THIS DAY IN MUSIC

May 7th: On this Day

1966, The Mamas and the Papas started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Monday Monday', it made No.3 in the UK. The group was reported, as saying they all hated the song except for its writer John Phillips. The Mamas and the Papas won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for this song.

1967, Pearls Before Swine begin recording an album called 'One Nation Underground'. The LP included a song called 'Miss Morse', which would be banned in New York when it was discovered that lead singer Tom Rapp was singing F-U-C-K in Morse code. After disc jockey Murray The K played the record on the air, local Boy Scouts correctly interpreted the chorus and phoned in a complaint.

1967, Pink Floyd appeared at The Mojo Club, Tollbar, Sheffield, England, opened and owned by Peter Stringfellow. Acts who have also appeared at the club include Stevie Wonder, John Lee Hooker, Rod Stewart, Ike and Tina Turner, The Who, Small Faces and Jimi Hendrix.

1971, 'Moonage Daydream' was released as a single by Arnold Corns, a band, formed by David Bowie the name of which was inspired by the Pink Floyd song 'Arnold Layne'. This was one of Bowie’s side projects and something of a dry run for Ziggy Stardust. The song later reappeared on Ziggy Stardust in a new version with updated lyrics.

1972, The Rolling Stones released the second album on their own label, Exile On Main Street, featuring two hit singles, 'Tumbling Dice' and 'Happy'. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 7 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, the highest of any Stones album on the list.

1974, Led Zeppelin held a party at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City for the launch of their new label Swan Song. Other label signings including, Scottish singer Maggie Bell (whose album Suicide Sal was the labels fourth release), and British supergroup, Bad Company also attended.

1974,

1977, The Eagles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Hotel California', the group's fourth US No.1, a No.8 hit in the UK. The Eagles also won the 1977 Grammy Award for Record of the Year for 'Hotel California' at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards in 1978. The song's guitar solo is ranked 8th on Guitar Magazine's Top 100 Guitar Solos and was voted the best solo of all time by readers of Guitarist magazine.

1978, 90,000 tickets were sold in eight hours for Bob Dylan's forthcoming London dates at Earls Court.

1983, Former Jam leader Paul Weller unveiled his new group The Style Council at an anti nuclear benefit gig in London. The Style Council scored seven UK Top 10 hits and the band was also very successful in Australia and New Zealand during the 1980s, with multiple hit singles and albums.

1983, Spandau Ballet were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'True', the group's only No.1. The song spent four weeks at the top of the UK chart and was a hit in 20 other countries. Parts of the original version have been sampled and used in a number of songs - most notably PM Dawn's 1991 US No.1 hit 'Set Adrift on Memory Bliss', which contains a sample of the song's famous guitar hook.

1988, Terence Trent D'arby went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Wishing Well', a No.4 hit in the UK.

1991, Wilson Pickett was arrested after running into an 86 year old man and yelling death threats whilst driving his car over the mayor's front lawn in Englewood, New Jersey. Pickett was charged with driving with open bottles of alcohol in his car.

1992, A leather Jacket worn by John Lennon during 1960-1963, was sold at Christies, London, England for £24,200.

1992, Nigel Preston drummer with The Cult died in London, England aged 32. Was a founding member of The Death Cult, he also played and recorded with Sex Gang Children, Theatre of Hate and The Gun Club.

1998, Eddie Rabbitt, US singer, songwriter died of lung cancer aged 56. During his career, he scored over 20 No.1's on Billboard's country singles chart including 1981 'I Love A Rainy Night'. Elvis Presley, Dr Hook, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle and Lynn Anderson all recorded his songs.

2000, Britney Spears went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Oops!... I Did It Again'. Written and produced by hit-makers Max Martin and Rami Yacoub, who had previously collaborated with Spears on '...Baby One More Time'.

2003, A US surgeon sued 50 Cent over an unpaid medical bill. The doctor claimed 50 Cent and his friend turned up at a hospital with multiple gunshot wounds in 2000, but said the rapper never paid the $20,000 he owed for treatment despite being asked several times.

