001 UK No.1 single 'Love Don't Cost A Thing', 2001 US No.1 single 'I'm Real').

Rolling Stones - 19th Nervous Breakdown

"19th Nervous Breakdown" was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards during their 1965 tour of the United States. The song was recorded during the Aftermath sessions between 3 and 8 December 1965 at RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, at the conclusion of their fourth North American tour.

The song talks of a difficult, spoiled girl who cannot appreciate life. Mick Jagger says he came up with the title first, and then wrote the lyrics around the title.

It was released as a single on 4 February 1966 and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and in the United Kingdom Record Retailer chart. However, it hit #1 in the NME chart and the BBC's Pick of the Pops chart, both of which were more widely recognised in Britain at the time.

The hypnotic riff Brian Jones is playing during the verses pays a tribute to Bo Diddley's song "Diddley Daddy," Diddley being a major influence on the Rolling Stones' style. The song is also well-known for Bill Wyman's so-called "dive-bombing" bass line at the end of the song.

Like many early Rolling Stones recordings, "19th Nervous Breakdown" has been officially released only in mono sound. A stereo mix of the song has turned up in private and bootleg collections. One version of the stereo mix features a radically different vocal from Jagger, who alternates between mellow on the verses and rawer on the chorus.

This was one of three songs ("(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "As Tears Go By" being the other two) the Rolling Stones performed on their Ed Sullivan Show appearance in February 1966.

B side of the single was Sad Day.

Rolling Stones - Gotta Get Away

"Gotta Get Away" was released in December 1965 (US) and was the B-side of "As Tears Go By"

Baby, the truth is out so don't deny
Baby to think I believed all your lies
Darlin’ I can't stand to see your face
It's the truth, you understand
I got to get away, got to get away
Gotta, gotta, gotta get away
Got to get away

Baby, I don't want to live here no more
Baby, though I tore your pictures off my walls
Darlin' this old room's falling in on me
You understand the truth now

I got to get away, got to get away
Gotta, gotta, gotta get away
Got to get away

Baby, oh, how could you take away your clothes
Baby, don't screw up this old heart of gold
Darling, this will rule my social flare
You understand me now
I got to get away, got to get away
Gotta, gotta, gotta get away
Got to get away

Rolling Stones - As Tears Go By

"As Tears Go By" is a song written by The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, and their manager Andrew Loog Oldham, and was a popular hit for both British singer Marianne Faithfull in 1964 and The Rolling Stones in 1965.

The song is one of the first original compositions by Jagger and Richards, as until that point The Rolling Stones had chiefly been performing covers of blues standards.

The myth surrounding the song's genesis has it that Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham locked Jagger and Richards in a kitchen forcing them to write a song together, even suggesting what type of song he wanted: “I want a song with brick walls all around it, high windows and no sex.” The result was initially named “As Time Goes By” the title of the song Dooley Wilson sings in the film Casablanca. It was Oldham who changed “Time” for “Tears". Oldham subsequently gave the ballad (a format that the Stones were not yet known for) to Faithfull, then 17, for her to record as a B-side.

The success of the recording caused the record company, Decca, to switch the song to an A-side, where it became a very popular single. It reached # 9 in the British charts and launched Faithfull's career as a major singer. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 in America the week ending November 28, 1964, where it stayed for nine weeks peaking at # 22.

Another myth is that the song was written as an answer to The Beatles' "Yesterday," a strings-driven ballad that became one of the band's biggest hits in 1965. However, this is false; "As Tears Go By" was written at least one year before "Yesterday"'s parent album, Help!, was even released (although Paul McCartney had written and played the song for many people in 1964 before finally releasing it on the album Help!).

The Rolling Stones recorded their own version in 1965. This recording is notable for its heavy string arrangement by Mike Leander. It was one of the three songs ("(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "19th Nervous Breakdown" being the other two) the band performed live during their third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

It was released as a single in December 1965 by their American record label, London Records, due to popular demand after radio DJs across the country started playing the song from the band's recently released album December's Children (And Everybody's). The song peaked at #6 on the American Billboard Charts. The song also had great success on the Billboard Easy Listening chart (#10 peak) years before the seemingly more wholesome Beatles would see their first entry. The song was later released in the UK in 1966 as the B-side to the single "19th Nervous Breakdown".

The Stones released a version with Italian lyrics as a single in Italy, under the title "Con Le Mie Lacrime".

It was performed live on tour for the first time in November 2005 on the Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour. A performance from the 2006 leg of the tour was captured for the 2008 live release Shine a Light. On July 11 in Milan they performed the song with the Italian lyrics.

This Day In Music History

1955, Slim Whitman was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Rose Marie.' The single stayed at the top of the charts for eleven weeks. Whitman held the record for the most consecutive weeks at No.1 (11 weeks), until 1991.

