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NEWS . . NEWS . . NEWS . . NEWS
Riffs welcomes constant info on gigs, line-up changes and general band associated news.
(Please note that the further down the page, the older the News) 



BOYS IN ACTION . . .
One of the most enjoyable things I like to do is to announce the birth of a new band, and if they are a Rock band with pedigree then space on Riffs is a must. So without further ado let me announce . . .
STARZ, who are a new rock covers band and include three of the north east's top musicians who have decided to play some songs that were a little different from 'the usual stuff'. The band features members from bands such as Pistoleros, Bryan Adams Experience, Black Rose (not the TL one), The Paul Rodgers Story, Stoneheart, American Girl to name a few and are all well known throughout the north east for putting on a great show. The set list includes classic and modern punk rock (Sex Pistols/Green Day etc), glam rock (T Rex / Bowie etc), heavy rock (Motley Crue / Marilyn Manson etc) soft rock (Van Halen / The Cult etc) pop (Dead or Alive / Kinks etc) plus plenty of great songs for those that want to dance and some surprises including rock versions of songs by Gary Numan and the Bee Gees.
The band start gigging this month and you can check them out here -
Sunday 13th - Vigilant Inn, South Shields (7pm)
Saturday 19th - Holey Molies, Skelton, Teesside
Sunday 20th - Times Inn, Seaham
Thursday 31st - Osbournes, Yarm
The full list of all Starz gigs are on Riffs Gig Listings page, but for more info about the band go to http:www.starzrock.co.uk
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Riding On The Crest Of The New Wave fitted no-one better than Lene Lovich who this year is celebrating the 40th anniversary of ‘Stateless’, her debut album, featuring cult hit 'Lucky Number' by touring the UK in March 2019 and is set to appear at Newcastle Riverside on the 8th of March. The song was originally a 'b' side to 'I Think We're Alone Now' but was reissued as an 'a' side by Stiff in '79. Before joining Stiff Records (The Damned, Devo, Ian Dury, etc), her early work included performing in cabaret clubs as a London go-go dancer, voice-over work recording screams for Hammer Film Productions, and being the lyricist for French disco artist Marc Cerrone (including penning the sci-fi dance hit ‘Supernature’). Riffs has no further details regarding the gig as yet.....
Now let's see if I can still fit into my old 'If It Ain't Stiff . . .' t-shirt....

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Just had a heads up regarding The Magnesia Bank in North Shields; it appears the booking of the bands is now being undertaken by someone anew; and the usual confusion has ensued, so it is most advisable that any band who thinks they have a booking at that venue to double check asap.

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One of the top AC/DC tribute bands that are on offer to the good people of the North-East is surely Livewire. They are getting a great reputation for their annual shindig at Blackhall Colliery Community Centre in Hartlepool and they have just announced this year's gig - Saturday, Feb 23. It is a stunning venue with two bars and easy free parking. The band have purposely kept the price the same as last year and also hope to keep the same 300 capacity. Tickets on sale now £15 from ents24.com  or  07841 033579. The pic above is from last year's gig at the Centre.

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It's always a breath of fresh air to hear what other people think of the bands that we have featured, not only in our very own Riffs reviews, but also regularly in our listings. And one of the great stalwarts of the Rock brigade is the good ol' trusted and reliable Rock Solid. Good friend of Riffs Dave Fulton was kind enough to pen his thoughts on the gig by that very band on Boxing Day so, without further ado, here is said review:

If it’s Boxing Day, then Rock Solid must be playing in Houghton. In a tradition that started in the old Buffs club in Houghton (now a Wetherspoons) probably 12 years ago or more, the Solids have played to broadly the same crowd of fans of proper Rock in a friendly setting; this year in Houghton Sport & Social club. Originally advertised as a civilised alternative to turkey sandwiches with the in-laws it continues to draw a good crowd and this year was no exception. Kicking off with “Tie your mother down” and running through a compendium of 70s & 80s hard Rock, the band played new stuff by Saxon & Maiden along with perennial favourites by Priest, Rainbow, Ozzy, Purple and AC/DC. Playing as tight as I’ve heard them, this was no nonsense Rock with well-balanced sound and an easy rapport with their audience. How many times have you gone to listen to a band and they throw something into the set and you think to yourself “Lord, it’s years since I heard this” then you go home and dig out the vinyl or raid the Pirate Bay and re-acquaint yourself with the stuff? Saxon’s “Frozen Rainbow” did that for me, and Priest’s cover of “Diamonds & Rust” was another. How fortunate we are to have such a back catalogue of classic music to listen to, and bands like Rock Solid who dig them out, rehearse them and serve them up for our continued delight. Long may it continue; catch the Solids again on Good Friday, 19th April in Houghton Sports & Social.
Dave

(we have used an old pic of Rock Solid so many many apologies to the band if the line up has in any way changed)
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Coming to the Hartlepool Supporters Club on Saturday Jan 5 is The Sean Webster Band and our very own local lad Russ Tippins. Russ is a legend around the North-East - and no doubt further afield - with his ability to coax Metal mayhem from his guitar one minute and soulful soothings the next. He can fit into a Rock crowd with ease and yet his intimate acoustic evenings are a joy to behold. Worth the ticket price alone in our opinion; but for those who would like to know a bit more about the headliners, here are a few snippets of what has been said about the Sean Webster Band;
"The resultant impression I am left with is a really superb album that manages to effortlessly straddle the divide between Blues and high quality AOR, interspersed with splashes of Soul and Country."
NIGEL FOSTER - The Blues Foundation
"Loving the album. I'll play loads of tracks on my radio show over the coming weeks."
PAUL LONG - Blues and Roots Connections
"If you like a bit of bluesy soulfulness, delivered with conviction and great musicianship, Leave Your Heart At Door will surely fit the bill. Just keep the Kleenex handy". 
IAIN CAMERON - Blues Enthused
" I had a lovely day with this Sean, such a breath of fresh air "
JON ASTLEY - Close To The Edge Mastering

Tickets £15 / 17 from ents24

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This Machine are back on the map with a new website, Facebook page and also a new addition to their line up.
Recently joining the band is Paul Richardson, some of you may know him from Black Rose, Slip of the Tongue, Destroyer and also doing a mean Eddie Van Hailen in top tribute band Van Hailen UK. 
Paul joins the familiar line up of Norman, Tony, Le Sequel and the Hamster of Doom to make This Machine a 5 piece again. Check out their revamped Facebook and website (featuring blogs, videos and everything else) at
www.thismachinerock.com 
www.facebòok.com/thismachinerocks
To get a taste of the new line up then watch the band live  HERE
Last few gigs of the year are
14th Dec  Peterlee Central Club 
15th Dec  The Turbinia, Newton Aycliffe 
22nd Dec  The Fat Ox, Whitley Bay (special Christmas Show)
28th Dec  The market Tavern, Bedlington
30th Dec  The Queens Head, Cullercoats

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Very late change for tonight (Friday 7th) at the Blacksmiths Arms, Gosforth High Street as The Whole Hog were unable to make the gig so facilitated their replacement, who are Skullduggery who will take their place.

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Next review to be uploaded that was done back in 2008 will be - hopefully - The Kicks



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'Ere's one for ya; this review from back in 2008 (I think!) is of Wild Rumours and was penned by Riffs' Val . . .
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Don't know who these guys are - any idea anyone?

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Michelle Davies from Usworth and Washington Gardeners Club has contacted Riffs with gratitude not only for our support, but also for the support of all you local lads and lasses who gave so generously - the club raised a mighty £1600 in aid of Help For Heroes recently. Well done all you Usworth and Washington peeps!!!!
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Neon Nights.

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ALICE COOPER'S NIGHTMARE:
Alice in Sunderland The Mad Coopers Tea Party; Sunday November 18th 3.00pm

The Alexandra Grangetown Sunderland, Tickets £10.

A unique opportunity to join the band up close and personal; we will be performing all the Cooper greats with all the usual theatrics and then join us for tea.....err Cooper style :-)

There will be restricted tickets sales available but you can pre book with the band through our FB page and limited tickets available from The Alexandra and St Benedicts.

So please come and join us supporting St Benedicts.




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If you can stop laughing long enough . . . anybody have an idea of who this band is?
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yeah, I know this is not music-related but . . . this is horrific, horrific stuff......

Dozens of heavily-armed hunters rode into a national park in Cameroon, butchered over 600 majestic elephants, then hacked off their faces for their tusks. Poachers have annihilated half of central Africa’s last elephants. And no one's been able to stop them.
Until now!
Brave investigators have gone undercover in poaching rings in ten African countries, and already more than 2,000 traffickers have been jailed!
It’s awe-inspiring stuff, and it’s won awards, but many funders are wary of going head-to-head with organised crime. We may be the best community to scale this extraordinary operation, fast.
Four elephants are killed an hour -- it’s a race against time before we lose these gentle giants forever. But if we each give now, this team can expand to more countries, lock up more kingpins and complicit officials -- and we can ramp up campaigning to protect these beautiful creatures and all of our vulnerable natural world.
Please log in to - Avaaz.org and give a few quid.
If you wish to donate immediately (as Riffs did) then go direct to the donation page
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/hunt_the_hunters_redux_loc

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Another review from 2008 here, this one at The Three Tuns in Gateshead featuring punk stalwarts The Janitors - courtesy of Riffs' Val.



