Retro-phile
“Back to the future. The sounds on your Sony Walkman, the messy ink of Melody Maker, the ghosts of bands past. Excavating bygone decades”
July 13th, 1968: Black Sabbath played their first gig at a small backstreet Blues club in Birmingham. Forty years on Ozzy Osbourne not only appears to have cheated death, but has now transformed himself into a qualifed medic with an ‘agony uncle’ column in the Sunday Times. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, indeed.
June 29th, 1996: it was reported that US record company bosses were considering random drug tests for pop stars similar to those carried out on athletes to try and reduce the drug death toll in the industry. Yeah, that worked didn’t it? Here’s Amy rambling on about ‘Rehab’.
May 20th, 2006: Heavy metal monsters Lordi became Finland’s first ever Eurovision Song Contest winners with their song ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’. These Scandinavians – creatures of extremes. We have Finnish zombies ‘Lordi’ scaring young children, or as per last weeks winning Eurovision entry, a Norwegian fiddler, er scaring young children.
May 18th, 2000: Madonna’s boyfriend Guy Ritchie was arrested after attacking a fan outside the superstar’s London home. Ritchie was said to have kicked and punched a male fan after the couple returned home from a night out. Madonna has now of course swapped Guy for a higher deity, new toy boy ’Jesus’. And frankly judging from her muscles in this pic, the unfortunate fan was probably lucky to be set upon by Guy, rather than his then missus.
May 14th, 2007 Brian May was under 24-hour security watch after a deranged schizophrenic announced he was setting off to murder him – then disappeared. A police hunt was launched for the man who accused the Queen guitarist of being an “impostor”, and also left behind some disturbing poetry. (Isn’t all poetry disturbing? Ed.) Anyway, here’s a picture of the frightening maniac, finally captured trying to escape over the rooftops.
May 11th, 1 974: Led Zeppelin turned up to see Elvis Presley’s show at the Los Angeles Forum in California. After a rather shaky beginning to the set, Elvis halted the band and joked: “Wait a minute – if we can start together fella’s, because we’ve got Led Zeppelin out there. Lets try to look like we know what we’re doing.” Here’s a clip of the lithe, impossibly good-looking Elvis back in 1958. Now that’s what we call a dance routine
May 10th, 1969: Frank Sinatra’s version of ‘My Way’ made the British Top ten for the first time. Over the next three years it re-entered the Top 50 singles chart eight times. We love Frank, we really do – but nevertheless here’s Sid Vicious doing it ‘His Way’.
May 8th, 2006: The Rolling Stones cancelled their European tour after 62 year-old guitarist Keith Richards had to undergo emergency brain surgery. He suffered mild concussion when he fell out of a coconut tree on holiday in Fiji. Yes, the gags write themselves. Here the gnarly old rock-n-roller discusses the finer points of why “The quality has gone right down in modern drugs”.
May 6th, 2008: Pete Doherty was released from Wormwood Scrubs prison after serving a 29 day stretch for breaching the terms of his probation. The singer told reporters that he was glad to be out and was looking forward to having a drink, and reuniting with his pet cats. Here’s a pic of Doherty allegedly giving his cat crack. We imagine it makes a welcome change from Whiskas.
May 5th, 1972: Blind blues guitarist Reverend Gary Davis (an ordained Baptist minister)died of a heart attack aged 76. His unique finger-picking style influenced many other artists including Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder and Donovan. His importance in the history of black rural music cannot be overestimated. Listen to Death Don’t Have no Mercy here
May 4th, 1997: Courtney Love placed an advert in The Seattle Times selling the five bedroom four bathroom house she had shared with Kurt Cobain. It went on the market for $3m. The abode was minus the carriage house where Kurt Cobain died, which was duly demolished during refurbishment. The man still casts a long shadow. Listen to the ex-Nirvana god here
April 25th, 1980: Stranglers singer Hugh Cornwell was released from a London prison after serving a six week stint for possession of drugs. Today he would have got away with a roadside warning and his shifty mug plastered all over ‘Road Wars’. Here’s Peaches. (No, not spawn of Geldof )
April 20th, 1981: John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas was jailed for five years after being found guilty of drug possession charges; the sentence was suspended after only 30 days. Phillips then began touring the US lecturing against the dangers of taking drugs. Cough, cop out, ahem. No, we didn’t say that. here’s the drug free Mamas and Papas up Creeque Alley without a paddle apparently.
April 16th, 1993: David Lee Roth was arrested in New York’s Washington Square Park for allegedly buying a $10 bag of marijuana. Cheapskate! Here’s the penny-pinching rock God singing about his bad habits…
April 11th, 2006: Proof, (real name Deshaun Holton) a member of Eminem’s rap collective D12 ,was killed in a nightclub shooting in Detroit on Eight Mile Road, immortalised in Eminem’s autobiographical film 8 Mile. Holton had been best man at Eminem’s wedding. Here’s Enimem, cleaning out his closet
April 6th, 1998: Wendy O. Williams former singer of The Plasmatics died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Williams, famous for her stage antics (detonating equipment…chain-sawing guitars…. you get the picture) had been arrested several times previously on colourful charges such as ”simulating sex on stage wearing only shaving cream” Here’s a taste of the gentle vocal style and sensitive lyrics that made Ms Williams famous
April 3rd, 1979: Kate Bush embarked on a 28-date ‘Tour Of Life’ trek kicking off at at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre. Bush never toured again. A matter of some disappointment to the RHTS team who are rather fans of her unorthodox whimiscal wailing. Here’s wide-eyed Kate doing what she does best….
April 1st, 1970: Fifty musicians recorded the orchestral parts for the Phil Spector produced Beatles tracks, ‘The Long And Winding Road’ and ‘Across The Universe’. The entire bill for the orchestra came to £1,126 and 5 shillings. Aah, those where the days. When musicians actually got paid. Here’s Across the Universe. Strangely we can’t hear an orchestra. Perhaps they were on their tea break.
March 28th, 2000: Jimmy Page accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages from Ministry magazine which claimed he had contributed to the death of bandmate John Bonham. The feature claimed Page was more concerned with keeping vomit off his duvet, and that he stood over the former Led Zep drummer sporting Satanist robes and muttering silly incantations. We won’t add to this as we don’t much fancy a lawsuit. However here’s the much lamented John Bonham in action behind his drumkit.
March 26th, 1985: In a fit of pique, radio stations in South Africa banned all of Stevie Wonders records, after he dedicated the Oscar he had won the night before to Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandella hasn’t released any records (as far as we know,) so here’s Stevie…
March 24th, 1998: UK singer Mark Morrison (least favourite breakfast cereal, porridge),was banged up for 12 months after trying to escape a community service penalty. He sent his hapless minder Gabriel Mafereka along in sunglasses and a hat to stand in for him. A plan which quickly and spectacularly came unstuck.
March 23rd,1994: Oasis played at The Angel in Bedford. They were paid £100. And I bet they spent it all on beer. Here’s what they sounded like way back when
