This Day in Music
On this day in music, February 18, 1966, Beach Boy leader Brian Wilson began recording the band’s soon-to-be classic, “Good Vibrations.” Riffing on themes of extrasensory perception, Wilson was inspired by a story that his mother often told about dogs barking at people in response to their “bad vibrations.” The recording process, meanwhile, was unprecedented and found musicians recording more than 90 hours of interchangeable footage, with Wilson later assembling the fragments into a larger, symphonic structure, which reflected various moods. Released in October of that year, “Good Vibrations” was an instant critical and commercial success. Widely considered to be among the era’s most important recordings, the song went on to influence countless other bands, while, in the decades since its release, “Good Vibrations” has ranked on numerous lists, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll” and Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994.
In 1990, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury made his final public appearance at the BRIT Awards, accepting an honor, alongside his bandmates, for “Outstanding Contribution to British Music.” Mercury died in November 1991 at age 45, following complications from the AIDS virus.
In 2021, pioneering rapper Prince Markie Dee died a day before his 53rd birthday. Born Mark Anthony Morales, he performed alongside Darren Morales and Damon Wimbley as the Fat Boys in the 80s. After the disbandment of the group, Morales launched a solo career, earning a No.1 single for “Typical Reasons (Swing My Way),” and finding success writing and producing songs for Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, and Jennifer Lopez, among others.
In 1962, during a weekend leave from training, The Everly Brothers appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Decked in full uniform and regulation cropped hair, the duo performed “Jezebel” and “Crying in the Rain.” They enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserve in October 1961 and resumed their music career after their discharge.
In 1959, Ray Charles recorded one of his signature hits, “What’d I Say,” at Atlantic Records’ New York City studio. The song, which originated from a call-and-response improvisation between Charles and his background vocalists, The Raelettes, reached the top of the R&B chart and No.6 on the pop chart. It later gave Charles his first Gold record.
BORN ON FEBRUARY 18
1933: Yoko Ono
1934: Skip Battin (The Byrds)
1947: Dennis Deyoung (Styx)
1948: Keith Knudsen (The Doobie Brothers)
1955: Brian James (The Damned)
1965: Dr. Dre
1994: J-Hope (BTS)
