THURSDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2012
MY SENTIMENTAL FRIEND – HERMAN’S HERMITS
HERMAN’S HERMITS ARE AN ENGLISH BEAT (OR POP) BAND, FORMED IN MANCHESTER IN 1963 AS HERMAN & THE HERMITS. THE GROUP’S RECORD PRODUCER, MICKIE MOST (WHO CONTROLLED THE BAND’S OUTPUT), EMPHASIZED A SIMPLE, NON-THREATENING, CLEAN-CUT IMAGE, ALTHOUGH THE BAND ORIGINALLY PLAYED R&B NUMBERS.[3] THIS HELPED HERMAN’S HERMITS BECOME HUGELY SUCCESSFUL IN THE MID-1960S BUT DAMPENED THE BAND’S SONGWRITING;
“I’M INTO SOMETHING GOOD” IS A SONG COMPOSED BY GERRY GOFFIN AND CAROLE KING AND MADE FAMOUS BY HERMAN’S HERMITS. THE SONG WAS ORIGINALLY RECORDED BY COOKIES MEMBER EARL-JEAN MCCREA IN 1964 AND REACHED NUMBER 38 ON THE US POP SINGLES CHART. SOON THEREAFTER, HERMAN’S HERMITS RECORDED THE SONG AS THEIR DEBUT SINGLE, REACHING NUMBER ONE IN THE UK SINGLES CHART ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1964, AND STAYING THERE FOR TWO WEEKS.[1] THE SONG PEAKED AT NUMBER 13 IN THE US LATER THAT YEAR. ARRANGED BY HERMIT’S GUITARIST DEREK LECKENBY, THE SONG FEATURED AN UPTEMPO RENDITION.
1969, BASED ON THE COMIC-BOOK TV SERIES ARCHIE AND HIS FRIENDS THE ARCHIE’S STARTED A FOUR-WEEK RUN AT NO.1 ON THE US SINGLES CHART WITH SUGAR SUGAR. IT BECAME THE LONGEST RUNNING ONE HIT WONDER IN THE UK AFTER SPENDING EIGHT WEEKS AT THE TOP OF THE CHARTS.
1970, JIM MORRISON OF THE DOORS WAS ACQUITTED ON CHARGES OF LEWD AND LASCIVIOUS BEHAVIOR, BUT WAS FOUND GUILTY OF EXPOSING HIMSELF DURING A CONCERT AT THE DINNER KEY AUDITORIUM IN COCONUT GROVE A YEAR AND A HALF EARLIER. AT HIS TRIAL AT THE DADE COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN MIAMI, JUDGE GOODMAN SENTENCED MORRISON TO SIX MONTHS HARD LABOR AND A $500 (£270), FINE FOR PUBLIC EXPOSURE AND SIXTY DAYS HARD LABOR FOR PROFANITY. THE SENTENCE WAS APPEALED, BUT MORRISON WAS NEVER BROUGHT TO TRIAL, AS HE WOULD DIE IN PARIS FRANCE ON JULY 3, 1971.
1976, AC/DC RELEASED THEIR THIRD STUDIO ALBUM ‘DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP’. THE ALBUM HAS BEEN CERTIFIED 6X PLATINUM IN THE UNITED STATES, WHICH MEANS THAT IT HAS SOLD AT LEAST 6 MILLION COPIES, BECOMING THE THIRD HIGHEST SOLD ALBUM BY AC/DC IN THE US AFTER ‘HIGHWAY TO HELL’ AND ‘BACK IN BLACK’
1997, ELTON JOHN STARTED A SIX WEEK RUN AT NO.1 ON THE UK SINGLES CHART WITH ‘SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT’, AND ‘CANDLE IN THE WIND 97.’ A RE-WRITE OF HIS 1974 HIT ABOUT MARILYN MONROE. THIS VERSION WAS RAISING FUNDS FOR THE DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES CHARITY, FOLLOWING HER DEATH IN PARIS. IT WENT ON TO BECOME THE BIGGEST SELLING SINGLE IN THE WORLD EVER
2005, CANADIAN JD FORTUNE, BEAT TWO OTHER FINALISTS TO BECOME THE NEW LEAD SINGER WITH INXS AFTER A WORLDWIDE SEARCH TO REPLACE THE LATE MICHAEL HUTCHENCE. INXS HELD AUDITIONS IN SIX CONTINENTS AS PART OF A REALITY TV SERIES…HE WAS SINCE REPLACED BY IRISH SINGER JOE ECHO
2007, STEREOPHONICS SINGER KELLY JONES WAS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL WHEN HE WAS INJURED DURING AN ALTERCATION WITH A MEMBER OF A CLUB’S SECURITY TEAM. THE BAND HAD GONE TO A WEST LONDON CLUB AFTER APPEARING AT THE VODAFONE LIVE MUSIC AWARDS.
BORN TODAY
1946 – MICHAEL OLDROYD, MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND
1949 – CHUCK AND JOHN PANOZZO, BASS AND DRUMS, STYX. JOHN PANOZZO DIED ON 16TH JULY 1996
1959 – ALANNAH CURRIE VOCALS, SAX, THE THOMPSON TWINS
1960, DAVID HEMMINGWAY, THE HOUSEMARTINS,BEAUTIFUL SOUTH
1960 – ROBERT WIGGINS, GRANDMASTER FLASH AND THE FURIOUS FIVE. (1982 UK NO.8 SINGLE ‘THE MESSAGE’). DIED OF A HEART ATTACK 8TH SEPTEMBER 1989.
1966 – NUNO BETTENCOURT, EXTREME
1967 – MATTHEW AND GUNNAR NELSON, TWIN SONS OF 60’S SINGER RICKY NELSON
1968 – BEN SHEPHERD, SOUNDGARDEN