After a string of moderately successful solo albums, all titled Peter Gabriel, the solo artist released his fifth studio album, So, on May 31, 1985 to immediate success.
The album debuted at number 1 on the UK chart, and would spend an additional 18 months on the charts. In America, it would peak at number 3. Part of the success of the album was the smash hit single, Sledgehammer, which was included on the album.
Many speculate if Gabriel had released a fifth self titled album, it would not have been nearly as successful.
Other notable events for May 31:
-Chuck Berry opened Berry Park on May 31, 1961, an amusement complex near St. Louis
-Plastic Ono Band recorded Give Peace a Chance on May 31, 1969 in a hotel room in Canada
It was a sad day for Derek and the Dominos, when former bass player Carl Radle passed away from kidney failure said to have been caused by his heavy drug use in the early 70's. Radle died on May 30, 1980, less than a month before his 35th birthday.
The death of Radle was not the only dark cloud to form over the group unfortunately. Duane Allman, who had guest starred on the title track of the groups' album Layla- and Other Assorted Love Songs was killed in a motorcycle accident in October 1971. Five years after Radle's death Dominos drummer Jim Gordon beat his 72-year-old mother to death and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Gordon was later diagnosed as an acute paranoid schizophrenic and claimed voices in his head told him to carry out the act.
Regardless of these sad histories Derek and the Dominos, and especially their mega-hit Layla will forever be remembered as a high point in rock and roll history.
Other notable events for May 30:
-Dolly Parton married Carl Dean on May 30, 1966 in Catoosa County, Georgia
-Roxy Music made their first major live appearance at the Great Western Express Festival on May 30, 1972 in Lincolnshire, England
-Adam Horowitz (King Ad-Rock) for the Beastie Boys was arrested in Liverpool on May 30, 1987 after allegedly hitting a girl fan during a riot at a local theater after the group's performance
After a five year absence Bruce Springsteen returned to Britain on May 29, 1981 in support of his latest album The River, which included hits such as Hungry Heart and the title track, the River.
Springsteen had previously been across the pond in late 1975 where his British record label embarrassed him by proclaiming; 'At last London is ready for Bruce Springsteen'. The disastrous tour soon led to other issues between Springsteen and his manager Mike Appel, most significantly the fact that Appel was getting 80 percent of royalties on record sales of Springsteen's first two albums, and Appel refusing to allow Springsteen to use Jon Landau as co-producer on his next album.
Once all the legal issues were resolved, and Springsteen was released from his contract with Appel, he returned to London and his 1981 tour was a success.
Other notable events for May 29:
-Stand by Me by Ben E. King topped the US R&B chart on May 29, 1961. Twenty-six years later, it topped the UK pop chart after it was featured in a TV commercial for Levi's jeans
-Fans rioted when the Osmonds appeared at London's Wembley Pool on May 29, 1975
After ten years of hard work, Creedence Clearwater Revival finally had two things to celebrate in the UK. The first was the 24th birthday of founding member John Fogerty, the second was that their hit Proud Mary made its first appearance on the UK charts, soon to be followed by nine others in just a two year tie frame.
Fogerty first formed the group in 1959 with friends of his Stu Cook and Doug Clifford, by the early 1960's the band added another member, Fogerty's brother, Tom. They first recorded under the name the Golliwogs, but had no success.
It looked like the end of the band when Clifford and John Fogerty were both drafted in 1966/67 but instead the two returned and the band became Creedence. The name supposedly came from three different places. Creedence, from the name of a friend, Clearwater, from a beer advertisement, and Revival, from a statement about their musical goals.
Whatever the reason behind the name, the group hit it big this time, they released both successful covers, Susie-Q, and I Put a Spell on You, and originals, Proud Mary, Bad Moon Rising, Lookin' Out My Back Door, and more.
