Beatle GEORGE HARRISON (1943 – 2001) released
his biggest hit MY SWEET LORD this day 55 years ago,
on 23 November 2025.
It topped the UK charts.
In February 1971, Harrison was accused of alleged copyright infringement
regarding a song called He’s So Fine written by Ronnie Mack in 1963, and
made popular by The Chiffons. After a court case, Harrison was convicted
to pay $1,599,987.
The song utilises elements of several 1950s doo-wop tracks in its arrangement. Lyrically, the narrator offers a companion hope of entering a limousine and being isolated from the outside world. In other words, he assures his companion that she will always be protected by him and promises her a brighter future.
“I’ll stick with you, baby, for a thousand years
Nothing’s gonna touch you in these golden years
Golden years Golden years, gold, wah-wah-wah
Come, b-b-b-baby”
American musician BILL HALEY (1925-1981) was a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer,
credited by many as the first artist to popularize the then-new form of
music in the early 1950s. Along with his band, the Comets he scored
a series of notable hits.
The biggest one and best known, as every music fan knows,
unless you lived/live on Mars, ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK.
The recording is widely considered to be the song that, more than
any other, brought rock and roll into mainstream culture around
the world.
It was written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers.
Although it was first recorded by Italian-American bandSonny Dae and His Knights
in March of 1954, Myers (who was part of that band) claimed the song had been written specifically for Haley, but for legal reasons, Haley was unable to record it himself until
April 1954.
The hit topped the UK Charts this day 60 years ago, on 20 November 1955. It also reached the top spot in the US, Germany, and Australia, and Top-10 in multiple other countries.
“One, two, three o’clock, four o’clock rock
Five, six, seven o’clock, eight o’clock rock
Nine, ten, eleven o’clock, twelve o’clock rock
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight”
Late musical genius DAVID BOWIEreleased his 25th and final albumBlackstar, on
8 January 2016, on his 69th birthday. Two days later, he passed away due to cancer.
At the time of recording, Bowie was already very ill. The LP was recorded secretly in New York City with his longtime co-producer Tony Visconti and a group of local jazz musicians.
The title track, stylised as ★ was released on 19 November 2015, today 10 years ago.
An elliptical, multi-faceted, and cryptic masterpiece. At 9:58, it was his second-longest recording, behind the ‘Station To Station’ song.
It lasted originally more than 11 minutes long, but after Bowie and Visconti learned that iTunes would not allow tracks for individual sale which lasted longer than 10 minutes.
Visconti: “That was total bullshit, but David was adamant it be the single, and he didn’t want both an album version and a single version, since that gets confusing.
“I can’t answer why (I’m a blackstar)
Just go with me (I’m not a filmstar)
I’ma take you home (I’m a blackstar)
Take your passport and shoes (I’m not a popstar)
And your sedatives, boo (I’m a blackstar)
You’re a flash in the pan (I’m not a marvel star)
I’m the Great I Am (I’m a blackstar)”
THE ROLLING STONES topped the US Singles Chart today 60 years ago,
on 6 Nov 1965, with GET OFF MY CLOUD. It knocked The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’
from the No.1 spot.
It also went to the top seat of the charts in the UK, Canada, and Germany and reached the top-5 in several other countries.
Keith Richards in 1971: “I never dug it as a record. The chorus was a nice idea, but
we rushed it as the follow-up. We were in L.A. where, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction was
recorded, and it was time for another single.
But how do you follow-up “Satisfaction”? Actually, what I wanted was to do it slow, like
a Lee Dorsey thing. We rocked it up. I thought it was one of Andrew Loog Oldham’s worst productions.”
‘I said, “Hey (hey), you (you), get off of my cloud”
Hey (hey), you (you), get off of my cloud
Hey (hey), you (you), get off of my cloud
Don’t hang around boy, two’s a crowd
On my cloud
Oh, yes‘
Americana star JOHN MELLENCAMP (74 now) released one of his hit
singles SMALL TOWN this day 40 years ago, on 2 November 1980.
It was part of his 8th LP, named Scarecrow. It went to #8 in the US.
Mellencamp wrote the song about his experiences growing up in a small town in Indiana, having been born in Seymour, Indiana, and living in Bloomington, Indiana, which, at the time of the release of the song, was larger.
“Well, I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Probably die in a small town
Oh, those small communities
All my friends are so small town
My parents live in the same small town
My job is so small town
Provides little opportunity, hey
Educated in a small town”
Eternal legends QUEEN released their everlasting stroke of genius BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY on 31 October 1975, today 50 years ago.
The song parodies elements of opera with bombastic choruses, sarcastic recitative, and distorted Italian operatic phrases. Lyrical references include Scaramouche, the fandango, Galileo Galilei, Figaro, and Beelzebub, with cries of Bismillah.
Producer Roy Thomas Baker recalled years later: “It was totally insane, but we enjoyed every minute of it. It was basically a joke, but a successful joke. [Laughs]. We had to record it in three separate units. We did the whole beginning bit, then the whole middle bit and then the whole end.
It was complete madness. The middle part started off being just a couple of seconds, but Freddie kept coming in with more “Galileos” and we kept on adding to the opera section, and it just got bigger and bigger. We never stopped laughing. It started off as a ballad, but the end was heavy.”
Manchester legends OASIS released their biggest hit ever with WONDERWALL. More than 2,5 billion streams on Spotify!!). The
worldwide blockbuster was released today 30 years ago, on
30 October 1995.
It went to #2 in the UK, #1 in Canada, New-Zealand
the US Alternative Airplay Charts and top-10 in
several European countries.
