THIS CHARMING MAN – THE SMITHS
#25 NOV 1983 (DEBUT)
“THIS CHARMING MAN” IS A SONG BY THE ENGLISH BAND THE SMITHS, WRITTEN BY GUITARIST JOHNNY MARR AND SINGER/LYRICIST MORRISSEY. IT WAS RELEASED AS THE GROUP’S SECOND SINGLE IN OCTOBER 1983 ON THE INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL ROUGH TRADE. THE SONG IS DEFINED BY MARR’S JANGLE POP GUITAR RIFF AND MORRISSEY’S CHARACTERISTICALLY MOROSE LYRICS, WHICH REVOLVE AROUND THE RECURRENT SMITHS THEMES OF SEXUAL AMBIGUITY AND LUST.[1]
FEELING DETACHED FROM AND UNABLE TO RELATE TO THE EARLY 1980S MAINSTREAM GAY CULTURE, MORRISSEY WROTE “THIS CHARMING MAN” TO EVOKE AN OLDER, MORE CODED AND SELF-AWARE UNDERGROUND SCENE. THE SINGER EXPLAINED OF THE SONG’S LYRICS, “I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF THE MALE VOICE BEING QUITE VULNERABLE, OF IT BEING TAKEN AND SLIGHTLY MANIPULATED, RATHER THAN THERE BEING ALWAYS THIS HEAVY MACHISMO THING THAT JUST BORES EVERYBODY
1964, THE BEATLES ARRIVED IN ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA AND WERE GREETED BY AN ESTIMATED 250,000 FANS, (THE BIGGEST WELCOME THE BAND WOULD EVER RECEIVE), WHO LINED THE TEN MILE ROUTE FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE CITY CENTRE.
1965, THE BEATLES WERE INCLUDED IN THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST TO EACH RECEIVE THE MBE. PROTESTS POURED INTO BUCKINGHAM PALACE, MP HECTOR DUPUIS SAID ‘BRITISH ROYALTY HAS PUT ME ON THE SAME LEVEL AS A BUNCH OF VULGAR NUMBSKULLS’.
2004, LEE RYAN FROM BLUE WAS FOUND GUILTY OF CRIMINAL DAMAGE AND ORDERED TO PAY £500 ($850) COMPENSATION FROM CHARGES RELATING TO AN INCIDENT OUTSIDE LONDON NIGHTCLUB 10 ROOMS THE PREVIOUS DECEMBER. RYAN ADMITTED TO THROWING PUNCHES AT A PHOTOGRAPHER AFTER BEING BOMBARDED BY SNAPPERS WHEN LEAVING THE CLUB, BUT ARGUED THAT HE WAS PROVOKED INTO DOING SO. JUDGE CAROLINE TUBBS ACCEPTED THAT LEE WAS ACTING IN SELF-DEFENCE, SO DISMISSED ANY ASSAULT CHARGES.
2005, PINK FLOYD ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD REUNITE WITH FORMER BASSIST ROGER WATERS, WHO LEFT THE BAND IN 1985, ON JULY 2 FOR THE LIVE 8 LONDON CONCERT. THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME THE BAND HAD PLAYED TOGETHER AS A QUARTET SINCE THE WALL TOUR IN 1981.
2006, PRINCE RECEIVED A WEBBY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF HIS “VISIONARY” USE OF THE INTERNET; PRINCE WAS THE FIRST MAJOR ARTIST TO RELEASE AN ENTIRE ALBUM, 1997’S CRYSTAL BALL, EXCLUSIVELY ON THE INTERNET.
2008, AMY WINEHOUSE PERFORMED AN EXCLUSIVE GIG AT A MOSCOW ART GALLERY FOR CHELSEA FC OWNER ROMAN ABRAMOVICH AND HIS GIRLFRIEND DASHA ZHUKOVA. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE SINGER WAS PAID £1M FOR THE GIG AT THE LAUNCH OF THE GARAGE GALLERY, WHICH HAS BEEN SET UP BY MS ZHUKOVA.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1941, BORN ON THIS DAY, REG PRESLEY, SINGER, THE TROGGS,
1948, BORN ON THIS DAY, BARRY BAILEY, ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION
1951, BORN ON THIS DAY, BRAD DELP, GUITARIST AND SINGER WITH BOSTON. DIED ON MARCH 9TH 2007.
1952, BORN ON THIS DAY, PETE FARDON, BASS PLAYER WITH THE PRETENDERS
1953, BORN ON THIS DAY, ROCKY BURNETTE, SINGER
1959, BORN ON THIS DAY, JOHN LINNELL, ACCORDION, KEYBOARDS, SAX, THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS,