1964, The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Hard Days Night', the group's fifth UK No.1.

1966, Frank Sinatra went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Strangers In The Night'.

1969, The Rolling Stones were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Honky Tonk Women,' the group's 8th and last UK No.1.

1977, Barry Manilow went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Looks Like We Made It', his third US No.1. Not a hit in the UK.

1983, Paul Young had his first UK No.1 single with his version of the Marvin Gaye song 'Wherever I Lay My Hat, (That's My Home.)' The song title was parodied by the UK indie band Super Furry Animals with their 1999 song 'Wherever I Lay My Phone (That's My Home)'.

1983, Yazoo went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their second and final release 'You And Me Both'.

1988, After forty-nine weeks on the US album chart, 'Hysteria' by Def Leppard went to the No.1 position.
2000, The Corrs started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'In Blue'.

2005, Queen’s 1985 Live Aid performance was voted the best rock concert ever by over 7,000 UK Sony Ericsson music fans. Radiohead were voted the best festival act for their 1997 Glastonbury performance and Bob Dylan’s 1966 Manchester Free Trade Hall gig won the best ever solo gig.

2006, Razorlight started a two week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with their second album and first No.1 'Razorlight.'

2006, George Michael was accused of engaging in anonymous public sex, after being photographed in London's Hampstead Heath with a 58-year-old unemployed van driver. Despite stating that he intended to sue both the News of the World tabloid who photographed the incident and van driver Norman Kirtland for slander, Michael stated that he openly cruised for anonymous sex and that this was not an issue in his relationship with partner Kenny Goss.

2008, A waxwork model of Amy Winehouse was unveiled at Madame Tussauds. The singer's parents, Mitch and Janis, revealed the model, ‘complete with trademark beehive and sailor tattoos’, at the London attraction. Earlier in the week her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was jailed for 27 months for attacking a pub landlord and perverting the course of justice.

2011, Amy Winehouse was found dead at her north London home, she was 27. A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that a 27-year-old woman had died in Camden and that the cause of death was as yet unexplained. London Ambulance Service said it had been called to the flat at 1554 BST and sent two vehicles but the woman died. The troubled singer had a long battle with drink and drugs which overshadowed her recent musical career.

1935, Born on this day, Cleveland Duncan, The Penguins, (1954 US No.8 single 'Earth Angel, Will You Be Mine').

1945, Born on this day, Dino Danelli, drums, The Young Rascals, (1967 US No.1 & UK No.8 single 'Groovin').

1946, Born on this day, Andy Mackay, sax, woodwind, Roxy Music, (1972 UK No.4 single 'Virgina Plain' and 15 other UK Top 40 singles')

1947, Born on this day, David Essex, UK singer, actor, (1974 UK No.1 single 'Gonna Make You A Star', plus 18 other UK Top 40 singles, 1974 US No.5 single, 'Rock On').

1947, Born on this day, Tony Joe White, US singer, songwriter, (1969 US No.8 single, 'Polk Salad Annie', 1970 UK No.22 single 'Groupie Girl', wrote 'Steamy Windows', UK No.13 single for Tina Turner).

1952, Born on this day, Janis Siegel, singer, Manhattan Transfer, (1977 UK No.1 'Chanson D'amour', 1981 US No.7 single 'Boy From New York City').

1961, Born on this day, Martin Gore, keyboards, Depeche Mode, (1984 UK No.4 single 'People Are People', plus over 25 other UK Top 40 singles, 1990 US No.8 single, 'Enjoy The Silence').

1964, Born on this day, Nick Menza, drums, Megadeth, (1990 UK No.13 single 'No More Mr Nice Guy', 1992 US No.2 album 'Countdown To Extinction').

1964, Born on this day, Tim Kellett, keyboards & trumpet, Simply Red, (1986 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Holding Back The Years'), Olive, (1997 UK No.1 single 'You're Not Alone').

1965, Born on this day, Slash, (Saul Hudson), guitar, Guns N' Roses, (1988 US No.1 & 1989 UK No.6 single 'Sweet Child O' Mine', 1991 US & UK No.1 album, 'Use Your Illusion II'). Velvet Revolver, (2004 US No.1 & UK No.11 album 'Contraband').

1971, Born on this day, Alison Krauss, singer songwriter, winner of 1996 Rolling Stone's critic's choice best country artist. 2007 US & UK No.2 album ‘Raising Sand‘ with Robert Plant.

1973, Born on this day, Fran Healy, vocals, guitar, Travis, (1999 UK No.1 album 'The Man Who', 1999 UK No.10 single 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me', plus over 10 other UK Top 40 singles).

1980, Born on this day, Michelle Williams, Destiny's Child, (2000 US No.1 single 'Say My Name', 2001 US & UK No.1 single and album 'Survivor').

Amy Winehouse R.I.P.

