Rock History ... a day like today,October 25

 

1963;The Beatles kicked off their first tour of Sweden by playing two shows at Nya Aulan, Sundstavagen, Karlstad, Sweden. The local pop reviewer was not impressed, saying The Beatles should be grateful to their screaming fans for drowning out the group's terrible performance, adding that The Beatles "were of no musical importance whatsoever and that their local support group, The Phantoms, decidedly outshone them."
1964; The Rolling Stones appeared for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show from New York, performing ‘Around And Around’ and ‘Time Is On My Side’. A riot brook out in the studio, prompting Sullivan’s infamous quote, ‘I promise you they’ll never be back on our show again.’ The Rolling Stones went on to make a further five appearances on Sullivan’s show between 1965 and 1969.
1968: Led Zeppelin played a gig at Surrey University, England. Although there are unconfirmed reports of earlier shows, this appears to be the band's first gig with their new name after initially performing as The New Yardbirds. In 2003 a poster for the Surrey gig (billing the group as The New Yardbirds) sold at auction for £2,400.
1968:The double album 'Electric Ladyland' by the The Jimi Hendrix Experience was released. It was also made available as two albums with changed artwork after complaints about the naked women who were pictured on the sleeve. The female models were each paid £5 for the photo shoot and another £5 if they posed completely naked.
1969:Pink Floyd‘s Ummagumma arrived as the group continued to search for a new direction after splitting with original frontman Syd Barrett. As such, the album includes both live takes on some of their older songs, and new music marked by somewhat formless experiments.
1985:R.E.M. The Smiths and Tom Waits all appeared on The Tube at Tyne Tree Television Studios, Newcastle, England.
1986: Bon Jovi went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Slippery When Wet'. Featuring two US No.1 singles, 'You Give Love A Bad Name' and 'Livin' On A Prayer'. The album went on to sell over 8 million copies world wide.
1986: Dire Straits guitarist, singer Mark Knopfler broke his collarbone after crashing in a celebrity car race before the Australian Grand Prix.
1989: Nirvana and Tad appeared at the Duchess Of York, Leeds, England. The two acts were on the third night of their debut European tour.
1997: After falling over on stage when reaching for a guitar pick, Johnny Cash announced during a gig in Michigan that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease.
2001: 13 law firms were still involved in claims to Grateful Dead's guitarist Jerry Garcia's $10m estate six years after his death. Former wives & girlfriends continued to fight on how to distribute his estate and annual royalties of $4.6m

Album Anniversaries:
Pink Floyd – Ummagumma (1969)
Paul Simon – Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)
Corrosion of Conformity – Animosity (1985)

Birthday

1944, Born on this day, Jon Anderson, vocals, Warriors, Yes, (1983 UK No.28 & US No.1 single 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart').
1948, Born on this day, Glenn Tipton, guitar, Judas Priest, (1980 UK No.12 single 'Living After Midnight', 1980 UK No.4 album 'British Steel').
1955, Born on this day, Matthias Jabs, The Scorpions, (1991 UK No.2 single 'Wind Of Change').
1962, Born on this day, Chad Smith, drummer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, (1992 UK No.26 single 'Under The Bridge', 2002 UK No.1 album 'By The Way').
1963, Born on this day, John Leven, Europe, (1986 UK No.1 single 'The Final Countdown').