Feb 1 in Music History: The Beatles record “Sgt Pepper’s,” The Cars disband

1964 – Indiana Governor Matthew Walsh bans the Kingsmen’s version of “Louie Louie,” calling it “pornographic.” Eventually, the FBI investigates and finds the lyrics “unintelligible at any speed.”

1965 – James Brown records “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” at the Arthur Smith Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1967 – The Beatles start work on “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” It isn’t until after they record the song that Paul McCartney has the idea to make the it the thematic pivot for their forthcoming album.

1970 – The Doors release Morrison Hotel.

1972 – In Dublin, 13 innocent Irish citizens die when British troops open fire on a march protesting imprisonment without trial. The event inspires the U2 song “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”

1973 – Gladys Knight and the Pips leave Motown’s Soul label for Buddah.

1985 – The Eagles’ Glenn Frey makes his acting debut in an episode of NBC’s Miami Vice.

1988 – The Cars disband.

1994 – Green Day release their third album (their first on a major label), Dookie. That night, they play a gig at Slim’s in San Francisco with The Dead Milkmen.

1995 – Richey Edwards, guitarist with the Manic Street Preachers, vanishes with no clues to his whereabouts. He left The Embassy Hotel in London at 7am, leaving behind his packed suitcase. His car was found on the Severn Bridge outside Bristol, England sixteen days later. Edwards has never been found, despite constant searching, and in November 2008 he was declared officially dead.

2001 – Jack Johnson releases his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He may have a penchant for Feb 1 … his 4th album, Sleep Through the Static, was also released on this date in 2008.

2008 – NASA announces that “Across the Universe” by The Beatles is to become the first song ever to be beamed directly into space. The track would be transmitted through the Deep Space Network on the 40th anniversary of its recording. It would beaimed at the North Star, Polaris, which is 431 light-years from Earth. Paul McCartney says the project is an “amazing” feat. “Well done, NASA,” he adds. “Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul.”

2009 – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform the Super Bowl XLIII halftime show in Tampa, Florida.

 

Information for this post was gathered from This Day in Music, The Music History Calendar, On This Day, and Wikipedia.