Friday, January 5, 2018

Another 50 Years.....

Another 50 Years...

As we ended 2017 with a look at music from 1967, I thought it appropriate to kick off the new year with another look back - this time to 1968. For some, just interesting trivia, but for others, perhaps, inspiration.

A cursory glance at the events of the year see Johnny Cash performing his iconic show (and later released as an album) at Folsom Prison in January. This followed by a string of amazing happenings: David Gilmour joins Pink Floyd, promoter Bill Graham opens the Filmore East in NY, the wedding of Johnny and June, "Hair" opens on Broadway, Aretha Franklin records her live album in Paris, Lennon & McCartney launch Apple, then begin recording "the White Album" (which is released later the same year), Jeff Beck releases "Truth" (which launches the careers of Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood), The Who begin recording "Tommy", Janis Joplin breaks from Big Brother and goes solo, Elvis becomes the highest rated TV special of the entire year, and more.

The year sees the forming of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, CS&N, Yes, RushN Free, King Crimson, Deep Purple....and the demise of Buffulo Springfield, the Yardbirds, Cream, the Righteous Brothers....

January alone sees albums by Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, John Coltrane, Johnny Cash, Richie Havens, Steppenwolf, Nancy Sinatra, Velvet Underground, Aretha Franklin, Gordon Lightfoot, Iron Butterfly, the Byrds, Dr. John, Simon & Garfunkel, and more...while the remainder of the year is equally explosive, with albums released by Otis Redding, Fleetwood Mac, the Bee Gees, James Brown, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Sly & the Family Stone, Herb Alpert, Tom Jones, Beach Boys, Joan Baez. Jose Feliciano, the Band, the Doors, CCR, Etta James, Marvin Gaye, , Jefferson Airplane, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, solo albums by Beatles' George Harrison and John Lennon, Dean Martin, Curtis Mayfield, Rolling Stones, Temptations...

The year also sees the biggest selling songs in "Hey Jude", "What a Wonderful World", "Dock of the Bay", and "Jumpin' Jack Flash"....as well as songs like Jimi's version of the Dylan classic "All Along the Watchtower", Steppenwolf's "Born the Be Wild", Aretha's "Chain of Fools", "Mighty Quinn", "Piece of My Heart" & "Summertime", the novelty hit "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", "White Room", "Mony Mony"....

1968 also saw musical films from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" to "Yellow Submarine".

Sadly, it brought the deaths of blues harp master Little Walter, jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery, and many more....but it also saw the births of Sarah McLaughlin, guitarist Charlie Sexton, Thom Yorke of Radiohead,  rapper LL Cool J, Celine Dion, Dawn Robertson of En Vogue....

So now you're ready for trivial pursuit...or you have some fuel for your creative fires.

Go carve your name in history, friends.



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