THIS DAY IN MUSIC

September 4th: On this Day

1954, To coincide with the release of his second Sun single, 'Good Rockin' Tonight', Elvis Presley along with Bill Black and Scotty Moore made their first appearance at The Grand Old Opry. The audience reaction was so poor, the Opry's manager, Jim Denny told Elvis that he should go back to driving a truck.

1962, The Beatles first formal recording session at EMI's Abbey Road studios took place. George Martin was unhappy with a previous session on June 6, so he called The Beatles back into the studio to try again. They recorded six songs, including 'Love Me Do' and 'Please Please Me.'

1965, The Who had their van stolen containing over £5000 worth of equipment outside the Battersea Dogs Home. The band were inside the home at the time buying a guard dog. The van was later recovered.

1968, The Bee Gees had their second UK No.1 single with 'I've Gotta Get A Message To You'. The song is about a man who, awaiting his execution in the electric chair, begs the prison chaplain to pass a final message on to his wife.

1968, The Beatles recorded promotional videos for ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Revolution’ at Twickenham Film Studios. The vocals are recorded live over the pre-recorded instrumental tracks to get round the current British Musicians Union ban on lip-sync performances. For ‘Hey Jude’, The Beatles were accompanied by a 36-piece orchestra and 300 fans and other assorted extras who join in singing the long refrain.

1969, The film 'Easy Rider' starring Jack Nicholson Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper opened at The Classic in London England. The movie's soundtrack featured The Band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Steppenwolf.

1971, Taken from the album 'Ram', Paul and Linda McCartney went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the US only released 'Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey'. McCartney's first US solo No.1. Paul would later explain that "Uncle Albert" was based on his real-life uncle. "He's someone I recall fondly and when the song was coming, it was like a nostalgia thing... As for Admiral Halsey, he's one of yours, an American admiral", referring to Admiral William "Bull" Halsey.

1976, Fleetwood Mac went to No.1 on the US album chart with their self-titled album after being on the charts for over a year. The album went on to sell over 5 million copies in the US and was the first of three No.1 albums for the group.

1976, The Bee Gees went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You Should Be Dancing', the group's third US No.1, a No.5 hit n the UK. It was this song that launched the trio into Disco stardom and is the first chart-topper in which Barry Gibb used his now-trademark falsetto.

1976, The Sex Pistols made their television debut when they appeared on the Manchester based Granada TV program 'So It Goes'.

1982, Survivor were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the theme from the film Rocky III 'Eye Of The Tiger', their only chart topper. Survivor won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance for the song.

1982, The Steve Miller Band started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Abracadabra' the group's third US No.1, a No.2 hit in the UK. The song is said to have been inspired by Diana Ross with whom Miller had met while performing together on Hullabaloo in the 1960s.

1987, Mike Joyce drummer with The Smiths, quit the band saying that 'the present role within the group had been fulfilled'.

1995, Blur, Oasis, Radiohead, Paul Weller, Manic St Preachers and The Stone Roses all recorded tracks for the 'War Child' charity album, which was released five days later. All profits went to children caught up in the current war in former Yugoslavia.

1996, Oasis created outrage at the MTV awards held at New York's Radio City Hall. During the bands performance of 'Champagne Supernova' singer Liam spat on stage and threw a beer into the crowd.

2000, American bassist David Brown died due to liver and kidney failure. He was the primary bass player with Santana from 1966 until 1971 and played in Santana at Woodstock and at Altamont in 1969 and on the band's first three studio albums.

2007, The Police played the first UK date on their Reunion tour when they played two nights at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.

2008, The first guitar torched on stage by Jimi Hendrix  sold for £280,000 at an auction of rock memorabilia. The Fender Stratocaster was burned at the end of a show at the Astoria in Finsbury Park, north London, in 1967. The sale held in London also included The Beatles first management contract, signed in 1962 by all four members of the group and manager Brian Epstein, sold for £240,000.

