Today in Rock and Roll History

1972 - The Eagles
The Eagles released their debut studio album. The album was an immediate success and produced three top 40 singles 'Take It Easy', 'Witchy Woman' and 'Peaceful Easy Feeling'.

1977 - Bob Marley and The Wailers
Bob Marley and The Wailers played the first of four nights at the Rainbow Theatre in London. There were six nights booked at the Rainbow, but the last two shows were cancelled due to a serious toe injury Marley received, (in a friendly football game with French journalists just before the tour's start in Paris). Subsequently the tour's second leg in the United States was postponed and then cancelled.

2017 - Jerry Garcia
The sale of Jerry Garcia's favourite guitar, Wolf, raised millions of dollars for a civil rights group when an auction of the custom-made guitar fetched a total of $3.2m (£2.5m). It was bought at a New York charity concert by Brian Halligan, CEO of marketing group HubSpot and a lifelong fan of the band - or a "Deadhead". The money raised would go to the Southern Poverty Law Centre.

Not on this day, but still a piece of history not often seen.

Gene Simmons hanging out with young KISS fans in the 1970s.








While Kiss had been kicking around since the early ‘70s in New York, they weren’t an international sensation until the release of “Alive!” in 1975. The landmark live album strapped a rocket to the band, turning them into the most recognizable group in the world. While many of their songs were about partying hard and rock n’ roll, their theatrical look attracted gobs of young fans.

Kiss fans young and old have always been total die hards for the group, so it must have been a thrill to see Gene “The Demon” Simmons up close and personal. Hopefully he didn’t try to breathe fire during this appearance.

June 18th
1948 - Columbia Records
Columbia Records started the first mass production of the 33-RPM long player. The new format could contain a maximum of 23 minutes of music per side versus the three minutes that could be squeezed on to a 78 RPM disc.

1977 - Johnny Rotten
Johnny Rotten and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols were stabbed and beaten when they were attacked in a car park outside a London pub. They objected to the Pistols' anti-monarchist song 'God Save the Queen'. The next day, another member of the Pistols, Paul Cook, was beaten by a gang armed with iron pipes.

2008 - Phil Spector
A Lost Angeles hotel filed a lawsuit against Phil Spector for failing to pay more than $100,000 (£61,000), in outstanding bills for lawyers and expert witnesses in his murder trial. The Westin Bonaventure Hotel claimed that by the time Spector's trial ended with a hung jury, the defendants owed the hotel more than $104,000 (£63,400).

1969 - David Bowie
David Bowie recorded 'Space Oddity' at Trident Studios London. The track went on to become a UK No.1 when re-released in 1975. Written about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut; Bowie would later revisit his Major Tom character in the songs 'Ashes to Ashes', 'Hallo Spaceboy' and 'Blackstar'.

1974 - Van Morrison
Van Morrison, The Allman Brothers Band, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tim Buckley, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Doobie Brothers all appeared at Knebworth Park, Stevenage, England. A special PA system was used for the event, claiming to be the best ever for an outside show, weighing 12 tons and needing five technicians.


So Heavy Metal?

2000 - Phil Spector
The Ronettes were awarded $2.6 million (£1.5 million) in back earnings from Phil Spector. New York judge Paula Omansky ruled that the legendary producer had cheated them out of royalties.

2008 - Jimmy Buffett
American singer songwriter Jimmy Buffett announced that his Margaritaville Holdings has partnered with New York gambling company Coastal Marina to buy the Trump Marina Hotel Casino for $316 million. His vast business empire also included tequila, beer, frozen food, footwear, restaurants, a resort, a record label and a recording studio. In 2006, Rolling Stone magazine estimated Buffett's earnings at $44 million.

2016 - Led Zeppelin
Lawyers for Led Zeppelin asked a judge to throw out a case accusing the band of stealing the riff for 'Stairway To Heaven'. Singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and Warner Music argued that the claimants had failed to make their case after three days of testimony. The band were accused of basing Stairway on the 1968 Spirit song, 'Taurus'.

injinji said:

The band were accused of basing Stairway on the 1968 Spirit song, 'Taurus'.

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Guilty.

1967 - Keith Richards
Rolling Stone Keith Richards was found guilty of allowing his house to be used for the illegal smoking of cannabis. He was sentenced to one year in jail and a £500 ($850) fine, (prison number 5855). Mick Jagger was also fined £100 ($170) and given three months in jail on drug charges. Jagger and Richards were both released and granted bail of £7,000 the following day.

1979 - Lowell George
American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Lowell George died of a heart attack. The Little Feat front man was found dead at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. George joined Zappa's Mothers of Invention as rhythm guitarist in 1968, played guitar on John Cale's 1973 album Paris 1919, Harry Nilsson's Son of Schmilsson album and Jackson Browne's The Pretender.

1984 - Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen kicked off the first leg of his Born in the USA Tour with a three night run at the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Springsteen would play a total of 156 shows ending on October 2, 1985 in Los Angeles.

1985 - David Bowie
David Bowie and Mick Jagger recorded a version of the Martha Reeves and the Vandellas 1964 hit 'Dancing In The Street' for the forthcoming Live Aid fundraising event. The single went on to become a No.1 UK hit. The original plan was to perform a track together live, with Bowie performing at Wembley Stadium and Jagger at John F. Kennedy Stadium, until it was realised that the satellite link-up would cause a half-second delay that would make this impossible unless either Bowie or Jagger mimed their contribution, something neither artist was willing to do.

too larry said:

1985 - David Bowie
David Bowie and Mick Jagger recorded a version of the Martha Reeves and the Vandellas 1964 hit 'Dancing In The Street' for the forthcoming Live Aid fundraising event. The single went on to become a No.1 UK hit. The original plan was to perform a track together live, with Bowie performing at Wembley Stadium and Jagger at John F. Kennedy Stadium, until it was realised that the satellite link-up would cause a half-second delay that would make this impossible unless either Bowie or Jagger mimed their contribution, something neither artist was willing to do.

Click to expand...

Had it not been for that 'worst video of all time", this "great parody of all time" could not have been made.

1964 - The Animals
The Animals went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The House Of The Rising Sun.' Recorded in one take, this was the first UK No.1 to have a playing time of more than four minutes.

1968 - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath played their first gig at a small backstreet Blues club in Birmingham, England.