This day in music history

1945, Billboard published the first US LP chart. Nat King Cole was at No.1 with 'A Collection Of Favourites.'

1958, At 6.35am, Elvis Presley reported to the Memphis draft board. From there Elvis and twelve other recruits were taken by bus to Kennedy Veterans Memorial Hospital where the singer was assigned army serial number 53310761.

1966, Simon and Garfunkel made their UK singles chart debut with 'Homeward Bound.'

1973, Alice Cooper went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Billion Dollar Babies.' Also a No.1 in the US.

1979, The Bee Gees started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tragedy', the group's eighth US No.1. Also No.1 in the UK.

1984, The former lead singer of the Commodores Lionel Richie started a six week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Hello.' Also a No.1 hit in the US.

1985, 'Easy Lover' by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. Bailey was a former vocalist with Earth Wind & Fire. Phil Collins produced, drummed and sang on the track.

1990, Canadian singer Alannah Myles started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Black Velvet', a No.2 hit in the UK.

1990, Sinead O'Connor went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got', featuring the single 'Nothing Compares To You. Also No.1 in 13 other countries and six weeks at No.1 in the US.

2009, Motown drummer Uriel Jones, died aged 74 after suffering complications from a heart attack. Jones played on many Motown classics including ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’, by Marvin Gaye, ‘Cloud Nine’ by the Temptations, ‘I Second That Emotion’ by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and ‘For Once In My Life’ by Stevie Wonder.

1960, Born on this day, Nena, singer, (1984 UK No.1 & US No.2 single '99 Red Balloons').

1970, Born on this day, Sharon Corr, vocals, violin, The Corrs, (1998 UK No.3 single 'What Can I Do'. 'Talk On Corners' was the best selling UK album of 1998 spending 142 weeks on the UK chart).

1970, Born on this day, Pasemaster Mace, De La Soul, (1990 UK No.7 single 'The Magic Number').

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Neil Young - Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)

Neil Percival Young,(born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation. Young began performing as a solo artist in Canada in 1960, before moving to California in 1966, where he co-founded the band Buffalo Springfield along with Stephen Stills and Richie Furay, and later joined Crosby, Stills & Nash as a fourth member in 1969. He then forged a successful and acclaimed solo career, releasing his first album in 1968.
His career has since spanned over 40 years and 34 studio albums, with a continual and uncompromising exploration of musical styles. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website describes Young as "one of rock and roll’s greatest songwriters and performers". He has been inducted into the Hall of Fame twice: first as a solo artist in 1995, and second as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997.

Young's work is characterized by his distinctive guitar work, deeply personal lyrics and signature falsetto/tenor singing voice.Young has also directed (or co-directed) a number of films using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey, Young is an outspoken advocate for environmental issues and the welfare of small farmers, having co-founded in 1985 the benefit concert Farm Aid. In 1986, Young helped found The Bridge School,[ an educational organization for children with severe verbal and physical disabilities, and its annual supporting Bridge School Benefit concerts.

"Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" combined with its acoustic counterpart "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)", it bookends Young's successful 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps.

Inspired by the rise of punk and what Young viewed as his own growing irrelevance, the song today crosses generations, inspiring admirers from punk to grunge and significantly revitalizing Young's then-faltering career.

The song is about the alternatives of continuing to produce similar music ("to rust" or — in "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" — "to fade away") or to burn out, as John Lydon of the Sex Pistols might be considered to have done by abandoning his Johnny Rotten persona.

A part of a lyric from the song, "it's better to burn out than to fade away," became infamous in modern rock after being quoted in Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's suicide note. Young later said that he was so shaken that he dedicated his 1994 album Sleeps with Angels to Cobain. Because of Cobain's suicide, in live concerts he now emphasizes the line "once you're gone you can't come back". "Out of the blue and into the black" was a Vietnam War-era phrase that originally referred to jumping out of the daylight into the darkness of a Vietcong tunnel[citation needed], and was later generalized to refer to various situations, including death.
"It's better to burn out than it is to rust" is credited to Young's friend Jeff Blackburn of The Ducks.

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Van Morrison - Moondance

Van Morrison, (born George Ivan Morrison; 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician, among popular music's true innovators, a restless seeker whose incantatory vocals and alchemical fusion of R&B, jazz, blues, and Celtic folk produced perhaps the most spiritually transcendent body of work in the rock & roll canon.

Some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely viewed as among the greatest ever made.Known as "Van the Man" to his fans, Morrison started his professional career when, as a teenager in the late 1950s, he played a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands covering the popular hits of the day. He rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Northern Irish R&B band Them, with whom he recorded the garage band classic "Gloria".

His solo career began under the pop-hit oriented guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single "Brown Eyed Girl" in 1967. After Berns' death, Warner Bros. Records bought out his contract and allowed him three sessions to record Astral Weeks in 1968. Even though this album would gradually garner high praise, it was initially poorly received; however, the next one, Moondance, established Morrison as a major artist, and throughout the 1970s he built on his reputation with a series of critically acclaimed albums and live performances.

