Music Diary – 30th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 30th November!

On the 30th November 1982 the most successful album until today was released: Michael Jackson’s „Thriller„. The LP spent 190 weeks on the UK chart and became the biggest selling pop album of all time. Until today „Thriller“ was sold over 50 million times worldwide. Also all seven singles outtakes charted, including the legendary hits „Beat it“ and „Billie Jean„. The pop milestone was produced by Quincy Jones with a production budget of $750,000. „Thriller“ received eight Grammy Awards in 1984, including for „Album of the Year„.

Also the video of the title song was game-changing in those days and became a classic of pop videos.

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Music Diary – 29th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 29th November!

George Harrison (25th February 1943 – 29th November 2001)

On the 29th November 2001, George Harrison died at the age of 58 years of lung cancer. The Beatles guitarist passed away in Los Angeles. Born on the 25th February 1943 in Liverpool, the very young Harrision joined at the age of 15 a band called The Quarrymen in 1958, which became in 1960 The Beatles. Beside the many hits, which were composed mainly by John Lennon und Paul McCartney, also George Harrision wrote some classics like „While My Guitar Gently Weeps“ (1968), „Here Comes the Sun“ and „Something“ (both 1969). After the break-up in 1970, George Harrison concentrated more on his solo career. After his two albums „Wonderwall Music“ (1968) and „Electronic Sound “ (1969) his third effort „All Things must Pass“ (3-LP-Set) marked his first solo work after the official end of The Beatles. This triple set features also the hit „My Sweet Lord“ (released in November 1970). In 1971 George Harrison organised the charity event „Concert for Bangladesh„, which took place on the 1st August 1971 at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Beside his music career, George Harrison worked also as a film producer. In 1978 he co-founded „HandMade Films„, which produced the classic „Monty Pyhton’s Life of Brian“ (1979).

In 2011, the documentary „George Harrison: Living in the Material World“ by film director Martin Scorsese war released, which earned six nominations at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards and winning two Emmy Awards for „Outstanding Nonfiction Special“ and „Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming“.

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Music Diary – 28th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 28th November!

Jerry Edmonton (24th October 1946 – 28th November 1993)

On the 28th November 1993, Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton died at the age of 47. He was killed in a car crash in Santa Barbara, California. Jerry’s real name was Gerald McCrohan (born on the 24th October 1946 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada). With his brother Dennis Eugene (who changed his name into Mars Bonfire), he was performing in Toronto in a band called Sparrow. Singer John Kay and keyboarder Goldy McJohn joined this group in 1965 and after some personal changes and moving to California the band was renamed in Steppenwolf.

With the third single „Born to be wild“ (1968) they recorded a real rock classic and a motorcycle hymn, which was also featured in the movie „Easy Rider“ (1969). Until the first break-up in 1972, Steppenwolf recorded more hits like „The Pusher“ and „Magic Carpet Ride„.

In 1974 the first band reunion featuring Johny Kay, Jerry Edmonton, Goldy McJohn with George Biondo (bass) and Bobby Cochran (nephew of Eddie Cochran) on lead guitar took place – this line-up consited until the next split iIn 1976. Jerry didn’t join further band reunions which happened all over the years by John Kay.

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Music Diary – 27th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 27th November!

Happy birthday to James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix, who was born on the 27th November 1942 in Seattle, Washington. Jimi is still considered as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. In the sixties he started his career and worked with The Isley Brothers, Little Richard and Curtis Knight and the Squires. In 1966 Hendrix moved to London and started his own group The Jimi Hendrix Experience and recorded the three legendary milestones “Are You Experienced“, “Axis: Bold as Love” (both 1967) and “Electic Ladyland” (1968) including the  hits „Hey Joe„, „Purple Haze„, „The Wind Cries Mary“ and „Voodoo Chile„.

In 1969 Hendrix headlined the festival in Woodstock and one year later at the Isle of Wight. On the 18th September 1970, Jimi Hendrix died from barbiturate-related asphyxia at the age of only 27 years.

Although his very short career spanned only over four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in Rock history. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and Jimi was appropriately described as „arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music“.

                                             

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Music Diary – 26th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 26th November!

Happy birthday to singer, dancer and actress Annie Mae Bullock aka Tina Turner, who was born on the 26th November 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee. With her husband Ike Turner (she married the musician in 1962), she recorded under the moniker Ike & Tina Turner the classics „A Fool in Love“ (1960), „River Deep Mountain High“ (1966), „Proud Mary“ (1971) and „Nutbush City Limits“ (1973) before getting divorced in 1976. Seven years later Tina Turner had a successful comeback: In 1983 the single „Let’s Stay Together“ charted worldwide and reached the top ten. Also the LP „Private Dancer“ (her fifth solo album released in 1984) became a huge success. Over 8 millions copies were sold worldwide until today. And more hits followeld like the megahit „What’s Love Got to Do with It“ (1984). TIna Turner was also working as an actress: So she played the „The Acid Queen“ in The Who rock musical „Tommy“ (1975). Ten years later she took over a role in the blockbuster „Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome“ and in „Last Action Hero“ (1993) she acted in a cameo role.

