KHIZ Gold Star Oldies USA
April 01 2026
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1970 - Phil Spector
50 musicians recorded the orchestral scores for The Beatles tracks 'The Long And Winding Road' and 'Across The Universe' for the Phil Spector produced sessions. The bill for the 50 musicians was £1,126 and 5 shillings, ($1.914). When released 'The Long and Winding Road' became a US No.1 hit.
Gold Star Oldies USA pays tribute to Phillies Records in April the Wall of Sound Phil Spector
🎙️ What Was the Wall of Sound?
The Wall of Sound was a groundbreaking music‑production technique created by Phil Spector in the early 1960s at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood. It used large ensembles, dense layering, natural echo, and mono mixing to create a massive, emotional, orchestral pop sound that jumped out of AM radios.
The Life of Phil Spector
1996 - Phil Spector
Two former members of the 1950s group, The Teddy Bears filed suit in Los Angeles, California, against producer Phil Spector and several labels. Carol Connors and Marshall Lieb alleged they had not received royalties from re-issues of their 1958 No.1 hit 'To Know Him Is To Love Him'.
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March 27, 1982 — Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder release their single "Ebony & Ivory" in the U.K. Written by McCartney, the lyrics use the black and white keys of a piano as a metaphor for potential racial harmony. The record reached the top of the U.K. and U.S music charts, but the South African Broadcasting company banned it when Wonder dedicated his 1984 Academy Award for Best Original Song to Nelson Mandela.
March 28, 1953 — 26-year-old Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton charts with the original version of "Hound Dog." It reaches #1 for seven weeks on Billboard magazine's R&B chart, her only hit record.
March 28, 1964 — Heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) reaches #102 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his cover version of "Stand By Me."
— Radio Caroline, the U.K.'s first all-day English-language "pirate" radio station, begins broadcasting from the North Sea aboard Fredericia, a former Danish ferry.
1970 — Ringo Starr releases his first solo album, Sentimental Journey, a collection of pre-rock standards.
March 30, 1953 — The Harlem, New York doo wop group The Crows record their monumental hit "Gee" at the city's Beltone Studios. It heralds the new wave in music the following year when becomes the first rock 'n' roll record to appear on the U.S. pop music charts, reaching #14.
March 31, 1956 — Elvis Presley's first smash hit, "Heartbreak Hotel," debuts. It reaches #1 on Billboard's pop chart and #3 rhythm and blues, the first of his 35 R&B chart appearances, making him the most successful white R&B performer.
— Brenda Lee ("Little Miss Dynamite") makes her U.S. network television debut when she sings the Hank Williams hit "Jambalaya" on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee.
April 1, 1956 — Elvis takes a Hollywood screen test for producer Hal Wallis anbd receives a three-year film contract for $450,000.
1977 — Presley is admitted for a six-day stay at a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, suffering from exhaustion and intestinal flu. He dies 4½ months later.
April 1, 1984 — During a violent dispute, Marvin Gaye is shot to death the day before his 45th birthday by his minister father, Marvin Gay, Sr., in their Los Angeles home. An investigation reveals that the son had beaten his father, who ends up serving five years probation for voluntary manslaughter.
April 2, 1964 — The Beach Boys record their first #1 hit, "I Get Around." They also fire manager Murry Wilson, the father of three group members, including leader Brian Wilson who feels his dad is hindering their progress with unwelcome critiques at their recording sessions.
Sources:
Eight Days a Week (Ron Smith)
On This Day in Black Music History (Jay Warner)
Chronology of American Popular Music, 1900-2000 (Frank Hoffman)
Birthdays Singers and Song Writers
Early Beatles News
2013 - The Beatles
A signed copy of The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band sold at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions for $290,500 (£191,000). The selling price far exceeded the $30,000 (£19,700) originally estimated for the rare LP record. The UK Parlophone copy of the album included a high gloss cover and vinyl gatefold sleeve.
1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono
As an April Fool's joke, John Lennon and Yoko Ono issued a statement to the press that they were having dual sex change operations.
1961 - The Beatles
The Beatles began a three-month residency at The Top Ten Club, Hamburg, playing 92 straight nights. The group played for seven hours a night on weekdays and eight hours at weekends with a fifteen-minute break every hour. It was during this visit that Astrid Kirchherr cut Stuart Sutcliffe's hair into the style destined to become known as the "Beatle haircut" which The Beatles later adopted themselves.
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