Good Monday afternoon, friend. Welcome to this day in the history of music. What are we going to learn today? Well, let's dive in and find out, shall we? 1). Niccolò Piccinni's tragic opera "Roland" premieres at Théâtre du Palais-Royale in Paris, France. The opera was first performed on 27 January 1778 by the Académie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera) at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal. Roland was the first opera Piccinni wrote for Paris. He was hired by the Académie Royale de Musique in 1776 despite his ignorance of the French language. 2). On this day in 1895 Swan Lake is a ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which was composed in 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger. The Bolshoi Ballet premiered the ballet on 4 March 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, billed as The Lake of the Swans. Although it is presented in many different versions, most ballet companies base their stagings both choreographically and musically on the 1895 revival of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, first staged for the Imperial Ballet on 15 January 1895, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. For this revival, Tchaikovsky's score was revised by the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre's chief conductor and composer Riccardo Drigo. Many critics have disputed the source of the Swan Lake story. The Russian ballet patriarch Fyodor Lopukhov has called Swan Lake a "national ballet" because of its swans, who originate from Russian lyrically romantic sources, while many of the movements of the corps de ballet originated from Slavonic ring dances. According to Lopukhov, "both the plot of Swan Lake, the image of the Swan and the very idea of a faithful love are essentially Russian". The libretto is based on a story by the German author Johann Karl August Musaus, "Der geraubte Schleier" (The Stolen Veil), though this story provides only the general outline of the plot of Swan Lake. The Russian folktale "The White Duck" also bears some resemblance to the story of the ballet, and may have been another possible source. The contemporaries of Tchaikovsky recalled the composer taking great interest in the life story of Bavarian King Ludwig II, whose tragic life had supposedly been marked by the sign of Swan and who—either consciously or not—was chosen as the prototype of the dreamer Prince Siegfried. 3). On this day in 1956 Elvis Presley's single, 'Heartbreak Hotel' was released by RCA Records, who had just purchased Presley's contract from Sun Records for $35,000. The song sold 300,000 copies in its first week and would eventually sell over a million, becoming Elvis' first Gold record. 4). On this day in 1967 The soundtrack of the film The Sound of Music was at No.1 on the UK album chart. With music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the album was released in 1965 by RCA Victor and is one of the most successful soundtrack albums in history, having sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. It was the Best Selling Album in the UK in 1965, 1966, and 1968 and the second-best-selling of the decade, spending a total of 70 weeks at No.1 on the UK Chart. 5). On this day in 1973 British Glam Rock group Sweet appeared at the Grand Hall in Kilmarnock, Scotland, and were driven offstage by a barrage of bottles. The incident inspired their song ‘The Ballroom Blitz’ which went on to reach number one in Canada, number two in the UK and the Australian Chart, and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. 6). On this day in 1973 'Superstition' the lead single from Stevie Wonder's Talking Book album became his second No.1 single in the US, 10 years after his first No.1 hit. Jeff Beck created the original drum beat while in the studio with Wonder. After writing the song, Wonder offered it to Beck to record, but at the insistence of Berry Gordy, Wonder himself recorded it first. Beck was instead offered 'Cause We've Ended As Lovers, which he recorded on his Blow by Blow album in 1975. 7). On this day in 1979 Ian Dury And The Blockheads were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick', their only UK chart-topper. 8). On this day in 1984 Madonna made her first appearance in the UK when she appeared on C4 TV music program The Tube performing 'Holiday'. The show was broadcast live from the Hacienda Club in Manchester. 9). On this day in 1990 Kylie Minogue had her third UK No.1 single with 'Tears On My Pillow', the song was originally a US hit for Little Anthony and The Imperials in 1958. 10). On this day in 1996 Babylon Zoo started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Spaceman', the fastest-selling single by a debut artist in the UK, (420,000 copies in 6 days). The song was used for a Levi Jeans TV commercial. The single also went to Number 1 in twenty-three other countries. 11). On this day in 2006 American singer, songwriter, and record producer Gene McFadden, best known as half of the Philly soul team McFadden & Whitehead, died of cancer at the age of 56. The duo who were discovered by Otis Redding, who acted as their manager had the 1979 hit 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now', which sold more than 8 million copies and was nominated for a Grammy Award. 