Music History

“Wet Dream” by Jamaican reggae singer Max Romeo entered the UK singles chart. Because of its sexually explicit lyrics, the song was banned by the BBC and most radio stations.

On August 2, 1969, Bob Dylan returned to his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota, for his ten-year high school reunion, marking the class of 1959. He and his wife Sara met classmates beforehand at the local Moose Lodge, but after a confrontation with a drunken former classmate, Dylan left and ultimately did not attend the reunion itself.

Led Zeppelin and Vanilla Fudge performed at the Civic Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Three Dog Night released their version of “Easy to Be Hard” as a single on Dunhill Records. The song, featuring lead vocals by Chuck Negron, was taken from their album Suitable for Framing and released as Dunhill 4203, with “Dreaming Isn't Good For You” on the B-side. The recording was produced by Gabriel Mekler.

The three-day Atlantic City Pop Festival concluded at the Atlantic City Race Track. Performers included Three Dog Night, The Moody Blues, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat, Little Richard, and the Mothers of Invention.

On August 3, 1969, Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas during his first engagement at the venue. The surviving recording attributed to the Dinner Show includes “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got a Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Memories”, “Mystery Train”, “Tiger Man”, “Baby What You Want Me to Do”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Yesterday”, “Hey Jude”, “In the Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds”. The recording closes with “Can't Help Falling in Love”.

Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys was charged with failing to report for the civil service he was required to perform in lieu of two years of military service.

Max Cavalera, Brazilian guitarist and vocalist, co-founder and original frontman of Sepultura, was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Creedence Clearwater Revival released “Green River,” their third studio album and the second of three albums they released in 1969. The album was a major artistic and commercial success for the group.

On August 5, 1969, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas: the Dinner Show at 8:15 p.m. and the Midnight Show at midnight. The Dinner Show included “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got a Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “I Can't Stop Loving You”, “Memories”, “Mystery Train”, “Tiger Man”, “In the Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds”. The Midnight Show featured “Polk Salad Annie”, “Baby What You Want Me to Do”, “Runaway”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Yesterday” and “Hey Jude”, along with several of the same songs performed earlier that evening. Both shows concluded with “Can't Help Falling in Love”.

George Harrison brought his new Moog synthesizer to the studio, which The Beatles used while completing the “Abbey Road” album. Two Moog overdubs were recorded for “Because.” Harrison was among the first musicians in Britain to use the new instrument.

The Stooges released their self-titled debut album. Its raw sound and distorted guitars later became a major influence on a number of punk bands.

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steven Paul Smith, known as Elliott Smith, was born in Omaha, Nebraska.

On August 6, 1969, Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in an evening Dinner Show at 8:15 p.m., followed by a Midnight Show. The documented Dinner Show setlist included “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got a Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Memories”, “Mystery Train”, “Tiger Man”, “Viva Las Vegas”, “Blue Hawaii”, “Baby What You Want Me to Do”, “Runaway”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Yesterday”, “Hey Jude”, “In the Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds” and “What'd I Say”. The show concluded with “Can't Help Falling in Love”.

Led Zeppelin performed at Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California, during their North American tour. It was their only concert in the city.

Sly & the Family Stone released the single “Hot Fun In The Summertime.”

Elvis Presley odehrál večerní a půlnoční koncert v International Hotelu v Las Vegas. Oba koncerty navštívilo po 2 200 divácích.

Led Zeppelin během severoamerického turné vystoupili v Berkeley Community Theatre v Kalifornii.

The Beatles nahráli skladbu „The End“.

Alice Cooper performed at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan.

On August 8, 1969, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas: a Dinner Show at 8:15 p.m. and a Midnight Show at 12:00 a.m. The surviving track listing for the Midnight Show includes “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got a Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Memories”, “Mystery Train”, “Tiger Man”, “Baby What You Want Me to Do”, “Runaway”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Yesterday”, “Hey Jude”, “In the Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds”. The show closed with “Can't Help Falling in Love”.

Led Zeppelin performed at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California, during their North American tour, with Jethro Tull as the opening act.

Jethro Tull performed as the opening act for Led Zeppelin at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California.

Pink Floyd performed at the ninth National Jazz, Pop, Ballads & Blues Festival at Plumpton Race Track in Strete, England. It was the opening night of the three-day festival, which also featured Soft Machine, The Who, Roy Harper and other artists.

