December 8th: On this Day In Music History

 

 

1961, The Beach Boys first single 'Surfin' was released on Candix Records, a small label based in Los Angeles. 1963, Frank Sinatra Jr was kidnapped at gunpoint from a hotel in Lake Tahoe. He was released two days later after his father paid out the $240,000 ransom demanded by the kidnappers, who were later captured, and sentenced to long prison terms. In order to communicate with the kidnappers via a payphone the senior Sinatra carried a roll of dimes with him throughout this ordeal, which became a lifetime habit, he is said to have been buried with a roll of dimes. 1965, The Spencer Davis Group kicked off a 9-date UK tour at The Top Rank, Southampton. 1965, The Rolling Stones recorded their ninth UK single '19th Nervous Breakdown' at RCA studios in Hollywood, California. 1966, Working at Abbey Road in London, Paul McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal for 'When I'm Sixty-Four'. Then The Beatles set about remaking a new John Lennon song 'Strawberry Fields Forever.' 1968, Singer and guitarist Graham Nash left The Hollies and started work with David Crosby and Stephen Stills who went on to form Crosby Stills and Nash. 1969, Mott The Hoople appeared at Friars, Aylesbury, England. 1969, Mick Jagger was quoted saying 'I don't really like singing very much, I enjoy playing the guitar more than I enjoy singing and I can't play the guitar either' 1969, On trial in Canada on drug possession charges, Jimi Hendrix told a Toronto court that he had only smoked pot four times in his life, snorted cocaine twice and took LSD no more than five times. Telling the jury that he had now 'outgrown' drugs. They find the guitarist not guilty. 1971, This weeks Top selling 8-Track cartridges chart: No.5, Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Vol 2, No.4, Carole King, Tapestry, No.3, Simon and Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water, No.2, Motown Chartbusters Vol 6 and No.1, John Lennon, Imagine. 1973, Roxy Music had their first UK No.1 album when 'Stranded' went to the top for one week. The sleeve featured Playboy's Playmate of The Year, model Marilyn Cole   1977, Four people were arrested after a riot broke out when Blondie didn't arrive for a gig in Brisbane. Over 1,000 Australian fans had waited over an hour for the group to appear on stage, but the gig was cancelled due to singer Debbie Harry being unwell. 1979, Rod Stewart scored his seventh UK No.1 album when his 'Greatest Hits' started a five-week run at the top of the charts. 1979, Styx went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Babe', the group's only US No.1, a No.6 hit in the UK.   1984, Frankie Goes To Hollywood were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Power Of Love'. The group's third No.1 of the year and final UK No.1. This made them the first group since Gerry And The Pacemakers to have a UK No.1 with their first three singles. 1984, Hall and Oates started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Out Of Touch', the duo's 6th US No.1, it made No.48 in the UK. 1984, One time Coasters manager Patrick Cavanaugh was convicted of first degree murder of group member Buster Wilson whose dismembered body was discovered in Modesto, California, in 1980. 1984, Vince Neil from Motley Crue was involved in a car accident in Redondo Beach, Ca, which killed Nick Dingley from Hanoi Rocks and injured two other passengers. Neil was jailed for 20 days and paid $2.6 million in compensation. 1988, Rick Astley appeared at The Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland on a tour sponsored by the soft drinks company Vimto. 1990, Stevie B started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Because I Love You, (The Postman Song)', a No.6 hit in the UK. 1993, The Verve, Acetone and Oasis started a UK tour at Wulfren Hall, Wolverhampton. 1995, Courtney Love appeared on the ABC TV show '10 Most Fascinating People', telling the presenter that she wished she had done 'eight thousand million things differently' to have prevented the death of her husband Kurt Cobain. 1999, 1960's singer Heinz was given a formal caution by magistrates in Southampton for playing music to loud in his flat. The singer who scored 4 Top 40 singles in the 60's is now wheelchair bound. 2000, A plaque to commemorate the 20th anniversary of John Lennon's death was unveiled outside his childhood home in Liverpool. 2000, Sting joined the ranks of Tinseltown's greatest when his star was unveiled on the celebrated Walk Of Fame in Hollywood. 2003, Eminem scored his fourth UK No.1 single with 'Loose Yourself.' 