ROCKIT – HERBIE HANCOCK
“ROCKIT” IS A COMPOSITION RECORDED BY HERBIE HANCOCK. IT WAS RELEASED AS A SINGLE FROM HIS 1983 ALBUM FUTURE SHOCK.
THE VIDEO DIRECTED BY DUO GODLEY & CRÈME OF 10 CC FAME IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT WAS EDITED TO THE SOUNDS OF THE SCRATCHING OF THE COMPOSITION, AND IT EMPLOYED NEW TECHNIQUES NEVER SEEN IN A MUSIC VIDEO UP UNTIL THEN. HANCOCK HIMSELF APPEARS AND PLAYS KEYBOARD ONLY AS A BLACK-AND-WHITE IMAGE ON A TELEVISION, WHICH IS SMASHED ON THE PAVEMENT OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR OF THE HOUSE IN THE CLOSING SHOT.
1972, JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO PLAYED MADISON SQUARE GARDENS TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE ONE TO ONE CHARITY. STEVIE WONDER, SHA NA NA AND ROBERTA FLACK ALSO APPEARED AT THE EVENT. LENNON PERSONALLY BOUGHT $60,000 WORTH OF TICKETS WHICH WERE GIVEN TO VOLUNTEER FUND-RAISERS
1975, ROD STEWART HAD HIS FIFTH UK NO.1 ALBUM WHEN ‘ATLANTIC CROSSING’ STARTED A FIVE-WEEK RUN AT THE TOP OF THE CHARTS. THE TITLE INDICATED STEWART’S NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTION, AND ON HIS DEPARTURE TO ESCAPE THE 83 PER CENT TOP RATE OF INCOME TAX FOR THE JET-SET LIFESTYLE IN LOS ANGELES
1995, STERLING MORRISON FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE VELVET UNDERGROUND DIED OF CANCER AT HIS HOME IN NEW YORK CITY TWO DAYS AFTER HIS 53RD BIRTHDAY. THE GUITARIST LEFT THE GROUP IN AUGUST 1971 AND RE-JOINED IN 1992 FOR A EUROPEAN TOUR. DURING THE 80’S HE BECAME THE CAPTAIN OF A HOUSTON TUGBOAT
1995, CARLY SIMON AND JAMES TAYLOR PERFORMED LIVE TOGETHER IN FRONT OF 10,000 FANS ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD, MASSACHUSETTS. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY APPEARED LIVE ON THE SAME STAGE SINCE 1979. THE FORMER COUPLE PLAYED THEIR OWN SOLO SETS BEFORE COMBINING THEIR EFFORTS IN RAISING MONEY FOR THE LOCAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
1989, IZZY STRADLIN FROM GUNS N’ ROSES WAS ARRESTED FOR MAKING A PUBLIC DISTURBANCE ON A US AIR FLIGHT. STRADLIN HAD URINATED ON THE FLOOR, VERBALLY ABUSED A STEWARDESS AND SMOKED IN THE NON-SMOKING SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.
2011, ALLEGING THAT ELVIS PRESLEY “WAS UNJUSTLY EXPLOITED DURING HIS LIFETIME BY HIS RECORD COMPANY,” HIS ESTATE ANNOUNCED A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT AGAINST ARISTA MUSIC, FORMERLY RCA RECORDS, DEMANDING PROPER PAYMENT OVER NEW MEDIA INCOME SUCH AS RINGTONES, DOWNLOADS AND ENTERTAINMENT APPS.
BORN TODAY
1935, BORN ON THIS DAY, JOHN PHILLIPS, THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS, (1966 US NO.1 AND UK NO.3 SINGLE ‘MONDAY MONDAY’). PHILLIPS DIED OF HEART FAILURE AGED 65 ON 18TH MARCH 2001
1939, BORN ON THIS DAY, JOHN PEEL, BBC RADIO DJ. JOURNALIST AND TV PRESENTER, BORN JOHN ROBERT PARKER RAVENSCROFT. HE WAS THE LONGEST RUNNING BBC RADIO 1 AND THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRITISH DJ EVER. HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BROADCASTERS TO PLAY PSYCHEDELIC ROCK AND PROGRESSIVE ROCK RECORDS ON BRITISH RADIO, AND IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED FOR PROMOTING ARTISTS WORKING IN VARIOUS GENRES……… PEEL DIED IN CUZCO, PERU OF A HEART ATTACK ON 25TH OCTOBER 2004 AGED 65.
1941, BORN ON THIS DAY, JOHN MCNALLY, THE SEARCHERS
1951, BORN ON THIS DAY, DANA, (ROSEMARY BROWN), 1970 IRISH EUROVISION SONG CONTEST WINNER,
1963, BORN ON THIS DAY, PAUL OAKENFOLD, PRODUCER, REMIXER, DJ. TOURED WITH U2, REMIXED FOR SIMPLY RED, M PEOPLE, NEW ORDER, STONE ROSES AND U2.
1952, BORN ON THIS DAY, KENNY ANDREWS, DARTS
