Author Archives: dcaligari

January 31, 1970 –Led Zeppelin’s single, Whole Lotta Love reaches #4 in the US, on this date,the highest any of their songs will ever chart on the Hot 100. Most of their songs, including Stairway To Heaven, were not released as singles. Jimmy Page served as Led Zeppelin’s producer, and on this song, he letContinue reading “You’ve been learnin’, baby, I been learnin’ …”

Today is National Inane Answering Machine Day, observed on January 30th every year. This holiday encourages you on this day to bring an end to all of the mindless and endlessly long answering machine messages that annoy and waste the time of callers. Or, you could leave a long, drawn out, insane message on someone’sContinue reading “I’m not in at present, I’m sure you know this whole routine”

January 30, 1931 –Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights (A Comedy Romance in Pantomime) opened at Los Angeles Theater on this date. The episodic film includes a complete musical soundtrack and various sound effects – but no speech or dialogue. Charles Chaplin invited Albert Einstein and his wife Elsa to join him at the Los Angeles premiereContinue reading “City Lights premiered”

January 30, 1988 –INXS‘ single from their fourth album Kick, Need You Tonight, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Charts on this date. It is the only INXS single to reach No. 1. The song segues seamlessly into the next track on the album, a poem Andrew Farriss wrote and put to music called Mediate.Continue reading “All you’ve got is this moment”

January 30, 1987 – Woody Allen’s warm remembrance of the Golden Age of Radio, Radio Days premiered on this date. When the Uncle goes next door to confront the communists, the man screaming about the plight of the “worker” is Larry David, who can be seen in a long shot.

January 30, 1969 – At a free concert at their Apple corporate headquarters in London, The Beatles made their last-ever public appearance as a group on this date. < The performance, filmed for the documentary Let It Be, was eventually halted when police arrived after neighbors complained about the racket. (Once again, I strongly encourageContinue reading “The mop tops went out for a breath of fresh air”

Two households, both alike in dignityIn fair Verona, where we lay our sceneFrom ancient grudge break to new mutinyWhere civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-cross’d lovers take their lifeWhose misadventured piteous overthrowsDo with their death bury their parents’ strife William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo andContinue reading “Then I defy you, stars!”

Before settling on the Seven Dwarfs we know today, Disney also considered Chesty, Tubby, Burpy, Deafy, Hickey, Wheezy, and Awful.

January 29, 2000 –The PBS series In the Spotlight presented Steely Dan, showcasing selections from Two Against Nature, their first new studio recording in more than 20 years, on this date. This is the Home Version of Steely Dan’s PBS In The Spotlight Special, with additional documentary footage, (I didn’t think anyone would complain.)

January 29, 1981 –Dolly Parton’s theme song for the film 9 to 5 went to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts on this date. In a 2009 interview with 60 Minutes, Parton talked about the unlikely inspiration for this song: her fingernails. She had very long, acrylic nails, and discovered that when she rubbed themContinue reading “9 to 5 topped the charts”