Morrison continues to record and tour, producing albums and live performances that sell well and are generally warmly received, sometimes collaborating with other artists, such as Georgie Fame and The Chieftains. In 2008 he performed Astral Weeks live for the first time since 1968.

Much of Morrison's music is structured around the conventions of soul music and R&B, such as the popular singles, "Brown Eyed Girl", "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)", "Domino" and "Wild Night". An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, loosely connected, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz, and stream-of-consciousness narrative, such as Astral Weeks and lesser-known works such as Veedon Fleece and Common One. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic Soul".
Morrison has received considerable acclaim, including six Grammy Awards, being inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and appearing on several "Greatest Artists" lists.

"Moondance" was written by Morrison himself and he did not release the song as a single until November 1977, seven and a half years after the album was released. It reached the Billboard Hot 100, charting at #92. "Moondance" is the most frequently played song by Morrison in concert, as it is the only song known to have been played over a thousand times.

"Moondance" was listed as #226 on the Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 feature, The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It is also one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

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Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street

Gerry Rafferty (16 April 1947 – 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer and songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line" and, with the band Stealers Wheel, "Stuck in the Middle with You". Rafferty was born into a working-class family in Scotland. His mother taught him both Irish and Scottish folk songs as a boy; later, he was influenced by the music of The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

He joined the folk-pop band The Humblebums in 1969, but left in 1971 and recorded his first solo album Can I Have My Money Back. Rafferty and Joe Egan formed the group Stealers Wheels in 1972, producing several hits, most notably "Stuck in the Middle with You". In 1978, he recorded his second solo album, City to City, which includes "Baker Street", his most popular song.

"Baker Street" released as a single in 1978, it reached #2 in the US, #3 in the UK, #1 in Australia and #9 in the Netherlands. The arrangement is famous for its saxophone solo, played by Raphael Ravenscroft.

Named after the famous London street of the same name, the song was included on Rafferty's second solo album, City to City, which was Rafferty's first release after the resolution of legal problems surrounding the formal breakup of his old band, Stealers Wheel in 1975.

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This day in music history

1961, Elvis Presley had his seventh UK No.1 single with 'Wooden Heart.' The song was based on a German folk song and was featured in Presley's film GI Blues.

1967, At a ceremony held at the Playhouse Theatre in London, The Beatles were awarded three Ivor Novello awards for 1966: Best-selling British single ‘Yellow Submarine’, most-performed song ‘Michelle’, and next-most-performed song ‘Yesterday’. None of the Beatles attended and the winning songs were played by Joe Loss and his Orchestra. The lead vocal for ‘Michelle’ was sung by Ross MacManus, whose son would go on to become the professional musician Elvis Costello.

1974, Cher went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Dark Lady', the singers third solo No.1, it made No.36 in the UK.

1977, Elvis Presley appeared at the Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. This was the first date of 49 date US tour over three months and Presley’s last ever tour. (His last ever show was on 26th June 1977 at the Indianapolis Indiana Market Square Arena).

1985, Billy Joel married model Christie Brinkley on a boat moored alongside the Statue Of Liberty. They divorced in 1993.

1985, Former Creedence Clearwater Revival front man John Fogerty went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Centerfield.'

1991, R.E.M. scored their first UK No.1 album with their seventh LP 'Out Of Time' featuring the singles 'Losing My Religion' (which became R.E.M.'s highest-charting hit in the US, reaching numer four), and 'Shiny Happy People.' The video for 'Losing My Religion' won two Grammy Awards and six MTV Awards.

1992, Janet Jackson signed with Virgin Records for $16,000,000 (£9,412,000).

1995, Alan Barton of UK pop band Black Lace died. Had the 1984 UK No.2 single 'Agadoo.' Black Lace represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 in which they finished in 7th position. Agadoo earned them the dubious accolade of being voted as the worst song of all time by a panel of music writers for Q Magazine.

1996, Celine Dion went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Because You Loved Me', her second US No.1, a No.5 hit in UK. The Diane Warren song was taken from the film 'Up Close And Personal' starring Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. And on the same day her album 'Falling Into You' went to No.1 on the UK album chart.

1997, U2 were at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Pop’ the bands fifth US No.1 album.

2008, Neil Aspinall, who ran the Apple Corps music empire for the Beatles from 1970 – 2007 died at a hospital in New York from cancer aged 66. A school friend of Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison, he was regarded by some of the band as the "fifth Beatle" becoming the Beatles' road manager in 1961 before becoming their personal assistant. He led the legal battle with Apple computers over the use of the Apple name and a royalties dispute between the Beatles and record label EMI. Aspinall had also played background instruments on Beatles tracks including Magical Mystery Tour, Within You Without You and Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite.

2008, British soul singer Estelle feat Kayne West started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'American Boy'. The song won a Grammy Award for 'Best Rap Collaboration.

1944, Born on this day, Michael Nyman, UK composer, pianist, (1993 ‘The Piano’ film soundtrack). Worked with Damon Albarn from Blur.

1949, Born on this day, Ric Ocasek, The Cars, (1978 UK No.3 single 'My Best Friend's Girl.' 1984 US No.3 & 1985 UK No.4 'Drive' was used as part of the soundtrack for the 'Live Aid' concert.

