On This Date, June 24th, in 1967: Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” entered the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it would later peak at Number 5 (In the UK it hit #1 on June 8th). Lyrically inspired a party the band members attended where everyone was tripping on LSD (I’m pretty sure The Beatles were at that party) the song was written by the band around a melody composed by the group’s organist, Matthew Fisher, who was inspired by the chord progression of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Orchestral Suite in D,” composed between 1725 and 1739. As of 2009, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK. What a great song.
On This Date, June 13th in 1970: The Beatles reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the twelfth and last time with “The Long and Winding Road,” which spent two weeks on top. The album from which it was culled, Let It Be, also spent four weeks at the top of the album chart. On a personal note, Let it Be was the first album I ever bought with my own money when I was a kid, and I still have that copy.
On This Date, March 22nd in 1975: Led Zeppelin’s double album Physical Graffiti reached the top of the Billboard 200 album chart for the first of six weeks, giving the group its fourth number one album. The album was released one month earlier,on February 24th. The apartment building photographed for the albums’ iconic cover still stands at 96-98 St. Marks Place (East 8th Street) in NYC’s East Village.
Houses of the Holy: 96-98 St. Marks Place (Photographed By Me on July 30th, 2017)
On This Date, February 27th In 1967: Pink Floyd as fronted by Syd Barrett completed recording of their debut single “Arnold Layne” with producer Joe Boyd at EMI Studios in London.
On This Date in 1969: The Band called Alice Cooper appeared at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival held at Varsity Stadium. Other acts on the bill included John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band (with Eric Clapton), Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, The Doors and Gene Vincent – with Alice Cooper members Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith, Michael Bruce and Glen Buxton serving as Vincent’s backing band. Continue reading Alice Cooper Band’s Fabled “Chicken Incident” Turns 40!→
