1961- The Miracles' "Shop Around" became Motown Records' first million-selling single.
1967 - Fifteen police officers raided Redlands, the West Sussex home of Rolling Stone Keith Richards, during a weekend party. The police, who were armed with a warrant issued under the "dangerous drugs act", took away various substances for forensic tests. George and Pattie Harrison had been at the house, but it was said that the police waited for them to leave before they raided the house in order not to arrest the holder of an MBE — a Member of the British Empire, an order of chivalry awarded to Harrison by Queen Elizabeth II.
Adding to the absurdity, Marianne Faithfull, the only woman in the house, is naked and wrapped in a rug when police arrive. At trial, the prosecutor brings this up, asking Richards if he thinks having a naked woman wrapped in a rug at his place is normal. "We are not old men," he replies. "We are not worried about petty morals."
Richards is sentenced to a year in jail, and Jagger gets six months. On appeal, Jagger's sentence is commuted and charges against Richards are dropped. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
1965 - Pye Records announced that they'd signed 'the British Bob Dylan', when they added Donovan to the label. The Scottish singer-songwriter produced a series of hit albums and singles between 1965 and 1970 and became a friend of leading pop musicians including Joan Baez, Brian Jones and The Beatles. He influenced John Lennon when he taught him a finger-picking guitar style in 1968.
1972 - Al Green went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Let's Stay Together," his only U.S. chart-topper. This song almost wasn't released because Al Green hated the "thin" sound of his falsetto on it. Producer Willie Mitchell remembered: "The only fight I ever had with him was about 'Let's Stay Together,' because he thought 'Let's Stay Together' was not a hit."
1977 - Blondie, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and the Ramones all appeared at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. Blondie headlines, with TP & the band, their debut on the west coast, open up. A week later the Ramones open or Blondie.
1997 - David Bowie is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located outside the Hollywood Galaxy Theatre.
2005 - The Class 47 locomotive 47828 was named after Clash front man Joe Strummer at a ceremony in Bristol. The diesel train, owned by Cotswold Rail, was named after the singer/guitarist who died, aged 50, in 2002.
2016 - Ween play the first of three reunion shows at First Bank Center (Broomfield). Originally, only two shows are scheduled, (for February 12 and 13), but the demand for tickets is so high during the pre-sale period that a third show is added on February 14. This marks the official return of Ween after breaking up nearly four years before.
Birthdays:
Guitarist and session musician Bill Pitman was born on this day in 1920, and today he turns 101. He played ukulele on the Academy Award-winning song 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head,' and as a session musician played on The Byrds hit 'Mr. Tambourine Man', 'Good Vibrations' from The Beach Boys, 'Strangers in the Night' by Frank Sinatra, 'Be My Baby' by The Ronettes, 'Deep Purple' by Nino Tempo & April Stevens and 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'' by Nancy Sinatra.
Ray Manzarek, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors, was born today in 1939.
Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy, Motorhead and Wild Horses, is 65.
Michael McDonald is 69.
Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips is 53.
Jim Creeggan, bassist with Barenaked Ladies, is 51.
On This Day in Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts, LA Weekly, and Wikipedia.