October Sounds

As I have mentioned before, October seems to be a very potent month in the music industry, whether it is due to the proximity of the upcoming holiday season or the growing distance from the feel-good summer season. Either way, a lot happens in October.

I have, of course taken the liberty to list some of the more momentous milestones in music history for your pleasure.

1955 - Harry Belafonte records "The Banana Boat Song". Several takes are required. It takes him all day-o (me say day, me say day, me say day-ay-ay-o).

1960 - Billboard reported that Dion and the Belmonts were breaking up.
One would think they would embrace each other firmly after collectively passing up a big tour in February of 1959 with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. As many of you already know, these three artists were killed in a plane crash during that tour. The band, instead said goodbye to Dion and his heroin addiction, but they simply fizzled, while Dion went on to great commercial success, which makes him a terrible example for the kids. When asked for comment, Dion said, "Ha Ha Ha Losers!".

1962 - The Beatles first appeared on Great Britain's Granada TV Network, and set the music scene on fire. Luckily Yoko was not around yet to put it out.

1964 - "She's Not There," by the Zombies, was released, and sold out in many record stores creating hilarious banter with music clerks who when asked for She's Not There, would reply by saying, "It's Not Here".

1967 - The musical "Hair" premiered at New York's Public Theatre. The show ran for 1,758 performances but had to end when several of their male actors eventually went bald.

1968 - Jose Feliciano released his controversial, bluesy rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. It was controversial because Americans were still patriotically anal retentive, and the fact that someone used artistic licence on a departure of this nature pissed off the residual McCarthy-types. 10 months later, Jimi Hendrix played his version and parents all over America lost their minds, and said things like "Bring back that little blind Mexican boy". For the record, Jose Feliciano is Puerto Rican.

1968 - Rita Marley gives birth to Bob's first son on October 17th. They name him "Ziggy" after the rolling papers used on the night of conception.

1969 - "Led Zeppelin II" was released along with the start of Led Zeppelin's third U.S. tour. Teenagers everywhere spent their haircut money on mind-altering substances and that special shampoo you need when you get crabs.

1970 - Eric Clapton released After Midnight. The only cool tidbit I can add here is that Clapton was born the son of 17-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton and Edward Walter Fryer, a 25-year-old soldier from Montreal, Quebec. My hometown (which somehow implies that all Montrealers share in his success). Fryer headed off to war prior to Clapton's birth and then returned to Canada. Clapton grew up with his grandmother, Rose, and her second husband Jack, and believed they were his parents and that his mother was actually his older sister (and you thought your family was messed up). Years later, his mother/sister married another Canadian soldier (because Canadian soldiers are super hard-to-resist), moved to Canada and left young Eric with his grandparents in Surrey. Her parenting skills were the inspiration behind shows like Ricki Lake and Jerry Springer.

1974 - Eric Burdon of The Animals names his newborn daughter "Mirage" (because he was stoned through the entire pregnancy). Then, during a rare moment of sobriety, changes it to "Alex".

1975 - Barry Manilow's glasses are broken by a crowd of fans as he rushes to his limo after a concert in Chicago, proving once again that his fans are nuts. Not the average passive fans. Just the ones that refuse to go home once the concert is over. It's over. Go home!

1977 - Street Survivors was released by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The celebration was cut short three days later when the infamous plane crash claimed the lives of vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines (Steve's sister) and manager Dean Kilpatrick. The other four members of the band were seriously injured but amazingly survived.

1978 - The now classic movie version of "The Wiz" debuts in New York. Michael Jackson invites all his friends to a huge wrap party at Chuck E.Cheese.

1979 - "Tusk," the two record set by Fleetwood Mac, was released by Warner Brothers Records.

1986 - The film biography "Sid And Nancy" opened nationally, and despite it's critical acclaim, I have met less than a dozen people who remember having seen it.

1995 - In London, Sting's former financial adviser was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of stealing $9.4 million from the musician. Had he married Yoko Ono, this never would have happened.

1995 - Rhino Home Video released 58 episodes of The Monkees on 21 cassettes. It was the largest video boxed set to be released. The next day, DVDs officially became the accepted video format.

1997 - Warren G filed a lawsuit against Garth Brooks, his company Blue Rose Inc., and Home Box Office Inc. The suit alleged that Brooks had infringed on the trademarked circled "g" logo. I mean, let's be honest. Could two people in this world have come up with the same ingenious idea to circle the letter G? Shame on you, Garth Brooks. You're just jealous of the creative talent and success of Warren G!

1998 - The Wilkinsons made their first official appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. All 4 white people watching said they were awesome.

2001 - Jay-Z was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault charges for stabbing a record producer during a fight in a nightclub on December 1, 1999, prompting OJ Simpson to call him a "sucker-bitch", and shake his head as if to say "What's this world coming to when you can't stab a record producer in the privacy of a nightclub?".

2007 - Phil Spector's first murder trial for the 2003 shooting of actress Lana Clarkson ends in a hung jury. He is later found guilty when the jury foreman stands up and says, "Just look at his hair. Of course he's guilty!"
OJ has "Sucker-bitch" cards printed at Kinko's.

I think we can all see that the moral of the story is, just shut up and listen to the music.