The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now

Today in Music History: James Brown Records "Live At The Apollo"

October 24, 2014

James Brown
James Brown.
WGBH Boston

History Highlight:

Today in 1962, James Brown recorded his legendary Live At The Apollo album. Brown originally had a very hard time convincing his management to release the recording, which they were convinced had no potential given that it contained no new original material. Brown knew otherwise, and DJs and fans went nuts for the sound of Brown's unique onstage presence and engergy. The album sold more than a million copies was listed at No.24 in Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. From Live at the Apollo, we played "I'll Go Crazy."

Today In:

1979 - Paul McCartney received a medallion cast in rhodium from the Guiness Book Of World Records after being declared the most successful composer of all time. From 1962 to 1978, McCartney had written or co-written 43 songs that had sold over a million copies each.

1987 - Michael Jackson started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Bad.

1995 - Smashing Pumpkins released their album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

1998 - Former Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown was jailed for 4 months after being found guilty of disorderly behaviour during a flight from Paris to Manchester. Brown had threatened to chop the hands off a stewardess during a heated exchange.

2006 - Forbes.com revealed that Kurt Cobain had overtaken Elvis Presley as the highest earning dead celebrity.

Birthdays:

Bill Wyman, former bass player for the Rolling Stones, is 78.