Musician Birthdays: Rick James (US singer/songwriter, famous for the hit, “Super Freak”, born in 1948), Mike Campbell (guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, born in 1954), Lisa Marie Presley (famous as the daughter of Elvis Presley, born in 1968)

– In 1949: RCA Records issued the first ever 45rpm single, the invention of this size record made jukeboxes possible.

– In 1963: 17 year-old Neil Young performed his first professional date at a country club in Winnipeg.

– In 1964: The Beatles started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, the first US No.1 by a UK act since The Tornadoes ‘Telstar’ in 1962 and the first of three consecutive No.1’s from the group.

– In 1967: At Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles started work on a new song ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. It wasn’t until The Beatles had recorded the song that Paul McCartney had the idea to make the song the thematic pivot for their forthcoming album.

– In 1967: Pink Floyd spent the day recording parts for the Syd Barrett songs ‘Arnold Layne’ and ‘Candy And A Current Bun’ at Sound Techniques Studios, Chelsea, London. Floyd also turned professional on this day after signing a deal with EMI Records.

– In 1968: The Who kicked off their third North American tour at the Civic Auditorium San Jose, California

– In 1969:  Tommy James and the Shondells started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Crimson And Clover’, the group’s second and last No.1. Billy Idol had a 1987 US No.1 with ‘Mony Mony’ a No.3 hit for Tommy James in 1968.

– In 1972: Chuck Berry had his first UK No.1 single with a live recording of a song he’d been playing live for over 20 years ‘My Ding-a-Ling’. UK public morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse attempted to have the song banned due to its innuendo-laden lyrics. The Average White Band members guitarist Onnie McIntyre and drummer Robbie McIntosh played on the single.

– In 1992: George Michael and Elton John went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, also a No.1 in the UK. All proceeds from the single went to Aids charities.

– In 1997: Blur went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Beetlebum’. The song’s title, is said to be a stab at Liam Gallagher, lead singer of Oasis, for his over-idolisation of The Beatles.

– In 1999: Four hundred people were injured at an Australian concert by Marilyn Manson when he stormed off stage after being bombarded with missiles and abuse at the show in Perth. One of Manson’s guitar technicians needed treatment for cuts to his head.

– In 2001: A collection of Sir Elton John’s private photos on display at a museum in Atlanta were withdrawn. The exhibition, which included snaps of nude men, was said to be too explicit, some school trips to the museum had been cancelled.

– In 2008: US space agency Nasa announced that ‘Across the Universe’ by the Beatles was to become the first song ever to be beamed directly into space. The track would be transmitted through the Deep Space Network – a network of antennas – on the 40th anniversary of the song being recorded, being aimed at the North Star, Polaris, 431 light-years from Earth. In a message to Nasa, Sir Paul McCartney said the project was an “amazing” feat. “Well done, Nasa,” he added. “Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul.”

Musician Birthdays: John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten, most famous as the lead singer of the Sex Pistols, famous for hits “Anarchy In the UK” and “God Save the Queen”, born in 1956), Jeff Hanneman, (guitarist of thrash metal band, Slayer, born in 1964), Chad Channing (Nirvana’s first drummer before Dave Grohl joined, born in 1967), Justin Timberlake (singer/songwriter/film actor, most famous as one of the singers for N’Sync and having a solo career, born in 1981)

– In 1967: The Beatles spent a second day at Knole Park, Sevenoaks, Kent, England to complete filming for the ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ promotional video. The film was shot in colour, for the benefit of the US market, since UK television was still broadcasting only in black and white. Taking time out from filming John Lennon bought a 1843 poster from an antiques shop in Surrey which provided him with most the lyrics for The Beatles song ‘Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite’.

– In 1970: The Jackson Five went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I Want You Back’. The song was originally written for Gladys Knight & The Pips and was the first of four No.1’s for the group. It made No.2 in the UK.

– In 1981: Blondie went to No.1 on the US singles hart with ‘The Tide Is High’, the group’s third US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK.

– In 1987: Paul Simon went back to No. 1 on the UK album chart with ‘Graceland’, the album stayed on the chart for 101 weeks.

– In 1988: Janet Jackson started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Together Again’.

– In 2007: Jim Morrison was enlisted to help fight global warming more than 35 years after his death. ‘Woman in the Window’, a previously unreleased poem written and recorded by The Doors frontman shortly before he died in 1971 was being set to music and used to publicise the Global Cool campaign.