Today in rock history 1st February

1937 – Born on this day, Ray Sawyer, vocals, Dr Hook. 1938 – Born on this day, Jimmy Carl Black, drums, Frank Zappa. 1950 – Born on this day, Mike Campbell, guitar, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 1963 – 17 year-old Neil Young performed his first professional date at a country club in Winnipeg. 1967 – At Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles started work on a new song ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. 1968 – The Who kicked off their third North American tour at the Civic Auditorium San Jose, California 1969 – Born on this day, Patrick Wilson, Weezer 1971 - Ron Welty, drums, The Offspring is born today 1977 – The Sex Pistols began a European tour in Belgium. 1977 – The film “Genesis in Concert” premieres in London, with Princess Anne in attendance. 1980 – Uriah Heep kicked off their 19 date 10th Anniversary UK tour at Birmingham’s Odeon, supported by Girlschool. 1988 – The Cars announced they were breaking up after 12 years of working together. 1992 – Nirvana’s album, “Nevermind” goes to the No. 1 spot on the Chart Toppers Album chart for the second time. 1995, Richey James guitarist with the Manic Street Preachers vanished leaving no clues to his whereabouts. He left The Embassy Hotel in London at 7am, leaving behind his packed suitcase. His car was found on the Severn Bridge outside Bristol, England sixteen days later. 1999 – Four hundred people were injured after an Australian concert by Marilyn Manson when he stormed off stage after being bombarded with missiles and abuse at the show. 2002 – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club made their UK live debut when they appeared at Liverpool University. 2008 – US space agency Nasa announced that ‘Across the Universe’ by the Beatles was to become the first song ever to be beamed directly into space. 2009 – Bruce Springsteen started a two week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Working on a Dream’ his 16th studio album

Today in rock history 31st January

1946 – Born on this day, Terry Kath, guitarist with Chicago. 1951 – Born on this day, Phil Manzanera, guitar, Roxy Music. 1952 – Born on this day, Curley Smith, drums, Jo Jo Gunne. 1954 – Born on this day, Adrian Vandenburg, guitar, Whitesnake. 1956 – Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) of the Sex Pistols is born. 1964 – Born on this day, Jeff Hanneman, guitar, Slayer. 1967 – The Beatles spent a second day at Knole Park, Sevenoaks, Kent, England to complete filming for the ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ promotional video. 1967 – Born on this day, Chad Channing, Nirvana’s first drummer, left the band in 1990. Has since worked with The Methodists, East of the Equator and Redband. 1978 – Talking Heads made their UK TV debut on the ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’. 1978 – Blood, Sweat & Tears sax player Greg Herbert dies in Amsterdam from an accidental overdose at age 30. 1985 - John Fogerty performed in public for the first time in fourteen years in LA 1987 - Genesis peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with “Land of Confusion” which was their fourth top ten single in the U.S. 1998 – Jersey stalwarts Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny perform at the Come Together benefit concert. 2007 – Jim Morrison was enlisted to help fight global warming more than 35 years after his death. ‘Woman in the Window’, a previously unreleased poem written and recorded by The Doors frontman shortly before he died in 1971 was being set to music and used to publicise the Global Cool campaign. 2011 – Ozzy, the madman of rock and reality TV star cancelled a Tour show in Reno, Nevada, Sunday night due to a “sudden illness,” reported concert promoter.

Today in rock history 30th January

1942 – Marty Balin is born in Cincinnati 1947 – Steve Marriott, the singer with the Small Faces and Humble Pie, is born in Bow, London. 1951 – Phil Collins is born in London. Great with Genesis, awful on his own. 1967 – Jimi Hendrix Experience are filmed at London’s Saville Theatre to promote their next single. 1969 – The Beatles, with Billy Preston on organ, perform four songs on a London on Saville Road rooftop for the film “Let It Be.” Billy wrote and performed the Rhodes solo on “Get Back”. The set is halted after 42 minutes because an accountant at the nearby Royal Bank of Scotland complains about the noise. 1973 – Kiss gives its debut performance at the Coventry Club in Queens, N.Y. 1974 – Bob Dylan makes his first New York concert performance in eight years, playing Madison Square Garden. 1982 – Bluesman Sam “Lightnin”’ Hopkins dies. Age 69. The Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac and the Cowboy Junkies have covered his songs. 1990 – France awards Bob Dylan with the title Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters. 1992 – Touring Australia and New Zealand for the first and only time Nirvana appeared at the The Barton Theater in Adelaide. 1995 – Led Zeppelin receives the International Artists Award at the American Music Awards. 2005 – Cat Stevens – now known as Yusuf Islam – visits the tsunami-stricken Aceh province in Indonesia. The “Moonshadow” singer turned devout Muslim gives money to orphaned children in tent camps and prays at Banda Aceh’s central mosque.

