Historic events this week from The Clash, Paul McCartney, Nirvana, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones
DECEMBER 14, 1979: THE CLASH’S LONDON CALLING
London Calling, The Clash‘s groundbreaking double album, expanded the boundaries of punk rock by incorporating elements of reggae, ska, and rockabilly. The album’s socially and politically charged lyrics, paired with its musical ambition and iconic cover art, cemented its status as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums of all time.
DECEMBER 14, 2012: PAUL McCARTNEY & NIRVANA RELEASE ‘CUT ME SOME SLACK’
“Cut Me Some Slack” was written and recorded by Paul McCartney and the surviving members of Nirvana (Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear) during an impromptu jam session. The high-energy, blues-infused grunge track was recorded for Dave Grohl‘s Sound City documentary soundtrack and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
DECEMBER 16, 1993: NIRVANA’S MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK AIRS ON MTV
One month after recording their iconic set, Nirvana‘s MTV Unplugged in New York aired on MTV.
The set was dominated by album tracks and lesser known covers, with the only Nirvana hit being “Come As You Are”.
The live album was released in November ’94, and earned the band their only Grammy: Best Alternative Music Performance.
DECEMBER 17, 1971: HUNKY DORY BY DAVID BOWIE
David Bowie‘s fourth album, Hunky Dory, was his first of three with backing band The Spiders From Mars.
The album contains the singles “Life on Mars?” and the top 10 hit “Changes.”
DECEMBER 17, 1977: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE BANDS ELVIS COSTELLO
Appearing on SNL, Elvis Costello was to play “Less Than Zero.”
14 seconds in, he screamed for his band , The Attractions to stop and instead performed “Radio, Radio”; a song he was forbidden to play due to its criticism of the airwaves’ commercialization.
DECEMBER 18, 1972: BOB DYLAN FILMS HIS ROLE IN PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID
Bob Dylan‘s first film role came as “Alias” in Sam Peckinpah‘s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
In addition to acting in the film, Dylan provided the score and original songs, including “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”.
His score work earned him a Grammy nomination and two BAFTA nominations.
DECEMBER 20, 1971: THE ROLLING STONES RELEASE HOT ROCKS 1964-1971
The Rolling Stones‘ Hot Rocks 1964-1971 compilation remains their biggest selling set. The compilation has been certified 12x Platinum and peaked at #7 in the US.
The 2 LP set contains thirteen Top 20 singles including seven #1’s.
