This Day in Beatle History

January 19

2014 (Jan 19) - 'The Boss' Scores 10th UK #1

Bruce Springsteen scored his 10th UK No.1 album with High Hopes. The achievement puts him on level pegging with The Rolling Stones and U2, who also have 10 UK No.1’s. The Beatles lead the way, with 15, followed by Madonna on 12, while Elvis Presley and Robbie Williams both had 11 each.

January 20

1945 (Jan 20) - Former Wings Member Eric Stewart Born

Eric Stewart who with the Mindbenders had the 1966 UK No.2 single ‘Groovy Kind Of Love’. With Hotlegs the 1970 UK No.2 single ‘Neanderthal Man’ and as a member of 10cc. He was the co-owner of Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England from 1968 to the early 1980s. He also collaborated with Paul McCartney extensively in the mid-1980s, playing on or co-writing songs for McCartney’s solo albums Tug of War (1982), Pipes of Peace (1983), Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984), and Press to Play (1986).

1959 (Jan 20) - McCartney Guitarist Rusty Anderson Born

American guitarist and singer-songwriter, Rusty Anderson is born. Best known as the accompanying lead guitarist for Paul McCartney’s tours since 2001.

1962 (Jun 6) - First Beatles Recordings at What Will Become 'Abbey Road'

The first Beatles recording session took place at EMI studios. The group recorded four tracks, one of which was ‘Love Me Do’ the four musicians received payments for the session of £7.10 ($12.07) each.

1964 (Jan 20) - 'Meet The Beatles' Released in America

Meet The Beatles’ is released by Capitol in the US.

1965 (Jan 20) - 'Father of Rock and Roll' DJ Alan Freed Dies

American disc-jockey Alan Freed died from uraemia and cirrhosis brought on by alcoholism at the age of 42. Freed called himself the “father of rock and roll”, appeared in the movies such as Rock Around the Clock and Don’t Knock the Rock. His career was destroyed by the payola scandal that hit the broadcasting industry in the early 1960s.

1966 (Feb 18) - Brian Wilson Finishes 'Good Vibrations'

Beach Boy Brian Wilson finished recording the future classic song ‘Good Vibrations’, which went on to become the band’s third US number-one hit. As a child, his mother told him that dogs could pick up “vibrations” from people, so that the dog would bark at “bad vibrations” Wilson turned this into the general idea for the song.