1967 - Aretha Franklin recorded "Respect" at New York's Atlantic Studios. The song was written and originally released by Otis Redding in 1965, but even he admits that it's truly Aretha's song. One of the most celebrated songs of the R&B era, Aretha's version is a feminist declaration from a strong woman who demands respect and "her propers" when she gets home.
It was Aretha's idea to cover this song. She came up with the arrangement, added the "sock it to me" lines, and played piano on the track.
The "ree, ree, ree, ree..." refrain is a nod to Franklin's nickname, Ree (as in A-Ree-tha).
When asked why the song is so successful, Aretha explained, "Everyone wants to be respected." (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
1986 - Frank Zappa appeared on an episode of the television series Miami Vice. Zappa in his his final acting role, portrayed the villainous “weasel dust” drug dealer Mario Fuente.
1992 - The film "Wayne's World," which featured appearances from Meat Loaf and Alice Cooper, was released in the US. The use of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the film propelled the song to No. 2 on the U.S. singles charts nearly 20 years after its first release. "Jump" by Kris Kross keeps it out of the top spot.
1999 - Elton John appeared as himself in a special episode of the animated series (I'm With Cupid") The Simpsons. He records a special version of "Your Song" for it.
Birthdays:
Maceo Parker is 80. One of the key sonic architects of funk, Maceo Parker first became a legend for his work with James Brown, whose impassioned shouts for a sax solo ("Maceo! Blow your horn!") would make Parker the Godfather of Soul's most famous sideman, though Parker would continue to enjoy a successful career long after leaving Brown's employ, including stints with George Clinton (including Parliament and Funkadelic) and Prince as well as Ray Charles, Ani DiFranco, James Taylor, De La Soul, Dave Matthews Band, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, not to mention a rewarding solo career as a bandleader.
Tim Buckley, folk musician and father of Jeff Buckley, was born today in 1947. One of the great rock vocalists of the 1960s, Tim Buckley drew from folk, psychedelic rock, and progressive jazz to create a considerable body of adventurous work in his brief lifetime. His multi-octave range was capable of not just astonishing power but great emotional expressiveness, swooping from sorrowful tenderness to anguished wailing. He's the father of Jeff Buckley.
Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls, was born on this day in 1941. If David Johansen was the brain of the New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders was the heart, Sylvain Sylvain was the soul, the rhythm guitarist who helped maintain the framework that held their songs together and the cheerleader who fueled their esprit de corps through their roller-coaster career. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes.
Rob Thomas is 51. Best known as the singer of matchboxtwenty. He's also written with Mick Jagger and Willie Nelson recorded his song, "Maria (Shut Up and Kiss Me)".
His biggest song is Smooth with Santana. An A&R guy from the label, Pete Ganbarg, decided to give Rob the music, because "He’s living at home with his fiancée, and doing nothing except smoking pot and playing PlayStation. So, why don’t I send him the track and see what he thinks?”. Good move...
On This Day In Music History are gathered from Rolling Stone, Allmusic, This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.