1975 - John Lennon released his cover of "Stand By Me." A cover version of Ben E King’s 1961 classic, ‘Stand By Me’ was the only single issued from Lennon’s 1975 album Rock ‘N’ Roll.
The album was the fruits of an out of court settlement with Morris Levy, an American businessman who owned the publishing rights to Chuck Berry’s ‘You Can’t Catch Me’, was suing Lennon for using the line “Here come ol’ flattop” as part of The Beatles song ‘Come Together’. The lawsuit was a very public thorn in Lennon’s side, but he agreed to an out-of-court settlement in 1973, with the only stipulation being that Lennon had to include covers of three songs owned by Levy on his next LP, thus the Rock ‘N’ Roll covers album..
1981 - Chris Squire and Alan White of Yes begin rehearsals with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. It doesn't lead anywhere, and Yes gets back together to release their 1983 album 90125.
1987 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers release "Jammin' Me." Mike Campbell, guitarist for The Heartbreakers, wrote the music for "Jammin' Me" and gave Tom Petty the demo. Tom held it for a while and didn't do anything with it until one day when he was working with Bob Dylan. They came up with some lyrics by picking words out of a newspaper and off the television. Tom pulled out Mike's demo and they inserted those words over the track. The song is about the overwhelming deluge of information and marketing messages.
2006 - Drive By Truckers release A Blessing and a Curse. Unlike the conceptual or unified feel of the previous albums, A Blessing and a Curse sounds like a collection of individual pieces rather than a coherent and organic whole. But the pieces sound great -- Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, and Jason Isbell remain a triple-threat team as guitarists, songwriters, and singers, and the tough, funky report of Brad Morgan's drums and Shonna Tucker's bass drives this music with both groove and force. It suggests the Rolling Stones at their Sticky Fingers/Exile on Main St.
2015 - Green Day were inducted into the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame. The Californian rockers scored enough votes to enter the Rock Hall in their first year of eligibility.
Birthdays:
Blues musician Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was born today in 1924. while many considered him a bluesman, eclectic Texas musical master whose interests encompass virtually every roots genre imaginable, is probably closer to the truth. Tagged with the "Gatemouth" handle by a high school instructor who accused Brown of having a "voice like a gate," Brown has used it to his advantage throughout his illustrious career. Essential tracks: His cover of "Take The A Train" and "Okie Dokie Stomp."
Music executive Seymour Stein was born on this day in 1942. He co-founded Sire Records and was vice president of Warner Bros. Records. With Sire, Stein signed bands that became central to the new wave era of the 1970s and 1980s, including Talking Heads, the Ramones, The Pretenders, Madonna, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Cure, The Undertones, and Echo & the Bunnymen.
Drummer Clyde Stubblefield best known for his work with James Brown was born on this day in 1943. His rhythm pattern on James Brown's 'Funky Drummer' is among the world's most sampled musical segments and has been used by hip-hop groups and rappers such as Public Enemy, Run-DMC, N.W.A, Raekwon, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and Prince. Many of the tracks sampled his drums from, "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" and "Cold Sweat."
R.I.P.:
2013 - Storm Thorgerson, a visionary album cover designer. One of his most famous was Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon. A childhood friend of the founding members of the band, he became their designer-in-chief. His credits also include albums by Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel and Muse.
2024- Dickey Betts dies at the age of 80. He was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist in the Allman Brothers Band, whose piercing solos, beloved songs and hell-raising spirit defined the band and Southern rock in general.
Although he was often overshadowed by Gregg and Duane, the brothers who gave the Allmans their name, Betts was equally vital to the band. His sweetly sinuous guitar style introduced elements of Western swing and jazz into the band’s music, especially when he was duetting with Duane. As a singer and writer, Betts was responsible for the band’s biggest hit, 1973’s “Ramblin’ Man,” as well as some of their most recognizable songs: the moody instrumental “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” the jubilant “Jessica,” "Blue Sky," and their late-period comeback hit “Crazy Love.”
From his trademark mustache to his badass demeanor, Betts was so iconic that he inspired the character of Russell (played by Billy Crudup) in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. “Goddamn, that guy looks like me!” Betts told Rolling Stone of his first reaction to the movie. “I didn’t do the jumping off the roof or the ‘golden god,’ but I knew Cameron.” (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Webster PR)
On This Day In Music History was sourced, curated, copied, pasted, edited, and occasionally woven together with my own crude prose, from This Day in Music, Music The Day, Allmusic, Far Out Magazine, Rolling Stone, Song Facts and Wikipedia.
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