1953, Born on this day, Chaka Khan, (Yvette Marie Stevens), US singer, (1984 UK No.1 & US No.3 single 'I Feel For You'), Rufus, (1974 US No.3 single 'Tell Me Something Good').

1966, Born on this day, Mark McLoughlin, (Marti Pellow), vocals, Wet Wet Wet, (1994 UK No. 1 single 'Love Is All Around' which spent 15 weeks at the top of the charts plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles). Left the band in 1999.

1968, Born on this day, Damon Albarn, vocals, Blur, (1994 UK No.1 album 'Parklife' spent over 2 years on the UK chart, 1995 UK No. 1 'Country House', plus over 12 other UK Top 40 singles), Gorillaz, (2001 UK No.4 single, 'Clint Eastwood.'). The Good, The Bad & The Queen, (2007 self-titled album with Paul Simonon, Tony Allen and Simon Tong).

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Tommy James & The Shondells - Crimson and Clover

Tommy James & the Shondells are an American group which enjoyed 14 Top 40 hits, between 1966 and 1969, most of which remain among the most eminently listenable (if not always respected) examples of pop/rock.

Tommy James & the Shondells were lucky enough to be making pop-oriented rock & roll in an era when most of the rest of the rock music world was trying to make more serious records and even create art . The group members themselves were having the time of their lives playing concerts, making personal appearances, and experimenting with advancing their sound in the studio. Audiences loved their work and their records, and it only seemed to get better.

Their songs ran almost counter to the trend among serious rock artists. "Mony Mony," a number three hit coming out in the midst of Vietnam, the psychedelic boom, and just as rock music was supposed to be turning toward higher, more serious forms, was a result of the group looking for a perfect party record and dance tune.

The group did grab a piece of the prevailing style in late 1968 with "Crimson and Clover," an original by James and drummer Peter Lucia that utilized some creative sound distortion techniques. A number one hit that sold five million copies, it was the biggest single of the group's history and yielded a highly successful follow-up LP as well

The song features a tremolo effect on the guitar and an ending section with a tremolo effect on the vocals.

It spent 16 weeks on the U.S. charts, reaching number-one in the United States and other countries. The single has sold at least 5 and a half million copies, making it Tommy James and the Shondells' best-selling song. An extended version was released on the eponymously titled Crimson and Clover, and the song has been covered by many artists such as Joan Jett.

In 2006, Pitchfork Media named it the 57th best song of the 1960s.

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Shocking Blue - Venus

Formed in 1967 by guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen, the Dutch quartet Shocking Blue originally had a lineup of VanLeeuwen on guitar, lead vocalist Fred DeWilde, bass player Klaasje Van der Wal, and drummer Cornelius Van der Beek, and the initial configuration of the band had a minor homeland hit with “Lucy Brown Is Back in Town” a year later in 1968.

Things really got moving, though, when DeWilde was replaced by sultry singer Mariska Veres, whose sexy presence and solid singing brought the band a second Netherlands hit, “Send Me a Postcard,” and then a huge international smash with “Venus” in 1969

Although Shocking Blue's albums (1968’s Shocking Blue, 1969’s At Home, 1970’s Scorpio’s Dance, 1971’s 3rd Album, 1972’s Inkpot, 1972’s Attila, 1973’s Dream on Dreamer, and 1974’s Good Times) featured progressive rock elements and inventive arrangements thanks to VanLeeuwen's writing and production skills, the band was essentially marketed as a pop singles unit, and while they scored several subsequent hits in their homeland, none of the group’s releases approached the massive saturation success of “Venus.”

Veres left Shocking Blue in 1974 to pursue a solo career, and while there have been various reunions and different touring incarnations of the band over the years (including a version fronted by Veres in the '90s), its creative history ended then.Veres died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 59.

Nirvana covered the Shocking Blue song "Love Buzz" as their debut single in 1988 and as an extra track on the re-release of their 1989 release Bleach.

Venus Released in late 1969 as a single from the album At Home, and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 7, 1970 selling over one million copies in the U.S., garnering a gold record.

The song's music and lyrics are written by Robbie van Leeuwen, the band's guitarist, sitarist and background vocalist. Van Leeuwen used "The Banjo Song" (an arrangement of folk song "Oh! Susanna") on a 1963 album by The Big 3, as main inspiration.

The female vocal trio Bananarama recorded this in 1986. It was one of the first songs they started performing when they formed the band. In the US, both this and the Bananarama cover version reached #1, making it one of the few songs to do so.

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Tommy Roe - Dizzy

Tommy Roe (born Thomas David Roe, 9 May 1942,) is a pop music singer-songwriter, widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of the late 1960s.
He had a Billboard #1 hit record in the U.S. and Australia in '62 with the track "Sheila "

The following year Roe scored a Top 10 hit with "Everybody", which reached US #3 and UK #9, and the critically acclaimed "The Folk Singer" (#4 UK) written by Merle Kilgore was also popular. Following a more successful tour of the United Kingdom by his friend Roy Orbison, Roe toured there and then moved to England where he lived for several years.

