On This Day – Bob Crashes
Jul 29, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1966 Bob Dylan crashed his motorbike. Apparently he suffered serious neck injuries although their extent have never been fully confirmed. After the accident an ambulance was not called and was taken home in a car by his then wife Sara.
The crash, the circumstances of which were not fully explained, did have side benefits. Dylan was under a lot of pressure. The proofs for his book Tarantula were due for delivery, but not complete. He had been paid for a television special but it had not been recorded and after just finishing one tour another was already being planned.
After the crash his Bobness had time to analyze his direction, both personal and musically. He withdrew and did not tour again for 8 years.
Oops! Wrong video!
If you want more Bob Dylan choices why not visit my shop?
Tags: bob dylan, classic rock music, love rock music, On This Day, real rock and blues
On This day – Be Bob a Lula
Jul 28, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1956 Sweet Gene Vincent made his first TV appearance on the Perry Como Show. He performed Be-Bop-a-Lula which was still climbing the charts.
Be-Bop-A-Lula was written by Vincent, or his manager Sheriff Tex Davies, or Donald Graves (You pays yer money and takes yer choice) in 1955. He sang it on a radio show in Norfolk Virginia in 1956 and recorded a demo version, it came to the attention of Capitol Records who were looking for someone to rival Elvis. Rival Elvis ? Surpassed him I would have thought.
Tags: classic rock music, gene vincent, On This Day, rock and blues, rock and roll
High Heels, Legwarmers, Bikini Pants – Yes Its Prince.
Jun 25, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1984 the person that used to like to be known as an artist who once had a name before going a bit strange released a successful album. Purple Rain was the first album that acknowledged the band and called them the Revolution and supported the film.
Why the band was acknowledged on the album as prince played the vast majority of the parts on the album and the band was only ever a touring band I do not know, and could hardly care less to be truthful. Oddly this album was voted number 72 in the Rolling Stone list of top 100 albums. The album supporteed the film of the same name and both made suiddilians of dollars, so someone liked it…… but not me.
Tags: live music, love rock music, On This Day
EC beats Kiss hands down
Jun 24, 2010 On This Day
EC sold 100 of his guitars to raise money for his drug rehab clinic on this day in 1999. He raised almost $5,000,000
Kiss sold off some of their memorabilia on this day a year later in 2000. They raised $876,000. (first day of a 2 day sale).
I am no fan of EC but surely this does illustrate the gap between where he stands in popular culture and Gene Simmons’ position.
Tags: classic, classic rock music, love rock music, On This Day
1846 was a Good Year
Jun 22, 2010 On This Day
The sexiest instrument (apart from the electric guitar) was patented on this day in 1846 by Adolphe Sax. What do you think he called it?
- Anyone else finds it strange to find out that you can patent a musical instrument? I know that he disigned it but even so.
You will not be surprised to know that his paptent was challenged by other instrument makers.
On This Day 1969 – Bowie’s Oddity
Jun 21, 2010 On This Day
Can you believe that it is 41 years, to the day that Space Oddity was released by Bowie?
Neither can I, the rest as they say is history.
Oh yes, this is the original version…………..
Tags: bowie, classic rock music, rock and blues, rock music, space oddity
On this Day – Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young
Jun 8, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1955 Faron Young reached number one in the US C & W (it was called American Country at the time I think) charts with his Live fast, Love Hard, Die Young. (Covered unsuccessfully, by Eddie Cochran)
To my ears there is something very odd and unsettling about this track. It might be the ‘country’ violins, the semi yodel delivery. It might be that all such calls to youth become more and more distasteful as the singers get older (My Generation performed by geriatric members of The Who, for example – ‘though Patti Smith still pulls it off with great aplomb and style). Two videos here, one as originally recorded and a live performance sometime later.
The artist as a young man, as they say
The artist as an older man….
Faron Young was 64 when he committed suicide in 1996. He had grown bitter, feeling that older performers were forgotten and ignored. There were also health problems including emphysema. After a divorce to his wife of 32 years he had alienated his family. A lonely, seemingly forgotten and bitter man he shot himself in the head on 9th December 1996.
He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.
Tags: eddie Cochran, faron young, live fast love hard die young, patti smith, rock and blues, the who
Breaking News – Stuart Cable Found Dead
Jun 7, 2010 On This Day
It seems that Stuart cable, original drummer in the Stereophonics, has been found dead at home early this morning.
According to the police there are no suspicious circumstances. They were called to his house at 5am this morning.
Stuart left the Phonics in 2003 after growing tension between him and Kelly Jones. Since then he has fronted a rock radio station that closed after 6 months and has presented various radio and TV shows. His last show was, I believe, last Saturday night on BBC Radio Wales.
His death is being described as a tragic accident.
Tags: kelly jones, rock and blues, stereophonics, stuart cable
On This Day – The Stones’ TV Debut & First Single
Jun 7, 2010 On This Day
The Stones made their TV debut this day in 1963 on Thank Your Lucky Stars playing their first single C’mon.
It may come a surprise to some of the younger readers that The Stones were once a rock and blues band playing blues covers. Their first album, imaginatively titled The Rolling Stones featured songs by Bobby Troup (Route 66), Willie Dixon (I Just Want to Make Love to You), Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddly, Skip James, and Rufus Thomas.
It all goes to reinforce my view that without the Blues we would have no Rock or Jazz.
This is the magnificent Carol Barnes with Route 66….
The epitome of Blues The incredible Muddy.
Rufus walking his pet in the 60s
The Stones take their turn
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. I am not knocking the Stones, we all build on the shoulders of those that went before. I just think that we do not laud those that went before enough.
Tags: Blues, blues music, chuck berry, classic rock music, muddy waters, On This Day, real rock and blues, rock and blues, rolling stones, rufus thomas, skip james, willie dixon
On this day – Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen released in the UK
May 27, 2010 On This Day
1977, The Sex Pistols released a song to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (God bless her, guv – Some Americans seem to think we all talk like Dick Van Dyke, for some reason). Apparently, the establishment did not understand the reverence within the song. “God save the queen, She ain’t no human being, And there’s no future, In England’s dreaming” Is quite obviously a good natured, typically British ironic comment.
150,000 of us understood and bought the single within a week.
Tags: classic rock music, On This Day, punk, rock and blues, sex pistols
