Events in 1970
- Elvis Presley was at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with his version of “The Wonder of You,” which became his sixteenth UK No. 1 hit.
- Zelma Davis, the American singer known as a member of C+C Music Factory, was born on August 2, 1970, in Monrovia, Liberia.
- Stephen Carpenter, co-founder and lead guitarist of Deftones, was born in Sacramento, California.
- The film “Performance,” starring Mick Jagger, premiered in New York City, United States.
- Janis Joplin made her final television appearance.
- Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys married his second wife, Barbara Charren, in Los Angeles. They divorced in 1974.
- The four-day 10th National Jazz, Blues and Pop Festival was held at Plumpton Racecourse in Sussex, England. Performers included Family, Groundhogs, Cat Stevens, Deep Purple, Fat Mattress, Yes, Caravan, The Strawbs, Black Sabbath, Wild Angels, Wishbone Ash and Daddy Longlegs.
- Elvis Presley attended Nancy Sinatra's opening performance at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
- Christine McVie played her first concert with Fleetwood Mac at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. She later became the band's first female member.
- The Concert For Peace, an anti-war rock festival featuring Janis Joplin, Paul Simon, Steppenwolf and Johnny Winter, was held at Shea Stadium in New York.
- Steppenwolf, Janis Joplin, Paul Simon, Poco and Johnny Winter performed at the Concert For Peace at Shea Stadium in New York. The concert was held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
- Na třídenním Goose Lake International Music Festivalu v Leoni v Michiganu vystoupili mimo jiné Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, Mountain, Chicago, Bob Seger, John Sebastian, James Gang, The Stooges s Iggym Popem, Brownsville Station, MC5, Rod Stewart a Flying Burrito Brothers. Festival navštívilo více než 200 000 diváků.
- Na festivalu Strawberry Fields v Mosport Parku v Bowmanville v Ontariu vystoupili mimo jiné Ten Years After, Jethro Tull, Cactus, Grand Funk, Alice Cooper a The Youngbloods.
- The Moody Blues vydali své šesté album „A Question of Balance“, které obsahovalo hit „Question“.
- Black Sabbath, Cat Stevens, Peter Green, Climax Blues Band, Fotheringay and Strawbs performed at the tenth National Jazz and Blues Festival at Plumpton Race Track in East Sussex. The festival was expanded to four days for the first and only time.
- The album "Blood Sweat & Tears 3" began a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart (Billboard Top LPs & Tape). It was the group's second consecutive No. 1 album. The album produced the singles "Hi-De-Ho" and "Lucretia MacEvil". It overtook "Cosmo's Factory" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival released the song "Lookin' Out My Back Door".
- Christine McVie performed with Fleetwood Mac for the first time at a concert in New Orleans. She became the first woman in the band's lineup and later contributed to several of its albums before becoming a permanent member.
- Janis Joplin wrote the song “Mercedes Benz” while visiting a bar before a concert at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, and sang it later that same evening. She had only one more performance remaining before her death.
- Janis Joplin and Juanita Green paid for a gravestone for blues legend Bessie Smith's previously unmarked grave at Mount Lawn Cemetery in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Joplin considered Smith her greatest musical influence, while Green had worked as Smith's housekeeper.
- Canadian immigration officials turned back thousands of American fans heading to the Strawberry Fields Rock Festival in Mosport, Ontario, because they lacked sufficient funds for their stay. Approximately 8,000 Americans eventually attended the festival, which featured Alice Cooper, Ten Years After, Grand Funk Railroad, Sly and the Family Stone and The J. Geils Band, among others.
- The Carpenters spent their third week at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with “(They Long to Be) Close to You”.
- The Stooges fired bassist Dave Alexander after he forgot how to play their songs during their performance at the Goose Lake International Music Festival in Michigan. It was the final concert by the original lineup.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Drive-In Theater in Collinsville, Virginia. Approximately 200 fans attended on a rainy night.
- New Musical Express published Roger Daltrey’s response to Pete Townshend’s interview of May 31. Daltrey responded sharply to Townshend’s comments about The Who and their performances.
- Elvis Presley opened the first night of his four-week engagement at the Showroom of the International Hotel in Las Vegas. He performed an evening show and, on most of the following nights, performed two shows, with the program continuing in a dinner-and-midnight-show format.
