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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

August 12th

August 12th Birthday, Singer, songwriter, guitarist Buck Owens, born Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. in 1929 in Sherman, Texas. He passed away on March 26th, 2006 at the age of 76.

August 12th Birthday, 1945 Sparks keyboardist, songwriter and record producer Ron Mael, born in Culver City, California in 1945.

August 12th Birthday, Dire Straits singer, songwriter, guitarist and solo artist Mark Knopfler, born in 1949 in Glasgow, Scotland.

August 12th Birthday, Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, born in 1954 in Lees Summit, Missouri.

August 12th Birthday, Kid Creole, the leader of Kid Creole and The Coconuts, originally from Dr. Buzzards Original “Savannah” Band, born Thomas August Darnell Browder in 1950 in The Bronx, New York City.

Today In Rock and Roll History

August 12th

August 12th, 1978 “5.7.0.5.” by British band City Boy enters the singles charts. Released from the band’s “Book Early” album, produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, “5.7.0.5.” became an international hit. The record was Top Ten in Britain, a major hit in many European countries and peaked at No. 27 in the US on October 14th.

August 12th, 1978 “Right Down The Line” by Scottish singer, songwriter Gerry Rafferty enters the singles charts. Co-produced by Gerry Rafferty and Hugh Murphy, it was one of three hit singles from Rafferty’s “City To City” LP. “Right Down The Line” reached No. 8 on October 21st, No. 5 in Canada.

August 12th, 1978 “Hollywood Nights” by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band enters the singles charts. Written by Bob Seger and co-produced by Seger and Punch Andrews, “Hollywood Nights” served as the second 45 issued from Seger’s “Stranger In Town” LP. With The Silver Bullet Band, Chris Campbell on bass and David Teegarden on drums and percussion, the track also featured Little Feat keyboardist Billy Payne on piano and organ. “Hollywood Nights” peaked at No. 12 on October 7th.

August 12th, 1980 Elektra Records release “Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen on 45. Written by group bassist John Deacon, the song began a three-week run at No. 1 on October 4th. “Another One Bites The Dust” earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

August 12th, 1981 Columbia Records release “Shot Of Love,” the twenty-first album by Bob Dylan. The LP was co-produced by Chuck Plotkin and Bob Dylan. The LP’s title track was co-produced by the pair and Bumps Blackwell. Donald “Duck” Dunn, Jim Keltner, Ringo Starr, Clydie King, Danny Kortchmar, Ron Wood and Benmont Tench were among the musicians on the sessions. The record peaked at No. 33 on September 26th.

August 12th, 1985 Geffen Records release “Old Ways” by Neil Young. The LP is a country music themed record, co- produced by Young, David Briggs, Ben Keith and Elliot Mazer at various studios in Tennessee and Texas from January 1983 through April 1985. Originally planned as a follow-up to the 1983 “Trans” LP, its release was pushed back to 1985 when Geffen Records requested he deliver a rock album for release instead. The album peaked at No. 75 on October 5th.

August 12th, 1991 Metallica release their self-titled album, known as “The Black Album.” The record peaked at No. 1 on August 31st.

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.