1962 - Britain's BBC bans Bobby 'Boris' Pickett's "Monster Mash". Although the song is neither obscene or controversial, it's about a horror movie party and like many other songs, is banned under a catch-all regulation prohibiting the broadcast of anything deemed "offensive."
1973 - Elvis Presley and Priscilla divorced after six years of marriage. Priscilla was awarded property, $725,000 cash and $4,200 a month support.
Elvis was later quoted as saying, "Sad thing is... you can still love someone and be wrong for them." In 2015 Priscilla would look back at her marriage to Elvis and say, "He was the father of my child and I learned so much from that man. I'm not saying that everything was wonderful, marriages have problems, and especially in that Rock 'n' Roll environment, but we had an amazing bond."
1971 - Van Morrison releases "Wild Night." One of Van Morrison's most popular songs, "Wild Night" describes the thrill of a night on the town: getting dressed up, watching the girls, feeling the wind at your feet...
Ronnie Montrose, who spent most of his younger years in Denver, played guitar on the song.
1976 - The Sex Pistols signed to EMI records for £40,000 ($68,000). The contract was terminated three months later with the label stopping production of the 'Anarchy In The UK' single and deleting it from its catalogue. EMI later issued a statement saying it felt unable to promote The Sex Pistols records in view of the adverse publicity generated over the last few months.
Birthdays:
John Winston Lennon was born on this day in 1940. Out of all the Beatles, John Lennon had the most interesting -- and frustrating -- solo career. Lennon was capable of inspired, brutally honest confessional songwriting and melodic songcraft; he also had an undying love of straight-ahead rock & roll. But the extremes, both in his music and his life, were what made him fascinating. Where Paul McCartney was content to be a rock star, Lennon dabbled in everything from revolutionary politics to the television talk show circuit during the early '70s. After releasing a pair of acclaimed albums, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, in the early '70s, Lennon sunk into an infamous "lost weekend" where his musical output was decidedly uneven. Halfway through the decade, he sobered up and retired from performing to become a house-husband and father. In 1980, he launched a comeback with his wife Yoko Ono, releasing the duet album Double Fantasy that fall. Just as his career was on an upswing, Lennon was tragically assassinated outside his New York apartment building in December of 1980. He left behind an enormous legacy, not only as a musician, but as a writer, actor, and activist.
John once visited Caribou Ranch while Elton John was recording. During the sessions, they did a cover of "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds". Halfway through Lucy in the Sky, the guitars and vocals take on a reggae feel. “That was John’s idea. John always liked ska and reggae music,” said May Pang, Lennon's girlfirend at the time. Lennon and Pang set the town on its ear when they borrowed a car for a trip down to Nederland for toothbrushes and a visit to Boulder to buy cowboy boots.
The Who bassist John Entwhistle was born today in 1944. One of the the most influential bassist in rock music. Before Entwistle came along as a member of the Who, bassists seldom stood out for their playing and few casual listeners knew or cared what purpose the four-stringed instrument served -- after he came along, everyone knew. Entwistle's bass work was some of the most complex and audible in rock music. He played fills, countermelodies, and all manner of material, and stood out doing it. Pete Townshend: “John’s bass sound was like a Messiaen organ”.
Jackson Browne is 75. In many ways, Jackson Browne is the quintessential sensitive California singer/songwriter of the early '70s. Only Joni Mitchell and James Taylor rank alongside him in terms of influence, but neither artist tapped into the post-'60s Zeitgeist quite like Browne. While the majority of his classic '70s work was unflinchingly personal, it nevertheless provided a touchstone for a generation of maturing baby boomers coming to terms with adulthood. Not only did his introspective, literate lyrics strike a nerve, but his laid-back folk-rock set the template for much of the music to come out of California during the 1970s.
PJ Harvey is 54. Of the singer/songwriters who rose to prominence during the alternative rock explosion, few are as distinctive or as widely praised as Polly Jean Harvey. Over the course of her career, Harvey established herself as one of the most individual and influential songwriters of her era, exploring themes of sex, religion, and political issues with unnerving honesty, dark humor, and theatrical flair.
Sean Lennon (with the same birthday as his dad) is 48. The only child of John Lennon by Yoko Ono. John Lennon retired from music for five years to become a house-husband. Sean went on to become a singer, songwriter, musician and actor.
On This Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Classic Bands, Bop Pop Rock Til You Drop, Song Facts and Wikipedia.
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