- Frank Zappa released “Weasels Ripped My Flesh,” the second album credited to The Mothers of Invention after the group’s breakup in 1969. The album contains various live recordings and improvisations by the group dating from 1967, including “My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama.”
- The trial of Jim Morrison began over an alleged onstage exposure at the Dade County Courthouse in Miami. Morrison was found guilty, and Judge Goodman sentenced him to six months of hard labor and a $500 fine for public exposure, plus another 60 days of hard labor for profanity. His lawyer immediately filed an appeal, and Morrison was released on $50,000 bail. Morrison died in Paris on July 3, 1971, before the legal issues were resolved. In December 2010, the Florida Clemency Board granted him a full pardon. Members of The Doors' team maintained that Morrison had never actually exposed himself.
- Neil Diamond released the single “Cracklin’ Rosie”.
- Simon and Garfunkel's album “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was at No. 1 on the UK albums chart. The Beatles were second with “Let It Be” and Bob Dylan was third with “Self Portrait”.
- American DJ and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, a founding member and member of A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most influential alternative hip-hop groups, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
- Jimmy Buffett released his debut album Down to Earth, a folk-rock collection that included “The Captain and the Kid,” written in honor of his late grandfather. The album sold only 374 copies.
- Janis Joplin played her final concert at Harvard Stadium before an audience of approximately 40,000.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening show and a midnight show at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.
- Fleetwood Mac began a five-day series of concerts at the Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood.
- Black Sabbath released their debut album Black Sabbath in the US. The album had already been released in Britain on February 13, 1970, and laid the foundations for heavy metal.
- Elvis Presley performed two concerts at the International Hotel in Las Vegas—an evening show at 8:30 p.m. and a midnight show. The source also provides their setlists.
- The first day of the three-day British Yorkshire Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival took place in Krumlin, Yorkshire. Pink Floyd did not perform because fog left them stranded at a Paris airport. Weekend tickets cost £3.
- They scored their first number-one song with “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart”.
- He performed a Dinner Show at 8:30 p.m. and a Midnight Show at midnight at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Both performances were attended by 2,200 people. The Midnight Show included, among others, “That’s All Right”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man”, “Folsom Prison Blues/I Walk The Line”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “The Wonder Of You”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Suspicious Minds”.
- He was arrested at a motel in La Jolla, California, for possession of cocaine and barbiturates after being found crawling along a corridor in a confused and combative state. He was later released on $2,500 bail. It was another complication for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, who did not tour together again until 1974.
- The song “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” entered the US Billboard Top 40 and later reached No. 2. Although its surreal imagery led to interpretations involving drugs, John Fogerty said he wrote the song for his three-year-old son Josh.
- The song “Lay A Little Lovin' On Me” peaked at No. 11 after eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. His next single received almost no radio airplay, and McNamara remained best known as a one-hit artist.
- Elvis Presley performed both an evening and a midnight concert at the International Hotel in Las Vegas as part of his That's the Way It Is engagement.
- Elvis Presley reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with "The Wonder of You", his 16th UK No. 1.
- The final day of the three-day Yorkshire Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival took place in Krumlin, Yorkshire, featuring among others The Kinks, Mungo Jerry, Yes, Ginger Baker's Air Force and Edgar Winter.
- Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in the evening Dinner Show, followed by the Midnight Show, as part of his Vegas Season 3 engagement. Both performances were attended by approximately 2,200 people.
- Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac as the group's first female member.
- Led Zeppelin performed at Hampton Roads Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. The concert had originally been scheduled for August 10.
- Simon & Garfunkel's album Bridge Over Troubled Water was at No. 1 on the UK chart. It spent a total of 33 weeks at the top and won six Grammy Awards.
- The Band released their third album, Stage Fright. The songs reflected the pressure that began to affect the group following the success of their previous two albums. The title track, sung by Rick Danko, was inspired by Robbie Robertson's experiences with stage fright during the band's early days of performing.
- Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in an evening Dinner Show followed by a Midnight Show as part of his Las Vegas Season 3 engagement.
- The Grateful Dead performed at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, California.
- Yes performed at the Marquee Club in London.
- Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in both the evening and midnight shows as part of Las Vegas Season 3. The evening show included “That’s All Right”, “I Got a Woman”, “Tiger Man”, “Love Me Tender”, “I’ve Lost You”, “I Just Can’t Help Believing”, “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “The Wonder of You”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “One Night”, “All Shook Up”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Hound Dog”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. The midnight show had a similar program but also included “Sweet Caroline”.
