This Month in Rock and Roll - December

This Month in Rock and Roll - December

By Hunter60

December 5, 2000: Soundtrack to the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou" released. Although Americana and roots music did have it's heyday during the Depression era and again during the 'revival' period of the early 60's, the soundtrack to the film "O Brother Where Are Thou" unexpectedly brought it back again to a greater appreciation. The music was pivotal to the quirky Coen brothers movie of the same name and although the music was traditional, it was all re-recorded by well respected musicians; Alison Krauss, The Fairfield Four, John Hartford , Ralph Stanley and Gillian Welch. The album went on to sell 5 million copies worldwide and scored several Grammy awards including album of the year. Perhaps it's greatest contribution however might be that it has turned on an entire new set of music fans to traditional American music.


December 15, 1984: "Do They Know It's Christmas" hits number #1 in the U.K. In 1984, Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats watched a documentary about the famine in Ethopia and was horrified with what he had seen. Thinking that a charity single might be able to raise some money for the Ethopians, he contacted Midge Ure ofUltravox for assistance. The two met, penned the song (Geldof writing the lyrics, Ure handling the melody). Geldof went ahead and attended a radio interview (originally intending to promote his new album) and spent the time drumming up interest in the charity project. By the time the record was ready to be cut a host of popular Irish and English artists opted to donate their time to the cause along with the recording studio and distributors. Adding to the mawkish record were celebrities like David Bowie, Sting, Paul McCartney, Bananarama, Duran-Duran, Phil Collins and Adam Clayton. Once released, the album soared to #1 on the UK charts on December 15th, 1984 and quickly became the #1 selling single of all time. It also set the stage for a seemingly endless amount of charity records and concerts for years to come.

December 8, 1980: John Lennon is murdered in New York City. At 10:50 PM, after returning to their apartment in the Dakota Building from a long day of a photo shoot at Rolling Stone Magazine, taping a radio interview and working on Ono's album "On Thin Ice", John Lennon was shot 5 times by Mark David Chapman who called out to him from a crowd of people on the sidewalk in front of the building. Chapman, a former security guard from Honolulu had met Lennon earlier in the day when Lennon had autographed his copy of "Double Fantasy." Lennon was immediately taken to the hospital, he was pronounced dead at 11:15 PM. The shooting was felt worldwide and in an instant, a powerful presence in music was silenced.


December 4, 1971: Montreux Casino catches fire and inspires "Smoke On The Water". Deep Purple had planned to record their album 'Machine Head' at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland. On the eve of their date to record, Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention were giving a concert in the venue and a concert goer forever known now as "some stupid' (as noted in the lyrics in the song 'Smoke On The Water') set off a flare gun and set the place ablaze. Zappa has said in interviews that the fire started small but when a section of the ceiling collapsed, he ordered the place emptied. Zappa and his band escaped through a backstage tunnel and although no one was killed, an explosion in the heating system blew 7 people out of a window. The casino was out of commission from the fire until 1975. Purple bassist Roger Glover claimed that the songs lyrics came to him in a dream and guitarist Richie Blackmore put together that 4 note riff that very well may be the most instantly recognized tune in hard rock history.


December 30, 1970: The Beatles split up. Officially. Although there are many dates that could be given for when the Beatles actually split up; from when Lennon said he was quitting the band in 1969, or perhaps when Lennon met Ono or perhaps when McCartney announced he was quitting in April of 1970. But most critics will agree to December 30, 1970 when a Writ was issued on behalf of McCartney by the High Court. This was the beginning of the process of dissolving the band and launched them into a brutal and lengthy court battle, which began in January of 1972, lasted for years and drove almost immovable wedges between the band members.


December 6, 1969: The Stones, the Altamont concert and the Hells Angels. The Rolling Stones had hoped to stage their own mini-version of 'Woodstock' of sorts at the end of their 1969 tour and opted to throw a free multi-artist bill concert at the Altamont Speedway outside of San Francisco. Scheduled to appear on the bill with the Stones were The Flying Burrito Brothers, Santana, Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead. On the surface this had the promise of a terrific show but apparently the choice to use the Hells Angels as security along with inadequate facilities turned it into a brutal epitaph to the 60's hippie idealism. By the time the concert had finished, Mick Jagger had been punched in the face by a fan, Marty Balin of The Airplane had been knocked unconscious during an altercation with a Hells Angel on stage, the Grateful Dead had refused to play (sensing bad vibes) and 4 people were dead. One had been stabbed by the Angels, allegedly in self-defense.

December 31, 1952: Country star Hank Williams dies. Perhaps country music's first real superstar was being driven from Montgomery, Alabama to Canton, Ohio between concerts on December 31, 1952 when he died in the backseat. No one is really sure where they were on the route when the 29 year old star had a fatal heart attack. By the time of his death, Williams was already a chronic alcoholic and drug-taker and from all accounts, looked twice his age. He rose to his superstar status with his writing and singing of what are now country anthems of bad luck and trouble with titles like "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Hey Good Lookin'" and "Jambalaya". Almost prophetically, just prior to his death he had released "I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive" which became his eighth number one hit.


Notable December birthdays:


12/1/51: Jaco Pastorius
12/3/48: Ozzy Osbourne
12/4/51: Gary Rossington
12/5/1899: Rice Miller (aka: Sonny Boy Williamson II)
12/5/38: J.J. Cale
12/6/56: Randy Rhodes
12/7/49: Tom Waits
12/8/47: Gregg Allman
12/8/43: Jim Morrison
12/11/58: Nikki Sixx
12/12/43: Dickey Betts
12/13/48: Ted Nugent
12/16/51: Robben Ford
12/18/43: Keith Richards
12/19/44: Alvin Lee
12/21/40: Frank Zappa
12/23/56: Dave Murray
12/24/45: Lemmy
12/25/46: Jimmy Buffet
12/26/63: Lars Ulrich
12/28/46: Edgar Winter
12/31/50: George Thorogood