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March 13, 1995 –Parlophone Records released Radiohead’s second studio album, The Bends, in the UK on this date. John Leckie, the producer of The Bends, recalled to Q magazine April 2008 the recording of the album: “I love the album but by the end of the sessions I felt devastated. Without telling me, the bandContinue reading “Radiohead gave us The Bends”

Today is Alfred Hitchcock Day. Since Hitchcock was born in August, and died in April, I have no clue why we celebrate in March – its arbitrary and capricious, which makes me like it even more. (It may have to due to the fact that March 12 is the televised anniversary of his American FilmContinue reading “Revenge is sweet and not fattening.”

March 12, 1953 –John Huston’s very off-beat comedy, Beat the Devil, starring Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida, Robert Morley, Peter Lorre and Bernard Lee, opened in New York City on this date. Humphrey Bogart challenged Truman Capote to an arm-wrestling bout and lost. When Bogart challenged him a second time, Capote insisted they wagerContinue reading “Beat the Devil premiered”

March 12, 1973 –After six seasons, the last episode of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In aired on NBC TV, on this date. George Schlatter did not produce the final season, but he won the rights to those episodes in a subsequent court battle. For many years, he neither allowed those episodes to be re-aired, nor anyContinue reading “The Finale of Laugh-In”

March 12, 1991 –Warner Bros. Records released the seventh studio album by R.E.M., Out of Time, on this date. The opening track on Out of Time, Radio Song features the influential rapper KRS-One. R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck explained to Guitar School in 1991: “When we wrote it out, we only had acoustic guitar, bongos, bass,Continue reading “The world is collapsing around our ears …”

March 12, 1969 –Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman on this date. George Harrison and Patti Boyd missed the ceremony because they had been arrested earlier that day when a very large amount of hashish was found in their home. I guess their wedding gift never got to the newlyweds.

Today is World Plumbing Day. It is an international event, initiated by the World Plumbing Council, held on March 11 each year to recognize the important role plumbing plays in societal health and amenity. I should make sure I’m wearing a belt today.

March 11, 1961 –Kenneth Sean Carson, the cultural icon from Willows, Wisconsin and Barbie’s go-to counterpart, was introduced at the American International Toy Fair, on this date. For those wondering where Barbie and Ken met, their official story is that they met on the set of their first commercial together in 1961.

March 11, 1968 – In the episode of The Monkees, Monkees Blow Their Minds that aired on this date, Frank Zappa appeared as Mike Nesmith and vice versa, debating qualities of each other’s music. Many a young mind was blown today. The song heard while Michael Nesmith and Frank Zappa play the car is MotherContinue reading “Monkees Blow Their Minds premiered”

March 11, 1957 –Charles Van Doren, darling of the American public, lost to Vivienne Nearing on the rigged TV quiz show Twenty One when both are asked to name the kings of Norway (Olav V), Denmark (Frederick IX), Sweden (Gustaf VI Adolf), Jordan (Hussein), Iraq (Faisal II), and Belgium (Baudouin). Doren “missed” – the kingContinue reading “The Game Show Scandals”