- Welsh-born rapper, singer, songwriter and producer Eric Martin, also known as Me One or MC Eric, was born in Cardiff. He became known as a member of the Belgian electronic project Technotronic. The group had the UK number 2 single “Pump Up the Jam” in 1989, and at the beginning of 1990 the song reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- The Carpenters released the album “Close to You”.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival's album “Cosmo's Factory” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200, where it remained for nine weeks.
- Deep Purple performed at the Terrace Ballroom in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Fred Durst, founder and frontman of the nu-metal band Limp Bizkit, was born on August 20, 1970, in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina.
- Elvis Presley performed at 8:30 p.m. and at midnight at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Both concerts were attended by 2,200 people. Elvis's grandmother Minnie Mae Presley and aunt Delta Biggs attended the evening show. During the evening show, Elvis introduced his grandmother Minnie Presley and Neil Diamond. The evening setlist included “That's All Right”, “I Got A Woman/Ave Maria”, “Tiger Man”, “Love Me Tender”, “I Just Can't Help Believin'”, “Sweet Caroline”, “You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Holy Holy”, “The Wonder Of You”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “One Night”, “All Shook Up”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Hound Dog”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “That's All Right”, “I Got A Woman/Ave Maria”, “Tiger Man”, “Love Me Tender”, “I've Lost You”, “Cryin' Time”, “I Just Can't Help Believin'”, “You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Johnny Be Goode”, “The Wonder Of You”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “One Night”, “All Shook Up”, “Blue Suede Shoes/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/Blue Suede Shoes”, “Hound Dog”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. After the midnight show, Elvis introduced actor Henry Silva, comedian Jack E. Leonard and comedian Rusty Warren, who was not present.
- Led Zeppelin performed at the Assembly Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- The song “Snowbird” entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and later climbed to No. 8. It became a million-selling hit and the first American Gold Record awarded to a Canadian female solo singer. The song’s success made her the first Canadian female solo singer to receive this honor in the United States. Songwriter Gene MacLellan said he wrote “Snowbird” in approximately 25 minutes after seeing a flock of snow buntings on a beach on Prince Edward Island.
- B.J. Thomas was at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with the song “I Just Can't Help Believing”.
- “Make It with You” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for one week. It was Bread’s first and only single to reach the top of the U.S. chart; in the United Kingdom, it reached No. 5. The song was written by singer David Gates. It was later recorded by, among others, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dusty Springfield, Andy Williams, and Marc Cohn.
- The fifth studio album “Cosmo's Factory” began a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, later known as the Billboard 200, and also reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Finland, Canada, and Norway. The album contained the hits “Up Around the Bend” (#4 U.S.), “Lookin' Out My Back Door” (#23 U.S.), and “Who'll Stop the Rain” (#2 U.S.). The title “Cosmo's Factory” came from the warehouse in Berkeley where the group rehearsed; John Fogerty insisted on rehearsing almost every day, and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford therefore began calling the place “the factory”.
- Derek & the Dominos began recording their first and only studio album, “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs”. Eric Clapton was a member of the group and, in an effort to remain low-profile, tried to downplay his involvement in the band.
- Derek and the Dominos performed at the Van Dike club in Plymouth, England.
- Elton John signed a recording contract as a solo artist with Uni Records, a division of MCA Records.
- It was announced that Elvis Presley would undertake his first U.S. tour since the mid-1950s.
- On August 22, 1970, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas during his third Las Vegas season, which ran from August 10 to September 8, 1970. The evening show began at 8:30 p.m. and the midnight show at midnight; both had a capacity of 2,200 spectators. The setlist was not provided. The song “Runaway” was recorded during the evening show and later released on the album “Elvis On Stage”, while according to the source no recording was made of the midnight show.
- After leaving The Animals the previous year, Eric Burdon returned to the charts with his new group War and the song “Spill the Wine”, which reached No. 3. Burdon separated from War in 1971, while the group later continued successfully without him and recorded further hits, including “The World Is a Ghetto” (#9), “The Cisco Kid” (#12), “Gypsy Man” (#8), “Why Can't We Be Friends?” (#6), “Low Rider” (#7) and “Summer” (#7).
