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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

December 20th

December 20th Birthday, Electric Blues guitarist Pat Hare, born Auburn Hare in Cherry Valley, Minnesota in 1930. Hare’s distorted power chord guitar playing is considered a major influence on both rockabilly guitar playing and an important precursor to heavy metal music. He played in Little Junior’s Blue Flames, James Cotton and on records by Muddy Waters. Hare died of lung cancer in prison on September 26th, 1980 at the age of 49, convicted of murdering his girlfriend in 1953.

December 20th Birthday, Motown singer Kim Weston, born Agatha Nathalia Weston in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan.

December 20th Birthday, Blood Sweat and Tears drummer and record producer Bobby Colomby, born in New York City in 1944.

December 20th Birthday, Kiss drummer Peter Criss, born George Peter John Criscuola in Brooklyn, New York in 1945.

December 20th Birthday, Little Stevie Wright, lead singer for The Easybeats, born in Leeds, England in 1947.

December 20th Birthday, Songwriter, keyboardist and record producer Alan Parsons from The Alan Parsons Project, born in 1948 in London, England.

December 20th Birthday, Singer, songwriter and solo artist Billy Bragg, born in 1957 in Barking, Essex, England.
December 20th Birthday, The Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson, born in Marietta, Georgia in 1966.

Today In Rock and Roll History

December 20th

December 20th, 1955 RCA Victor Records begin their re-release of Elvis Presley’s Sun Records catalog with the reissue of the first four Elvis, Scotty and Bill singles, this time credited solely to Elvis Presley.

December 20th, 1955 Chess Records’ Universal Studios in Chicago is the scene of a Chuck Berry session during which seven songs were recorded. Taped that day were “You Can’t Catch Me,” “Rolli Polli,” “The Down Bound Train,” “No Money Down,” “I’ve Changed” and two instrumentals, “Berry Pickin’” and “Upchuck.” Willie Dixon played double bass, Ebbie Hardy was on drums and either Otis Span or Johnny C. Johnson was on piano.

December 20th, 1965 Wilson Pickett records an Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper tune “634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.).” Booker T’s MG’s were the backing band, with Isaac Hayes on piano and backing vocals by Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. Released January 29th, the single entered the charts in February peaked at No. 13 on the Pop Singles charts on March 26th, 1966 and became a No. 1 R&B hit.

December 20th, 1969 “Leaving On A Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul and Mary is the No. 1 record in the US.

December 20th, 1969 ABC Dunhill Records release “Monster” by Steppenwolf on 45. The song was recorded at sessions for the group’s “Monster” LP at American Recording Company Studio in Los Angeles with producer Gabriel Mekler, engineers Bill Cooper and Richard Podolor. The 45 was edited from a medley of songs on the album. Co-credited to John Kay and Jerry Edmunton. It was the band’s most politically charged record, their first with new guitarist Larry Byrom. “Monster” peaked at No. 39 on February 7th, 1970.

December 20th, 1969 Invictus Records release “Give Me Just A Little More Time,” the debut single by The Chairman Of The Board. Members of Motown’s in-house band, The Funk Brothers, played on the session for the record at HDH Studios in Detroit, Michigan, augmenting the band that included singer General Johnson and group members Danny Woods, Harrison Kennedy and Eddie Curtis. “Give Me Just A Little More Time” went to No. 3 on March 21st, 1970.

December 20th, 1970 Reprise Records release “Desertshore,” the third album by former Velvet Underground singer Nico. The LP was co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd. Sessions for the record were recorded at Sound Techniques Ltd in London, England and at Studio Davout in Paris, France. Nico played harmonium and sang and Cale played all the other instruments. Five of the songs on “Desertshore” were included in the film The Inner Scar by director Phillippe Garrel in which Nico played a starring role.

December 20th, 1971 London Records release “Hot Rocks 1964-1971,” the double album collection of hits by The Rolling Stones. The record reached No. 4 in the album charts on February 12th.

December 20th, 1971 Apple Records release the triple album set “The Concerts For Bangla Desh,” out January 10th in Britain. A live album document of the charity gigs staged by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar in aid of the homeless Bengali refugees of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the record went to No. 2 on January 22nd, 1972.

December 20th, 1971 Capitol Records release Grand Funk Railroad’s “Footstompin’ Music” on 45. Written by guitarist Mark Farner, the single was produced by Terry Knight. The record entered the charts in January and peaked at No. 29 on February 26th, 1972.

December 20th, 1973 Philadelphia International Records release “Love Train” by the O’Jays. Co-written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the track was recorded at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios with house band MFSB (Mother Father Sister Brother). The record went to No. 1 in the US on March 24th, 1973.

December 20th, 1975 “Tracks Of My Tears,” Linda Ronstadt’s cover of the Smokey Robinson, Marv Tarplin and Warren Moore song, enters the singles charts on Asylum Records. Produced by Peter Asher from Ronstadt’s “Prisoner In Disguise” LP, the record peaked at No. 25 on February 28th.

December 20th, 1975 Joe Walsh officially replaces Bernie Leadon in The Eagles.

December 20th, 1975 Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” enters the singles charts. Awarded a Gold Record the following March 11th for a million copies sold, it became Simon’s sole No. 1 hit in the United States as a solo artist on February 7th, 1976. Backing Simon on the record were vocalists Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson and Phoebe Snow. “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” was an international hit in France, where it peaked at No. 2 and went Top Twenty in Canada and New Zealand.

December 20th, 1976 Warner Brothers Records release “December 1963 (Oh What A Night)” on 45 by the Four Seasons. Co-written by original Four Seasons keyboard player Bob Gaudio and his future wife Judy Parker, produced by Gaudio with drummer Gerry Polci on lead vocals, the single entered the charts a week later and peaked at No. 1 on March 13th, 1976.

December 20th, 1976 Warner Brothers Records release Fleetwood Macs “Go Your Own Way” on 45. Written by Lindsey Buckingham and issued as the first single from the band’s forthcoming album “Rumours.” The record entered the charts in January to that point, becoming Fleetwood Mac’s biggest selling single in the US, reaching No. 10 in the charts on March 12th, 1977. The single’s B-side was a Stevie Nicks song that was not included on the “Rumours” LP, “Silver Spring.”

December 20th, 1979 Spy/IRS Records release “Sabotage/Live” by Velvet Underground violist John Cale. Produced by Cale, the album was recorded live with his band at CBGB’s nightclub in New York City from June 13th through 16th.

December 20th, 1980 John Lennon’s “Just Like Starting Over” becomes his first UK solo No. 1 hit.

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”.