On This Day
American network television witnessed an anarchic piece of rock theatre in 1967 as The Who closed out their appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Following an explosive rendition of My Generation, drummer Keith Moon detonated a heavily overloaded cache of pyrotechnics inside his bass drum, unleashing a deafening blast that engulfed the stage in dense smoke and contributed to Pete Townshend’s later hearing problems.
Featured Documentaries
STUDIO NUMBER SIX ORIGINAL
17 mins
12K
Fleetwood MacThe BeatlesThe WhoVariousBehind the Music
Five Musicians Who Quit Just Before Their Bands Made It
17 mins12K
STUDIO NUMBER SIX ORIGINAL
27 mins0
The Bee GeesBehind the Music
Barry Gibb – The Last Bee Gee
27 mins0
STUDIO NUMBER SIX ORIGINAL
17 mins24K
Jimmy PageLed ZeppelinBehind the Music
The Truth About Jimmy Page’s Session Years
17 mins24K
STUDIO NUMBER SIX ORIGINAL
36 mins237K
Led ZeppelinBehind the Music
Led Zeppelin Documentary – The North American Tours (1968-77)
36 mins237K
Latest Articles
Studio Number Six stories exploring the making, legacy and impact of music.
4 mins readTwo Minutes of Profanity: How the Sex Pistols Ended Bill Grundy’s Career
On 1 December 1976, Thames Television’s tea-time news magazine show Today scrambled to fill a last-minute vacancy. Rock group Queen had cancelled their scheduled…
John Lydon/Johnny RottenSex PistolsRock Stories
4 mins readThe Flare Gun That Burned Down Montreux Casino and Created “Smoke on the Water”
In December 1971, British hard rock pioneers Deep Purple arrived in Montreux, a tranquil resort town on the edge of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.…
Deep PurpleFrank ZappaRock Stories
2 mins readThe Day Led Zeppelin Were Banned for Having Long Hair
In February Nineteen Seventy-Two, Led Zeppelin flew into Singapore’s Paya Lebar Airport, fresh from a triumphant tour of Australia. They expected a standard layover…
John Paul JonesLed ZeppelinRock Stories
2 mins readThe Day Bon Scott Shocked Australian Television
In March Nineteen Seventy-Five, AC/DC were still fighting to establish themselves outside of the rough pub circuits of Melbourne and Sydney. Their breakthrough moment…
AC/DCBon ScottRock Stories
On This Day
Historic moments connected to this story.
1973Oct15
Grateful DeadRock Stories
October 15th: The Grateful Dead Go Independent
In nineteen seventy-three, the Grateful Dead released Wake of the Flood, their first studio album on their own record label. Having parted company with…
October 15, 1973
Cyndi LauperRock Stories
October 14th: Cyndi Lauper Unveils She’s So Unusual
In 1983, American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper released her debut solo studio album, She's So Unusual, on Portrait Records. Produced by Rick Chertoff and propelled…
October 14, 1983
Michael JacksonRock Stories
October 13th: Michael Jackson Conquers the Charts with a Dance Milestone
Michael Jackson's adult solo career reached a new level in 1979 as Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough reached number one on the US…
October 13, 1979
BonoEdgeU2Rock Stories
October 12th: U2 Deepens Their Sound with October
In 1981, Irish rock quartet U2 released their second studio album, October, through Island Records. Recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin with producer…
October 12, 1981Backstage Pass
Get access to exclusive Studio Number Six documentaries and videos, including unedited content and films that cannot be published on YouTube or Facebook.
Join Backstage Pass