In 1965, he and Jerry Lee Lewis combined with Orbison to create an album for the Pickwick International label. During the 1960s, he had several more Top 40 hits, including 1966's #6 "Hooray for Hazel" (#2 Canada) and #8 "Sweet Pea" (#1 Canada).

In 1969, his song "Dizzy" went to No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, #1 in Canada, as well as to Billboard's #1 in the U.S. This transatlantic chart-topper sold two million copies by mid-April 1969, giving him his third gold disc award. His final Top 10 single, a track co-written with Freddy Weller, "Jam Up and Jelly Tight", was another gold record, peaking at #8 in the U.S. and #5 in Canada.

Although his style of music declined in popularity with the 1970s mass market, he maintained a following and continued to perform at a variety of concert venues, sometimes with 1960s nostalgia rock and rollers such as Freddy Cannon and Bobby Vee.

In 1986, he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

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This day in music history

1956, While driving to New York for appearances on 'The Perry Como Show', and 'The Ed Sullivan Show', the car that Carl Perkins was traveling in was involved in an accident putting Perkins in hospital for several months. The singer received four broken ribs and a broken shoulder, his brother Jay was killed in the accident.

1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared at The Guildhall in Southampton, England.

1971, US police arrested all the members from The Allman Brothers Band for heroin and marijuana possession.

1973, Traffic supported by Spooky Tooth appeared at The Hard Rock, Manchester, England.

1975, Frankie Valli went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'My Eyes Adored You', his first solo No.1.

1975, Led Zeppelin started a six week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Physical Graffiti', the group's fourth US No.1 album.

1975, The tartan teen sensations Bay City Rollers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Bye Bye Baby', the group's first of two UK No.1's.

1978, The Police signed to A&M Records. The band scored over 15 UK Top 40 hits with the label including the worldwide No.1 'Every Breath You Take.'

1980, Johnny Mathis went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Tears And Laughter.'

1980, Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick In The Wall', started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. Also No.1 in the UK.

1980, The Jam had their first UK No.1 with their tenth release, 'Going Underground / Dreams Of Children' the first single of the 80s to debut at No.1.

1984, Queen filmed the video for ‘I Want To Break Free’ at Limehouse Studio in London, England. Directed by David Mallet, it was a parody of the northern British soap opera Coronation Street with the band members dressed in drag. Guitarist Brian May later said the video ruined the band in America, and was initially banned by MTV in the US.

1992, Polygram Records officially announced that Tears For Fears had split up, Roland Orzabal continued using the name Tears For Fears. During their career they scored 15 UK Top 40 singles and two US No.1's. Re-formed in 2004.

2004, Ozzy Osbourne was voted the nation's favourite ambassador to welcome aliens to planet Earth. The 55 year old singer topped a Yahoo poll as the face people wanted to represent them to alien life.

1943, Born on this day, George Benson, US singer, jazz /pop singer, guitarist, (1980 US No.4 & UK No.7 single 'Give Me The Night').

1943, Born on this day, Keith Relf, vocals, The Yardbirds, (1965 UK No.3 & US No.6 single 'For Your Love'). Relf died on May 14th 1976 from an electric shock received while playing his electric guitar at home.

1947, Born on this day, Patrick Olive, Hot Chocolate, (1975 US No.3 single 'You Sexy Thing', 1977 UK No.1 single 'So You Win Again' plus over 25 other top 40 hits).

1948, Born on this day, Andrew Lloyd Webber, songwriter, producer with Tim Rice, (1977 UK No.1 single by Julie Covington, 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina', biggest selling UK single by a female artist, until 1985, taken from musical 'Evita').

1963, Born on this day, Susanne Sulley, singer, The Human League, (1981 UK No.1 & 1982 US No.1 single 'Don't You Want Me' plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles).

1979, Born on this day, Aaron Wright North, guitarist, Nine Inch Nails, (2005 US No.1 album ‘White Teeth’).

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Silvana Mangano - El Negro Zumbon (Anna)

Silvana Mangano (21 April 1930 – 16 December 1989) was an Italian actress.
Born in Rome to an Italian father and an English mother, Mangano lived in poverty caused by the Second World War. Trained for seven years as a dancer, she was supporting herself as a model.

In 1946, at age 16, Mangano won the "Miss Rome" beauty pageant and through this, she obtained a role in a Mario Costa film. One year later, she became a contestant in the Miss Italia contest. Mangano's earliest connection with filmmaking occurred through her romantic relationship with actor Marcello Mastroianni. This led her to a film contract, though it would take some time for Mangano to ascend to international stardom with her performance in Bitter Rice (Riso Amaro, Giuseppe De Santis, 1949).

Thereafter, she signed a contract with Lux Film, in 1949, and later married Dino De Laurentiis, on the verge of becoming a known producer.Though she never scaled the heights of her contemporaries Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida, Mangano remained a favorite star between the 1950s and 1970s, appearing in Anna (Alberto Lattuada, 1951), The Gold of Naples (L'oro di Napoli, Vittorio De Sica, 1954), Mambo (Robert Rossen, 1955), Theorem (Teorema, Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1968), Death in Venice (Morte a Venezia, Luchino Visconti, 1971), and The Scientific Cardplayer (1972).

