This Day in Music History: Bowie records David Live in Philadelphia, The Go Go’s release Beauty And The Beat

1954 – Producer Sam Phillips takes an acetate recording of Elvis Presley’s debut single, “That’s All Right,” to Memphis radio station WHBQ DJ Dewey Phillips. He plays the song just after 9.30pm, and calls pour in asking for it to be played 14 more times that evening. Elvis himself, who knew of the airplay in advance, hides out at a local movie show until Dewey tracks him down for a live radio interview that same night.

1958 – The first Gold record album presented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is awarded to the soundtrack LP Oklahoma.

1967 – The Monkees begin a 29-date tour with The Jimi Hendrix Experience as their support act. Hendrix is dropped after six shows and told his act is not suitable for their teenybopper audience.

1969 – Singer/actress Marianne Faithfull attempts suicide with barbiturates while on the set of the film Ned Kelly (also starring her then boyfriend, Mick Jagger). She is dropped from the cast of the movie, eventually recovers, and when awaking from her coma, tells friends that “wild horses couldn’t drag me away.” The Rolling Stones song “Wild Horses” is built around that phrase.

1972 – David Bowie performs as Ziggy Stardust for the first time at a “Save The Whales” benefit concert in London. He announces on stage, “I’m Ziggy.”

1974 – David Bowie records his first official live album, David Live, at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia.

1979 – The B-52’s make their UK live debut at London’s Lyceum Ballroom, supported by The Tourists.

1981 – Go-Go’s release their debut album, Beauty and the Beat. The album will go on to peak at #1 on the US charts, and will remain there for six consecutive weeks.

1984 – Bob Dylan’s current European tour comes to an end at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland. Dylan is joined on stage by Van Morrison for a duet on “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.” U2’s Bono, who is sent to interview Dylan for the Irish rock magazine Hot Press, ends up duetting with him on “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat.” Carlos Santana also joins Dylan on stage to play guitar for the last seven songs of the set.

Information for this post was gathered from This Day in Music, The Music History Calendar, On This Day, and Wikipedia.