1962 - The Beatles begin their legendary stint at the new Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany. Performing three to four hours a night for 48 days (with only one day off), the group logs a total of 172 hours of performance. When they return to England, they're already stars with a recording contract.
1971 - The Rolling Stones released Brown Sugar, the first record on their label Rolling Stones Records, which introduced the iconic licking-tongue-and-lips logo.
Jagger admitted in 1995 that his lyrics may have gone a bit far. "God knows what I’m on about on that song. It’s such a mishmash. All the nasty subjects in one go. […] I never would write that song now. I would probably censor myself. I’d think, 'Oh God, I can’t. I’ve got to stop. I can’t just write raw like that.'"
1973 - Bob Marley and the Wailers released Catch a Fire their major label debut. Although Bob Marley may have been the main voice, every member of the Wailers made valuable contributions and they were never more united in their vision and sound. All the songs were originals, and the instrumentation was minimalistic in order to bring out the passionate, often politically charged lyrics. Much of the appeal of the album lies in its sincerity and sense of purpose -- these are streetwise yet disarmingly idealistic young men who look around themselves and believe they might help change the world through music. Regarded as one of the greatest reggae albums of all time and essential for any collection. (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)
1973 - David Bowie released Aladdin Sane, the name of the album is a pun on 'A Lad Insane"' Ziggy Stardust wrote the blueprint for David Bowie's hard-rocking glam, and Aladdin Sane essentially follows the pattern, for both better and worse. A lighter affair than Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane is actually a stranger album than its predecessor, buoyed by bizarre lounge-jazz flourishes from pianist Mick Garson and a handful of winding, vaguely experimental songs. It's Bowie riding the wake of Ziggy Stardust, which means there's a wealth of classic material here, but not enough focus to make the album itself a classic.
1974 - "Bennie And The Jets," Elton John's song about a glam-rock goddess who wears electric boots and a mohair suit, hits #1 in America.
1999 - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers release their album Echo. Much of Echo feels like a by-product of Petty's divorce from his wife of over 20 years. But that weary melancholy is the bond that keeps Echo together, bridging the gap between the ballads and the rockers, providing an emotional touchstone that makes the record more than just another Petty record. Although the album is spiked with sadness and regret, nothing on the album feels forced or self-conscious, either lyrically or musically -- and he is one of the few rockers of his generation that can make such a claim.
Birthdays:
Al Green is 76 today.
Lowell George of Little Feat was born on this day in 1945.
Max Weinberg, the drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, is 71.
Blondie keyboardist and songwriter Jimmy Destri is 68.
Original Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak was born today in 1962.
On this Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.