Author Archives: dcaligari

July 21, 1990 –Roger Waters staged an over-sized version of Pink Floyd’s The Wall near the Berlin Wall, on this date, to celebrate the actual wall’s fall several months earlier. During the live TV transmission the second and third songs, The Thin Ice and Another Brick in the Wall part I, were disrupted when aContinue reading “A worldwide broadcast of The Wall”

July 21, 1977 –Despite protests, The Sex Pistols made their first appearance on the UK music show Top Of The Pops where they lip-synched to their third single, Pretty Vacant (which was released three weeks prior); The performance helped push the song up the charts to No.7. The Sex Pistols would probably not have beenContinue reading “The another TV appearance by the naughty Sex Pistols”

July 21, 1979 –Robert Palmer released a cover version of the Moon Martin song, Bad Case Of Loving You, on this date. Known by most as “Doctor, Doctor,” this is one of many songs in the blues/rock tradition that compares the singers’ love to a medical condition. Apparently, Palmer got hooked on whatever the doctorContinue reading “Bad Case Of Loving You went on sale”

July 20, 1965 –Bob Dylan releases the classic Like A Rolling Stone on this date. Like a Rolling Stone runs 6:13. It was a big breakthrough when the song got radio play and became a hit, as many stations refused to play songs much longer than 3 minutes. It was also rare for a songContinue reading “Like A Rolling Stone went on sale”

July 20, 2007 –The musical version of John Waters 1988 cult classic film (and the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name,) Hairspray, directed by Adam Shankman and starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, and Nikki Blonsky opened on this date. It took John Travolta four hours to put onContinue reading “Hairspray (the musical) premiered”

July 20, 1970 –Richard and Karen Carpenters appear on The Dating Game, where they perform (They Long To Be) Close To You and each select from three suitors (and not each other,) on this date. Karen Carpenter appeared on segment 1 and she was the girl interviewing the three bachelors. Richard on segment 2 asContinue reading “Don’t be silly – they didn’t date each other”

July 20, 1969 –55 years ago today, in a live transmission from the Moon, viewed by 720 million people around the world, Neil Armstrong stepped foot onto the Moon. It was a brave thing to do (and unfortunately caused Buzz Aldrin to have his post-Apollo 11 period of alcoholism and depression.) It was also theContinue reading “We got there (unless we didn’t)”

Shhh, I believe today’s holiday is a huge conspiracy perpetrated by a large Big Sugar Syndication. It’s National Lollipop Day; but don’t go too overboard on the sugary treats. (Last time I checked; it’s about 251 licks.)

July 19, 1965 –The Beatles released the single, Help (B-side I’m Down), ahead of the release of the album of the same name, on this date. John Lennon has described this time of his life as his “fat Elvis period.” In a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon said this is one of his favoriteContinue reading “The Beatles’ plaintive cry for assistance”

July 19, 1986 –Genesis had their first (and only) #1 Hot 100 hit as Invisible Touch tops the chart, on this date. According to Phil Collins, an influence on this song was the 1984 Sheila E. hit The Glamorous Life, which was written by Prince. That song is about a woman who gets the bestContinue reading “Invisible Touch topped the charts”