This Day in Music
January 2nd
Releases
1983: The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, releases the hugely successful single, “Billie Jean,” the second from his No. 1 album, “Thriller.”
The song about a false claim of paternity reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 in many other countries including Canada, France, UK, and Australia. It would be certified Diamond in the US for sales of 10 million plus, and multi-Platinum in Australia, Canada, Denmark, and the UK.
1979: “Strangers in the Night,” the double-live album from British hard rockers UFO is released to strong reviews from critics and adoration from fans.
Recorded on the 13th and 18th of October 1978 in Chicago and Louisville, the record features Michael Schenker on lead guitar, who would leave the group mid-tour. Schenker had only been with the band for five years after leaving Scorpions in 1973.
“Strangers in the Night” was rated 8/10 by the Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal, and went to No. 42 on the Billboard 200 and No. 7 on the UK Albums chart. Among fans of hard rock and metal, it is often cited as a favourite double-live album, including by e-zine, Sea of Tranquility.
1970: Ex-Pink Floyd founder, vocalist, and guitarist, Syd Barrett, releases his debut solo album, “The Madcap Laughs.” Well-rated by critics, it reached No. 40 on the UK Albums list.
With appearances by prog royalty such as Robert Wyatt on drums, David Gilmour on guitar, bass, and drums (!), Hugh Hopper on bass, Mike Ratledge on keyboards, and Roger Waters producing four tracks, it would be the first of only two solo albums from Barrett.
Events
1989: Tom Jones appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and performed his version of the Prince song, “Kiss,” which he had recorded with the British synth-pop group, The Art of Noise. It would become Jones’s first Top-40 hit in the US in nearly 12 years.
1926: The first issue of music magazine The Melody Maker hit newsstands across the United Kingdom. One of the earliest music weeklies, its original purpose was mainly as a trade magazine for dance musicians. It published until December, 2000, when it was merged into New Musical Express, as both publications were then owned by IPC Media, which since 2014, is Time Inc. UK.
1994: “Bat out of Hell II - Back Into Hell,” Meat Loaf‘s sequel to his hit 1977 album, “Bat out of Hell,” reaches No. 1 on the UK Albums chart. It would go on to top the Billboard 200 in the US, and sell over 14 million copies. The lead single, “I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” was Meat Loaf’s first No. 1 song. Despite the enormous success of the original “Bat out of Hell,” none of its songs peaked on the charts.
The Daily Elvis
1956: Johnny Cash joins Elvis for their first major tour together, a five-day run beginning in Charleston, Mississippi. Elvis was titled “The King of Western Bop” on the concert bills.
Pictured: Tom Jones performing on The Ed Sullivan Show.
