Yearly Archive: 2015

The late John Hammond (producer) was born in 1910
Rock Factoid: In 1961, Hammond signed Bob Dylan to Columbia Records despite the protests of executives, who referred to Dylan as “Hammond’s folly.” He produced Dylan’s recordings of ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ and ‘A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’.
Rock Factoid #2: In 1972, Hammond again went against label wishes and signed a young kid from New Jersey to Columbia. The kid’s name was Bruce Springsteen.

The late Max Yasgur (owned the dairy farm in Bethel, NY which was the site of the Woodstock concert in 1969) was born in 1919

The late Alan Freed (DJ who coined the term ‘rock & roll’) was born in 1921

The late Jerry Wallace (‘Primrose Lane’) was born in 1928

The late Jesse Belvin (‘Goodnight My Love’as a solo artist and co-writer of ‘Earth Angel’ for The Penguins) was born in 1932

The late Harry Ray (lead singer with The Moments – ‘Love On A Two-Way Street’) was born in 1946

Paul Simonon (bass guitar with The Clash – ‘Rock The Casbah’) is 60

Carmine Appice (drummer with Vanilla Fudge – ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’) is 69

Dave Clark (drummer with The Dave Clark Five – ‘Glad All Over’) is 73
Rock Factoid: The Dave Clark Five may have appeared to be a “band” but they were not equal partners or anything close to it.. From 1963-1968, Clark paid each member of the band a weekly salary and also received a co-writing credit on every original song the band recorded. It is one of those “wink, wink secrets” that Clark contributed virtually nothing to any song he’s credited with but his supporters contend since he employed the other band members, he was entitled to songwriting credits solely by virtue of his status as employer, rather than by virtue of having made an actual contribution to a particular song.
Rock Factoid #2: There is also the matter of whether or not Clark actually played on the band’s recordings. Rumors have long persisted that British session man Bobby Graham handled that chore, but while Clark insists it was him and only him laying down that thumping sound, even the late bass player Rick Huxley admitted it wasn’t Clark. “Dave knew he wasn’t a brilliant drummer,” Huxley said, “and I’m sure you must know that things like that have always gone on.” Compounding all the problems was the fact Clark – and only Clark – retained the copyright on each song.
Rock Factoid #3: Clark insists he has “never had any face work done,” but based on the two photos above, I’m not buying it.

Cindy Birdsong (The Supremes – ‘Floy Joy’) is 76

Lena Horne recorded the classic ‘Stormy Weather’—1941

Fats Waller (‘Ain’t Misbehavin’) died (pneumonia)—1943

Bandleader Glenn Miller’s plane disappeared over the English Channel en route to Paris—1944

Johnny Cash released his original version of ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ single—1955

Sammy Davis, Jr. and Columbia Records executive Mitch Miller claimed rock and roll was nothing more than “the comic books of music.”—1957

The Everly Brothers recorded ‘Let It Be Me’—1959

At the first Mersey Beat poll awards show, The Beatles (poll winners) closed the show—1962
Rock Factoid: The poll runner-up, Lee Curtis & The All-Stars, performed immediately before them, so The Beatles had an uncomfortable encounter with Pete Best, drummer for The All-Stars – and the drummer The Beatles had fired months earlier—1962

Bill Wyman performed his first gig with The Rolling Stones, at the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor, Berkshire, UK—1962
Rock Factoid: “I wasn’t quite the same sort of person as the rest of the Stones. I was a straight working-class type. I thought they were a bunch of layabouts but very dedicated to their music. That I could appreciate, but I couldn’t appreciate the way they lived. When the Stones talked music, I knew Chuck Berry, but I’d never heard of Jimmy Reed, Howlin’ Wolf or Muddy Waters. The music seemed to be very simple but later you learned that it was quite hard to be simple.” … Bill Wyman
Rock Factoid #2: The band – calling themselves the Rollin’ Stones at the time – included keyboardist Ian Stewart (lower left in photo) who was fired in May 1963 because he “didn’t fit the band’s image.”

The Beatles released ‘Beatles 65’ in the U.S.—1964

Glenn Yarbrough recorded ‘Baby The Rain Must Fall’—1964

Elvis Presley released ‘Tell Me Why’ / ‘Blue River’—1965

Posters and billboards were displayed in 12 major cities around the world by John Lennon and Yoko Ono—1969

The Byrds released ‘Jesus Is Just Alright’ / ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’. Although ‘Jesus Is Just Alright’ would later appear on countless ‘Greatest Hits’ compilations by the group, it peaked at #97 on the Billboard charts and never charted at all in the UK—1969

The ‘Peace For Christmas’ charity concert for UNICEF at the Lyceum Ballroom in London featured the Plastic Ono Supergroup—1969
Rock Factoid: John Lennon performed with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Billy Preston, The Delaney and Bonnie Band, Alan White, Bobby Keys, Keith Moon, Klaus Voormann, Jim Gordon, Billy Preston and Yoko Ono.
Rock Factoid #2: It was John Lennon’s final stage performance in England.

Elvis Presley recorded ‘There’s A Honky Tonk Angel (Who Will Take Me In)’‘—1973

The Rolling Stones released ‘Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)’ / ‘Dancing With Mr. D’—1973

Paul Simon released ’50 Ways To Leave Your Lover’ / ‘Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy’—1975

The Sex Pistols were denied visas to enter the U.S. only two days before they were to appear on NBC’s Saturday Night Live—1977

Jackie Brenston (lead vocal on ‘Rocket 88’ – considered by many as the real first rock and roll song) died (heart attack)—1979

Pink Floyd reached the top of the U.K. singles chart for the only time in their career with ‘Another Brick In The Wall Part II’—1979

James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison after an interstate car chase with police (he would serve two years)—1988

An intruder who broke into George Harrison’s home and stabbed the ex-Beatle was found not guilty by reason of insanity—2000

Rufus Thomas (‘Walkin’ The Dog’) died (heart attack)—2001

Davy Graham (one of the most influential guitarists of the 1960s British folk revival – ‘Anji’) died (lung cancer)—2008

John ‘Sean’ Byrne (rhythm guitarist/songwriter/lead singer with Count Five – ‘Psychotic Reaction’) died (diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver)—2008
Rock Factoid: “I was trying to stay awake in a Health Education class at San Jose City College while the professor droned on about psychosis and neurosis. A friend leaned over and whispered in my ear, ‘You know what would be a great name for a song? Psychotic Reaction!’ A 150-watt light bulb flashed in my head. It was the piece of the puzzle I had been searching for. I’d had this song running through my head; the lyrics, the melody, everything, but I was missing that punch line!” … John Byrne

Compiled by Ray Lemire ©2015 RayLemire.com. All Rights Reserved.