Cliffs Vinyl Blog
Beachboys Debu 60 Years Ago!
"
The Beach Boys made their professional live concert debut on December 31, 1961, at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in California. They earned $300 and kicked off a career lasting over 60 years!
Just The Facts:The Venue: The Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, where they appeared on a bill that also featured Ike & Tina Turner.
The Performance: The band performed a brief set of three songs, including their first local hit, "Surfin'," and possibly covers like "Bermuda Shorts" and "Johnny B. Goode".
The Payment: The group was paid $300 for the engagement.The Lineup: The original quintet performed: brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine.
Early Monikers: While they had previously considered names like "The Pendletones" and "Carl and the Passions," this performance was one of their first major appearance using the name The Beach Boys, which had been chosen for them by their record label.
Some sources note an earlier, smaller appearance on December 23, 1961, at the Rendezvous Ballroom on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, Orange County, where they played two songs during an intermission of a Dick Dale concert.
George Harrisons "All Things Must Pass" Came Out in January 1971
"
In the swirl of post-Beatles headlines, one record arrived like a calm, confident declaration: "George Harrison All Things Must Pass released January 1971" (U.S. release), and it didn’t just prove George could stand on his own—it showed he’d been quietly stockpiling world-class songs for years. For longtime fans, it’s a welcome reminder of that moment when the “quiet Beatle” stepped forward. For newer listeners discovering vinyl, classic rock, or songwriting history, it’s a doorway into one of the most important solo albums ever made.
The big headline still surprises people: **All Things Must Pass** became **the first solo album by an ex-Beatle to hit No. 1 in the United States**, topping the **Billboard** album chart in 1971. That fact matters because it wasn’t a novelty win or a short-lived curiosity—this was a massive, culture-wide success for an artist many casual listeners had underestimated. In a period when everyone wondered how the Beatles’ four personalities would translate into separate careers, George answered with a sprawling, confident masterpiece.
Part of the album’s impact comes from what it represented. During the Beatles years, George Harrison’s songwriting output had to compete for limited space alongside Lennon–McCartney. Even as he delivered undeniable classics, he often only received one or two slots per album. By the time the band ended, he had an overflow of strong material—songs that simply hadn’t fit on Beatles records. When **George Harrison All Things Must Pass released January 1971**, it felt like years of creative momentum finally had room to breathe.
The sessions were as ambitious as the moment demanded. George recorded at **EMI Studios (Abbey Road)** and **Trident** in London, and he brought in an all-star circle of friends and collaborators—most notably producer **Phil Spector**, whose “Wall of Sound” style became a defining feature of the finished record. The lineup of musicians included major figures from the era’s rock scene, with players connected to Delaney & Bonnie, Derek and the Dominos, and more—creating a communal, big-band-of-rock feel that matched the album’s scale.
Continue reading "George Harrisons "All Things Must Pass" Came Out in January 1971"
Jimi Hendrix Released "Hey Joe" This Week in 1966
"
The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their meteoric debut with the release of the single “Hey Joe” b/w “Stone Free” on Friday, December 16, 1966.Folk rock singer Tim Rose’s slower version of the song recorded in 1966, claimed to be Rose’s arrangement of a wholly traditional song) inspired the first single by The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
The ex-bassist for The Animals, Chas Chandler, who was now focusing on managing other acts, had seen Rose performing the song at the Cafe Wha? in New York City and was looking for an artist to record a rock version of “Hey Joe”. Chandler discovered Jimi Hendrix, who had also been playing at the Cafe Wha? in 1966 and performing an arrangement of “Hey Joe” inspired by Rose’s rendition. Chandler decided to take Hendrix with him to England in September 1966, where he would subsequently turn the guitarist into a star. Tim Rose re-recorded “Hey Joe” in the 1990s, re-titling it “Blue Steel .44” and again claimed the song as his own arrangement of a traditional song.Released in December 1966, Hendrix’s version became a hit in the United Kingdom, entering the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart in January 1967 and peaking at #6. The single was released in the United States on May 1, 1967, but failed to chart. “Hey Joe”, as recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, with backing vocals by the Breakaways, remains the best-known version of the song and is listed as No. 201 on Rolling Stone magazine’s The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2009 it was named the 22nd greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1. “Hey Joe” was the last song Jimi Hendrix performed at the Woodstock festival in 1969 and as such, it was also the final song of the whole festival. The song was performed after the crowd, comprising the 80,000 who hadn’t yet left the festival, cheered for an encore. It could not have been predicted, despite how good this song was, just what a huge impression Hendrix and the Experience would make on the music world.
Continue reading "Jimi Hendrix Released "Hey Joe" This Week in 1966"
The Beatles "REVOLVER" Turned 60 December 3!
"
It was the Beatles 6th album, coming out just 4 months after the “Help” album. How did they knock out so many great songs so quickly? During that time the band had toured the USA and Canada, including the record-breaking Shae Stadium concert. For me, this was the album that impressed me most. I remember buying the album, gazing at the cover on the train on the way home from work, driving down and picking up my then girlfriend, (now my wife,,,,still!) and playing it over and over.1 sons from John and Paul, two from George one from Lennon-McCartney-Starkey. Also recorded at the same time was “Day Tripper” and “We Can Work It Out”, their 11th single. This, with the “Rubber Soull” album gave the Beatles their third consecutive No.1 single and Album for the third consecutive Christmas. Rubber Soul topped the British Charts for 9 weeks, as well as hitting No.1 in the USA, Australia,, Canada and many others countries.
Continue reading "The Beatles "REVOLVER" Turned 60 December 3!"
This Day, 1963,saw The Beatles Command Performance
Yes, November 4, 1963. This was the night of The Beatles’ famous appearance at the Royal Command Performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, in the presence of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
By 1963 Beatlemania was an established phenomenon, with the group drawing huge and frenzied audiences across the country and beyond. Although they were seventh on the 19-act bill on this night, they were by far the most anticipated performers to appear.
The Beatles began playing their opening song, ‘From Me To You’, before the curtains had opened. The band bowed in unison ()there now famous bow)at the end of the second song, ‘She Loves You’, after which McCartney made a nervous joke about Sophie Tucker being their “favourite American group”. They followed this with a performance of ‘Till There Was You’.Prior to finishing their set, Lennon made the now famous announcement which won over any remaining doubters and guaranteed them headlines in all the next day’s newspapers.
“For our last number I’d like to ask your help. The people in the cheaper seats clap your hands. And the rest of you, if you’d just rattle your jewellery. We’d like to sing a song called ‘Twist And Shout’”
Continue reading "This Day, 1963,saw The Beatles Command Performance"
Enjoy this site? Share with friends!
