This Day in Music
Michael Fitzgibbon
Psychedelia at maximum volume, and Elvis is at the gates, on this day in music.
Around the World in a Day
1985: Legendary and prolific American singer-songwriter and musician Prince releases his seventh studio album, “Around the World in a Day.” Seeking a stylistic change over his previous album, the seminal “Purple Rain,” Prince chose to make a psychedelic pop record.
Despite limited promotion and mixed critical reviews, the album was a commercial success. Two singles, “Raspberry Beret” and “Pop Life,” made the Top-10, and the album itself went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was certified double-Platinum and has sold over four million copies.
Sky’s the Limit
1971: “Sky's the Limit,” the 14th studio album by The Temptations, is released on Motown sub-label, Gordy Records. Including the No. 1 single “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” and the Top-10 hit “Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World),” the collection of psychedelic soul tunes was a commercial success, peaking at No. 16 on the Billboard 200.
It was the last Temptations record to feature founding member and co-lead vocalist, Eddie Kendricks, who left the group to pursue a solo career.
Events
1969: Nearly a month before the legendary double-album is released, The Who perform their rock opera “Tommy” in its entirety for the first time live, at the Bolton Institute of Technology (now named University of Greater Manchester) in Bolton, England.
Somewhat confused by the lack of any well-known songs performed by the band, the audience, which numbered in the low hundreds, was furthermore temporarily deafened by the excessive volume of the music. Many attendees suffered partial hearing loss and tinnitus for as long as a day following the concert.
Consistent with early presentations of the piece, only the four members of the band performed the music. They would later employ additional musicians to achieve a sound more authentic to the studio recording.
The Daily Elvis
1957: Less than one month after purchasing the property, Elvis has the iconic front gates installed at Graceland. It was part of several initial improvements he made before he or his parents took up residence in the mansion.
