1964, Roy Orbison was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Oh Pretty Woman’, his third UK No.1. The title was inspired by Orbison’s wife Claudette interrupting a conversation to announce she was going out; when Orbison asked if she was okay for cash, his co-writer Bill Dees interjected “A pretty woman never needs any money.”
1964, Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recorded their next single ‘She’s a Woman’ in seven takes plus overdubs, recording the song from start to finish in five hours.
1965, During a UK The Rolling Stones appeared at The ABC, Stockton on Tees. Also on the bill, Spencer Davis Group, Unit Four + 2, The Checkmates, The End, and Charles Dickens and The Habits.
1965, The Florescents supported by The Castiles, which featured a young singer called Bruce Springsteen appeared at the I.B. Club in Howell, New Jersey. This was The Castiles first publicly advertised nightclub appearance. Admission was $1.00.
1966, Cream drummer Ginger Baker collapsed during a gig at Sussex University, England after playing a 20 minute drum solo. He later recovered in a local hospital.
1967, Jimi Hendrix Arthur Brown and John’s Children all appeared at the Saville Theatre in London, England.
1969, David Bowie played the first of a 10 date tour supporting Humble Pie at Coventry Theatre, Coventry, England. Fronted by former Small Faces singer Steve Marriott and featuring Bowies old school friend Peter Frampton. Frampton’s father, Owen taught Art at Beckenham Technical School were Bowie was a pupil. Another of his pupils was George Underwood, who became a painter and designed three David Bowie album covers, Space Oddity, Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust.
1971, Led Zeppelin II was enjoying its 100th week on the UK album charts. It was the band’s first album to hit No.1 in the US, knocking The Beatles’ Abbey Road twice from the top spot, where it remained for seven weeks. When first released the album had advance orders of 400,000 copies in the USA, (the advertising campaign was built around the slogan Led Zeppelin II Now Flying).
1977, One half of TV cop show “Starsky & Hutch” (he was blonde Hutch), David Soul was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Silver Lady’, his second and last UK No.1 single.
1987, The three members from ZZ Top made advance bookings for seats on the first passenger flight to the Moon. The boys are still waiting for confirmation of the trip.
1987, Chuck Berry was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His film biography, Hail, Hail Rock & Roll also premiered on the same night.
1988, On their 12th single release, U2 scored their first UK No.1 with ‘Desire.’ The track which was also a US No.3 hit was taken from their album ‘Rattle And Hum.’
1988, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon finally left Billboard’s Hot 200 Album Chart after a record breaking 741 weeks.
1992, The US Postal Service issued a set of commemorative stamps to celebrate pop music legends. The stamps included Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter and Dinah Washington.
2000, Radiohead started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart their fourth studio album ‘Kid A’. The album became the first Radiohead release to debut at No.1 in the US.
2003, Coldplay singer Chris Martin asked Australian police to drop a charge of malicious damage after allegedly attacking a photographer’s car. Martin was charged in July after breaking a windscreen with a rock after being photographed surfing. Martin did not appear in court at Byron Bay, New South Wales, when his lawyer, Megan Cusack, asked for the charge to be dropped.
2004, Britney Spears split with the manager who had guided her career since she was 13 years old. Larry Rudolph said he and the singer had “mutually agreed not to renew their nine-year management relationship”.
2006, The Killers started a three week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Sam’s Town’ the US bands second album.
2007, Arctic Monkeys were named the best act in the world at this year’s Q Awards held in London. Best album went to Amy Winehouse for Back to Black and Muse won Best live act. The icon of the year went to Sir Paul McCartney, former Blur frontman Damon Albarn took the prize for inspiration, Classic songwriter award went to Billy Bragg and Lifetime achievement award went to Johnny Marr. The late Tony Wilson, founder of Manchester’s Factory Records was named Q’s hero.
2012, Record label bosses at EMI recalled a vinyl, anniversary edition of The Beatles’ hit single ‘Love Me Do’ after discovering they had accidentally pressed a version that included session musician Andy White playing drums instead of Ringo Starr. Copies of the disc featuring the wrong version were reportedly selling on eBay.
2013, Philip Chevron, the guitarist with Irish folk-punk band The Pogues, died of cancer aged 56. He formed punk band The Radiators From Space in 1976 before joining The Pogues, who became best known for their 1987 Christmas hit single ‘Fairytale of New York’ featuring Kirsty MacColl.
2015, Scottish singer-songwriter Jim Diamond died at the age of 64. His first hit was ‘I Won’t Let You Down’ (1982), as the lead singer in the trio PhD, and the solo hit ‘I Should Have Known Better’, a UK No.1 hit in 1984.
