Author Archives: dcaligari

June 25, 1984 –Warner Bros. Records released the sixth studio album by Prince, Purple Rain, on this date. Purple Rain was musically denser than Prince’s previous albums, emphasizing full band performances, and multiple layers of guitars, keyboards, electronic synthesizer effects, drum machines, and other instruments.

June 25, 1949 – One of Chuck Jones famous Bugs Bunny opera parodies, Long Haired Hare, premiered on this date. Giovanni Jones’ singing voice remained uncredited and unknown for many years. It was since revealed to have been provided by opera singer Nicolai Shutorov. Mel Blanc voices Jones when, after getting stuck in a tubaContinue reading “That’s the nice fat opera singer …”

June 25, 1951 –The first commercial color telecast took place as CBS transmitted a one-hour special, called Premiere, from New York to four other cities, (including: Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.,)on this date. Appearing on the debut show were Arthur Godfrey, Faye Emerson, Sam Levenson, Ed Sullivan, Gary Moore, Robert Alda, Isabel Bigley, BilContinue reading “Color TV first started”

June 25, 1993 –David Letterman’s series Late Night with David Letterman aired for the last time on NBC-TV on this date. Letterman began hosting Late Show with David Letterman on CBS in August 30, 1993. Letterman left Late Night in 1993 for Late Show with David Letterman on CBS when NBC give the Tonight ShowContinue reading “Dave decamped from NBC”

Happy LEON day bunkies! LEON is NOEL spelled backwards. Christmas is but a mere six months away. Kids, now that some of you are out of school and are once again allowed to freely roam in polite society, you had better take a quick check of the whole naughty/ nice thing and see how youContinue reading “It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year”

June 24, 1994 –Weezer release the song Undone – The Sweater Song, from their debut album, Weezer (aka The Blue Album) on this date. This was the first Weezer song that Rivers Cuomo ever wrote, back in 1991. Three years later it was released as the band’s first single.

June 24, 1983 –Warner Bros. releases the sci-fi film Twilight Zone: The Movie, directed by Joe Dante, John Landis, George Miller, and Steven Spielberg and starring Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers, Kathleen Quinlan, John Lithgow, and Burgess Meredith in U.S. theaters on this date. The film remakes three classic episodes of theContinue reading “Twilight Zone: The Movie premiered”

June 24, 1970 –Mike Nichols‘ adaptation of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22was released on this date . While on a tirade in his office, Major Major (Bob Newhart) walks past a framed photo of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In a continuous shot, he paces around his office, and when he passes the picture again, it is ofContinue reading “Catch 22 premiered”

June 24, 1880 –The first performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, took place at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français on on this date. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony. The original lyrics were in French;Continue reading “All in the effort to fulfill our Canadian content”

June 24, 1947 –Businessman pilot Kenneth Arnold encounters a formation of nine flying saucers near Mt. Ranier, Washington, exhibiting unusual movements and velocities of 1,700 mph. No explanation is found for this first report of flying saucers in the recent era, but it does earn Mr. Arnold legions of skeptics and an eventual IRS taxContinue reading “Bunkies, the truth is out there”