Historic events this week from Pink Floyd, Scott Weiland, Deep Purple, The Rolling Stones and Jackson Browne
NOVEMBER 30, 1979: PINK FLOYD RELEASES THE WALL
Pink Floyd‘s epic double album, The Wall, is one of the most popular and successful concept albums & rock operas of all time.
It spent 15 straight weeks at #1 at the beginning of 1980.
With 30 million copies sold worldwide, it remains Pink Floyd‘s biggest album behind The Dark Side of the Moon.
DECEMBER 3, 2015: SCOTT WEILAND DIES IN BLOOMINGTON, MN
Stone Temple Pilots / Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland was beginning a career resurgence after releasing his 3rd solo album, and an album as the singer for Art of Anarchy.
During a pit stop in Bloomington, MN before his show that evening in Medina, Weiland was discovered to have died from an overdose.
He was 48.
DECEMBER 4, 1971: FIRE AT MONTREAUX CASINO INSPIRES DEEP PURPLE
Deep Purple‘s rock hit “Smoke on the Water” was inspired by a fire that broke out at Montreux Casino during a Mothers of Invention concert, after a fan fired a flare gun during the performance.
Before the venue was destroyed, Deep Purple had come to town to record their Machine Head LP.
With it’s iconic guitar riff, “Smoke on the Water” details the events of the fire and the band’s need to find a new location to record their sixth album.
DECEMBER 5, 1968: THE ROLLING STONES PIE FIGHT
The Rolling Stones threw quite the bash to celebrate the release of Beggars Banquet.
The album release banquet consisted of a seven course meal, and a pie fight started by Mick Jagger and Brian Jones.
DECEMBER 6, 1977: JACKSON BROWNE RELEASES RUNNING ON EMPTY
Jackson Browne’s Grammy-nominated Running On Empty was recorded on the road during live shows, backstage and in hotel rooms.
The 7x Platinum album is Jackson Browne‘s biggest selling album and contains the hit single “Running on Empty” and the popular closing medley “The Load-Out/Stay.”
