 Steely Dan' "The Second Arrangement," was a highly anticipated single from their album "Gaucho." However, disaster struck when an engineer, tasked by producer Gary Katz to prepare the song for listening, accidentally erased three-quarters of the track. This devastating loss was a significant creative and professional setback for the band, as they had already invested $80,000 and countless months of work into the song. Both Katz and the band's primary engineer, Roger Nichols, who had worked on all seven of their albums, believed "The Second Arrangement" was an instant classic. The news of its erasure was crushing for everyone involved.
In a characteristic display of mischief, Steely Dan has only performed the song live once, at New York's Beacon Theatre in 2011. Before playing it, Donald Fagen explained that they had attempted to recreate the song but lacked the motivation to do it justice. Fortunately, a remarkable discovery was made in August 2020, when Nichols' daughter, Cimcie, posted a photo of an old cassette tape on her father's fan account. The tape, which she had found while archiving his belongings, contained a nearly complete and previously unheard recording of "The Second Arrangement." The news spread rapidly among Steely Dan fans on Reddit, generating significant excitement. Roger Nichols had passed away in 2011 due to pancreatic cancer, but his family had retained the cassette tape as a sentimental keepsake, featuring his handwriting on the label. Although Cimcie was unable to remaster the fragile tape immediately due to the pandemic, she was finally able to do so in 2021. In a surprising turn of events, it was later revealed in the Steely Dan newsletter that Cimcie had discovered another tape labeled "2nd Arrangement," which reportedly sounds even better than her initial discovery. This extraordinary find has given fans new hope of finally experiencing the elusive song in its entirety.
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 Alfa Anderson, renowned as one of the principal vocalists of the 1970s band Chic, passed away on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at the age of 78.
She was featured in Chic's most celebrated hit singles, including "Le Freak" and "Good Times." The latter's bass line served as the foundation for the Sugar Hill Gang’s iconic single "Rapper’s Delight," which is recognized for bringing hip hop music to a broader audience. This track became the first hip hop single to enter the top 40 in the United States, reach the top 3 in the United Kingdom, and attain the number one position in Canada, alongside other successful tracks such as "I Want Your Love" and "My Forbidden Lover." "Le Freak," with Anderson on lead vocals, was honored with induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. Following Chic's disbandment in 1983, Anderson continued her musical career. She toured with Luther Vandross as he rose to prominence in the mid-1980s and contributed to albums by various artists, including Bryan Adams, Gregory Hines, Mick Jagger, Teddy Pendergrass, Jennifer Holliday, Billy Squier, Sheena Easton, Jody Watley, Bryan Ferry, and Jonathan Butler. Anderson also pursued academic achievements, earning a second master's degree in educational leadership from Bank Street College in New York City. In the 1990s, she took on the role of principal at El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice High School in Brooklyn, New York. Alfa Anderson was married to Eluriel "Tinkr" Barfield, a producer, composer, and bass player, whom she met during her tour with Vandross. No information regarding the cause of her death has been made public.  A trove of cassette and DAT (Digital Audio Tape) recordings featuring unreleased material by Michael Jackson has recently been unearthed in an abandoned storage unit located in San Fernando Valley.
The collection includes 12 previously unreleased tracks from the 'Dangerous' era, discovered by Gregg Musgrove, a former officer with the California Highway Patrol. Notably, one of the tracks showcases a collaboration between Michael Jackson and LL Cool J. The storage unit was previously owned by music producer Bryan Loren. Musgrove expressed to The Hollywood Reporter, “As I listen to this material, I experience goosebumps because this is content that has never been heard by anyone before.” Earlier this year, when Musgrove and his attorney reached out to the Jackson Estate regarding these discoveries, the estate opted not to acquire the tapes for reasons that remain unclear. They issued an official letter indicating that the estate “does not claim ownership of these specific cassettes,” while also asserting that the recordings cannot be released to the public.  Singer Sam Cooke was shot and killed on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel at 91st and South Figueroa streets in South Central Los Angeles. The motel's manager, Bertha Franklin, said she shot Cooke in self-defense.
The LAPD at the time marked Cooke's death a justifiable homicide. Friends and family of Cooke disputed this and the police investigation into the events of the murder have been heavily criticized for various reasons. Discrepancies have led many to wonder if Cooke was killed elsewhere, by a third party, before his body was dumped at the Hacienda Motel. Rumors have swirled about the circumstances regarding Cooke's death. Much of the confusion surrounding Cooke's death stems from the fact that the LAPD conducted only a cursory investigation, giving many the impression that authorities wanted to sweep the matter under the rug. Some blamed his business manager, Allen Klein, a notoriously ruthless music industry shark, claiming that he wanted to wrest control of Cooke's millions. Klein owned Tracey Ltd, which ultimately owned all rights to Cooke's recordings However, no evidence supporting a criminal conspiracy has been presented.  The single "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
 The first issue of Playboy magazine was published
Marilyn Monroe was featured as the first ever cover girl, although the picture used was initially taken for a calendar rather than for the magazine. The first issue was undated, as Hefner was unsure there would be a second. He published the first issue in his Hyde Park kitchen.  Otis Redding dies at age 26 when his personal Beechcraft plane crashes into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. four members of the Bar-Kays—guitarist Jimmy King, tenor saxophonist Phalon Jones, organist Ronnie Caldwell, and drummer Carl Cunningham; their valet, Matthew Kelly; and the pilot Fraser were also killed in the crash. Bar-Kays member Ben Cauley was the accident's only survivor the only survivor. Redding's body was recovered the next day when the lake was searched.
The cause of the crash was never determined. One month later, "Dock of the Bay" was released, and reached #1 on the billboard hot 100 issued.  While on tour with Damageplan, guitarist dimebag darrell Abbott was shot and killed by a fan during a performance at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio on December 8, 2004. Three others were shot and killed before the perpetrator was killed by a police officer.  Dimebag Darrell, was best known as the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside his brother Vinnie Paul. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest metal guitarists of all time
The "Hollywoodland" sign was erected as a temporary advertisement for a local real estate development.   Due to it's popularity and worldwide recognition, the sign was left up, and the last four letters "LAND" removed in 1949.  in 1973, a Los Angeles heritage commission declared the 50-year-old sign a cultural landmark. By the late 1970’s, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce determined that the Sign required a complete rebuilding – carrying a price tag of a quarter million dollars, Which in today’s current rate of inflation is worth $1.2 million dollars.  Thankfully, some of showbiz’s biggest names at the time came to the rescue. Rock star Alice Cooper pledged $27,700 to rebuild the third “O” in honor of Groucho Marx, who passed away in 1977  The sign was entirely replaced in 1978 with a more durable all-steel 45-foot-tall (13.7 m) structure and concrete footings.  Today the hollywood sign remains Among the best-known landmarks in both California and the United States.
 On the evening of December 8, 1980, English musician John Lennon, formerly of the Beatles, was shot and fatally wounded in the archway of the Dakota, his residence in New York City. The killer, Mark David Chapman, was an American Beatles fan who was envious and enraged by Lennon's lifestyle, alongside his 1966 comment that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus". Chapman said he was inspired by the fictional character Holden Caulfield from J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, a "phony-killer" who loathes hypocrisy.  Lennon had returned to music in 1980 with the album Double Fantasy, a collaboration with wife yoko ono, Following a five-year hiatus. He was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman, three weeks after the album's release.
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