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MEGA ROCK SATURDAY AT THE QUEEN VIC
Shame we were told about this gig only today (Monday) as we could have given you much more info than the poster. However, we can't. Oh, we do know it's for charity - but not which one! It was only thanks to Paul from Millennium that we have this info. And it's for this Saturday (13th) from 1pm till midnight.
NB: If you are putting on a gig that includes Rock or Metal and you would like publicity then tell us about it well in advance and we will do just that.
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We now host a review of Last Minute, written in July of - we think - 2008. We are reasonably sure the band is still gigging to this day (please get in touch lads if you are).
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Just heard from Alan Fizzyfish concerning The Royal in Stanley, seems they are all at sixes and sevens with their booking diary - best double check if you reckon you have a gig with them.

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Well, don't know about anyone else, but I've had a good ol' earful of Zeppelin this month (Zeptember) - and I mean that in a good way - cos I don't think there was a track up to Presence that I have not only not listened to, but re-downloaded in FLAC format. I realised initially listening to Motorhead by Motorhead off Motorhead that Mp3 just doesn't do it - not on 11 with quality digital headphones it certainly doesn't and I understand, I believe, I do sort of get the impression, that dear ol' Lemmy would sort of appreciate me hurtin mesel like, not far off pain. Tinnitus is the price for all that Rock and Metal; and I wouldn't change a damn thing. But back to Zep. Great band, and poor Plant has had some bad times in his life (yeah, and some good times). That first album, just don't get sick of it, every time I listen it's like the first time. Recorded for less than sixpence, and the lads were positively gushing with enthusiasm and skill. Those first few albums were truly inspirational and I just don't see how I could have enjoyed my youth without them.

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The brilliant Baz Warne fails at Elvis impression
Well, being a lazy scrote of late I have not added any reviews from way back, and as more than a few people (wonder how many 'more' is, first off you need to guess how many a 'few' is, then guage how many 'more' is, then add them. I guess) have said they liked them, even though one person said "I don't see the point in hosting reviews from all those years ago". But, when you think about it, everything is in the past - it just depends how far back you want to go.  Mmmm, anyway, this review (from Queen of cleavage) is of the always-brilliant Baz Warne.....Not too sure the date but I guess could be 2008.....



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Well, credit where credit is due and we have just heard of another bunch of selfless musicians who are giving of their time - and of course, most importantly, skills - to support a very much needed local charity. When the lads found out the Activity Den in Stanley was in dire need of some help, it didn't take long for them to step forward with the unanimous shout "Here we are - and we're ready to Rock". So it is that The Straits UK are giving of their best on Friday October 19 at the Angel Inn, Durham. Some local support would be, to say the least, most appreciated . . . Oh, and if you are in a generous mood, there will be donations on the door.; please, don't be an old stinge.


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"Upon us all a little rain must fall"
"Just a big big thank you from me and the boys from Big River for running our FOC Charity Fundraiser ad. The day was a great success and we raised over £1500 for Prostate Cancer UK. We had some great performers and a vast array of volunteers to make the day the success it was.
We are hoping to make it an annual event so once again thanks guys".

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SO WHAT TIME IS YOUR BAND DUE ON - REALLY?
Call me a finnicky fuckpig, but if your gig intends to start around nine, please (and I don't really mean that 'please') do not list your gig as starting any earlier. It really boils my piss. Geddit?
Harks back to the night I was really really poorly (oh yes, we're talking proper Man Flu here) but I also really really (there just has to be another word for 'really', there really must) wanted to see the band. They advertised an 8.30pm start time so, being a punctual little twat, I got there dead on 8.30pm. Forego the usual JD and bought a very week orange and lemonade (eat your heart out Lemmy) and anticipated an iminent appearance . . . and waited . . . and waited . . . till at 9pm the band took to the stage (a full eight hours later by my flu-powered watch). So you can see why now it gets on my proverbial tits when a band or venue basically lies about what time the band is due on stage just to, presumably, get the punters to buy more drinks. Don't get me wrong, I can't STOP you doing it - but at Riffs (and of course at no other avenue in my life) I am in charge. So just see where it gets you. Oh, and while I'm on can we have a big cheer . . . well, I'm waiting . . . for Paul Tuns in Gateshead who has no qualms about being totally honest (does anyone remember honesty? - another dying virtue) and advertises his bands starting at 9.15.

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Mick from Overdrive has contacted Riffs with the following info:
'Looks like The Royal in Stanley have gone to last Saturday of the month for bands. Just been in touch on FB so would advise any bands booked there to do the same. Heard a few stories so this might clear things up. New management there so would be good to keep this venue going.'

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Riffs has just received an update to the Borderland gig on Sat Oct 13:
Please note admission to this event is by ADVANCE TICKETs ONLY. Anyone interested in booking tickets please contact David Snaith on 07789 774027 NO LATER than Weds 10th Oct. The venue has specified that no tickets can be available on the door. Many thanks for your understanding.
No doubt by now those Borderland guys will be saying: "where's our fuckin' advert you promised you lying Riffs shits?" And, y'know, I wouldn't blame them, but you gotta believe, ya just gotta believe that I am pretty busy and I do take my time over some ads to get it right (well, what I consider right anyway) and, after a few days, and with the picture Borderland supplied, the ad is now unveiled today -  ta-dah.......... [always have some rock blasting in my headphones when on my pootah, and just finishishing this ad for Borderland's charity gig while listening to . . . Bowie's 'Heroes' - now how apt is that?!!]. Here's the ad.....
Mind you, looking at that oh-so-sweet cutie in the pic, I just can't imagine her saying "fuckin'".
Although . . .
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Riffs is just getting a sniff of a very interesting Queen tribute appearing at the Benedictine Social Club Cramlington on Friday 9th Nov.
They are going under the name Qween and include some very accomplished musicians.
Tickets not yet on sale but we understand them to be around the six pound mark.
More as we get it . . . tap, tap, tap, tap,.............









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BORDERLAND IS NOT A UFO TRIBUTE
Funny ol' day. Feel pissed on these painkillers, can hardly type properly and am missing out gigs. Shit, roll on op. Anyway, time to embarrass those Borderland chaps cos have just typed in to October listings not one but TWO charity gigs they are undertaking that month. Well done guys - wish there was something we can give you - hey shit man there is - a boxed advert free of charge for one whole month for whatever gig you want is totally yours. That do ya?!! (hope so cos we have fuck all else).

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And if ya wanna hear some Zep then Stormy Monday (pic) on the 20th and 28th at the Black Bull Morpeth and the Star Inn Newcastle respectively should do you proud.

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DANCING DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN
Well, it's Zeptember and, along with Planet Rock, we are celebrating in the way which only we can: Every band that plays any Zep songs in their set will be allowed to have their gig listing highlighted in the special Zeptember colour (I know, we couldn't believe it ourselves!). But, as Riffs psychic abilities are absolute zero, you must let us know what Zep tracks you play and then we will highlight your gig............And you may have noticed that the month - Zeptember if we haven't already mentioned it - culminates in a mega double bill with AC/DC GB along with Dizzy Lizzy. Just a tenner at Shildon Civic Hall. And not sure why we mentioned that cos it's nothing to do with Zep. Could be these strong painkillers which have a weird side-effect of making one feel very very drunk.

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Thanks to 'Gerry' who points out our pics on the Index page are of Rattlesnake Road and features a good pal of his playing Bass and singing. His name is Stu Burlison and he is currently playing bass with the fabulous George Shovlin’ and the Radars he is also bassist / vocalist in Skullduggery along with Fred Purvis. Stu is very well known and has also played with top bands Messenger, Brass Alley and Under the Radar.

ROCK n ROLL TRAIN STEAMS INTO SHILDON

Fans of AC/DC and Thin Lizzy are in line for a special night when two of the countries best tribute bands play at Shildon Civic Hall on Saturday 29th September.
AC/DC GB and DIZZY LIZZY will take to the stage to perform all the well known classic tracks these two great rock bands have recorded over the years.
DIZZY LIZZY, who hail from Birmingham, have been praised by none other than Phil Lynott's own mum, Philomena, saying “these boys are the closest tribute to playing my sons music!” Enough said!
From Rosalie and The Boys are Back in Town, to Waiting for an Alibi and Emmerald, DIZZY LIZZY bring the iconic twin guitar harmony sound of Thin Lizzy back to life and deliver a performance the great man himself would be proud of.
AC/DC GB, from the North East of England themselves, are highly regarded as one of the most authentic tributes to the legendary Aussie rockers “AC/DC” around. Years of dedication and their meticulous attention to detail have ensured their shows are as close to a real DC gig as it is possible to get.
From the rasping vocals of Jono, to the neck wringing, duck walking energy of Angus; the wall of Marshalls, to the replica cannons..........be prepared for an outstanding night of hard hitting rock!
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK.......WE SALUTE YOU!!
Tickets £10 on the night.    Doors open 19:00hrs.        Show 19:45hrs
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DIPTON MUSIC FESTIVAL

One day Music festival outside in the car park of The New Plough Dipton on Sunday 26th August from 1pm through until 9.30ish the line up as follows;

Scott Kiers 1.10pm to 2..00pm 50mins
Sofi Johnson                   2.05pm to 2.55pm 50mins
Blue Diamond Duo          3.05pm to 4.05pm 60 mins
Fire Lady Luck Band       4.25pm to 5.40pm 75mins
White Feathers duo        5.55pm to 6.55pm 60 mins
The Pretty Weeds Band  7.30pm to 8.50pm 80mins

Here is a link to the New Plough facebook page      https://www.facebook.com/TheNewPlough/
CHANGES AFOOT AT GATESHEAD'S
MOST ROCKIN' PUB
If you are planning on going to the Three Tuns in Gateshead this weekend - and shame on you if you are not! - then please double check our Listings page as there have been a couple of changes.
We are bang up to date as we get all our info straight from Paul Tuns so be assured what you see on our Listings page is defo what is on.