Other notable events for May 28:
-Ronnie Lane left the Faces on May 28, 1973
-The Allman Brothers disbanded on May 28, 1976
-David Bowie had four albums, three of which were reissues, in the UK chart on May 28, 1983
May 27, 1989 was a momentous day of Cliff Richard, Britain's ultimate pop star. He released his 100th single, The Best of Me on this day. The single would go on to become his 26th UK top 3.
Richard has had one of the longest careers in the history of music, he started releasing hits in the 1950's with Move It, and his career rivaled that of Elvis Presley for a time. Richard would go on to have at least a few hits in each of the coming decades.
Other notable events for May 27:
-The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group achieved the rare feat of reaching the US top 40 on May 27, 1957 with Freight Train
-The Sex Pistols released God Save the Queen on May 27, 1977
-The Smiths debut single Hand in Glove topped the UK independent chart on May 27, 1983 but failed to reach the 'real' chart until covered by Sandie Shaw
David Cassidy was scheduled to perform an open-air concert on May 26, 1974 in London's White City stadium. Everything was going well, until first aid workers had to rescue over 1,000 people from the frenzied excitement of seeing the teen idol in person. Most were treated and quickly released, but one fan, Bernadette Whelan was not so lucky, she died of heart failure four days later. Cassidy was shaken when he heard the news.
Most well known for being a part of the TV series the Partridge Family, Cassidy released nine singles onto the UK charts between 1972 and 1975. The biggest hits were How Can I Be Sure, and Daydreamer. Of course his biggest hit of all came with the Partridge Family, I Think I Love You.
Other notable events for May 26:
-Elvis Presley was placed second in a talent contest on May 26, 1953 held at a Jimmie Rodgers memorial show
-The estate of Roy Orbison, who died in December of 1988, was sued by the music publishing company to which he had been signed on May 26, 1989 because he had failed to complete his commitments under a contract he signed in 1985
-David Bowie was sued on May 26, 1990, by his ex-wife Angela for $56 million
UK group Dire Straits was at the top of their game and enjoying every minute of their success on May 25, 1985 when their album Brothers in Arms was released. The album shot straight to number 1 on the UK charts and produced two hits for the group, So Far Away and Money for Nothing, their only American chart-topping hit.
The album fell from the top after just a few weeks, but would rise again in August when Money for Nothing was released as a single. This time it would stay on the charts for another few weeks. It once again claimed the top position in early 1986 where it remained for a further ten weeks.
Other notable events for May 25:
-Procol Harum's classic A Whiter Shade of Pale entered the UK singles chart on May 25, 1967
-Simon and Garfunkel replaced themselves at the top of the US album chart on May 25, 1968 when Bookends took over the number 1 slot from their soundtrack album to the Graduate
-Carole King's Sunset Concert in New York's Central Park on May 25, 1973 attracted an audience of 100,000 people, the biggest ever crowed for a rock concert in the Park at that time, although her record was beaten several times during the next ten years
Founding member of 60's supergroup the Byrds, Gene Clark passed away on May 24, 1991 of a heart attack after undergoing considerable dental work and prescribed medication for the pain.
In the early 60's Clark joined forces with Jim McGuinn and David Crosby to form the Beefeaters. Their single Please Let me Love You was a flop. The group added Michael Clarke and Chris Hillman and became the Byrds.
Although Clark left the band in 1966, he was with them for the release of their first two albums, Mr Tambourine Man and Turn Turn, Turn, both of which were also number 1 singles for the band.
Clark returned to the group briefly in 1967, and again in 1973 when all the original members reunited to release a reunion album.
Other notable events for May 24:
-Elmore James, the hugely influential blues singer and slide guitarist died on May 24, 1963. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991
-Bob Dylan visited the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem on May 24, 1971 on his 30th birthday
-Clash drummer Nicky 'Topper' Headon left the group on May 24, 1982
Starsound became a smash hit on both sides of the pond on May 23, 1981 with their hit Stars on 45, which sounded, to the untrained ear, remarkably similar to the Beatles. In fact, Starsound recorded a number of hits originally done by the fab four.
