“No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves we are the same.”
~ John Denver ~
1926 – The late Ray Price (‘For The Good Times’) was born.
1928 – The late Ruth Brown (‘Teardrops From My Eyes’) was born.
1930 – Glenn Yarbrough (‘Baby The Rain Must Fall’) was born. He’s 86 today!
1939 – William Lee Golden (‘Elvira’ as a member of The Oak Ridge Boys and ‘Louisiana Red Dirt Highway’ as a solo artist) was born, making him 77 today.
1941 – The late Long John Baldry (British blues icon – ‘Let The Heartaches Begin’) was born.
1944 – The late Cynthia Robinson (trumpet and vocals with Sly & The Family Stone – ‘Dance To The Music’) was born.
1957 – Elvis Presley recorded ‘All Shook Up’ and ‘Got A Lot Of Livin’ To Do’.
1959 – After borrowing $800, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamla Records in Detroit. It was the beginning of the empire that has become known as Motown Records.
1963 – Charlie Watts agreed to officially join the Rolling Stones.
Rock Factoid: He had played with the band several times prior to joining on a fulltime basis, but still unsure of the band’s future, he kept his day job (commercial artist at an advertising agency) for several months after signing on. All these years later, Watts is still unimpressed with the rock and roll lifestyle.
“When people talk about the sixties, I never think that was me there. It was me and I was in it, but I was never enamored with all that. It’s supposed to be sex and drugs and rock and roll and I’m not really like that. Girls chasing you down the street, screaming … horrible! … I hated it! I’ve never really seen the Rolling Stones as anything.” … Charlie Watts
1964 – Elvis Presley recorded ‘Memphis’, ‘Ask Me’ and ‘It Hurts Me’.
1965 – Hullabaloo premiered on NBC with The Zombies and Gerry & The Pacemakers as guest performers.
1968 – Manfred Mann released ‘Mighty Quinn’ / ‘By Request – Edwin Garvey’.
1968 – George Harrison used musicians in Bombay, India to record the backing track for the Beatles’ ‘The Inner Light’.
1968 – The Supremes played a trio of nuns on a Tarzan television series episode.
1969 – In an attempt to sort out the problems within The Beatles following George Harrison’s sudden departure from the group two days earlier, all four met at Ringo Starr’s home in Elstead, Surrey. The meeting was not a success. The feud between Harrison and John Lennon remained unsolved, and Harrison left early without agreeing to rejoin.
1969 – Led Zeppelin released their self-titled debut album in the U.S.
Rock Factoid: Although the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004, the initial reaction by the press wasn’t overwhelmingly positive. Rolling Stone magazine said, “It would seem that if they are to fill the void created by the demise of Cream, they will have to find a producer, editor and some material worthy of their collective talents.”
Rock Factoid #2: The same review also said lead singer Robert Plant was “as foppish as Rod Stewart, but nowhere near so exciting.”
1969 – The film Wonderwall, with the music soundtrack written and recorded by George Harrison, premiered.
1970 – Badfinger released ‘Come And Get It’ in the U.S.
Rock Factoid: Paul McCartney had written ‘Come And Get It’ and played a demo of the song for the members of the band (known then as The Iveys) and told them that their recording had to be “exactly like this demo.” He offered to produce the song and two other Iveys originals for the movie The Magic Christian, since he had a contract to supply three songs for the film. Needless to say, the band followed his instructions.
Rock Factoid #2: In October 1969, pending the release of ‘Come And Get It’, the band and Apple agreed upon a name change, as The Iveys were sometimes confused with The Ivy League, another British group, and the fact that The Iveys was considered too trite for the prevailing music scene. Suggestions were put forward, like Lennon’s The Glass Onion, and McCartney coming up with Home. Apple Corps’ Neil Aspinall proposed Badfinger, in reference to ‘Bad Finger Boogie’, an early working title of Lennon–McCartney’s ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, as Lennon had hurt his forefinger on a piano and was using only one finger. And so, Badfinger they became.
Rock Factoid #3: McCartney’s demo, which he recorded entirely on his own – piano, bass, maracas, bass – in less than an hour can be heard on the Beatles’ ‘Anthology 3’ album)
1971 – Alice Cooper released the ‘Love It To Death’ album.
1977 – Keith Richards’ trial for possession of LSD and cocaine ended — in a split decision.
Rock Factoid: Richards pleaded not guilty and was found not guilty of possession of LSD but guilty of possession of cocaine. He was fined but no jail sentence was given—1977
“What is on trial is the same thing that’s always been on trial. Dear old them and us. I find this all a bit weary. I’ve done my stint. Why don’t they pick on the Sex Pistols?” … Keith Richards
1977 – The Police had their first rehearsal at drummer Stewart Copeland’s apartment in London.
1981 – The Police released ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’.
1983 – Anthony ‘Reebop’ Kwaku Baah (percussionist with Traffic – ‘The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys’) died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 38.
1989 – Roxette released ‘The Look’. The song became Roxette’s international “breakthrough” single, finally exposing the duo to music consumers outside of their native Sweden.
1991 – Johnny Paycheck (‘Take This Job And Shove It’) was released from an Ohio prison after serving two years of a seven-year sentence for a barroom shooting.
Rock Factoid: When Paycheck died in 2003, his family was unable to cover the interment costs. Country superstar George Jones purchased the burial plot and paid for a headstone as a tribute to his longtime friend.
1993 –The original members of Cream reunited in Los Angeles to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Other inductees included CCR, Sly & The Family Stone, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, The Doors, Dinah Washington, Etta James, Ruth Brown and Van Morrison (he didn’t show up). Also inducted (in the non-performers category) were Dick Clark and Milt Gabler.
1995 – At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, the inductees were Neil Young, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Al Green, Martha & The Vandellas, and Frank Zappa. Also inducted (in the Early Influence category) were The Orioles.
1998 – The Roll Hall of Fame welcomed the latest inductees; Gene Vincent, Lloyd Price, Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas and Papas, The Eagles, and Santana. Also inducted (in the Early Influence category) was Jelly Roll Morton.
2003 – Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees (‘To Love Somebody’) suffered cardiac arrest and died while undergoing surgery for an intestinal blockage. He was 53.
2004 – Randy VanWarmer (‘Just When I Needed You Most’) died of leukemia at the age of 48.
Compiled by Ray Lemire ©2016 RayLemire.com. All Rights Reserved.