Wax Museum Radio
Next broadcast October 17th Friday Night at midnight and Saturday night at 10pm on WRGG.
Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History October 12th
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
October 12th
- October 12th Birthday, Guitarist Joe Olivier from Bill Haley and His Comets, born in 1927 in Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands. Olivier also had his own solo music career as Cappy Bianco.
- October 12th Birthday, Half of the R&B vocal duo Sam and Dave, Samuel David Moore, born in 1935 in Miami, Florida.
- October 12th Birthday, Bass singer Melvin Franklin, a founding member of The Temptations, born David Melvin English in 1942 in Montgomery, Alabama. He passed away on February 23rd, 1995 at the age of 52.
- October 12th Birthday, Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt, born in 1948 in Woking, Surrey, England. He passed away on December 24th, 2016 at the age of 68.
- October 12th Birthday, The Smithereens singer, songwriter and guitarist Pat Dinizio, born in 1955 in Plainfield, New Jersey. He died on December 12th, 2017 at the age of 62.
- October 12th Birthday, Singer, songwriter Jane Siberry (SIB-airy), born Jane Stewart in 1955 in Toronto Canada.
Today In Rock and Roll History
October 12th
- October 12th, 1964 Phil Spector’s Philles Records release “Walking In The Rain” by The Ronettes on 45. Co-written by Spector with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, the record went to No. 23 on the Pop Singles charts. Produced by Phil Spector, the recording earned audio engineer Larry Levine a Grammy nomination for its lightning and thunder sound effects. The record peaked at No. 23 on December 5th.
- October 12th, 1966 The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” is released on 45. Recorded June 30th and August 1st at Hitsville USA Studios in Detroit, co-produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. The song was co-written by the pair with Eddie Holland. Funk Brother Robert White played guitar. The record went to No. 1 for two weeks on November 13th.
- October 12th, 1966 The Jimi Hendrix Experience play their first major concert at the Olympia Theatre in Paris in front of an audience of fourteen thousand and five hundred.
- October 12th, 1966 The original line up of The Moody Blues splits up.
- October 12th, 1968 Decca Records release “The Transformed Man” by William Shatner. The LP is a hybrid poetry and music album and it’s not clear if Shatner is joking around or being serious about either.
- October 12th, 1968 The LP “Cheap Thrills” by Big Brother And The Holding Company hits No. 1 on the album charts.
- October 12th, 1968 Decca Records release “Magic Bus-The Who On Tour,” a US only compilation of songs by The Who not previously issued on an album stateside. Released to capitalize on the success of the “Magic Bus” single, the LP reached No. 39 on December 7th.
- October 12th, 1968 “On The Way Home” by Buffalo Springfield enters the charts, the band’s third single, produced by Jim Messina. Written by Neil Young, the record was a Top Ten hit in Canada. In America, “On The Way Home” reached No. 82 on October 26th.
- October 12th, 1968 Scepter Records release B. J. Thomas’ “Hooked On A Feeling” on 45. The song was written by songwriter Mark James, who was hired to write songs for producer Chips Moman’s publishing company. “Hooked On A Feeling” was recorded at Moman’s Memphis Sound Studios. The single entered the US charts in November and went to No. 5 on January 11th, 1969.
- October 12th, 1970 The musical Jesus Christ Superstar, already a huge stage hit in the UK, opens on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. On October 27th, the original album recording of “Jesus Christ Superstar” is unveiled at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in New York City. While the record plays, composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice interpret the music for the gathered audience.
- October 12th, 1973 Elton John is awarded a Gold Record for the LP, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” one week after it was released. The record has sold more than thirty-million copies worldwide.
- October 12th, 1974 Track Records release “Odds and Sods” by The Who. The album was a collection of singles and non-LP tracks compiled by bassist John Entwistle. The record peaked at No. 15 on November 30th. “Postcard” was released as a single from the album. Recorded in Pete Townshend’s garage studio Eel Pie” in Twickenham, London in May 1970, it was the only John Entwhistle song released as a single A-side by The Who. The 45 peaked at No. 64 in America.
