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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

August 17th

August 17th Birthday, Chicago blues legend Luther Allison, born in 1939 in Widener, Arkansas. He died on August 12th, 1997 at the age of 57.

August 17th Birthday, A founding member of 1960’s satirical rock band The Fugs, poet and author Ed Sanders, born in 1939 in Kansas City, Missouri.

August 17th Birthday, The Box Tops guitarist, singer and songwriter Gary Talley, born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1947.

August 17th Birthday, The original drummer for the band Boston, Sib Hashian, born John Thomas Hashien in Boston, Massachusetts in 1949. He passed away on March 22nd, 2017 at the age of 67.

August 17th Birthday, Frijid Pink drummer Rick Stevers, born in 1950.

August 17th Birthday, Dexy’s Midnight Runners singer and guitarist Kevin Rowland born in 1953 in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, England.

August 17th Birthday, Guitarist and solo artist Eric Johnson, born in 1954 in Austin, Texas.

August 17th Birthday, XTC bassist, singer and songwriter Colin Moulding, born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England in 1955.

August 17th Birthday, The Go Go’s vocalist and solo artist Belinda Carlisle, born in 1958 in Los Angeles, California.

August 17th Birthday, Guns and Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, born in 1962 in Cleveland, Ohio.

August 17th Birthday, Lone Justice lead singer and solo artist Maria McKee, born in 1964 in Los Angeles.

Today In Rock and Roll History

August 17th

August 17th, 1960 The Beatles perform for the first time using that name, at the Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany, where they play four and a half hour nights, six on the weekends, during a forty-eight-night stay.

August 17th, 1965 The Byrds were forced to cancel a concert during their British tour at The Guildhall, Portsmouth, when only two hundred and fifty tickets were sold at the four thousand seat venue.

August 17th, 1967 Tamla Records release “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” by Brenda Holloway on 45. Recorded in Los Angeles at Hitsville Studios West with Berry Gordy Jr. and Frank Wilson producing, the song was co-written by Gordy, Wilson, Brenda Holloway and Patrice Holloway. The record peaked at No. 39 on November 4th. The song became a million seller when Blood, Sweat & Tears released it in 1969.

August 17th, 1967 The Cowsills record “The Rain The Park And Other Things” with New York City session musicians and arranger Jimmy Wisner at A&R Recording Studios. Released in September the song was co-written by producer Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff, reaching No. 2 on December 2nd. The single sold over three million copies worldwide.

August 17th, 1968 The Rascals’ “People Got to Be Free” is the No. 1 single in the US.

August 17th, 1968 Island Records in Britain release “Feeling Alright?” by Traffic on 45. The song was written by Dave Mason. The track was produced by Jimmy Miller and was released in America on United Artists Records in September

August 17th, 1970 Keyboardist, singer, songwriter Christine McVie of the UK blues outfit Chicken Shack joined with new husband John McVie in Fleetwood Mac.

August 17th, 1970 Capitol Records release “Stage Fright,” the third album by The Band. Self-produced by The Band and engineered by Todd Rundgren, the group intended to record the tracks in front of a live audience at The Woodstock Playhouse theater. The town council vetoed the idea fearing the town would be overrun by concert goers. Instead, the album was recorded in the theater without an audience. “Time To Kill” was issued as a single from the record, but it was the B-side of the 45, “The Shape I’m In,” written by Robbie Robertson, that received radio play. The LP peaked at No. 5 on October 3rd.

August 17th, 1973 Bronze Records in Britain release “Stealin’” by Uriah Heep on 45. Written by the band’s Ken Hensley and produced by Gerry Bron at Chateau d’Herouville, France, the song was released from Uriah Heep’s concept album “Sweet Freedom.” The record entered the US charts on October 13th and peaked at No. 91 on October 27th.

August 17th, 1973 The Rolling Stones Records label release “Angie” by The Rolling Stones on 45 in Britain, out on August 28th in the US. The studio recording featured the piano work of Nicky Hopkins. Although credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song was composed almost entirely by Richards. The single was an international hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada, Australia and America on October 20th and made the top five in Britain.

August 17th, 1974 Keyboardist Patrick Moraz was hired to replace Rick Wakeman in Yes. Moraz would stay for three years, playing on the studio album “Relayer.”

August 17th, 1979 Virgin Records in Britain release “Drums And Wires,” the third studio album by XTC. The album was the band’s first with guitarist Dave Gregory and the first XTC LP to be issued in the US in November. The group recorded the LP at The Town House Studios in London with producer Steve Lillywhite and engineer Hugh Padgham. In America, the band’s May 1979 single “Life Begins At The Hop” was placed on the LP. The record peaked at No. 176 in the US album charts, No. 34 in Britain.

August 17th, 1981 Full Moon/Asylum Records release “Working In The Coal Mine” by DEVO on 45. Written by Allen Toussaint, the track was issued from the soundtrack album from the movie Doctor Detroit. Small hole pressings of the single were included in initial pressing of the DEVO LP “New Traditionalists,” released a month later. The single peaked at No. 43 on October 24th.

August 17th, 1987 Island Records release “Frank’s Wild Years” by Tom Waits. The LP was the third of Wait’s albums in a trilogy that began with “Swordfishtrombones” and “Rain Dogs” for a play called “Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts.” Self-produced by Waits, “Frank’s Wild Years” peaked at No. 115 on October 10th.

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.