TODAY IN HISTORY – DECEMBER 7th
1942 - Born this day, Harry Chapin, in New York, NY, songwriter, folk-rock singer, 1974 UK No.34 single W.O.L.D., 1974 US No.1 single Cat's In The Cradle. (Recipient of Special Congressional Gold Medal: Worldwide Humanitarian for the Hungry, Needy and Homeless). Died 16 July 1981 when a tractor-trailer (articulated lorry) crashed into the car he was driving.
1949 - Born this day, Tom Waits, in California, singer, songwriter, 1980 album Heart Attack And Vine, as used in a Levi's TV advert. Writer of Ol' 55, 1974 US No.17 single for The Eagles. Also singer of (Shiver Me Timbers, Diamonds on My Windshield, Small Change, The Piano Has Been Drinking, Tom Traubert’s Blues, Burma Shave, Potter’s Field, Jersey Girl, LPs: Foreign Affairs, Swordfishtrombone), songwriter of, (I Never Talk to Strangers), actor, (Short Cuts, Paradise Alley, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Ironweed, The Cotton Club), playwright with wife Kathleen Brennan Frank’s Wild Years.
1958 - Born this day, Tim Butler, Psychedelic Furs, 1986 UK No.18 single Pretty In Pink.
1964 - Beach Boy Brian Wilson married Marilyn Rovell in L.A. The couple divorced in 1979. Marilyn and her sister and cousin were in a group, the Honeys, who were produced by Brian Wilson. Marilyn and Brian had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who became members of Wilson Phillips.
1967 - Otis Redding went into the studio to record '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay'. The song went on to be his biggest hit. Redding didn't see its release; he was killed three days later in a plane crash. Redding wrote the first verse of the song, under the abbreviated title 'Dock of the Bay', on a houseboat at Waldo Point in Sausalito, California a short time after his appearance at The Monterey pop festival. Redding's familiar whistling, heard before the song's fade was the singer fooling around, he had intended to return to the studio at a later date to add words in place of the whistling.
1967 - The Beatles Apple boutique on 94 Baker Street, London, opened its doors. The store closed seven months later when it fell foul of council objections over the psychedelic mural painted on the outside. All the goods from the shop were given away free to passers by and to people who had queued throughout the night for a chance of getting a free item.
1968 - Eric Burdon disbanded the Animals.
1968 - The Beatles' White Album started a 7 week run at No.1 on the UK chart. The double set was the first on their Apple label and featured Back In The USSR, Dear Prudence, and the Harrison song While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
1973 - Wings released Band on the Run.
1973 - Born on this day, Damien Rice, Irish singer, songwriter, former member of Juniper, now solo, (2003 album 'O' featuring the single 'Cannonball', 2006 UK No.1 album '9').
1974 - Barry Manilow's recording, Mandy, entered Billboard's record charts on this date. It was Manilow's first hit, becoming No.1 for a week and staying on the charts for 12 weeks. It was later certified gold.
1974 - Barry White was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'You're The First, The Last, My Everything', the singers first UK No.1. Originally written in the 1950's as a country song with the title 'You're My First, You're My Last, My In-Between.'
1974 - Born this day, Nicole Appleton, singer, All Saints, 1998 UK No.1 single Never Ever, 2003 UK No.5 single as Appleton, Don't Worry.
1974 - Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas, reached the No.1 position on the US pop charts. It stayed there for two weeks. The song was recorded in 10 minutes, started out as a B-side and went on to sell over 10 million copies.
1979 - The Police had their second UK No.1 single with Walking on the Moon.
1984 - Michael Jackson was in Chicago to testify that the song, The Girl is Mine, was exclusively his and he didn’t swipe the song, Please Love Me Now. It was a copyright infringement case worth five million dollars. He won.
1985 - Mr. Mister started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Broken Wings. It was a UK No.4 hit.
1991 - George Michael and Elton John were at No.1 in the UK with a live version of Don't Let The Sun Go down On Me, with all proceeds going to aids charities.
1991 - Michael Jackson started a 7 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Black Or White, his 12th solo No.1, and also a No.1 in the UK.
1991 - U2 went to No.1 on the US album charts with Achtung Baby. Featuring the tracks One, Zoo Station, The Fly and Even Better Than The Real Thing.
1992 - Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged EP became the first Sony Minidisc to be released in the US.
1997 - Model Jerry Hall, wife of Rolling Stones Mick Jagger, gave birth to the couple's fourth child in New York. The baby boy, Gabriel Luke Beauregard Jagger -the rock star's sixth child in all - tipped the baby scales at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Now, Jagger, age 54, had a child younger than his grandchildren (he has two adult daughters).
1997 - Shane MacGowen spent the night in police cells after being arrested in Liverpool. He was charged after throwing a mike stand into the crowd and injuring a fan.
2005 - The MBE medal that John Lennon returned to the Queen was found in a royal vault at St James' Palace. Lennon returned his medal in November, 1969 with a letter accompanying saying, "Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With Love, John Lennon." Historians were calling for the medal to be put on public display.
2008 – John Mellencamp plays at the Mudhouse Winery in Waipara (just north of Christchurch, NZ) along with Sheryl Crow as support artist.
