On this day in 1968, John Lennon and George Harrison flew to India to study meditation

In August of 1967, The Beatles attended a seminar held by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and planned to join him shortly after for a three month training course in Transcendental Meditation. Immediately after the seminar, the band announced they had stopped taking drugs and were looking at meditation as a more natural alternative. However, their plans to study with the Maharishi were cut short by the tragic death of the bands manager, Brian Epstein, and the subsequent plans to make a television film, Magical Mystery Tour. 

Six months later, John Lennon and George Harrison were the first to fly out to India, alongside their wives, to undertake the course. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr would join shortly afterwards. They joined a group of 60 training to be Transcendental Meditation teachers, among them musicians Donovan, Paul Horn, Mike Love of the Beach Boys and actress Mia Farrow. Their days were spent largely meditating and attending lectures held by the Maharishi, though some private lessons were also offered to The Beatles. This environment, paired with the protection from the media helped the band focus and relax. The period of study would prove to be productive for the band musically as well, as they wrote and recorded many songs, with Starr writing his first. Of these tracks, eighteen would appear on The Beatles, more commonly known as “The White Album” and two others on Abbey Road. A handful of songs would also appear on solo projects after the bands eventual break-up.

Despite the productive recording sessions, the members of the band took to the meditation training with varied degrees of enthusiasm. Starr would leave after only 10 days, with complaints about the food, while McCartney grew bored and left after about a month. Harrison and Lennon would complete two months before they left after controversies arose surrounding the Maharishi. Despite none of the band completing the training, all members would continue to practice and proclaim the benefits of Transcendental Meditation publicly. The facility where they studied was reopened in 2015 and eventually renamed as the Beatles Ashram. 

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On this day in 1988, the remaining members of The Who reunited at the British Phonographic Industry Awards

The Who formed in 1964, and enjoyed a nearly 20 year run as a band, surviving even the tragic death of drummer Keith Moon in 1978.  Several years later in 1982, Pete Townshend told the band he was tired of touring and wanted to become a studio act. The others disagreed and hoped that a final tour would change his mind. Evidently unconvinced, in 1983 Townshend made the announcement he was leaving, and the group essentially disbanded, joining again only in 1985 for the Live Aid concert.

In early 1988 the band was informed that they would be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for their outstanding contribution to music at the eighth edition of the Brit Awards, a ceremony held by the British Phonographic Industry. The band were asked if they would give a performance on the night, with a three song medley of My Generation, Substitute and Who Are You being decided on.

The day arrived and Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and replacement drummer Kenney Jones met at the Royal Albert Hall in London for their performance. The group launched into their medley to the crowds delight, and they ended up playing over their allocated time slot, causing the award for “Best British Single”, awarded to Rick Astley, to be presented off the air. This set would be the last time Jones would perform with the band until 2014. The group clearly enjoyed their reunion, and it was soon decided that a 25th anniversary The Kids Are Alright tour would take place the following year, playing 43 dates throughout the US. Since then The Who have reunited multiple times over the years for various tours, with their latest tour held in 2022.

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On this day in 1967, The Beatles began recording for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

 In late 1965, after a hectic tour that saw controversy for the band and death threats, the band had understandably grown tired of live performance. They decided to take an extended break that saw  them focus on their own interests. During this time, McCartney reportedly tried LSD for  the first time, and his experience helped inspire the groups next album.

In November of 1966, he had the idea of a song involving and Edwardian-era military band, before deciding that The Beatle’s next album should represent a performance by the fictional band. He believed the fictional group would allow the band more freedom to experiment with their music and relieving some of the monotony that the group was feeling. The group was able to pull from a wide variety of influences, from the Beach Boys to traditional Indian instrumental music. 

On the 1st of February 1967, The Beatles met at EMI Studios to record the titular track for the album. They recorded 9 takes of the song, and by the end, McCartney had made the decision to make the song’s concept into a full album. The album’s recording would take until April to be completed, by which point the studio had become more of a clubhouse for the band, with psychedelic lighting and visits from friends like David Crosby and Mick Jagger.

The album was released on the 26th of May and immediately received rave reviews. It was widely regarded as the soundtrack for the “Summer of Love”, entrancing fans with its psychedelic theme. Critics were similarly impressed, with the album earning widespread critical acclaim. It has since gone on to become one of the most commercially successful albums of all time and topped many best album lists. It is also one of the 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to  be added to the National Recording Registry, for work considered “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”, reflecting the common opinion that the album is one of the most important and influential rock records ever released.

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On this day in 1964, The Beatles earned their first US number one with I Want to Hold Your Hand

After the success of She Loves You, The Beatles were eager to capitalise on their success. Intense media coverage had also gained them many new fans who were eagerly awaiting a new release. 

I Want to Hold Your Hand was written by Lennon and McCartney in a basement studio in McCartney’s girlfriends house, with the pair calling out various phrases to go along with the music until they found one that fit. Lennon recalled writing the song “eyeball to eyeball” In October of 1963 the band recorded the track at EMI Studios, along with This Boy in a single day, and on four track equipment for the first time. 