Bas Muys was almost indistinguishable from John Lennon when it came to vocals, Okkie Huysdens was a great match for Paul McCartney's parts, and Hans Vermeulen took on the parts of George Harrison.
Other notable events for May 23:
-Jefferson Starship were prevented from playing a free concert in Golden Gate Park on May 23, 1977 due to a ban on electronic instruments. They later said that one of their biggest hits, We Built This City, had been inspired by the ban
-The film biography of the Who, the Kids Are Alright, was premiered in New York on May 23, 1979
-The Beastie Boys and Run-DMC opened their UK tour on May 23, 1987 in London
May 22, 1982 was a good day for Madness, a seven piece group from North London's Camden Town district, they topped the UK chart with a best of album called Complete Madness.
The group was formed in 1979 taking thier name from a song by Prince Buster, a ska/bluebeat artist. Made up of Mike Barson, keyboards, Chris Foreman, guitarist, Lee Thompson, saxophone, Cathal Smyth, vocals, Graham 'Suggs' McPherson, vocals, Mark Bedford, bass, and 'Woody' Woodgate, drums.
Hits for the band included; the Prince, a tribute to Prince Buster, and House of Fun. Three of their albums reached the top 5 in the UK; One Step Beyond, Absolutely, and Madness Seven.
Other notable events for May 22:
-Jerry Lee Lewis arrived in Britain for his first UK tour on May 22, 1958. The tour would be cut short when the media discovered he was married to his 14-year-old cousin
-That's What You Get, by the Castiles, the very first commercial recording to feature the teenage Bruce Springsteen, was released on May 22, 1966
-Controversial rap group Public Enemy fired one of its members, Professor Griff on May 22, 1989, after he made anti-Semitic remarks in the Washington Post
Rock finally came to Russia on May 21, 1979 when Elton John played the first of eight concerts in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. John was the first solo Western rock artist to undertake a tour of the USSR, as it was then known. The shows in Russia were an extension of his first tour of any sort since 1976, when he had announced he was going to retire from road work due to an exhausting six years spent nearly entirely on the road.
It was later discovered there were very few tickets to any of the shows available to the general public in Russia, instead most had been reserved for members of the Communist Party. John was very upset about the news, but was unable to do anything about it.
Even with a smaller general audience, John still brought Eastern rock music to the West for the first time, and was able to begin breaking down barriers which had previously seemed unbreakable.
Other notable events for May 21:
-'Little' Stevie Wonder, who had celebrated his 13th birthday only eight days before, recorded his first million selling single, Fingertips, on May 21, 1963
-Pete Townshend of the Who married dress designer Karen Astley, whose brother Jon Astley was a record producer, and whose sister, Virginia Astley, was a recording artists and member of the all-female group the Ravishing Beauties, on May 21, 1968
-Wet Wet Wet's charity single, their version of With a Little Help from my Friends, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney topped the UK singles chart on May 21, 1988
May 20, 1970 was a big day for the Beatles, their feature film, Let it Be premiered in both London and Liverpool. It would be their final feature film. A week earlier it had premiered in the USA. None of the fab four attended any of the events, furthering the poplar belief the group had called it quits for good.
Paul McCartney actually released his debut solo album on the same day as the Let it Be album was released, a few weeks before the movie.
It was obvious to many the group was not interested in either the film or album. In fact, the original title for both of these projects was Get Back, but delays in editing the film initially put it on hold and even at one point led the group to abandon the project entirely. The audio tapes were given to American record producer Phil Spector when it became clear the group was unlikely to ever work together again, and Spector remixed and re-sequenced them into Let it Be.
McCartney was reportedly unhappy with some of Spector's work, such as his addition of an orchestra to the Long and Winding Road.
