1963 - In less than 10 hours, The Beatles recorded 10 new songs for their first album, plus four other tracks which would be the next two singles. John Lennon's vocal on the cover of The Isley Brothers' "Twist & Shout" was recorded in one take to complete the album.
1964 - The Beatles made their live concert debut in the US at the Washington Coliseum. Over 350 police surrounded the stage to keep the 8,000 plus screaming fans in control. One police officer who found the noise so loud stuck a bullet in each ear as ear plugs.
1967 - The Rolling Stones release Between The Buttons. Many critics felt that they were compromising their raw, rootsy power with trendy emulations of the Beatles, Kinks, Dylan, and psychedelic music. Approach this album with an open mind, though, and you'll find it to be one of their strongest, most eclectic LPs, with many fine songs that remain unknown to all but Stones devotees. (Photo credit should read -/AFP via Getty Images)
1977 - David Bowie released "Sound and Vision" as a single, which was taken from his latest album Low. This song was Bowie's initial response at retreating from America in an attempt to get away from his drug addiction. Bowie said this song was about "wanting to be put in a little cold room with omnipotent blue on the walls and blinds on the windows."
2012 - Whitney Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, submerged in the bathtub. The coroner ruled the cause of death an accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use contributing factors.
Birthdays:
Gerry Goffin was born on this day in 1939. He, with his then-wife Carole King, wrote many big hits of the 1960s, including The Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", The Drifters' "Up On The Roof", The Chiffons' "One Fine Day" and Herman's Hermits' "I'm Into Something Good". Goffin died in 2014 at the age of 76.
Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, who had the 1962 No. 1 single "Monster Mash" was born on this day in 1940.
Alan Rubin (aka Mr. Fabulous), a member of the Saturday Night Live Band, and the Blues Brothers band, was born on this day in 1953.
Sheryl Crow is 60.
On This Day In Music History is sourced from Allmusic, This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.