On this fine day in music, 2019, Mariah Carey topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' for the first time, 25 years after its original release, thereby breaking several records, including the longest gap from release to getting to number one. With estimated sales of over 16 million copies worldwide, 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' is the best-selling holiday song by a female artist, and one of the best-selling physical singles in music history. The following year, the song also topped the charts in the UK for the first time, spending a record 69 weeks in its top 40 prior to reaching number one.
On this day in 1991, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers all appeared on the same bill at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. That would have lifted those smelly teen spirits..
On this day in 1977, The Clash signed to CBS Records in the UK for £100,000. The anti-establishment band fought off claims that they had ‘sold out’ by signing the deal, and released their classic self-titled debut album less than three months later. Recorded and mixed over three weeks in February 1977 for £4,000, it would go on to reach No. 12 on the UK charts and has been included on many retrospective rankings as one of the greatest punk albums of all time. I'd vouch for that. I bought this album when it came out, saw the band live a few months later and that gig still rates in my top ten of best gigs, and I've seen a lot of live stuff..
On this day 1989 The Stone Roses released "Made of Stone". 35 years old and hasn't aged a day. Don't think I'll ever forget seeing them at the Etihad
Still remember seeing the Who live in Australia, in the early '70s, and the end bit with Townshend smashing his guitar up at the end of the show, nostalgic memories that.
On this fine day in 2009, a survey carried out by Music Choice concluded that 'Angels' by Robbie Williams was the song Britons would most like played at their funeral. Frank Sinatra's 'My Way' was second and Monty Python's 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' was voted into third place. I've got The Wonder Stuff's 'Size Of A Cow' and Eulogy by Frank Turner on mine.
1977; At 7am in the morning on a trestle table set up out-side Buckingham Palace, London, the Sex Pistols signed to A&M Records, (the real signing had taken place the day before). An after party was held at the offices of A&M records following the signing where the group set about reeking unforeseen havoc on the posh building, with Sid Vicious smashing a toilet and cutting his foot, trailing blood everywhere he went, while Rotten cursed and threatened every upscale executive in sight and guitarist Steve Jones getting it on with an unnamed fan in the restrooms.The contract lasted for six days. A&M really didn't do their homework here, they knew that the band had potential to earn them a lot of money but when they recorded God Save The Queen to be released during the country's Jubilee celebrations they pulled the plug. The Pistols earned around £150,000 for the six days work and the 5,000 or so copies of that single on the A&M label are still gold dust to this day..
That's fair. I seem to remember the band made the front page of the Financial Times when news got out how much they earned in a week because they (McLaren) also got a signing on fee from Virgin in the same week, or thereabouts..
March 13th, 2023 American drummer Jim Gordon died in prison at the age of 77. He was one of the most requested session drummers in the late 1960s and 1970s. Gordon co-wrote Layla with Eric Clapton, worked with The Everly Brothers, The Monkees, The Beach Boys, George Harrison, John Lennon, The Carpenters, Traffic, Glen Campbell (Wichita Lineman), Steely Dan, Jackson Browne, Frank Zappa and many others. A diagnosed schizophrenic, Gordon murdered his mother on June 3, 1983, by pounding her head with a hammer. He was sentenced to sixteen years-to-life in prison in 1984. Jim one minute, bad Flash the next..
March 16th, 1993 During a Metallica gig at Orlando Arena, fans dangled an usher by his ankles from the balcony as trouble broke out at the concert. The band were charged $38,000 (£22,353) for repairs and cleaning after the audience trashed the building. Even their fans are masters of puppeteering..
March 19th 2016; 'I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It'', the second studio album by The 1975 went to No.1 on the US chart becoming the album with the longest title of a Billboard No.1 album with 71 characters, which is ironic, because there are no characters in The 1975..
Heavy metal legends Metallica have lost a lawsuit against their insurers over Covid-era losses, with the judge quoting Taylor Swift in her ruling. The "Enter Sandman" four-piece had wanted $3 million to cover bills after concerts in South America had to be canned in 2020 as the coronavirus raced around the world. But their insurers, Lloyd's of London, denied their claim, saying it did not have to pay out in cases where communicable diseases had caused the losses. Frontman James Hetfield and his fellow rockers filed suit in California, asking a judge to force the insurers to cough up, insisting that other factors could have been behind the show cancellations in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. But Justice Maria Stratton ruled this week that Metallica's claim did not hold water, saying it was "absurd to think that government closures were not the result of Covid-19." "There was no vaccine against Covid-19 in March 2020 and no drugs to treat it. "Ventilators were in short supply. N-95 masks were all but non-existent. Patients were being treated in tents in hospital parking lots... People were terrified." Then switching gears from the world of big hair and tight trousers to that of glitter and friendship bracelets, she added: "To paraphrase Taylor Swift: ‘We were there. We remember it all too well.’" And justice for all: U.S. court throws out Metallica insurance claim
March 25th 2001; The toy figure of Eminem was facing a ban from UK shops. Woolworth's and Hamleys were refusing to stock the dolls. Psychologists warned parents who buy the dolls for children will be inadvertently giving their approval to bad language. I can just imagine Veruca Salt saying "I want one daddy, and I ****ing want it NOW!"
There was such an outcry about Eminem when he was mahoosive. Great Times when artist's caused controversy without dropping their breeks