- The Moody Blues began a three-week run at No. 1 on the British album chart with their sixth studio album, “A Question of Balance”. In the U.S., the album peaked at No. 3.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening and midnight show at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. The evening show began at 8:15 p.m. and the midnight show at midnight; both had a capacity of 2,200. The source provides setlists for both performances and mentions the recording “Ferocious In Vegas”.
- Emerson, Lake And Palmer made their debut at Plymouth Guild Hall in Plymouth, England. It was their first performance ever and also their only warm-up show before the Isle of Wight Festival six days later, where approximately 600,000 people saw them. They were paid approximately £400 for their first concert. During their career, the trio sold more than forty million records and placed ten albums on the Billboard chart and the same number in the UK.
- Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground performed together for the final time at the Max's Kansas City club in New York. The performance and other concerts at the club were recorded by Brigid Polk, an associate of Andy Warhol, on a monophonic cassette recorder. The recordings were later released on the album “Live at Max's Kansas City”. Reed subsequently worked for his father for two years for $40 a week before signing a solo contract.
- Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in the evening show at 8:30 p.m. and again at midnight, in both cases before approximately 2,200 people. The evening program included performances by Darlene Love, The Osmonds and Ed Ames, while the midnight show included „That's All Right“, „Tiger Man“, „Polk Salad Annie“ and „Suspicious Minds“.
- The Who performed at Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, England, and John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful joined them on stage, as he was Townshend's guest at the time.
- A party was held in New York to celebrate the official opening of Electric Ladyland Studios.
- Then little-known 23-year-old Elton John performed his first live concert in the United States at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. He appeared alongside singer and songwriter David Ackles and began his 17-concert US tour; according to one source, Neil Diamond introduced him to the audience. Among those in attendance were Don Henley, Quincy Jones and Leon Russell. Elton John performed songs including “Border Song”, “Your Song”, “Take Me to the Pilot” and a cover of The Rolling Stones' “Honky Tonk Women”. The concert received enthusiastic reviews and significantly boosted his career in America.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert at 8:30 p.m. and a midnight concert at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Both had a capacity of approximately 2,200 spectators; the source does not provide the setlist.
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer performed live for the first time at The Guildhall in Plymouth, England. Keith Emerson had previously been a member of The Nice, Greg Lake had been in King Crimson and Carl Palmer was the drummer of Atomic Rooster. Four days later they played to a much larger audience at the Isle of Wight Festival.
- A celebration of the official opening of Electric Ladyland Studios was held in New York. Jimi Hendrix had opened the studio. He died a few months later, but the studio continued operating and was later used for recordings by John Lennon, AC/DC, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa and Guns N’ Roses, among others.
- Country singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jo Dee Marie Messina was born in Framingham, Massachusetts. At 19 she moved to Nashville, and in 1996 she scored her first hit with “Heads Carolina, Tails California”. In 2022 the song gained a new life when Cole Swindell referenced it in his song “She Had Me At Heads Carolina”.
- While recording the album “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs”, producer Tom Dowd took Eric Clapton and his group to a concert by The Allman Brothers Band, where Clapton heard Duane Allman play in person for the first time. After the concert, an immediate bond developed between Clapton and Allman, and Allman was invited to the studio to record with the new group Derek & the Dominos. After an all-night jam, Allman asked Clapton if he could visit the recording sessions, and Clapton agreed on the condition that Allman would also participate in the recording. During the following ten days, Allman contributed to most of the album's songs, making it the result of their collaboration.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert followed by a second midnight concert at the International Hotel in Las Vegas as part of his “That's the Way It Is” engagement.
- A warning was issued in Las Vegas that Elvis Presley would be kidnapped during the night, so security measures at the hotel were increased.
- The five-day Isle of Wight Festival began in England and ran from August 26 to 30, with the main program featuring the biggest stars taking place during the final three days. Performers included Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Donovan, Jethro Tull, Miles Davis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Doors, The Who, Spirit, The Moody Blues, Chicago, Procol Harum, Sly and the Family Stone and Free. For Jimi Hendrix, it was his final concert appearance in the United Kingdom. A weekend ticket cost £3.
- In New York City, an official celebration was held for the opening of Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, a studio complex founded by Jimi Hendrix. The studio took a year to build and cost one million dollars. Guests included Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood and the then little-known Patti Smith. Artists who later recorded there included Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, AC/DC, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa and Guns N' Roses. Hendrix subsequently traveled to London to perform at the Isle of Wight Festival and died before he could return to the studio to record.
