Today in Rock History – 23rd APRIL:

BIRTHDAYS
1936: Roy Orbison
1947: Glen Cornick (Jethro Tull)
1948: David Cross (King Crimson)

1949: John Miles (Alan Parsons Project / Jimmy Page / Joe Cocker / Tina Turner)
1952: “Narada” Michael Walden (Mahavishnu Orchestra)

1955: Ray Burns a.k.a. Captain Sensible) (The Damned)
1960: Steve Clark (Def Leppard)
1960: David Gedge (The Wedding Present)
1968: Paul Clifford (The Wonder Stuff)

EVENTS
1971: The Rolling Stones released ‘Sticky Fingers’, which went to No.1 on UK & US album charts.
1976: The Ramones released their eponymous debut album.
1978: Sid Vicious filmed his version of “My Way” for ‘The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle’.
1979: Death of bassist, Doug Rauch [aged 28]. Doug was best known for his playing with Santana, from ‘Caravansarei’ (1972) through to the live triple album, ‘Lotus’ (1974). He also performed with David Bowie (for a month, on the 1974 ‘Diamond Dogs’ tour), Billy Cobham, Lenny White, Papa John Creach, Betty Davis, Carly Simon and many others.
1983: David Bowie started a 3-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Let’s Dance’.
1988: Iron Maiden went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’.
1991: Death of John Genzale a.k.a. Johnny Thunders of The New York Dolls [aged 38].

‘Sticky Fingers’ is the ninth British and eleventh American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released on 23rd April 1971, on the band’s new label Rolling Stones Records. It is Mick Taylor’s first full-length appearance on a Rolling Stones album and the first not to feature any contributions from guitarist and founder Brian Jones. Sticky Fingers is considered one of the Rolling Stones’ best albums. It achieved triple platinum certification in the US, with songs such as the chart-topping “Brown Sugar”, the country ballad “Dead Flowers”, “Wild Horses”, “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”, and “Moonlight Mile”.

The original cover artwork, conceived by Andy Warhol, was highly innovative, showing a sexually suggestive picture of a man in tight jeans complete with a fully working zipper that opened to reveal a pair of underwear. Owing to the damage caused by the zipper and the expense in producing the unusual cover, later re-issues featured just the outer photograph of the jeans.

Instrumentally, the album featured a return to basics for the Rolling Stones, who at this time were Mick Jagger (lead vocal, various percussion and rhythm guitar), Keith Richards (guitar and backing vocal), Mick Taylor (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass guitar), and Charlie Watts (drums). Additional contributions were made by long-time Stones collaborators including saxophonist Bobby Keys and keyboardists Billy Preston, Jack Nitzsche, Ian Stewart, and Nicky Hopkins. As with the other albums of the Rolling Stones classic late 1960s/early 1970s period, it was produced by Jimmy Miller.