El Negro Zumbon has been performed by a number of artists over the years including Perez Prado, Xavier Cugat, Abbe Lane, Lolita Garrido, Amalia Rodrigues, and the first being film actress, Silvana Magnano.

El Negro Zumbon was actually born from the 1951 Italian film, Anna. In the movie, Silvana Magnano plays a nun working as a nurse in a hospital. When two former paramours have a shoot-out in the hospital, Magnano's character, Anna, reminisces about her former life as a nightclub performer. As she cares for one of the former lovers, she has second thoughts about her calling but decides to continue her spiritual life.

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Mickey & Sylvia - Love Is Strange

Mickey & Sylvia was an R&B duo composed of Mickey "Guitar" Baker (15 October 1925, Kentucky, USA) and Sylvia Vanderpool Robinson. (b. 6 March 1936, New York, USA).

Mickey was a music instructor and Sylvia one of his pupils. Baker was inspired to form the group by the success of Les Paul & Mary Ford. They had a Top 20 hit with "Love Is Strange" in 1957. This enduring call-and-response song is rightly regarded as a classic of its genre, and later became a minor UK hit when recorded by the Everly Brothers. The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

Mickey and Sylvia had further success with ‘There Oughta Be A Law’ (1957) and, after a brief hiatus as a duo, ‘Baby You’re So Fine’ (1961). They continue to record together until 1965 but their career together was undermined by commitments elsewhere.

Prolific session work for Atlantic Records, Savoy, King and Aladdin earned the former the epithet Mickey ‘Guitar’ Baker, while the latter had made her recording debut with jazz trumpeter Oran ‘Hot Lips’ Page as early as 1950. In 1973, she began recording as Sylvia, and later achieved notable success as an entrepreneur through her ownership of Sugar Hill Records, early champions of the rap/hip-hop scene.

In 1987 the song came in surface again due to the film «Dirty Dancing». In 2004 "Love Is Srange" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its influence as a rock and roll single.

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Johnnie Ray - Just Walkin' in the Rain

John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927 – February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.

Although practically deaf, Johnnie Ray's tear-inflected delivery tabbed him as an early-'50s sensation. Leaving Oregon for Detroit, Ray found a gig at the Flame Club, an R&B and jazz institution. In 1951, Ray signed with Columbia's R&B subsidiary Okeh Records, although "Cry," his histrionic million-seller that year, was a pop entry all the way, with background vocals by the Four Lads. Produced by Mitch Miller, "Cry" remained perched atop the pop charts for nearly three months.

Ray encored with "The Little White Cloud That Cried" before moving to the parent Columbia logo and enjoying a steady stream of pop hits, including "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" in 1952 and a cover of The Prisonaires' "Just Walking in the Rain" in 1956. Ray's frenzied antics set off riots among female admirers during his heyday, but the advent of rock soon dulled his hitmaking powers. By 1959, the hits were through.

"Just Walkin' in the Rain" is a popular song written in 1952 by Johnny Bragg and Robert Riley, two prisoners at Tennessee State Prison in Nashville, after a comment made by Bragg as the pair crossed the courtyard while it was raining. Bragg allegedly said, "Here we are just walking in the rain, and wondering what the girls are doing." Riley suggested that this would make a good basis for a song, and within a few minutes, Bragg had composed two verses. However, because Bragg was unable to read and write, he asked Riley to write the lyrics down in exchange for being credited as one of the song's writers.

Bragg and his band, The Prisonaires, later recorded the song for Sun Records and it became a hit on the R&B chart in 1953. However, the best-known version of the song was recorded by Johnnie Ray in 1956, and reached #2 on the US Billboard 100, and #1 on the UK Singles Chart.

"The above text is a mushup from AllMusic.com & Wikipedia."

This day in music history

1961, The Beatles played their first ever evening show at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, supporting The Swinging Bluegenes, (later to become The Swinging Blue Jeans).

1965, After 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' had held the No.1 position on the US singles chart for seven weeks, The Beatles started a two-week run at No.1 with 'She Loves You'.

1965, The Who appeared at the Trade Union Hall, Watford, England.

1981, REO Speedwagon went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Keep On Loving You', the group's first top 40 hit and first No.1, a No.7 hit in the UK.

1987, Club Nouveau started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with their version of Bill Withers 'Lean On Me', a No.3 hit in the UK.

1987, U2 scored their third UK No.1 album with 'The Joshua Tree', featuring the singles 'Where The Streets Have No Name', & 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'. The album became the fastest selling in UK history and the first album to sell over a million CDs, spending a total of 156 weeks on the UK chart. Also a US No.1.

1991, Leo Fender, the inventor of The Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars died from Parkinson's disease. He started mass producing solid body electric guitars in the late 40s and when he sold his guitar company in 1965, sales were in excess of $40 million a year.

1992, Former nude model Vanessa Williams started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Save The Best To Last', a No.3 hit in the UK.

1994, Bruce Springsteen won an Oscar for the song 'Streets of Philadelphia.'

