Today in Acoustic-Rock History

1964 – The Beatles begin recording “Eight Days a Week”.

1968 – A documentary about the Doors, “The Doors are Open,” is aired on British television.

1969 – For the first time in Beatles history, a George Harrison song gets the A-side of a 45. “Something,” backed with Lennon and McCartney’s “Come Together,” will reach #1 the following month.

1971 – “Grateful Dead,” a live double album better known to fans as “Skull & Roses,” is released. Much of it had been recorded at New York’s Fillmore East in April.

1972 – Steely Dan’s debut album, “Can’t Buy a Thrill,” is released.

1973 – Paul Simon’s “Loves Me Like A Rock” peaks at #2 on the singles chart.

1977 – “Aja,” Steely Dan’s most accomplished and popular album to date, is released. It is the group’s first to be certified platinum (one million copies sold), and it reaches #3 on the album chart. It also wins Steely Dan a Grammy for “Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording.”

1979 – The Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight” is released.

1983 – “Hearts and Bones,” originally intended to be a Simon and Garfunkel reunion album, is instead released as a Paul Simon solo effort with Garfunkel’s vocals wiped off.

1990 – “The Rhythm of the Saints,” Paul Simon’s long-awaited follow-up to “Graceland,” is released. Much of it was recorded in Brazil with native musicians.

1990 – The Traveling Wilburys’ second album, “Volume 3,” is released. The group has been whittled down to a quartet of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and George Harrison following the passing of Roy Orbison in 1988.

1998 – Bruce Springsteen appears in Britain’s High Court to prevent Masquerade Music from putting recordings he made in 1972 onto a compact disc called “Before The Fame.” The Boss is also involved in a similar case in the United States. Springsteen eventually wins both cases.