This Day In Music History – April 1, 2013

Here's a little more info on stories James Harrison touched on during today's K101.7 Morning Show:

Marvin Gaye was shot to death by his father on this date in 1984. Gaye and his mother were seated on his bed talking when Gaye's father entered the room and shot at his son twice. The first shot entered Gaye's chest and perforated vital organs. Gaye and his parents had been carrying on a days-long argument over misplaced business documents, and Gaye had actually given the gun to his father as a Christmas gift. Gaye's funeral was attended by over 10,000 mourners at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

The Troggs recorded their #1 hit "Wild Thing" in one take (take two) on this day in 1966 and it topped the charts in June of that year. The song was written by Chip Taylor and originally recorded by American band The Wild Ones. The song is an internal monologue describing a young man's burning desire for his beautiful dance partner, and musical historians say the original song hints that the two lovers were dancing to Buddy Holly.

David Lee Roth quit Van Halen on this date in 1985 shortly after releasing his cover of the Beach Boys' "California Girls".  Roth felt that the band's music had become too "morose" and wanted to record fun, upbeat music of his own. "California Girls" was included in his solo album 'Crazy from the Heat'.

The music video for "California Girls" featured Roth as a tour guide more interested in showing off bikini-clad women than the scenery, and there's a cameo by actress Jane Leeves who would later play Daphney Moon on TV's "Frasier".