This Day in Music
On this day in music, April 2, 2006, duo Gnarls Barkley – consisting of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse – saw their debut single, “Crazy,” shoot to the summit of the UK singles chart and remain there for nine weeks (the longest stay at No.1 in over a decade). Initially released in digital form, the catchy tune became the first single to top the British charts solely from download sales and was later named the best-selling single of 2006 in the UK. The song was taken from the duo’s Grammy-winning debut album, St. Elsewhere.
In 1977, Fleetwood Mac topped the Billboard 200 with their 11th studio album, Rumours. Featuring such enduring Top Ten hits as “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” and “You Make Loving Fun,” the Grammy-winning album would become the band’s most successful release, eventually spending more than 20 non-consecutive years on the US chart and selling more than 40 million copies worldwide.
In 1964, The Beach Boys began recording “I Get Around,” which would soon become their first No.1 hit on the Billboard charts. Released the following month, the autobiographical song found the band reacting to their newfound fame.
In 2006, Watts Branch Park in Washington D.C. was officially renamed Marvin Gaye Park on what would have been the late Motown star’s 67th birthday. The park occupies a 1.6-mile-long area of Ward 7 in the northeast of the city near where Gaye was born and raised.
In 1964, The Beatles‘ sixth single “Can’t Buy Me Love” broke the record for advanced single sales in the UK when 2.1 million people pre-ordered it. Unsurprisingly, the record shot straight to No.1.
In 1987, virtuoso jazz drummer Buddy Rich died at the age of 69. The Brooklyn-born musician was a flamboyant showman behind the drum kit, who was famed for his power, speed, technique, and ability to swing. He began performing as a two-year-old in his parents’ vaudeville act and served his musical apprenticeship in the big bands of Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, and Count Basie before leading his own group. Other artists he played with included Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Oscar Peterson.
In 2001, Mariah Carey signed what was then the most lucrative recording deal in pop music history when she agreed to join Virgin Records in a three-album deal reportedly worth $100 million.
BORN ON APRIL 2
1928: Serge Gainsbourg
1939: Marvin Gaye
1941: Leon Russell
1947: Emmylou Harris
1963: Keren Woodward (Bananarama)
1967: Greg Camp (Smash Mouth)
1979: Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5)
1983: Yung Joc
1991: Quavo (Migos)
