Category Archives: Uncategorized

April 24, 1974 –David Bowie released his iconic album, Diamond Dogs, on this date. This song introduces us to Bowie’s post-Ziggy Stardust persona, Halloween Jack: “The Halloween Jack is a real cool cat and he lives on top of Manhattan Chase.” It has also been suggested this song was influenced by Dhalgren, a science fictionContinue reading “As they pulled you out of the oxygen tent …”

April 24, 1976 –With rumors of a Beatles reunion swirling, Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels goes on camera to offer the guys $3,000 (union scale) to reunite on the show, on this date. Paul and Linda McCartney were spending the evening with John Lennon at his New York Dakota apartment and watched SaturdayContinue reading “The ‘almost’ Beatles Reunion”

April 24, 2000 –In support of their first studio album after twenty years, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen appeared on an episode of The VH-1 series Storytellers, and spend an hour on the show, playing their songs, take requests from the audience, and in their typically cryptic fashion divulge some of the concepts behind theirContinue reading “The elusive Steely Dan back on TV”

April 24, 2000 – The TV biopic The Three Stooges, starring Michael Chiklis, Paul Ben-Victor, John Kassir, Jim Lemley, and Evan Handler, premiered on ABC TV, on this date. The movie made use of a Sydney landmark in an innovative way. New York’s Coney Island amusement park used to have an attraction within its groundsContinue reading “A not so good bio-pix about The Three Stoogies”

April 24, 1184 BC (this is an approximated date.)… burnt the topless towers of Ilium.… It is traditionally held that city of Troy fell on this date after a ten year siege by the armies of Greece.

Huzzah!, it’s Pig in a Blanket Day again, encouraging the consumption of ‘pigs in blankets’ – small pork sausages wrapped in bacon or pastry, and cooked until crispy (for those of you porcine adverse, choose your own ground meat filling.) Please celebrate sensibly.

April 23, 1976 –Sire Records released The Ramones eponymous debut album, which arguably ushered in the punk rock era, on this date. The album took seven days to make and cost $6,400, while its iconic front cover – depicting the band standing against a brick wall – was taken by renowned punk photographer Roberta BayleyContinue reading “The Ramones burst onto the scene”

April 23, 1958 –Orson Welles’ noir thriller Touch of Evil, starring Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh, was released on this date. Orson Welles initially despised the title Touch of Evil, having had nothing to do with its conception. Over the years, however, he grew to like it, and eventually considered it the best title outContinue reading “Your future’s all used up …”

April 23, 1947 –Carol Reed’s IRA drama Odd Man Out starring James Mason, Robert Newton, and Cyril Cusack opened in the US on this date. Richard Burton recorded in his diary a story he had heard Stewart Granger tell frequently about the movie: offered the lead role, Granger skimmed through the script, saw how littleContinue reading “Odd Man Out premiered”

April 23, 1936 –I close my eyes, then I drift away, into the magic night I softly say. A silent prayer, like dreamers do, then I fall asleep to dream my dreams of you. Roy Orbison, the coolest singer in sunglasses,was born on this date. (Luxuriate in the voluptuousness of despair.)