The Way We Listen

Today in Music History: June 27

"Whoever has spoken into the mouthpiece of the phonograph, and whose words are recorded by it, has the assurance that his speech may be reproduced audibly in his own tones long after he himself has turned to dust. The possibility is simply startling."--Scientific American, November 17, 1877

We have come a long way in 137 years in the way we listen...especially to music. With digital technology abundantly prevalent in the 21st century, it is hard to imagine a world without the ability to produce sound recordings. Yet, we all know everything has a beginning...it must start somewhere, some time. In 1877, the first phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison. The phonograph was the first method of recording and playing back sound. This was Edison's first great invention, which gave him international fame. He toured the country with the phonograph and was even invited to the White House to demonstrate the invention to President Rutherfor B. Hayes in 1878.

The phonograph was great at the time but it was only good for a one time only playback and the sound quality was terrible. While Edison was pre-occupied with his electric light research, Bell founded a research laboratory where his cousin Chichester Bell and physicist Charles Sumner Tainter worked on improving the phonograph.

 

Patented 1886 by Charles Sumner Tainter and Chichester Bell (cousin of A.G. Bell)

1885 Chichester Bell and Charles Tainter applied for a patent on their invention the graphophone. Like the phonograph, the graphophone makes a cylinder record, but unlike Edison's phonograph that recorded on tin foil, this graphophone recorded and replayed wax cylinders.

From Then 'til...

Music Through the Centuries has played an integral role in the lives of both young and old. But, it was the invention of the phonograph and graphophone that made it possible for the music to be played on and on and on until...the music stops. For this day in recorded music history, we begin in the 60s then venture forward with singles that made it to the top in their respective years.

1964 Peter and Gordon went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the Lennon & McCartney song 'A World Without Love', also a No.1 in the UK. Peter Asher went on to become James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt's manager.

 

1968 Elvis Presley appeared on an NBC TV show that was billed as his "comeback special", which ended The King's seven-year absence from live performing. The show featured Elvis performing on a small, square stage, surrounded by a mostly female audience. Presley was outfitted in black leather and performed many of his early hits. 

1968 Working at Abbey Road studios in London The Beatles recorded seven takes of 'Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey' for their forthcoming White album.

 1970 The Jackson Five started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Love You Save', the group's third No.1 of the year, it made No.7 in the UK.

1981 Michael Jackson had his first solo UK No.1 with 'One Day In Your Life' a song recorded by Jackson for his 1975 album, Forever, Michael.

 1987 Whitney Houston became the first women in US history to enter the album chart at No.1 with 'Whitney' she also became the first woman to top the singles chart with four consecutive releases when 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' hit No.1.

This Day's Trivia...

2012 The chief medical officer of Russia said that The Beatles were to blame for the country's drug problem. Yevgeny Bryun, the nation's medical chief, said that the country's youth first got introduced to the idea of drug-taking when The Beatles traveled to India to "expand their minds". Bryun added that it was after this news entered public consciousness that people in Russia realized you could make money from the sale of drugs. When business then realized it was possible to make money from this, goods associated with pleasure, that was when the growth in the demand for drugs started."

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