On This Day

April 1st

1961 - The Beatles

The Beatles began a three-month residency at The Top Ten Club, Hamburg, playing 92 straight nights. The group played for seven hours a night on weekdays and eight hours at weekends with a fifteen-minute break every hour. It was during this visit that Astrid Kirchherr cut Stuart Sutcliffe's hair into the style destined to become known as the "Beatle haircut" which The Beatles later adopted themselves.

1965 - The Who

The Who recorded an appearance for Top Of The Pops at the Manchester television studio. The band then played a gig supporting Donovan at The Town Hall, Wembley, with Rod Stewart and the Soul Agents appearing at the bottom of the bill. 

1966 - David Bowie

Pye Records released David Bowie's first solo single, 'Do Anything You Say'. Despite featuring Bowie’s backing band at the time, The Buzz, the single was to be the first simply credited to David Bowie, (which failed to chart). Bowie had previously recorded as David Jones and The Lower Third.

1966 - The Troggs

The Troggs recorded 'Wild Thing' at Regent Sound Studio in London. The song went on to be a No.1 US and No.2 UK hit in June the following year. The track was recorded in one complete take (take two).

1966 - John Lennon

John Lennon bought a copy of Timothy Leary's The Psychedelic Experience and The Tibetan Book Of The Dead, where he read near the beginning of the book's introduction; "When in doubt, relax, turn off your mind, float downstream," which captured Lennon's imagination and became the first line of 'Tomorrow Never Knows', (which he recorded 5 days later).

1969 - Beach Boys

The Beach Boys announced they were suing their record label Capitol for $2m in unpaid royalties.

1970 - Phil Spector

50 musicians recorded the orchestral scores for The Beatles tracks 'The Long And Winding Road' and 'Across The Universe' for the Phil Spector produced sessions. The bill for the 50 musicians was £1,126 and 5 shillings, ($1.914).

1970 - The Rolling Stones

Earls Court in London received over one million postal ticket applications for The Rolling Stones forthcoming six concerts as part of the group's European tour.

1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono

As an April Fool's joke, John Lennon and Yoko Ono issued a statement to the press that they were having dual sex change operations.

1975 - Bay City Rollers

The Bay City Rollers TV series Shang-A- Lang premiered on ITV in the UK. It featured the band in comedy sketches and performing their songs to a live studio audience made up of their teenage fans. This resulted in chaotic scenes at times as some members of the audience attempted to run onto the studio floor to meet their heroes. It ran for one 20-week series in 75. 

1976 - AC/DC

Making their live debut in the UK, AC/DC played at The Red Cow in Hammersmith, London.

1976 - Buzzcocks

The Buzzcocks played their debut live gig when the appeared at Bolton Institute Of Technology. The power was turned off after three numbers.

1984 - Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father at his parent's home in Los Angeles, California. The argument started after his parents squabbled over misplaced business documents, Gaye attempted to intervene, and was killed by his father using a gun he had given him four months before. Marvin Sr. was sentenced to six years of probation after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped after doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumour.

1985 - Van Halen

David Lee Roth quit Van Halen shortly after releasing his version of The Beach Boys 'California Girls', (which featured Carl Wilson on background vocals). He was replaced by Sammy Hagar later in the year.

1989 - Madonna

Madonna scored her third UK No.1 album with 'Like A Prayer.' Also a US No.1 the album spent 70 weeks on the UK chart.

1989 - Bangles

The Bangles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Eternal Flame', also a No.1 in the UK and the biggest selling single of 1989 in Australia.

2001 - Mel B

It was reported that Spice Girl Mel B had been advised to sell her £3.5m Buckinghamshire mansion because she couldn't afford to run it. The singer told friends she had to take out a £500.000 bank loan.

2004 - Paul Atkinson

Paul Atkinson guitarist with The Zombies died aged 58 due to liver and kidney disease. They scored the 1964 US No.2 & UK No.12 single 'She's Not There'. He later became an artists and repertoire executive, working for Columbia and RCA discovering and signing such bands as ABBA, Bruce Hornsby, Mr. Mister, Judas Priest, and Michael Penn.

2005 - U2

During the first leg of their Vertigo World tour, U2 appeared at the Arrowhead Sports Arena in Anaheim, Southern California, with Kings Of Leon as the opening act. By the end of the 131 date tour, 4,619,021 tickets had been sold with a total gross of $389 million.

2007 - Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette released a tongue-in-cheek cover of The Black Eyed Peas's 'My Humps', which she recorded in a slow, mournful voice, accompanied only by a piano. The accompanying YouTube video, in which she danced provocatively with a group of men received over 15m views.

2013 - The Beatles

A signed copy of The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band sold at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions for $290,500 (£191,000). The selling price far exceeded the $30,000 (£19,700) originally estimated for the rare LP record. The UK Parlophone copy of the album included a high gloss cover and vinyl gatefold sleeve.

2015 - Cynthia Lennon

Cynthia Lennon, first wife of The Beatles' John Lennon died at her home in Spain following a short battle with cancer. At the height of The Beatles' early success she was, at the insistence of the band's management, kept in the background so their legions of female fans were not aware of her existence. The couple divorced in 1968 after Cynthia discovered her husband's affair with Yoko Ono.