Tina Tuner is also called „The Queen of Rock’n’Roll“ and she is one of most successful female rock artists ever. She received eight Grammys and sold over 100 million albums and singles worldwide.

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Music Diary – 25th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 25th November!

Nicholas Rodney „Nick“ Drake (19th June 1948 – 25th November 1974)

On the 25th November 1974 the British singer and songwriter Nick Drake died in his sleep at the age of only 26 years. In his very short career he recorded the three albums „Five Leaves Left“ (1969), „Bryter Layter“ and „Pink Moon“ (both 1972). Although all of them didn’t succeed and sold very badly, these recordings became legendary milestones. Nick Drake suffered from depression and on the 25th November 1972 he died from an overdose of amitriptyline. It was never resolved if it was an accident or suicide.

The automobile concern Volkswagen featured Drake’s song „Pink Moon“ in a TV spot in 2000. After that, all recordings by Nick Drake sold more than in the previous thirty years.

Many artists name Nick Drake as a big influence – like Robert Smith (The Cure), Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Paul Weller (The Jam and The Style Council), Beck and also The Black Crowes – just to name a few.

                                              

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Music Diary – 24th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 24th November!

Freddie Mercury (5th September 1946 – 24th November 1991)

On the 24th November 1991 the Rock world lost one of the greatest and charismatic frontman of all time: Queen singer Freddie Merucry passed away at the age of only 45. Just the day before, Freddie admitted he was HIV positive. Merucry died of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS.

Born as Farrokh Bulsara on the 5th September 1946 in Sansibar, he founded in 1970 with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor the band Queen.  Freddie Merucry wrote many Queen hits, including the classics „Bohemian Rhapsody,“ „Killer Queen,“ „Somebody to Love,“ „Don’t Stop Me Now,“ „Crazy Little Thing Called Love“ and „We Are the Champions.“

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Music Diary – 23rd November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 23rd November!

On the 23rd November 2008, the very long anticipated album „Chinese Democracy“ by the rest of Guns N‘ Roses (Axl Rose and Dizzy Reed plus various musicians) was released. It has been 15 long years after the last album by the Gunners. The release date was always postponed until the follow-up of „The Spaghetti Incident?“ (1993) hit finally the stores in 2008. Also a lot of money by Geffen Records was necessary, to complete the album.

„Chinese Democracy“ was not really the big seller for Guns N‘ Roses – although it received generally favorable reviews and achieved international chart success, it has sold only approximately one million copies in Europe. For comparision: The LPs „Use Your Illusion I“ and „Use Your Illusion II“ (both 1991) have been sold in Germany alone over two million copies.

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Music Diary – 22nd November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 22nd November!

On the 22nd November 1993 the third studio album by Pearl Jam was released. „Vitalogy“ hit the stores only as a vinyl edition on this day and the album became the first LP to appear on the US chart since the CD relieved the old music format. The comapct disc edition (and also the MC release) of the new Pearl Jam album was available on the 6th December 1993. The 14 songs were recorded at different studios and finally produced by Brendan O’Brien. With 34,000 sold copies in its first week of release, „Vitalogy“ held the record until Jack White’s  LP „Lazaretto“ (2014) for most vinyl sales in one week.

The „Rolling Stone“ gave „Vitalogy“ four of five stars. Writer Al Weisel described the LP as „a wildly uneven and difficult record, sometimes maddening, sometimes ridiculous, often powerful.“ In „The New York Times“ the album was praised for the diversity compared to the band’s previous records. Editor Jon Pareles judged: „Fast but brutal punk, fuzz-toned psychedelia and judicious folk-rock, all of it sounding more spontaneous than before“.

The first single outtake „Spin the Black Circle“ (featuring „Tremor Christ“ on the flip side) received the band first Grammy Award in1996 for Best Hard Rock Performance. The other two outtakes were the singles „Not for You“ and „Immortality„.

In 2011 the remasterd version of „Vitalogy“ (including the second Pearl Jam studio album „Vs.„) was released. The expanded version includes three bonus tracks and a copy of the concert „Live at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, April 12, 1994“ on DVD.

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Music Diary – 21st November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 21st November!

Aerosmtih

On the 21st November 1991 the tenth episode (3rd season) of “The Simpsons” was aired on the Fox Network in the USA. In this episode called „Flaming Moe’s„, Homer tells barkeeper Moe Szyslak of a very special cocktail that includes cough medicine. The drink has to beflamed – so he calls his new creation „Flaming Homer“.  Typically for Moe, he steals the secret recipe from Homer and renames his new invention „Flaming Moe“. The drink becomes very fast a big seller at his tavern „Moe’s“ and Homer gets very angry at Moe for his betrayal – and he is seeking for revenge.

The American Rock band Aerosmith (Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford) appears in this episode.

Watch the full epsiode of „Flaming Moe’s“ here!

Aerosmith‘s cameo marks a novelty in the Simpsons show history:  It’s the very first band to make a guest appearance on the show. And this was also the start for further guest apperances of other popular groups like Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, U2, The Moody Blues, The B-52’s, The Who, R.E.M., Phish, Blink-182, Metallica and The White Stripes – just to name a few.

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