On This Day In Music 4th March
1925 Paul Mauriat born in Marseilles, France. French, conductor, arranger, (1968 US No.1 single chart ‘Love Is Blue’, a No.12 hit in the UK). Paul Mauriat died on 3 November 2006 in Perpignan, France, age 81
1936 Eric Allandale born in Dominica, West Indies UK Trumpeter with The Foundations, (1967 UK No.1 single ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’, 1969 US No 3 single ‘Build Me Up A Buttercup’). Allandale died on 23 August 2001, at the age of 65.
1944 Bobby Womack born in Cleveland, Ohio. US Soul Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter with Womack & Womack. (1974 US No.10 single ‘Lookin’ For A Love’, 1993 UK No.27 single with Lulu ‘I’m Back For More’). Womack died at his home in Tarzana, California at the age of 70 on June 27, 2014.
1944 Michael Wilson (Mick) born in Salisbury, Wiltshire. UK Drummer with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, (1968 UK No.1 single ‘Legend Of Xanadu’).
1945 Dieter Meier – Swiss Singer with Yello.
1946 Born on this day, Red Stripe, singer, The Flying Pickets, (1983 UK No.1 single ‘Only You’).
1947 Peter Skellern born in Lancashire, England. English Actor/Singer. He had his only hit in 1972 with ‘You’re A Lady’.
1948 Chris Squire born in London, England. UK Bass Player/Singer/Songwriter with the band Yes and solo, (1983 UK No.28 & 1984 US No.1 single ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart’).
1948 Shakin’ Stevens (Michael Barratt) born in Ely, Wales. Welsh singer. (1981 UK No.1 single ‘This Old House’ plus 30 other UK Top 40 singles).
1948 Billy Gibbons born in Houston, Texas. One of the long bearded guitarists with American rock band ZZ Top.
1950 Emilio Estefan born in New York. Husband of Gloria Estefan & founder member of the Miami Sound Machine, (1984 UK No.6 single ‘Dr Beat’, 1989 US No.1 single ‘Don’t Wanna Loose You’).
1951 Chris Rea born in Middlesborough, England. British Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist (1989 UK No.10 single ‘The Road To Hell’, 1989 UK No.1 album ‘Road To Hell’ album spent 76 weeks on the chart).
1954 St Clair I. Palmer – UK Singer with Sweet Sensation, (1974 UK No.1 single with ‘Sad Sweet Dreamer’).
1955 Phillip Boon Gould – UK Guitarist with Level 42, (1986 UK No.3 & US No.12 single ‘Lessons In Love’ & 19 other UK Top 40 hits).
1959 The winners of the first Grammy Awards were announced. Domenico Modugno’s ‘Volare’ was Record of the Year; Henry Mancini’s ‘Peter Gunn’ was Album of the Year and The Champs ‘Tequila’ won best R&B performance.
1963 Jason Newsted, bass, Metallica, joined Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton’s death, Newsted remained a member until 2001. (1991 UK No.5 single ‘Enter Sandman’, 1991 US & UK No.1 album ‘Metallica’).
1964 Karen Knowles born in Richmond, Victoria. Australia singer. The former Young Talent Time performed made the Australian Charts in 1981 with ‘Why Won’t You Explain’.
1965 Richard March, bass player, Pop Will Eat Itself, (1991 UK No.15 single ‘X Y & Zee’). Formed Bentley Rhythm Ace in mid 90’s.
1966 Patrick Hannan born in London, England. UK Drummer, The Sundays, (1997 UK No.15 single ‘Summertime’).
1967 Evan Dando born in Boston – Lead Singer/Guitarist for US Trio The Lemonheads, (1993 UK No.14 single ‘Into Your Arms’).
1967 The Rolling Stones went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Ruby Tuesday’, the groups fourth US No.1 single. ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ was the original A side but after radio stations banned the song ‘Tuesday’ became the A side.
1968 Patsy Kensit, actress, appeared in the 1986 film ‘Absolute Beginners’ and singer with Eighth Wonder, (1988 UK No.7 single ‘I’m Not Scared’). Once married to Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr and married Oasissinger Liam Gallagher in 1997. The couple split in 2000.
1971 Feargal Lawlor born in Parteen (near Limerick), Ireland. Drummer, The Cranberries, (1994 UK No.14 single ‘Linger’). The bands 1993 album ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We’ spent 86 weeks on the UK chart.
1976 Hall & Oates recorded Rich Girl on thid day.
1976 Max Merritt & The Meteors went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with ‘Slipping Away’. Staying at the top spot for 2wks.
1977 CBS released The Clash’s self- titled first album in the UK. CBS in the U.S. refused to release it until 1979. Americans bought over 100,000 imported copies of the record making it one of the biggest- selling import records of all time.
1978 Andy Gibb started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘(Love Is) Thicker Than Water’, giving the Bee Gees younger brother his second US No.1, not a hit in the UK.
1986 Songwriter Howard Greenfield died of a brain tumour aged 50. Co-wrote with Neil Sedaka, ‘Calendar Girl’, ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’, ‘Crying In The Rain’ with Carole King. Also wrote TV theme songs theme to ‘Bewitched.’
1986 Richard Manuel (The Band) committed suicide by hanging himself from a shower curtain rod in a hotel room in Florida aged 42, following a gig in Florida in 1986.
1989 Debbie Gibson started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Lost In Your Eyes’, her second US No.1, a No.34 hit in the UK.
2001 Village People singer Glenn Hughes died of lung cancer aged 50.
2001 Shaggy went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘It Wasn’t Me’, also a No.1 in the US.
2002 Doreen Waddell, singer with Soul II Soul was killed after attempting to run across the A27 in Brighton, England after being caught shoplifting.
2003 A noisy neighbour was banned from playing her music and had her stereo system impounded, after she had played Cliff Richard music too loudly. 23 year-old Sian Davies was fined £1,000 ($1,700) plus court costs after environmental protection officers raided her flat in Porth, Rhondda, Wales and seized 15 amplifiers and speakers, plus 135 CDs and cassette tapes. The disc found in her CD player was the Cliff Richard single, ‘Peace in Our Time’. A spokesman for the Cliff Richard Organization said he was delighted to hear of somebody in their early 20s owning one of his many recordings. He added, Cliff would not want anyone to play his music so that it caused a nuisance.
2004 Brian Wilson appeared at the Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow during his 11-date UK tour. The shows saw Wilson performing the full suite of songs from his unreleased masterpiece ‘Smile’ Wilson’s ‘teenage symphony to God.’
2007 Take That went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Shine’, their 10th UK No.1 single. The song was featured in several commercials for the re-launched Morrisons supermarkets in the UK, and went on to win the British single of the year award at the 2008 Brit Awards.
2009 Britney Spears kicked off a world tour in New Orleans, her first concert tour for five years. The 27-year-old who dressed as a ringmaster in the show, featured jugglers, acrobats and martial arts dancers.
2012 According to Nielsen SoundScan in the US, vinyl sales increased 36 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year, concluding that vinyl records where making a big comeback for music fans.
2015 Daryl Hall and John Oates were suing cereal maker Early Bird Foods & Co. over the company’s use of the name Haulin’ Oates for their maple syrup granola bars. The two musicians accused the Brooklyn-based firm of infringing on their trademark with the packet of cereal deliberately creating a phonetic play on the band’s well-known name.