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ROCK SOLID RELEASE PROMO VIDEO
Great to hear from those solid rocksters featured on our Index page. By way of an update, the band is still going strong and coincidentally have just produced a short promo video filmed at ‘The Office’ now the Queen Vic.This is the link and Riffs urges you - and any other wannabee North-East Rock bands - to check them out on this stunning video - HERE
They are currently taking bookings for 2019, but people can see them over the next few weeks at the following venues:
Sunday 19th Aug - The Crook Hotel, (4pm)
Saturday 25th Aug - The Pelaw Inn
Sunday 26th Aug - The Mallard, Seaham (6pm)
Friday 31st Aug - The Penny Gill, Spennymoor
Saturday 1st September- The Mill House, Crook

Of course all of these dates are in Riffs Listings page.

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HAT-TRICK FOR FLYING Vs AT ASHCON 2018
 

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NEWS JUST IN . . . Rising Sun in Crawcrook has been taken over and cancelled all bands,
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Just heard that The Market Tavern in Chester le Street has cancelled all bands. Dave from Rockers FM tells us: 'I have received a text from the management of the Market Tavern in Chester le street that the new company no longer will have bands on. We were booked to play there this Friday so presumably all bands forthwith will receive the same message.  Cheers Dave'

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ROCK AND METAL OVERLOAD AT HARTLEPOOL
I know only too well the lack of heavy Rock and Metal bands that play at the clubs - and often you have to suffer bingo between the bands - yes, believe it!!

So how cockahoop are we here at Riffs to be able to shout about a Heavy Metal and Rock gig at Hartlepool Supporters Club coming up Saturday Sep 16. It features heavier than hell tribute BLAKK SABBATH, supporting Newcastle-based RIFF RAFF.

A nice big stage - just gagging at the bit to hold up those Marshall stacks. And what an intro do Blakk Sabbath have!!!

The lads know how to tease and that long intro just shows how much thought these lads have put into their live show. Just check out this youtube video: HERE.

Tickets are just £8 / £10 available from ents24 (soz, but you'll need to pay that dreaded 'booking fee'!!)

This week in . . .
1957, The Cavern Club opened in Liverpool. It became the home of many Liverpool bands including The Beatles who appeared at the club 292 times. Over the years a wide variety of popular acts appeared at the club, including The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Hollies, The Kinks, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Queen, The Who and John Lee Hooker.

1964, The Beatles played two shows at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, France, the first of an 18-night engagement. This first show was attended mostly by Paris' 'top society' members (all dressed in formal evening attire). The French press had little good to say about The Beatles in the next day's papers, but The Beatles didn't care, because they'd just received news that their single 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' had hit No.1 in the US, selling 10,000 copies an hour in New York City alone.

1985, David Bowie's schizophrenic half-brother Terry Burnes killed himself aged 47 after laying down on the railway lines at Coulsdon South station, London. He was killed instantly by a passing train. Bowie refers to his half-brother in the line ‘a crack in the sky and a hand pointing down at me’ in his song ‘Oh, You Pretty Things’.

1987, TV presenter Jools Holland was suspended from Channel 4's music show The Tube for 6 weeks, after using the phrase 'groovy fuckers' during a live trailer broadcast in children's hour.

2000, It was reported that Mick Jagger had lost the chance of a knighthood because of his errant ways, British Prime Minister Tony Blair having doubts about the message it would give about family values. This decision was changed and on 12 December 2003, Mick Jagger was made a Knight Bachelor by The Prince of Wales for services to music, as Sir Michael Jagger.

2013, It was announced that Joe Strummer was to have a city square named after him in Spain following a Facebook campaign. More than 2,000 residents of Granada, where The Clash frontman became a frequent visitor, signed a petition calling for him to be honoured. City hall officials agreed to the proposals and a square in the area was set to be renamed Plaza de Joe Strummer.

Week commencing December 31
1963, Charlie Watts made his live debut with The Rolling Stones at The Flamingo Jazz Club, Soho, London. Before joining the Stones, Watts played regularly with Blues Incorporated.

1966, David Jones changed his name to David Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy Jones from The Monkees, just in time for the release of his single, 'Can't Help Thinking About Me'.

1967, Over 25,000 people attend The Human Be-In-A Gathering Of The Tribes at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The event was a forerunner of major, outdoor rock concerts and featured The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Big Brother And The Holding Company.

1978, The Sex Pistols played their last show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco where Johnny Rotten yelled to the crowd at the outset “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated.” It was the last time the band played with bassist Sid Vicious.

1992, American rock drummer, Jerry Nolan from The New York Dolls died from a fatal stroke aged 45. The influential American band formed in 1972 and made just two albums, the 1973 New York Dolls and 1974 Too Much Too Soon. Nolan joined the New York Dolls in the autumn of 1972 to replace Billy Murcia, who had died of asphyxiation as a result of a failed attempt to revive him from a drug overdose while on tour in England, early in the band's career. Nolan left the Dolls together with Johnny Thunders in the spring of 1975. The two then placed a call to bassist Richard Hell, formerly of the Neon Boys and Television, to form The Heartbreakers.

2005, A £58,823 statue honouring the late punk guitarist Johnny Ramone was unveiled by his widow Linda at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Johnny died from prostate cancer in September 2004 at the age of 55. Hundreds turned out for the ceremony, including Tommy Ramone the only surviving band member. Dee Dee Ramone died of a drugs overdose in 2002 and Joey died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer.

2012, English drummer, producer, journalist, music educator, and broadcaster Robbie France died aged 52. Born in Sheffield, France moved to Australia where he formed the jazz-fusion group, Carnival. He also worked with Stevie Wright of the Easybeats, Marty Rhone, Tim Gaze, and other major Australian artists as well as Skunk Anansie and Diamond Head in the UK. He amassed over 1,000 television, radio and advertising credits, including eight documentaries and four film scores, including Band on the Run, one of the most successful surfing films ever made.

1965, The first day of recording sessions for Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home album were held at Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios in New York City. Dylan recorded Subterranean Homesick Blues and 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue'.

1968, Johnny Cash played a show, which was recorded, for his forthcoming live album at Folsom Prison, near Sacramento, California in front of 2,000 inmates. When released, the lead single, 'Folsom Prison Blues' (an update of his 1956 hit) became one of the most famous recordings of his career.

1973, Eric Clapton made his stage comeback at the Rainbow Theatre, London, with Pete Townsend, Ronnie Wood, Stevie Winwood, Rebop, Jim Capaldi and support from The Average White Band. The night's two shows were recorded for the 'Rainbow Concert' album. Pete Townshend from The Who had organised the concert to help Clapton kick his heroin addiction.

1978, With a budget of only £1,500 borrowed from Stewart Copeland's brother Miles Copeland III, The Police started recording their debut album at Surrey Sound Studios, Surrey, with producer Nigel Gray. The album 'Outlandos d'Amour' which was released in November of this year featured the hits 'So Lonely', 'Roxanne' and 'Can't Stand Losing You'.

1986, Sex Pistols members John Lydon, Steve Jones and Paul Cook, as well as the mother of Sid Vicious, sued former manager Malcom McClaren for £1 million.  They later settled out of court.

2017, Magic Alex (Alexis Mardas) a Greek electronics engineer died aged 74. He is best known for his close association with the Beatles. His nickname was given to him by John Lennon when he was involved with the group between 1965 and 1969, during which time he became head of Apple Electronics. Mardas often said that the Abbey Road studio was "no good", much to producer George Martin's annoyance. He allegedly said that he could build a 72-track tape machine and was then given the job of designing the new Apple Studio in Savile Row, London. His schemes lost Apple at least £300,000 (£3 million in 2017.)

1962, Cliff Richard was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'The Young Ones'. It stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks and made Cliff the first UK artist to enter the chart at No.1.

1964, 'Louie Louie' by The Kingsmen was the No.1 song on the US Cash Box music chart. For a while, the record was banned by a handful of US radio stations because of its indecipherable lyrics, which were rumored to contain some naughty words. Even the F.B.I. investigated the song, but finally concluded that they could find nothing wrong.

1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded 'Purple Haze' at De Lane Lea studios in London. Hendrix later stated 'The Purple Haze,' was about a dream he had and that he was walking under the sea. In concert, Hendrix sometimes substituted lyrics for comic effect; "scuse me while I kiss the sky" was rendered "scuse me while I kiss this guy" (while gesturing towards his drummer Mitch Mitchell).

1975, The Alan Freeman BBC Radio 1 show broadcast a Pink Floyd show recorded at the Empire Pool, Wembley, on 16th Nov 1974. The band had played four nights at Wembley on their The Dark Side of The Moon tour and tapes from these shows had been remixed.

1985, A Brazilian rock Festival, held in Rio, claimed to be the biggest ever staged. The festival featured; Queen, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Whitesnake, Yes and Iron Maiden.

2002, Mickey Finn percussionist and sideman to Marc Bolan in Tyrannosaurus Rex died of kidney and liver problems aged 55 (1971 UK No.1 single 'Hot Love', plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles).

2005, Former Bread guitarist and Academy Award-winning songwriter James Griffin died at his home in Nashville at the age of 61 after suffering from cancer. Bread had the 1970s hits 'Make It With You', 'Baby I'm-a Want You', and 'Everything I Own.'

2017, Rockabilly guitarist Tommy Allsup, who narrowly avoided boarding the plane that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, died aged 85. The musician famously lost a coin toss for a seat on the plane. His place was taken by teen star Ritchie Valens, who also perished when the plane crashed. Allsup went on to become a Grammy-winning musician who played with Merle Haggard, Roy Orbison and Willie Nelson.

