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Rock and Roll Birthdays

June 1st

June 1st Birthday, American guitarist Jim McCarty, who played with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, The Buddy Miles Express, Cactus and others, born in 1945.

June 1st Birthday, Bass player, guitarist, painter, solo artist Ron Wood from The Rolling Stones, born in 1947 in Hillingdon, London, England.

June 1st Birthday, Singer, songwriter Alanis Morissette, who broke through in 1995 with the sixteen million-selling album “Jagged Little Pill,” born in 1974 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Today In Rock and Roll History

June 1st

June 1st, 1957 King Records release “Think” by The “5” Royales on 45. The song was written by group guitarist Lowman Pauling. The record went to No. 1 on the R&B charts and was a No. 33 hit on the Pop Singles charts for James Brown in 1960

June 1st, 1957 Sam Cooke records “You Send Me” at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California. The session was produced by Robert “Bumps” Blackwell, arranged and conducted by René Hall and released on September 7th on Keen Records. Written by Sam Cooke, it was his first solo single and a No. 1 record on December 9th, the first of Cooke’s twenty-nine Top Forty hits.

June 1st, 1958 Chuck Berry records “Johnny B. Goode” in Chicago with producers Phil and Leonard Chess. On the session with Berry were Johnnie Johnson on piano, Willie Dixon on bass and Jasper Thomas on drums. Released on 45 on May 26th with “Around And Around” on the B-side, the record went to No. 29 on the Pop Singles charts, No. 2 R&B. The lyrics are partly autobiographical. The original words referred to Johnny as a “colored boy,” but Berry changed it to “country boy” get the song played on the radio.

June 1st, 1963 Capitol Records release “The Big Surfer” by Brian Lord and The Midnighters on 45. The song was written by Frank Zappa. Lord was a San Bernadino disc jockey on radio station KMEN. His vocal mannerisms on the song were an impersonation of then-president John Kennedy. The Midnighters were Dave Aerni and Paul Buff, recorded at Buff’s PAL Recording Studio in Cucamonga, California in May. Future Mothers Of Invention singer Ray Collons sings backing vocals. Zappa played lead and rhythm guitar, drums and sang backing vocals.

June 1st, 1963 The Beatles record a BBC Radio session at The BBC Paris Studio, Regent Street, London, England for two Light Programme show segments of Pop Goes The Beatles in one day with producer Terry Henebery and host Lee Peters. The first segment, the second in the “Pop Goes The Beatles” series, was recorded 9:30am–1:30pm with guests The Countrymen and broadcast on June 11th. The second segment, the third in the “Pop Goes The Beatles” series, was recorded from 1:30-5:30pm with guests Carter-Lewis and The Southerners, which was broadcast on June 18th. Recorded at the Pop Goes The Beatles show #2 session were “Too Much Monkey Business” written by Chuck Berry, “I Got To Find My Baby” written by Chuck Berry, “Youngblood” co-written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, “Baby It’s You” co-written by Mack David, Barney Williams and Burt Bacharach, “Til There Was You” written by Merideth Wilson and “Love Me Do” co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Recorded at the Pop Goes The Beatles show #3 session were “A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues” written by Terry Thompson, “Memphis, Tennessee” written by Chuck Berry, “A Taste Of Honey” co-written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlowe, “Sure To Fall (In Love With You)” co-written by William Cantrell, Quinton Claunch and Carl Perkins, “Money (That’s What I Want)” co-written by Janie Bradford and Berry Gordy Jr. and “From Me To You” co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

June 1st, 1964 The Rolling Stones arrived in New York City to launch their first US tour. The debut American gig was at Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California on June 5th. The band played thirteen shows, appeared on several television programs, recorded a number of tracks at Chess Studios in Chicago on June 10th and 11th and finished June 20th with two shows at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

June 1st, 1964 Capitol Records release “You’re My World,” the label’s first single by English singer Cilla Black, out a month earlier, May 1st, in Britain. The song was originally done in 1963 as “Il Mio Mondo,” by Italian singer Umberto Binde, who co-wrote the song with Gino Paoli. Lyricist Carl Sigmund was commissioned by record producer George Martin to write English lyrics for the song. The record entered the singles charts in July and peaked at No. 26 on August 1st, Black’s only American Top Forty hit.

June 1st, 1964 Warner Brothers Records release “The Ferris Wheel” by The Everly Brothers on 45. Co-written by songwriters Ronald Blackwell and brother Dewayne Blackwell, the record peaked at No. 72 on July 25th.

