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Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History August 26th
Daily Rock and Roll History, Birthday and short music clips.
A year long, day by day look back at this date in Rock History in 3-5 minute segments. Now airing WRGG in Greencastle, PA.
Rock and Roll Birthdays
August 26th
- August 26th Birthday, The Stranglers drummer Jet Black, born Brian John Duffy in Ilford, Essex, England in 1938. He passed away on December 6th, 2022 at the age of 84.
- August 26th Birthday, Hawkwind saxophonist, flutist and songwriter Nik Turner, born in 1940 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.
- August 26th Birthday, Singer and guitarist Keith Allison from Paul Revere and The Raiders, born Sydney Keith Allison in Coleman, Texas in 1942. Allison died on November 17th, 2021.
- August 26th Birthday, Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker, born in 1944 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City.
- August 26th Birthday, Motown singer and songwriter Valerie Simpson of the duo Ashford and Simpson, born in The Bronx, New York City in 1946.
- August 26th Birthday, The Cowsills singer, songwriter Bob Cowsill, born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1949.
- August 26th Birthday, Tenor sax player Branford Marsalis, born in 1960 in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.
- August 26th Birthday, Garbage vocalist Shirley Manson, born in 1966 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- August 26th Birthday, No Doubt drummer Adrian Young, born in 1969 in Long Beach, California.
- August 26th Birthday, Drummer Mark Craney from Jethro Tull and a veteran session player, born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He passed away of complications from diabetes and pneumonia on November 26th, 2005 at the age of 53.
Today In Rock and Roll History
August 26th
- August 26th, 1957 Atco Records release the label’s first single by The Coasters as both a 45 and 78 rpm record. The song, “(When She Wants Good Lovin') My Baby Comes To Me” was written and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was the fifth Leiber/Stoller song Atco issued as a single by The Coasters.
- August 26th, 1957 Class Records release “Little Bitty Pretty One” by Bobby Day on 45. The song was written by Day under his real name, Robert Byrd. Bobby Day’s version was overshadowed by a cover version done by Thurston Harris that went to No. 6. Day’s original peaked at No. 99 on January 6th, 1958.
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- August 26th, 1966 Epic Records release the “Sunshine Superman” LP by Donovan. It was Donovan’s third album but was not released in England as it was intended due to a contractual dispute. Produced by Mickie Most, the LP featured the title track and “Season Of The Witch.” The record peaked at No. 11 in the US on November 26th.
- August 26th, 1966 Reaction Records in Britain release “I’m A Boy” backed with “In The City” by The Who on 45. The A-side was written by Pete Townshend, while the B-side was penned by the unusual pairing of Keith Moon and John Entwistle. Co-produced by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp at IBC Studios in London during June and July the record went to No. 2 in Britain but failed to chart when it was released in America by Decca Records on December 10th.
- August 26th, 1967 Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode To Billie Joe” went to No. 1 on the Pop Singles charts. The record would later win three Grammy Awards.
- August 26th, 1967 Warner Brothers Records release “20th Century Fox” by Freddy Cannon on 45, a cover version of The Doors’ song. Freddie grew up listening to R&B records on the radio in Lynn, Massachusetts. Inspired by Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard, he learned guitar and joined The Spindriffs, who had a local hit with the single “Cha-Cha-Do”. Forming Freddie Karmon and The Hurricanes, the band was seen regularly on the local TV dance show Boston Ballroom. Freddy Cannon placed twenty-two singles in the US Top 100 between 1959 and 1981. Written collectively by The Doors, the Freddy Cannon version of “20th Century Fox” was produced by his long-time record producer Frank Slay.
- August 26th, 1967 RCA Victor Records release “The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil” on 45 by the Jefferson Airplane. Written and sung by Paul Kantner with Al Schmitt producing, a remixed version of the song appeared in November on the band’s third studio album “After Bathing At Baxter’s.” The record peaked at No. 42 on September 23rd.
- August 26th, 1968 Buddah Records release “Yes I Need Someone” backed with “Let Me Stay” by Eire Apparent on 45. The record was produced by Jimi Hendrix. Both songs were written by band members Chris Stewart, Davy Lutton, Ernie Graham and Mick Cox.
- August 26th, 1968 Apple Records release “Sour Milk Sea” by Jackie Lomax on 45. Written and produced by George Harrison, who plays on the song as well, with Paul McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr on drums and Eric Clapton on guitar with session pianist Nicky Hopkins. Recording began at EMI Studios on June 24th and moved to Trident Studios for more sessions, the song was written for consideration for The Beatles’ “White Album” sessions but was given to Lomax to record as his debut single.
- August 26th, 1969 The Rolling Stones were awarded a Gold Record for a million copies sold of “Honky Tonk Women.”
- August 26th, 1970 Reprise Records release “Historic Performances Recorded at Monterey International Pop Festival”” by Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix. Redding’s set was recorded on June 17th as the closing act from the evening show. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was the third to last act on the Sunday evening bill at the festival.
- August 26th, 1970 The No. 1 record in the country was “War” by Edwin Starr.