Week commencing December 3131131 . . .
Week commencing December 24 . . .Week commencing December 24 . . .1955, Rosemary Clooney was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Mambo Italiano' the singers second No.1. The song was banned by all ABC owned stations in the US because it "did not reach standards of good taste".

1970, During a UK tour Led Zeppelin appeared at The Royal Albert Hall, London, the night of Jimmy Page's 26th birthday (John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck were all in the audience). The two and a quarter hour set was recorded and filmed but shelved for several decades, eventually seeing a release on a 2003 official DVD.

1976, Queen were at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The single enjoyed a nine week run on the chart selling more than a million copies by the end of the month. It reached No.1 again in 1991 for five weeks following Mercury's death, eventually becoming the UK's third best selling single of all time.

2002, Irish singer, songwriter David McWilliams died of a heart attack at his home in Ballycastle, County Antrim aged of 56. Released over 10 solo albums and wrote 'The Days Of Pearly Spencer.'

2009, Dave Dee died at the age of 65, following a three-year battle with cancer. The UK singer had eight top 10 hits, with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich including a UK number one single in 1968 with 'The Legend of Xanadu', in which Dee famously cracked a whip. The singer, whose real name was David Harman, was originally a police officer and as a police cadet was called to the scene of the car crash that killed Eddie Cochrane during a UK tour in 1960.

2016, Stars paid tribute to Motorhead frontman Lemmy at his funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery. Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Slash from Guns N' Roses, Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich from Metallica, Judas Priest singer Rob Halford and Anthrax frontman Scott Ian all spoke at the service. Lemmy's bass guitar was plugged in to a stack of amplifiers and the volume turned up, with the congregation applauding as feedback from the speakers filled the chapel.

1967, Pink Floyd and Eyes of Blue appeared at The Marquee Club London. A review in Queen magazine said of Pink Floyd: 'The two guitarists looked moody, the drummer thrashed wildly about and the lights kept flashing. After about twenty minutes it became very boring and after half an hour I left.'

1968, Jimi Hendrix was jailed for one day in Stockholm, Sweden on drink charges after going berserk and destroying everything in his room at the Goteberg Hotel.

1976, Former Beatles roadie Mal Evans was shot dead by police at his Los Angeles apartment. His girlfriend called police when she found Evans upset with a rifle in his hand; he pointed the gun at the police who opened fire. Friends later said that Evans was depressed about his separation from his wife Lil Evans — who had asked for a divorce before Christmas.

1991, Iron Maiden went to No.1 on the singles chart with 'Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter.' This, the second single from their album No Prayer for the Dying, became the lowest selling No.1 since 1960, with just over 42,000 copies sold. The song was originally recorded and released by Bruce Dickinson for the soundtrack to 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child', but Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris liked it so much Iron Maiden re-recorded it.

1998, American singer, producer, and politician Sonny Bono was killed in a skiing accident at a resort near Lake Tahoe, aged 62. Bono who was one half on Sonny and Cher scored the 1965 UK & US No.1 single 'I Got You Babe' and had become a US Congressman. The United States Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which extended the term of copyright by 20 years, was named in honor of Bono when it was passed by Congress nine months after his death.

2001, Kirsty MacColl was laid to rest at a private funeral ceremony, ahead of a public memorial to pay tribute to her life. The singer songwriter was killed in a boating accident on 18th Dec 2000.

2004, Kinks singer Ray Davies was shot in the leg while on holiday in New Orleans. The 59-year-old singer-songwriter was shot when running after two men who stole his girlfriend's purse at gunpoint. Davies was admitted to the Medical Centre of Louisiana but his injuries were not considered serious. New Orleans police said one person had been arrested, and police were still searching for the second.

2016, Donald Fagen, lead singer and founder of Steely Dan, was arrested by New York police and charged with assaulting his wife at their home. Fagen was accused of pushing Libby Titus into a marble window frame, knocking her to the ground, at their Manhattan apartment.

1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played the first of what would be over 240 gigs in this year when they appeared at the Bromel Club, Bromley. (Many of the concerts were two shows per night).

1967, The Doors released their self-titled debut album The Doors. The album features their breakthrough single 'Light My Fire' and the lengthy song 'The End' with its Oedipal spoken word section. The album was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California over six days and unique packaging of the album included each band members bio.

1970, Chauffeur Neil Boland was accidentally killed when The Who's drummer Keith Moon ran over him in his Bentley. Moon was trying to escape from a gang of skinheads after a fight broke out at a pub in Hatfield. Boland got out to try to protect the car, but left it in gear. He fell under the car and it started moving with Moon at the wheel as he tried to escape the fight. The drummer had never passed his driving test.

1986, Irish singer, songwriter and bassist Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy died of heart failure and pneumonia after being in a coma for eight days following a drug overdose. With Thin Lizzy he had the 1973 hit 'Whiskey in the Jar' (their version of the traditional Irish song) and hits with ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’, ‘Jailbreak’ and ‘Waiting for an Alibi’. The group's 1978 album 'Live and Dangerous' spent 62 weeks on the chart. Lynott fronted several bands as a lead vocalist, including Skid Row alongside Gary Moore. A life-size bronze statue of Phil Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street in Dublin Ireland in 2005.

2009, Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant was voted the Greatest Voice In Rock by listeners of radio station Planet Rock. Plant beat Queen's Freddie Mercury, Free's Paul Rodgers and Deep Purple's Ian Gillan to the top spot in the UK poll.

1953, American singer-songwriter and musician singer Hank Williams died of a heart attack aged 29 brought on by a lethal cocktail of pills and alcohol. Williams is regarded as one of the most important country music artists of all time. 35 of his singles (five released posthumously) were placed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, 11 of which ranked at No.1, including 'Cold, Cold Heart,' 'Hey, Good Lookin', 'I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive,' and 'Your Cheatin' Heart.' During his last years Williams's consumption of alcohol, morphine and painkillers severely compromised his professional life.

1956, Bill Haley's 'Rock Around the Clock' went to No.1 on the singles chart for the second time. The single is often cited as the biggest-selling vinyl rock and roll single of all time with sales over 25m.

1957, BBC Television aired its new rock & roll show 'Cool For Cats' for the first time. With a miniscule budget, the program was forced to rely on artists miming and the talents of a resident dance group (led by Douglas Squires). Ker Robertson, the first host, was succeeded after a few weeks by Kent Walton, later better known for his ITV wrestling commentaries

1962, The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records in West Hampstead, London. A&R boss at Decca Dick Rowe turned them down in what is considered one of the biggest mistakes in music industry history, Decca decided to reject the band, selecting instead Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.

1964, The first edition of Top Of The Pops was transmitted from an old church hall in Manchester. Acts miming to their latest releases included The Rolling Stones (I Wanna Be Your Man), The Dave Clark Five (Glad All Over), The Hollies (Stay), and The Swinging Blue Jeans (Hippy Hippy Shake). The first song played was Dusty Springfield's 'I Only Want To Be With You'. Also featured on disc and film, The Beatles (I Want to Hold Your Hand), Freddie & the Dreamers, Cliff Richard and the Shadows and Gene Pitney.

1977, Genesis played the first of three nights at the new-look Rainbow Theatre, London, tickets cost £2.50. The theatre had been completely renovated at a cost of £80,000.

1977, The Clash played the opening night at punk's first real venue, The Roxy Club in London.

1984, Alexis Korner died of lung cancer aged 55. Know as "the Founding Father of British Blues", he was a major force behind the UK early 60s R&B scene. Formed Blues Incorporated; members at various times included Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Long John Baldry, Graham Bond and Charlie Watts. Had hits with CCS, including a version of Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' which was used as the theme for Top Of The Pops for several years. He became a radio presenter in the Seventies.

2005, In most of Europe, copyright expired on a number of classic pop and rock-and-roll songs recorded in 1954 and earlier, including Bill Haley's 'Rock Around the Clock', and 'Only You' by The Platters.

2007, Queen beat The Beatles to be crowned greatest British band of all time by BBC Radio 2 listeners in the UK. They pipped the Fab Four in a live contest, trouncing other finalists The Rolling Stones, Oasis and Take That. The bands were judged on song-writing, lyrics, live performances, originality and showmanship. More than 20,000 listeners voted by email, text and phone.

2013, Ultravox's 1981 hit 'Vienna' was voted the UK's favourite number two single. The song topped a poll by BBC Radio 2 and the Official Charts Company to find the greatest track to miss out on the number one spot. Vienna was held off by novelty track 'Shaddup You Face' by Joe Dolce. 'Fairytale of New York' by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl was voted into second place. Other songs to feature included The Beatles 'Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever', The Who's 'My Generation' and Don McLean's 'American Pie'.

1950, Born on this day (Tuesday), English musician Morgan Fisher, keyboards from Mott The Hoople, 1972 UK No.3 & US No.37 single 'All The Young Dudes', a song David Bowie offered the band on hearing they were about to split up.

Week commencing December 24 . . .
Week commencing December 10 . . .1963, The Rolling Stones performed at Studio 51 in Soho, London, on the same bill as Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions, who featured a young Rod Stewart. The Stones played a regular Sunday afternoon gig at the club from 4pm until 6.30pm and were billed as Rhythm and Blues with The Rolling Stones.

1966, Pink Floyd and Soft Machine appeared at the Blarney Club, London.

1968, Led Zeppelin (who were advertised as Len Zefflin), appeared at Gonzaga University Gymnasium, Spokane on their first North American tour supporting Vanilla Fudge.

1969, Peter Tork quit The Monkees buying himself out of his contract which left him broke. He went on to form a group called Release and played banjo on George Harrison's soundtrack to the film Wonderwall.

