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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

August 4th

August 4th Birthday, Wrecking Crew keyboardist and bassist Larry Knechtel, born in Bell, California in 1949. Knechtel died on August 20th, 2009 at the age of 69.

August 4th Birthday, Maureen Cox Starkey, first wife of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and mother of Who drummer Zak Starkey, born in Liverpool, England in 1946.

August 4th Birthday, Klause Schulze, an original member of progressive German ambient band Tangerine Dream and a solo artist, born in Berlin, Germany in 1947. Schulze died on the 26th of April 2022 following a long illness at the age of 74.

August 4th Birthday, Clannad vocalist and songwriter Moya Brennan, born Maire Ni Bhraonian, born in Dublin, Dublin County, Ireland in 1952.

Today In Rock and Roll History

August 4th

August 4th, 1958 During their second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Everly Brothers sang “Wake Up Little Susie” and “Doll Baby.”

August 4th, 1962 The 4 Seasons release “Sherry” on 45. Written by Bob Gaudio and produced during July recording sessions with Bob Crewe. Gaudio’s inspiration for the song was Bruce Channel’s “Hey Baby!” and the title went through several name changes before he settled on “Sherry.” The record was The 4 Seasons first chart single, reaching No. 1 on September 15th.

August 4th, 1963 The Beatles played their last set at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, the place where they had been discovered by Brian Epstein.

August 4th, 1966 Gordy Records release “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep” by The Temptations on 45. Co-written by Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland and produced by Whitfield, the record spent twelve weeks on the charts and peaked at No. 3 on October 1st.

August 4th, 1967 Atlantic Records release “Aretha Arrives” by Aretha Franklin. The album was produced by Jerry Wexler. recorded in three days at Muscle Shoals Studios in Alabama. The record featured the hit “Baby, I Love You” and peaked at No. 5 on the album charts on October 7th.

August 4th, 1967 Columbia Records in Britain release the debut album by Pink Floyd “The Piper At the Gates of Dawn.” Sessions began February 21st, 1967 at EMI Studios, London working on the song “Matilda Mother” with former Beatles engineer Norman Smith as their producer. The Beatles were recording “Fixing A Hole” at EMI in the studio next door. The album would reach No. 6 in the UK and was released in America on Tower Records on the 21st of October where it peaked at No. 131 on January 27th, 1968.

August 4th, 1971 Epic Records release “Handbags and Gladrags” by Chase on 45. Written by Mike D’abo in 1967, the song became a bigger hit for Rod Stewart a year later. The Chase version, co-produced by Frank Rand and Bob DeStocki, peaked at No. 84 on October 2nd.

August 4th, 1972 Island Records in Britain release “Virginia Plain,” the debut single by Roxy Music. Written by singer Bryan Ferry and produced by Pete Sinfield in July at Command Studios in London, the single peaked at No. 4 in Britain.

August 4th, 1972 UK Records in Britain release “Donna,” the debut single by 10cc. Co-written by Lol Creme and Kevin Godley and produced by Eric Stewart, Creme sang the falsetto lead on the song. The track was a parody of 1950’s styled doo-wop music, with a melody similar to “Oh Darling!” by The Beatles. “Donna” went to No. 2 in England. The single came out in America in November.

August 4th, 1975 Polydor Records release “R-A-I-N-B-O-W,” the first album by Blackmore’s Rainbow, the band formed by original Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Plans to record a single developed into a band album, with former Elf singer Ronnie James Dio fronting the group. The album peaked at No. 30 on October 25th.

August 4th, 1978 Polydor Records in Britain release the instrumental track “Island” by Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera as a single from the Manzanera/801 “Listen Now” album.

August 4th, 1979 The Electric Light Orchestra’s “Don’t Bring Me Down” enters the singles charts following a July release. When the group album “Discovery” was issued, “Shine A Little Love” was the lead single from the LP, but “Don’t Bring Me Down” garnered significant radio airplay and the single was rush released, becoming the group’s all time biggest selling 45, peaking at No. 4 on September 8th.

August 4th, 1979 U2 begin recording their first record “Three,” a three song EP with “Out Of Control” as the featured A-side. Completed the following day and released September 26th in their native Ireland by CBS Records, the twelve-inch vinyl sold out almost immediately, becoming the highest-selling twelve-inch EP in Irish history. The 7-inch single spent two weeks on the Irish Singles Chart, peaking at No. 19. Geoff Travis of the record label Rough Trade Records imported copies of “Three” into the UK and the British music press began to take notice.

August 4th, 1980 After a five-year hiatus, John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin recording their album “Double Fantasy” at New York’s Hit Factory Studio with producer Jack Douglas. Released November 17th, the LP would go to No. 1 in the US on December 27th. “Double Fantasy” received the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

August 4th, 1982 Warner Brothers Records release “If That’s What It Takes,” the debut solo album by Michael McDonald. The album featured the hit “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” and peaked at No. 6 on October 2nd.

August 4th, 1984 Prince started a twenty-four-week run at the top of the album charts with his sixth LP “Purple Rain.” Its’ total sales are over twenty-five million copies, making it one of the bestselling albums of all time.

August 4th, 1984 Island Records release “Legend,” a greatest hits collection by Bob Marley and The Wailers. The album peaked at No. 54 on October 27th.

August 4th, 1992 A&M Records release “New Miserable Experience” by Gin Blossoms. The album featured the hits “Found Out About You” and “Hey Jealousy” and peaked at No. 30 on February 5th, 1994.

August 4th, 1992 Epic Records release the Donovan two-CD retrospective “Troubadour.”

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.