eighties music

21
Aug
2024

‘W’ means WEDNESDAY

Today is the Day of Memory, a public holiday in the Czech Republic. The full name of this holiday is the “Day of Memory of the Victims of the 1968 Invasion and subsequent occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops.”

In 1968, Alexander Dubček was appointed to the key post of First Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party. Dubček made changes that liberalized the nation, a period known as the Prague Spring. In response, after failing to persuade the Czechoslovak leaders to change course, five other members of the Warsaw Pact invaded, with Soviet tanks rolling into Czechoslovakia on the night of August 20th 1968.

A massive wave of emigration swept the nation. Resistance was mounted throughout the country, involving attempted fraternization, sabotage of street signs, defiance of curfews, etc. While the Soviet military had predicted that it would take four days to subdue the country, the resistance held out for almost eight months until diplomatic maneuvers finally circumvented it.

Czechoslovakia remained a Soviet satellite state until 1989 when the Velvet Revolution peacefully ended the communist regime; the last Soviet troops left the country in 1991.

The Prague Spring inspired music and literature including the work of Václav Havel, Karel Husa, Karel Kryl and Milan Kundera’s novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

SIGNZ and SIGNZ and SIGNZ

Today is the birthday, in 1954, of Nick Kane from the American band The Mavericks who had the 1998 UK No.4 single ‘Dance The Night Away’. The Mavericks won a Grammy Award for the song ‘Here Comes the Rain’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UajuBAUkBs

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music
16
Aug
2024

It is the dawning of FRIDAY!!!!

Today is Restoration Day, a public holiday in Dominican Republic. Known in Spanish as ‘el día de la Restauración Dominicana’, this holiday commemorates the start of the Dominican Restoration War on this day in 1863.In 1844, the Dominican Republic had regained independence from Haiti.

For political and economic reasons, Pedro Santana, the then President of the Dominican Republic signed a pact with Spain in 1861 to revert the status of the Dominican Republic to that of a colony of Spain.

The move led almost immediately to a failed rebellion and Santana realised his decision to impose Spanish rule had reduced his power, and he resigned in January 1862.

On August 16th 1863, 15 men under the leadership of Santiago Rodríguez made a daring raid from the city of Dajabon and raised the Dominican flag on the Capotillo hill. This action, known as the ‘grito de Capotillo’, was the beginning of the Dominican Restoration War which was fought until 1865 between nationalist Dominicans and Spain.

The war ended when a decree of Queen Isabel II of Spain, on March 3rd 1865, repealed the Dominican Republic’s reinstatement to the Spanish Monarchy. The last Spanish troops left on July 15th 1865.

School starts soon!!

Today is the birthday, in 1972, of Emily Robison, singer-songwriter with The Chicks. With sales of 27.2 million albums in the US alone, they have become one of the top-selling all-female bands and biggest selling country groups in America. Robinson also formed Court Yard Hounds with her sister and fellow Chicks member, Martie Maguire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7gNf_9njs

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music
12
Aug
2024

MONDAY…’nuf said

Today is Victory Day, a public holiday in Rhode Island, observed on the second Monday of August. It commemorates the end of second world war when Japan’s surrender was announced on August 14th 1945.

Days after the US dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Imperial Japan surrendered bringing World War II to an end. The announcement of the surrender was made by the Japanese in the afternoon of August 15th 1945, though due to time differences it was received when it was still August 14th in the US. The official surrender ceremony took place on September 2nd 1945 on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri.

In 1946, President Harry S. Truman declared 14th August as Victory Day. Victory Day was established in Rhode Island by lawmakers in the spring of 1948, three years after World War II ended when the General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Richard Windsor, a long-serving East Providence Republican.

New York observed V-J Day a few times in the late 1940s, and in 1949, Arkansas adopted a new state holiday – “World War II Memorial Day”. Arkansas dropped this holiday in 1955, leaving Rhode Island as the only state that marks the end of World War II with a legal holiday.

