This Week In Music History

July 8, 1967: The Monkees begin a national tour with Jimi Hendrix as the opening act. I couldn't have made that up if I tried.

May 10, 1963:  The Rolling Stones produce their very first recordings at Olympic Studios in London, but Decca Records rejects them all, calling them "dreadful". This keen insight is precisely why record company executives are so highly regarded by so many. May 11, 1964:  The Rolling Stones are refused lunch at The Grand Hotel in Bristol, where they're staying, because they're not wearing

May 2, 1960:  In the aftermath of the payola scandal, Billboard magazine reports that many radio stations are adopting what they call a "better music" format and banning rock & roll. Fortunately, this goes over like a Led Zeppelin.

April 17, 1970:  Paul McCartney releases his first solo album, officially ending his days with The Beatles. Yoko is blamed. April 20, 1970:  The New York Times reports Catholic and Protestant youth groups have adopted The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" as a religious symbol. Yoko is blamed.

April 5, 1967:  Paul McCartney flies to America to attend girlfriend Jane Asher's 21st birthday party in Denver, Colorado.  He gives her a large diamond ring, which she later "lost". April 7, 1967:  Paving the way for what would become an FM radio format, San Francisco's KMPX-FM begins playing rock 'n' roll album cuts instead of RPM singles.

March 30, 1958:  Little Richard has his first U.S. Top 10 Hit with "Good Golly Miss Molly".  The song was from his last sessions for Specialty Records. Afterwards he records a series of gospel songs, including "Good Lord, I'm Bored", "Jesus, There Ain't Nothing' Finer Than Wearin' Eyeliner" and "God, Answer Me Quick, Why Did You Name Me Little Dick?", all of

March 16, 1963:  Peter, Paul and Mary's "Puff The Magic Dragon" is released in the U.S. Although banned by some radio station managers who believed the song was about drugs, it's "just the story about a little boy growing up", according to its writer, Peter Yarrow, who clearly came up with the tale while on an acid trip.

Lots of birthdays this week in the rock music world.  David Gilmour, Robin Trower, Peter Wolf, Tom Scholtz. Which got me thinking.  What were some music-related events this week in history?