At the time of release in late November, She Loves You had shot back to the number one UK position due to the media frenzy surrounding the band, and upon release I Want to Hold Your Hand immediately went to the number two spot. Two weeks later, it was able to overtake its predecessor for number one, where it stayed for five weeks. George Martin recalled that Capitol Records in the US had no choice but to release the song due to the rising demand for the band’s music in the States and its UK success.

The song would release in the US in mid December, and entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number forty-five in mid January. In the next couple of weeks it rose to number one, where it stayed for seven weeks before being knocked off by She Loves You. Fans raved about the song, while critics were divided, with some dismissing the song and the band as a fad that wouldn’t last.

I Want to Hold Your Hand went on to become one of the best-selling songs of the 1960’s and helped start the British Invasion of the American music industry. Worldwide, the song has sold more than 12 million copies, and Billboard magazine in 2018 named it the 48th biggest hit of all time. It has also made the Grammy Hall of Fame and been listed in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and  at number 16 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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On this day in 1973, The Rolling Stones appeared at a benefit concert to raise funds for victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua

On December 23, 1972 a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Nicaragua near its capital, Managua. It caused widespread damage, leaving over 300,000 people homeless, killing somewhere between 4,000 and 11,000 and injuring 20,000. 

Nicaragua was the home of Mick Jagger’s wife at the time, Bianca, and the pair visited five days after the quake to look for Bianca’s mother, who was found alive and well, but with her home destroyed. Shocked by the damage, the Jaggers helped deliver boxes of medical supplies to the Nicaraguan Red Cross. Shortly after, the idea was floated by promoter Bill Graham to hold a concert to raise funds for the country, and the Forum venue in Los Angeles was quickly reserved to hold it in. 

Joining the Stones would be comedy duo Cheech and Chong, and Santana, whose timbales player was also from Nicaragua. On the day of the concert a swarm of people appeared ready to purchase tickets, and cheaper seats soon sold out, though the $100 seat tickets were available all day, until their price was eventually dropped. The show started with a minute of meditation for the victims, before Santana played an unusually raucous set, much to the crowds delight. Next was Cheech and Chong, who delivered their usual off colour jokes. 

A 45 minute break ensued, as the crew set up for the Stone’s performance. Finally Jagger appeared, and the rest of the band soon followed him out. The group played  a marathon set, including some new music as well as a wide variety of their hits over the years, with Gimme Shelter, Jumping Jack Flash and Street Fighting Man all getting a run. Finally, after nearly two hours, the show finished and the band headed off-stage. 

The highly successful show raised around $350,000 for the earthquake victims.

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On this day in 1963, The Beatles released their second single Please Please Me

After the release of their debut Love Me Do in late 1962, The Beatles had enjoyed moderate success but were still relatively unknown outside of their hometown Liverpool and Hamburg, where they had played the majority of their shows. Love Me Do peaked at number 17 on the UK Charts, which most attribute to a lack of promotion. Despite this, producer George Martin was still optimistic about the band and decided to push ahead with a second single.

Martin wanted the group to release a cover of a Mitch Murray song,  How Do You Do It? but the band was determined to release their own material instead. The early version of Please Please Me  was considered to be too slow and dreary by Martin, but when showed a new version agreed with the bands decision to use it as their second single. After a radical change in the songs arrangement, the final version was recorded on the 26th November 1962, and Martin immediately predicted the song would be the groups first major hit.

Please Please Me would release in the UK during one of the worst winters in recorded history. Most of the country was snowed in at home, and the band would therefore get huge audiences for their television performance on the show Thank Your Lucky Stars. This, combined with the bands unusual style and appearance would garner them a lot of media attention, which they used to promote upcoming tours with Tommy Roe and Roy Orbison. Their newfound fame helped push the song to up the charts, with it receiving number one on the New Musical Express and Melody Maker charts, though it only went to number two on the Record Retailer chart, which subsequently became the UK Singles Chart. 

The success of Please Please Me pushed The Beatles to national fame and allowed the song to become their first US single as well. From this point the group attained a new level of fame and success, which they would enjoy for close to a decade.

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On this day in 1970, Elvis Presley met US President Richard Nixon

Presley was at the time enjoying a resurgence in popularity following a slump after his focus on films, with the release of several albums proving popular with fans and critics alike. While the comeback had been unexpected by many, the events of the 21st of December would prove to be even more bizarre. 

Elvis arrived at the White House in the morning in a stretch limousine, fresh off a red-eye flight from Los Angeles. On the plane he penned a letter to President Nixon, requesting an audience. Arriving at the gates of the White House the note was passed to guards from the Secret Service, bringing much amusement to staff at the house throughout the morning. Regardless, a meeting was arranged for midday. 

During the meeting Elvis expanded on his letter, saying he was eager to be part of governments anti-drug campaigns, claiming to have done a lot of study on the topic. He went on to gift the president a Colt .45 handgun alongside signed photos of his family, before requesting a badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Many claim that this was the real purpose of the meeting as Presley was a renowned collector of police badges. Nixon didn’t take up the offer of help on the campaigns, but did grant him the badge.

