reviews, news & interviews

Birthdays on the Tube: 10-16 April

Dusty Springfield, Herbie Hancock, Mikhail Pletnev, Joel Grey and Bessie Smith

by Peter CulshawSunday, 11 April 2010

Dusty Springfield: she had soul power

This week's birthday musicians include Dusty Springfield singing “Son of a Preacher Man”, Joel Grey advocating polygamy, Mikhail Pletnev playing Rachmaninov, early hip hop from Herbie Hancock and Afrika Bambaataa, Henry Mancini and Bessie Smith. Videos below.

16 April 1939: Dusty Springfield in her Southern soul phase singing “Son of a Preacher Man”.

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11 April 1932: Joel Grey has two ladies in arguably the best song from the film Cabaret.

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12 April 1940: Herbie Hancock had one of the earliest hip-hop-influenced hits “Rockit”, from his 1983 album Future Shock, which he said was inspired by Malcolm McLaren’s Duck Rock.

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10 April 1957: Afrika Bambaataa, born Kevin Donovan, had an earlier hit in 1982 with "Planet Rock". His first mainstream gig outside the Bronx was playing with Bow Wow Wow at the invitation of Malcolm McLaren.

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15 April 1894: The Queen of the Blues, Bessie Smith, sings “Nobody Loves You When You Are Down and Out”.

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14 April 1957: Superb pianist Mikhail Pletnev plays a Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

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16 April 1924: Henry Mancini’s best-known tune – “The Theme from Pink Panther”.

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