In December 1962, Norway got its first National Park, namely Rondane Nasjonalpark. Since then we’ve gotten a lot more, and thank god for that. I’m a big fan of National Parks, as they preserve areas that are both beautiful and important, so I say keep ‘em coming.
There isn’t a lot going on in November 1962, so hopefully, the albums I’ve managed to rustle up will make this into something memorable.
There are a lot of fantastic artists releasing new music this month, but there’s no point in pretending that the debut single from The Beatles isn’t the one that bears the burden of expectations. Not necessarily back then, but to me anyway.
Booker T. & the M.G.’s deliver their highly anticipated debut single this month. I’m not sure if it was highly anticipated back then, but at least I’ve been looking forward to it.
Ringo Starr, who was the drummer of a band called Rory Storm And The Hurricanes, played his first gig with The Beatles on August 18th, 1962, and this means that the line-up we’ve come to know and love is finally set.
The Rolling Stones played their first-ever gig at London’s Marquee Club on July 12, 1962, as they stepped in for a band called Blues Incorporated.
On June 12, 1962, three convicts were not in their beds during a routine morning bed check at Alcatraz, San Francisco. The prison went into lockdown, and an intensive search began.
The 4th annual Grammy Awards was held in May 1962 (might have been in April) to celebrate the best music of the year 1961.
On April 10, Stu Sutcliffe, the original bassist of The Beatles, passed away. He only played with them for a short while, and according to a lot of what I’ve read about him, he wasn’t very good, but that doesn’t mean he is not worth mentioning.
There are some heavy names releasing music this month. We’ve got Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner, Little Richard, and last, but not even close to least, the debut album of Bob Dylan.
On February 13, Brian Epstein met with George Martin, record producer at EMI Records, to talk about The Beatles.
On New Year’s Day, 1962, the Beatles drove down to London in a snowstorm, a trip that took ten hours, to attend the famed Decca audition. This is an event that would go down in history as one of the biggest mistakes ever made in the music industry.
This Band Could Be Your Life 