1967 - The Beatles journey to the Raymond Revue bar in London to film the notorious "striptease" scene in Magical Mystery Tour. Accompanying stripper Jan Carson is The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, playing a song called "Death Cab For Cutie." And that's where the band got it's name.
1967 - The Beach Boys release Smiley Smile. After the much-discussed, uncompleted Smile project -- which was supposed to take the innovations of Pet Sounds to even grander heights -- collapsed, the Beach Boys released Smiley Smile in its place. For fans expecting something along the lines of Sgt. Pepper's (and there were many of them), Smiley Smile was a major disappointment, replacing psychedelic experimentation with spare, eccentric miniatures. Heard now, outside of such unrealistic expectations, it's a rather nifty, with abundant fine harmonies and unusual arrangements. The standouts, nonetheless, were two then-recent hit singles in which Brian Wilson's ambitions were still intact: the inscrutable mini-opera "Heroes and Villains," and the number one hit "Good Vibrations," one of the few occasions where the group managed to be recklessly experimental and massively commercial at the same time.
1978 - WKRP in Cincinnati, a TV series about a radio station that switches format from easy listening to rock, makes its debut on CBS. It lasts four seasons, enjoying support from real radio professionals who recognize the quirky characters (incompetent general manager Arthur Carlson, disheveled morning jock Johnny Fever) in their co-workers.
1992 - Cameron Crowe's film Singles hits theaters in the US. While at first glance, the movie could be seen as an epilogue to all those teen angst films of the '80s with the cast of offbeat and quirky rebels and outcasts moving through early adulthood with no less angst than before, it quickly proves to be much more than a post-adolescent coming-of-age flick.
Singles is noted for its exceptional soundtrack, including songs by bands such as Mudhoney and Alice in Chains. Chris Cornell of Soundgarden has a small role in the film, and both Soundgarden and Alice in Chains appear on stage performing in different scenes. Members of Pearl Jam are apart of the fictional band, Citizen Dick.
2001 - Tori Amos releases Strange Little Girls, a concept album where she sings from the perspective of the female characters in songs written by males, including Eminem's "'97 Bonnie And Clyde," Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold," The Beatles' "Happiness Is A Warm Gun," and The Stranglers' "Strange Little Girl."
2006 - Willie Nelson and four members of his band were charged with drug possession after police in Lafayette, La., found marijuana and magic mushrooms on Nelson's tour bus.
Birthdays
Dee Dee Ramone, was born today in 1951. Best known as the founding bassist of New York City punk icons the Ramones, Dee Dee Ramone was also a solo recording artist, painter, and writer.
R.I.P.
1970 - Jimi Hendrix died in London. In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback, and roaring distortion. His frequent hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling showmanship -- he could and would play behind his back and with his teeth, and set his guitar on fire -- could, to the average fan, obscure the fact that he was a gifted songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B, and rock styles.
1991 - Rob Tyner lead singer with the American hard rock band MC5 died. Possessing one of the most explosive live shows of all-time fueled by high-octane rock, the MC5 required a larger-than-life frontman to lead the proceedings, and Rob Tyner was the perfect man for the job. With a huge afro, snazzy stage outfits, stage moves reminiscent of James Brown, and a soulful vocal style, Tyner quickly became an integral part of the MC5 sound and live experience.
Seminal gospel-blues artist Blind Willie Johnson, died on this day in 1947 and regarded as one of the greatest bottleneck slide guitarists. Yet the Texas street-corner evangelist is known as much for the his powerful and fervent gruff voice as he is for his ability as a guitarist. He most often sang in a rough, bass voice (only occasionally delivering in his natural tenor) with a volume meant to be heard over the sounds of the streets. Johnson recorded a total of 30 songs during a three-year period and many of these became classics of the gospel-blues, including "Jesus Make up My Dying Bed," "God Don't Never Change," and his most famous, "Dark Was the Night -- Cold Was the Ground."
On this Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.
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