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Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History August 30th
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 30th
- August 30th Birthday, The Mamas and Papas singer, songwriter and bandleader John Phillips, who later went on to a solo career, born in 1935 in Paris Island, South Carolina. He died of heart failure on March 18th, 2001 at the age of 65.
- August 30th Birthday, Little Feat guitarist, singer and songwriter Fred Tackett, born in 1945.
- August 30th Birthday, Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody, born in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England in 1950.
Today In Rock and Roll History
August 30th
- August 30th, 1961 Chicago group The Dukays record four songs with producers Carl Davis and Bill “Bunky” Sheppard at Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago. Davis and Sheppard shopped the recordings to Vee Jay Records, who released one of the songs, “Duke Of Earl,” and credited it to the group’s lead singer Gene Chandler, to that point known by his real name, Eugene Drake Dixon. The song was co-written by Dixon, Bernice Williams and Earl Edwards. The record was released December 1st and became Vee Jay’s first No. 1 on February 17th and the label’s first million selling 45.
- August 30th, 1963 ABC-Paramount Records release “Everybody” by Tommy Roe on 45. The song was written by Roe and produced by Felton Jarvis at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Robert Putnam played bass with David Briggs on piano, Bobby West on guitar and Jerry Carrigan on drums, all veterans of the Muscle Shoals team of studio musicians. The record peaked at No. 3 on December 7th.
- August 30th, 1965 Bob Dylan’s second “electrified” album, “Highway 61 Revisited” is released by Columbia Records. The LP was recorded from June 15th and 16th with producer Tom Wilson and again on July 29th through August 4thwith Bob Johnston producing. Both sets of sessions took place at Columbia Studio A in New York City. In between, Dylan performed his controversial electric live set at the Newport Folk Festival on July 25th. “Highway 61 Revisited” spent forty-six weeks on the charts and peaked at No. 3 on November 6th.
- August 30th, 1966 Dunhill Records release the self-titled “The Mamas & The Papas” LP. Singer Michelle Phillips was fired from the group during the sessions for the album. Producer Lou Adler’s girlfriend Jill Gibson was hired to replace her and sang on about half of the songs. The cover of the album was already photographed, so Gibson’s image was superimposed over Phillips. Then Dunhill decided on a new cover and title for the album, renaming it “Crashon Screamon All Fall Down” and sent retitled copies out to radio stations. Before it came out in record stores, Michelle Phillips was reinstated into the lineup and the original cover was used for its release. Wrecking Crew members Hal Blaine played drums, Larry Knechtel played organ and piano bass. Ray Manzerek from The Doors played organ and piano on the song “No Salt On Her Tail.” The album featured the John Phillips and Denny Doherty written hit “I Saw Her Again.” The record peaked at No. 4 on October 22nd.
- August 30th, 1968 Regal Zonophone Records in Britain release “Wild Triger Woman” backed with “Omnibus” by The Move on 45. Both songs were written by Roy Wood and produced by Denny Cordell.
- August 30th, 1968 The Rolling Stones release “Street Fighting Man” on 45. The song was co-written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Issued as the lead single from the “Beggar’s Banquet” LP, many radio stations didn’t play it due to controversy over the lyrics and subject matter. The track didn’t get a UK release on single until 1971. “Street Fighting Man” peaked at No. 48 on October 5th.
- August 30th, 1968 Heavily influencing the country rock movement, The Byrds release their sixth album “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo.” Featuring Gram Parsons, who joined the band in February sessions for the album were split between Columbia Studios in both Nashville, Tennessee and Hollywood, California with producer Gary Usher. By the time the album was released, Parsons had left the band. “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” peaked at No. 77 on October 12th.
- August 30th, 1968 Apple Records release “Those Were The Days” by Mary Hopkin on 45. The track was produced by Paul McCartney at EMI Studios in London with a string arrangement by Richard Hewson. The song was credited to Gene Raskin, who put English lyrics to a Russian love song “Dorogoi dlinnoyu,” composed by Boris Fomin with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevsky. The single went to No. 1 in England on September 28th and peaked at No. 2 in America on November 2nd.
- August 30th, 1969 The three-day Texas International Pop Festival opens at the Dallas International Motor Speedway. Performers included Chicago Transit Authority, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin and Santana.