Today in rock history 29th January

1947 – Singer David Byron of the rock band Uriah Heep is born in Essex. 1952 – Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone is born in Budapest, Hungary. 1961, Born on this day, Eddie Jackson, Queensryche. 1961 – Bob Dylan performs at Izzy Young’s Folklore Centre. That night he meets his hero Woody Guthrie at a friend’s house in East Orange, N.J. 1964 – In Paris, the Beatles record German versions of their hits, including “Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand” and “Sie Liebt Dich.” 1967 – Over at London’s Saville Theatre, Jimi Hendrix, the Who, the Koobas, and the Thoughts perform. 1967 – At the end of tonight’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium, a British variety TV show, comedians Peter Cook and Dudley Moore appear with paper cut-outs of the Rolling Stones to wave at the audience from a revolving stage. The gag refers to the Rolling Stones refusal to take part in the traditional farewell during their appearance on the show last week. 1969 - Fleetwood Mac had their only UK No.1 single with the instrumental ‘Albatross.’ 1972 – The triple album ‘The Concert For Bangla Desh’ went to No.1 on the UK album chart. 1983 – Stevie Nicks marries Kim Anderson in Los Angeles. They split in 1984. 1991 – The Stone Roses attack the offices of their former record company, Revolver Records. During the fracas, Revolver Records MD Paul Birch, his girlfriend and his Mercedes are doused in paint by the English group, who are angry over the unauthorized re-release of their old material. 1999 – Hole are among the performers at the Big Day Out festival in Adelaide, Australia. However, their set is cut short when Courtney Love howls, “An Australian bug just bit me really hard. I’m not joking. I’m gonna die. 2006 – Bryan Adams plays for 10,000 screaming fans in Karachi, Pakistan to benefit earthquake relief. 2006 – Arctic Monkeys went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not’.

Today in rock history 28th January

1943 – Guitarist Dick Taylor is born in Dartford, original bassist with the Rolling Stones. 1949 – Drummer Eddie Bayers, who has played with Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, is born. 1963 – The Rolling Stones record five tracks with producer Glyn Johns in their efforts to interest a label. 1965 – The Who appear on the British TV show Ready Steady Go! for the first time. An enthusiastic response for their performance of “I Can’t Explain” is assured, as managers Kit Lambert and Pete Stamp have packed the audience with their hardcore mod following. 1966 – The Cavern Club in Liverpool closes, having run up debts of 10,000 pounds. The club became world famous as one of the Beatles’ earliest venues. 1968 – Jim Morrison of The Doors was arrested and charged with public drunkenness after harassing a security guard at a Las Vegas adult movie theatre. 1969 – After the Beatles cut versions of “Get Back” and “Don’t Let Me Down” for single release, John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet Allen Klein for the first time at London’s Dorchester Hotel. 1978 – A fan asks Ted Nugent to sign his arm. With a Bowie knife. Nugent obliges. Controversy ensues. 1978 – The Fleetwood Mac album ‘Rumours’ went to No.1 on the UK album chart, also a No.1 in the US. 1982 – Jackson Browne and Lynne Sweeney have their first child, Ryan Daniel Browne. 1983 – The greatest British rock ‘n’ roller ever, Billy Fury, dies in a London hospital after collapsing at his home. He had suffered from heart trouble. 1985 – More than 40 artists gather at A&M’s Hollywood studios to record “We Are the World” under the collective name “USA for Africa." 1988 – To promote the latest leg of their Momentary Lapse of Reason tour, Pink Floyd float a giant inflatable bed down the Thames. 1994 – Paul and Linda McCartney attended the premiere of Wayne’s World II in London. The couple then went on to Hard Rock Café, where the film star Mike Myers presented them with a cheque for LIPA (the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) for £25,000 ($42,500) from the sale of Linda’s vegetarian burgers. 1995 – Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page turns up at a Black Crowes show in London. Page plays with the band in Paris on February 4 and in 1999 they both embark on a world tour that ends when Page puts out his back. 2005 – Nickelback’s Ryan Vikedal, drummer with the Vancouver rockers since 1996, leaves the band. 2005 – Legendary rock drummer Jim Capaldi with U.K. folk-prog legends Traffic, dies after a brief fight with stomach cancer. He is 60-years-old. 2009 – Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboard player Billy Powell died at the age of 56 of a suspected heart attack in Florida.

Today in rock history 27th January

1930 – The great blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland is born in Rosemark, Tenn. 1945 – Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is born in Birmingham, England. 1951 – Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey is born in Dublin. 1951 – J. Geils Band keyboardist Seth Justman is born in Washington, D.C. 1964 – The Rolling Stones appear on British television’s Juke Box Jury, where they pass judgment on that week’s single releases. 1967 – The Beatles sign a new, 9-year contract with EMI. 1968 – Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton is born in Eureka, Calif. 1971 – David Bowie arrives for his first visit to the U.S. He does not perform, but receives much publicity for wearing dresses in Texas and Louisiana. 1976 – David Bowie sues his former attorney, alleging that Michael Lippan took a 15 percent agent’s fee instead of the customary 10 percent. Bowie’s suit also claims that after his dismissal, Lippan withheld $475,000 in earnings from the singer. 1990 – In honor of one of its most famous sons, Gainesville, Fla., declares today Tom Petty Day. 1997 – At the American Music Awards, starchy crooner Pat Boone reveals his new “metal” direction, wearing leathers and a studded collar. His weekly Gospel America TV show is cancelled. Says Boone, “I’m not going to apologize; I’ve been one of the biggest squares of all time. Now I’m being judged like I used to judge these rockers, but God loves rockers too!” 2005 – R.E.M. are forced to cancel a gig for the first time since 1995 when their crew and gear is held at the Estonian/Russia border. The band were due to play St. Petersburg. 2011 –Police filed charges against the adoptive son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour on Thursday for his role in last month’s violent protest against the Government university fees policy.

Rock Talk - Fleetwood Mac

Part 1 1. Fleetwood Mac - You make loving fun 2. Fleetwood Mac - Say you love me 3. Stevie Nicks - Edge of seventeen 4. Fleetwood Mac - Dreams 5. Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon Part 2 1. Fleetwood Mac - Don't stop 2. Fleetwood Mac - Oh well 3. Fleetwood Mac - Go your own way 4. Fleetwood Mac - I don't wanna know 5. Fleetwood Mac - Landslide 6. Fleetwood Mac - Tusk