AN EVERLASTING LOVE – ANDY GIBB
SHADOW DANCING IS THE SECOND ALBUM BY ENGLISH SINGER AND TEEN IDOL ANDY GIBB, RELEASED IN 1978. CONTINUING THE MOMENTUM OF HIS FIRST SUCCESSES, NOTABLY “I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING”, HE BEGAN WORK WITH THE GIBB-GALUTEN-RICHARDSON PRODUCTION TEAM ON HIS SECOND ALBUM. ALTHOUGH THE ALBUM IS NOT CURRENTLY IN PRINT
SHADOW DANCING, WRITTEN BY GIBB AND ALL THREE OF HIS BROTHERS, WAS RELEASED AS A SINGLE IN THE US IN APRIL 1978 (ALONGSIDE THE ALBUM), AND IN MID-JUNE BEGAN A SEVEN WEEK RUN AT #1, ACHIEVING PLATINUM STATUS. TWO FURTHER TOP TEN SINGLES, “AN EVERLASTING LOVE” (#5) AND “(OUR LOVE) DON’T THROW IT ALL AWAY” (#9),
1962, ELVIS PRESLEY RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO APPEAR AT THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE IN THE UK WHICH IS ATTENDED BY MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY. PRESLEY’S MANAGER, COLONEL TOM PARKER GRACIOUSLY DECLINED, CITING MOTION PICTURE COMMITMENTS. THE REAL REASON WAS THAT PARKER WAS AN ILLEGAL DUTCH IMMIGRANT LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES WHO FEARED HE MIGHT NOT BE ALLOWED TO RETURN IF HE LEFT THE COUNTRY.
1966, JIMI HENDRIX ARRIVED IN LONDON WITH MANAGER CHAS CHANDLER ON A FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK CITY. WITH ONLY THE CLOTHES HE WAS WEARING, HENDRIX HAD SOLD HIS OTHER BELONGINGS TO PAY A HOTEL BILL IN NEW YORK. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HE DOES AFTER ARRIVING IN ENGLAND IS TO LEGALLY CHANGE HIS NAME FROM JAMES TO JIMI.
1967, FILMING CONTINUED FOR THE BEATLES ‘MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR’ AT WEST MALLING AIR STATION, MAIDSTONE, KENT WITH THE SHOOTING OF THE ‘YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW’ BALLROOM FINALE. WITH THE BEATLES ALL DRESSED IN WHITE SUITS AND SHOES, GLIDING DOWN A GLITTERY STAIRCASE AS 160 MEMBERS OF PEGGY SPENCER’S DANCE TEAM SWIRLED ROUND ABOUT.
1984, CULTURE CLUB HAD THEIR SECOND UK NO.1 SINGLE WITH ‘KARMA CHAMELEON’, WHICH STAYED AT THE TOP OF THE CHARTS FOR SIX WEEKS AND BECAME THE BEST-SELLING SINGLE OF 1983. THE HARMONICA PART WAS PLAYED BY JUDD LANDER, WHO HAD BEEN A MEMBER OF MERSEYBEAT GROUP THE HIDEAWAYS IN THE 1960S
1988, BOBBY MCFERRIN STARTED A TWO WEEK RUN AT NO.1 ON THE US SINGLES CHART WITH ‘DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY’, THE FIRST A-CAPPELLA RECORD TO BE A NO.1. IT MADE NO.2 IN THE UK. ‘DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY, WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE MOVIE, COCKTAIL. THE SONG WOULD GO ON TO WIN GRAMMY AWARDS FOR BOTH RECORD OF THE YEAR AND SONG OF THE YEAR.
1988, THE HOLLIES WERE AT NO.1 ON THE UK SINGLES CHART WITH ‘HE AIN’T HEAVY HE’S MY BROTHER’ AFTER THE SONG WAS USED ON A UK TV BEER COMMERCIAL, THE SONG WAS ORIGINALLY A HIT IN 1969 AND FEATURED A YOUNG ELTON JOHN ON PIANO
1991, NIRVANA’S ALBUM ‘NEVERMIND’ WAS RELEASED IN AMERICA, ENTERING THE CHART AT NO. 144 ON ITS FIRST WEEK. THE ALBUM WHICH PEAKED AT NO. 1 IN JANUARY 1992 HAS NOW SOLD OVER 30M COPIES WORLD WIDE. THE IDEA FOR THE NOW ICONIC FRONT COVER SHOT OF THE BABY SWIMMING CAME AFTER KURT COBAIN AND DRUMMER DAVE GROHL SAW A TV DOCUMENTARY ON WATER BABIES.
2004, THE STRAT PACK: LIVE IN CONCERT WAS HELD AT WEMBLEY ARENA IN LONDON MARKING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FENDER STRATOCASTER GUITAR. THE CONCERT FEATURED RONNIE WOOD, JOE WALSH, GARY MOORE, BRIAN MAY, DAVID GILMOUR, ALBERT LEE, ANDY FAIRWEATHER-LOW, HANK MARVIN AND MANY MORE
BORN TODAY
1942, BORN ON THIS DAY, GERRY MARSDEN, GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS, (1963 UK NO.1 SINGLE ‘YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE’ 1965 US NO.6 SINGLE ‘FERRY ACROSS THE MERSEY’).
1942, BORN ON THIS DAY, LINDA MCCARTNEY, (LINDA EASTMAN). WIFE OF PAUL, PHOTOGRAPHER, ANIMAL RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER, LAUNCHED HER OWN BRAND OF VEGETARIAN FOOD. PLAYED KEYBOARDS WITH WINGS AND SOLO MCCARTNEY RECORDS. 1971 PAUL AND LINDA MCCARTNEY UK NO.1 ALBUM ‘RAM’. SHE DIED OF BREAST CANCER ON 17TH APRIL 1998
1971, BORN ON THIS DAY, PETER SALISBURY, DRUMS, THE VERVE,
1946, BORN ON THIS DAY, JERRY DONAHUE, UK FOLK GROUP, FAIRPORT CONVENTION,
1933, BORN ON THIS DAY, MEL TAYLOR, DRUMS, THE VENTURES, (1960 US NO.2 & UK NO.8 SINGLE ‘WALK DON’T RUN.’ TAYLOR DIED OF LUNG CANCER ON 11TH AUGUST 1996.
