Online Encyclopedia
1968 in music
See also: 1967 in music, other events of 1968, 1969 in music, 1960s in music and the list of 'years in music'
Contents |
Events
- January 4 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding.
- January 6 - Gibson patents its "Flying V" electric guitar design
- January 21 - Simon and Garfunkel release album The Graduate Original Soundtrack
- January - The Beatles launch Apple Corps, Ltd., a disastrously mismanaged entertainment company that included a recording studio, a record label, and clothing store
- February 1 - Priscilla Presley gives birth to Elvis' only child, Lisa Marie at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
- February 1 - Universal Studios offers the Doors $500,000 to star in a feature film. The film is never made.
- February 10 - The Beatles shut down "Beatles U.S.A.", their fan club and business office in the United States. The band also fires their US press agents and withdraw from Brian Epstein's NEMS Enterprises . The band then turns all business affairs over to the newly formed record company, Apple
- February 12 - Jimi Hendrix is given an honorary high school diploma from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington. Hendrix is also given the key to the city.
- February 16 - The Beatles, Mike Love, Mia Farrow, Donovan and others travel to India to visit the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Rishikesh
- February 18 - David Gilmour joins Pink Floyd, replacing founder Syd Barrett, who checked himself into a psychiatric hospital
- February 21 - McGraw-Hill, Inc. outbids eight other publishers and pays $150,000 for the U.S. rights to Hunter Davies ' authorized biography of the Beatles
- February 28 - Frankie Lymon dies.
- March 8 - Bill Graham opens the Fillmore East in an abandoned movie theater in New York City.
- March 25 - The 58th and final episode of The Monkees airs on television.
- March 30 - The Yardbirds record their live album Live Yardbirds at the Anderson Theater
- April 3 - Simon and Garfunkel release the critically acclaimed album Bookends.
- April 4 - James Brown appears on national television, in an attempt to calm feelings of anger in the United States following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
- April 6 - The Beatles' new record company, and management and publishing firm, Apple Corps Ltd. , opens offices in London
- April 29 - The rock musical Hair opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theater
- May 4 - Mary Hopkin performs on the British TV show Opportunity Knocks. Hopkin catches the attention of model Twiggy, who recommends her to Beatle Paul McCartney. McCartney would soon sign Hopkin to Apple Records.
- May 5 - Buffalo Springfield performs together for the last time in Long Beach, California
- August 23 - Simon and Garfunkel give live concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California. Recording is later released on CD in 1994 by Australian company Vigotone Records as Voices Of Intelligent Dissent
- August - Blind Faith is formed, which includes Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker from Cream and Steve Winwood from Traffic.
- Summer - Simon and Garfunkel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin and John Sebastian give live concert at Shea Stadium in New York City as campaign benefit for Democratic presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy
- September 14 – The two small sons of singer Roy Orbison, Roy DeWayne Orbison age 10, and Anthony King Orbison age 6, die in a house fite in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
- October - The "Paul Is Dead" Beatles rumours begin
- November 8 - John Lennon and his wife Cynthia divorce.
- November 15 - 500,000 people march in Washington DC for peace, which becomes the largest anti-war rally in U.S. history. In attendance: Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, John Denver, Mitch Miller, touring cast of Hair
- December 1 - Jimi Hendrix's manager Chas Chandler quits over differences with Hendrix during the recording of Electric Ladyland
- New Jersey Police confiscate 30,000 copies of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Two Virgins album at Newark Airport, saying that the cover, which features a nude photo of the two artists, is "pornographic." In Chicago, Illinois, police officers shut down a record shop for displaying the album cover.
- Elvis Presley's 1968 Comeback Special airs on NBC.
- Led Zeppelin is formed after the breakup of The Yardbirds
- The Band's musical career begins
- James Taylor's musical career begins
- Joni Mitchell's musical career begins
- Carpenters' musical career begins
- Warren Zevon's musical career begins
- Deep Purple/Roundabout's musical career begins
- Nazareth's musical career begins
Albums released
- Folsom Prison Blues - Bobby Bare
- The Beatles (The White Album) - The Beatles
- Child is Father to the Man - Blood, Sweat & Tears
- Wheels of Fire - Cream
- Electric Ladyland - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- This Was - Jethro Tull
- The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees - The Monkees
- HEAD (Motion Picture Soundtrack) - The Monkees
- A Saucerful of Secrets - Pink Floyd
- Bookends - Simon and Garfunkel
- The Graduate Original Soundtrack - Simon and Garfunkel (incidental music by Dave Grusin)
- Dusty in Memphis - Dusty Springfield
- God Bless Tiny Tim - Tiny Tim
- White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground
- Magic Bus: The Who On Tour - The Who
Top hits on record
- "All Along The Watchtower" - Jimi Hendrix
- "Born To Be Wild" - Steppenwolf
- "Dance To The Music" - Sly & The Family Stone