Other notable events for May 20:
-Ruth Brown's US hit Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean was banned in Britain on May 20, 1955 by the BBC as it was felt to suggest wife-beating
-Jimi Hendrix signed to Reprise Records in the USA on May 20, 1967. He was already signed to Track/Polydor in Britain
-The Buddy Holly Story, the film biopic with Holly played by Garey Busey was premiered on May 20, 1978 in Holly's hometown of Lubbock, Texas
In the late 70's it seemed like if it wasn't disco or punk, record labels just weren't interested. Still, an unknown band, Dire Straits, scraped together $175 and recorded a song called Sultans of Swing, a song written about an aging jazz group Mark Knopfler had recently seen performing. On a side note, the name Dire Straits came from a friend of the group who said it accurately described the group's financial status.
The group sent the song to a local disc jockey who played it on the air, and within minutes the phones were lighting up with record labels asking who this group was. They soon signed with John Stainze and Phonogram Records in the UK and recorded a full album.
Other notable events for May 19:
-The Everly Brothers launched their own record label, Calliope on May 19, 1961
-Bob Marley topped the UK album chart on May 19, 1984 for the first time with Legend, an album released to coincide with the third anniversary of his death from cancer
-Irish trio the Bachelors, who had scored 8 UK top 10 hits in the 1960's finally called it a day on May 19, 1984
It seems in the music industry, there is nothing quite like death to rocket a musician or group to posthumous fame. This become the case once again on May 18, 1980 when vocalist and inspiration of Joy Division Ian Curtis hung himself in his home in Manchester.
Although the group had a small but loyal following, their most recent single, Love Will Tear Us Apart was absent from the charts at the time of Curtis' death. But, a month later it began a several month stay in the charts, eventually even being covered by more contemporary artists such as Paul Young.
Other notable events for May 18:
-Black British pianist Winifred Atwell was presented with two gold singles on May 18, 1956 for sales of her hit medley's Let's Have a Party and Let's Have Another Party
-The bill for the Northern California Rock Festival on May 18, 1968 included The Doors, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, and the Steve Miller Band
Fans, and members of the Bay City Rollers alike were surprised to hear on May 17, 1975 that bass player, and founding member Alan Longmuir would be leaving the band. Longmuir, now in his late twenties was feeling there was more to life than being in a rock band, and he wanted to find out what was out there for him.
Bay City Rollers were founded in 1967 and were originally known as the Saxons. They changed their name thanks to the encouragement of manager Tam Paton, and a glance at a map of the USA.
Over the years, the Bay City Rollers had many hits including; Keep on Dancing, Remember (Sha La La), Shang-A-Lang, Summerlove Sensation, and All of Me Loves All of You. After the departure of Longmuir, the band replaced him with Ian Mitchell, who would only last two years before being replaced himself by Pat McGlynn
Other notable events for May 17:
-First Monterey Folk Festival, held on May 17, 1963, featured Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul and Mary
-Disco movie Thank God it's Friday starring Jeff Goldbulm and featuring tracks by Donna Summer was premiered in Los Angeles on May 17, 1978
-Drummer Peter Criss left Kiss, the heavily made-up hard rock quartet of which he was a member, on May 17, 1980 and was replaced by Eric Carr.
Ken Kragen was presented a check for $6.5 million on May 16, 1985 for royalties due to him as the President of Artists for Africa, foundation (USA for Africa) for sales of a record that had hit the stores only two months before. The song of course was We Are the World.
We Are the World was America's response the the British smash hit Do They Know it's Christmas? Which had bee released in late 1984. While the Christmas song was a hit, selling over three million copies and spending over five weeks at the top of the chart, it barely scratched the surface of the issues in Africa it was trying to solve.
In January of 1985 some of the biggest American acts came together to record their own version of a charity song. The original idea was to have black artists hold a concert performance to raise money for Africa, but it was soon felt this wouldn't be enough to solve the problem either. The idea of We Are the World was suggested instead. Soon, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and more had all agreed to be a part of the epic event, and it was clear this would be a success. In the end, over 45 artists took part in this event.
