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Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History August 19th
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 19th
- August 19th Birthday, Cream drummer and solo artist Ginger Baker, born Peter Edward Baker in 1940 in Lewisham, South London, England. Baker died on October 6th, 2019 at the age of 80.
- August 19th Birthday, Singer, songwriter Johnny Nash, born John Lester Nash Jr. in 1940 in Houston, Texas. Nash died on October 6th, 2020 at the age of 80.
- August 19th Birthday, British Invasion Singer Billy J. Kramer, born William Howard Ashton in Bootle, Lancashire, England in 1943.
- August 19th Birthday, Deep Purple singer and solo artist Ian Gillan, born in Chiswick, London, England in 1945.
- August 19th Birthday, The Poppy Family singer and solo artist Susan Jacks, born Susan Pesklevits in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1948. Jacks died on April 25th, 2022, the result of kidney disease related infections, at the age of 73.
- August 19th Birthday, Queen bassist John Deacon born John Richard Deacon in Leicester, England in 1951.
- August 19th Birthday, The Neville Brothers multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Ivan Neville, born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1959.
Today In Rock and Roll History
August 19th
- August 19th, 1963 Peter, Paul And Mary perform “Blowin’ In The Wind” for civil rights marchers in Washington DC who had gathered to hear Martin Luther King Jr. speak.
- August 19th, 1963 Epic Records release “Bless You”, the second single by Tony Orlando. Co-written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and arranged by Carole King, co-producers were Don Kirshner, Al Nevins and Jack Keller. The record peaked at No. 15 on October 14th. It was the follow-up to Orlando’s debut “Halfway To Paradise”, a No. 39 hit that June.
- August 19th, 1966 Pye Records release “I Dig Everything” backed with “I’m Not Losing Sleep” by David Bowie. Both songs were written by Bowie and the third single released that he’d recorded with producer Tony Hatch.
- August 19th, 1967 Roulette Records release “Getting’ Together” by Tommy James and The Shondells on 45. The song was written by Ritchie Cordell and co-produced by Cordell and Bo Gentry. The single went to No. 18 on September 30th.
- August 19th, 1967 The Beatles single “All You Need Is Love” hits No. 1, the same day Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen have a baby boy named Jason.
- August 19th, 1968 After fifty-eight episodes, the final The Monkees TV show airs on the NBC network.
- August 19th, 1968 Tower Records release “Let There Be More Light” backed with “Remember A Day” by Pink Floyd on 45. “Let There Be More Light” was written by Roger Waters, who whispers the verse lyrics in tandem with the vocal melody by Rick Wright. The chorus was sung by guitarist David Gilmour. Written and sung by keyboardist Rick Wright, “Remember A Day” was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in London with producer Norman Smith and features a Syd Barrett guitar solo. The single’s A-side was recorded at EMI Studios in London.
- August 19th, 1969 Atlantic Records release the self-titled debut album by Boz Scaggs. Duane Allman plays on four songs on the record. Other players include members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Eddie Hinton, David Hood, Roger Hawkins, Barry Beckett and others. Jann Wenner, Marlin Greene and Boz Scaggs co-produced the LP at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama. The album entered the charts nearly five years later and peaked at No. 171 on July 24th, 1976.
- August 19th, 1969 A&M Records release “Close To You,” the second album by The Carpenters. The LP was produced by Jack Daugherty at A&M Studios in Hollywood. Drummer Hal Blaine was brought in for the sessions to augment Karen Carpenter’s drum tracks in the studio, a situation that she approved of. “Close To You” featured the hits “We’ve Only Just Begun” and the “Close To You” title track. The record peaked at No. 2 on December 5th.
- August 19th, 1972 NBC debuted their Rock and Roll TV show Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack announcing. The first show featured War performing “Slippin’ Into Darkness.”
- August 19th, 1972 Epic Records release the “I Can See Clearly Now” album by Johnny Nash. The backing band for Nash on the record was Jamaican reggae group Fabulous Five Inc. The LP featured two hit singles, the album’s title track and a cover of Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up.” The album peaked at No. 23 on December 9th.
- August 19th, 1972 The self-titled debut album by Captain Beyond enters the album charts on Capricorn Records. The record peaked at No. 134 on October 14th.
- August 19th, 1972 Sussex Records release “Use Me” by Bill Withers. Withers performed the song on the television show Soul Train on November 4th. Written and produced by Withers, “Use Me” reached No. 2 on October 14thand was certified Gold for a million copies sold.
