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Today in Music History: Nilsson Schmilsson Went Gold

March 03, 2014

Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson
Album art for Nilsson's "Nilsson Schmilsson"
Album Art

History Highlight:

Today in 1972, Harry Nilsson snagged a Gold record for Nilsson Schmilsson, the best-selling album of his career; it featured "Without You," "Jump Into The Fire" and "Coconut." The album performed well at the 1973 Grammy Awards, earning a nomination for Album of the Year, while "Without You", a Badfinger cover, won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Also, Today In:

1966 - On this day, The Rolling Stones went into RCA's Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles to begin work on the album Aftermath.

1967 - In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, The Animals refused to play a slated concert unless they were paid up front. Consequently, over 3,000 fans in the audience broke into a riot, causing about $5,000 in damages.

1973 - The Grammy Awards were held at the Tennessee Theatre in Nashville. The Album Of The Year award went to George Harrison's The Concert For Bangladesh and America was named Best New Artist.

1982 - The reformed Mamas & Papas, with original members John Phillips and Denny Doherty joined by Phillips' daughter MacKenzie and Spanky McFarlane of Spanky & Our Gang, played the first show of their brief reunion tour.

1995 - R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry underwent surgery to halt bleeding caused by a brain aneurysm. The operation was a success, but he still felt it was best that he retire from the band.

Birthdays:

Robyn Hitchcock is 61 today.

Ira Glass, host of NPR's This American Life, is 55.