Song of the Day: Todd Rundgren- I Saw the Light (1972)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 28TH

1991 Nirvana recorded a performance for BBC TV music show Top Of The Pops in London. When asked to lip-sync 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' to a pre-recorded tape Kurt Cobain protested by singing an octave lower (he later confirmed he was imitating Morrissey from The Smiths), and attempted to eat his microphone at one point. He also changed some of the lyrics, exchanging the opening line "load up on guns, bring your friends," for "load up on drugs, kill your friends."

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This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 27TH

1942 Happy Birthday Jimi Hendrix!

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This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 26TH

1958 Johnny Cash made his debut on the US country chart when ‘Cry! Cry! Cry!’ made it to number 14. His next seven singles would all make the country top 10, with ‘I Walk the Line’ and ‘There You Go’ both hitting number 1.

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This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 25TH

2010 A restaurant fell victim to a prankster who had them make 178 pizzas by claiming they were for singer Bob Dylan and his crew. An imposter wearing a fake pass for a Dylan concert called in an Antonio's restaurant and placed the huge order worth more than $3,900. He told the owner the pizzas were for Dylan and his crew who had appeared in concert in Amherst, Massachusetts. Staff at Antonios worked until 5.30am to make the pizzas - but were left stunned when no one returned to collect the order.

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This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 24TH

1991 Freddie Mercury died of complications from aids at his home in London's Holland park aged 45, just one day after he publicly admitted he was HIV positive. Mercury was openly bisexual and enjoyed a colourful rock star lifestyle.

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Song of the Day:Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box (1993)

Nirvana made the only music videos worth watching.

Song of the Day: Kurt Cobain - She Only Lies (2015)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 23RD

1899 The world's first jukebox was installed at San Francisco's' Palais Royal Hotel. The word Jook is an old African-American term, meaning to dance, sometimes used with sexual connotations.

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Song of the Day: Aquarius - Let the Sun Shine (1998)

Song of the Day: San Francisco- Scott McKenzie (1967)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 20TH

1961 Bob Dylan began recording his first album in New York City.

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Song of the Day: Where Did You Sleep Last Night- Nirvanat (1993)

This Led Belly cover song was popularized by Nirvana during their MTV Unplugged Special, This version is powerful, live and performed the Valentine's Day before Kurt's death. Apparently, Nirvana was in France for this concert while Courtney Love was recording her album in England. She was supposed to fly out and the two spend Valentine's Day with Kurt, but she blew him off because she was too busy working on her album. Later in the day Kurt was told through the grapevine she didn't show up because she was with another man. He then went out and delivered this incredible performance.
Rumor has it the other man was Billy Corigan of the Smashing Pumpkins...what a downgrade!

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 18TH

1993 Nirvana recorded their MTV unplugged special at Sony Studios, New York. Nirvana played a setlist composed of mainly lesser-known material and cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets and Lead Belly. The album won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996.

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Song of the Day: Lauryn Hill- Ex Factor (1998)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 17TH

2000 It was reported that Andy White who played drums on The Beatles track 'Love Me Do' which was featured on the new Beatles Greatest Hits album would not earn enough from it to buy his own copy. White would get no more than his original session fee of £7 Source

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Song of the Day: Send Me On My Way- Rusted Root (1998)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 16TH

1968 Led Zeppelin played their first ever show in the North of England when they appeared at Manchester College of Science & Technology. Zeppelin were paid £225 for the gig.

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This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 15TH

1959 Johnny and the Moondogs, (The Beatles) played in the final heat of the 'TV Star Search' competition at The Hippodrome Theatre, Manchester. The Moondogs didn't have the money to stay overnight in Manchester, so they were forced to head back to Liverpool before they were called back onto stage.

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This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 14TH

1960 Ray Charles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Georgia On My Mind', a No.24 hit in the UK. His cover of Hoagy Carmichael's 1930 standard, became the first of three No.1 hits for the singer.

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Falling into tomorrow...

“I've never been a very prolific person, so when creativity flows, it flows. I find myself scribbling on little notepads and pieces of loose paper, which results in a very small portion of my writings to ever show up in true form.” Kurt Cobain

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Song of the Day: Oh! Sweet Nuthin' - Velvet Underground (1970)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 13TH

1973 Jerry Lee Lewis Junior was killed in a car accident near Hernando, Mississippi. Lewis had been working as the drummer in his father's band.

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Song of the Day: Neil Young - Harvest Moon (1992)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 12TH

1945 Canadian musician Neil Young was born. Happy birthday Neil!

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The Dead and Company

There is something so magical about the Dead and Company union! So. Much. Love.

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Song of the Day: Bob Dylan - To Ramona (1964)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 11TH

1969 The FBI in Phoenix, Arizona arrested Jim Morrison for drunk and disorderly conduct aboard a plane. The Doors singer who was on his way to a Rolling Stones concert with actor Tom Baker had been drinking and annoying the stewardesses. The pair spent the night in jail and were released on $2,500 bail (Source).

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"You can't fake this music. You might be a great singer or a great musician but, in the need, that's got nothing to do with it. It's how you connect to the songs and to the history behind them."- Etta James
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This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 10TH

1967 The Beatles filmed three promotional films for their new single ‘Hello Goodbye’ at the Saville Theatre in London. Each of the three film clips featured different costumes and Beatle antics. In the first film they wear their Sgt. Pepper uniforms, for the second The Beatles are wearing everyday clothes, the third film clip features shots from the first two films, plus additional shots of The Beatles (especially John) doing the twist. A Musician's Union ban on lip-sync broadcasts prevented the film being used on British television (Source).