- October 12th, 1974 Mercury Records release “Finding My Way,” the label debut 45 by Rush. Co-written by singer and bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson, the band self-produced the track.
- October 12th, 1978 “Point Of Know Return” by Kansas enters the singles charts following a September release on Kirshner Records. Produced by Jeff Glixman, the song was co-written by Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart and Robbie Steinhardt. The record peaked at No. 28 on January 21st, 1978.
- October 12th, 1979 Fleetwood Mac release their double album set “Tusk.” Recorded at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, California and at Lindsey Buckingham’s home studio, the record was an attempt by the band to break the mold of the group’s previous album “Rumours.” The LP became what was then the most expensive studio album ever made and went on to sell four million copies. The record peaked at No. 4 on November 17th.
- October 12th, 1981 Island Records release “October,” the second album by U2. Aside from the song “Fire,” recorded in the Bahamas and issued as a single in July and included on the album, the bulk of sessions for the LP were recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin from July through August with producer Steve Lilliwhite. A briefcase of lyrics and song ideas were lost backstage during a show in Portland, Oregon. As a result, many of the song lyrics on “October” were written during the recording process. The LP went to No. 11 in England and No. 101 in the US on November 28th.
- October 12th, 1984 RCA Records release “Big Bam Boom,” the twelfth studio album by Hall and Oates. The LP was co-produced by Hall and Oates with Bob Clearmountain at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The record featured the hits “Out Of Touch” and “Method Of Modern Love.” The record peaked at No. 5 on December 1st.
- October 12th, 1996 Unreleased for twenty-eight years, “The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus” is issued on disc and as a home video.
- October 12th, 2018 Concord Records release “Look Now” by Elvis Costello and The Imposters. Costello wrote most of the songs on the album; three co-written with Burt Bacharach and one written twenty years earlier with Carole King, “Burnt Sugar Is So Bitter.” The album was co-produced by Costello and Sebastian Krys with a full orchestra on the 2018 recording sessions. The record peaked at No. 46 on October 27th.
Miscellaneous October
- Mid-October 1960, The Silver Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe) minus drummer Pete Best, play on a recording session arranged by manager Allan Williams for Lu Walters, bassist and vocalist from Rory Storm and The Hurricanes at Akustik Studios in Hamburg, Germany. Drumming on the session was Hurricane’s drummer Ringo Starr. Four copies of a 78rpm demo disc were pressed. Recorded that day were ‘Fever”co-written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, “Summertime” co-written by George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward and “September Song” co-written by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson.
- October 1961, Chess Records release “The Red Rooster” backed with “Shake With Me” by Howlin’ Wolf on 45, credited to blues writer and arranger Willie Dixon.
- October 1961, Canadian American Records release “I Wish I Weren’t In Love” backed with “I’m Lonely” by Jerry Landis on 45. Both songs were written by Landis, an early stage name used by Paul Simon.
- October 1961, Ray Charles releases “The Genius Sings The Blues,” his final album for Atlantic Records. The record peaked at No. 73.
- October 1964, Ringo Starr records “In America” with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes at EMI Studios, 3 Abbey Road, St. John’s Wood, London with Brian Epstein, his only record production. Co-written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Soundheim, the track was released as a single on November 16thby Parlophone Records with “Since You Broke My Heart” as the single’s B-side. Ringo sang backing vocals with Rory Storm’s brother-in-law Shane Fenton, later known as Alvin Stardust and added miscellaneous percussion.
- October 1967, Scorpio Records release “Porterville” backed with “Call It Pretending,” the seventh and final single by pre-Creedence Clearwater Revival band The Golliwogs. Written by John Fogerty using the name T. Spicebush Swallowtail, “Porterville” would be rerecorded for CCR’s first LP.