1998, American rhythm and blues singer Johnny Moore who was lead singer for The Drifters on their 1960s hit 'Under The Boardwalk', died at the age of 64. Moore began as lead singer of the Cleveland based group the Hornets, before being discovered by the Drifters. He joined the group as lead vocalist in New York in 1955, at age 21. Moore also sang lead on the hits ‘Saturday Night At The Movies’, ‘Come On Over To My Place’ and ‘Up In The Streets Of Harlem’.

1999, George Harrison and his wife Olivia were attacked when an intruder broke into their home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Olivia beat off the attacker with a poker and heavy lamp. Harrison who was stabbed in the chest was admitted to hospital and treated for a collapsed lung and various minor stab wounds. His wife, Olivia, was treated for cuts and bruises she had suffered in the struggle with the intruder. Police later arrested Michael Abram from Liverpool who had nursed an irrational obsession with The Beatles.

1999, In the Queen's Millennium Honours list, former Slade singer Noddy Holder was awarded an MBE and guitarist Mark Knopfler was awarded an OBE.

2002, The funeral of former Clash singer and guitarist Joe Strummer took place in London. Strummer had died of a suspected heart attack on 22nd Dec 2002 aged 50.

2016, Allan Williams, the first manager of The Beatles, died at the age of 86. Williams worked with the band from 1960 to 1961, getting them gigs in Britain and in Hamburg. Williams personally drove the van to take the Beatles to Hamburg in 1960, which didn't have seats; The Beatles had to sit on their amplifiers in the back of the van.

1969, Led Zeppelin II was at No.1 on the US album charts (the band's first album to reach No.1 on charts in the UK and the US), it went on to sell over six million copies in the US alone. The album's cover designer David Juniper was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.

1975, Queen started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with A Night At The Opera, the group's first No.1 album.

1975, The Faces split became official. Rod Stewart had severed all connections with the group to work as a solo artist, Ronnie Wood was on permanent loan to the Stones, Ronnie Lane went on to form Slim Chance and drummer Kenny Jones joined The Who.

1978, American singer, songwriter and guitarist Chris Bell from Big Star was killed after his car crashed into a telephone pole, he was 27. Bell inspired the likes of Beck, R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub, Primal Scream, Wilco, The Posies, and The Replacements, all of which have covered his music or name-dropped Big Star in the press.

1972, On the second leg of his 182 date Ziggy Stardust Tour, David Bowie played the second of two nights at the Rainbow Theatre, London. This tour had the classic Spiders From Mars line up of Mick Ronson on guitar, vocals, Trevor Bolder, bass and Mick "Woody" Woodmansey on drums.

1976, The Eagles sixth album, Hotel California spent the first of eight non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard chart. The band's first LP with Joe Walsh and last with bassist Randy Meisner which has now sold over 16 million copies.

1977, The Sex Pistols played their last ever UK gig (until 1996), before splitting, at Ivanhoes in Huddersfield. It was a charity performance before an audience of mainly children.

2012, American musician Ray Collins died aged 76. Collins was the lead vocalist on early Mothers of Invention albums, including Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, and Cruising with Ruben & the Jets and continued to contribute to other Frank Zappa projects through the mid-1970s.

2016, Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt died in hospital in Marbella, Spain aged 68. He died from a severe infection after going to hospital, following complications to a shoulder injury. His partnership with Francis Rossi became the core of Status Quo, one of Britain's most enduring bands. The band had over 60 chart hits in the UK, more than any other rock band, including "Pictures of Matchstick Men" in 1967, "Whatever You Want" in 1979 and "In the Army Now" in 2010. Twenty-two of these reached the Top 10 in the Singles Chart. In July 1985 the band opened Live Aid at Wembley Stadium with "Rockin' All Over the World".

1945, Born on this day (Monday), Lemmy, musician, singer, and songwriter who founded and fronted the rock band Motorhead. Lemmy played in several rock groups in the 1960s, including the Rockin' Vickers and worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and the Nice, before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971, singing lead on their hit 'Silver Machine'. He died on 28 December 2015 following a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer.

1970, A stretch limousine carrying Elvis Presley pulled up outside the White House in Washington, D.C. The driver handed over a letter from Elvis addressed to President Nixon requesting a meeting to discuss how the King of Rock and Roll could help Nixon fight drugs. The President agreed to give Presley a Narcotics Bureau badge - but only after learning that the chief of the narcotics bureau had turned down the same request earlier that day and told Presley the only person who could overrule his decision was the President. At Elvis' request, the meeting remained secret for more than a year, until the Washington Post broke the story on January 27th, 1972.

1974, Mud were at No.1 on the singles chart with the Chinn & Chapman song 'Lonely This Christmas'. The group's second No.1 and third chart topper for Chinn & Chapman in 1974.

1985, Bruce Springsteen's album, ‘Born in the USA’ passed Michael Jackson's Thriller to become the second longest-lasting LP on the Billboard US Top 10. It stayed there for 79 weeks. Only ‘The Sound of Music’ with Julie Andrews lasted longer at 109 weeks.

1988, Former Cockney Rebel bass player Paul Jeffreys was one of the passengers killed by a terrorist bomb on Pan Am flight 103. The plane crashed over Lockerbie, Scotland.

1996, The charity record 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' went to No.1 on the UK singles chart. With the consent of Bob Dylan, musician Ted Christopher of Dunblane, Scotland wrote a new verse for the song in memory of the schoolchildren and teacher killed in the Dunblane massacre. The cover version of the song included brothers and sisters of the victims singing the chorus and Mark Knopfler on guitar.

2003, Tommy Hubbard from Whitby, aged 14, won the 2003 Riffathon, a nationwide guitar competition in aid of Action For Brazil's Children Trust. The final was held at the University of Surrey and was judged by Jimmy Page and Brian May. The ten Riffathon finalists each performed a Led Zeppelin classic track with a full live band. Tommy's performance of 'Ramble On' won him the star prize of a 1958 re-issue Gibson Les Paul standard guitar, donated by Gibson Guitars.

1968, During a UK tour Led Zeppelin appeared at The Civic Hall, Exeter, supported by The Empty Vessels, featuring Martin Turner and Steve Upton who later formed Wishbone Ash. Zeppelin were paid £125 for the gig.

1991, Joe Cole, an American roadie for Black Flag and Rollins Band, was shot and killed in an armed robbery. Cole and Henry Rollins had attended a Hole concert at the Whisky a Go Go and were returning home after having stopped at an all-night grocery store when two armed men – described as black in their 20s – approached them demanding money. Angry that Rollins and Cole had only $50 between them, the gunmen ordered the two men to go inside their house for more cash. Rollins entered at gunpoint. However, Cole was killed outside after being shot in the face at close range while Rollins escaped out the back door and alerted the police. The murder remains unsolved. Cole is remembered in the Sonic Youth songs ‘JC’ and ‘100%’ on their album Dirty.

1993, Michael Clarke, drummer with The Byrds, died of liver failure aged 47. Also worked with the Flying Burrito Brothers and Jerry Jeff Walker. Before his death Clarke had expressed a wish of alerting children to the dangers of alcoholism. Following his wishes, Clarke's girlfriend Susan Paul started a foundation in Clarke's name, called the Campaign for Alcohol-free Kids.

1994, The Manic Street Preachers played the first of three nights at The Astoria, London, the last shows Richey Edwards made with the band before disappearing. Edwards vanished on February 1st 1995 leaving no clues to his whereabouts and no one has reported seeing him since.

2000, 10,000 Maniacs guitarist Robert Buck died of liver failure aged 42. Best known for ‘Hey Jack Kerouac’, ‘What's The Matter Here’ and 'Candy Everybody Wants'.

2006, Two giant eyeballs donated by Pink Floyd raised £16,500 for the homeless charity Crisis. The 6ft-high props, made to promote the Pulse DVD, were on the auction site eBay for a week and attracted 46 bids. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, a vice-president of Crisis, said extra help was needed in the winter months.

2012, Nick Mason stepped in to help save Foote's, the historic London music shop where he bought his first ever drum kit. The Pink Floyd drummer, along with the store's sales director, Rob Wilson, were buying the business (which will now re-open in a new location at 41 Store Street, Bloomsbury) from the family who has owned it since the '30s.

1960, Returning from Hamburg, The Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined The Beatles on bass guitar (to replace Stuart Sutcliffe who had remained in Hamburg), a position he would hold for only two weeks and four performances. When Newby bowed out to return to college, Paul McCartney became The Beatles' bass player.

1963, James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, DC, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles record on American radio. Carroll played 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend who brought the single back from the UK. Due to listener demand, the song was played daily, every hour. Since it hadn't been released yet in the States, Capitol Records initially considered court action, but instead released the single earlier than planned.

1968, The Who played their Xmas party at the The Marquee Club London. Also on the bill was a new group called Yes. Members 15 shillings ($1.80) or £1 ($2.40) on the night. Other acts appearing at the club this month included Joe Cocker, Free and Led Zeppelin.

1973, Slade were at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Merry Xmas Everybody' their sixth chart topper. It has been released during every decade since 1973, and has been covered by numerous artists. In a 2007 poll, 'Merry Xmas Everybody' was voted the most popular Christmas song.

1982, American Delta blues musician and songwriter Big Joe Williams died in Macon, Mississippi aged 79. Wrote 'Baby Please Don't Go', a 1965 UK Top 10 for Them (featuring Van Morrison).

Week commencing December 17 . . .
Week commencing December 3 . . .1966, Jimi Hendrix made his TV debut on ITV's 'Ready Steady Go!' (Marc Bolan was also on the show). The Jimi Hendrix Experience also recorded 'Foxy Lady' on this day. The United States version of Are You Experienced listed the song with a spelling mistake as 'Foxey Lady' and this is how it is still known among many North American fans.

