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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

December 10th

December 10th Birthday, Blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Guitar Slim, born Eddie Jones in 1926 in Greenwood, Mississippi. His use of distorted guitar tones was a major influence on rock and roll. He died of pneumonia in New York City on February 7th, 1959 at the age of 32.

December 10th Birthday, Chad and Jeremy guitarist and singer Chad Stuart born David Stuart Chadwick in 1941 in Windermere, Westmorland, England. He died on December 20th, 2020 at the age of 79.

December 10th Birthday, The Move bassist Ace Kefford, born Christopher John Kefford in Moseley, Birmingham, England in 1946.

December 10th Birthday, The Commodores’ drummer and vocalist Walter Orange, born in Florida in 1946.

December 10th Birthday, Keyboardist and solo artist Larry Fast, born in 1951 in Essex County, New Jersey.

December 10th Birthday, Drummer Meg White from The White Stripes, born Megan Martha White in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan in 1974.

Today In Rock and Roll History

December 10th

December 10th, 1964 Sam Cooke is shot and killed after a motel room argument with a woman not his wife. The motel manager shot him three times with a pistol after Cooke kicked in her door.

December 10th, 1965 The Grateful Dead perform their second ever show, at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium.

December 10th, 1966 Parlophone Records in Britain release The Beatles compilation album “A Collection Of Beatles Oldies-But Goodies!” Several tracks on the LP were previously issued on 45, making their album debut in Britain. The record peaked at No. 6 on the album charts.

December 10th, 1966 London Records release the first live LP by The Rolling Stones, “Got Live If You Want It!” Engineer Glyn Johns used the IBC Mobile Unit to record Stones’ shows at City Hall in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on October 1st and Colston Hall in Bristol on October 7th. Two songs were studio recordings that were enhanced with the sound of an audience. “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” was recorded between May 11thand 12th, 1965 at RCA Studios in Hollywood. The second, “Fortune Teller,” was taken from a July 9th, 1963 session at Decca Studios in West Hampstead. The album, produced by the band’s manager Andrew Loog Oldham, reached No. 6 on January 21st, 1967.

December 10th, 1966 “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys is the No. 1 record in the US.

December 10th, 1966 Decca Records release “I’m A Boy” by The Who on 45. Written by Who guitarist Pete Townshend, the track was produced by Kit Lambert at IBC Studios around July 31st and August 1st and released just over three weeks later on the 26th of August in Britain with “In the City” as the B-side. The single reached No. 2 in Britain but failed to chart in the US.

December 10th, 1966 Roy Orbison’s “Communication Breakdown” enters the singles charts. Co-written by Bill Dees and Roy Orbison, the song was released from Orbison’s “Cry Softly Lonely One” album, co-produced by Wesley Rose and Jim Vienneau. “Communication Breakdown” reached No. 9 in Australia, No. 60 in the US, on January 7th, 1967.

December 10th, 1967 The Steve Miller Blues Band signs with Capitol Records for seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Capitol persuaded the group to drop the “Blues” from its name.

December 10th, 1969 Elvis Presley collects his forty-eighth Gold Record for “Suspicious Minds.” It was Presley’s seventeenth and final No. 1 single in the United States.

December 10th, 1969 Epic Records release “1984” by Spirit as a stand-alone single. Written by Spirit guitarist Randy California and produced Lou Adler, the song was inspired by George Orwell’s novel, “1984.” Highly critical of the US government, the song was banned from being played on some radio stations. The record entered the charts in February and went to No. 69 on March 21st.

December 10th, 1969 Epic Records release “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin” backed with “Everybody Is a Star,” as a double A-sided single by Sly & The Family Stone. Both songs were written and produced by Sly Stone. The record entered the charts in January and reached No. 1 on February 14th, 1970.

December 10th, 1970 Island Records in Britain release “Lizard,” the third studio LP by King Crimson. Recorded at Wessex Sound in London, England from August through September with Robert Fripp and Peter Sinfield producing. Britain’s Crimson audience pushed the record to No. 29 in the charts. In America, the album came out the following March and peaked at No. 113 on April 24th, 1971.

December 10th, 1971 John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Joy Of Cooking, David Peel, Phil Ochs and others appear at the “Free John Sinclair Rally” at Crisler Arena at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The rally was an effort to get poet, writer and political activist John Sinclair out of jail, sentenced to ten years in prison for possession of two marijuana joints. Sinclair was released from prison two days after the rally, on December 12th. The event was filmed and released as Ten For Two.

December 10th, 1976 Queen’s fifth studio album “A Day At The Races” is released. The record was recorded at self-produced sessions at The Manor in Oxfordshire, SARM in East London, Wessex Sound in Highbury New Park and Advision Studios in London, from July through November. On January 8th, 1977 “A Day At The Races” became the No. 1 album in Britain and went to No. 5 in the US on February 12th.

December 10th, 1976 Paul McCartney and Wings live LP, “Wings Over America,” is simultaneously released and certified Gold. The album was recorded during the American leg of the band’s 1975–76 Wings Over the World tour. The album peaked at No. 8 in Britain and No. 1 in the US, on January 22nd, 1977.

