1960s British Rock & Pop Chronology |
1970 |
| January | |
| 1 | Britain: Age of majority lowered to 18 years from 21 |
| 15 | Lagos, Nigeria: A delegation formally surrenders, ending the existence of the Republic of Biafra |
| 22 | New York-London: Pan Am makes first Boeing 747 trans-Atlantic flight |
| 31 | Edison Lighthouse: "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" [RR #1 for 5 weeks] |
| Other January Artifacts | |
| Led Zeppelin
(1968): "Whole Lotta Love" [BB #4 - 1/70] Deep Purple: Concerto for Group and Orchestra Jethro Tull: "The Witche's Promise" |
|
| February | |
| 3 | Plas Penrhyn, Merionethshire: Bertrand Russell (3rd Earl Russell), mathematician and philosopher, dies |
| 13 | The Who: "The Seeker" [UK release] |
| 14 | Pentangle: "Last Flight" [Big T BIG 128; charts; RR #43] |
| 21 | Lennon,
Ono, and the Plastic Ono Band: "Instant Karma" [Apple APPLES
1003, charts, RR #5] Cliff and Hank [Cliff Richard and Hank Marvin]: "Joy of Living" [Columbia DB 8657; charts; RR #25] |
| 23 | Guyana: ends UK ties |
| 28 | Pickettywitch: "That Same Old Feeling" [Pye 7N 17887; charts; RR #5] |
| Other February Events | |
| The Marmalade:
"Reflections of My Life" The Move: Shazam |
|
| March | |
| 1 | Rhodesia: Ian Smith severs last national ties with Britain |
| 6 | The Beatles: "Let It Be" [UK release; US release 11 Mar; BB #1 - 4/70] |
| 7 | Lee Marvin: "Wand'rin' Star" [RR #1 for 3 weeks] |
| 17 | New York City: The United States casts its first veto in the UN Security Council to terminate a resolution condemning Britain for failing to overthrow the white government of Rhodesia. |
| 28 | Simon and Garfunkel: "Bridge over Troubled Water" [RR #1 for 3 weeks] |
| Other March Artifacts | |
| The Move:
"Brontosaurus" Van Morrison: Moondance Status Quo: "Down the Dustpipe" John Lennon: "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)" [BB #3 - 4/70] |
|
| April | |
| 4 | Clodagh Rodgers: "Everybody Go Home, the Party's Over" [RCA 1930; charts; RR #47] |
| 13 | "Apollo 13" crippled by burst oxygen tank |
| 18 | Dana: "All Kinds of Everything" [RR #1 for 2 weeks] |
| 22 | The first "Earth Day" |
| 30 | Nixon announces that the US will send troops into Cambodia |
| The Moody Blues: "Question" | |
| Jimi Hendrix: Band of Gypsys [US release; chart 2 May; UK release 12 Jun] | |
| May | |
| 2 | Norman Greenbaum: "Spirit in the Sky" [RR #1 for 2 weeks] |
| 4 | Kent, Ohio: National Guardsmen kill four student protesters and wound nine others at Kent State University protest |
| 8 | The Beatles: Let It Be [UK LP release] |
| 11 | The Beatles: "The Long and Winding Road" / "For You Blue" [US release; BB #1 - 6/70] |
| 13 | London: First screening of Michael Linday-Hogg's Let It Be, unwittingly chronicling the the dissolution of the Beatles. |
| 16 | England World Cup Squad: "Back Home" [RR #1 for 3 weeks] |
| 18 | The Beatles: Let It Be [US LP release] |
| 20 | New York City: 100,000 people demonstrate in the Wall Street district, in support of US policy in Vietnam and Cambodia |
| 23 | Madeley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire: The Hollywood Festival begins with Demon Fuzz, Trader Horne, Screaming Lord Sutch and His Heavy Friends, Mungo Jerry, Family, Titus Groan, Mike Cooper, Ginger Baker's Airforce, and Tony Joe White. |
| 24 | Madeley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire: The Hollywood Festival concludes with the Flaming Groovies, Black Sabbath, Wildmouth, Quintessence, Colosseum, Free, the Grateful Dead, Mungo Jerry. Jose Feliciano, and Traffic. |
| 27 | Bogata, Columbia: England captain, Bobby Moore arrested for allegedly stealing a £600 diamond bracelet on the eve of the World Cup finals in Mexico. He is released the next day. |
| 29 | London: Parliament passes Equal Pay Act |
| Other May Artifacts | |
| Deep
Purple: "Black Night" Jethro Tull: "Inside" |
|
| June | |
| 4 | Tonga: independence from UK |
| 6 | Christie: "Yellow River" [RR #1 for 1 week] |
| Cliff Richard: "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha" [Columbia DB 8685; charts; RR #6] | |
| 12 | The Kinks: "Lola" (mono "cherry cola" mix) / "Berkely Mews" (Pye 7N 17961; UK release) |
| London: Sir Lawrence Olivier first actor selected to the House of Lords | |
| 13 | Mungo Jerry: "In the Summertime" [RR #1 for 7 weeks] |
| 19 | Conservative victory makes Edward Heath the new Prime Minister |
| 22 | US: President Nixon signs a measure lowering the voting age to 18 |
| 24 | Tony Richardson's film, Ned Kelly with Mick Jagger released at the London Pavilion |
| 27 | Belfast: Four die and 100 injured in Catholic-Protestant riots |
| Other June Artifacts | |
| Deep
Purple: Deep Purple in Rock Ginger Baker's Air Force: Ginger Baker's Air Force |
|
| July | |
| 4 | Pickettywitch: "(It's Like a) Sad Old Kinda Movie" [Pye 7N 17951; charts; RR #16] |
| 10 | The Who: "Summertime Blues" [UK release] |
| 13 | Belfast: 100,000 Protestants march in favor of continued UK membership |