- October 1967, Verve Records release “Chelsea Girl,” the debut solo album by Nico. After recording the first Velvet Underground LP and touring with Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable multimedia show, Nico recorded the LP at Mayfair Recording in Manhattan, New York City with Tom Wilson producing. Jackson Browne played guitar and wrote songs for the record and VU members Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison and John Cale were backing musicians on many of the tracks.
- October 1968, Reprise/Bizarre Records release “The Circle” backed with “Merry-Go-Round” by Wild Man Fischer on 45. Both songs were written by Larry Fischer, credited as L. Fischer. The tracks were produced and arranged by Frank Zappa. Zappa plays all the instruments on “The Circle.”
- October 1968, Parlophone Records in Britain release “Blues Helping” the debut LP by Welsh trio Love Sculpture featuring Dave Edmunds on guitar.
- October 1969, Island Records release the self-titled second album by Free. Traffic flutist Chris Wood played on the song “Mourning Sad Morning.” Produced by Island label founder Chris Blackwell, the LP peaked at No. 22 in Britain but didn’t chart in the US.
- October 1969, Island Records in Britain release “Rock And Roll Queen,” the first single by Mott The Hoople. Written by guitarist Mick Ralphs, the record was issued in America on Atlantic Records the following July.
- October 1970, Reprise Records release the self-titled debut album by guitarist Ry Cooder. The LP was co-produced by Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker. Cooder was part of the Los Angeles folk music scene in the mid-1960’s, playing in a band called The Rising Sons with Taj Mahal and future Spirit drummer Ed Cassidy.
- October 1971, Charisma Records in Britain release “Pawn Hearts,” the fourth album by Van der Graaf Generator. Robert Fripp guested on the LP sessions at Trident Studios, recorded July through September with producer John Anthony. The album came out the following May in the US.
- October 1971, Capitol Records release “People Let’s Stop The War” backed with “Save The Land” by Grand Funk Railroad on 45. Both songs were Mark Farner compositions with Terry Knight producing.
- October 1973, RCA Records release Lou Reed’s tragic rock opera “Berlin.” Recorded at Morgan Studios in London with producer Bob Ezrin, session players on the record include Steve Wagner, Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood, Aynsley Dunbar and B.J. Wilson. The record peaked at No. 98 in America and No. 7 in Britain.
- October 1974, RCA Records release “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Nilsson on 45. A cover version of the Bob Dylan song, the track came from the John Lennon produced “Pussycats” LP. The singe’s B-side was a medley of Lennon’s “Mucho Mungo” and Nilsson’s “Mt. Elga.”
- October 1974, Harvest Records in Britain release “See My Baby Jive,” a compilation album by Roy Wood’s band Wizzard.
- October 1975, A&M Records release “Mama Coco” by Gino Vannelli on 45. Written by Vannelli and co-produced by he and his brother Joe Vannelli, the record peaked at No. 115 in America.
- October 1975, Discreet Records release the album “Bongo Fury” by Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention with Captain Beefheart. The LP was recorded mostly live on May 20thand the 21st at Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas with two studio tracks in January 1975.
- October 1976, 20th Century Records release the various artist movie soundtrack “All This And WWII.” The record featured songs by The Beatles recorded by various artists Peter Gabriel, Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, Ambrosia, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Bryan Ferry and others. The album peaked at No. 48 on December 25th.
- October 1977, John Entwistle produces the self-titled debut LP by The Fabulous Poodles and played on the Lonnie Donegan LP “Puttin’ On The Style.”
- October 1977, Virgin Records in Britain release “Science Friction” backed with “She’s So Square” the first single by XTC. Both songs were written by singer and guitarist Andy Partridge and produced by John Leckie.
- October 1978, Brian Eno’s “Music For Films” is released. Originally issued as a limited edition of five hundred copies sent to filmmakers, the full release of the record added more tracks to the set. The ambient songs on the album were recorded from 1975 through 1978.