- August 30th, 1969 The self-titled debut album by Santana is released, first appearing on the album charts two weeks later, September 13th. Recorded at Pacific Recording, San Mateo, California, self-produced by the band and Brent Dangerfield. Given a boost by Santana’s set at Woodstock earlier in the month, the album’s second single “Evil Ways” would peak at No. 9. The album reached No. 4 on November 15th.
- August 30th, 1971 Brother Records release “Surf’s Up” the seventeenth album by The Beach Boys. Most of the LP was recorded from January through July 1971, although the “Surf’s Up” title track dates to the “Smile” sessions in 1966. “Surf’s Up” peaked at No. 29 on October 30th.
- August 30th, 1972 Stevie Wonder and Roberta Flack joined John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Elephant’s Memory to sing “Give Peace A Chance” at their “One To One” benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. The show raised over $250,000 to aid mentally challenged children.
- August 30th, 1973 The Doors officially disband, two years after Jim Morrison’s death.
- August 30th, 1975 Island Records release “No Reservations,” the first album by Blackfoot. The LP was The album was produced by Jimmy Johnson and David Hood for Muscle Shoals Sound Productions.
- August 30th, 1975 Following the success of 10cc’s “The Original Soundtrack” album, their previous record label UK Records released a collection of older tracks called “100cc.” The track listing varied between the British and US versions, with the British copies featuring songs that had appeared on the group’s hit single B-sides. The American version was a collection of songs from the band’s first two albums. In the US, “100cc” peaked at No. 161 on October 4th.
- August 30th, 1975 The 4 Seasons “Who Loves You” enters the singles charts. The track stirred controversy in the group when they recorded the song while Frankie Valli was touring solo overseas and was unavailable for the session. The band recruited guitarist Don Ciccone to sing lead, then Warner Brothers Records declared him the new Four Seasons new lead singer. Valli objected and insisted on rerecording parts of the vocals with his voice inserted into the song. Released as the B-side to “Oh What A Night (December 1963),” the song began to pick up significant radio airplay of its own. Written by long-time 4 Seasons songwriter Bob Gaudio and co-credited to he and his girlfriend Judy Parker and produced by Gaudio, “Who Loves You” reached No. 3 on November 15th. It was the final 4 Seasons hit with bassist and backing vocalist Joe Long.
- August 30th, 1978 Shelter/ABC Records release “Listen To Her Heart” by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers on 45. The song was written by Tom Petty and co-produced by Petty, Denny Cordell and Noah Shark at Shelter Studios in Hollywood, California. ABC Records lobbied Petty to change the lyrical reference to cocaine in the song’s first verse, but he refused. The record label felt the mention would limit the song’s radio airplay. “Listen To Her Heart” peaked at No. 59 on October 21st.
- August 30th, 1982 Mushroom Records in Australia release Split Enz’ “Never Ceases To Amaze Me” on 45, the third single from the “Tide And Time” LP. The record was co-produced by Split Enz with Hugh Padgham in Sydney, Australia. The single’s B-side, I See Red” was a live version of the band’s 1978 hit taped at The Regent Theatre in Sydney.
- August 30th, 1983 Virgin Records in Britain release “Mummer” by XTC, where it peaked at No. 51. Geffen Records picked it up the following February for distribution in the US, where it peaked at No. 145 on March 10th, 1984.
- August 30th, 1986 Steve Winwood had the No. 1 record in the US with “Higher Love.” The song reached No. 13 in the UK.
- August 30th, 1994 Creation Records release “Definitely Maybe” by Oasis. The record peaked at No. 58 but was the fastest selling debut album in British chart history, going straight to No. 1.
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 30th
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 8/30 The Count Five
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"
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Nektar Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
Nektar interviewed on the second night of the 2025 "Mission To Mars" Tour
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The Paul Bielatowicz Band Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
The Paul Bielatowicz Band interviewed on their 2025 Spring Tour
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Jonas Reingold Interview
Jonas Reingold in The Wax Museum
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Carl Giammarese / The Buckinghams Interview
The Buckinghams Radio Show
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Annie Haslam 2019 Wax Museum interview
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Tommy James Wax Museum Interview January 2019
Tommy James
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From the Radio Oz interview archives
Firesign Theatre interview 1980
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Woody Lissauer Wax Museum Interview 2/22/20
Baltimore based Woody Lissauer steps up to the Wax Museum microphones for this in depth interview!
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