Author Archives: dcaligari

June 16, 1997 –The Verve released Bitter Sweet Symphony in the UK on this date. The song lives up to it’s title: the song is a huge hit, but Mick Jagger and Keith Richards end up getting credits and royalties. The famous orchestral riff incorporates a sample from an obscure instrumental version of the 1965Continue reading “Talk about the bittersweet”

June 16, 1904 –Happy Bloomsday! Every June 16 (the date on which the novel is set,) the reader of Ulysses celebrate the day Leo Bloom takes his famous walk around Dublin. James Joyce fans mark the date each year, greeting one another joyously They’ll feel smart and proud and better than the rest of usContinue reading “Feel smarter just knowing this”

Today is National lobster Day. I’m not sure if the holiday is celebrating this crustacean for its’ longevity or its’ delicious taste. Yes I know that if you are celebrating National Lobster Day today, you are celebrating the consumption of Canadian lobsters and not our own national variety. I don’t care, I love lobsters, especiallyContinue reading “I’ll be having mine tomorrow”

June 15, 1983 – Everyone took their final cab ride with the Sunshine Cab Company when the last episode of Taxi: Simkas monthlies aired on this date. When ABC cancelled the series in 1982, HBO considered purchasing the show, only to lose out to NBC, which promoted the show in ads stating “Same time, betterContinue reading “Taxi series finale”

June 15, 1983 – The BBC comedy series The Black Adder starring Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson debuted on this date. Rowan Atkinson has a stutter, which causes him to struggle with the letter ‘B.’ He has to visualise the letter before he says it – which is why he puts extra emphasis on wordsContinue reading “The first Black Adder series premiered”

June 15, 1989 –Nirvana’s debut album, Bleach, was released, on this date. The album Bleach initially sold about 35,000 copies, which was pretty good for an Indie band and got them signed to a major label. The album eventually sold over 1 million copies, as many Nirvana fans bought it after Cobain died. The albumContinue reading “Bleach went on sale”

June 14, 1970 –The Grateful Dead released their fourth studio album, Workingman’s Dead, on this date. In 2003, the album was ranked number 262 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. This was one of the Dead’s first attempts to reach beyond their little cult and take a shotContinue reading “The Dead burst into the mainstream”

June 14, 1975 –The band America’s single, (from their fifth album Hearts,) Sister Golden Hair went to No.1 on the Billboard singles chart, on this date. It was the group’s second No.1 hit. George Martin, who was The Beatles producer, produced this track and the rest of the Hearts album (he started working with AmericaContinue reading “Sister Golden Hair topped the charts”

June 14, 1967 –One of the iconic films from the 60s, the British drama To Sir, with Love, starring Sidney Poitier opened in the US on this date. Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by E.R. Braithwaite and his experiences teaching in a tough secondary school in a poor area of post-war East London the film’sContinue reading “To Sir, with Love premiered”

June 14, 1976 –The Gong Show debuted on NBC on this date. People with dubious talents perform their acts before a celebrity panel of judges, who are free to eject the performer at any time by banging a large gong. The best non-gonged performer each night wins $516.32. During the time the show is onContinue reading “Gene, Gene, the dancing machine”