History Highlight

Today in 2020, Waxahatchee — the music project headed by Katie Crutchfield — released her fifth studio album, Saint Cloud. Produced by Brad Cook, the album was recorded during the summer of 2019. Crutchfield says the album was influenced by the songwriting of Lucinda Williams and by Crutchfield’s own experience cutting alcohol from her life. The album, which includes the tracks “Lilacs,” “Can’t Do Much” and “Fire,” was released at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; as a result, Crutchfield was unable to tour in support of the album until September 2021. Nevertheless, Saint Cloud received praise from critics, including from Minnesota Star Tribune writer Chris Riemenschneider, who later described the album as "a perfect listening companion through a year and a half of lockdown, as comforting as it was exhilarating."

Also, Today In:

1958 - CBS records announced the invention of stereophonic records. Although the new format would be playable on ordinary record players, when used on the new stereo players, a richer, fuller sound was heard.

1964 - The British Invasion had made its way around the world as The Beatles held down the top six spots on the Australian pop chart.

1965 - The Supremes scored their fourth U.S. No. 1 single with "Stop! In The Name Of Love."

1972 - Elvis Presley recorded what would be his last major hit, "Burning Love," which would go on to be a No. 2 hit on the U.S. chart. The song was written by Dennis Linde and was originally recorded by country-soul artist Arthur Alexander, who included it on his 1972 self-titled album. Presley's cover of the song becoming his biggest hit single in the United States since 1969's "Suspicious Minds" and his last Top 10 hit in the American Hot 100 or pop charts. Despite the song's success, Presley had stated he did not actually care for the song and felt uncomfortable performing it.

1979 - Eric Clapton married George Harrison's ex-wife Pattie, the subject of the song "Layla." Harrison attended the wedding and remained friends with Clapton.

1982 - "Pac-Man Fever," a song about the arcade game that had America enthralled, cracked the Top 10, becoming the only song about a video game ever to do so.

1984 - Run-D.M.C. released their debut self-titled album. It features the singles “It’s Like That,” “Hard Times,” and “Rock Box.” “Rock Box” was the first rap video played on MTV.

1985 - Bon Jovi released their second studio album, 7800° Fahrenheit. It features "Only Lonely" and "In and Out of Love." And if you’re curious, 7800° Fahrenheit is about 4316° Celsius.

1986 - Van Halen kicked off their 112-date North American tour at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, La. It was the band's first tour with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals.

1987 - U2 performed from the roof of a store in downtown Los Angeles to make the video for "Where The Streets Have No Name," attracting thousands of spectators and bringing traffic to a standstill. The police eventually stopped the video shoot.

1995 - Australian alternative rock band Silverchair released their debut studio album, Frogstomp. The album features the band's commercially most successful single, "Tomorrow".

1997 - Will Smith had the U.S. No. 1 single with "Gettin' Jiggy With It."

2006 - Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion was designated a National Historic Landmark.

2012 - Just off Regent Street in central London, a blue plaque was unveiled on the building where the cover of David Bowie's landmark 1972 album, Ziggy Stardust, was photographed. Throughout the U.K., a blue plaque commemorates a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker.

2015 - Country singer Willie Nelson announced that he and his family were hard at work on a new brand of marijuana called Willie's Reserve.

2019 - Beatles' booking manager Joe Flannery, also known as "Secret Beatle", died at age 87. He was the band's booking manager from 1962-63 and according to Flannery, members of The Beatles would often sleep at his flat and he would drive them home the next morning. He is also said to have given a young George Harrison driving lessons.

2020 - Pearl Jam released their 11th studio album, Gigaton. It features "Dance of the Clairvoyants," "Superblood Wolfmoon," and "Quick Escape."

2020 - Dua Lipa released her second studio album, Future Nostalgia. It features “Levitating,” “Physical,” and “Don’t Start Now.”

Birthdays:

Phil Chess (Chess Records) was born today in 1921.

Legendary jazz singer Sarah Vaughan was born on this day in 1924. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "The Divine One," Vaughan was a four-time Grammy Award winner, including a "Lifetime Achievement Award" and the National Endowment for the Arts gave her the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 1989. Vaughan died on April 3, 1990, at the age of 66.

Junior Parker was born today in 1932.

Derrick Morgan, a pioneer of ska who worked with Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, and Jimmy Cliff, is 85.

Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks is 75.

Andrew Farriss of INXS is 66.

Jann Arden is 63.

Quentin Tarantino is 62.

Mariah Carey is 56.

Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas is 50.

Jessie J is 37.

Kimbra is 35.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts, Pitchfork and Wikipedia.