Think you know everything there is to know about music? Prepare to be blown away as we take a look at some of the most interesting, unbelievable facts about musicians and the music industry.
1. Tin Pan Alley: Yes, it is an actual place, New York City, and the side streets of Times Square. So many music publishers were hawking their songs on crappy “tinny” pianos that it got this nickname, and it stuck. Oddly enough the Brill Building got its nickname from being, well, The Brill Building.
2. Yesterday: This Paul McCartney song is the most covered song of all time! Although like all their songs it is credited to Lennon-McCartney, it was all Paul. He came up with the melody first and used dummy lyrics, called “Scrambled Eggs.” I am just guessing that had he stuck with those lyrics it would not have reached the same level of success. How come I am hungry all of a sudden?
3. Jazz great Louis Armstrong is an essential part of the history of Jazz, but there was not a lot of money in it and he got tired of being more respected than wealthy. So he decided to become a pop star. At sixty-seven years young, in 1967 coincidentally, he released the record “What A Wonderful World”, which climbed to the top of the charts all over the world. Even now, you are unlikely to attend a wedding or a bar mitzvah where it will not be played.
4. Jimi Hendrix’s tombstone has a Fender Stratocaster carved on it. My only quibble? It should have been depicted on fire.
5. The first pressed CD in the US was Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The USA.” Either the beginning or the end of recorded music, according to some. My view? I’ll never tell.
6. Billie Holiday was a babysitter for comedian Billy Crystal. I wonder if she sang for him and if so, which songs?
7. Well some members think they are God. Unbelievably, Elvis Presley won only three Grammy Awards in his incredible and influential career, and all three were for Gospel records. No Grammy for: Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Don’t Be Cruel, Can’t Help Falling in Love, Suspicious Minds, and on and on. And how many has Kanye won? No offense to fans of his music but please, shoot me now.
8. Beethoven was the first of the composers we now consider masters who never had an official court position, making him the first freelancer. Man, I wish I had had a court position in my career.
Weird Music History
Titanic
The London Symphony Orchestra was
originally booked to perform on the Titanic
on its maiden voyage, but they ended up on
another boat at the last minute. That surely
would have been worse than London Bridge
falling down!