Author Archives: dcaligari

December 4, 1965 –The Byrds song Turn! Turn! Turn! reached no. 1 on the Billboard charts on this date. Before he recorded this song with The Byrds, Jim McGuinn (who later went by Roger) played acoustic 12-string guitar on Judy Collins’ 1963 version, which appears on her album Judy Collins #3. He also worked upContinue reading “Turn! Turn! Turn! topped the charts”

December 4, 1956 –On this day, during a Carl Perkins recording session with Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash at Sun Records in Memphis, Elvis Presley visited the studio and jammed extensively while the tapes rolled. A newspaper reporter who was present dubbed it “The Million Dollar Quartet,” offering a rough guess as to whatContinue reading “The Million Dollar Quartet recording session”

December 3, 1976 –During a shoot for the cover of Pink Floyd’s the Animals album, one of the props, an inflatable pig broke free due to a strong gust of wind (gaining a lot of press coverage). The pig, named Algie, floated above Battersea Power Station, then disappeared from sight within five minutes, and wasContinue reading “(There is nothing worse than a leaky rubber pig.)”

December 3, 1968 –NBC premiered the iconic Elvis special (usually referred the ‘68 Comeback Special,) sponsored by the Singer Corporation, on this date. St. Elvis appeared to his devoted acolytes on this date. The leather clad Elvis – not the sweaty holy Elvis. This is the “Elvis has left the building” Elvis. Touch but theContinue reading “And to think, Singer Sewing Machine is the sponsor”

Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas (those trying to figure out their Advent Calendars, you may open the first window on the First of December). Today is the first Advent Sunday of this season. It is a time to “get ready” for the celebration of Christmas. (I didn’t just jokeContinue reading “Advent means ‘Coming’ in Latin.”

December 3, 1990 –Madonna was interviewed by Forrest Sawyer on the news program Nightline, where she debuts her video for Justify My Love, which MTV has refused to play on this date. It was unusual for an entertainment story to be the focus of Nightline, but this one made the news because it raised censorshipContinue reading “Madonna interviewed on Nightline”

December 3, 1965 – Rubber Soul, the sixth album by The Beatles was released on this date. With the 14 new songs, the British band expanded their sound using a wide range of instruments. Influences included soul music and the new folk-rock of Bob Dylan. George Harrison’s use of a sitar on Norwegian Wood sparkedContinue reading “The Beatles offered to let you drive their car for the first time”

December 2, 1986 –Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III died from lung cancer, on this date. Although recognized as a great innovator of television, I guess he might have had second thoughts about that Philip Morris sponsorship of the I Love Lucy show.

December 2, 1969 – Jeanie finally married Major Anthony Nelson (her ‘master’) on the I Dream of Jeannie episode, The Wedding, on this date. Although personally Barbara Eden strongly disagreed with the decision for Tony and Jeannie to marry, she has mentioned several times that this was one of her favorite episodes, mainly because itContinue reading “Even Genies get married”

December 2, 1988 –Paramount Pictures’ very silly film, (based on the short lived TV series)The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalbán, and George Kennedy, opened on this date. Several years later, Queen Elizabeth II attended a Oakland A’s versus Baltimore Orioles game in Baltimore, Maryland, andContinue reading “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! premiered”