Pick a Day

Music History Events: Recordings

November 18, 1971 Procul Harum record their album Procol Harum Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The extracted version of "Conquistador" climbs to #16 the following year.

June 10, 1971 Elvis Presley records "My Way," and "I'll Be Home On Christmas Day."

June 7, 1971 Don McLean records "Vincent."

June 6, 1971 John Lennon makes his first stage appearance since 1969 when he and Yoko Ono jam with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention at the Fillmore East in New York. The show is recorded and released as a bonus disc with the Lennon/Ono album Some Time In New York City.

May 31, 1971 Badfinger record "Day After Day."

March 20, 1971 Elvis Presley records "I'm Leavin'," "We Can Make The Morning," "I Shall Be Released," "It's Only Love," and "I Will Be True."

March 19, 1971 Elvis Presley records "Miracle Of The Rosary," "Seeing Is Believing," "It's Still Here," "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen," and "I Will Be True."

February 16, 1971 Aretha Franklin records "Spanish Harlem."

February 7, 1971 Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor record backup vocals for Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold," which becomes his biggest hit.

January 15, 1971 Chase records "Get It On."

December 17, 1970 Andy Williams records "Theme From Love Story."

November 20, 1970 The Kinks' Ray Davies flies to London to re-record a section of the lead vocals for the group's latest single, "Apeman." Radio stations are objecting to the line "The air pollution is foggin' up my eyes," claiming "foggin'" sounds too much like another f-word.

November 8, 1970 Jim Morrison of The Doors makes the spoken-word recordings that would later become the basis of the group's album An American Prayer.

September 26, 1970 Returning to Abbey Road studios in London, ex-Beatle John Lennon begins work on his first proper solo album, John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band.

September 25, 1970 Janis Joplin records "Me And Bobby McGee" at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood. She dies nine days later from a drug overdose at age 27.

June 23, 1970 Ringo Starr records Beaucoups Of Blues.

June 4, 1970 Elvis Presley records "Twenty Days And Twenty Nights," "I've Lost You," "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago," "The Sound Of Your Cry," "Faded Love," "The Fool," "A Hundred Years From Now," "Little Cabin On The Hill," and "Cindy, Cindy."

May 17, 1970 Jean Knight records "Mr. Big Stuff" and King Floyd lays down "Groove Me" at the same sessions at Malaco Records' studios in Jackson, Mississippi. Both songs become huge hits, reviving the fortunes of the label.

January 3, 1970 Four days after learning that their movie Let It Be will be released in theaters, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr meet at Abbey Road Studios and record "I Me Mine" for the film and soundtrack.

November 5, 1969 Jerry Reed records "Amos Moses."

September 25, 1969 John Lennon records "Cold Turkey."

August 24, 1969 John Lennon writes, rehearses, and records a song about his recent heroin withdrawal entitled "Cold Turkey," where he also puts into practice his recent introduction to "primal scream" therapy. Fans and critics are shocked and appalled by the emotionally raw recording, a prelude to his eventual Plastic Ono Band album.

July 25, 1969 The Beatles work on a slew of songs for their Abbey Road album: "Sun King," "Mean Mr. Mustard," "Come Together," "Polythene Pam" and "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window."

July 21, 1969 The Beatles record John Lennon's song "Come Together" at Abbey Road Studios.

June 25, 1969 The Hollies record "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother." Elton John, working as a session musician, plays piano on the track.

June 25, 1969 Sly & the Family Stone record "Hot Fun in the Summertime."

June 20, 1969 David Bowie records "Space Oddity," which he wrote after seeing the 1968 Stanley Kubrick movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

March 5, 1969 Elvis Presley records "Change Of Habit" and "Let's Be Friends."

February 24, 1969 Johnny Cash plays one of his many prison concerts, this one at San Quentin State Prison in California. Recorded and released as the album Johnny Cash At San Quentin, it goes to #1 for four weeks and secures Cash's outlaw cred.

February 22, 1969 Elvis Presley records "In The Ghetto" and "Who Am I?"