- "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" - The Yardbirds
- "Hello, I Love You" - The Doors
- "Hey Jude"/"Revolution" - The Beatles
- "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" - Iron Butterfly
- "Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)" - John Fred & his Playboy Band
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - Rolling Stones
- "Lady Madonna" - The Beatles
- "Valleri" - The Monkees
- "Mony Mony" - Tommy James & the Shondells
- "Mrs. Robinson" - Simon and Garfunkel
- "Old Friends/Bookends " - Simon and Garfunkel
- "(Sittin' On The) Dock Of The Bay" - Otis Redding
- "Sunshine Of Your Love" - Cream
- "This Guy's in Love With You" - Herb Alpert
- "Where Will You Be?" - Sue Nicholls
Published popular music
- "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman
- "Classical Gas" m. Mason Williams
- "Dear World" w.m. Jerry Herman from the musical Dear World
- "Eli's Coming" w.m. Laura Nyro
- "The Fool On The Hill" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
- "For The Good Times" w.m. Kris Kristofferson
- "Galveston" w.m. Jim Webb
- Heffalumps and Woozles w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Winnie The Pooh and the Blustery Day
- "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the musical Promises, Promises
- "Indian Lake" w.m. Tony Romeo
- "Indian Reservation" w.m. John D. Loudermilk , first recorded by Don Fardon
- "Little Green Apples" w.m. Bobby Russell
- "MacArthur Park" w.m. Jim Webb
- "Mister Bojangles" w.m. Jerry Jeff Walker
- "The Night They Raided Minsky's" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
- "A Perfect Gentleman" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse Introduced by Jason Robards and Norman Wisdom in the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
- "Promises, Promises" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the musical Promises, Promises
- "Save The Country" w.m. Laura Nyro
- "Stand By Your Man" w.m. Billy Sherrill & Tammy Wynette
- "Stoned Soul Picnic" w.m. Laura Nyro
- "Sweet Blindness" w.m. Laura Nyro
- "Take Ten Terrific Girls' w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
- Ten Feet off the Ground w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
- "This Guy's In Love With You" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
- "Wichita Lineman" w.m. Jim Webb
- "The Windmills Of Your Mind" w. Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman m. Michel LeGrand from the film The Thomas Crown Affair
- "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Winnie The Pooh and the Blustery Day
- "You Rat, You" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
Classical music
- Luciano Berio - O King
- Mario Davidovsky - Music for Solo Violin
- Ladislav Kupkovic - Souvenir (one of his few recorded works)
- John Tavener - The Whale (cantata)
Opera
Musical theater
- Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) - London production
- Canterbury Tales London production
- Dames at Sea Off-Broadway production opened at the Bouwerie Lane Theatre on December 20 and transferred to the Theatre de Lys on April 22, 1969 for a total run of 575 performances.
- The Dancing Years (Ivor Novello) - London revival
- George M! Broadway production
- Golden Boy London production
- Hair - Broadway and London productions
- House Of Flowers off-Broadway revival
- Lady, Be Good! London revival
- Man Of La Mancha London production
- Promises, Promises Broadway production
Musical films
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- Finian's Rainbow
- Funny Girl
- The Jungle Book animated feature film
- The Night They Raided Minsky's released December 22 starring Jason Robards and Britt Ekland
- Oliver!
- "The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band "
- Star!
- Yellow Submarine animated feature film
Births
- January 11 - Tom Dumont, No Doubt
- January 14 - L.L. Cool J.
- January 27 - Mike Patton, Faith No More
- January 28 - Sarah McLachlan
- February 1 - Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley
- February 5 - Chris Barron , Spin Doctors
- February 7 - Sully Enra , Godsmack
- February 12 - Chynna Phillips, Wilson Phillips, daughter of John & Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas
- March 8 - Shawn Mullins
- March 11 - Lisa Loeb
- March 23 - Damon Albarn, Blur
- March 26 - James Iha, Smashing Pumpkins
- March 30 - Celine Dion
- April 3 - Sebastian Bach, Skid Row
- April 29 - Carnie Wilson, Wilson Phillips, daughter of Brian Wilson
- May 1 - D'Arcy Wretzky, The Smashing Pumpkins
- May 28 - Kylie Minogue, Australian actress and singer
- June 12 - Bobby Sheehan , Blues Traveler
- August 10 - Michael Bivins, New Edition, Bell Biv Devoe
- August 11 - Censored page
- September 10 - Big Daddy Kane
- September 11 - Kay Hanley, Letters To Cleo
- September 12 - Larry LaLonde , Primus
- September 25 - Catherine Zeta-Jones
- October 1 - Kevin Griffin, Better Than Ezra
- October 7 - Toni Braxton
- October 7 - Thom E. Yorke, Radiohead
- October 11 - Jane Krakowski, actress and singer
- October 17 - Ziggy Marley
- November 21 - Alex James, Blur
- November 28 - Dawn Robinson, En Vogue
- November 29 - Martin Carr , Boo Radleys
- December 2 - Nate Mendel, Foo Fighters
- December 9 - Brian Bell, Weezer
- December 29 - Glen Phillips, Toad The Wet Sprocket
Deaths
- January 18 - Gribouille, French songstress
- February 20 - Ernest Ansermet, conductor
- February 28 - Frankie Lymon, American singer
- May 19 - Coleman Hawkins, jazz musician
- June 26 - Ziggy Elman , US trumpet player
- October 30 - Pops Foster, jazz musician
Awards
Grammy Awards
Eurovision Song Contest
Last updated: 02-07-2005 21:28:07
Last updated: 03-01-2005 15:02:35