- August 19th, 1973 Jethro Tull had the No. 1 album in the US with “A Passion Play.”
- August 19th, 1974 RCA Records release “Pussycats,” the tenth album by Nilsson. The LP was produced by John Lennon from March through May 1974. Initial sessions began at Burbank Studios in Los Angeles. Lennon finished mixing the tapes at The Record Plant in New York City. The cast of guest musicians on the LP include Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Jim Keltner, Jessie Ed Davis, Klauss Voorman and Bobby Keys. “Pussycats” peaked at No. 60 on November 2nd.
- August 19th, 1974 Atlantic Records release “So Far,” the greatest hits collection by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The record peaked at No. 1 on November 2nd.
- August 19th, 1974 Manticore Records release “Welcome Back My Friends, To The Show That Never Ends - Ladies and Gentlemen, Emerson Lake and Palmer.” A triple album live set produced by Greg Lake, the LP was recorded live during ELP’s “Someone Get Me A Ladder” tour of 1973-1974. The record peaked at No. 4 in the album charts on October 26th.
- August 19th, 1974 Capitol Records release “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” by The Raspberries on 45. Written by group singer Eric Carmen and produced by Jimmy Ienner at Record Plant Studios in New York City, it was the first single release from the Raspberries fourth and final LP “Starting Over” and The Raspberries final charting single, peaking at No. 18 on November 9th.
- August 19th, 1977 Warner Brothers Records release “Living On The Fault Line,” the seventh album by The Doobie Brothers. Original group singer and guitarist Tom Johnston left the band early in the sessions, produced by Ted Templeman. The record was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios, Western Recorders and Warner Brothers Studios, all in Hollywood. The LP featured the hit remake of the Marvin Gaye song “Little Darling (I Need You)” and peaked at No. 10 on October 15th.
- August 19th, 1978 Chrysalis Records release “Caravan To Midnight,” the sixth album by Robin Trower. Produced by Don Davis, the record peaked at No. 37 on October 21st.
- August 19th, 1978 Kenny Loggins duet with Stevie Nicks “Whenever I Call You Friend” enters the singles charts. Jazz musician Bob James produced the session and did a string arrangement for it as well. Loggins co-wrote the song with Melissa Manchester, who released her version on her self-titled 1979 LP. The Kenny Loggins/ Stevie Nicks version peaked at No. 5 on October 28th.
- August 19th, 1978 “Don’t Look Back” by Boston enters the singles charts. Written and produced by guitarist Tom Sholtz, singer Brad Delp performed all the lead and backing vocals himself. The 45 version features two distinct edits from the full-length album version with a looped ending in the fade out. The record peaked at No. 4 on October 7th, No. 6 in Canada.
- August 19th, 1978 Linda Ronstadt’s cover of the Chuck Berry song “Back In The USA” enters the singles charts. Produced by Peter Asher, it was the first of five singles released from Ronstadt’s “Living In The USA” LP. The record reached No. 11 on October 14th.
- August 19th, 1978 “Badlands” by Bruce Springsteen enters the singles charts. The melodic motif that begins the song was inspired by The Animals “Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” “Badlands” was the second single from Springsteen’s “Darkness On The Edge Of Town” LP and peaked at No. 42 on September 23rd.
- August 19th, 1978 “Lights” by Journey enters the singles charts. Singer Steve Perry began writing the song about Los Angeles, prior to being asked to join Journey, who were from the San Francisco Bay area. Working with guitarist Neil Schon, the song became a tribute to Journey’s hometown and was recorded soon after Perry joined the band. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the single reached No. 68 on September 9th.
- August 19th, 1985 Riva Records release “Scarecrow” by John Cougar Mellencamp. The album was co-produced by John Mellencamp and Don Gehman and featured the hits “Small Town,” “Lonely Ole’ Night” and “R.O.C.K. In The USA.” The record peaked at No. 2 on November 16th.
- August 19th, 1997 Fleetwood Mac’s live reunion album “The Dance” is released. Recorded at a show at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California on May 23rd, the LP was co-produced by Lindsey Buckingham and Elliot Scheiner. The record peaked at No. 1 on September 6th.
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 16th
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 8/16 The Band
Cool songs from the Rock and Roll Era, Closet Classics and more.
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