Other notable events for May 16:
-The Beach Boys released their most critically acclaimed album, Pet Sounds on May 16, 1966 in the USA
-Former Buggles members Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn joined Yes on May 16, 1980, replacing the departing Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman
-King Crimson guitarist and leader Robert Fripp married actress and ex-punk hitmaker Toyah Willcox on May 16, 1986
-Davis Crosby married Jan Dance, his longtime girlfriend on May 16, 1987, his longtime colleague, Graham Nash and his wife Susan renewed their vows at the same ceremony
May 15, 1982 was a major day in British music history, the 500th number 1 song hit the charts. Surprisingly, the single was not by a well-known star of the day such as the Jam, or the Police, or even Bucks Fizz. Instead, the song was by a young German girl known as Nicole. The song was A Little Peace, a song about tolerance and acceptance.
Nicole was Germany's first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, but the stigma of being a non-British winner of the award followed her. Her follow-up song, Give Me More Time was not nearly as successful, only reaching number 75 on the charts.
Other notable events for May 15:
-The first album chart- albums meaning a collection of 78 rpm singles- was introduced on the USA on May 15, 1945
-Two films made by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Apotheosis and Fly, in which a fly crawls all over the naked body of a model, were shown at the Cannes film festival on May 15, 1971
-Spandau Ballet enjoyed their only week at the top of the British LP chart on May 15, 1983 with True
On May 14, 1976 former Yardbirds vocalist Keith Relf was electrocuted while tuning his guitar at his home. He was killed.
After the Yardbirds split up in 1968, Relf stayed busy in a number of other groups including; Renaissance, Medicine Head, and Armageddon. He was in the process of forming a new group, Illusion, when the accident occurred.
Formed in 1963, the Yeardbirds have the distinct honor to have featured three now legendary guitarists. Although their first guitarist, Anthony 'Top' Topham, lasted only six months, he was replaced by the infamous Eric Clapton. Clapton left the band about a year and a half later, when he grew tired of the group's new sound, and felt they had deviated too far from the blues. Clapton was replaced by Jeff Beck who played guitar on some of the group's biggest hits. Beck was later replaced by Jimmy Page, who lasted with the group till they disbanded, and actually took the name with him to his new group called the New Yardbirds, before they became Led Zeppelin.
Other notable events for May 14:
-Cliff Richard's first movie Serious Charge was premiered on May 14, 1959
-Led Zeppelin re-formed for Atlantic's 40th birthday celebration on May 14, 1988 with Jason Bonham on drums replacing his late father
Beatles fans rejoiced once again when it was announced on May 13, 1977, seven years after the group had broken up, that two new live albums by the Beatles would be released.
The first, The Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl, was recorded under the supervision of George Martin at two concerts at the venue on Aug. 23, 1964 and Aug. 30, 1965. Interestingly, there were only three songs the fab four played at both shows; Twist and Shout, Can't Buy Me Love, and A Hard Day's Night. The album was a smash hit, becoming the group's 12 number 1 in Britain, and reaching number 2 in the US
The second, and far more controversial, was Live at the Star Club in Hamburg, a double album of much earlier live recordings. The existence of these recordings was discovered in a run-down building in Liverpool. The tape was reportedly created with a handheld microphone, and was once offered to Brian Epstein for just $30. He of course thought this was too low, and the tape was forgotten for several years. When ti was re-discovered, it was offered to George Harrison and Ringo Starr for $8,000 but once again turned down. When news of the records release reached the Beatles, they attempted to take an injunction, but it was ruled the tape was of historical interest and their objections overruled. The album was a flop.
Other notable events for May 13:
-Tex/Max vocalist Freddy Fender was busted for possession of marijuana on May 13, 1960 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and spent three years in prison as a result
-The Smiths released their first single Hand in Glove on May 13, 1983
-Bruce Springsteen married model Julianne Phillip on May 13, 1985. She filed for divorce in 1988 on the grounds that he was romantically involved with E Street band vocalist Patti Scialfa
Popular vocalist Meat Loaf, real name Marvin Lee Aday, filed for bankruptcy on May 12, 1983 with debuts of over $1 million.