1970, Dave Edmunds was at No.1 on the singles chart with his version of the 1955 Smiley Lewis hit 'I Hear You Knocking.' The Welsh singer, songwriter and producer's only No.1 hit.

1975, Patti Smith released her debut studio album Horses. Produced by John Cale, Horses has since been viewed by critics as one of the greatest and most influential albums in the history of the American punk rock movement, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time. Horses has also been cited as a key influence on a number of acts, including Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Smiths, R.E.M. and PJ Harvey.

1999, Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder was ordered to pay £160,000 to his ex management team over a dispute in his contract. Ryder said he was so high after a 'joint' he didn't bother to read the small print; the court was told the contract had 'done his nut in'.

2001, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chuck Schuldiner died of brain cancer. He founded the pioneering band Death in 1983. Schuldiner is often referred to as "The Godfather of death metal". Death's best-selling album is the 1991 release Human.

2002, Canadian guitarist and singer Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin Spoonful died of a heart attack. Was a member of The Mugwumps with Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot. Formed Lovin Spoonful with John Sebastian in 1964, they scored the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.8 single 'Summer In The City'.

1964, Soul singer Sam Cooke was shot dead at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California. Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel, told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defense because he had attacked her. Police found Cooke's body in Franklin's apartment-office, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes, but no shirt, pants or underwear. The shooting was ultimately ruled a justifiable homicide.

1968, Liverpool folk group The Scaffold were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Lily The Pink', this year's Christmas No.1. 'Lily the Pink' was a new version of an older folk song entitled 'The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham', and a similar version was the unofficial regimental song of the Royal Tank Corps, at the end of World War II.

1968, Filming began for The Rolling Stones 'Rock & Roll Circus.' As well as clowns and acrobats, John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell, and Keith Richards. It was originally meant to be aired on the BBC, but the Rolling Stones withheld it because they were unhappy with their performance. The film was eventually released in 1996.

1971, Comedian Benny Hill was at No.1 on the singles chart with the innuendo-laden novelty song, 'Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)', giving Hill his only No.1 and the Christmas No.1 hit of 1971. The song was originally written in 1955 as the introduction to an unfilmed screenplay about Hill's milkman experiences.

1973, KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was nearly electrocuted during a concert in Florida when he touched a short-circuited light. The guitarist was carried from the stage but returned 10 minutes later to finish the show.

1982, The Jam played their last ever gig as a band when they appeared in Brighton. Singer and guitarist Paul Weller went on to form The Style Council with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee.

1983, The Flying Pickets were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Yazoo song 'Only You'. Also this years Christmas No.1 and the first a cappella chart-topper in the UK.

2000, Former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft was forced to cancel the remaining dates on his current UK tour after he fell on stage and broke two ribs. The accident happened during a show in Birmingham.

2016, Bob Dylan said it was "truly beyond words" to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. In a speech read on his behalf at the ceremony in Sweden, he said he thought his odds of winning were as likely as him "standing on the moon". Patti Smith performed 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' at the ceremony. But the singer had to apologise during her rendition after nerves got the better of her and she forgot the lyrics.

1961, The Beatles agent Sam Leach attempted to introduce the group to London agents by promoting a show at The Palais Ballroom in Aldershot. The show was not advertised properly and, as a result, only 18 people attended. Local newspaper The Aldershot News failed to publish the advertisement for the show; however, the band and friends had their own fun after the show, including a mock funeral for Paul McCartney.

1964, In its second week of release, the Beatles’ “I Feel Fine” becomes a million seller.

1966, Supergroup Cream released their debut studio album 'Fresh Cream'. The three piece of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker also released their second single 'I Feel Free' on the same day.

1967, Cream’s second album, ‘Disraeli Gears’, enters the U.S. charts.

1967, The Doors appeared at the New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut. Before the show a policeman found singer Jim Morrison making out with an 18 year-old girl in a backstage shower and after an argument the policeman sprays mace in Morrison’s face. Once on stage Morrison tells the story of the backstage episode and starts taunting the police who drag him off the stage and arrest him. The crowd riots leaving the venue in disarray and many are arrested. Later over 100 protestors gathered at the police station in demonstration and more arrests were made.

1967, The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye” tops the charts.

1972, The Moody Blues start a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Seventh Sojourn’.

1974, George Harrison releases Dark Horse, his first album on the label of the same name. His cover of the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love” is a backhanded farewell to wife Patti Boyd, who took up with his friend Eric Clapton. Even weirder, Boyd and Clapton join Harrison on the track. Rolling Stone is perplexed enough to decide, “Dark Horse is ultimately something more than an embarrassingly bad record.”

1975, The Sex Pistols appeared at Ravensbourne College, Chistlehurst.

1992, Bassist Bill Wyman formally announces he is leaving the Rolling Stones.

2003, Ozzy Osbourne was admitted to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Berkshire after being injured in a quad bike accident at his UK home. The 55 year-old singer broke his collarbone, eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck. News of Osbourne's accident reached the House of Commons, where the government sent a goodwill message.

Week commencing December 10 . . .
Week commencing November 26 . . .1962, During sessions for the 'Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan' album, Bob Dylan recorded 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' and versions of 'Hero Blues', 'Whatcha Gonna Do', 'Oxford Town', and 'I Shall Be Free', at Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios in New York City.

1964, The film 'Ferry Cross The Mersey' premiered in London. Featuring Gerry And The Pacemakers, Cilla Black and other Liverpool acts. It was written by Tony Warren, creator of the longest running tv soap 'Coronation Street'.

1965, The Rolling Stones go into RCA’s Hollywood Studios to record “Mother’s Little Helper” and “19th Nervous Breakdown.”

1966, In the NME year-end poll, the Rolling Stones are voted No.1 U.K. R&B Group and Best New Group.

1966, The Beatles recorded Christmas and New Year's greetings for pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London. Both stations were broadcasting from ships anchored off the British coastline.

1968, The Rolling Stones released Beggars Banquet their seventh UK studio album. For the album (which included 'Street Fighting Man' and 'Sympathy for the Devil'), the Stones had gone to great lengths to toughen their sound and banish the haze of psychedelia and, in doing so, they launched a five-year period in which they would produce their very greatest records.

1969, Led Zeppelin made their debut on the US singles chart with 'Whole Lotta Love', it went on to make No.4 on the chart and was the first of six Top 40 singles for the group in the US. During the bands career, Zeppelin never released any singles in the UK.

1970, The Rolling Stones’ concert film “Gimme Shelter” premieres.

1986, Ringo Starr agrees to become a spokesman for a wine cooler company, becoming the first Beatle to get into advertising.

1988, American singer songwriter Roy Orbison died of a heart attack aged 52. Scored the 1964 UK & US No.1 single 'Pretty Woman', plus over 20 US & 30 UK Top 40 singles including ‘Only the Lonely’ and ‘Crying’. Formed his first band The Wink Westerners in 1949, was a member of The Traveling Wilburys (known as Lefty Wilbury) with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty and had the 1988 UK No.21 single 'Handle With Care'. Orbison endured a great deal of tragedy in his life. His first wife, Claudette died in a motorcycle accident in 1966 and two of his three sons died in a house fire.

2004, One of the worst kept secrets in rock becomes a secret no longer when Motley Crue announce they are reforming for their first tour in five years.

1960, The Crickets released the single 'I Fought the Law' on Coral Records. Written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets, a remake by the Bobby Fuller Four became a top-ten hit for the band in 1966 and was also recorded by The Clash in 1979 after Joe Strummer and guitarist Mick Jones heard the song on a jukebox in San Francisco.

1993, Multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer, Frank Zappa died of prostate cancer. Zappa recorded many albums with The Mothers Of Invention as well a solo recordings including the 1969 album 'Hot Rats' and 1974 album 'Apostrophe'. Zappa recorded one of the first concept albums, 'Freak Out' released in 1966, it was also one of the earliest double albums in rock music (although Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde preceded it by a week). He married Adelaide Gail Sloatman, in 1967, they had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen.

1991 – Van Halen perform a free concert in Dallas to make up for a show back in 1988 when singer Sammy Hagar lost his voice mid-set.

1980, Two months after the tragic death of drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin made decision to break up. The surviving members decided that it was not right to tamper with their legacy by bringing someone else in to play drums. In a statement, the band explained their decision: "We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were."

1976, American guitarist Tommy Bolin died from a heroin overdose aged 25 the day after opening a show for Jeff Beck in Miami, Florida. Bolin was a member of Zephyr (1969 to 1971), The James Gang (1973 to 1974) and Deep Purple (1975 to 1976).

1975 – Tragedy strikes Deep Purple in Jakarta, Indonesia, after their bodyguard Patsy Collins falls six floors down an elevator shaft in their hotel. Rumors persist that Collins had gotten into a fight with local promoters who owed the heavy-metal band money. Collins was still conscious after his fall and got into a taxi demanding to be taken to the hospital, but he died en route. Mysteriously, his body is never recovered.

1971 – T Rex scored their first No.1 album with their 6th release ‘Electric Warrior’.

1971 – Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ entered the US Hot 100. The eight and a half minute song would eventually sell over 3 million copies.

1967, This was the penultimate night of a 16-date UK package tour, on which Pink Floyd joined The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Move, The Nice, The Eire Apparent, The Outer Limits and Amen Corner to play at the City Hall, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Jimi Hendrix was having equipment problems and in his frustration rammed his Gibson Flying V into his speaker cabinets. Like an enormous arrow, the guitar became stuck in the amplifier, which the audience greeted as all part of the act.

