1961: The Beatles played their first gig in the south of England at the Palais Ballroom in Aldershot, Hampshire. Billed as a “Liverpool v London Battle of the Bands” featuring The Beatles and the London group Ivor Jay and the Jaywalkers, promoter Sam Leach, who was unaware that Aldershot was thirty-seven miles from London, bungled promoting the event. Only eighteen people turned up and Ivor Jay and the Jaywalkers failed to show. Afterwards the group drank bottles of brown ale, played football on the dance floor, and were otherwise rambunctious. A neighbor called the police, and when the Beatles emerged from the venue, several police vehicles were waiting. The band was told to leave and never return to the town. They then drove to London and played an impromptu set at the Blue Gardenia Club in Soho early the following morning.

1962: Motown Records released The Supremes’ debut album, Meet the Supremes.

1963: The Beach Boys released “Little Saint Nick,” a Christmas-themed hot rod song inspired by “Little Deuce Coupe,” a single the group had released that summer.

1964: “All Day and All of the Night” by the Kinks was released in the US following its initial release in the UK in late October. It became the band’s second top 10 single on the US and UK charts, and singer and guitarist Dave Davies claimed that the song was where he “found his voice.”

1966: The Who’s second album, A Quick One, was released in the UK. Decca Records titled the LP “Happy Jack” in the US, where the song of the same name had been a top 40 hit. The album was a departure from the R&B sound of the group’s first album and part of the marketing push was a requirement that each member write two songs, though singer Roger Daltrey only wrote one.

1966: Fresh Cream, the debut album by British rock trio Cream, was released in the UK. The American version of the album was released later in January with a slightly different tracklist. In the UK, the LP peaked at #6 and in the US, it reached #39.

1966: The Hollies released For Certain Because, the group’s fifth UK album, first in which all the songs were written by members Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Tony Hicks, and first with new bassist Bernie Calvert.

1967: Jim Morrison was arrested onstage during a Doors concert in New Haven, Connecticut. Before the gig, Morrison had gotten into an argument with a policeman, who responded by macing the singer. During the concert, while singing “Backdoor Man,” Morrison told the audience about the incident. The police turned on the house lights and arrested Morrison, causing a riot as the angry and disappointed crowd took to the streets of New Haven, resulting in thirteen additional arrests. Morrison was later charged with inciting a riot, indecency, and public obscenity, all of which were later dropped due to a lack of evidence.

1970: Creedence Clearwater Revival released their sixth studio album, Pendulum.

1972: The Moody Blues had their first #1 album in the US with their eighth studio album, Seventh Sojourn. It spent five weeks at #1 in the States, and peaked at #5 in the UK.

1972: Who guitarist Pete Townshend narrated an orchestral performance of the group’s Tommy rock opera at the Rainbow Theatre in London. The stage production starred Roger Daltrey, Richie Havens, Steve Winwood, Rod Stewart, and actor Peter Sellers and featured the London Symphony Orchestra. Several issues plagued the show, including poor casting, overacting, and Townshend being visibly unwell, all of which contributed to a production that critics felt detracted from the quality of the original album.

1974: George Harrison released Dark Horse, his fifth solo studio album and first on his own Dark Horse Records label. The album features an array of guest musicians that include Tom Scott, Billy Preston, Willie Weeks, Andy Newmark, Jim Keltner, Ringo Starr, Gary Wright, and Ron Wood.

1974: Grand Funk Railroad released “Some Kind of Wonderful,” the first single from their ninth studio album, All the Girls in the World Beware!!!. Originally written by John Ellison and recorded by his group, Soul Brothers Six, Grand Funk Railroad’s version became their third top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

1978: Jesse Colin Young released his eighth studio album, American Dreams.

1979: Pink Floyd started the first of five weeks at #1 on the UK singles chart with “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. II,” the group’s first song to reach the top of the chart.

1986: Joan Jett released her fifth studio album and fourth with the Blackhearts, Good Music.

1989: Billy Joel topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” the lead single from his eleventh studio album, Storm Front.

1995: The Beatles compilation album Anthology 1 debuted at #1 on the Billboard pop chart.

Birthdays Today

Donald Byrd, jazz and R&B trumpeter, vocalist, session musician, bandleader, and mentor of Herbie Hancock, was born in Detroit, MI in 1932.

Jessie Hill, R&B and Louisiana blues singer, songwriter, bandleader, and drummer for Professor Longhair and Huey “Piano” Smith best known for writing “Ooh Poo Pah Doo,” was born in New Orleans, LA in 1932.

Junior Wells, Chicago blues vocalist and harmonica player who helped pioneer the amplified blues-harp style and recorded with other artists that include Muddy Waters, Earl Hooker, Carlos Santana, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, the Rolling Stones, and Buddy Guy, was born in West Memphis, AR in 1934.

Dan Hicks, singer-songwriter, drummer for American band The Charlatans, and leader of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, was born in Little Rock, AR in 1941.

Sammy Strain, vocalist for The Chips, The O’Jays, and Little Anthony and the Imperials, was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1941.

Danny Kalb, guitarist, vocalist, and original member of the Blues Project, was born in Mount Vernon, NY in 1942.

Kenny Vance, singer, songwriter, producer, and founding member of Jay and the Americans, was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1943.

Shirley Brickley, member of the Orlons, was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1944.

Neil Innes, writer, comedian, musician, collaborator with Monty Python, and member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and The Rutles, was born in Danbury, Essex, England in 1944.

Dennis Dunaway, original Alice Cooper bassist who co-wrote some of the band’s most notable songs, was born in Cottage Grove, Oregon in 1946.

Joan Armatrading, singer-songwriter and guitarist, was born in Basseterre, Saint Kitts in 1950.

Jack Sonni, writer and musician best known as “the other guitarist” in Dire Straits, was born in Indiana, PA in 1954.

Nick Seymour, musician, record producer, bass guitarist, and founding member of Crowded House, was born in Benalla, Victoria, Australia in 1958.

Brian Bell, songwriter and rhythm guitarist for Weezer, was born in Iowa City, IA in 1968.

Jakob Dylan, lead singer and primary songwriter for the Wallflowers, solo artist, and son of Bob Dylan, was born in New York City in 1969.

Tré Cool, drummer for Green Day, was born Frank Edwin Wright III in Frankfurt, West Germany in 1972.