Meat Loaf first rose to fame in the late 70's with the release of his hugely successful album Bat Out of Hell which included mega hits such as; Bat Out of Hell, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights, and You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth. The album spent over eight years on the UK charts, and was certified platinum in the US while it spent nearly two years on the charts.
Other notable events for May 12:
-Elvis Presley made his TV comeback on May 12, 1960 after two years in the US army on a 'Welcome Back' special hosted by well-known rock n' roll fan Frank Sinatra
-Mick Jagger married Bianca Perez Morena De Macias on May 12, 1971 in the town hall at St. Tropez in France
-Joe Strummer of the Clash was banned from the road from drunk driving on May 12, 1986
Bob Marley, who had been seriously ill with cancer for several months passed away on May 11, 1981, at Miami's Cedars of Lebanon hospital at age 36. His death stunned the world, even though his sickness was well known.
Marley was born in Jamaica, the son of a British army captain and a Jamaican mother. He cut his first recording on 1961, but didn't find success until 1962 when One More Cup of Coffee was released. Over the next 10 years, he would enjoy a moderate amount of success, mostly in his native country, but in 1972 the album Catch a Fire was released and received international acclaim.
Throughout his career, Marley had many successful singles including; I Shot the Sheriff, No Woman No Cry, Exodus, Jamming, Could You Be Loved and many more.
The world mourned when they heard of the loss of this great singer/songwriter and major inspiration for a generation of contemporaries.
Other notable events for May 11:
-Russian bandleader and musicologist Alexander Utyosov claimed in an East Berlin newspaper on May 11, 1961 that Dixieland jazz, generally recognized as a style born in New Orleans, actually began in Odessa many years before
-Atlantic Records subsidiary label Cotillion released the triple album soundtrack for the Woodstock movie on May 11, 1970 of the film of the historic festival near Woodstock, New York on August 15-17, 1969. The album featured a host of stars and shot straight to number 1 where it would remain for a month
-Eric Clapton, Georgie Fame, and Charlie Watts were the nucleus of an ad hoc group who played at the wedding reception of record producer Glyn Johns and his new wife Vivienne on May 11, 1979
The Rolling Stones were off to kind of a rough start in May of 1963. Although they were building a pretty large fan base around London, nobody wanted to give the group a record deal. Earlier in the year, they had recorded five different tracks in a three-hour session, but getting a label to sign them was proving difficult.
Finally, the group was 'discovered' by ex-Beatles publicist Andrew Loog Oldham who soon became their manager, along with his boss Eric Easton. Oldham used his cunning to effectively frighten A&R man Dick Rowe into signing the group. Rowe is most famous for being the man to pass on the Beatles, and Oldham convinced him to not be that man twice in a row.
Luckily for Rowe, and everyone else, the Stones were a smash. After being signed to A&R on May 6, the group began their first formal recording session on May 10, 1963. Although the group at the time favored covering songs by the great Chuck Berry, they were encouraged for this session to avoid such already well known songs. Instead, they recorded Come On, a much more obscure Berry classic. The original was dubbed dreadful, but when the group re-recorded it a month later, it would become the song that broke the Stones into mainstream music, and lead them down the path to history.
Other notable events for May 10:
-Bob Dylan arrived in Britain on May 10, 1964 for his first tour
-Mick Jagger and Keith Richard were prosecuted on May 10, 1967 on drug charges, and Brian Jones was charged with possession of marijuana
-Both the Turtles and the Temptations are believed to have snorted cocaine in the White House after performing there on May 10, 1969
-The Who sold out Madison Square Gardens, in New York on May 10, 1974 for four nights. All 80,000 tickets were sold in just eight hours
Bruce Springsteen was off to a rough start at the beginning of his career, with his first two albums, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle not even charting, things were looking pretty bleak for the rocker. That is until May 9, 1974 when he was scheduled to play a show at Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The headliner that night was not Springsteen, but Bonnie Raitt, who agreed to let Springsteen play his full two hour set anyway, it was a massive success. In attendance that night was a music critic Jon Landau who was famously misquoted as saying, 'I saw rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springstee' of the show.