1971, The Montreux Casino in Switzerland burnt to the ground during a gig by Frank Zappa. The incident is immortalized by Deep Purple's 'Smoke On The Water'. In 1967 the Casino became the venue for the Montreux Jazz Festival, which was the brainchild of music promoter Claude Nobs. On the night of the blaze, Nobs saved several young people who, thinking they would be sheltered from the flames, had hidden in the casino from the blaze. A recording of the outbreak and fire announcement can be found on a Frank Zappa bootleg album titled Swiss Cheese / Fire.

1971, Led Zeppelin started a two-week run at No.1 on the chart with the Four Symbols album, otherwise known as Led Zeppelin IV. Featuring the 8-minute track 'Stairway To Heaven', the album stayed on the US chart for one week short of an astonishing five years, selling over 23 million copies in the US alone.

1976, Workers at EMI records went on strike, refusing to package The Sex Pistols single 'Anarchy In The UK.'

1988, Roy Orbison played his final ever gig when he appeared in Cleveland, Ohio. Orbison died of a heart attack two days later.

2016, Wayne Duncan, bassist with Australian rock band Daddy Cool died following a stroke. Their debut 1971 single 'Eagle Rock' stayed at No.1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks. Their debut July 1971 LP Daddy Who? Daddy Cool also reached No.1 and became the first Australian album to sell more than 100,000 copies.

1961, Brian Epstein invited The Beatles into his office to discuss the possibility of becoming their manager. John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best arrived late for the 4pm meeting (they had been drinking at the Grapes pub in Matthew Street), but Paul McCartney was not with them because, as Harrison explained, he had just got up and was "taking a bath".

1965, The Beatles set out on what would be their last ever tour at Glasgow's Odeon Cinema. Also on the bill, The Moody Blues The Koobas and Beryl Marsden. The last show was at Cardiff's Capitol Cinema on 12th December.

1965, The Who released their debut studio album My Generation in the UK. In the United States, it was released by Decca Records as 'The Who Sings My Generation' in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track listing. In 2003 it was named the second greatest guitar album of all time by Mojo magazine.

1966, The New Vaudeville Band started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Winchester Cathedral'. A No.4 hit in the UK.

1966, The Monkees made their live debut at the International Arena, Honolulu. The massive success of the TV series and its spin-off records had created intense pressure to mount a touring version of the group.

1969, The Rolling Stones recorded 'Brown Sugar' at Muscle Shoals studios. The single went on to be a UK & US No.1. The song was written by Mick Jagger with Marsha Hunt in mind; Hunt was Jagger's secret girlfriend and mother of his first child Karis.

1976, A giant 40ft inflatable pig could be seen floating above London, after breaking free from its moorings. The pig, nicknamed Algie, was being photographed for the forthcoming Pink Floyd Animals album cover. The Civil Aviation Authority issued a warning to all pilots that a flying pig was on the run, and the pig eventually crashed into a barn in Godmersham, Kent, where the farmer complained of his cows being scared by the incident.

1979, A concert by The Who at The Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, turned to disaster when 11 members of the audience were trampled to death after a stampede to claim unreserved seats, another 26 fans were injured. The concert was using 'festival seating' where seats are available on a first come-first served basis. When the waiting fans outside the Coliseum heard the band performing a late sound check, they thought that the concert was beginning and tried to rush into the still-closed doors.

1986, Judas Priest were sued by two families, alleging that the band were responsible for their son's forming a suicide pact and shooting themselves after listening to Judas Priest records. The parents and their legal team alleged that a subliminal message of 'do it' had been included in the Judas Priest song Better By You, Better Than Me from the Stained Class album and alleged the command in the song triggered the suicide attempt. The trial lasted from 16 July to 24 August 1990, when the suit was dismissed.

2008, Composer, keyboardist and arranger Derek Wadsworth died in Oxfordshire. As a musician he worked with Georgie Fame, Alan Price, George Harrison, Mike Oldfield, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Simply Red. Arranger for David Essex, Dusty Springfield, Nina Simone, Judy Garland, Kate Bush, Cat Stevens, Rod Stewart, Small Faces, The Rolling Stones and Manfred Mann.

Week commencing November 26 . . .
Week commencing November 19 . . .Week commencing November 19 . . .Week commencing November 19 . . .Week commencing November 19 . . .Week commencing November 19 . . .Week commencing November 19 . . .1964, The Who played the first of 22 consecutive Tuesday night gigs at The Marquee Club in London - the band were paid £50 for each gig. The Marquee Club saw the rise of some of the most important British artists in the 60s such as Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Cream, Manfred Mann, The Nice, Yes, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, King Crimson and many others who all appeared at the club.

1967, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move, Nice, Outer Limits and Amen Corner played at the Central Hall, Chatham. The Chatham Standard later reported: ‘Hendrix opened his act with the Beatles’ number Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the three-piece group made as much of an impression as a studio full of musicians. He did several of his own numbers, including unfaultable versions of 'Hey Joe' and 'Purple Haze' and The Troggs 'Wild Thing'.

1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their second studio album Axis: Bold as Love. Hendrix expressed dismay regarding the album cover art, which depicts him and the Experience as various forms of Vishnu, incorporating a painting of them by Roger Law, from a photo-portrait by Karl Ferris. Hendrix stated that the cover would have been more appropriate had it highlighted his American Indian heritage.

1983, Neil Young was sued by Geffen Records because his new music for the label was ‘not commercial in nature and musically uncharacteristic of his previous albums’. His latest album Everybody's Rockin' featured a selection of rockabilly songs (both covers and original material) which ran for just 25 minutes, Young's shortest album.

1987, A Kentucky teacher lost her appeal in the US Supreme Court over her sacking after showing Pink Floyd's film The Wall to her class. The court decided that the film was not suitable for minors with its bad language and sexual content.

2014, Phil Rudd, drummer of rock band AC/DC, pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening to kill and possession of drugs. Phil Rudd was excused from appearing in New Zealand's Tauranga District Court, with his lawyer entering his plea. The 60-year-old Australian-born musician was originally charged with attempting to procure the murder of two men.

1969, The Beatles went to No.1 on the singles chart with their twenty-sixth release 'Come Together / Something', which became the group's 18th US No.1. Lennon was inspired by Timothy Leary's campaign for governor of California titled "Come together, join the party" against Ronald Reagan giving him the idea for the track. 'Something' was the first Beatles song written by George Harrison to appear as an A-side.

1976, Lancaster local council cancelled the Sex Pistols gig at Lancaster Poly. The reason was given in a statement by the council saying: 'We don't want that sort of filth (The Sex Pistols) in the town limits.'

1996, American singer and ukulele player Tiny Tim (Herbert Khaury) died from a heart attack on stage while playing his hit ‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips’ at a club in Minneapolis. On 17 December 1969, he married Victoria Mae Budinger on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, a publicity stunt that attracted over 40 million viewers (they had a daughter, Tulip Victoria). He performed at the 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival in front of a crowd of 600,000 people.

2001, Beatles guitarist George Harrison died in Los Angeles of lung cancer aged 58. Following the breakup of The Beatles Harrison had a successful career as a solo artist and later as part of the Traveling Wilburys. The youngest member of The Beatles (aged 16 when he joined), his compositions include ‘Taxman’, ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Something’, and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. Harrison released the acclaimed triple album, All Things Must Pass, in 1970, from which came the worldwide No.1 single 'My Sweet Lord.'

2007, Control, the biopic about late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis scooped five prizes at the British Independent Film Awards. The black-and-white film, which featured The Killers, David Bowie and New Order on the soundtrack, was shot for just £3m.

2007, Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle, a convicted sex offender, was arrested for failing to properly register a new permanent address. The 59-year-old had pleaded guilty in 1993 to charges of attempted capital sexual battery by an adult on a victim younger than 12 and being principal to lewd and lascivious behavior on a child younger than 16. He was sentenced to eight years of probation.

1947, Born on this day (Thursday), Ronnie Montrose, guitarist, Montrose, Edgar Winter Group (1973 US No.1 & UK No.18 single 'Frankenstein). He died on 3 March 2012 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after taking his own life.

1964, The Shangri-Las went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the teen death song, 'Leader Of The Pack'. When released in the UK the song was refused airplay by the BBC (probably due to its death theme), where it went on to chart three times: No.11 in 1965; No.3 in 1972 (by which time the BBC ban had been lifted); and once again at No.7 in 1976.

1970, Dave Edmunds was at No.1 on the singles chart with his version of the 1955 Smiley Lewis hit 'I Hear You Knocking.' Also the first release on the new MAM record label.

1976, The Tom Robinson Band made their live debut at The Hope & Anchor, London. The bands biggest hit '2-4-6-8 Motorway' peaked at No.5 in Oct 77. Robinson now also works as a radio presenter.

1991, Nirvana recorded a performance for Top Of The Pops. When asked to lip-sync 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' to a pre-recorded tape Kurt Cobain protested by singing an octave lower (he later confirmed he was imitating Morrissey from The Smiths), and attempted to eat his microphone at one point. He also changed some of the lyrics, exchanging the opening line "load up on guns, bring your friends," for "load up on drugs, kill your friends."

1993, Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton was killed in a car crash not far from his Santa Barbara, California home, he was 47. Steppenwolf had the 1969 US No.2 & UK No.30 single 'Born To Be Wild'.

2013, It was reported that George Harrison's sister was living in a pre-fabricated home and "struggling for money" since her allowance from The Beatles star's estate was cut off about a year after he died. 82-year-old Louise Harrison admitted that she had no access to her brother's multi-million dollar fortune and was cash-poor living in rural Missouri. She never challenged her brother's estate, adding "I don't care about the money, it's been over ten years and I haven't made any ripples."

