As the new year begins, we at MusicDaily decided to introduce a new chapter by presenting the multiple chapters of music history. Through our new segment we decided to bring to you the most important events that made and defined music and brought it to be what it is today. Starting from the first week of January, we welcome you to our “Once Upon A Time In Music History”
The End Of ABBA
Beginning the year with a goodbye isn’t easy, especially if the parts involved are the members of the iconic ABBA. On the first day of 1982, the Swedish pop band was getting closer to their inevitable, soon end. The day marked their latest appearance as a group, when they performed in Stockholm, Sweden, the city where the band became reality in 1972, and only ten years later ended.
Punk Rock’s Biggest Secret
Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen were one of the most controversial couples of the late 70s. Disapproved even by the young girl’s parents. The couple, however, were inseparable, and they couldn’t seem to make one another. The two, however, among the things they shared, had problems with drugs. This was the cover used by Vicious the day he was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Nancy. Spungen, in fact, died stabbed in the abdomen on the night of October 12, 1978, in the apartment of the Chelsea Hotel, the New York hotel where she lived with her partner.
Vicious was the one who called the police, after waking up to find her lifeless body. When accused of involvement, the bassist said he did not remember what had happened the previous evening. The investigators, however, from the interrogation concluded that he was, instead, guilty, arresting him the same day. He was released on bail.
On January 2, Sid Vicious went on trial in New York for the murder of his girlfriend. Despite witnesses claimed that on the night of the murder Spungen was joined in the room by a suspicious man, Vicious was still put in jail.
After her funeral, Nancy was buried in King David Memorial Park in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Sid died of overdose on February 2, 1979, a few days after his release. The police therefore dropped the case without further investigation.
“First Impressions of Earth”
On January 3rd, 2006, New York alternative rock/indie rock band The Strokes released their third album, First Impressions of Earth.
Achieving what the previous two full-length albums did was hard for The Strokes. The success of “Reptilia,” “12:51” from Room On Fire, or “Last Nite” and “Someday” from Is This It was almost impossible. However, First Impressions of Earth offered some indelible hits, such as the single “You Only Live Once.”
The album wasn’t received with unanimity, and mixed opinions were released – even calling it the group’s weakest album up to that point. However, the number 1 on multiple charts confirmed the opposite view of fans, who welcomed it with open arms – and ears.
The record was produced by Grammy Award-winning and Paul McCartney and Tony Bennett collaborator, David Kahne.
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Britney’s Conservatorship
From the future looking back, it is now almost unbelievable to think what Britney Spears went through in the early 2000s. The conservatorship that Spears later called out was at its peak, limiting the artist’s freedom – musically and more. The conservatorship, in fact, forced the artist to let go of many things, including the custody of her children.
On January 4, 2008, the police broke in the singer’s house and carried her out on a stretcher. They took her into custody after being called for a dispute involving the custody of her children. After nearly three hours, Spears handed over her children to her ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Prince’s First Time
Prince spent the summer and fall of 1978 assembling a backing group, working on the long awaited first tour. On bass, Prince chose his longtime musical brother and friend, André Anderson. The duo collaborated on Prince’s then new project, For You.
The artist then went on to choosing the drummer. To shine even brighter, the artist knew he would have need a mix-raced band. This would have helped involve a more varied fan base, and key to include different musical influences in the band. It was, in fact, inevitable to consider the evident segregation of the late 1970s’ music market, which led Prince to this choice.
“There was a lot of pressure from my ex-buddies in other bands not to have white members in the band.
I always wanted a band that was black and white. Half the musicians I knew only listened to one type of music. That wasn’t good enough for me.”
The final choice went for Per Nilsen.
On January 5th, 1979 Prince finally got his debut gig. The artist and his recently-formed band performed at the Capri Theatre in Minneapolis. The concert was the beginning of Prince’s journey to stardom, but he would needed a few more years to get to the place where he still is today: among the greatest musicians in history.
Elvis Presley Says Goodbye To Small Auditoriums
After January 6 of 1956, things would have never been the same again for Elvis. The artist was on his way to become the icon we see today, and this day represents the moment when the breakthrough took place. In fact, Elvis said goodbye to small auditoriums, welcoming big stages and bigger audiences. His last performance in a small context saw him perform in the gym at Randolph High School, Mississippi. Never to return to small venues or a simpler lifestyle.
