This Day in Music
Michael Fitzgibbon
The birth of a legend, the new jam rulers, and Elvis is immortalized on TV yet again, on this day in music.
Let It Be
1970: Legendary British Rock and Roll pioneers The Beatles release their final studio album, “Let It Be.” It was the 12th official U.K. studio album for the band, and the 17th studio release in America, which includes a full-album version of “Magical Mystery Tour” rather than the double-EP in the U.K. Though “Let It Be” is the last album released by the band, it was the penultimate studio recording, as “Abbey Road” was recorded shortly thereafter, but released before.
Conceived by Paul McCartney as an album and a documentary film of the same name, to be directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, as a means of re-invigorating the band during a period of friction, it unfortunately led to the demise of the group and was released a month following the announcement of their breakup.
The film itself was not well-received by critics and focused too much on the discord in the band, presenting a somewhat skewed summary of events, particularly as they relate to Yoko Ono. For a much more accurate look into the making of “Let It Be,” it’s recommended to watch the three part, eight-hour documentary by Peter Jackson available on the Disney+ streaming service, titled The Beatles: Get Back. The highlight of either film is of course the impromptu final Beatles concert on the roof of Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Saville Row, London, with guest Billy Preston.
As for the album itself, “Let It Be,” was well-received by critics, with most writers rating it in the 80 percentile, and is a great record. In my opinion, had “Maggie Mae” been left off, and “One After 909” relegated to the B-side of a single, with the track “Don’t Let Me Down,” included instead, it would have been fantastic album. Paul McCartney would do almost that in 2003 (he left off “Maggie Mae” and “Dig It”) with the release of “Let It Be...Naked,” a re-mixing of the album that removed all of Phil Spector’s post-production work in favour of the stripped-down, live-to-tape sound Paul envisioned during recording. I find it to be a much better mix. “The Long and Winding Road” without the string arrangement is a real treat.
All of that aside, the record features some of the band’s most classic tracks, including “Two of Us,” “Across the Universe,” “Let It Be,” “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “The Long and Winding Road,” and “Get Back.” The LP also features guest musician Billy Preston on electric piano.
The recording sessions had first moved from Twickenham Film Studios, where the band was clearly out of sorts and prone to bickering, to the Apple Corps studios on Saville Row, which enlivened the band’s spirits. The arrival of Billy Preston, who hadn’t planned on performing on the album and dropped by simply to say hello, created much excitement and cohesion in the group, and is a critical reason the album succeeded.
Being a Beatles album, “Let It Be” unsurprisingly went to No. 1 everywhere, and deservedly so. Topping the charts in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, and throughout Europe, it was certified 4x Platinum in the U.S., Platinum in the U.K., 4x Platinum in Canada, and Gold or Platinum everywhere else. It has sold over 13.5 million copies worldwide.
Junta
1989: “Junta,” the debut studio album from now-legendary Rock and Roll jam band Phish, is released. Initially self-produced and released without any major-label distribution, sold on cassettes at their concerts, it was picked-up by Elektra Records in 1992, along with their second studio album “Lawn Boy,” which had been distributed by a minor label.
Elektra would be the band's label for the next nine studio albums, until “Joy” in 2009, which appears on the band's own label, JEMP Records, which is further distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance, owned by Warner Bros., a distribution service for numerous independent record labels.
At 122 minutes, “Junta” is effectively a triple-album and features many Phish classics, including “You Enjoy Myself,” “Fluffhead,” and the epic-length tracks that have become highlights of Phish concerts, “Fluff's Travel's” at 11:39, “The Divided Sky” at 11:50, “David Bowie” at 10:59, and “Union Federal,” going just over 25 minutes. The record didn't chart, but it remains one of my favourites by Phish.
Birthday
1911: Robert Johnson, the legendary delta bluesman, is born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Though his recording career lasted only seven months due to his early death at 27 years old from an unknown illness, he became one of the most influential singer-songwriter-guitarists in American history.
Johnson etched a lasting impression across decades, including many of pop's most legendary musicians such as Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Robert Plant. He could be described as the grandfather of Rock and Roll.
It was rumoured that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in Mississippi in order to gain his legendary talent. This is of course preposterous. If the devil wanted Johnson’s soul, he simply had to best him in a fiddle-playing contest.
The Friday Frank
Readers might notice that Zappa has featured in this blog every day this week. It seems FZ was highly active in May throughout his career.
1980: At the intimate 240-seat Mudd Club in New York, Frank Zappa performs a phenomenal set with a small band by his standards. Appearing with FZ were Ray White and Ike Willis on guitars and vocals, Tommy Mars on Keyboards, Arthur Barrow on bass, and David Logeman on drums.
Included in the set were the great debut tracks “Mudd Club,” “You Are What You Is,” and “The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing,” all of which would form part of his legendary 1981 double-album “You Are What You Is.” Classic tracks performed included “Chunga’s Revenge” from the album of the same name; “Keep It Greasy” and “Outside Now” from “Joe’s Garage Act II;” and an extended version of “City of Tiny Lights” featuring improvs and solos, originally from the album “Sheik Yerbouti.”
On March 3, 2023, the 125th Frank Zappa album was released, titled “Zappa ‘80 Mudd Club.” As the name suggests, it’s comprised of live tracks recorded at the Mudd Club gig, issued as a 2LP set.
The Daily Elvis
2005: CBS-TV in the U.S. goes to the well once more with yet another biography of Elvis, this time the four-hour mini-series, Elvis. Jonathan Rhys Meyers starred in the title role in a Golden Globe Award-winning performance. Randy Quaid played Col. Tom Parker.