- August 26th, 1972 Polydor Records release the self-titled debut album by Roy Buchanan. A combination of original material and cover versions, the LP was produced by Peter K. Siegel. The record peaked at No. 107 on November 11th.
- August 26th, 1972 Ardent Records release “When My Baby’s Beside Me,” the debut single by Big Star. The song was co-written by the band’s Chris Bell and former Box Tops singer and guitarist Alex Chilton. The record was produced by John Fry at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
- August 26th, 1972 “You Wear It Well” by Rod Stewart enters the singles charts on Mercury Records. The single was issued from Stewart’s LP “Never A Dull Moment.” Co-written by Stewart and Martin Quittenton, the track’s arrangement closely follows the instrumentation on Stewart’s previous hit “Maggie May” from a year earlier. Produced by Rod Stewart, “You Wear It Well” went to No. 1 in England on September 2nd and peaked at No. 13 in the US on October 14th.
- August 26th, 1972 Capitol Records re-release “Smokin’ O.P.’s” by Bob Seger. Originally issued on the independent Palladium Records label in June, the album was recorded with producer Punch Andrews at Pampa Studios in Warren, Michigan and RCA Studios in Toronto, Canada. “Smokin’ O.P.’s” featured the hit cover version of Tim Hardin’s “If I Were A Carpenter.” The LP peaked at No. 180 on September 23rd.
- August 26th, 1972 “Superfly,” the original movie soundtrack album and the third studio LP by Curtis Mayfield, enters the US charts. The album featured the hits “Freddie’s Dead” and the title track. “Superfly” peaked at No. 1 on October 21st.
- August 26th, 1972 A New York quartet called The Looking Glass had the No. 1 record in the US with “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl).”
- August 26th, 1976 Atlantic Records release the first solo single credited to Yes singer Jon Anderson. He’d had two early singles out in 1968, billed as Hans Christian Anderson. “Flight Of The Moorglade” was issued on 45 from Anderson’s “Olias Of Sunhillow” solo LP on which he played all the instruments and sang all the vocal parts himself.
- August 26th, 1977 Mountain Records in Britain release “Mrs. Blackhouse” backed with “Engine Room Boogie” by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band on 45. Produced by bassist Chris Glen, the A-side was a Harvey original. The flip side was a co-write between Harvey, Zal Cleminson, Tommy Eyre, Glen and Ted McKenna. Eyre replaced original bassist Hugh McKenna for the “Rock Drill” LP sessions.
- August 26th, 1977 Capitol Records in the US release “The Missing Piece,” the ninth LP by Gentle Giant. All of the songs on the LP were co-written by Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman and Ray Shulman. The self-produced sessions for the LP were recorded at Relight Studios in Hilvarenbeek, The Netherlands. The record peaked at No. 81 on November 12th. It was the last Gentle Giant album to chart in the US.
- August 26th, 1980 Bassist Tom Petersson quits Cheap Trick, but returned to the band by the late 80’s.
- August 26th, 1981 Arista Records release “Give The People What They Want” by The Kinks. Produced by The Kinks’ Ray Davies, who initially wanted to film a video companion to the album as a comment on the media. The record peaked at No. 15 on October 17th.
Miscellaneous August
- August 1957 Ace Records release “Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu” by Huey “Piano” Smith on 45. The song was co-written by Smith and Johnny Vincent. The session for the track included Sidney Rayfield and “Scarface” John Williams on vocals, Lee Allen on tenor sax, Earl King on guitar, Frank Fields on bass and Charles “Hungry” Williams on drums. The record peaked at No. 52 on the Pop singles charts.
- August 1958 Dot Records release “Scratchin’” backed with the novelty song “I Hates Rabbits” by Jerry Neal on 45. Neal was a stage name of Jerry Capehart. He co-wrote both songs with Eddie Cochran. Cochran is rumored to play all the instruments on “Scratchin’,” while Cochran plays lead guitar on “I Hates Rabbits.”
- August 1958 Tune Town Records release “Boxtop” by Ike Turner, Carson Oliver and Little Ann, the first record release to feature the future Tina Turner on vocals. The song was written by Ike Turner, who heard the seventeen-year-old sing during the intermission of a Kings Of Rhythm set at the Manhattan Club in East St. Louis. Carson Oliver was one of the vocalists in Turner’s group, the Kings Of Rhythm band. The track was recorded at Turner’s house on Virginia Place, in East St. Louis.
- August 1963 Original Sound Records release “Heavies” backed with “The Cruncher” by The Rotations on 45. The Rotations were an alias for Paul Buff and Dave Aerni. Both songs were co-written by Aerni and Buff, produced by Frank Zappa at PAL Studio in Cucamonga, California in June. A few seconds of “Heavies” is heard in the opening moments of “Nasal Retentive Caliope Music” on The Mothers Of Invention LP “We’re Only In It For The Money.”