1961, Neil Christian and the Crusaders, featuring a young Jimmy Page on guitar, played a concert at Holloway Women’s Prison in London. The inmates were all dressed in washed out yellow, green, blue and red faded floral print dresses and wore homemade mascara, using the charcoal from burnt matches.

1967, The 16-date package tour with Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move, The Nice, The Outer Limits, The Eire Apparent and Amen Corner travelled to Belfast to appear for two shows at the Whitla Hall, Queens College. It was Jimi's 25th birthday and before the shows the guitarist was given a birthday cake by the promoters - this was to be the only concert that The Jimi Hendrix Experience played in Ireland.

1970, Black Sabbath, Cactus and Steel Mill (featuring Bruce Springsteen) all appeared at the Sunshine In, Asbury Park in New Jersey. All three acts played two shows, tickets cost $5.00.

2005, Tony Meehan, drummer with The Shadows, died aged 62 from head injuries sustained in a fall at his London flat in Maida Vale. Had the 1963 No.1 single 'Foot Tapper' plus 28 other Top 40 singles. Left The Shadows in 1961 to work as a session drummer with Joe Meek. Also had the No.1 hit ‘Diamonds’ with Jet Harris.

1942, Born on this day (Tuesday), Jimi Hendrix guitarist, singer, songwriter who had the 1967 No.6 single 'Hey Joe', the 1970 No.1 single 'Voodoo Chile', and the 1968 US No.1 and UK No.6 album 'Electric Ladyland'. Hendrix, who is widely considered to be the greatest guitarist in musical history, made appearances at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival and the 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival. Hendrix died on 18th September 1970 after choking on his own vomit.

Week commencing November 19 . . .
Week commencing November 12 . . .Week commencing November 12 . . .1962, The Beatles travelled to St. James' Church Hall, London, for a ten-minute audition with BBC Television. The audition came about when Beatles fan David Smith of Preston, Lancashire wrote to the BBC asking for The Beatles to be featured on BBC television. Assuming that Smith was The Beatles' manager, the BBC wrote back to him offering The Beatles an audition. Smith brought his letter to NEMS Enterprises, and Clive Epstein (Brian's brother) arranged for audition to take place. Four days later, Brian Epstein received a polite "thumbs-down" letter from the BBC.

1965, Marc Bolan appeared live on the TV show Five O'Clock Funfair, performing 'The Wizard'.

1967, A 16 date package tour played its 7th night at the Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff. Featuring The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Move, The Nice, The Outer Limits, The Eire Apparent and Amen Corner, the entourage performed twice nightly. In 1974, Pink Floyd returned to the venue, which has since been demolished and replaced by the 'Really Welsh Pavilion'.

1975, Queen started a nine-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Bohemian Rhapsody. The promotional video that accompanied the song is generally acknowledged as being the first pop video and only cost £5,000 to produce. When the band wanted to release the single various record executives suggested to them that, at 5 minutes and 55 seconds, it was too long and would never be a hit.

1979, Keith Richard's girlfriend, Anita Pallenburg, was cleared by a court of shooting a man found dead at her home. 17-year-old Scott Cantrell had shot himself in the head with a gun owned by Keith Richards, while in Pallenberg's bed, at the South Salem, New York house shared by Richards and Pallenberg. Cantrell had been employed as a part-time groundskeeper at the estate and was involved in a sexual relationship with Pallenberg.

1979, Pink Floyd released 'Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)' which rapidly topped the charts in the UK, followed by the US and a further 9 countries. Featuring children from Islington Green School in North London, close to Floyd's Britannia Row Studios, it was the group’s first UK single since Point Me At The Sky in 1968, and their first chart hit since See Emily Play in 1967.

1994, Tommy Boyce, singer, songwriter, committed suicide. (1968 US No. 8 single with Bobby Hart, 'I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite', also wrote 'Last Train To Clarksville', 'I'm Not Your Stepping Stone' and 'Scooby- Doo Where Are You.' Sold over 40m records.

1970, Two months after his death Jimi Hendrix was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' the closing track on Electric Ladyland, the third and final album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. This was the guitarist's only No.1 single. Hendrix's solo on the track was named the 11th greatest solo of all-time in Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.

1976, The Stranglers, supported by Chelsea, appeared at The Nashville, London. This was Billy Idol's last gig with Chelsea, who then joined fame in the punk band Generation X before becoming a solo artist.

1988, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page set out on his first ever-solo tour at The Hummingbird, Birmingham, appearing with John Miles and the son of Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason Bonham.

1995, Legendary manager of Led Zeppelin, Peter Grant, died from a heart attack aged 60. Known as being one of the shrewdest and most ruthless managers in rock history, Grant secured 90% of concert gate money and intimidated record store owners who dealt in bootlegs. The former wrestler also worked as a film extra and bodyguard. During the early 60s Grant worked as a tour manager for Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and The Animals.

1950, Born on this day (Wednesday), American guitarist Gary Pihl best known for playing with Sammy Hagar (from 1977 - 1984) and in the band Boston who he joined in 1986.

1964, The Supremes became the first all girl group to have a No.1 single when 'Baby Love' went to the top of the charts. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, it was also the second of five Supremes songs in a row to go to No.1 in the United States.

1965, The Kinks, The Who, Georgie Fame & The Blue Fames, The Hollies, Wilson Pickett and The Golden Apples Of The Sun all appeared at the Glad Rag Ball, Empire Pool, London, tickets 30 shillings,

1976, Music weekly 'Sounds' made the Sex Pistols debut 45, 'Anarchy In The UK' its single of the week.

1983, English musician and songwriter Tom Evans from Badfinger committed suicide by hanging himself in his back garden from a willow tree after a bitter argument with Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland about the royalties for 'Without You'. (Evans co-wrote 'Without You' which was a hit for both Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey). Family members said the singer, songwriter was never able to get over his former bandmate Pete Ham's suicide.

2003, Bassist Greg Ridley died from pneumonia. He was a member of the VIPs with Keith Emerson; Spooky Tooth; and Humble Pie who had the 1969 UK No.4 single 'Natural Born Bugie'. He formed Strange Brew with Clem Clempson and Cozy Powell.

Week commencing November 12 . . .
Week commencing November 5 . . .Week commencing November 5 . . .1964, Rolling Stone Brian Jones was admitted to Passavant Hospital in Chicago with a temperature of 105, causing Jones to miss the last few dates on the Stones current tour.

1966, The Doors officially signed with Elektra Records in a deal for the band to produce seven albums. The band also reluctantly agreed to release ‘Break On Through’ as their first single. The lyric "She gets high/she gets high/she gets high" was changed to ‘She gets/she gets/she gets" in order to secure radio play.

1969, Janis Joplin was arrested during a gig in Tampa, Florida, after badmouthing a policeman and using vulgar and indecent language. Joplin became upset after police moved into the hall forcing fans to move back to their seats. As the singer left the stage she confronted a detective calling him 'a son of a bitch' and told him she would kick his face in. She was released on $504 bail.

1971, In this week's Disc and Music Echo's Progressive album chart: No.5, Cat Stevens, 'Teaser and the Firecat, No.4, Hawkwind, 'In Search Of Space', No.3, Santana 'III', No.2, Rod Stewart, 'Every Picture Tells A Story' and No.1 John Lennon, Imagine.

1977, Led Zeppelin played the first of four shows at the Chicago Stadium, Illinois during their North American tour. Two more were scheduled for later in the tour but were cancelled due to the death of Robert Plant's son.

1992, Ozzy Osbourne announced his retirement from touring after a gig in California, saying "Who wants to be touring at 46."

2007, Kenneth Donnell, from Glasgow, paid £83,000 for two tickets to see Led Zeppelin rehearse and perform at the O2 arena in London on the 10th December. Donnell bid for the tickets as part of an auction for the BBC's Children in Need.

1964, Decca Records released The Rolling Stones' 'Little Red Rooster'. Written by Willie Dixon (as The Red Rooster), and previously recorded by Howlin’ Wolf and Sam Cooke, the single was recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago. The single was a No.1 hit and remains the only time a blues song has ever topped the pop chart.

1968, Rolling Stone Brian Jones bought 'Cotchford Farm' in Sussex. The author AA Milne who wrote Winnie The Pooh had owned the house.

1970, Syd Barrett released his second solo album Barrett only 10 months after his debut The Madcap Laughs. David Gilmour produced the whole album, which also featured performances by Pink Floyd's Richard Wright on keyboards. The album has since been reissued in remastered form with extra tracks from the sessions.

1976, Led Zeppelin scored their seventh No.1 with the film soundtrack double album The Song Remains The Same, peaking at No.2 on the US chart. The tracks were recorded at Madison Square Garden, New York City in 1973.

1976, The Melody Maker announced UK dates for the first major punk tour with The Sex Pistols and the Ramones co-headlining along with Talking Heads, The Vibrators and Chris Spedding. The 14-date tour which was due to start at Newcastle City Hall on Nov 29th never took place.

1992, Ronnie Bond drummer with The Troggs died today, Tuesday. Scored the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Wild Thing' and 1966 UK No.1 ‘With A Girl Like You.’

2016, Leon Russell died in Nashville, he was 74. He led Joe Cocker’s band Mad Dogs & Englishmen, and appeared at George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh. Many of his songs became hits for others, among them 'Superstar' (written with Bonnie Bramlett) for the Carpenters, 'Delta Lady' for Joe Cocker and 'This Masquerade' for George Benson. More than 100 acts have recorded 'A Song for You,' which Russell said he wrote in 10 minutes.