December 10th, 1977 RSO Records release “If I Can’t Have You” by Yvonne Elliman on 45. Issued as the first single from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack album not performed by The Bee Gees, it was, in fact, co-written by the brothers Gibb and produced by Freddie Perren. The record became a No. 1 hit on May 13th.

December 10th, 1977 Peter Frampton’s “Tried To Love” enters the singles charts. Written and produced by Frampton from his “I’m In You” LP, the record peaked at No. 70 on December 10th.

December 10th, 1977 Foreigner “Long Long Way From Home” enters the singles charts. Co-written by Mick Jones, Lou Gramm and Ian McDonald and released as the third single from Foreigner’s debut album, the record peaked at No. 20 on February 18th, 1978.

December 10th, 1980 CBS/SONY Records in Japan release Dream After Dream” by Journey. The record served as the soundtrack to a Japanese film of the same name. Primarily an instrumental LP, it was the final group recordings keyboardist and original group vocalist Gregg Rollie recorded with the band, from October 13ththrough the 22nd at Shinaromaki Studios in Tokyo.

Miscellaneous December

December 1951 RPM Records release “3 O’Clock Blues” backed with “That Ain’t The Way To Do It,” the first single by B. B. King. Both songs were written by B.B. King. Johnny Ace played piano on the track.

December 1953 Specialty Records release “The Things I Used To Do” backed with “Well, I Done Got Over It” by Guitar Slim and His Band on 45. The tracks were recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s J&M Studio in New Orleans with John Vincent producing. The songs were arranged by Ray Charles, who plays piano on the sessions. Both tracks were written by Guitar Slim, credited to his real name, Eddie Jones. Slim was seriously injured in an automobile accident at the time “The Things I Used To Do” was the No. 1 R&B single in the country.

December 1959 Checker Records release the Bo Diddley album “Have Guitar Will Travel.”

December 1963 Daytone Records release “Hurricane” backed with “Sweet Love” by Conrad and The Hurricanes on 45. The tracks were taped at PAL Studios in Cucamonga, California. Both songs were written by Ed Sigarlaki and produced by Frank Zappa and Dave Aerni using the aliases Curry, Ivan. The single was reissued on Era Records in June 1964 with the A&B sides reversed.

December 1964 Fantasy Records release “Don’t Tell Me No Lies” backed with “Little Girl (Does Your Mama Know?),” the first record by The Golliwogs on 45. Both sides were co-written by Tom and John Fogerty, using the names Rann Wild and Toby Green. The Golliwogs renamed themselves Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1967.

December 1965 Sue Records release “The New Breed (pts. 1&2)” by Ike Turner and His Kings Of Rhythm on 45. The instrumental was written by Ike Turner and co-produced by he and Tinas Turner.

December 1968 Verve Forecast Records release “Reason To Believe” by Tim Hardin on 45. The song was a No. 62 hit for Rod Stewart when it was released as the first single from Stewarts “Every Picture Tells A Story” LP in 1971.

December 1968 Island Records in Britain release “What We Did On Our Holidays,” the second album by Fairport Convention, their first to feature singer and songwriter Sandy Denny. Produced by Joe Boyd, the record was released in America with a different cover and a self-titled name.

December 1969 Mercury Records release “Earth” backed with “Step On Me” by Smile at 45. The A-side was written by singer and bassist Tim Staffell. “Step On Me” was co-written by Staffell and guitarist Brian May. Drummer Roger Taylor and May changed the name of the band to Queen when Staffell quit the group and they hired singer Freddie Mercury.

December 1969 Island Records in Britain release the Joe Boyd produced “Liege And Lief” album by Fairport Convention. The record was issued in America on A&M Records the following July. A No. 17 hit in England, it was Fairport’s third album of 1969 and their first following the road accident that killed drummer Martin Lamble.

December 1970 The Famous Charisma Label in Britain release “H To He Who Am The Only One,” the third album by Van der Graaf Generator. The LP was recorded at Trident Studios in London with John Anthony producing. Dunhill Records in the US issued the album in February 1971. Robert Fripp of King Crimson played guitar on the track “The Emperor And His War Room.”

December 1972 Epic records release “R.E.O. T.W.O.,” the second studio LP by REO Speedwagon. Initial sessions for the LP were recorded in Nashville, then moved to The Record Plant in Los Angeles. The album was co-produced by Paul Leka and Billy Rose II.

December 1972 United Artists Records release The Move compilation “Splits Ends.” The tracks drew mostly from the band’s previous album “Message From The Country” as well as earlier group singles.

December 1974 Atlantic Records release “Can’t Stop The Music (He Played It Much Too Long)” by Hall and Oates on 45. Written by John Oates, the record was produced by Todd Rundgren at Secret Sound Studios in New York City.

December 1987 Barking Pumpkin Records release Frank Zappa “Old Masters Box Three.” The set completed a trio of archival reissues of the original albums Zappa recorded with The Mothers Of Invention. The release featured the albums “Waka/Jawaka,” “The Grand Wazoo,” “Over-Nite Sensation,” “Apostrophe (‘),” “Roxy And Elsewhere,” “One Size Fits All,” “Bongo Fury” and “Zoot Allures”.