ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY:
1966 - The Rolling Stones released "19th Nervous Breakdown". The song would go on to peak at No. 2. The title describes how Mick Jagger felt during a US tour in 1965. He explained in the Rolling Stones Monthly magazine: "We had just done five weeks hectic work in the States and I said, 'Dunno about you blokes, but I feel about ready for my nineteenth nervous breakdown.' We seized on it at once as a likely song title. Then Keith and I worked on the number at intervals during the rest of the tour. Brian, Charlie and Bill egged us on – especially as they liked having the first two words starting with the same letter."
1969 - Since John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr hired the services of Allen Klein to represent them the previous day, Paul McCartney hired the law firm of Eastman & Eastman (Linda Eastman's father's law firm) as general legal counsel for Apple. It was the beginning of the end for The Beatles.
1972 - David Bowie finished recording The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The inspiration for Ziggy came from British rocker Vince Taylor. Bowie had met Taylor, who had recorded the 1959 classic “Brand New Cadillac” (later covered by the Clash on London Calling). After too many drugs and an emotional breakdown, Taylor had joined a cult and decided that he was an alien god on Earth. Bowie also combined other eccentrics like Texas “psychobilly” singer Legendary Stardust Cowboy and Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto. “What I did with my Ziggy Stardust was package a totally credible, plastic rock & roll singer – much better than the Monkees could ever fabricate,” David Bowie later said of his definitive alter ego. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
1977 - Fleetwood Mac released Rumours. It's like a greatest hits package wrapped in a concept album. Recorded knee deep in drug use and disintegrating relationships, they make the kind of album that transcends its origins and reputation, entering the realm of legend -- it's an album that simply exists outside of criticism and outside of its time, even if it thoroughly captures its era.
1980 - The Ramones released their fifth album End of the Century. The album was produced by Phil Spector and went on to become their highest charting. The sessions weren't easy. The Ramones ragged recording style came up against Spector's perfectionism. And then there was the gun episode. There are versions of the story where Spector simply placed a gun on the mixing board so he could bully the band into following his directions. Dee Dee later wrote in his autobiography that the producer kidnapped the band at gunpoint, and there are versions of the story where gunplay was a regular part of the sessions.
2009 - Erick Lee Purkhiser, also known as Lux Interior, died at age 62. He was best-known as the singer and founding member of The Cramps, and performed with the band from 1972 until his death in 2009. Formed the band with his wife Kristy Wallace, better known as Poison Ivy, a.k.a. Ivy Rorschach, The Cramps were one of the first punk bands and have influenced countless bands since across multiple genres.
2010 - A judge rules that the flute riff of the Men at Work song "Down Under" plagiarizes another Australian classic: the 1932 song "Kookaburra." According to Colin Hay, the award amounts to about $100,000. He says legal fees in the case are about $4.5 million.
The meager judgment provides some solace, but Hay is crestfallen. "I believe what has won today is opportunistic greed, and what has suffered is creative musical endeavor," he says in a statement.
2016 - Van Morrison described becoming a Sir as "amazing" and "exhilarating" after receiving a knighthood from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. He received his knighthood for services to the music industry and tourism in Northern Ireland.
Birthdays:
Mike Deasy, guitarist with the Wrecking Crew, is 80.
Barry Beckett, keyboardist and session musician in the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, was born on this day in 1943. He worked with many artists including Paul Simon and Traffic.
Jimmy Johnson, guitarist and session musician also in the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Secion, was born on this day in 1943. He played on many hits and countless sessions including Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Arthur Conley, Wilson Pickett, Joe Cocker, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart. He also engineered The Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers.
Alice Cooper (Vincent Furnier) is 73.
Jerry Shirley, drummer with Humble Pie, is 69.
Tim Booth, the singer from the band James, is 61.
Natalie Imbruglia is 46.
On This Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts, Rolling Stone and Wikipedia.