Today in rock history: on this date in 1971, the 3-LP set, The Concert For Bangladesh was released. Organized by ex- Beatle George Harrison, the live recordings on the triple album set consisted of two performances captured at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in August of 1971. Guests on the bill included Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar and Harrison’s former bandmate, Ringo Starr. The events were intended as fundraisers for victims of the Bangladesh Liberation War as well as for homeless Bengali refugees. Harrison organized the entire event on short notice and asked his musician friends to lend their talents for this charitable event. The album became a worldwide smash and topped charts all around the globe as well as winning a Grammy award in the category of Album of the Year in March of 1973. The organization of the two sell-out concerts and the proceeds earned from them as well as from the record’s sales have long been attributed as being the first of their kind and have often been regarded as the catalyst for latter events like 1985’s Live Aid and The Concert For New York City in 2001.
MORE GEORGE
Today in rock history; George's concert for Bangladesh and more
Today in rock history: on this date in 1957, British folk/punk rock singer and political activist Billy Bragg was born in Barking, Essex, England. Beginning his musical career around the time of the English punk rock movement of the late 1970s, Bragg rose to prominence in the 1980s when he adopted more of a politically-motivated, folk-rock stance and released a string of highly touted and influential records. His songwriting skills and his back-to-basics approach spoke to British record buyers too: his 1986 release Talking with the Taxman About Poetry became his first of several Top 10 album in England. Bragg has collaborated with a number of other musicians throughout his long career including late British singer Kirsty MacColl as well as with American band Wilco with whom he recorded a series of albums that featured music written specifically for unrecorded lyrics written by folk legend Woody Guthrie.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1967, one of the best known and revered progressive rock bands was born. Jethro Tull formed when vocalist and flute player Ian Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick left the band they were part of, The John Evans Blues Band, to start a new band. The band’s name is a reference to an 18th century inventor of farm implements. The band eventually went on the create and release some of the most significant albums of their genre, most notably their 1971 landmark album, Aqualung.
"DEAR JETHRO"
A heart-to-heart with British rock legend Ian Anderson (w/playlist)
Today in rock history: on this date in 1973, rock and roll singer and former teen idol Bobby Darin died at the young age of 37. Scoring pop hits like “Splish Splash,” “Dream Lover” and “Mack The Knife” early in his career, Darin’s popularity fell out of favor when British Invasion bands started to dominate sales charts. Nonetheless, he was able to rebound and remain relevant when he varied his output to touch on genres like country, jazz, folk and swing. Darin was also an accomplished film actor, appearing in several movies and recognized with a Golden Globe award in 1962. Darin passed away as a result of complications of a heart surgery he underwent but left behind a rich body of work.
This article appears in Dec 14-21, 2017.