2012, One Direction won a legal dispute over the right to keep using their band name. A US punk group of the same name challenged the UK boyband earlier this year, saying that they had called themselves One Direction first. One Direction US sued the British band for $1million (£630,000) in damages and asked for a share of The X Factor stars' royalties. One Direction US would now be known as Uncharted Shores.

2015, Cuban-born Jamaican ska and reggae trombonist Rico Rodriguez died aged 80. He recorded with many artists including Karl Pitterson, Prince Buster, and Lloyd "Matador" Daley. He was known as one of the first and most distinguished ska artists, and from the early 1960s performed and recorded in Britain, with the Specials, Jools Holland, Paul Young, and others.

2015, Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards told The New York Daily News that Rap music was for "tone deaf people." He went on to say "All they need is a drum beat and somebody yelling over it and they're happy. There's an enormous market for people who can't tell one note from another."

September 4th: Born on this day

1942, Born on this day, Bubba Knight, singer with The Pips. Their first hit single was a version of 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' in 1967. With Gladys Knight had the 1973 US No.1 single 'Midnight Train To Georgia', and the 1975 UK No.4 single with Gladys 'The Way We Were'.

1944, Born on this day, American drummer, banjo player, guitarist, singer-songwriter, Gene Parsons who was a member of The Byrds, and a member of The Flying Burrito Brothers and Parsons Green. Parsons is credited with inventing the B-Bender (also known as the StringBender) along with Clarence White.

1946, Born on this day, Ronald LePread bassist from American funk/soul band, The Commodores, who had the 1978 UK & US No.1 single 'Three Times A Lady' as well as the hits 'Easy' and 'Nightshift'.

1946, Born on this day, Gary Duncan guitar, US acid rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service.

1951, Born on this day, Martin Chambers, drummer with English-American rock band The Pretenders, who had the 1980 UK No.1 single with ‘Brass In Pocket’ and the 1983 US No.5 single, 'Back On The Chain Gang'.

1960, Born on this day, Kim Thayil, Soundgarden, Guitar, (1994 UK No.12 single 'Black Hole Sun').

1969, Born on this day, Sasha, producer, DJ, (1996 UK No. 17 single ‘Be As One’).

1970, Born on this day, Igor Cavalera, from Brazilian heavy metal Sepultura. Formed in 1984 the band was a major force in the thrash metal and groove metal genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

1971, Born on this day, Ty Longley, guitarist, singer, Great White. Had the 1989 hit with a cover of Ian Hunter's 'Once Bitten Twice Shy'. Longley died on 20th February 2003 along with 100 fans after pyrotechnics ignited a club during a Great White gig in West Warwick, Rhode Island.

1972, Born on this day, Guto Pryce, bass, Super Furry Animals, (1999 UK No.11 single 'Northern Lines').

1974, Born on this day, Carmit Bachar, The Pussycat Dolls, (2005, US No.2 & UK No.1 with their debut single ‘Don't Cha’ featuring Busta Rhymes). The Pussycat Dolls became only the fourth ever girl band to enter the UK charts at No.1 with their debut single. (The other’s being the Spice Girls, B*Witched and Girls Aloud).

1975, Born on this day, Mark Ronson, UK music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. Had the 2007 UK No.2 album 'Version’, and has produced Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Robbie Williams.

1980, Born on this day, Dan Miller, from American boy band O-Town, who were the winners of US TV show 'Making The Band' They scored the 2001 US No. 3 single 'All Or Nothing'.

1981, Born on this day, Beyonce, American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. With Destiny’s Child she had the 2000 US No.1 single with ‘Say My Name’ and the 2001 US & UK No.1 single and album 'Survivor'. Beyonce scored the 2003 US & UK No.1 single ‘Crazy In Love’ from the world-wide No.1 album 'Dangerously In Love'. Throughout her career, she has sold an estimated 100 million records as a solo artist and a further 60 million records with the group Destiny's Child. She has won 22 Grammy Awards and is the most nominated woman in the award's history.

1990, Born on this day, English singer, songwriter James Bay. His 2015 album Chaos and the Calm went to No.1 on the UK album chart.