Author Archives: dcaligari

October 7, 1979 –Factory Records released Transmission, the debut single (the 7″ disc version) by seminal post-punk band Joy Division, on this date. In May 2007, NME magazine placed Transmission at No.20 in its list of the 50 “Greatest Indie Anthems Ever“, one place below their third single Love Will Tear Us Apart .

October 7, 1959 – … There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it’s all dark. The dark far side of the Moon was photographed for the first time and pictures relayed back to Earth by Russia’s Luna 3 spacecraft. After passing the Moon, the Luna 3 looked back from aContinue reading “… the sun is eclipsed by the moon”

October 7, 1952 – A little TV show called American Bandstand premiered on this date, 70 years ago. It premiered locally as a live show, Bandstand, on Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV (Channel 6, now WPVI-TV) on this date in Studio ‘B‘, which was located in their just-completed addition to the original 1947 building (4548 MarketContinue reading “American Bandstand premiered”

October 7, 1960 – Route 66 premiered on this date. Three future movie stars nearly became regulars on this series. When the show was first getting off the ground, a young unknown named Robert Redford auditioned for the role of Tod Stiles, but was beaten out by Martin Milner. When George Maharis left the showContinue reading “Route 66 premiered”

October 7, 1950 –The character of Granny appeared for the first time in a Looney Tunes Cartoon when Canary Row, directed by Friz Freleng and starring Sylvester and Tweety, premiered on this date. Mel Blanc’s voice for Tweety, except when singing, was edited to an extra higher pitch than usual for this cartoon, but wouldContinue reading “Canary Row premiered”

0ctober 6, 1966 –The Star Trek episode The Enemy Within, first ared on this date. In it, a transporter mishap divides Captain Kirk into two versions of himself, one good and one evil, but neither is able to function separately for long. The episode marks the first use of the line, “He’s dead, Jim.”

October 6, 1973 –Cher’s single, Half-Breed, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts on this date. (Sorry for the earworm.) Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California, to an Armenian American father and an Arkansas-born mother with English, German, Irish, French, and Dutch ancestry. Around the time Half-Breed was released, Cher claimedContinue reading “Half-Breed topped the charts”

October 6, 1969 –The Beatles release a double A-side single Something and Come Together on this date. It was the only song written by George Harrison released as a single by The Beatles. George Harrison wrote this during a break while The Beatles were working on The White Album. It was not recorded in timeContinue reading “Something/ Come Together were dropped”

October 6, 1948 –In the late 40s through the 50s, the CIA led a top secret campaign, called Militant Liberty that encouraged studios to insert the theme of freedom into Hollywood movies. Alfred P. Sloan (think about the name and it will come to you) the recently retired head of of General Motors from 1923Continue reading “Make Mine Freedom premiered”

October 6, 1927 –Good, bad or indifferent to it, The Jazz Singer (the first feature-length movie with audible synchronized dialogue), premiered in NYC on this date. Although The Jazz Singer is often cited as one of the turning points in cinema, Will H. Hays, president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA),Continue reading “The Jazz Singer premiered”