This Day in Music

Michael Fitzgibbon

The Beatles go for a ride, Dylan goes country, and Elvis is loving us, on this day in music.

Nashville Skyline

1969: Legendary American singer-songwriter, guitarist, poet, and painter, Bob Dylan, releases his ninth studio album, “Nashville Skyline.”

An album described by most listeners as “country,” but which contains no country songs (using a pedal steel guitar and inviting Johnny Cash to sing doesn’t turn a song country, and that’s a hill I’m prepared to die on), it’s a 26-minute collection of wonderful yet short folk and blues ballads, rags, and finger-picking. Dylan embraces music stylings not usual for Rock and Roll, including bluegrass, cowboy, and travelin’ music.

Critics heaped deserved praise upon the album, as noted by Newsweek lauding it, “...the great charm and the ways Dylan, both as composer and performer, has found to exploit subtle differences on a deliberately limited emotional and verbal scale.” Most music and entertainment journals rated the LP with their highest marks.

It also performed well commercially, which isn’t always guaranteed for Dylan despite his popularity. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and went to No. 1 in the U.K. It was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Gold in both Canada and the U.K. The single, “Lay Lady Lay,” was a Top-10 hit, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. A legacy work, “Nashville Skyline” ranks No. 579 in Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums (c) 2000, and is included in Robert Christgau’s Basic Record Library of 1950’s and 1960’s Recordings.

Ticket to Ride

1965: The Beatles release one of their greatest singles, “Ticket to Ride.” Written by Lennon-McCartney, taken from the album “Help!,” and with John singing lead, the record captivated Beatles fans even more than usual. It went to No. 1 in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Europe, and Australasia.

Steve Gadd

1945: American drummer-extraordinaire Steve Gadd is born in Irondequoit, New York, a suburb of Rochester.

Making his professional debut on Gap Mangione’s album, “Diana in the Autumn Wind,” Gadd quickly earned a reputation as a talented and reliable jazz session drummer and went on to perform with legendary jazz artists like Chick Corea (as a member of Corea’s Return to Forever band and more), Stanley Clarke, Chet Baker, Al Di Meola, and George Benson, among many others.

Not restricted to jazz, Gadd has also recorded with dozens of rock and pop acts, including most notably Paul Simon and Steely Dan. On “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” the drum pattern that opens and carries the song is Steve’s creation.

The great sextuplet drum fills (which are not a drum solo) in Steely Dan’s “Aja?” Improvised by Steve Gadd. The great Afro-Cuban dance pattern in Paul Simon’s “Late in the Evening?” You guessed it: Created by Steve Gadd! He developed that rhythm by adapting the New York version of the Mozambique, a vigorous style of Cuban dance music, to drumset. It would be a foundational style for Gadd across many songs and solos.

Though session drummers don’t achieve much fame in the world, among the drumming and percussion community Steve’s last name might as well be Godd instead of Gadd. He is one of the very best.

Happy 81st Birthday to Steve Gadd!!

The Daily Elvis

1968: The Elvis Presley album “Loving You,” the soundtrack to the movie of the same name released in 1957, earns Gold certification from the RIAA, which was at least his 25th Gold certification for albums and singles at that point in time.

Linked: Variations on the rhythm of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, including a brief flash of the Mozambique, by Steve Gadd.