12). On this day in 2009 Road Chef, the Watford Gap UK Motorway services operator, paid £1,000 at an auction for a collection of celebrity signatures, which were collected by former employee, Beatrice England. The book included signatures of Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, the Eagles, and Dusty Springfield. The Blue Boar Services as it was once known received so many famous guests in its 50-year history that Jimi Hendrix mistook it for a London nightclub as it was mentioned so often by his contemporaries. 13). On this day in 2015 Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne were given a songwriting credit on Sam Smith's hit 'Stay With Me', because of the similarities to his 1989 track 'I Won't Back Down'. 'Stay With Me' has been nominated for three Grammys, including Song of the Year - which honors the writers of the track. Petty's publisher had contacted Smiths publisher who made an out-of-court settlement. 14). On this day in 2023 Canadian drummer Floyd Sneed, died at the age of 80. He was a member of Three Dog Night, who had the 1970 UK No.3 & US No.1 single with a cover of the Randy Newman song 'Mama Told Me Not To Come'. The band scored 21 Billboard Top 40 hits (with three hitting No.1) between 1969 and 1975. Born On This Day In The Music World: 1). Born on this day in 1756 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Full name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart). A musical child prodigy, skilled at both the piano and violin in 18th century Salzburg, Mozart and his older sister Nannerl, also a pianist performed throughout Europe. Mozart started composing at the age of 4 or 5, finished his first symphony at age 8, and his first opera at 11. In total, he composed over 600 works, including 53 symphonies, dozens of masses and liturgical works, and over 20 operas and lyric theater pieces. Vienna became his home for the last ten years of his productive, yet short, life. 2). Born on this day in 1908 Oran Thaddeus "Hot Lips" Page was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He was known as a scorching soloist and powerful vocalist. Page was a member of Walter Page's Blue Devils, Artie Shaw's Orchestra, and Count Basie's Orchestra, and he worked with Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Ida Cox. He was one of the five musicians booked for the opening night at Birdland with Charlie Parker in 1949. Oran Page died on November 5, 1954... 3). Born on this day in 1918 Elmore James, US blues guitarist, and singer, is known as the King of the Slide Guitar. James wrote 'Shake Your Money Maker', which was covered by Fleetwood Mac in 1968. Influenced Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Keith Richards. James died 24th May 1963. 4). Born on this day in 2019 David Seville, The Chipmunks had the 1958 US No.1 single 'The Chipmunk Song', and the 1959 UK No.11 single 'Ragtime Cowboy Joe'. Seville died on 16th January 1972. 5). Born on this day in 1930 American blues singer. Bobby Bland. His first chart success came in 1957 with 'Farther Up the Road', which reached No.1 on the R&B chart and he had the 1963 US R&B No.1 single 'That's The Way Love Is'. Bland was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. He died on 23rd June 2013 at his home in Memphis. 6). Born on this day in 1948 English musician Kim Gardner. He was a neighbor of Ronnie Wood and formed The Thunderbirds in 1965 and released several singles, before changing their name to The Birds and were later in a band called The Creation. Ashton Gardner & **ahem** Gardner had the 1971 UK No.3 single 'The Resurrection Shuffle'. Gardner died on 24 October 2001 in Los Angeles. 7). Born on this day in 1951 Seth Justman, keyboards, and vocals with American rock band The J Geils Band, who had the 1982 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Centerfold' which was taken from their US No.1 1981 album Freeze Frame. In 1986, Justman produced and partly co-wrote Rockbird, the second solo album by Debbie Harry. 8). Born on this day in 1951 Brian Downey, Irish drummer and founding member of Thin Lizzy, had the 1973 UK No.6 single 'Whisky In The Jar' and hits with 'Jailbreak' and 'The Boys Are Back in Town'. 9). Born on this day in 1957 Janick Robert Gers, English guitarist with English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, had the 1982 UK No.1 album The Number Of The Beast, and the 1991 UK No.1 single 'Bring Your Daughter ...To The Slaughter'. Iron Maiden has sold over 100 million copies of their albums worldwide. 10). Born on this day in 1972 Mark Owen singer with Take That had the 1995 UK No.1 single 'Back For Good'. The group's 1993 UK No.1 album 'Everything Changes spent 78 weeks on the UK chart. Had the solo 1996 UK No.3 single 'Child'. Was the winner of UK TV show Celebrity Big Brother in 2002. Re-formed Take That without Robbie Williams in 2006 for a sold-out European tour. Topped the UK singles and album charts simultaneously for the first time in their career when the single 'Patience' and album 'Beautiful World' both reached No.1 in Dec 2006. 11). Born on this day in 2000 Bailey Zimmerman, American country music singer-songwriter ("Rock and a Hard Place"; "Fall in Love"), was born in Louisville, Illinois. Have a blessed day... Take care and GOD bless...
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