1942 - Born this day, Harry Chapin, in New York, NY, songwriter, folk-rock singer, 1974 UK No.34 single W.O.L.D., 1974 US No.1 single Cat's In The Cradle. (Recipient of Special Congressional Gold Medal: Worldwide Humanitarian for the Hungry, Needy and Homeless). Died 16 July 1981 when a tractor-trailer (articulated lorry) crashed into the car he was driving.
1949 - Born this day, Tom Waits, in California, singer, songwriter, 1980 album Heart Attack And Vine, as used in a Levi's TV advert. Writer of Ol' 55, 1974 US No.17 single for The Eagles. Also singer of (Shiver Me Timbers, Diamonds on My Windshield, Small Change, The Piano Has Been Drinking, Tom Traubert’s Blues, Burma Shave, Potter’s Field, Jersey Girl, LPs: Foreign Affairs, Swordfishtrombone), songwriter of, (I Never Talk to Strangers), actor, (Short Cuts, Paradise Alley, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Ironweed, The Cotton Club), playwright with wife Kathleen Brennan Frank’s Wild Years.
1958 - Born this day, Tim Butler, Psychedelic Furs, 1986 UK No.18 single Pretty In Pink.
1964 - Beach Boy Brian Wilson married Marilyn Rovell in L.A. The couple divorced in 1979. Marilyn and her sister and cousin were in a group, the Honeys, who were produced by Brian Wilson. Marilyn and Brian had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who became members of Wilson Phillips.
1967 - Otis Redding went into the studio to record '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay'. The song went on to be his biggest hit. Redding didn't see its release; he was killed three days later in a plane crash. Redding wrote the first verse of the song, under the abbreviated title 'Dock of the Bay', on a houseboat at Waldo Point in Sausalito, California a short time after his appearance at The Monterey pop festival. Redding's familiar whistling, heard before the song's fade was the singer fooling around, he had intended to return to the studio at a later date to add words in place of the whistling.
1967 - The Beatles Apple boutique on 94 Baker Street, London, opened its doors. The store closed seven months later when it fell foul of council objections over the psychedelic mural painted on the outside. All the goods from the shop were given away free to passers by and to people who had queued throughout the night for a chance of getting a free item.
1968 - Eric Burdon disbanded the Animals.
1968 - The Beatles' White Album started a 7 week run at No.1 on the UK chart. The double set was the first on their Apple label and featured Back In The USSR, Dear Prudence, and the Harrison song While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
1973 - Wings released Band on the Run.
1973 - Born on this day, Damien Rice, Irish singer, songwriter, former member of Juniper, now solo, (2003 album 'O' featuring the single 'Cannonball', 2006 UK No.1 album '9').
1974 - Barry Manilow's recording, Mandy, entered Billboard's record charts on this date. It was Manilow's first hit, becoming No.1 for a week and staying on the charts for 12 weeks. It was later certified gold.
1974 - Barry White was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'You're The First, The Last, My Everything', the singers first UK No.1. Originally written in the 1950's as a country song with the title 'You're My First, You're My Last, My In-Between.'
1974 - Born this day, Nicole Appleton, singer, All Saints, 1998 UK No.1 single Never Ever, 2003 UK No.5 single as Appleton, Don't Worry.
1974 - Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas, reached the No.1 position on the US pop charts. It stayed there for two weeks. The song was recorded in 10 minutes, started out as a B-side and went on to sell over 10 million copies.
1979 - The Police had their second UK No.1 single with Walking on the Moon.
1984 - Michael Jackson was in Chicago to testify that the song, The Girl is Mine, was exclusively his and he didn’t swipe the song, Please Love Me Now. It was a copyright infringement case worth five million dollars. He won.
1985 - Mr. Mister started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Broken Wings. It was a UK No.4 hit.
1991 - George Michael and Elton John were at No.1 in the UK with a live version of Don't Let The Sun Go down On Me, with all proceeds going to aids charities.
1991 - Michael Jackson started a 7 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Black Or White, his 12th solo No.1, and also a No.1 in the UK.
1991 - U2 went to No.1 on the US album charts with Achtung Baby. Featuring the tracks One, Zoo Station, The Fly and Even Better Than The Real Thing.
1992 - Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged EP became the first Sony Minidisc to be released in the US.
1997 - Model Jerry Hall, wife of Rolling Stones Mick Jagger, gave birth to the couple's fourth child in New York. The baby boy, Gabriel Luke Beauregard Jagger -the rock star's sixth child in all - tipped the baby scales at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Now, Jagger, age 54, had a child younger than his grandchildren (he has two adult daughters).
1997 - Shane MacGowen spent the night in police cells after being arrested in Liverpool. He was charged after throwing a mike stand into the crowd and injuring a fan.
2005 - The MBE medal that John Lennon returned to the Queen was found in a royal vault at St James' Palace. Lennon returned his medal in November, 1969 with a letter accompanying saying, "Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With Love, John Lennon." Historians were calling for the medal to be put on public display.
2008 – John Mellencamp plays at the Mudhouse Winery in Waipara (just north of Christchurch, NZ) along with Sheryl Crow as support artist.