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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Music Beats & Trivia

Today in Music History: June 3

Today's music scene ranges from a wide variety of tunes - the era 1967 to 1995. While numerous musicians boasted hits from this period of time, there are only a few which hit the charts on this day, June 3rd. The songs and tunes are respective of the times which are ever changing but still fill our hearts and minds with memories stored away but not forgotten. 



Embrace the past as you take a walk down memory lane...


1967 Aretha Franklin went to No.1 on the US singles chart with her version of the Otis Redding hit 'Respect'. A No.10 hit on the UK chart. Aretha scored her first UK No.1 20 years later with a duet with George Michael 'I Knew You Were Waiting'.
Tidbit of Trivia... 
Otis Redding wrote this and originally recorded it in 1965, with his version hit #35 in the US. Redding said of the song shortly before his death in 1967: "That's one of my favorite songs because it has a better groove than any of my records. It says something, too: 'What you want, baby, you got it; what you need, baby, you got it; all I'm asking for is a little respect when I come home.' The song lines are great. The band track is beautiful. It took me a whole day to write it and about twenty minutes to arrange it. We cut it once and that was it. Everybody wants respect, you know." Source: Songfacts.com

1967 The Doors 'Light My Fire' was released in the US, where it went on to be No.1 on the singles chart two months later.
Tidbit of Trivia...
When The Doors were booked to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show they were asked to change the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher", as the sponsors were uncomfortable with the possible reference to drug-taking. The band agreed to do so, and did a rehearsal using the amended lyrics; however, during the live performance, lead singer Jim Morrison sang the original lyric, after which they were informed they would never appear on the Ed Sullivan show again.
Source: Songfacts.com
1972 Jethro Tull started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Thick As A Brick'.
Tidbit of Trivia... 
"Thick as a brick" is a phrase meaning stubbornly dumb, as one's head is so thick that no new thoughts can enter it. The song starts with Ian Anderson expressing his low expectations for his target ("I may make you feel but I can't make you think") before singing about class structures, conformity, and the rigid moralistic beliefs of the establishment that perpetuates it.

The song follows a young boy who sees two career paths: soldier and artist. He chooses the life of a soldier, just like his father. We see him assimilate into the society he once rebelled against, becoming just like his dad.

Source: Songfacts.com
1989 The Fine Young Cannibals started a seven-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'The Raw & The Cooked'.
Tidbit of Trivia...
At the height of their popularity, the group was hounded to accept sponsorship deals, including a ridiculous one involving this song. "The worst thing was they wanted us to remake the 'Good Thing' video with Hondas instead of Vespas," David Steele told Q magazine in 1990. "I used to hang out with scooter kids and to them the biggest joke in the whole world was the Honda scooter."
Source: Songfacts.com
1995 Bryan Adams started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman' Taken from the film 'Don Juan De Marco' it became Adams third US solo No.1, a No.4 hit in the UK.
Source: Songfacts.com
Tidbit of Trivia... 
This was featured in the movie Don Juan DeMarco, starring Johnny Depp. It was the last of 3 huge hits Adams did for movies. In 1991, he recorded "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" for Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, and in 1993 he sang with Rod Stewart and Sting on "All For Love" for The 3 Musketeers.


And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...

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