11th July 1970, Three Dog Night started a two-week run at No.1 in the US with their version of the Randy Newman song 'Mama Told Me Not To Come', which was also a No.3 hit in the UK. The song was first covered by Eric Burdon on his first solo album in...
July 9th 1955, Bill Haley & His Comets went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Rock Around the Clock', staying at No.1 for eight weeks and becoming one of the biggest selling singles of all time.1955, Bill Haley & His Comets went to No.1 on the US...
July 8th 1954, Producer Sam Phillips took an acetate recording of Elvis Presley singing 'That's All Right' to Memphis radio station WHBQ DJ Dewey Phillips. He played the song just after 9.30 that evening, the phone lines lit up asking the DJ to play the...
July 7th 2006, Syd Barrett died from complications arising from diabetes aged 60. The singer, songwriter, guitarist was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, active as a rock musician for only about seven years before he went into seclusion. He joined...
July 6th 1963, James Brown went to No.2 on the US album chart with 'Live At The Apollo'. Recorded on the night of October 24, 1962 at Brown's own expense, it spent 66 weeks on the Billboard Albums chart. In 2003, the album was ranked No.24 on Rolling...
July 6th 1967, Pink Floyd made their first appearance on BBC TV music show Top Of The Pops to promote their new single 'See Emily Play'. A badly damaged home video recording recovered by the British Film Institute of this show was given a public screening...
July 6th 1968, The Rolling Stones scored their fifth US No.1 single when 'Jumpin Jack Flash' hit the top of the charts. Keith Richards has stated that he and Jagger wrote the lyrics while staying at Richards' country house, where they were awoken one...
6th July 1925, Born on this day, Bill Haley, (William John Clifton Haley), singer, guitarist, 'The first Rock 'n' Roll star.' As Bill Haley and his Comets he had the 1955 UK & US No.1 single 'Rock Around the Clock' Haley was one of the earliest acts to...
4th July 1966, The Beatles played two shows at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, Manila, in the Philippines to over 80,000 fans. The Beatles failed to appear at a palace reception hosted by President Marcos' family, who were not informed that the Beatles...
July 1st 1915, Born on this day, Willie Dixon, blues singer, guitarist, 'the poet laureate of the blues'. Credited with writing more than 500 songs by the end of his life. Wrote classic songs: 'Hoochie Coochie Man', 'I'm Ready', 'You Shook Me', 'I Can't...
July 1st 1935, Born on this day, American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter James Cotton. He worked in Howlin' Wolf's band in the early 1950s. In 1955, he was recruited by Muddy Waters to come to Chicago and join his band. In 2006, Cotton...
June 30th 1966, The Beatles played the first of three concerts at the Nippon Budokan Hall, Japan. The concert was filmed with The Beatles wearing black suits. The following day's first performance was also filmed; with The Beatles wearing white suits....
29th June 1979, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Lowell George died of a heart attack. The Little Feat front man was found dead at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. George joined Zappa's Mothers of Invention...
29th June 1967, Rolling Stone Keith Richards was found guilty of allowing his house to be used for the illegal smoking of cannabis. He was sentenced to one year in jail and a £500 ($850) fine, (prison number 5855). Mick Jagger was also fined £100 ($170)...
27th June 1970, The newly formed Queen featuring Freddie Mercury (possibly still known as Freddie Bulsara) on vocals, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and Mike Grose on bass played their first gig at Truro City Hall, Cornwall, England. They were...
Happy birthday to Jeff Beck, Born on 24th June 1944. Beck worked with Screaming Lord Sutch before replacing Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds. As a solo artist, he released the 1967 single 'Hi-Ho Silver Lining', before forming The Jeff Beck Group, which featured...
24th June 1991, Frank Zappa took part at the concert 'Adieu Soviet Army', organised in Prague, as the farewell to the last soldiers of Soviet Red Army, leaving free Czechoslovakia (the Red Army had occupied Czechoslovakia since the Prague spring). This...
23rd June 1966, The Beatles had their tenth consecutive UK No.1 single with 'Paperback Writer' / 'Rain.' The track is marked by the boosted bass guitar sound throughout, partly in response to John Lennon demanding to know why the bass on a certain Wilson...
June 20th 1969, The first of a three day Festival in Newport, California, featuring: Ike And Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, The Rascals, Steppenwolf, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Eric Burdon...
June 20th 1969, David Bowie recorded 'Space Oddity' at Trident Studios London. The track went on to become a UK No.1 when re-released in 1975. Written about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut; Bowie would later revisit his Major Tom character...
June 19th 1965, The Four Tops went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Can't Help Myself'. Lead singer Levi Stubbs had not been satisfied with the recording session and was promised that he could do it again the following day, but no other session...
June 19th 1968, The Rolling Stones scored their seventh UK No.1 single when 'Jumpin Jack Flash' hit the top of the charts. Keith Richards has stated that he and Jagger wrote the lyrics while staying at Richards' country house, where they were awoken one...
June 20th 1965, The Beatles began a 14-day European tour with two performances at the Palais Des Sports in Paris, France. The Beatles' set list for this tour: ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘She's a Woman’, ‘I'm a Loser’, ‘Can't Buy Me Love’, ‘Baby's In Black’, ‘I...
Happy birthday to Paul McCartney, born 18th June 1942, The Beatles Wings, solo. The most successful rock composer of all time. McCartney first met John Lennon on July 6th 1957, who was impressed that Paul could tune a guitar. With The Beatles he scored...
17th June 1965, Working at Abbey Road studios in London The Beatles completed work on the new Paul McCartney song 'Yesterday' with the overdubbing of an additional vocal track by McCartney and a string quartet. They also recorded ‘Act Naturally’ for Ringo's...
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