BEAT THE CLOCK – SPARKS
#10 JUL 1979
BEAT THE CLOCK IS A SINGLE BY SPARKS RELEASED 1979. IT IS NAMED AFTER THE GAME SHOW BEAT THE CLOCK.
THE SONG PEAKED AT #10 IN AUGUST 1979 AND SPENT SIX WEEKS IN THE UK TOP FORTY SINGLES CHART. IT WAS THEIR THIRD AND FINAL TOP TEN SINGLE IN THE UK.
THE SONG WAS LIFTED FROM THE ALBUM NO. 1 IN HEAVEN AND PRODUCED BY GIORGIO MORODER DURING THE LATE SEVENTIES HE WAS ONE OF THE PREMIER PRODUCERS, HIS WORKING RELATIONSHIP GREW FROM SPARKS APPRECIATION OF DONNA SUMMER’S DYNAMIC “I FEEL LOVE” WHICH MORODER CO-WROTE AND CO-PRODUCED.
THE SONG WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REWORKED FOR THE ALBUM PLAGIARISM IN 1998 AND A LIVE VERSION WAS RELEASED AS A B-SIDE ON THE UK CD SINGLE “NOW THAT I OWN THE BBC” IN JANUARY 1996.
1956, THE FIRST EUROVISION SONG CONTEST WAS HELD IN LUGANO, SWITZERLAND. THE EVENT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF MARCEL BAISONCON OF THE EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION. SEVEN COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED AND THEY WERE EACH ALLOWED TWO SONGS. BOTH LUXEMBOURG AND THE WINNER SWITZERLAND USED THE SAME SINGER FOR BOTH. SWITZERLAND WON WITH ‘REFRAIN’ BY LYS ASSIA.
1974, AMERICAN COMPOSER, PIANIST, AND BANDLEADER DUKE ELLINGTON, DIED OF LUNG CANCER AND PNEUMONIA AGED 75. WORKED WITH LOUIS ARMSTRONG, ELLA FITZGERALD, DIZZY GILLESPIE, BILLIE HOLIDAY. AWARDED A GRAMMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN 1966. IN 2009 THE UNITED STATES MINT LAUNCHED A NEW COIN FEATURING DUKE ELLINGTON ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE COIN.
1980, GENESIS FANS TURNING UP AT THE ROXY CLUB BOX OFFICE IN LOS ANGELES TO BUY TICKETS FOR A FORTHCOMING GIG WERE SURPRISED TO FIND THE BAND MEMBERS PHIL COLLINS, TONY BANKS AND MIKE RUTHERFORD SELLING THE TICKETS THEMSELVES.
1999, FREDDIE MERCURY WAS FEATURED ON A NEW SET OF MILLENNIUM STAMPS ISSUED BY THE ROYAL MAIL. THE QUEEN FRONT MAN WHO DIED IN 1991, WAS FEATURED ON THE 19P STAMP. THE SINGER WAS A KEEN STAMP COLLECTOR, AND HIS COLLECTION WAS BOUGHT BY THE POST OFFICE IN 1993. THE STAMP MARKED HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIVE AID CHARITY CONCERT IN 1985.
2000, A NEW YORK JUDGE TOLD PRETENDERS SINGER CHRISSIE HYNDE THAT IF SHE WANTED HER MARCH ARREST FOR PROTESTING THE SALE OF LEATHER GOODS IN A GAP STORE DISMISSED, SHE’D BETTER KEEP HER NOSE CLEAN FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS
2000, ANDREA AND SHARON CORR FROM THE CORRS BOTH COLLAPSED IN THE MID-DAY SUN WHILST SHOOTING THEIR NEW VIDEO IN THE MOJAVE DESERT IN CALIFORNIA. THE PAIR WERE TREATED IN HOSPITAL FOR HEAT EXHAUSTION AND WERE BACK ON THE SET WITHIN 24 HOURS.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1941 – ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, (BOB DYLAN), US FOLK SINGER, SONGWRITER. RELEASED OVER 40 ALBUMS SINCE 1964, MAJOR INFLUENCE ON THE BEATLES AND THE ROLLING STONES DURING THE 60’S.
1942 – DEREK QUINN, FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS,
1945, BORN ON THIS DAY, DAVE PEACOCK, CHAS & DAVE,
1947 – ALBERT BOUCHARD, DRUMMER, GUITARIST, SONGWRITER, BLUE OYSTER CULT
1962 – GENE ANTHONY RAY, ‘LEROY’ IN TV’S ‘FAME’. AXED FROM THE SHOW IN 1984 AFTER HIS MOTHER WAS JAILED FOR RUNNING A DRUG RING. HE DANCED WITH THE WEATHER GIRLS IN THEIR VIDEO OF ‘IT’S RAINING MEN.’ LEROY DIED ON NOVEMBER 19TH 2003.
1960 – GUY FLETCHER, MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST, ROXY MUSIC, (JOINE ROXY MUSIC IN 1981 FOR THEIR ‘AVALON’ WORLD TOUR). ALSO WORKED WITH BRYAN FERRY, DIRE STRAITS AN MARK KNOPFLER.