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Song of the Day: Amy Winehouse- We're Still Friends (Live, 2005)

"Back then people closed their eyes and listened to music. Today there's a lot of images that go with the music. A lot of music is crap and it's all commercial and the images are all trying to sell the record." - Neil Young

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Song of the Day: Led Zeppelin - Misty Mountain Hop (Live, 1973)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 9TH

1966 John Lennon met Yoko Ono for the first time at her art exhibition in the Indica Gallery in London, called 'Unfinished Paintings and Objects.' (Source)

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"I listen to music that is of our time and I just get angry." - Amy Winehouse
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This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 8TH

1971 Led Zeppelin released their fourth album. With no title printed on the album, and generally referred to as Four Symbols, The Fourth Album or Led Zeppelin IV it has gone on to sell over 37 million copies worldwide. The 19th century rustic oil painting on the front of the album was purchased by Robert Plant from an antique shop in Reading, Berkshire, England. The 20th century urban tower block on the back of the full gatefold LP cover is Butterfield Court in Eves Hill, Dudley, England. Source

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Jerry Garcia

"I don't know why, it's the same reason why you like some music and you don't like others. There's something about it that you like. Ultimately I don't find it's in my best interests to try and analyze it, since it's fundamentally emotional."

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Song of the Day: Nirvana -Lithium MTV VMA'S (1992)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 7TH

1951 Frank Sinatra married his second wife actress Ava Gardner, the couple split up in 1953 and divorced in 1957. Sinatra was married three other times, to his first wife Nancy Barbato, to the actress Mia Farrow and finally to Barbara Marx, to whom he was married at his death. Source

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"Here's the thing with me and the religious thing. This is the flat-out truth: I find the religiosity and philosophy in the music. I don't find it anywhere else." - Bob Dylan

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Song of the Day: Tom Petty - You Don't Know How it Feels (1994)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 6TH

1967 During a three hour session Bob Dylan recorded ‘All Along The Watchtower’ and ‘John Wesley Harding’ at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.

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"Music is the shorthand of emotion." - Leo Tolstoy SOURCE

John Mayer Brings New Life to Old Grateful Dead Classics

Like many Deadheads, I was skeptical when I heard that John Mayer was going to the place holder of the legendary Jerry Garcia for the Dead & Company tour this fall. ‘Your Body is a Wonderland,’ guy…really? But I shrugged it off and assumed that if the remaining members of the Dead wanted him to play with them, he must be at least passable – after all, I vaguely remembered hearing about Eric Clapton and BB King playing with him too. I figured I’d simply watch some of the Dead & Company performances in passing, as I had done with the Fare Thee Well shows.

My interest piqued when my sister and brother-in-law returned from Dead & Company’s Madison Square Garden show this past weekend extremely impressed, raving about how great a job Mayer did. Their glowing reviews compelled me to check it out for myself. I quickly lost myself in YouTube video after video, mesmerized by Mayer’s performance. His ability to find the essence of every single song in both his playing and his singing left me in awe.

Even my dad, one of the most crotchety, curmudgeonly and dissident Deadheads that has ever lived, couldn’t believe his ears and also spent hours watching Dead & Company perform. John Mayer is a musician I had shrugged off many years ago as a poppy sell-out, admiring his looks and not much else. But I’m beyond happy he proved me (and I suspect many others) wrong about his level of talent and potential.

Mayer didn’t merely learn to emulate Garcia’s style, he put his whole self into the songs and breathed new life into them. In my eyes, Mayer has joined the ranks of the few glimmers of hope for the future of music and has also showed me that a musician that once came from a place of commerciality can break free and move to a place of authenticity. It is truly a happy, hopeful day for Deadheads and for music in general.

I have to agree with my dad, who, not typically one for giving high praise, said “Garcia is smiling.” 

Song of the Day: Acoustic Amy - 2006

Amy was the master! This recording is so good it hurts-

-Rehab

-Love is a Losing Game

-You Know I'm No Good

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 5TH

1966 The Monkees were at the top of the Billboard singles chart with ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, the group’s first No. 1. Bobby Hart who co-wrote the song got the idea for the lyrics when he turned on the radio and heard the end of The Beatles' 'Paperback Writer'. He thought Paul McCartney was singing "Take the last train", and decided to use the line when he found out McCartney was actually singing 'Paperback Writer'. Source

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"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." - Ludwig van Beethoven

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Song of the Day: The Dead & Company -Althea (2015)

Still so jazzed on the Dead & Company!

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 4TH

1967 Pink Floyd made their US live debut when they appeared at the Winterland Auditorium, San Francisco, California. Floyd shared the bill with local group Big Brother & The Holding Company, featuring singer Janis Joplin and singer / songwriter Richie Havens. Source

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"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." -Berthold Auerbach

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Kurt D. Cobain

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Song of the Day: Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody (1977)

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 3RD

1990 25 years after their version was recorded, The Righteous Brothers went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Unchained Melody'. The track had been featured in the Patrick Swayze film 'Ghost.' Written by Alex North and Hy Zaret, 'Unchained Melody is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, with over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages. SOURCE

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A.J.W from Halftime

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Song of the Day: The Dead & Co -Phil Lesh, Ross James, John Mayer - I Know You Rider (2015)

Today is dedicated to a new found appreciation for John Mayer.

"The challenge and what I love about this is figuring out what in the guitar playing is compositional and important to the song and what is someone’s fingerprint -- what is Jerry Garcia's fingerprint. … For me, it’s about finding an authentic space between how I play the guitar and what my instincts are and what these songs are at their core." Mayer on learning to play Grateful Dead Source

This Day in Music History: NOVEMBER 2ND

1967 The Beatles completed recording their next single ‘Hello Goodbye’ at Abbey Road studios London with a second Paul McCartney bass line. The McCartney song had been selected for the A-side for The Beatles next single, the flip side to be Lennon’s ‘I Am the Walrus’.
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