Landau worked with Springsteen on his new project, what would eventually become Born to Run, and would be the breakthrough record for Springsteen eventually charting at number 3.
Other notable events for May 9:
-The Beatles signed their recording contract with EMI records on May 9, 1962
-Mick Jagger made a donation of $350,000 on May 9, 1973 to the appeal for victims of the earthquake in Nicaragua, adding his own money to the $200,000 raised by a benefit concert at Los Angeles Forum by the Rolling Stones
Fernando, the latest song released by the the group ABBA, reached number one on May 8, 1976, proving they were not just a one hit wonder. Fernando was actually the group's third number one song.
Originally from Sweden, ABBA gained worldwide fame when they won the Eurovision title. Success was imminent then, as their popularity spread not only across Europe, but also North and South America, the far East, and Australia, where it was once estimated that one in four residents of the country owned their Greatest Hits album.
Other notable events for May 8:
-Johnnie Ray's, Such a Night was banned by the BBC on May 8, 1954 even though it had already topped the UK chart. Listeners complained tat is was suggestive
-Let it Be, the last original album by the Beatles was released on May 8, 1970
-Olivia Newton-John made her New York concert debut on May 8, 1977 at the Metropolitan Opera House
-Donny Osmond got married at the age of 21 on May 8, 1978, doubtless breaking the hearts of many fans
Although the most well-known version of Me and Bobby McGee was recorded a few years later, it was first recorded on May 7, 1969.
The song was written by Kris Kristofferson, the writing genius behind many hit songs of the 60's and 70's. Kristofferson wrote the song white thinking of an old girlfriend and all the places he had seen throughout the country, 'Busted flat in Baton Rouge' and what not.
The original version was recorded by country hit maker Roger Miller who was famous for songs such as; Dang Me, Chug-a-Lug, King of the Road, and England Swings.
Other notable events for May 7:
-90,000 tickets were sold in eight hours on May 7, 1978 for Bob Dylan's forthcoming London concert
-Billy Currie, who had been leading a schizophrenic life in two hit bands, announced on May 7, 1983 that he would be leaving Visage, but remaining in Ultravox
-Paul Weller unveiled his post-Jam group on May 7, 1983, Style Council,, at an anti-nuclear benefit in South London, sharing the bill with Madness
May 6, 1977 was a record breaking day for Led Zeppelin, they broke their own record for biggest concert attendance at a concert with a single headlining attraction when they played to 76,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.
The previous record was set almost four years previously when the band played to 57,000 at a concert in Tampa, Florida. Before Zeppelin held the title, it was the Beatles at Shea Stadium that held the record.
Other notable events for May 6:
-Paul Simon launched his first solo tour on May 6, 1973 with a concert at the Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts
-Spinal Tap, the fictional group formed to star in a comedy neo-documentary about a heavy metal band, played a real concert on May 6, 1984 at New York's CBGBs club
Rock came together on May 5, 1984 when Pretenders leader/vocalist/songwriter Chrissie Hynde married Simple Minds band member Jim Kerrr in a Central Park wedding. The pair had been together less than a year, in fact Hynde had given birth to her her daughter, Natalie in February of 1983, whose father was Ray Davies of the Kinks.
Hynde, born and raised in Akron, Ohio moved to London in 1973 where she began writing for New Musical Express. In 1975 she returned to her roots and joined a band in Cleveland, but it didn't last long. By the next year she had created her own group with James Honeyman-Scott, lead guitar, Pete Farndon, bass, and Martin Chambers, drums, they became the Pretenders.
Other notable events for May 5:
-Buffalo Springfield disbanded on May 5, 1968, Stephen Stills teamed up with David Crosby and Graham Nash in Crosby, Stills, and Nash (which sometimes featured Neil Young, another ex-Springfield member), while Ritchie Furay formed Poco with Jim Messina
-135 girls fainted at a gig in Liverpool on May 5, 1987 by Curiosity Killed the Cat
-A John Lennon tribute concert took place in Liverpool on May 5, 1990 with Daryl Hall and John Oates, Kylie Minogue, Terence Trent D'Arby and Dave Edmunds among the performers
Yesterday, fans protested in response to a band, today, an artist wrote one of the most famous protest songs in response to an anti-war demonstration.