- August 1963 Original Sound Records release “Tijuana” backed with “Grunion Run” by The Hollywood Persuaders on 45. Paul Buff wrote the A-side. “Grunion Run” was performed by Paul Buff and Frank Zappa, recording at PAL Studios in Cucamonga, California in June. Zappa played guitars, bass and drums with Paul Buff on saxophone.
- August 1965 Autumn Records release “Beau Brummels Volume II.” The record featured the hit “You Tell Me Why” and follow-up single “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” but didn’t chart. Sylvester Stewart, later known professionally as Sly Stone, is listed as the album’s producer, but members of the band didn’t recall him being there for the recording sessions.
- August 1969 Immediate Records in Britain release the self-titled album by “The Nice,” the group’s second album.
- August 1971 A&M Records release “White Light,” the second studio album by The Byrds’ singer, songwriter Gene Clark. The LP was recorded at A&M Studios and Village Recorders in Los Angeles with Jesse Ed Davis producing in the Spring, 1971. Playing on the record were Davis, bassist Chris Ethridge of the Flying Burrito Brothers, organist Michael Utley, pianist Ben Sidran and drummer Gary Mallaber, both of the Steve Miller Band.
- August 1972 Thunderclap Newman pianist Andy Newman releases the solo LP “Rainbows” on Track Records in England. Pete Townshend is the executive producer of the album.
- August 1974 Ardent Records release “September Gurls” by Big Star on 45. The song was written by Alex Chilton with autobiographical lyrics about several women in his life. The record was co-produced by Big Stay and John Fry on a six track recording console at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee during sessions for the band’s second album “Radio City.”
- August 1976 Mushroom Records in Australia release “Second Thoughts,” the second LP by Split Enz. The group’s first LP “Mental Notes” had not been released in America or in Europe, so Chrysalis Records issued “Second Thoughts” in September in Britain and January 1977 in the US – as “Mental Notes” with new cover art. “Second Thoughts” was produced by Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera at Basing Street Studios in London. The LP went to No. 18 in the New Zealand album charts.
- August 1978 Chrysalis Records release “I’m Gonna Love You Too” by Blondie on 45, a cover version of The Crickets’ song from 1957. The song was written by Crickets’ bassist Joe Maudlin, guitarist Niki Sullivan and record producer Norman Petty. Produced by Mike Chapman, it was the first single released from Blondie’s “Parallel Lines” LP.
- August 1980 Virgin Records in Britain release “Generals And Majors” by XTC on 45. Written by Colin Moulding and produced by Steve Lillywhite, it was the first single released from the band’s “Black Sea” album and peaked at No. 32 in England.
- August 1980, Virgin Records release “Doc At The Radar Station” by Captain Beefheart. The album was recorded in June at Sound Castle Recording Studios in Los Angeles with Beefheart producing.
- August 1983 Warner Brothers Records release “Song For A Future Generation” by The B-52’s as the second single from the “Whammy!” LP. The song was written collectively by The B-52’s, produced by Steven Stanley.
- August 1984 EG Records release “The Pearl,” the second album by Harold Budd and Brian Eno. Recorded in Toronto, Canada with Daniel Lanois also producing, the premise of the recordings were established on the pair’s first collaboration “The Plateaux Of Mirror,” with Eno treating Budd’s improvised piano parts with studio effects and later making compositional decisions together to create the released tracks.
- August 1986 IMP Records in Britain release “Tokyo Storm Warning” by Elvis Costello and The Attractions on 45, a song Costello wrote with his wife, The Pogues bassist Cait O’Riordan. The track was Costello’s first single release to give credit to his given name MacManus. “Tokyo Storm Warning” was co-produced by Nick Lowe and Colin Fairley.
- August 1987 Virgin Records in England release “Psonic Psunspot,” the first full-length album by The Dukes Of Stratosphere, actually XTC under a different name with guitarist Dave Gregory’s brother Ian on drums. The record was co-produced by John Leckie and the band at Sawmills Studio in Fowey, Cornwall, England in June.
- August 1987 Columbia Records release the movie soundtrack LP “Back To The Beach,” a various artists collection of songs from the film. Highlights include the Stevie Ray Vaughn/Dick Dale remake of “Pipeline,” songs by Dave Edmunds, Eddie Money, Aimee Mann, M<arti Jones and a Herbie Hancock version of “Wipe Out” featuring Dweezil Zappa on guitar and Terry Bozzio on drums.
- August 1989 Virgin Records release “The Loving” by XTC on 45 in Britain. The track came from the band’s Paul Fox produced “Oranges And Lemons” LP.
- August 1992 Warner Brothers Records in Britain release “Real Cool World” by David Bowie on 45. The song was the theme from Real Cool World movie, written by Bowie and produced by Nile Rodgers. The B-side was an instrumental version of the track.
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of August 23rd
This Week In Rock and Roll History is a weekly one hour look back at the songs, the artists, and the stories behind the music of the rock and roll era.
The Cool Song Of The Week
Cool Song Of The Week of 8/23 Freddy Cannon
Cool songs from the Rock and Roll Era, Closet Classics and more.
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Nektar Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
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Jonas Reingold in The Wax Museum
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