Rock and Metal History, a day like today May 26
1966: The Rolling Stones were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Paint It, Black', their sixth UK No.1 single. It was originally titled 'Paint It Black' without a comma. Keith Richards has stated that the comma was added by the record label, Decca. It was the first No.1 single to feature a sitar on the recording.
The Best of the Animals entered the United States album charts. This album would peak at #6 and stay on the charts for an impressive 113 weeks.
1966: The Beatles recorded 'Yellow Submarine' at Abbey Road studios in London. Recovering from a case of food poisoning, producer George Martin missed this recording, EMI engineer Geoff Emerick worked on the session. The track features John Lennon blowing bubbles in a bucket of water, shouting "Full speed ahead Mister Captain!"
1968: Pink Floyd, Blonde On Blonde and The Pretty Things all appeared at the OZ magazine benefit at the Middle Earth Club, Covent Garden, London, England. OZ was a satirical humour magazine, founded by Richard Neville and based in Sydney, Australia from 1963. In its second and better-known incarnation it became a counter-culture magazine, based in London from 1967 to 1973.
1973: Deep Purple released “Smoke on the Water” which went on to peak at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.
The Edgar Winter Group hits #1 on theBillboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with their hard rockin’ instrumental:Frankenstein. This song is featured on the third studio album from The Edgar Winter Group, released in 1972: They Only Come Out At Night.
1978: A new group appeared on the Irish television show Youngline. They were then known as the Hype, today as U2.
1979: 'Sunday Girl' gave Blondie their second UK No.1 hit single. The track was taken from the group's 'Parallel Lines', which went on to become the biggest selling album of 1979.
The first day of the two day Loch Lomond Festival with The Stranglers, Dr Feelgood, Skids, Third World, The Dickies. Day two featured The AWB, Buzzcocks, Rockpile and The Boomtown Rats who played 'I Don't Like Mondays' live for the first time.
1984: Bruce Springsteen had the highest debut of the week with "Dancing In The Dark", which had been released earlier in the month.
Scorpions hit #25 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with their Heavy Metal classic: Rock You Like a Hurricane. This song is featured on the ninth studio album from Scorpions, released in 1984: Love At First Sting
1986: Europe released the album "The Final Countdown"
1990: Heart peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You”.
1995: The Rolling Stones played two semi-acoustic concerts at the Paradiso Amsterdam over two days. Keith Richards later said that the Paradiso concerts were the best live shows the Stones ever did. The venue is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century, subsequently squatted in 1967 by hippies who wanted to convert the church into an entertainment club. Artists who have recorded concerts at the Paradiso include Joy Division, Willie Nelson, Phish, Nirvana, The Cure, Lenny Kravitz, Nick Cave, Dave Matthews and Amy Winehouse.
2002: The first episode of At Home With The Osbournes was shown on MTV in the UK. Already becoming a hit in the the US, the show focused on the madman and his family (his wife Sharon, and two of their three children). Oblivious to the camera, they bicker, squabble, curse and hang out backstage at Ozzy shows
2016: A set of stamps celebrating 50 years of Pink Floyd were unveiled by the Royal Mail. The ten stamps which would be available the following month marked five decades since the band turned professional. The collection included the band's most famous album covers as well as live performance shots.
2017: Chris Cornell was laid to rest at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles next to Johnny Ramone. Mourners at the funeral service include Dave Navarro, Tom Morello, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Courtney Love and his Soundgarden bandmates Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil. Cornell hanged himself on May 18 2017.
Born on this day
1940: Levon Helm, drummer and singer with The Band. He died of throat cancer aged 71 on 19th April 2012. Helm formed his own high school band, the Jungle Bush Beaters, at 17, he later joined The Hawks (who becameBob Dylan's backing group) who then became known as The Band. He sang on Band classics like 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,' 'Up on Cripple Creek,' 'Rag Mama Rag,' and 'The Weight.'
1945: Gary Peterson, Guess Who, (1970 US No.1 & UK No.19 single 'American Woman').
1946: Mick Ronson guitarist, producer, member of The Rats, then worked with David Bowie, (1972 UK album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars 1974 UK No.5 single 'Rebel Rebel'). Also worked with Mott The Hoople, Bob Dylan, Ian Hunter. Released the 1974 UK No.9 solo album 'Slaughter On Tenth Avenue'. Ronson died on April 29th 1993.
1948: Stevie Nicks, singer, Fleetwood Mac who scored the 1987 UK No.5 single 'Little Lies' and 1977 US No.1 single 'Dreams', from world-wide No.1 album Rumours. Solo, 1981 US No.1 & UK No.11 album 'Bella Donna', 1989 UK No. 16 single 'Rooms On Fire'.
1959: Wayne Hussey, guitar, Dead Or Alive, (1985 UK No.1 single 'You Spin me round, Like A record'), Sisters Of Mercy, The Mission, (1988 UK No.12 single 'Tower Of Strength').
1972: Alan White, drums, Oasis (replaced Tony McCarroll in 1995, 1996 UK No.1 single 'Don't Look Back In Anger'). Sacked from the band in 2004.
