The Beatles remake Strawberry Fields Forever at Abbey Road
In Studio Two at Abbey Road on December 8, 1966, Paul McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal on When I'm Sixty-Four, then the Beatles re-recorded the Strawberry Fields Forever rhythm track that evening, per the Beatles Bible.
John Lennon had been unhappy with the November 29 version and asked George Martin to score a new one with brass and strings, and the clip below is the finished single.
1969 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Jimi Hendrix goes on trial in Toronto on drug charges
Jimi Hendrix went on trial in Toronto on December 8, 1969, on drug possession charges from his May 3 arrest at Toronto International Airport, per Wikipedia and the Toronto Star.
A jury acquitted him on December 10 after about eight hours of deliberation, and the clip below is Purple Haze.
Ringo Starr re-records Octopus's Garden for a George Martin TV special
At EMI Studios in Abbey Road on December 8, 1969, producer George Martin and engineers Geoff Emerick and Phil McDonald recorded new parts of Octopus's Garden with Ringo Starr and session musicians, per the Beatles Bible.
It let Starr mime on the TV special With A Little Help From My Friends, because Musicians' Union rules banned lip-syncing on British television, and the clip below is the original Abbey Road track.
1968 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Graham Nash plays his last show with the Hollies at the London Palladium
Graham Nash played his final concert with the Hollies on December 8, 1968, a benefit at the London Palladium, according to Nash's own later accounts, including a 2018 profile.
Nash says he was in Los Angeles with David Crosby and Stephen Stills two days later, and the clip below is Bus Stop, the Hollies hit from 1966.
1967 in 1960s music: the full year guide
Parlophone releases the Magical Mystery Tour EP in the UK
Parlophone released the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour double EP in the UK on December 8, 1967, per the Beatles Bible and OnThisDay.com.
It came out more than two weeks before the film's BBC premiere, per the Beatles Bible, and the clip below is the title track.
Decca releases Their Satanic Majesties Request in the UK
Decca issued the Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request (TXS 103) in the UK on December 8, 1967, per Rolling Stones Data and Stones on Decca; sources differ on whether the US release on London Records was December 8 or 9.
It was the band's sixth British studio album, and the clip below is She's a Rainbow.
1966 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles remake Strawberry Fields Forever at Abbey Road
In Studio Two at Abbey Road on December 8, 1966, Paul McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal on When I'm Sixty-Four, then the Beatles re-recorded the Strawberry Fields Forever rhythm track that evening, per the Beatles Bible.
John Lennon had been unhappy with the November 29 version and asked George Martin to score a new one with brass and strings, and the clip below is the finished single.
Sinéad O'Connor is born in Glenageary, Dublin
Singer Sinéad O'Connor was born in Glenageary, County Dublin, on December 8, 1966, per Wikipedia and Songfacts.
She went on to record Nothing Compares 2 U, and the clip below is her video for it.
Geto Boys rapper Bushwick Bill is born in Kingston, Jamaica
Richard Shaw, later known as Bushwick Bill, was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on December 8, 1966, and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn, per Wikipedia and Songfacts.
He later rapped with the Houston group Geto Boys and died on June 9, 2019, and the clip below is Mind Playing Tricks on Me.
1965 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles play two shows at the Gaumont in Sheffield
The Beatles played two shows at the Gaumont Cinema in Sheffield on December 8, 1965, their first visit to the venue, per the Beatles Bible.
It was part of their final UK tour, and the clip below is We Can Work It Out, one side of the double A-side single they were promoting that month.
1964 in 1960s music: the full year guide
George Harrison visits Ringo Starr in hospital
George Harrison visited Ringo Starr in University College Hospital in London on December 8, 1964, six days after Starr's tonsils were removed, per the Beatles Bible.
The Beatles had just put out I Feel Fine, and the clip below is that single.
1963 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles return to the Odeon in Lewisham
The Beatles played the Odeon Cinema in Lewisham, London, on December 8, 1963, their second show there after March 29, per the Beatles Bible.
It fell during their autumn 1963 UK tour, and the clip below is I Saw Her Standing There, the opening track of Please Please Me.
1962 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles play the Oasis Club in Manchester
The Beatles played the Oasis Club on Lloyd Street in Manchester on December 8, 1962, their penultimate show there, per the Beatles Bible.
Their second single, Please Please Me, was due in January 1963, and the clip below is that song.
1961 in 1960s music: the full year guide
The Beatles play the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton
The Beatles played the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, Wallasey, on December 8, 1961, their fourth show there, per the Beatles Bible.
The clip below is My Bonnie, the Hamburg recording they made with Tony Sheridan earlier in 1961.
The Beatles play a lunchtime set at the Cavern Club
The Beatles also played a lunchtime show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool on December 8, 1961, per the Beatles Bible.
The clip below is Cry for a Shadow, an instrumental they recorded in Hamburg in 1961.
1960 in 1960s music: the full year guide
NBC airs Mary Martin's Peter Pan
NBC aired the musical Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin, on December 8, 1960, per OnThisDay.com and Wikipedia.
Martin had played the role on Broadway in 1954, and the clip below is her I'm Flying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Beatles record on December 8, 1966?
Paul McCartney overdubbed his lead vocal on When I'm Sixty-Four, then the Beatles re-recorded the rhythm track for Strawberry Fields Forever in Studio Two at Abbey Road. John Lennon had asked George Martin to score a new version with brass and strings.
When was the Magical Mystery Tour EP released in the UK?
Parlophone released the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour double EP in the UK on December 8, 1967. It came out more than two weeks before the film's BBC premiere.
When did Graham Nash play his last show with the Hollies?
Nash says his final concert with the Hollies was a benefit at the London Palladium on December 8, 1968. He was in Los Angeles with David Crosby and Stephen Stills two days later.
When did Jimi Hendrix's Toronto drug trial begin?
The trial began on December 8, 1969, over drug possession charges from his May 3 arrest at Toronto International Airport. A jury acquitted him on December 10.
Who was born on December 8 in 1960s music?
Sinéad O'Connor was born in Glenageary, County Dublin, on December 8, 1966. Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the same day.
When was Their Satanic Majesties Request released in the UK?
Decca released the Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request in the UK on December 8, 1967. Sources differ on whether the US release on London Records was December 8 or 9.