Saturday, December 17, 2011

Dec 17, Today's Rock History Report...

1960, Returning from Hamburg, The Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined The Beatles on bass guitar (to replace Stuart Sutcliffe, who had remained in Hamburg), a position he would hold for only two weeks and four performances. When Newby bowed out to return to college, Paul McCartney became The Beatles' bass player.

1962, Bob Dylan arrived in England for the first time; he played his first UK date the following night at the Troubadour Club in London.

1963, James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, DC, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles record on American radio. Carroll played 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend, who brought the single back from the UK. Due to listener demand, the song was played daily, every hour. Since it hadn't been released yet in the States, Capitol Records initially considered court action, but instead released the single earlier than planned.

1968, The Who played their Xmas party at the Marquee Club, London. Also on the bill was a new group called Yes. Members 15 shillings, ($1.80) or £1 ($2.40) on the night. Other acts appearing at the club this month included Joe Cocker, Free and Led Zeppelin.

1973, Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Merry Xmas Everybody' their sixth chart topper. The song has re-entered the UK charts on eight other occasions.

1975, Aerosmith and Blue Oyster Cult appeared at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.

1977, Deputising for The Sex Pistols on NBC- TVs 'Saturday Night Live', Elvis Costello stops his performance of 'Less Than Zero', saying ' there's no reason to do this', and launches into 'Radio Radio' which he'd been told not to perform.

1977, George Harrison played an unannounced live set for the regulars at his local pub in Henley-On-Thames.

1982, American Delta blues musician and songwriter Big Joe Williams died in Macon, Mississippi aged 79. Wrote 'Baby Please Don't Go', a 1965 UK Top 10 for Them, (featuring Van Morrison).

1982, Karen Carpenter made her last live appearance with The Carpenters when she performed in Sherman, California.

1995, A statue of the late Frank Zappa was unveiled in Vilnius, the capital of the Republic Of Lithuania. It had been organised by Zappa fan club President Saulius Pauksty.

1997, David Bowie launched his BowieNet on the Internet.

2004, Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert Sillerman in a deal worth $100m. Sillerman would run Presley's Memphis home Graceland, and own Elvis' name and the rights to all revenue from his music and films. In the deal Lisa Marie would retain possession of Graceland and many of her father's ‘personal effects.’

2005, U2 had the top-grossing tour of 2005, according to an end-of-year chart compiled by US magazine Billboard. More than three million people watched the band's sell-out 90-date Vertigo tour which grossed $260m (£146.6m). The Eagles, took $117m (£66m) from 77 shows and Neil Diamond grossed more than $71m (£40m). Kenny Chesney was fourth with $63m (£35.5m), Paul McCartney $60m (£33.8m), Rod Stewart with $49m (£27m), Elton John with $45.5m (£25.6m), Dave Matthews Band with $45m (£25.3m), Jimmy Buffett with $41m (£23m) and Green Day with $36.5m (£20.5m).

2006, English saxophonist Denis Payton died. Member of Dave Clark Five who had the 1964 UK No.1 single 'Glad All Over', 1965 US No.1 single 'Over And Over', plus over 15 other UK top 40 singles.

2010, Captain Beefheart died aged 69 from complications from multiple sclerosis.

Happy Rock-n-Roll Birthdays to...
1937, Art Neville, The Neville Brothers
1939, Eddie Kendricks, The Temptations, died October 5, 1992
1942, Paul Butterfield, died May 4, 1987
1948, Jim Bonfanti, The Young Rascals, The Raspberries
1949, Paul Rodgers, Free, Bad Company, The Firm
1950, Carlton Barrett, The Wailers, was shot dead outside his home on April 17, 1987
1958, Mike Mills, R.E.M. 
1962, Sarah Dallen, Bananarama
1969, Micky Quinn, Supergrass

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