1999, Irish girl group B*Witched scored their fourth consecutive UK No.1 single with 'Blame It On The Weatherman.' The girls set a new chart record with their first four singles all entering the chart at No.1.

1999, Blur went to No.1 on the UK album chart with '13', the bands fourth consecutive No.1 and making them only the third act to have four No.1's in the 90's, Simply Red and REM being the other two.

2004, George Michael scored his fifth UK No.1 album with ‘Patience.’

2006, Three South African women whose father, Solomon Linda, wrote ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ in 1939, won a six-year court battle that gave them 25 per cent of all past and future royalties from the song. Linda who was a cleaner at a Johannesburg record company when he wrote the song, received virtually nothing for his work and died in 1962 with $25 in his bank account. The song had been recorded by Pete Seeger (as ‘Wimoweh’), The Kingston Trio, The Tokens, Karl Denver and R.E.M. and was featured in the Disney film The Lion King. It was estimated that the song had earned $15 million for its use in The Lion King alone.

2009, U2 went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘No Line on the Horizon’, the bands twelfth studio album.

1940, Born on this day, Solomon Burke, US singer, the king of rock & soul, (1961 US No.24 single 'Just Out Of Reach Of My Open Arms', 1963 US No.1 R&B hit, 'Got To Get You Off My Mind').

1941, Born on this day, John Boylan, American producer and songwriter. Worked with Rick Nelson, the Association, the Dillards. He also managed Linda Ronstadt and introduced her to a then unknown group of musicians who went on to become her backing band in 1971, and later became the Eagles.

1945, Born on this day, Rosemary Stone, vocals, piano, Sly and The Family Stone, (1971 US No.1 & 1972 UK No.15 single 'Family Affair').

1950, Born on this day, Roger Hodgson, guitar, Supertramp, (1979 US No.6 & UK No.7 single 'The Logical Song').

1951, Born on this day, Russell Thompkins Jr, vocals, The Stylistics, (1975 US No.1 single 'You Make Me Feel Brand New', 1975 UK No.1 single 'Can't Give You Anything But My Love' plus 15 other UK top 40 singles).

1967, Born on this day, Keith Palmer, vocals, Prodigy, (1996 UK No.1 & US No. 30 single 'Firestarter'. 1997 UK & US No.1 album 'The Fat Of The Land').

For more musical feats & facts, you can visit thisdayinmusic.com

Lena Horne - Stormy Weather

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Her primary occupation was nightclub entertaining, a profession she pursued successfully around the world for more than 60 years, from the 1930s to the 1990s. In conjunction with her club work, she also maintained a recording career that stretched from 1936 to 2000 and brought her three Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989.

She appeared in 16 feature films and several shorts between 1938 and 1978; she performed occasionally on Broadway, including in her own Tony-winning one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music in 1981-1982; and she sang and acted on radio and television.

Adding to the challenge of maintaining such a career was her position as an African-American facing discrimination personally and in her profession during a period of enormous social change in the U.S. Her first job in the 1930s was at the Cotton Club, where blacks could perform, but not be admitted as customers.

Horne herself was a pivotal figure in the changing attitudes about race in the 20th century.Her middle-class upbringing and musical training predisposed her to the popular music of her day, rather than the blues and jazz genres more commonly associated with African-Americans, and her photogenic looks were sufficiently close to Caucasian that frequently she was encouraged to try to "pass" for white, something she consistently refused to do.

But her position in the middle of a social struggle enabled her to become a leader in that struggle, speaking out in favor of racial integration and raising money for civil rights causes. By the end of the century, she could look back at a life that was never short on conflict, but that could be seen ultimately as a triumph.

"Stormy Weather" is a 1933 song written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. Ethel Waters first sang it at The Cotton Club night club in Harlem. It has since been covered by numerous artists.

The song tells of disappointment, as the lyrics, "Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky" show someone pining for her man to return. The weather is a metaphor for the feelings of the singer; "stormy weather since my man and I ain't together, keeps raining all the time."

Lena Horne first recorded the song in 1941 for RCA Victor. In 1943, she recorded another version of Stormy Weather for the movie of the same name (which she made while on loan to 20th Century Fox from MGM). Horne recorded the song at least five times throughout her career. Horne's version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000.

"The above text is a mushup from AllMusic.com & Wikipedia."

Dizzy Gillespie - Dizzy Atmosphere

John Birks Gillespie was born on October 21, 1917 in South Carolina, the youngest of nine children. He emerged as a trumpet player whose role as a founding father of modern jazz made him a major figure in 20th-century American music. His signature moon cheeks and bent trumpet made him one of the world's most instantly recognizable figures.

In a nearly 60-year career as a composer, bandleader and innovative player, Gillespie cut a huge swath through the jazz world. In the early 1940's, along with the alto saxophonist Charlie (Yardbird) Parker, he initiated be-bop, the sleek, intense, high speed revolution that has become jazz's most induring style. In subsequent years, he incorporated Afro-Cuban music into jazz, creating a new genre from the combination.

His endlessly funny asides, his huge variety of facial expressions and his natural comic gifts, made him a pure entertainer as an accomplished artist. In some ways, he seemed to sum up all the possibilities of American popular art.