2017 - Bob Dylan

After months of uncertainty and controversy, Bob Dylan finally accepted the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature at a jovial, champagne-laced ceremony. The academy, which awards the coveted prize, ended prolonged speculation as to whether the 75-year-old troubadour would use a concert stopover in Stockholm to accept the gold medal and diploma awarded to him back in October.

Born On This Day

April 1st

1939 - Rudolph Isley

Rudolph Isley, from American group The Isley Brothers who first came to prominence in 1959 with their fourth single, 'Shout', and then the 1962 hit 'Twist and Shout. The Isley Brothers also scored the hits 'This Old Heart Of Mine', 'Summer Breeze' and 'Harvest for the World'. Sixteen of their albums charted in the Top 40.

1942 - Alan Blakley

Alan Blakley, who with Brian Poole and the Tremeloes had the the UK 1963 No.1 hit 'Do You Love Me' and with The Tremeloes the 1967 UK No.1 & US No.11 single 'Silence Is Golden'. He died of cancer 1st June 1996.

1942 - Phil Margo

Phil Margo, from American male doo-wop-style vocal group The Tokens who had the 1961 US No.1 & UK No.11 single with its cover of Solomon Linda's 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'.

1945 - John Barbata

American drummer John Barbata from the American rock The Turtles who had the US No.1 single 'Happy Together', and with Jefferson Starship the 1987 UK & US No.1 single 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us'. Barbata also worked with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

1946 - Ronnie Lane

Ronnie Lane, bass player and vocalist with Small Faces who had a 1967 UK No.3 & US No.16 single with ‘Itchycoo Park’ and a 1968 UK No.1 album with 'Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake'. As The Faces they had a 1972 UK No.6 & US No.17 single with ‘Stay With Me’. Ronnie then formed Slim Chance, who had a 1974 UK No.5 single with ‘How Come’. He died on June 4th 1997, aged 51, after a 20 year battle with multiple sclerosis.

1947 - Robin Scott

English singer Robin Scott who as founder of a music project he called M scored the 1979 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Pop Muzik' from the debut album New York, London, Paris, Munich.

1948 - Jimmy Cliff

Jamaican ska and reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer Jimmy Cliff who had the 1969 UK No.6 & US No.25 single 'Wonderful World Beautiful People', and the 1970 UK No.8 hit with his version of Cat Stevens' 'Wild World'. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularise reggae across the world.

1948 - Simon Cowe

Simon Cowe, guitarist with English group Lindisfarne who had the 1970s hit singles 'Meet Me on the Corner', 'Lady Eleanor and 'Run For Home'. Their album Fog on the Tyne became the biggest selling UK album in 1972.

1951 - Henry Gross

American singer-song writer Henry Gross, best known as a member of Sha Na Na and for his hit song, ‘Shannon’. He was the youngest person, at age 18, to play on the main stage at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

1952 - Billy Currie

Billy Currie, keyboards with British new wave band Ultravox who had the 1981 UK No.2 single 'Vienna', plus 15 other UK Top 40 singles.

1954 - Jeff Porcaro

American drummer, songwriter, and record producer Jeff Porcaro, best known for his work with Toto. Porcaro is one of the most recorded session musicians in history - he came to prominence in the United States as the drummer on the Steely Dan album Katy Lied. He also worked with Paul McCartney, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Joe Walsh, Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and many other acts. Porcaro had fallen ill after spraying insecticide in the yard of his home and died that evening on 5th August 1992.

1961 - Mark White

Mark White, guitarist with English pop band ABC who as part of the New Romantic movement had the 1982 UK No.4 & 1983 US No.18 'The Look Of Love'. Their 1982 debut album, The Lexicon of Love, was a UK No.1 and they achieved ten UK and five US Top 40 hit singles between 1981 and 1990.

1961 - Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle, Scottish singer, debut 2009 album 'I Dreamed a Dream' was the biggest selling album in the world in 2009.

1965 - Peter O'Toole

Peter O'Toole, from Irish rock group Hothouse Flowers who scored the 1988 UK No.11 single 'Don't Go'. Their first album, People, released in 1988 became the most successful debut album in Irish history. It reached the No.1 slot in Ireland within a week and eventually reached No.2 in the UK Albums Chart.

1971 - Method Man

American rapper, record producer and actor Clifford Smith, (Method Man), from Wu-Tang Clan who had the 1997 US & UK No.1 album Wu-Tang Forever.

1981 - Hannah Spearritt

Hannah Louise Spearitt, from English pop group S Club 7 who had the 1999 UK No.1 single 'Bring It All Back'. Their 2000 UK No.1 album 7 spent over a year on the UK chart. The group was formed in 1998 and quickly rose to fame by starring in their own BBC television series, Miami 7.

1986 - Hillary Scott

American country music singer-songwriter, Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum. Winner of seven Grammy awards, seven Academy of Country Music awards, and six Country Music Association awards.

1994 - Ella Eyre

Ella Eyre, English singer and songwriter best known for her collaborations with Rudimental on their UK No.1 single 'Waiting All Night' which won the 2014 Brit Award for British Single of the Year, and DJ Fresh on his single 'Gravity'.