The Beatles took the photograph for the “Abbey Road” album cover at the crossing outside the Abbey Road studios in London. Photographer Iain MacMillan took six shots, and the entire photo session lasted less than ten minutes. The photograph later became one of the most famous images in music history and also fueled speculation about Paul McCartney's alleged death.

Yes performed at Mother's club in Birmingham, England.

“Hot Fun In The Summertime” by Sly and the Family Stone was released as a non-album single. Following its release, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 79 and climbed to No. 2 over eight weeks, with The Temptations’ “I Can't Get Next to You” at No. 1. The song later received a gold certification from the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 copies.

Led Zeppelin performed at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, during their North American tour. Jethro Tull, who appeared as the opening act, were at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with their second album, “Stand Up”.

Jethro Tull achieved their first UK No. 1 album with their second studio album, “Stand Up”. The album was their first international hit and reached No. 20 in both the US and Canada.

On August 9, 1969, Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, in two shows: an evening Dinner Show at 8:15 p.m. and a Midnight Show. Each performance had an audience of approximately 2,200 people. A reliable setlist for this date has not been confirmed.

Elvis Presley reached No. 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 21 on the UK singles chart with “Clean Up Your Own Back Yard.”

Chicago, then known as Chicago Transit Authority, first entered the chart with “Questions 67 and 68”.

Pink Floyd released the album “More”, the soundtrack to the film of the same name and a transitional album between Syd Barrett’s departure and the band’s later success with “The Dark Side of the Moon”.

Charles Manson later cited The Beatles as an inspiration for his murder spree, which became one of the darkest chapters associated with the band’s history.

The Who, Yes, King Crimson, Chicken Shack and The Strawbs performed on the second day of the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Sussex, England.

Three Dog Night's “Easy to Be Hard” entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 77. The song continued to climb the chart and reached its peak position of No. 4 on September 27, 1969.

Led Zeppelin performed at the San Diego Sports Arena during their North American tour. Jethro Tull and Seattle's The Surprise Package appeared as support acts.

On August 10, 1969, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas: a Dinner Show at 8:15 p.m. and a Midnight Show at midnight. Each performance took place in the hotel's 2,200-seat showroom. A verified setlist for this date is not currently available.

The three-day National Jazz and Blues Festival in Sussex, England, concluded with performances by The Nice, Pentangle, and Long John Baldry.

Deep Purple recorded “Speed King” in Studio 2 at Aeolian Hall. The recording was broadcast six days later on Symonds On Sunday.

Diana Ross hosted a party for approximately 350 guests at the Daisy Club in Beverly Hills, where Motown Records introduced The Jackson 5 to music industry figures, the music press and Hollywood society. The event created the mistaken impression that Diana Ross had discovered the group; according to the source, Gladys Knight had actually recommended them to Motown. The Jackson 5 also performed that night at the first Miss Black America pageant. The group subsequently lived up to the expectations and became one of the biggest acts of 1970.

British pop and folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram was born, known for the songs “Twist in My Sobriety” and “Good Tradition.”

The Beatles worked on the song “You Never Give Me Your Money” during the recording of the album Abbey Road.

The Guess Who recorded the song “American Woman” at RCA Mid-America Recording Center in Chicago. The song was released in March 1970 and later reached No. 1 on both the US and Canadian singles charts.

Thousands of people arrived at Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York, one day before the Woodstock Music Festival officially began. Many festivalgoers arrived early, set up their tents and camps, and settled in around the festival grounds. The growing crowds, heavy traffic and anticipation created an atmosphere unlike anything seen before. What was about to become one of the most famous music festivals in history was already taking shape.

On the day Woodstock began, he sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 2 to the Isle of Wight. He decided to skip Woodstock and performed at the Isle of Wight Festival two weeks later.

On August 15, 1969, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas: the Dinner Show at 8:15 p.m. and the Midnight Show at midnight. The hotel showroom had a capacity of approximately 2,200 people. The Midnight Show included “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I've Got a Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “My Babe”, “Memories”, “Mystery Train”, “Tiger Man”, “Baby What You Want Me to Do”, “Runaway”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Yesterday”, “Hey Jude”, “In the Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds”. The show concluded with “Can't Help Falling in Love”.