This Day in Music: May 18th

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Born on this day:
1911, Big Joe Turner, singer
1912, Perry Como, singer
1942, Albert Hammond, singer, songwriter
1946, Bruce Gilbert, guitarist, Wire
1949, Rick Wakeman, keyboardist, Yes
1949, Bill Wallace, bassist, The Guess Who
1950, Mark Mothersbaugh, singer, musician, Devo
1952, George Strait, singer, songwriter
1965, Ingo Schwichtenberg, drummer, Helloween
1970, Billy Howerdel, guitarist, A Perfect Circle
1975, Jack Johnson, singer, songwriter

1964, a riot broke out in Hamilton, Scotland during a Rolling Stones U.K. tour when over 4,000 fans with forged tickets gate-crashed the band’s gig at the Chantinghall Hotel.

1966, The Castiles (with Bruce Springsteen on vocals) made their first recordings at Mr. Music Inc in Brick Town, New Jersey. They cut two Springsteen songs, “Baby I” and “That’s What You Get.” The songs were cut directly to disc, of which seven or eight test pressings of the studio takes were made.

1967, The Beatles were selected to represent the U.K. for the first-ever global-wide satellite broadcast. The group agreed to be shown in the studio recording a song written especially for the occasion, scheduled for June 25. John Lennon wrote “All You Need is Love,” which was thought to sum up the 1967 “Summer of Love” and The Beatles' sympathies. With the satellite broadcast being transmitted to many non-English-speaking countries, the BBC asked The Beatles to “keep it simple.”

1975, country singer Tammy Wynette was at #1 on the U.K. singles chart with “Stand by Your Man.” Originally recorded and released as a single in 1968 in the U.S, it proved to be the most successful record of Wynette's career and is one of the most covered songs in the history of country music.

1980, Joy Division singer Ian Curtis hanged himself in the kitchen of his house in Macclesfield, England at the age of 23. Curtis had the Iggy Pop album, The Idiot, playing on his stereo and left a note that said, “At this very moment, I wish I were dead. I just can't cope anymore.”

1993, Sister Lovers, 18 Wheeler, Boyfriend and Oasis appeared at King Tut’s in Glasgow, Scotland. Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who was in the audience, declared after seeing Oasis, “I've found the greatest rock 'n' roll band since The Beatles.” (For more on this story, see the This Day in Music Spotlight.)

1997, Blur won pop music's equivalent of the FA Cup, the Music Industry Soccer Six. The band's win at Fulham FC's ground, Craven Cottage, saw them beating competition from Robbie Williams, My Life Story and The Prodigy.

2004, jazz drummer great Elvin Jones died of heart failure at the age of 76. In addition to his own exceptional solo career, Jones also played alongside John Coltrane, Charles Mingus and Miles Davis, among others.

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