History Highlight:

Today in 1966, Ike and Tina Turner's sweeping, majestic version of "River Deep, Mountain High" released and tanked. It so embittered producer Phil Spector that he went into seclusion for two years, beginning his personal decline. (The single hit #3 in the U.K., but stalled at #88 in America). The track was recorded using Spector's "Wall of Sound" production technique, cost a then-unheard of $22,000, and required 21 session musicians and 21 background vocalists. Due to Spector's perfectionism in the studio, he made Turner sing the song over and over for several hours until he felt he had the perfect vocal take.

Also, Today In:

1955 - With sales of a remarkable 18 million units, "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett," by actor Fess Parker, among other versions floating around, was the #1 record in the U.S.

1973 - Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon was on both the U.S. and U.K. album charts. It remained in the U.S. charts for 741 discontinuous weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any other album in history.

1976 - The Allman Brothers Band temporarily disbanded after Greg Allman testified against Scooter Herring, his personal road manager, who was charged with drug trafficking.

2009 - Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his bladder.

1983 - The second annual (and final) US Festival kicked off in California featuring the Clash, U2, David Bowie, the Pretenders, Van Halen, Stray Cats, Men At Work, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, Willie Nelson. INXS, Joe Walsh, Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne. Apple II creator Steve Wozniak created the festival to "encourage the 1980s to be more community-oriented and combine technology with rock music." Over 750,000 fans attended the festival.

Birthdays:

Blues guitarist T-Bone Walker was born today in 1910.

Gladys Knight is 71.

John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival is 70.