- Jimi Hendrix performed his final concert in the United Kingdom at the Isle of Wight Festival, less than a month before his death.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Florida.
- Led by Betty Friedan, the new feminist movement in the US organized a nationwide Women's Strike for Equality.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert at the International Hotel in Las Vegas at 8:15 p.m., followed by a midnight concert.
- Howl, Andy Roberts’ Everyone, Supertramp and The Groundhogs were among the artists who performed at the Reading Festival at Afton Down on the Isle of Wight.
- The second day of the Isle of Wight Festival was notable mainly for the absence of major stars. However, emerging Supertramp also performed, whose debut album had been released only four weeks earlier.
- Jimi Hendrix made his final studio recording when he recorded “Slow Blues” at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
- The sci-fi musical “Toomorrow”, starring newcomer Olivia Newton-John as a pop singer whose group is abducted by aliens, premiered in cinemas. The film was intended to promote the group of the same name, but flopped and directed Newton-John toward a solo career.
- British-American musician, bassist and songwriter Tony Kanal was born in London to Indian parents. He became known as a member of No Doubt, who had the 1997 UK No. 1 single “Don't Speak”, while the album “Tragic Kingdom” sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. He dated the band's singer Gwen Stefani for approximately seven years; their breakup inspired the song “Don't Speak”, and they subsequently remained friends and bandmates.
- During a four-week engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, a security employee received a threatening phone call saying that Elvis Presley would be shot during his final performance. The caller demanded $50,000 in exchange for the name of the potential assassin. Later, a meal card with a damaged image of Elvis’s face and a drawn gun pointing at his heart was found in Elvis’s hotel mail. Elvis performed his final show without incident.
- On the third day of the Isle of Wight Festival at Afton Down, performers included Procol Harum, Rory Gallagher's Taste, Chicago, Family, Cactus, and Tony Joe White. Mungo Jerry were listed in the program and on the posters but refused to perform because of the major delay in the schedule, which meant they would not go on until the early hours of the morning. A ticket for the main days of the festival cost £3.
- Magic Juan of Projecto Uno was born.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed in Pensacola, Florida.
- The Velvet Underground’s album “Loaded” was released.
- Anne Murray's "Snowbird" reached No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart.
- Black Sabbath released the title track from their second studio album "Paranoid" as a single. The song reached No. 1 in Denmark and West Germany, No. 4 in the UK, and No. 61 in the US.
- R&B singer Carl Martin of the group Shai was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. He is known for the 1992 hit "If I Ever Fall in Love".
- Edwin Starr's "War", written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for three weeks. It reached No. 3 in the UK and became his only US No. 1 hit. The song was later nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance but lost to B. B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone". According to Starr, the song was not specifically about the Vietnam War but concerned gang violence and other domestic conflicts.
- Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas before an audience of 2,200. During the evening, he gave an 8:30 p.m. concert as well as a midnight concert.
- Elvis Presley's single "I've Lost You/The Next Step Is Love" reached No. 32 on the US chart.
- Grand Funk Railroad, David Allan Coe, and The Third Power performed at The Warehouse club in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- On the fourth day of the five-day Isle of Wight Festival at Afton Down, performers included Miles Davis, The Doors, The Who, Joni Mitchell, Ten Years After, Sly & the Family Stone, Cat Mother, Free, John Sebastian, Mungo Jerry, and Spirit. During her performance, Joni Mitchell was interrupted by a hippie named Yogi Joe, who had to be removed by security. Emerson, Lake & Palmer gave only their second live performance here.
- Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Chilliwack, The Youngbloods, and The Ides of March performed at the Man-Pop Festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
- The fifth and final day of the Isle of Wight Festival was held at Afton Down. Performers included Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Jethro Tull, Leonard Cohen, The Moody Blues and Richie Havens.
- The Rolling Stones began a 20-date European tour in Malmö, Sweden.
- Greg Richling, bassist of The Wallflowers, was born.
- Led Zeppelin performed before 6,000 people at Milwaukee Arena at a concert that had been moved from August 27. One reviewer wrote that the group started slowly but finished in great style, with the crowd gradually becoming captivated by the performance.
- The Beach Boys released their sixteenth studio album, "Sunflower", through Reprise Records. The album reached No. 151 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and No. 29 in the United Kingdom. It included the singles "Add Some Music to Your Life" and "Cool, Cool Water", originally recorded for the album "Smiley Smile".