This Day in History: 2023-06-01

JUNE 1st

The Beatles release “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”  Critically acclaimed, the album contains the title track, “With Little From My Friends” and “A Day In The Life.”  1967

“The Eagles,” the band’s self-titled debut album arrives. 1972

The album contains “Take It Easy,” “Witchy Woman” and Peaceful Easy Feeling.” It goes platinum.

Blink 182 release “Enema Of The State.” The group’s third studio effort is their first to feature drummer Travis Barker, who replaced Scott Taynor. With the busty nurse on the cover and the songs “What’s My Age Again?,” “All the Small Things” and “Adam’s Song,” the album sells over 15 million copies. 1999

Vampire Weekend debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart with “Modern Vampires Of The City.” Selling 134,000 copies, the album is Vampire Weekend’s second #1, following ’10’s “Contra.” 2013
Ghost offers their fourth studio album, “Prequelle.”  2018

Recorded at Artery studios in Stockholm with producer Tom Dalgety, the set tops the iTunes sales chart.

The album also goes to #3 on the Billboard 200.

Linkin Park’s video for “Numb” is the band’s first to reach two billion views on YouTube. The “Meteora” track was released in ’03 and uploaded to YouTube in ’07. 2023

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Ron (Woody) Wood is born. Wood serves as bassist for The Jeff Beck Group (with Rod Stewart) and guitarist with The Faces (with Rod Stewart) but finds long term employment as a Rolling Stone (with Mick Jagger). 1947

The Cure’s Simon Gallup is born in in Duxhurst, England. 1960

Rolling Stones release “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” in the U.S.  The song peaks at #3 on the Billboard pop chart.  It’s a gas, gas, gas. 1968

“All we are saying is give peace a chance.” The anti-war anthem “Give Peace A Chance” is recorded during John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in for peace in Montreal. Holed up in room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel with John and Yoko are acid guru Timothy Leary, singer Petula Clark, comedian Dick Gregory, poet Allen Ginsberg and comedian Tommy Smothers (who plays acoustic guitar with Lennon). They and others contribute vocals to the song. “Give Peace A Chance” eventually gets to #2 on the U.K. charts (kept out of the top spot by the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women”). 1969

Paul McCartney & Wings release “Live And Let Die,” the title track from the James Bond film.  The song peaks at #2 on the Billboard 100. 1973

Alanis Morissette is born in Ottawa. In the course of her career she wins over a half-dozen Grammy Awards. Isn’t it ‘ironic’? 1974

Replacing guitarist Mick Taylor who’d left the group, the Rolling Stones perform for the first time with Ron Wood in Baton Rouge, LA. 1975

The Runaways issue their self-titled debut album.  Even with Lita Ford and Joan Jett the album barely makes the Billboard 200 (#194).  1976

The Rolling Stones release “Still Life.”  The live set goes platinum in the U.S.  1982

“Speaking In Tongues,” the Talking Heads first platinum album, is released. 1983

“Silent Lucidity” is Queensryche’s first pop hit (#9). 1991

Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots is arrested for possession of $100 worth of heroin in New York City.  1998

Paul Gray, Slipknot bassist, is arrested in his hometown of Des Moines, IA after crashing into another car. Gray is charged with possession of marijuana, cocaine and drug paraphernalia. 2003

A California judge rules that Republican senatorial candidate Chuck DeVore violated copyright laws by recording parody versions of two Don Henley (The Eagles) songs for a YouTube video campaign. DeVore turned “The Boys Of Summer” into “Hope Of November” (an attack on President Obama and Hollywood’s liberalism) and “All She Wants To Do Is Dance” became “All She Wants To Do Is Tax” (a slam against incumbent California Senator Barbara Boxer). 2010

Elton John writes Florida Governor Rick Scott requesting that he protect an AIDS/HIV funding initiative. John states that lowering income eligibility for the program would result in over 1,600 people losing their antiviral treatments. The governor does not respond. 2011

“The Hangman’s Body Count” (Volbeat) is the top song on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.  2013

Five Finger Death Punch, with help from Kenny Wayne Shephard, Brantley Gilbert and Brian May, have the #1 song on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart with “Blue On Black.”  2019

No Doubt joins YouTube’s Billion Views Club with “Don’t Speak” their first to cross the threshold. The track is from the ‘95 album “Tragic Kingdom” while the video first premiered on YouTube in ‘09.  2023

Songwriter Cynthia Weil passes away.  With her husband Barry Mann, Weil wrote “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” (Righteous Brothers), “Kicks” and “Hungry” (Paul Revere & The Raiders), “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” (The Animals) and “On Broadway” (George Benson).   2023