In 1939, he joined Cab Calloway's band and stayed for two years, then worked briefly with big bands led by Ella Fitzgerald, Claude Hopkins, Les Hite, Lucky Millender, Charlie Barnet, Fletcher Henderson and Benny Carter. In June of 1945, he led his own small band (1945) which later that year was augmented into a big band. During the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Dizzy alternated between leading small and big bands.

Dizzy also did concert tours as a soloist with the "Jazz At The Philharmonic" presentations. He continued to do widespread touring during the late 1970s, mainly with a quintet, with many overseas visits to Africa, Australia, Cuba, Europe, etc.

In the last decade, his career seemed recharged, and he became ubiquitous on the concert circuit as a special guest. Dizzy Gillespie died of cancer on January 6, 1993.

Dizzy Atmosphere was recorded in February 1945 and didn't make it onto single until a couple of years later. The band features Gillespie on trumpet, Charlie Parker on saxophone and Cozy Cole on drums, amongst others. It is the forefront of the new be-bop sound which defined the jazz of the second half of the 1940s, just as the Swing sound had dominated the first half of the decade.

"The above text is a mushup from AllMusic.com & Wikipedia."

Tex Beneke - Hey -Ba-Ba-Re-Bop

Gordon Lee Beneke (February 12, 1914 - May 30, 2000, professionally known as Tex Beneke, was an American saxophonist,singer, and bandleader. Although he subsequently found himself in dispute with the bandleader’s estate, Tex Beneke played a major role in establishing the trademark Glenn Miller sound as one of the most successful inventions of the big band era.

His tenor saxophone solos and amiable vocals featured prominently on many of Miller’s biggest hits, including ‘In The Mood’, ‘String of Pearls’, ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’, ‘I Got a Girl in Kalamazoo’ and ‘Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree’, and he was a key member of the saxophone section in his four years with the band.

He joined in 1938, having been recommended to Miller by drummer Gene Krupa, and remained in the band until the trombonist disbanded the unit when he entered the armed forces in 1942.

Glenn Miller’s widow approached Beneke to lead a reformed version of the posthumous Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1946. The band was an immediate success, touring intensively to wildly enthusiastic audience responses and racking up a sequence of hit records, all in the classic Miller mould.

He led the band until 1950, but eventually rebelled against the strict managerial insistence on playing Miller’s music exactly as the trombonist conceived it, and he broke his relationship with the estate to form his own band, touring under the banner “Tex Beneke and His Orchestra Playing the Music Made Famous by Glenn Miller”.

"Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" is a cover of 1946 song by Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra. The song went to number one on the R&B Juke Box charts for sixteen non-consecutive weeks and reached number nine on the national charts.

"The above text is a mushup from AllMusic.com & Wikipedia."

This day in music history

1960, Elvis Presley started his first recordings since being discharged from the US Army. A 12 hour session in a Nashville recording studio produced his next No.1 single, ‘Stuck On You’. Scotty Moore and Bill Black, who had quit Presley's touring band in 1957, were in the studio with him for the last time.

1961, Elvis Presley started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Surrender', his fifth No.1 of the 60's. It also made No.1 in the UK. The song was based on the 1911 Italian song, 'Return To Sorrento.'

1964, The Beatles appeared live on the UK television program Ready Steady Go! miming to ‘It Won't Be Long’, ’You Can't Do That’, and ‘Can't Buy Me Love’. They were also presented with a special award from US magazine Billboard, in recognition of The Beatles having the top three singles on the chart simultaneously.

1969, John Lennon married Yoko Ono at the British Consulate Office in Gibraltar. They spent their honeymoon in Amsterdam campaigning for an international "Bed-In" for peace.

1971, At their own expense The Rolling Stones placed full page advertisements in all the UK's music papers disclaiming any connection with the release of the Decca album 'Stone Age' saying 'in our opinion the content is below the standard we try to keep.'

1971, Janis Joplin started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the Kris Kristofferson's 'Me And Bobby McGee'. Joplin died the year before on 4th October aged 27.

1973, Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Com On Feel The Noize', the group's fourth UK No.1.

1976, Status Quo started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their third No.1 album 'Blue For You'.

1977, Lou Reed was banned from appearing The London Palladium in England because of his punk image.

1982, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll', a No.4 hit in the UK. The song had been a B-side from 60's bands The Arrows.

1982, The Jam went to No.1 on the UK chart with their sixth album 'The Gift.'

1991, Eric Clapton's four year old son, Conor, fell to his death from the 53rd story of a New York City apartment after a housekeeper who was cleaning the room left a window open. The boy was in the custody of his mother, Italian actress, Lori Del Santo and the pair were visiting a friend's apartment. Clapton was staying in a nearby hotel after taking his son to the circus the previous evening. The tragedy inspired his song ‘Tears in Heaven’.

1991, Michael Jackson signed a $1 billion (£0.6 billion) contract with Sony, the richest deal in recording history.

1993, Shaggy was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Oh Carolina', the Jamaican singers first of four UK No.1's.

2000, Geri Halliwell scored her third UK No.1 single with 'Bag It Up'. It made the former Spice Girl the first woman in UK chart history to have 10 UK No.1 hits.