| 16 | Britain: 47,000 dock workers strike; state of emergency declared |
| 18 | Hyde Park, London: Pink Floyd, Roy Harper, Kevin Ayers, Edgar Broughton Band, Formerly Fat Harry, Lol Coxhill |
| 20 | The Rolling Stones: "Street Fighting Man" / "Surprise, Surprise" [Decca F 13203, UK release] |
| Other July Artifacts | |
| Eric
Burdon and War: Eric Burdon Declares "War" [t40 - 7/70] Humble Pie: Humble Pie |
|
| August | |
| 1 | Performance with Mick Jagger released |
| Elvis Presley: "The Wonder of You" [RR #1 for 6 weeks] | |
| 26 | Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight Festival opens with Judas Jump, Kathy Smith, Rosalie Sorrels, David Bromberg, Redbone, Kris Kristofferson, and Mighty Baby. |
| US: National rallies in support for an Equal Rights Amendment | |
| 27 | Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight Festival continues with Gary Farr, Supertramp, Andy Roberts Everyone, Howl, Black Widow,Groundhogs, Terry Reid, and Gilberto Gil. |
| 28 | Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight Festival continues with Fairfield Parlour, Arrival, Lighthouse, Taste, Tony Joe White, Chicago, Family, Procul Harum, The Voices of East Harlem, and Cactus. |
| 29 | Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight Festival continues with John Sebastian, Shawn Phillips, Lighthouse, Joni Mitchell, Tiny Tim, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, The Doors, The Who, Melanie, and Sly & the Family Stone. |
| 30 | Isle of Wight: Isle of Wight Festival concludes with Good News, Kris Kristofferson, Ralph McTell, Heaven, Free, Donovan, Pentangle, Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, and Richie Havens. |
| Other August Artifacts | |
| Eric
Burdon and War: "Spill the Wine" [US#3 - 8/70] The Moody Blues: A Question of Balance |
|
| September | |
| 5 | Cliff Richard: "I Ain't Got Time Anymore" [Columbia DB 8708; charts; RR #21] |
| 6 | The Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! [Decca SKL 5065; UK LP release] |
| 12 | Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: "Tears of a Clown" [RR #1 for 1 week] |
| 18 | London: Jimi Hendrix dies in his apartment |
| 19 | Freda Payne: "Band of Gold" [RR #1 for 6 weeks] |
| 26 | The Who: "See Me, Feel Me" / "Overture from Tommy" [Decca 732729; US release] |
| 27 | Hyde Park, London: Canned Heat, Eric Burdon & War, John Sebastian |
| Other September Artifacts | |
| "Love and Peace Festival," Isle of Fehmarn | |
| October | |
| 5 | Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin III [rec 1-8/70; US-UK release] |
| Montreal: Quebec separatists kidnap British envoy, James Cross | |
| 7 | London: George Martin holds a reception to celebrate the opening of AIR Studios. |
| 9 | The Who: "See Me, Feel Me" / "Overture" [Track 2094 004; UK release] |
| London: George Martin records Cilla Black at AIR Studios. | |
| 10 | Pink Floyd: Atom Heart Mother [UK release] |
| 21 | Bernadette Devlin freed from prison |
| 27 | Conservatives cut £330 million from budget and institute tax cuts |
| 31 | Matthew's Southern Comfort: "Woodstock" [RR #1 for 3 weeks] |
| Other October Artifacts | |
| Status Quo: Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon | |
| November | |
| 3 | US: President Nixon calls upon the "Silent Majority" for support against anti-war demonstrations |
| 4 | Los Angeles: Janis Joplin (27) dies in her Hollywood hotel room |
| 6 | The Who: Tommy [Track 2252 001 EP; UK release; replaces Track 2094 009 of 9 Oct] |
| 7 | Mick Jagger: "Memo from Turner" [Decca F 13067 released] |
| Pickettywitch: "Baby I Won't Let You Down" [Pye 7N 45002; charts; RR #27] | |
| 9 | Paris: Charles De Gaulle (79) dies |
| 11 | London: Conservatives make £100 million grant to Rolls Royce |
| 17 | The Soviet Union lands an unmanned, remote-controlled vehicle on the moon |
| 20 | The Kinks: "Apeman" / "Rats" [Pye 7N 45016; UK release] |
| Ten-shilling note goes out of circulation | |
| 21 | Jimi Hendrix Experience: Voodoo Chile [RR #1 for 1 week] |
| 27 | The Kinks: Lola versus Powerman and The Moneygoround, Part One [PYE NSPL 18359; UK LP release] |
| 28 | Dave Edmunds: "I Hear You Knockin'" [RR #1 for 6 weeks] |
| Other November Artifacts | |
| The Who: Tommy [EP] | |
| December | |
| 3 | NATO decides to increase forces |
| 5 | New York City: The Maysles Brothers' film on the Rolling Stones, Gimmie Shelter, premiers at the Plaza |
| 15 | Washington: Prime Minister Heath visits Nixon |
| Other December Artifacts | |
| The Bee
Gees: "Lonely Days" [UK chart date; RR #33] George Harrison: "My Sweet Lord"/"Isn't It a Pity" [BB #1 - 12/70] |
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| Other 1970 Artifacts | |
| 1960s British Rock and Pop Chronology | |||
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| This site is a living document. I welcome corrections and suggestions. Gordon Thompson, Department of Music, Skidmore College | |||
| Copyright © 1995 — 31 May, 2018 , Gordon Thompson |
