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!
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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
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
ON This Day – Brittain Needs A Fascist Dictator! David Bowie
Apr 26, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1976 Bowie gave an interview in which he said that Britain would benefit from having a dictator and that he would be good at it. He also said that Hitler was the first rock star and that Hitler drew more fans than Jagger. Then there were the stories about his Nazi salute, the detention of Bowie’s train (yes he had a train) as it crossed between Russia and Poland. Lots of Nazi memorabilia, books, etc. were confiscated.
So what was it with Bowie at the time?
Bowie had been interested in Buddhism for some time (yes, this is relevant, honest). From there he moved (descended?) into an interest in the Occult, accompanied by an ever growing consumption of cocaine.
From a general interest in the occult came painting mystic symbols on the walls of his house, burning candles, and reciting rites to protect him from the evil ones who were trying to get to him. He also began to retain his hair and nail clippings and urine in bottles in the fridge so that they could not be used in magic rituals against him. In other words serious chemical induced paranoia.
From there he became aware that the Nazis were heavily involved in the occult. (The idea that they hunted the Ark of the Covenant is not just an invention of the Indiana Jones film’s writer). It is this interest in the occult that drew him towards the Nazi symbolism. It is even possible that he got to Nazi symbols via an interest in the Kabala.
The quotes ? Not quite as they were reported at the time, it would seem, Yes he said that Britain would benefit from a dictator, a socialist none not a fascist one, he also said that he thought that he would be quite good at the job………. Hitler the first rock star? If you think of Hitler in the terms of the public rallies and adoration of the crowds, then yes, you could make some sort of comparison. However, you really have to be off your head on something to think that comparing Hitler with anything other than the spawn of the devil is a good idea.
So there you have it, paranoia, caused by ingesting the whole of Columbia’s export trade on his own, and spiralling interest in the occult, combined to encourage Bowie to make some outrageous comments and act as a cretin.
Mind you there were some upsides for Bowie. It would seem that the comments broke just before the Bowie tour reached England. Ticket sales were poor before the comments, sold out afterwards. Remember, he had previous for playing the media. There was the Hunky Dory tour, poor sales up until the “I’m Gay” interview in the music press and, hey presto!, tickets sales soar.
So, what is the truth? Probably, drugs and a descent into paranoia. If you do not inhabit your brain for a length of time you are likely to do some strange stuff.
As for the Nazi salute. I saw the clip some time ago and went to look at it again but it has been taken down on YouTube. However, there is an equally shocking clip featuring a Nazi salute by Ringo! (Or he may just be waving to his fan).
Tags: beatles, bowie, bowie's nazi salute, classic rock music, david bowie, On This Day, rock and blues, thin white duke
On This Day – Ladies and Gentlemen, I Give You The Nerk Twins!
Apr 23, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1960 The Nerk Twins played a couple of gigs at the Fox and Hounds in Caversham. As these were the only bookings fulfilled by the Nerk Twins that in itself would merit an ‘On This Day’ mention, the more so that the location was the world famous Fox and Hounds.
However, the reason why there is some interest in the Nerk Twins was that they later became part of a local pub band called the Beatles. After the artistic peak of playing to 3 people in Paul’s cousin’s pub Paul and John took the almost precedented step of turning their back on fame for the obscurity of rock band mediocracy.
Tags: beatles, classic rock music, john lennon, love rock music, On This Day, paul mccartney, rock and blues, the beatles, the nerk twins
On This Day – Sonny Boy Arrives, For The First Time
Mar 30, 2010 Blues, On This Day, arrivals
On this day in 1914 Sonny Boy Williamson was born.
Sonny Boy was a hugely influential blues harmonica player. Arguably all the present blues harmonica players have been influenced to a greater or lesser extent. None more so than Sonny Boy Williamson.
In fact Sonny Boy Williamson was so influential that Sonny Boy Williamson copied Sonny Boy Williamson.
Confused? Don’t worry many avid blues fans have been, and still are, confused by just who is playing when they listen to Sonny Boy Williamson.
Let me explain. The Sonny Boy Williamson born today in 1914 was the original and his birth name was John Lee Curtis Williamson in Jackson Tennessee. He died on 1st June 1948 after being mugged in Chicago. In between he forged a harmonica style that has changed the world of music. He also wrote performed some of the seminal blues songs of the 20th century. His biggest selling song was a massive race record hit (remember, before the 60s in the States the blues and rhythm and blues were thought not to be fit for white people) was “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl has been recorded by John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters, Doctor Ross, The Grateful Dead, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter, Yardbirds, Rolling Stones among many, many more.
Back to the point of this blog…….
So, Sonny Boy was hugely popular and living and recording in Chicago. Over in Arkansas There was harmonica player called Rice Miller (although he may have been born as Aleck Ford, or Rice Ford, or Aleck Miller, no one is really sure and as to his date of birth just don’t get me started….) Rice Miller appeared on the radio and played in a similar style to Sonny Boy. The radio shows sponsors was King Biscuits.
Arkansas is quite a way away from Chicago and though Sonny Boy’s recoreds were popular there was little chance that he would come to Arkansas to play. To King Biscuit it seemed obvious, call Rice Miller Sonny Boy Williamson and pretend (or least not deny) that it was the real Sonny Boy on their radio show! Strangely, it worked. Sonny Boy never sued over the hijacking of his name (but then Rice Miller did not record as Sonny Boy while Sonny Boy was alive – if you see what I mean). They both just got on with it. After Sonny Boy died Rice Miller recorded as Sonny Boy Williamson II. The trouble is that there are still compilations out there that get the 2 mixed up.
Look on the bright side, they were both great harmonica players, just enjoy the music!
People are still getting them mixed up. This is Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) with the song thatgave a great band its name.
With Muddy Waters “Got My Mojo Working”
Tags: aleck ford, aleck miller, Blues, blues music, born on this day, Doctor Ross, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Winter, lightnin' hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell, muddy waters, On This Day, rice miller, rock and blues, rolling stones, slim harpo, sonny boy williamson, Ten Years After, The Grateful Dead, yardbirds
On This Day – Lou Bitten
Mar 24, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1973 Lou Reed was playing in Buffalo, New York. A fan scrambled up on stage shouted “Leather!” and bit Lou on the Bum.
OK, so it is not the most important ‘On This Day’ that I will ever write but I did miss Lou’s birthday (2nd March) and so will have to wait a year before I can do a big piece on him.
1973 was a year after Transformer and Berlin was not released until July ‘73 so this would have been at a concert in support of Transformer. The backing band was The Tots who were;
VINNY LAPORTA, guitar
EDDIE REYNOLDS, guitar
BOBBY RESIGNO, bass
SCOTTIE CLARK, drums
Not sure what happened to the members of the band but here they are with Lou in 1973 (any info about them please let me know, I gather that Laporta was still playing up until 2007).
Lou Reed Live Olympia Theatre, Paris 1973, Walk On The Wild Side , Heroin and White Light, White heat. This is from the “Berlin” tour with the Wagner & Hunter band. Wonderful.
Tags: berlin, classic rock music, lou reed, On This Day, rock and blues, the tots, transformer
