This Day in Music
January 17th
Legends abound on this day in music!
Releases
1974: Legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell releases her sixth studio album, "Court and Spark."
The first of what would become typical for Joni, it is a mixture of folk, rock, and jazz. She spent most of 1973 focused on writing and recording the album, which features many famous musicians, including Robbie Robertson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, and even a little comedy from Cheech & Chong (Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong).
The album was universally acclaimed by critics, rated 5-Stars by Rolling Stone and 'A' by Christgau's Record Guide. In addition, it was a huge commercial success, and remains Joni's highest-selling record to date, gaining double-Platinum certification in the US.
On the charts, it reached No. 1 in Canada, No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and No. 14 on the UK Albums list. Many of Joni's most famous songs appear on the album, including "Raised on Robbery," "Help Me," "Free Man in Paris," "Down to You," and a cover of Wardell Gray's "Twisted."
1966: Simon & Garfunkel, the legendary folk-rockers from Queens, NY, release their second studio album, "Sounds of Silence."
The record opens with an overdubbed electric version of the duo's late 1963 folk hit, "The Sounds of Silence," with the title slightly changed to "The Sound of Silence." It was produced by Tom Wilson unbeknownst to either Paul Simon or Art Garfunkel.
The cover art for the record is a great shot of Simon and Garfunkel is 60's folk regalia walking a trail in the lush Franklin Canyon Park in Los Angeles. Several versions of the cover appear over the years with variations on the font, capitalizations, and track listing.
The title track and "Homeward Bound" are the record's most famous songs, with "Leaves are Green," "Kathy's Song," and "April Come She Will" also gaining attention.
The album unfairly received tepid critical reaction with mediocre ratings, and preformed modestly well on the charts, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 and No. 13 on the UK Albums chart.
Events
1963: Future legendary Rollin' Stones (no “the” or “g”) members Mick Jagger, Keith Richard (no “s”), Brian Jones, and Ian Stewart welcome Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman into the band, finalize the name as The Rolling Stones, and perform together for the first time at London's Marquee Club.
Keith had dropped the “s” from his last name at the behest of manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who was looking to capitalize on the success of British singer Cliff Richard. He eventually reverted to “Richards” as audiences and media added it when speaking about him anyway.
Sixty-three years later, Bill is retired, but Mick and Keith, along with Ronnie Wood, who joined 51 years ago, are still at it, and plan to release an album of new material sometime in 2026. Though the band has indicated that touring is no longer possible, they might still play single-event concerts from time-to-time.
The Daily Elvis
1972: A section of Bellevue Boulevard in Memphis, TN is re-named Elvis Presley Boulevard in honour of the legendary singer. Owing to a protest by the Bellevue Baptist Church, the remainder of the road retained the name Bellevue Blvd. In May of 1976, Elvis released the album, "From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee." True to the name, the LP was recorded at Graceland Studios.
Pictured: Paul Simon (L) and Art Garfunkel (R) c. 1966.
