history

16 July 2007 – THE WHITE STRIPES Play World’s Shortest-Ever Gig

Posted on by JL

16 July 2025

On 16 July 2007, today 28 years ago THE WHITE STRIPES played the shortest gig ever with a single C# note accompanied by a bass drum/crash cymbal hit by Meg, clocking in at just 50 seconds, before exiting the stage in Newfoundland, Canada.

It was at one of their pop-up shows on a Canadian tour. .

Jack White said: “We have now officially played in every province and territory in Canada“,

It was recognized by the Guinness Book Of Records in 2009 but the book’s compilers
dropped the category a year later after being swamped by applications for similar
record-breaking attempts.

They should have record that concert.

15 July 1973 – No Sunny Afternoon For RAY DAVIES At THE GREAT WESTERN EXPRESS FESTIVAL In London

Posted on by JL

15 July 2025

On 15 July 1973, today 52 years ago THE KINKS were part of a stars-studded
bill at The Great Western Express Festival at White City in London.

So far, so good.

But The Kinks mastermind RAY DAVIES was dealing with private problems.
His wife had left him recently, taking their children with her. Davies told the
crowd from the stage that he was sick of the whole thing and would retire.
He then walked into a local hospital and collapsed from an overdose of
tranquilizers.

Not a sunny afternoon for Ray.

13 July 1985 – This Day 40 Years Ago The ‘LIVE AID’ Concert Marathon Was Held

Posted on by JL

13 July 2025

On 13th July 1985, 40 years ago today, the massive concert marathon LIVE AID
was held, organized by artists/musicians Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats) and Midge
Ure (Ultravox) to raise funds for the devastating Ethiopian famine.

Announced as the ‘global jukebox’, the event was held simultaneously
at Wembley Stadium in London for 72,000 people, and at John F.
Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia with a crowd of 89,500. And an
audience of 1.9 billion TV viewers across 150 nations, that’s nearly
40% of the world population.

3 of the many highlights.

U2

QUEEN

SIMPLE MINDS

12 July 2000 – Remarkable Statue In Memory Of JOHN LENNON Was Unveiled In London 25 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

12 July 2025

A statue in the memory of JOHN LENNON was unveiled in London’s Trafalgar Square.
The sculpture featured a revolver with a knotted barrel created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward.

Listen up, Putin, Netanyahu and all you disgusting war pigs in the world.

6 July 1973 – QUEEN Release Their Debut Single ‘KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE’

Posted on by JL

6 July 2025

Iconic bombast champions QUEEN, led by the greatest rock entertainer in
music history with the late theatrical Freddie Mercury, released their debut
single KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE 52 years ago today, on 6 July 1973.

It was written by guitarist Brian May and was
the opener of their self-titled debut LP.

It didn’t chart until it was re-released in 1975.

In 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine rated the song 31st
on its list of ‘The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time‘.

Keep yourself alive, Freddy.

KeepBio – Discography – Instagram

2 July 1956 – ELVIS Records Millionseller Hit ‘HOUND DOG’

Posted on by JL

2 July 2025

ELVIS PRESLEY (1935-1977) recorded his twelve-bar blues single HOUND DOG,
written by Leiber and Stoller, at RCA Studios in New York, this day in 1956, yes,
69 years ago. Take 31 was the version that was released.

This was the first time the King worked with The Jordanaires. The single sold over
10 million copies globally, became his best-selling song and topped the US chart for
11 weeks, a record that stood for 36 years.

Discography

24 June 1969 – LED ZEPPELIN Recorded 24 Carat Single ‘WHOLE LOTTA LOVE’ With Its Timeless Monster Riff

Posted on by JL

24 June 2025

LED ZEPPELIN‘s red-hot smoking stonker single WHOLE LOTTA LOVE
(from their 1969 Led Zep II album) was voted the song with the greatest
guitar riff ever in rock history in 2014 by listeners of BBC Radio in the UK.
It topped a list of 100 classic ones.

Other riffs in the list included ‘Layla’ by Derek And The Dominoes, ‘Sweet Child
Of Mine’ by Guns N’ Roses, ‘Pretty Vacant’ by the Sex Pistols and Metallica‘s ‘Enter
Sandman’.

The song was recorded this day in 1969

STUDIO

LIVE

Bio – Discography – Instagram

21 June 1992 – British Ambient Duo THE ORB Released A Single With A Duration Of 39 Minutes And 58 Seconds

Posted on by JL

21 June 2025

British ambient/techno/dance duo THE ORB (1988-present) released a single called
BLUE ROOM, on 21 June 1992, today 33 years ago. Nothing abnormal with that.

But (there’s always a but) the CD duration was 39 minutes and 58 seconds, two seconds shorter than the maximum permitted for a single under UK chart rules. The single peaked at No.8 in the UK. They also issued a 7″ inch vinyl version, shortened to 3 minutes 53 seconds.

It sounds/feels like you’re in a submarine and you hear that specific underwater fuzz.

Instagram – Discography

DAVID BOWIE – Gospel Choir Single ‘MEMORY OF A FREE FESTIVAL’ Featuring MARC BOLAN Released 55 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

12 June 2025

The late musical genius DAVID BOWIE (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016)
released a single, called MEMORY OF A FREE FESTIVAL on 12 June 1970,
today 55 years ago.

It featured on his 2nd self-titled LP.

The single featured Marc Bolan
on lead guitar and backing vocals.

Originally recorded as a 7-minute opus in 1969, it was reworked in 1970. His label
Mercury Records, believed that the track had a better chance of success as a single
than the LP’s track ‘The Prettiest Star’, released earlier in the year. Bowie and producer
Tony Visconti roughly split the track in half, re-recording it so both halves could
function as individual songs.

Biographer David Buckley described the song as “a sort of trippy retake of the Stones’ ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ but with a smiley lyric”. The track was written as a homage to
the Free Festival, organised by the Beckenham Arts Lab, which was held at Croydon
Road Recreation Ground in Beckenham (UK) on 16 August 1969.

Sounds like a hippie hymn turning, midway, into a gospel choir song.

DAVID BOWIE: Facebook

11 June 1988 – NELSON MANDELA’s 70th Birthday Tribute Event At Wembley In LONDON

Posted on by JL

11 June 2025

On 11 June 1988, 37 years ago today the 70th birthday of South-African, anti-apartheid revolutionary NELSON MANDELA was celebrated by the music world with a massive event at Wembley Stadium in London. It featured an impressive cats of big stars, such as Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman, George Michael, Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde UB40, Eurythmics, Simple Minds and actors Richard Gere and Whoopi Goldberg.

The celebration was broadcast live on BBC 2
to 40 different countries with an estimated
audience of 1 billion.

At the time Mandela was still in prison for his anti-apartheid politics.
After 27 years he was finally a free man. He became South Africa‘s
president from 1991 to 1997. He passed away in 2013, aged 93.

Three memorable concert moments.

– PETER GABRIEL –

– SIMPLE MINDS –

– WHOOPI GOLDBERG –