This Day in Music History

[analoggal]

May 11th in History

1963 - The Beatles started a 30-week run at #1 on the UK album charts with their debut album Please Please Me, making it the longest running #1 album by a group ever. Their follow-up album, With the Beatles, replaced it at the top of the charts in December '63 and stayed there for 21 weeks. Not bad for a group that made $20 [total], plus all the Coke they could drink for their early, post-Hamburg gigs in Liverpool. Fortunately, according to Ringo Starr, they drank a lot of coke. From their debut album... "Please Please Me",

and from their 2nd album with Ringo doing lead vocals (presumably well-lubricated with Coke)...
"I Wanna Be Your Man"


1970 - The soundtrack LP from the original Woodstock Festival was released. The festival was held Aug. 15-17, 1969 and was promoted as 'an aquarian exposition' of music and peace. Turning out to be history's largest happening, more than 400,000 people showed up, altho only 50,000 were expected. The 3-record set went Gold within 2 weeks and featured many rock heavyweights; Jimi Hendrix - who famously lit his guitar on fire, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - singing their 3-part harmony for only the 2nd time publicly, Joe Cocker, The Who - complete with onstage demolition of their drum set, Sly and the Family Stone, Country Joe McDonald, Santana, and many others. With too many choices, let's listen to...
"Purple Haze"

"My Generation"

and... "Evil Ways"

 

[analoggal]

May 13th "Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder"

Born May 13th 1950, Steveland Morris, who was blind since birth, was a boy genius and musical child prodigy. In 1960 he was brought to the then 1-year-old Motown Records by Ronnie White of the Miracles. In 1961 when he was 10 years old, the people at Motown changed Steveland Morris' name to 'Little Stevie Wonder'. He became a music phenomenon in 1963 with his album, 'The 12-Year Old Genius' and never stopped being a phenomenon. As a part of the Motown heritage, he and Motown matured and skyrocketed together. At age 13, Stevie had his first #1 hit, "Fingertips (Pt. 2)". The song features Stevie on vocals, bongos, and harmonica. The #1 Billboard-Hot-100 hit made him the youngest artist to top Billboard's chart in its history. In 1971, on his 21st birthday, Stevie received "all" of his childhood earnings that had been held by a state-appointed guardian. Although Stevie had earned $30 million to this point, he received only $1 million. (One has to speculate on where in the world was the other $29 million?!?) In 1972 he recorded the albums 'Music of My Mind', and 'Talking Book'. 'Talking Book' featured the #1 hit "Superstition" which is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner clavinet keyboard. Referred to as 'The Prophet of Soul', to say that Stevie Wonder is a prominent figure in popular music is a gross understatement. The list of his hits, albums, and accomplishments goes on and on and on. Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder!
Stevie's first #1 hit from 1963... "Fingertips Part 2"

and his 1972 hit... "Superstition"