2005, Stereophonics scored their fourth No.1 album when ‘Language, Sex, Violence, Other?’ went to the top of the UK charts.

1953, Born on this day, Poison Ivy, (Kristy Wallace), guitar, The Cramps. Wallace was married to Cramps singer Lux Interior who died in Glendale, California on February 4, 2009.

1961, Born on this day, Slim Jim Phantom, drums, The Stray Cats, (1980 UK No.9 single 'Runaway Boys', 1983 US No.3 single 'Stray Cat Strut').

1972, Born on this day, Alex Kapranos, vocals, Franz Ferdinand, (winners of the

2004 Mercury Music Prize for their self-titled debut album).

1976, Born on this day, Chester Bennington, vocals, Linkin Park, (2002 US No.2 & UK No.4 single 'In The End', 2002 US No.2 & 2001 UK No.4 album 'Hybrid Theory').

For more musical feats & facts, you can visit thisdayinmusic.com

KillMatriarch - Monotone

KillMatriarch is an electro-industrial band formed in early 2010 by Matriarch, Ontronik (former vocalist of The Apex Theory & drummer of System of a Down), and Drew K.

The band has quickly surged onto the L.A. music scene since the steady release of songs from their debut EP ::Order through Chaos.

KillMatriarch fans have positively compared the overall style and energy of the band to such inventive groups as Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, The Prodigy and Shiny Toy Guns.

Their music has received industry buzz as well as being featured on the A&R websiteDailyUnsigned.com. They have received front page features onPurevolume.com, Buzznet.com, AbsolutePunk.net, & VampireFreaks.com.

KillMatriarch is focused on taking their energetic live performance worldwide; their first show was to a packed house at L.A.’s famous Viper Room.

She Wants Revenge - Take The World

"She Wants Revenge" is an American musical duo, based in San Fernando Valley, California. Justin Warfield – vocals, guitar, keyboards and Adam Bravin (aka Adam 12) – bass guitar, keyboards, guitar, drum machine, percussion, programming, vocals.
Due to a broad array of musical influences, and a reluctance to stick to a single genre of music, She Wants Revenge's genre is often disputed.

Considered part of the post-punk revival movement of the 00s,the group have been compared to Joy Division or Interpol in the music press because both vocalists (Paul Banks and Justin Warfield) have similarities to the baritone vocal range of Ian Curtis. However, Justin Warfield has stated many times his band is more electronically based often referring to She Wants Revenge as "Dance Music."

Musically, their influences range from the dance of 1980s acts like New Order, Depeche Mode and The Psychedelic Furs to the alternative rock groups of the 1990s, such as Pulp, My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth to the darker rock bands of the New Wave and post-punk movements such as Bauhaus, Danse Society, and The Sisters of Mercy who helped create the aesthetics of the original gothic rock genre.

The group's debut album She Wants Revenge was released in early 2006, with three singles to follow ("These Things," a video for which features Shirley Manson from Garbage, "Out of Control," and "Tear You Apart" for which the video was directed by Joaquin Phoenix). The band has sold more than 300,000 records in the US.The band's second album, This Is Forever, was released on October 9, 2007.The band toured extensively through 2006 with synthpop band Depeche Mode and Placebo.

Their EP, Save Your Soul, was released to iTunes on May 13th, 2008. The EP contained four tracks: "Save Your Soul," "A Hundred Kisses," "Sugar," and "Sleep."
An EP titled Up and Down, was released via iTunes on September 22nd, 2009.

A new video titled "Take The World" was released February 7th 2011, prior to the release of their first single, "Must Be The One". The video was band member Adam Bravin's directorial debut. Filming for "Must Be The One" began on February 8th, and is due release in March. The tentative release date for their third album is slated for May 2011.

"The above text is a mushup from AllMusic.com & Wikipedia."

Warpaint - Shadows

Warpaint is an American experimental art rock group from Los Angeles, formed in 2004.A Los Angeles quartet dealing in sparse, atmospheric art rock, Warpaint originally consisted of sisters Jenny Lee Lindberg and Shannyn Sossamon (on bass and drums, respectively), as well as Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman on vocal and guitar. Sossamon left due to conflicts with her acting schedule and was replaced by Stella Mozgawa.

With a dedicated lineup, the band began to experiment with murky spaciousness and stripped-down arrangements, and gained the attention of former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. In 2009, they self-released their debut EP, Exquisite Corpse (which was mixed by Frusciante). After a successful showing at CMJ, they signed with Rough Trade and set to work recording their full-length debut for the label.

On 6 December 2010, the BBC announced that Warpaint had been nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll and they were the cover stars of Beat magazine's Winter 2010 launch issue.

«The Fool» the full-length debut was released on October 25, 2010. Its their first release since signing to UK-based record label, Rough Trade. Review Aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? has currently correlated 30 reviews, resulting in an ADM Rating of 7.7 and a score of 77 on review aggregator site Metacritic, indicating the album has been critically well received.

«Shadows» is included in their album while «Elephants» comes from their previous EP.

"The above text is a mushup from AllMusic.com & Wikipedia."