This Day in Music
Michael Fitzgibbon
Cat’s in the bag. The neighbours holler. This party’s higher than the Eiffel Tower! Plus legends upon legends, and Elvis is filming in Hawaii, on this busy day in music.
The Rolling Stones
1964: “The Rolling Stones,” the eponymous debut studio album by The Rolling Stones, is released in the U.K. The subsequent U.S. release of the album in May of 1964 would carry the marketing tagline “England’s Newest Hit Makers” on the cover, leading some to mistake it for the LP’s title.
A hip collection of blues-rock and British R&B, all but three songs on the album were covers, including Bobby Troup’s “Route 66,” Willie Dixon’s “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” and Holland-Dozier-Holland’s “Can I Get a Witness.”
The three original songs are the Stones’ classic, “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” credited to Jagger-Richards, “Now I’ve Got a Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)” credited to Nanker Phelge, a collective pseudonym for songs co-written by the entire band, and “Little by Little,” credited to Nanker Phelge and murderer Phil Spector.
Critics raved about the record, most of whom assigned ratings in the ninety percentile, and listeners came down with a case of “Stones-mania,” i.e. Beatlemania, but for the Stones. The LP reached No. 1 in the U.K., Canada, and Australia, and No. 11 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Platinum in Canada, Gold in the U.S., and has sold about one million copies.
McCartney
1970: Legendary singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul McCartney releases his debut solo studio album, “McCartney.” Coming only a week after Paul announced he was leaving the group, it was the clearest sign yet that The Beatles were finished.
That atmosphere of loss likely contributed to the unfair negative reviews of the album, criticized for its lack of production and feeling of incompleteness. It was likely deliberately spartan following Paul's dissatisfaction and anger with murderer Phil Spector's overproduction of The Beatles' “Let It Be.”
Retrospective ratings were much more respectful, with most reviewers agreeing the LP is modestly above average. The most famous track is the Top-10 hit “Maybe I'm Amazed,” which Paul still plays in concert to this day.
Often referred to as “McCartney I” now that he has issued “McCartney II” (1980) and “McCartney III” (2020), it was commercially successful, going to No. 1 in the U.K. and certified double-Platinum in the U.S., and Platinum in Canada. It’s a very pleasant album.
What’s Paul up to these days? He’s still touring and has a new album schedule for release on May 29, 2026 titled “The Boys of Dungeon Lane.”
Blaze of Glory
1989: “Blaze of Glory,” the tenth studio album by highly-talented British singer-songwriter and musician Joe Jackson is released.
Well-rated by most critics, Nick Robinson of Music Week wrote, “By taking a reflective but by no means dated look at his past work, Jackson has come up with a definitive collection of musical styles and moods that flow gracefully, each one showing a different side to his songwriting character.” A great description of this sophisticated and atmospheric production that included Jackson's first hit single since 1986's “Right and Wrong” in “Nineteen Forever,” which also became his first music video since 1982's “Steppin' Out.”
Where is Joe Jackson today? Well, he's never gone away, and has released 12 more albums at regular intervals including “What a Racket” in 2023, and a new album released just last week, “Hope and Fury.”
Desperado
1973: The Eagles release their second studio album, “Desperado.” A concept album of sorts, the songs are all based on themes of the Old West. Modestly rated by critics and also performing modestly in the charts, the featured singles were “Desperado” and “Tequila Sunrise,” which would become Eagles classics. The album was certified double-Platinum in the U.S.
Mutiny Up My Sleeve
1978: Eclectic Canadian rockers Max Webster release their third studio album, “Mutiny Up My Sleeve.” The opening crowd chant to the classic song “The Party,” quoted above in my preamble, was recorded on New Year's Eve 1977 at Seneca College in Toronto. Written by guitarist-vocalist Kim Mitchell and lyricist Pye Dubois, it was a popular album in Canada, earning Gold certification.
The Friday Frank
1988: Frank Zappa performs what would become “Scratch & Sniff,” a guitar solo-turned-song based on the track “City of Tiny Lights,” in Brighton, U.K. It would appear on the album “Trance-Fusion,” released posthumously in 2006, becoming his fifth album of guitar solo compositions.
The Daily Elvis
1961: Elvis wraps principal photography for the movie Blue Hawaii, which would be released in November. Successful at the box office, the music includes the enduring classics “Blue Hawaii” and “Cant' Help Falling in Love.”
