Today The Beatles work on a new single; you got a Moody Blues birthday; and Led Zeppelin goes on tour...as the opening act!!!

12/29/1966 (49 years ago today) - Working at Abbey Road in London, The Beatles record six takes of keyboard tracks and percussion effects for a new Paul McCartney song: "Penny Lane" was actually a street not far from John Lennon's house in Liverpool, where John and Paul would meet to catch a bus and head into the city.

12/19/1968 (47 years ago today) - It's sometimes called "paying your dues": For their very first tour of North America, Led Zeppelin plays a mid-size hall in Portland, Oregon, where they are the opening act...for Vanilla Fudge! Years later, Ian Anderson famously recalled Zeppelin opening for Jethro Tull: "Following that band onstage is not something you want to do!" Ya think?

12/29/1942 - Happy Birthday to one of the founding members of the classic line-up of The Moody Blues: singer/songwriter/flute player Ray Thomas turns 73 today. Though somewhat overshadowed by band mates Justin Hayward and John Lodge, Ray did turn in some of the bands most classic tracks, having written "Another Morning" and "Twilight Time" (for the "Days Of Future Passed" LP), as well as "Legend Of A Mind" (the classic ode to Timothy Leary on "In Search Of the Lost Chord" ), "And The Tide Rushes In" (from "A Question Of Balance" ), and two of the best tracks on what's probably their most solid and consistent album "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour", "Nice To Be Here" and "Our Guessing Game". Well done, Ray!

Let us know whatcha think about the Calendar here on our web site if you please, or on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"He flies so high/He swoops so low/He knows exactly which way he's gonna go...", xoxo!

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