- October 1978, Chrysalis Records release “Hanging On The Telephone” by Blondie on 45. The song was a cover version of The Nerves’ song from 1976, written by Jack Lee. Produced by Mike Chapman, the single went to No. 5 in Britain.
- October 1980, Atco Records release “In The Midnight Hour,” a cover version of the Wilson Pickett hit, on 45. Ther record had a brief chart run, peaking at No. 106 on the US singles charts.
- October 1980, Atco Records release “People Who Died” by The Jim Carroll Band on 45. Written by Jim Carroll and produced by Earl McGrath, the record peaked at No. 103.
- October 1980, Virgin Records in Britain release “Towers Of London” by XTC on 45. The song was written by Andy Partridge, taken from the Steve Lillywhite produced LP “Black Sea.” The record peaked at No. 31 in England.
- October 1981, Capitol Records release “Lunatic Fringe” by Red Rider on 45. Written by singer and guitarist Tom Cochran, the record peaked at No. 11 in the US.
- October 1986, Legacy Records release “Raining In The City” by Roy Wood on 45. The song was written and produced by Roy Wood from the LP “Starting Up.”
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of October 11th
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 10/11 The Johnny Burnette Trio
Cool songs from the Rock and Roll Era, Closet Classics and more.
Craig Maher / Exo-X-Xeno Wax Museum Interview
Craig Maher from Exo-X-Xeno talking about the 2025 album "Luminous Voyage"
- Click picture to listen to the interview with Craig talking about the Exo-X-Xeno project with Yes members Billy Sherwood, Jay Shellen and Patrick Moraz.
Nektar Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
Nektar interviewed on the second night of the 2025 "Mission To Mars" Tour
- Click image to hear the exclusive the Wax Museum interview with Nektar discussiing the current tour, future plans and group history.
The Paul Bielatowicz Band Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
The Paul Bielatowicz Band interviewed on their 2025 Spring Tour
- Click image to hear the exclusive the Wax Museum interview with The Paul Bielatowicz Band discussiing the current tour and future plans.
Music and conversation with Andy Tillison of The Tangent
Wax Museum interview May 2024
- Click image to hear The Wax Museum's Andy Tillison interview
Jonas Reingold Interview
Jonas Reingold in The Wax Museum
Click image to hear the Wax Museum Interview with Jonas Reingold
Carl Giammarese / The Buckinghams Interview
The Buckinghams Radio Show
Click image to hear Chris Palladino's interviews on WRGG with Carl Giammarese from The Buckinghams in 2022 and 2024
Robert Fripp Radio Oz interview 7/25/85
King Crimson guitarist Radio Oz interview
- Click Fripp's image to hear the King Crimson guitarist, record producer, solo artist in this 1985 interview for the WARX Sunday night Radio Oz program. Fripp discusses his then current Guitar Craft courses, King Crimson stories, his start in the music business, and more.
Annie Haslam 2019 Wax Museum interview
Annie Haslam "In Words and Music"
- Click picture to hear Annie Haslam "In Words and Music". The iconic Renaissance singer talks at length about music, her life, and artwork for an exclusive interview in The Wax Museum.
Tommy James Wax Museum Interview January 2019
Tommy James
- Click picture to hear Tommy promoting all his planned 2019 activities; new album, Sirius XM radio show, touring, new movie, etc.
From the Radio Oz interview archives
Firesign Theatre interview 1980
- Click picture to listen to this archival interview with The Firesign Theatre recorded during their 1980 Fighting Clowns tour of the US for Radio Oz now available for purchase in the Firesign Theatre's "Fighting Clowns" of Hollywood" collection! Also check out this Tiny Ossman interview from 1995 -
Woody Lissauer Wax Museum Interview 2/22/20
Baltimore based Woody Lissauer steps up to the Wax Museum microphones for this in depth interview!
- Click picture to listen to the Wax Museum interview with Woody Lissauer and his latest album "Trouble The Water" with Barbara Ireland and Steve Caplan.
