7 Inch History

PINK FLOYD Released 4th Single ‘IT WOULD BE SO NICE’ 45 Years Ago Today (And They Hated It)

Posted on by JL

7″ singles/vinyl from the past

19 April 2023

Influential sound-crusaders PINK FLOYD (1965–1994, 15 studio LPs)
released their 4th single named IT WOULD BE SO NICE 45 years
ago today, on 19 April 1968.

The song was written by the late Richard Wright, co-founder of the band.
It was the first single – part lullaby, part psych pop ditty featuring guitarist
David Gilmour following the departure of the late Syd Barrett. Drummer Nick
Mason and songwriter/singer Roger Waters hated the song.

Mason: “Fucking awful. At that period we had no direction. We were being hustled
about to make hit singles. There’s so many people saying it’s important you start to
think it is important.”

Waters: “Live bookings seem to depend on whether or not you have a record
in the Top Ten. I don’t like ‘It Would Be So Nice.’ I don’t like the song or the way
it’s sung.”

Judge for yourself, folks.

PINK FLOYD: Bio – Discography – Instagram

THE CLASH Had A ‘WHITE RIOT’ 46 Years Ago Today

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Great 7″ singles from the past

18 March 2023

Today 46 years ago, on 18 March 1977, legendary gang THE CLASH released their
barbed debut single WHITE RIOT. A furious and timeless punk anthem. This dynamite outburst was inspired by riots in August 1976 in London’s Notting Hill Gate area involving Jamaican residents and the police after continuous tensions due to racist policing. Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon were present that day and participated in the fights, sympathizing with the black locals’ cause.

With ‘White Riot‘ the late, great Strummer wanted to encourage also white people who
felt abused and oppressed by the government to come out and protest. ‘White Riot‘ only reached #38 at the time it came out but got his classic status over the following years.
B-side: 1977. Time to, scream out loud, folks…

White riot – I want to riot
White riot – a riot of my own
White riot – I want to riot
White riot – a riot of my own

THE CLASH: Bio – Discography

‘Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky’ – THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE Released ‘PURPLE HAZE’ 56 Years Ago Today

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Great 7″ singles from the past

17 March 2023

On 17 March 1967, this day 56 years ago the late genial guitar hero
(27 Nov 1942 – 18 Sept 1970) JIMI HENDRIX and his experienced tandem,
bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell released their second
single, the rad classic called PURPLE HAZE.

Hendrix about the song: “The song we had named ‘Purple Haze’ had about a thousand, thousand words. I had it all written out. It was about going through, through this land. This mythical land, because that’s what I like to do is write a lot of mythical scenes. You know,
like the history of the wars on Neptune.”

“Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don’t seem the same
Actin’ funny but I don’t know why
‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky”

Studio version.

Live version.

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE: Story

Scottish Indie Pop Heroes ORANGE JUICE Ripped It Up In 1983

Posted on by JL

Great 7″ singles from the past

28 February 2023

Band: ORANGE JUICE (Glasgow, Scotland)
Active: 1979-1985 / 3 LPs

Single: RIP IT UP 
Written by frontman Edwyn Collins.

It was the 2nd single from
their same-titled debut LP.

The song peaked at #8 in the UK.

Original video

ORANGE JUICE: Bio – Discography

Classic Debut Single ‘I’M STRANDED’ By Australian Punks THE SAINTS -1976

Posted on by JL

Great 7″ singles from the past

27 February 2023

Band: The Saints
Active: 1973-2013

Single: I’m Stranded  
Written by: guitarist Ed Kuepper
and frontman Chris Bailey
who passed away last year in April, aged 65. R.I.P.

No, they were not from New York City, not from London, they were
from Brisbane, Australia, but had the same punk impact in the mid-70s.

Original clip.

THE SAINTS: Bio – Discography

The Good Old Glam Rock Days – SUZI QUATRO On Top Of The UK Singles Charts This Day In 1974

Posted on by JL

Great 7″ singles from the past

23 February 2023

Black leather Amazon SUZI QUATRO, born Susan Kay Quatro 72 years ago
in Detroit(MI), sold no less than 50 million records in her career (and she’s
still going).

She scored her second No.1 on the UK Singles Chart with glam rock burner
DEVIL GATE DRIVE. It was written (all of her songs were, back then) by big hit
machine duo Chinn & Chapman (The Sweet, Mud, Alvin Stardust, and others).

Here’s the devil.

SUZI: Bio – Discography – Instagram

7-Inch History – JOHN LENNON Topped The UK Singles Chart This Day In 1981 – 2 Months After His Death

Posted on by JL

8 February 2023

Artist: JOHN LENNON
9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980

Single: WOMAN
Score: Topped the UK Singles Chart 42 years ago today,
on 8 February 1981, two months after he was killed.

Album: Double Fantasy

John Lennon: “‘Woman’ came about because, one sunny afternoon in Bermuda,
it suddenly hit me what women do for us. Not just what my Yoko does for me, although
I was thinking in those personal terms… but any truth is universal. What dawned on me
was everything I was taking for granted. Women really are the other half of the sky, as
I whisper at the beginning of the song. It’s a ‘we’ or it ain’t anything.”

R.I.P. John…

JOHN LENNON: Facebook

TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS No 1 In The US This Day In 1969

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Great 7″ singles

1 February 2023

Band: TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS
Who: Pop-rock group from Niles (Michigan), led
by Tommy James who’s still active at 75.

Song: CRIMSON & CLOVER
Written by James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr.

The combination of unknown meaning came to James as he was waking up,
comprising his favorite color – crimson – and his favorite flower – clover. There
is also a species of clover native to Europe called the crimson clover.

It topped the US Singles Chart on this day in 1969.

Original video.

TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLES: Bio – Discography

STEVIE WONDER Topped US Singles Chart 50 Years Ago Today With ‘SUPERSTITION’

Posted on by JL

Great 7″ singles from the past

27 January 2023

Last year soul/funk virtuoso STEVIE WONDER (aged 72) celebrated
the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece LP Talking Book last year.

The biggest hit on the album was SUPERSTITION. The master blaster
track topped the US Singles Chart 50 years ago this day, on 27 Jan 1973.

Very superstitious,
Writing’s on the wall,
Very superstitious,
Ladders bout’ to fall,
Thirteen month old baby,
Broke the lookin’ glass
Seven years of bad luck,
The good things in your past

When you believe in things
That you don’t understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition aint the way

STEVIE WONDER: Bio – Discography – Instagram