2003, A Los Angeles federal jury recommended a $1.5 million award to a British record company that sued rapper-producer Dr Dre for song plagiarism. London-based Minder Music Ltd. sued Dre in 2000, claiming his 1999 song, 'Let's Get High,' used the bass line of The Fatback's 1980 song, 'Backstroking' which was featured on Dre's successful '2001' album, which sold 9 million copies worldwide.

2004, A planning inquiry hearing Madonna's appeal to ban ramblers from parts of her £9m country estate heard details of the land's make-up. The pop star claimed 100 acres of land at the 1,200-acre Ashcombe House estate had been inaccurately classified as open country. Madonna was appealing against the classification in a hearing. Under the act, people would have the right to access any land registered on the final map as open country-mountain, moor, heath or down.

2006, Snow Patrol went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Eyes Open' the bands fourth album. Also a No.1 in Ireland, and Australia and a No. 27 hit on the US Chart. The bands first album 'Songs For Polarbears' peaked at No.143 when released in 1998.

2011, John Walker (John Joseph Maus) best known as the founder of The Walker Brothers died of liver cancer at his Los Angeles home. He formed The Walker Brothers (originally The Walker Brothers Trio) in 1964, with himself as lead vocalist and guitarist. The Walker Brothers scored the 1966 UK No.1 & US No. 13 single 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'.

2015, Three of B.B. King's 11 surviving children lost a bid in a Las Vegas court to take control over their father's affairs after they said they suspect the 89-year-old Blues legend's manager of stealing his money and neglecting his medical care while blocking them from seeing him in home hospice care. King died in his sleep on May 14, 2015, at the age of 89.

May 7th: Born on this day

1939, Born on this day, Jimmy Ruffin, (1974 UK No.4 single 'What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted'). He died on Nov 17, 2014.

1939, Born on this day, Johnny Maestro, Brooklyn Bridge, (1969 US No.3 single, 'Worst That Could Happen').

1942, Born on this day, Derek Taylor press officer for The Beatles also worked with The Beach Boys and The Byrds. Taylor died on 10th September 1997.

1943, Born on this day, Rick Westwood, guitarist, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, (1967 UK No.1 & US No.11 single 'Silence Is Golden').

1945, Born on this day, Christy Moore, Irish singer, songwriter, Planxty, solo,

1946, Born on this day, Thelma Houston, US soul singer, (1977 US No.1 & UK No.13 single 'Don't Leave Me This Way').

1946, Born on this day, Bill Kreutzmann, drums, The Grateful Dead, (1970 UK No.69 and US No.127 album, 'Workingman's Dead').

1946, Born on this day, Bill Danoff, Starland Vocal Band, (1976 US No.1 & UK No.18 single 'Afternoon Delight').

1946, Born on this day, Jerry Nolan, drums, The New York Dolls, 1973 album 'New York Dolls'. Nolan died on 14th January 1992 from a fatal stroke.

1948, Born on this day, Pete Wingfield, singer, Pianist and producer, who had the 1975 UK No.7 and US No.15 single 'Eighteen With A Bullet', (which was later featured on the soundtrack to the 1998 film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). Produced the first album by Dexys Midnight Runners, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels and The Proclaimers hit, 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)'.

1949, Born on this day, Keith, (James Keefer), US singer, (1967 US No.7 and UK No.24 single '98.6').

1950, Born on this day, Prairie Prince, drums, The Tubes, (1977 UK No.28 single 'White Punks On Dope', 1983 US No.10 single 'She's A Beauty).

1951, Born on this day, American brass player Mic Gillette famous for being a member of Tower of Power. He died on 17 Jan 2016 of a heart attack.

1960, Born on this day, Anne Dudley, Art Of Noise, (1988 UK No.5 single with Tom Jones 'Kiss').

1961, Born on this day, Phil Campbell, lead guitar, Persian Risk, Motorhead, who had the 1980 UK No.15 single 'Ace Of Spades'.

1969, Born on this day, Eagle Eye Cherry, singer, songwriter, (1998 UK No.6 single 'Save Tonight').

1986, Born on this day, Matt Helders, drummer, Arctic Monkeys, (2005, UK No.1 single ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’, 2006 UK No.1 album ‘Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not’).