1968 in music

List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1968.

Events
January 4 – Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding. January 6 – The Gibson Guitar Corporation patents its Gibson Flying V electric guitar design. January 13 – Johnny Cash performs his famous concert at Folsom State Prison in California. January 20 – The Who and the Small Faces start with a tour of Australia and New Zealand. February 1 - Universal Studios offers the Doors $500,000 to star in a feature film, which is never made. February 4 - The Bee Gees make their American television debut on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. February 12 – Jimi Hendrix is given an honorary high school diploma from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington. Hendrix is also given the key to the city. February 16 – The Beatles, Mike Love, Mia Farrow, Donovan and others travel to India to visit Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Rishikesh. February 18 – David Gilmour joins Pink Floyd, replacing founder Syd Barrett, who had checked himself into a psychiatric hospital. February 21 – McGraw-Hill, Inc., outbids eight other publishers and pays $150,000 for the U.S. rights to Hunter Davies' authorized biography of the Beatles. February 22 – Florence Ballard of the Supremes is released from her contract with Motown. February 27 - Doo-wop Singer Frankie Lymon is found dead at his grandmothers house in Harlem, New York of a heroin overdose March 1 – Johnny Cash and June Carter are married in Franklin, Kentucky, with Merle Kilgore as best man. March 8 – Bill Graham opens the Fillmore East in an abandoned movie theater in New York City. March 25 – The 58th and final new episode of The Monkees airs on NBC. March 30 – The Yardbirds record their live album Live Yardbirds at the Anderson Theater. April 4 – James Brown appears on national television, in an attempt to calm feelings of anger in the United States following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. April 6 The 13th Eurovision Song Contest is held in the Royal Albert Hall, London. The winning song, Spain's "La, la, la" is sung by Massiel, after Spanish authorities refused to allow Joan Manuel Serrat to perform it in Catalan. The UK finish in second place, just one point behind, with the song "Congratulations" sung by Cliff Richard, which goes on to outsell the winning Spanish entry throughout Europe. The Open Pibroch Competition of the Scottish Piping Society of London is held at the London Scottish headquarters at Buckingham Gate. First place was won by Robert Brown, for the ninth time in ten years, with a performance of The King's Taxes. Second prize went to Seamus McNeill of the College of Piping, Glasgow, with The Bells of Perth, third prize to Pipe Major Angus MacDonald of the First Battalion, Scots Guards, with Macfarlane's Gathering, and fourth prize to John MacFadyen with The Battle of Auldern. MacFadyen, however, won narrowly over Brown in the second big competition, that for the Bratach Gorm, the blue banner of the MacCrimmons.[1] April 7 – Singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone's performance at Westbury Music Fair is dedicated to the late Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. The song "Why? (the king of love is dead)" by Gene Taylor is performed for the first time. the show was partially released on the Emmy nominated album Nuff Said (1968). April 29 – The rock musical Hair opens on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre. May 4 – Mary Hopkin performs on the British TV show Opportunity Knocks. Hopkin catches the attention of model Twiggy, who recommends her to Paul McCartney. McCartney would soon sign Hopkin to Apple Records. May 5 – Buffalo Springfield performs together for the last time in Long Beach, California. May 7 Aretha Franklin records her live LP Aretha in Paris at the Olympia Theater. Karlheinz Stockhausen begins composing his fifteen intuitive music works, Aus den sieben Tagen. May 14 – At a press conference, John Lennon and Paul McCartney introduce the Beatles' new business concept, Apple Corps, Ltd., a disastrously mismanaged entertainment company that included a recording studio, a record label, and clothing store. May 26 – Blues artist Little Willie John dies in prison after being convicted of manslaughter. May 30 – The Beatles begin recording The White Album (officially titled, simply, The Beatles). Sessions would span over 4 months, ending on October 14. June 20 David Ruffin is fired from The Temptations due to his excesive ego and because he began inquiring into the Temptations' financial records, demanding an accounting of the group's money Martha Reeves & the Vandellas make their debut at the Copacabana in New York City, winning a rave review in the New York Times. The engagement was recorded but remains in the Motown vaults. July – Release in Brazil of the album Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis by Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and others with arrangements by Rogério Duprat inaugurates the Tropicália movement in music. July 7 – The Yardbirds perform for the last time before disbanding. July 9–14 – The International Eisteddfod takes place in Llangollen, North Wales July 18 – Mina presents her Italian white soul hits "Se stasera sono qui" and "Colpo al cuore". The performance is transmitted live without playback from the Auditorio A of the Radiotelevisione Italiana regional headquarters in Naples. August 1 – Jeff Beck Group releases their album Truth. A seminal work of heavy metal, it incorporates blues and hard rock. It introduced the talents of Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood. August 4 – Yes performs for the first time, at a summer camp. August 5–10 – The Royal National Eisteddfod takes place in Barry, Wales. August 23 – Simon & Garfunkel give a live concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California. A recording is later released on CD in 1994 by Australian company Vigotone Records as Voices of Intelligent Dissent. September 7 – Led Zeppelin performs for the first time, billed as The New Yardbirds (the Yardbirds had disbanded two months earlier, and guitarist Jimmy Page subsequently formed this new group). September 14 – Two sons of singer Roy Orbison, 10-year-old Roy DeWayne Orbison and 6-year-old Anthony King Orbison, die in a house fire in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Orbison's youngest son,Wesley, was miraculously saved by Roy’s parents. September 15 Song of Summer, Ken Russell's noted TV documentary about Frederick Delius, is shown for the first time as part of the BBC's Omnibus series. PocketDiscs are released in several test markets in the United States. September 19 – The Who begin recording Tommy, a rock opera that tells the story about a deaf, dumb and blind boy, including his experiences with life and the relationship with his family. October 8 – The soundtrack for the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet is released, containing popular "What Is a Youth" tune. November 8 – John and Cynthia Lennon are divorced. November 11 - Three days after their divorce, John Lennon costars with Yoko Ono in Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, which ends up to become a flop. November 15 – 500,000 people march in Washington, D.C. for peace, which becomes the largest anti-war rally in U.S. history. In attendance: Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, John Denver, Mitch Miller, touring cast of Hair November 17 – Diana Ross & the Supremes replace The Beatles' hugely successful "Hey Jude" at number-one in the U.S. with "Love Child"; this would be the last of five turnovers at number-one between the two most successful music acts in America during the 1960s. November 22 – The Beatles (also known as "The White Album") by The Beatles is released. Also released is The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks. "Once again The Beatles had over a quarter of a million advance orders, and of course went straight to number 1. While The Beatles broke artistic and commercial ground even before it was released (over 250,000 advance orders!), the Kinks' effort was their worst charting release ever, but has since become their biggest album in terms of sales and artistic statement. November 26 – Cream plays their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall. It will be the last time Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker play together until their 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. December 2 Jimi Hendrix's manager Chas Chandler quits over differences with Hendrix during the recording of Electric Ladyland Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company perform their last concert together before Janis goes solo. Elvis Presley's If I Can Dream airs on NBC. December 9 A political confrontation at the Planten un Blomen Hall in Hamburg results in cancellation of the scheduled premiere of Hans Werner Henze's oratorio Das Floß der Medusa, a score dedicated to Che Guevara. TCB airs on NBC starring Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, becoming the first variety special in America to feature an exclusively African American cast. Shinjuku Music Festival is broadcast for the first time by Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. December 11 - The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was filmed. Acts included The Rolling Stones, The Who, Taj Mahal, Jethro Tull, The Dirty Mac, and Marianne Faithfull. This was the last appearance of Brian Jones as a member of The Rolling Stones. December 20 – Peter Tork announces he is leaving The Monkees. December 22 – The Animals reunite for one benefit concert at the Newcastle City Hall while Eric Burdon & The Animals are disbanding.

