KITES – SIMON DUPREE AND THE BIG SOUND
IT WAS A HIT FOR SIMON DUPREE AND THE BIG SOUND, THE GROUP OF THE SHULMAN BROTHERS WHO WENT ON TO FORM THE PROGRESSIVE BAND GENTLE GIANT. THEIR FIRST RELEASES HAD NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND THEY LOOKED TO THEIR MANAGER, JOHN KING, FOR INSPIRATION. HE SUGGESTED THE KITES BALLAD, WHICH HE HAD OBTAINED FROM ROBBINS’ MUSIC. THIS WAS NOT THEIR PREFERRED STYLE BUT KING INSISTED. IT WAS RECORDED AT ABBEY ROAD USING UNCONVENTIONAL INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS A WIND MACHINE AND INCLUDED A SPOKEN INTERLUDE IN CHINESE, COMPOSED OF “SWEET NOTHINGS” AND PERFORMED BY THE ACTRESS JACQUI CHAN, FRIEND OF THE BAND. THE SINGLE REACHED NUMBER 8 IN THE UK IN LATE 1967 AND AS AN EXEMPLAR OF THE EARLY PSYCHEDELIC ROCK STYLE IT HAS SINCE APPEARED ON MANY COMPILATIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THEMED AROUND PSYCHEDELIA.
1965, ON THE LAST DAY OF A FIVE-DAY BREAK FROM THEIR NORTH AMERICAN TOUR, THE BEATLES, ATTENDED A RECORDING SESSION FOR THE BYRDS. LATER THAT AFTERNOON, THE BEATLES MET ELVIS PRESLEY AT HIS MANSION INBEVERLY HILLS. IT WAS AN AWKWARD MEETING, LEAVING THE BEATLES WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT PRESLEY’S PERSONALITY WAS DECIDEDLY “UNMAGNETIC”. JOHN LENNON REMARKED SOON AFTER, ‘WHERE’S ELVIS’ IT WAS LIKE MEETING ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK.’
1967, BRITISH MUSIC ENTREPRENEUR AND THE MANAGER OF THE BEATLES BRIAN EPSTEIN WAS FOUND DEAD, LOCKED IN A BEDROOM AT HIS LONDON HOME. A CORONER’S INQUEST CONCLUDED THAT EPSTEIN DIED FROM AN OVERDOSE OF THE SLEEPING PILLS
1990, STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN WAS KILLED WHEN THE HELICOPTER HE WAS FLYING IN, HIT A MAN-MADE SKI SLOPE WHILE TRYING TO NAVIGATE THROUGH DENSE FOG.VAUGHANHAD PLAYED A SHOW AT ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE,EAST TROY,WISCONSINWITH ROBERT CRAY & HISMEMPHISHORNS, AND ERIC CLAPTON.VAUGHANWAS INFORMED BY A MEMBER OF CLAPTON’S CREW THAT THREE SEATS WERE OPEN ON A HELICOPTER RETURNING TOCHICAGOWITH CLAPTON’S CREW, IT TURNED OUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE SEAT LEFT;VAUGHANREQUESTED IT FROM HIS BROTHER, WHO OBLIGED. THREE MEMBERS OF ERIC CLAPTON’S ENTOURAGE WERE ALSO KILLED.
MONDAY 27TH AUGUST – SECOND HOUR
2003, P DIDDY WAS BEING SUED FOR $5M (£3.20M) BY A WOMAN WHO CLAIMED SHE WAS ASSAULTED BY A BOUNCER OUTSIDE HIS NEW YORK RESTAURANT. STEPHANIE GRIESO, SAID SHE WAS ARGUING OUTSIDE JUSTIN’S IN AUGUST 2002 WHEN A BOUNCER GRABBED HER BY THE NECK AND PUSHED HER DOWN ON THE PAVEMENT, CAUSING LEG INJURIES.
2007, KEVIN FEDERLINE’S LAWYERS ASKED BRITNEY SPEARS TO PAY SOME OF HER FORMER HUSBAND’S LEGAL EXPENSES IN THEIR DIVORCE CASE. HIS LEGAL TEAM SAID FEDERLINE HAD “NO NET INCOME” AFTER VARIOUS EXPENSES, AND THAT MS SPEARS WAS “CLEARLY THE MONIED PARTY” IN THE DISPUTE.
BORN TODAY
1942, BORN ON THIS DAY, B.J. THOMAS, SINGER, (1970 US NO.1 &UKNO.38 SINGLE ‘RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD’)
1942, BORN ON THIS DAY, DARYL DRAGON, THE CAPTAIN AND TENNILLE
1945, BORN ON THIS DAY, MALCOLM ALLURED, SHOWADDYWADDY,
1953, BORN ON THIS DAY, ALEX LIFESON, GUITARIST, RUSH
1956, BORN ON THIS DAY, GLEN MATLOCK, BASS, THE RICH KIDS, (1978 UKNO.24 SINGLE ‘RICH KIDS’), AND EARLY MEMBER OF THE SEX PISTOLS AND THE REFORMED SEX PISTOLS.
1970, BORN ON THIS DAY, TONY KANAL, BASS, NO DOUBT,