Anti-war feelings were high across the nation on May 4, 1970 and many students and young people were protesting the recent news that President Nixon would be mobilizing troops in Cambodia without the consent of congress. One particular protest took place on the campus of Kent State, in Ohio. The protest went on for three days and finally culminated when the national guard shot and killed four students, two of them female.
Outrage at this most recent violence swept the nation, rock stars included, and Neil Young wrote a song, Ohio, about it just a day after seeing this event on the news.
Ohio soon began climbing the charts, ironically at the same time as another song by Young, and his group Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; Teach Your Children.
Today Ohio still stands as one of the most powerful protest songs to come out of the Vietnam era.
Other notable events for May 4:
-Lonnie Donegan left Chris Barber's Jazz Band on May 4, 1956 notinng he was considering forming his own skiffle group in the wake of his success with Rock Island Line
-New Musical Express reported on May 4, 1956 that 'Elvin' Presley would be coming to the UK for a session of shows at the London Palladium, proving that it can be misleading to believe everything in the press
-Gene Vincent recorded Be Bop A Lula on May 4, 1957 in Nashville
Protests and rock and roll go together naturally, more on that tomorrow, but on May 3, 1967 an unusual type of protest took place when fans of the group the Walker Brothers staged a march from Baker Street station to the Maida Vale flat of Walker Brothers manager Barry Chapman to protest the recent announcement that the group was splitting up due to personal incompatibility.
The Walker Brothers, although American born, were famous across the pond. They were known for hits like; Love Her, Make it Easy on Yourself, and My Ship is Coming In.
Other notable events for May 3:
-The Beach Boys opened their US tour on May 3, 1968, on which the co-headliner was the famous Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whom the Beatles ironically dubbed Sexy Sadie
-Jimi Hendrix was busted at Toronto International Airport on May 3, 1969 for possession of narcotics, but was released on $10,000 bail
-Joe Leeway left the successful group the Thompson Twins on May 3, 1986
Quadrophenia, a movie written by Pete Townshend of the Who, premiered on May 2, 1979. The movie told the story of a teenager named Jimmy who was a 'mod' on the search for spiritual satisfaction. It was the Who's first release since Who'ss Next, released in 1971, and the first release since the death of drummer Kieth Moon. It also was the first time new drummer Kenny Jones was seen with the group.
The film received mixed reviews and was generally regarded as a poor followup to the classic Who rock opera Tommy.
Other notable events for May 2:
-Elvis Presley recorded Jailhouse Rock on May 2, 1957
-Pink Floyd's smash hit Another Brick in the Wall was banned in South Africa on May 2, 1980 as it was felt it much encourage boycotts at black schools
The King of Rock and Roll took a queen on May 1, 1967 when Elvis Presley married his girlfriend of eight years Priscilla Beaulieu. Female fans everywhere were heartbroken they were not the queen.
The wedding was a small affair and took place in the private suite of the owner of the Aladdin Hotel, best man was Presley's close friend Joe Esposito and maid of honor was Pricilla's sister, Michelle.
After the ceremony, the couple enjoyed a one day honeymoon before returning to California for Presley to finish shooting his latest movie, Clambake.
Other notable events for May 1:
-The Beatles played their last ever live show with a paying audience in Britain at London's Wembley Arena on May 1, 1966. The event was the New Musical Express Pollwinner's Concert, and other acts included the Rolling Stones and the Who
-Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash taped an ABC TV special on May 1, 1969 at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry
-To the surprise of journalists at a press conference, the Rolling Stones announced on May 1, 1975 their forthcoming US tour by playing live on a flatbed truck moving slowly down Fifth Avenue in New York