2003, BPI figures showed that the UK sales of seven-inch singles had increased by 84% on the previous year. The report claimed that bands such as The Darkness, The Strokes and The White Stripes had boosted sales by releasing special limited edition seven-inch records.   December 8th: Born on this day 1925, Born on this day, Sammy Davis Jr, singer, actor, (1972 US No.1 single 'The Candy Man'). Died of throat cancer on 16th May 1990. 1939, Born on this day, James Galway, Irish musician, (1978 UK No.3 single 'Annie's Song',) 1939, Born on this day, Jerry Butler, vocals, The Impressions, (1965 US No.7 single 'Lilies Of The Field', solo 1969 US No.4 single 'Only The Strong Survive'). 1942, Born on this day, Bobby Elliott, drums, The Hollies, (over 25 top 40 hits since 1963, 1972 US No.2 single 'Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress', 1988 UK No.1 single 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother', first released in 1969. 1943, Born on this day, Jim Morrison, vocals, The Doors, (1967 US No.1 & UK No.49 single 'Light My Fire' & 1971 single 'Riders On The Storm'). Morrison died of heart failure in a bathtub in a Paris hotel room on 3rd July 1971. 1944, Born on this day, Mike Botts, drums, Bread, (1970 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'Make It With You'). 1946, Born on this day, Graham Knight, Marmalade, (1969 UK No.1 single 'Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da'). 1947, Born on this day, Gregg Allman, keyboards, guitar, vocals, Allman Brothers Band, (1973 US No.12 single 'Ramblin Man'). 1947, Born on this day, Geoff Daking, The Blue Magoos, (1967 US No.5 single, 'We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet'). 1949, Born on this day, Ray Shulman, Simon Dupree And The Big Sound, (1967 UK No.9 single 'Kites'). Gentle Giant. 1951, Born on this day, Dan Hartman, multi- instrumentalist, producer, worked with Edgar Winter. Had the 1978 UK No.8 & US No.29 solo single 'Instant Replay'). He died on 22nd March 1994. Wrote 'Relight My Fire' a UK No.1 for Take That and Lulu, collaborated with Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, Holly Johnson and Steve Winwood. 1953, Born on this day, Colin Routh, Black Lace, (1984 UK No.2 single 'Agadoo') 1956, Born on this day, Warren Cuccurullo, guitarist. Worked with Frank Zappa, Duran Duran and Missing Persons. After posing naked with an erection in Brazilian gay magazine, G, in 2000, the guitarist marketed an eight-inch dildo modeled on his own penis, called the Rock Rod. 1957, Born on this day, Phil Collen, guitar, Def Leppard, (1987 UK No.6 single 'Animal' and 1987 worldwide No.1 album 'Hysteria', 1988 US No.1 single 'Love Bites'). 1959, Born on this day, Paul Rutherford, vocals, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, (1984 UK No.1 & US No.10 single 'Relax' and six other UK Top 40 singles). 1962, Born on this day, Marty Friedman, Megadeth, (1990 UK No.13 single 'No More Mr Nice Guy'). 1973, Born on this day, Judith Pronk, Alice Deejay, 1999 UK No. 2 single 'Better Off Alone'). 1974, Born on this day, Nick Zinner, guitarist, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, (2006 UK No. 18 single 'Gold Lion'). 1982, Born on this day, Chrisette Michele, American R&B and soul singer–songwriter, 2009 US No.1 album 'Epiphany'.   Died on this day   1975, Gary Thain bass player with Uriah Heep died of a drug overdose aged 28. Had a hit with 'Easy Livin' from the 1972 album Demons and Wizards.   1980, John Lennon was shot five times by 25 year old Mark Chapman outside the Dakota building in New York City where John and Yoko lived. Chapman had been stalking Lennon for days outside the Dakota apartments and asked for an autograph as Lennon walked through the courtyard. As he signed a piece of paper Chapman fired. Lennon was pronounced dead from a massive loss of blood at 11.30pm. 1982, American country singer, songwriter Marty Robbins died aged 57 of complications following cardiac surgery. Had the first No.1 of the 60's in the US with 'El Paso', (winning him a Grammy Award). Robbins later portrayed a musician in the 1982 Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man.   2004, Former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was one of five people killed after a man stormed the stage during a Damageplan show at the Alrosa Villa Club in Columbus. Nathan Gale, aged 25, began firing at the band and crowd, was then shot and killed by a police officer who arrived shortly after the first shots were fired.

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