Amy Winehouse, the beehived soul-jazz diva whose self-destructive habits overshadowed a distinctive musical talent, was found dead Saturday in her London home, police said. She was 27.

Winehouse shot to fame with the album "Back to Black," whose blend of jazz, soul, rock and classic pop was a global hit. It won five Grammys and made Winehouse — with her black beehive hairdo and old-fashioned sailor tattoos — one of music's most recognizable stars.

Police confirmed that a 27-year-old female was pronounced dead at the home in Camden Square northern London; the cause of death was not immediately known. London Ambulance Services said Winehouse had died before the two ambulance crews it sent arrived at the scene.

"I didn't go out looking to be famous," Winehouse told the Associated Press when "Back to Black" was released. "I'm just a musician."

But in the end, the music was overshadowed by fame, and by Winehouse's demons. Tabloids lapped up the erratic stage appearances, drunken fights, stints in hospital and rehab clinics. Performances became shambling, stumbling train wrecks, watched around the world on the Internet.


By SYLVIA HUI, Associated Press

Amy Winehouse R.I.P.

Born in 1983 to taxi driver Mitch Winehouse and his pharmacist wife Janis, Winehouse grew up in the north London suburbs, and was set on a showbiz career from an early age. When she was 10, she and a friend formed a rap group, Sweet 'n' Sour — Winehouse was Sour — that she later described as "the little white Jewish Salt 'n' Pepa."

She attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, a factory for British music and acting moppets, later went to the Brit School, a performing arts academy in the "Fame" mold, and was originally signed to "Pop Idol" svengali Simon Fuller's 19 Management.

But Winehouse was never a packaged teen star, and always resisted being pigeonholed.

Her jazz-influenced 2003 debut album, "Frank," was critically praised and sold well in Britain. It earned Winehouse an Ivor Novello songwriting award, two Brit nominations and a spot on the shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize.

But Winehouse soon expressed dissatisfaction with the disc, saying she was "only 80 percent behind" the album.

"Frank" was followed by a slump during which Winehouse broke up with her boyfriend, suffered a long period of writer's block and, she later said, smoked a lot of marijuana.

"I had writer's block for so long," she said in 2007. "And as a writer, your self-worth is literally based on the last thing you wrote. .. I used to think, 'What happened to me?'

"At one point it had been two years since the last record and (the record company) actually said to me, 'Do you even want to make another record?' I was like, 'I swear it's coming.' I said to them, 'Once I start writing I will write and write and write. But I just have to start it.'"

The album she eventually produced was a sensation.

Released in Britain in the fall of 2006, "Back to Black" brought Winehouse global fame. Working with producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi and soul-funk group the Dap-Kings, Winehouse fused soul, jazz, doo-wop and, above all, a love of the girl-groups of the early 1960s with lyrical tales of romantic obsession and emotional excess.

"Back to Black" was released in the United States in March 2007 and went on to win five Grammy awards, including song and record of the year for "Rehab."

Music critic John Aizlewood attributed her trans-Atlantic success to a fantastic voice and a genuinely original sound.

"A lot of British bands fail in America because they give America something Americans do better — that's why most British hip-hop has failed," he said. "But they won't have come across anything quite like Amy Winehouse."



Winehouse's rise was helped by her distinctive look — black beehive of hair, thickly lined cat eyes, girly tattoos — and her tart tongue.

She was famously blunt in her assessment of her peers, once describing Dido's sound as "background music — the background to death" and saying of pop princess Kylie Minogue, "she's not an artist ... she's a pony."

The songs on "Black to Black" detailed breakups and breakdowns with a similar frankness. Lyrically, as in life, Winehouse wore her heart on her sleeve.

"I listen to a lot of '60s music, but society is different now," Winehouse said in 2007. "I'm a young woman and I'm going to write about what I know."

Even then, Winehouse's performances were sometimes shambolic, and she admitted she is "a terrible drunk."

Increasingly, her personal life began to overshadow her career.

She acknowledged struggling with eating disorders and told a newspaper that she had been diagnosed as manic depressive but refused to take medication. Soon accounts of her erratic behavior, canceled concerts and drink- and drug-fueled nights began to multiply.

Photographs caught her unsteady on her feet or vacant-eyed, and she appeared unhealthily thin, with scabs on her face and marks on her arms.

There were embarrassing videos released to the world on the Internet. One showed an addled Winehouse and Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty playing with newborn mice. Another, for which Winehouse apologized, showed her singing a racist ditty to the tune of a children's song.

Winehouse's managers went to increasingly desperate lengths to keep the wayward star on the straight and narrow. Before a June 2011 concert in Belgrade — the first stop on a planned European comeback tour — her hotel was stripped of booze. It did no good,

An addled Winehouse swayed and slurred her way through barely recognizable songs, as her band played gamely and the audience jeered and booed.