A photo was snapped of the pair before the end of the meeting, which has gone on to become one of the most popular pictures of Elvis due to the bizarre story behind it. The event also inspired two Hollywood adaptations in 1977 and 2016. Both men would rapidly fall from grace over the next decade with Nixon’s resignation in 1974 and Presley’s addiction to prescription drugs leading up to his death of a heart attack in 1977. 

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On this day in 1980, a vigil was held in memory of John Lennon

On the 8th of December Lennon was tragically gunned down by a crazed Beatles fan who had been angered by Lennon’s lifestyle and comments about religion. Lennon was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at 11:15pm.

In the following days, tributes to Lennon began. Crowds gathered at the hospital and in front of the Dakota Hotel, the site of the shooting. Radio stations played hours of both Beatles music and Lennon’s solo material, while newspapers and magazines wrote countless touching eulogies. His former bandmates also expressed their grief publicly, while his wife Yoko Ono released a statement the day after the murder, saying  “There is no for funeral for John. Later in the week we will set the time for a silent vigil to pray for his soul. We invite you to participate from wherever you are at the time. … John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him. Love. Yoko and Sean.”

The vigil went ahead on the 14th December, six days after the murder. 30,000 fans gathered in  Liverpool, and 225,000 in Central Park in New York to commemorate Lennon’s life and mourn his death. The crowd in Central Park sang along to Give Peace a Chance before a 10 minute silence was conducted and observed by millions around the world, even by the popular radio stations of the time. 

Many tributes have been held for Lennon in the years since his death by friends, family and strangers alike. To this day, Ono lights the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland every year between Lennon’s birthday, the 9th of October, and December 8th, ensuring Lennon will be remembered forever. 

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On this day in 1967 The Beatles’ Apple Boutique opened in London

When Brian Epstein died in  August of 1967, it  prompted the band to take control of their own finances, and Apple Corps was their solution. A company started by the band members to handle their record releases while allowing them to diversify into other fields like publishing, films, electronics and retail. It was under the latter division that the idea for the Apple Boutique was born. 

The concept for the store, situated on the corner of Baker London and Paddington Street in London, was to sell a wide variety of items, with everything in the store being for sale. McCartney described the aim was to make “a beautiful place where beautiful people can buy beautiful things.” In the end, the store focused primarily on clothing and fashion accessories, with some forays into home decor and furniture. The store’s decoration embodied the colourful, psychedelic hippy taste of the band at the time, with plenty of bright colours and large artworks, causing complaints from some locals and the council.

A launch party was held several days before the official opening and was attended by John Lennon, George Harrison  and a variety of other musicians, including Eric Clapton. The attendees of  the party sipped apple juice as the store was not licensed to serve alcohol. While the launch was a successful, star-studded affair, the shop’s operation quickly went downhill as theft became endemic. Customers and staff members alike took to helping themselves to the merchandise, as did the Beatles’ artist friends, The Fool.

The rise in shoplifting led to the store becoming a financial disaster and after just seven months it was decided to close down the operation on the 31st of July 1968. On  the night before closing, the band members and their wives and girlfriends came and took what stock they liked, ahead of announcing that all remaining stock would be given out for free, with one item per person. Within hours the shop was emptied and the band’s first foray into retail was officially over.  

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On this day in 1979, Pink Floyd released The Wall

By the mid 1970’s Pink Floyd had earned the reputation of a prolific band with a number of hit songs and albums. After a rough tour in mid-1977 the band took a break to work on various other projects, and wouldn’t reconvene until July 1978, where bassist and singer/songwriter Roger Waters presented two ideas for concept albums.  The first concept was a 90 minute demo Waters had named Bricks in the Wall, which was chosen to become their eleventh album.

Waters decided to bring in another producer to help manage the massive project, hiring Bob Ezrin at the suggestion of his wife who had worked as Ezrin’s secretary. They set about working on the album’s story, which they called a rock-opera, broadening it and creating a script.  They set about recording in early 1979 across several studios in France, New York and Los Angeles. The sessions were plagued with budget issues and disagreements within the band, particularly between Waters and drummer Richard Wright, culminating in Wright’s departure from the band.  Regardless, work was completed by November and the album was ready for release.

The complex plot of the rock-opera focuses on a depressed rock star named Pink, who is driven insane by past trauma and the pressures of stardom and constructs a physical and emotional wall to protect himself. This plot was reflected in the complex stage show for the album as well as in the 1982 film of the same name. While some executives at Columbia Records were unimpressed by the album at first, they were soon relieved when Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 went to number one in the UK, US, Norway, Portugal, South Africa and West Germany.  The popular reception continued, with the song going platinum in the UK the following month and the US three months later. The album itself topped the Billboard Charts for 15 weeks, selling over a million copies within two months of the release, becoming Pink Floyd’s best selling album after The Dark Side of the Moon.

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