Bands formed
Amon Düül II Bearsden Choir founded Black Sabbath (as Earth) Can Colosseum Crosby, Stills & Nash Deep Purple Fitzwilliam Quartet Free Henry Cow Jacula King Crimson Led Zeppelin (as The New Yardbirds) Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge (as Brooklyn Bridge) Nazareth Rush Yes

Bands disbanded
Buffalo Springfield Cream Freddie and the Dreamers The Righteous Brothers The Seekers The Shangri-Las The Yardbirds (Reformed in 1992) The Zombies (Reformed in 1991) Los Speakers

Singles

 * 1) Those Were the Days Mary Hopkin

Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1968.

Published popular music
"1,2,3, Red Light" w.m. Sal Trimachi and Bobbi Trimachi "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero" w.m. Bobby Russell "Abraham, Martin and John" w.m. Dick Holler "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" w.m. Les Reed & Barry Mason "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film of the same name "Classical Gas" m. Mason Williams "Congratulations" w.m. Bill Martin and Phil Coulter "Dear World" w.m. Jerry Herman from the musical Dear World "Eli's Coming" w.m. Laura Nyro "The Fool on the Hill" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney "For the Good Times" w.m. Kris Kristofferson "Galveston" w.m. Jimmy Webb "Heffalumps and Woozles" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day "Honey Pie" w.m. John Lennon and Paul McCartney "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the musical Promises, Promises "Indian Lake" w.m. Tony Romeo "Indian Reservation" w.m. John D. Loudermilk, first recorded by Don Fardon "Little Green Apples" w.m. Bobby Russell "Mac Arthur Park" w.m. Jimmy Webb "Mr. Bojangles" w.m. Jerry Jeff Walker "My Way" (French: "Comme d'habitude") w.m. Claude François & Jacques Revaux, Eng.: Paul Anka "The Night They Raided Minsky's" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's "A Perfect Gentleman" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse Introduced by Jason Robards and Norman Wisdom in the film The Night They Raided Minsky's "Promises, Promises" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the musical Promises, Promises "Save The Country" w.m. Laura Nyro "Stand By Your Man" w.m. Billy Sherrill & Tammy Wynette "Stoned Soul Picnic" w.m. Laura Nyro "Sweet Blindness" w.m. Laura Nyro "Take Ten Terrific Girls" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's "Ten Feet off the Ground w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band "This Guy's In Love With You" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach "Wichita Lineman" w.m. Jimmy Webb "The Windmills of Your Mind" w. Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman m. Michel LeGrand from the film The Thomas Crown Affair "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day "You Rat, You" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's

Awards
Grammy Awards Grammy Awards of 1968

Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision Song Contest 1968

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