Winehouse flew home. Her management canceled the tour, saying Winehouse would take sine time off to recover.

Though she was often reported to be working on new material, fans got tired of waiting for the much-promised followup to "Back to Black."

Occasional bits of recording saw the light of day. Her rendition of The Zutons' "Valerie" was a highlight of producer Mark Ronson's 2007 album "Version," and she recorded the pop classic "It's My Party" for the 2010 Quincy Jones album "Q: Soul Bossa Nostra."

But other recording projects with Ronson, one of the architects of the success of "Back to Black," came to nothing.

She also had run-ins with the law. In April 2008, Winehouse was cautioned by police for assault after she slapped a man during a raucous night out.

The same year she was investigated by police, although not charged, after a tabloid newspaper published a video that appeared to show her smoking crack cocaine.

In 2010, Winehouse pleaded guilty to assaulting a theater manager who asked her to leave a family Christmas show because she'd had too much to drink. She was given a fine and a warning to stay out of trouble by a judge who praised her for trying to clean up her act.

In May 2007 in Miami, she married music industry hanger-on Blake Fielder-Civil, but the honeymoon was brief. That November, Fielder-Civil was arrested for an attack on a pub manager the year before. Fielder-Civil later pleaded guilty to assaulting barman James King and then offering him 200,000 pounds (US$400,000) to keep quiet about it.

Winehouse stood by "my Blake" throughout his trial, often blowing kisses at him from the court's public gallery and wearing a heart-shaped pin labeled "Blake" in her hair at concerts. But British newspapers reported extramarital affairs while Fielder-Civil was behind bars.

They divorced in 2009.



Winehouse's health often appeared fragile. In June 2008 and again in April 2010, she was taken to hospital and treated for injuries after fainting and falling at home.

Her father said she had developed the lung disease emphysema from smoking cigarettes and crack, although her spokeswoman later said Winehouse only had "early signs of what could lead to emphysema."

She left the hospital to perform at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park in June 2008, and at the Glastonbury festival the next day, where she received a rousing reception but scuffled with a member of the crowd. Then it was back to a London clinic for treatment, continuing the cycle of music, excess and recuperation that marked her career.

By SYLVIA HUI, Associated Press

Amy Winehouse R.I.P. - Love Is A Losing Game

"Love Is a Losing Game" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse for her second album Back to Black (2006). The track was chosen as the fifth single from the album. The single was released on December 10, 2007 in the United Kingdom. The song was added to BBC Radio 1's playlist on November 7, 2007.

George Michael named the song as one of his eight choices on the BBC Radio Four programme Desert Island Discs. When asked which of his eight choices he would pick if he had to choose one, he opted for "Love Is a Losing Game". Prince has taken to covering the song live. On September 21, 2007, he was joined onstage by Winehouse at the final aftershow of his 21-gig marathon at The O2, and they performed the song together.

The song is the lowest-charting of Winehouse's Back to Black singles, peaking at number forty-six on the UK Singles Chart and spending four weeks on the UK Top 100 (46-61-76-98).

Winehouse performed "Love Is a Losing Game" live when she appeared at the 2007 Mercury Prize. She later performed it at the 2008 BRIT Awards. The song won the award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically at the 2008 Ivor Novello Awards on May 22, 2008, Winehouse's third award at the event.

Amy Winehouse R.I.P. - You Know I'm No Good

"You Know I'm No Good" a song by English recording artist Amy Winehouse, released as the second single from her second studio album, Back to Black. The track follows in the footsteps of Winehouse's previous singles of a mix of jazz and R&B with her soulful, raspy vocals and this time hip hop-inspired beats over it. Recorded solo, and then again with guest vocals from Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, the original appeared on Winehouse's album, and the version featuring Ghostface Killah appears on his album, More Fish.

Critical response to the single was positive. For the week of 16 January 2007, the track was chosen as the Single of the Week on the U.S. iTunes Store as a free download. Newsweek also chose the song as its Pick of the Week for 15 January of the same year.Billboard found that the track—"in original form—could be no better", however, it acknowledged that the Ghostface Killah remix added a "ferocious discordant sputter at the midsection." People magazine called the track "instantly memorable."

Prior to this, Winehouse had not seen any success in the U.S., as her debut album Frank was not released there until November 2007. On the Billboard Hot 100, "You Know I'm No Good" debuted at number ninety—one spot ahead of "Rehab", which also debuted on the chart the same week. The single peaked on the UK Singles Chart at number eighteen for the week ending 14 January 2007, in an excellent week for Winehouse that saw Back to Black achieve a new UK peak of number one, previous single "Rehab" return to the UK top twenty, and Frank re-enter the UK chart at number sixty-two more than three years after its first release. To date, the single, which spent a total of eleven consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart, has sold 53,272 copies in the UK.