Rhode Island’s continuation of this holiday is said to have been reinforced due to the high number of veterans who retired to the state. Indeed, residents of the state suffered a higher proportion of war deaths than nearly any other state. It is also a state with strong union representation, so once a holiday made it onto the state list it is difficult to drop it.

Today is the birthday, in 1949, of Mark Knopfler British songwriter, guitarist, singer with Dire Straits who had the 1985 US No.1 single ‘Money For Nothing’, the 1986 UK No.2 single ‘Walk Of Life’, and the 1985 world-wide No.1 album Brothers In Arms. Knopfler has recorded and performed with many prominent musicians, including Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Bryan Ferry, Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Sting, and James Taylor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP2RUD_cL0

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music
07
Aug
2024

It’s MERCREDI in Paris

Today is Independence Day, a public holiday in Côte d’Ivoire. This is the National Day of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and commemorates full independence from France on this day in 1960. Before the colonial age, most European contact with this part of West Africa was for trade in elephant ivory, which is how the region got its name.

In 1843, the French first established a protectorate over a few kingdoms in the region. With the so-called ‘Scramble for Africa’ at the end of the nineteenth century, Ivory Coast became a French colony in 1908, though local resistance to the European invaders was not quashed until 1915.

In 1946 with the establishment of the Fourth French Republic, Ivory Coast became an overseas territory of France with its own parliament and representation in the French national assembly.

In 1958, Ivory Coast became a self-governing autonomous republic within the French Community.

On July 11th 1960 France agreed to Ivory Coast becoming fully independent. Ivory Coast gained its full independence on August 7th 1960, with Félix Houphouët-Boigny becoming Ivory Coast’s first president. Ivory Coast has one of the fastest-growing economies in West Africa. The city of Abidjan is one of the most modern and livable cities in the region.

Pre-Backpack Era

Clint…

makes sense…

SIGNZ

Today is the birthday, in 1960, of Jacqui O’Sullivan, singer who joined British female pop group Bananarama in 1988. She sang on the hits ‘I Want You Back’ and ‘Nathan Jones’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4-1ASpdT1Y

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music
22
Jul
2024

mmmmmmmmmmMONDAY!

Today is the birthday of Late King Sobhuza, a public holiday in Eswatini. This day marks the birthday of King Sobhuza who was born on this day in 1899.

When a roll call of world leaders who have ruled the longest is read out, King Bhumibol of Thailand (70 years), Queens Victoria (63 years) and Elizabeth II (Over 70 years and counting) of the United Kingdom are names that will be familiar to many of us.

What may be less known is that these illustrious monarchs all fall short of the reign of King Sobhuza II, who ruled Swaziland (now Eswatini) for an astonishing 82 years and 254 days, making his reign the longest verifiable in history. 

Ingwenyama Sobhuza was born on July 22nd 1899. Four months later, on December 10th 1899, the infant Sobhuza became king after the death of his father. As you might expect, King Sobhuza didn’t have to perform all his royal duties whilst still a child and his grandmother served as regent, until handing power to her grandson when he was 21.

From almost the start of his reign, his country was a British protectorate. It gained independence in 1968 and Sobhuza was a driving force for independence, even forming a political party which is a very unusual step by a monarch. He also changed the constitution strengthening the power of the King.

Following the traditional tribal practice, Sobhuza had many wives, 70 according to the Swaziland National Trust Commission. His 210 offspring from these consorts earned him the sobriquet, “Bull of Swazi”. Sobhuza died on August 21st 1982.

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Rick Davies, vocalist and keyboardist with Supertramp, who had the 1979 UK No.7 and US No.6 single with ‘The Logical Song’ and the 1979 US No.1 and UK No.3 album Breakfast In America. Davies is the only member of Supertramp to have been with the group for their entire history, and has composed many of their most well-known songs, including ‘Goodbye Stranger’, and ‘Bloody Well Right’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZUE4_PtOk0

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music