June 1st, 1965 The Temptations release “Since I Lost My Baby” on Gordy Records. Co-written by The Miracles’ Smokey Robinson and Warren Moore, the track was produced by Robinson over three studio sessions, on May 5th, 10th and 12th, at Hitsville, USA Studio A. The track features the lead vocals of David Ruffin and bass singer Melvin Franklin, backed in the studio by The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The single entered the charts in July and reached No. 17 in America on August 28th.

June 1st, 1967 The Beatles eighth studio LP, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is released by Parlophone Records in Britain, one week before its American debut. Sessions for the record began in December 1966 through April 1967 at EMI and Regent Sound Studios in London with producer George Martin. It was the first Beatles album recorded with no intention of presenting the band as a live act to promote it. The songs “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane” were recorded for the project but were issued as a double A-sided single in February. The album spent twenty-two weeks at the top of the UK album chart and fifteen weeks at No. 1 in the US, beginning July 1st. The record won four Grammy Awards in 1968, including Album of the Year, the first rock LP to receive this honor. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” has sold well over thirty million copies to date.

June 1st, 1968 “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel is the No. 1 record in the US.

June 1st, 1968 Tower Records release “Mrs. Bluebird” by Cleveland, Mississippi band “Eternity’s Children.” The song was co-written by Ray Roy and Guy Belello, under their pseudonym, Karl Marion. Co-produced by future Fleetwood Mac board man Keith Olsen and Curt Boettcher, the single entered the charts in July and reached No. 69 on August 3rd.

June 1st, 1968 UNI Records release “Grazing In The Grass” by Hugh Masekela on 45. The backing track of the song was based on a novelty song “Mr. Bull No. 4” by Freddie Gumbi. Actor and singer Philemon Hou was at the Gold Star Studios recording session and he came up with the melody. “Grazin’ In The Grass” is credited on the record label to “P. Hou.” Produced by Stewart Levine, the record entered the singles charts a week later and went to No. 1 on July 20th.

June 1st, 1968 ABC Records release The Ray Charles cover version of Lennon and McCartney’s “Eleanor Rigby” on 45. The record entered the singles charts a week later and peaked at No. 35 on July 27th.

June 1st, 1968 “Here Comes The Judge” by Shorty Long enters the singles charts on the Motown imprint Soul Records. It was one of three versions of the song that entered the charts the same week. Co-written by Billie Jean Brown, Suzanne De Passe and Shorty Long, the record was self-produced by Long, listed on the record by his real name Frederick Long and peaked at No. 8 on July 6th.

June 1st, 1968 Mainstream Records release “Journey To The Centre Of The Mind” by The Amboy Dukes on 45. Co-written by the band’s guitarist Ted Nugent with lyrics by singer Steve Farmer, the record was produced by Bob Shad. The single reached No. 16 on August 24th.

June 1st, 1970 John Lennon records “Give Peace a Chance” in a Hotel room in Montreal, Canada, during his bed in for peace campaign. Released July 4th, by Apple Records in Britain as the first solo single by John Lennon, “Give Peace A Chance,” was credited to The Plastic Ono Band and released three days later in the US. The basic track was recorded in Room 1742 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, with recording engineer André Perry, the owner of a local recording studio. Tommy Smothers played acoustic guitar and sang. Backing voices on the recording included Timothy Leary, Petula Clark, Dick Gregory, Allen Ginsberg and DJ Murray the K. The record reached No. 2 in Britain and No. 14 in America on September 6th.

June 1st, 1970 Atlantic Records in Britain release “Election Fever” backed with “Rock The Election” by Screaming Lord Sutch on 45. Jimmy Page plays guitar on the tracks.

June 1st, 1970 Gordy Records release “Mother Nature” by The Temptations on 45. The song was co-written by Dino Ferakis and Nick Zesses and produced by Norman Whitfield. The record entered the singles charts in July and peaked at No. 92 on July 19th.

June 1st, 1971 Island Records in Britain release “Free Live!” by Free where it reached No. 4. The album was recorded in Sunderland and Croydon, England, in January and September 1970 and issued with one final unreleased studio track recorded before the band split. Out in America in September the record peaked at No. 89 on October 2nd.

June 1st, 1972 Asylum Records release the self-titled album by the Eagles. The record was recorded in London, England at Olympic Studios with produced Glyn Johns and featured three hit singles, “Take It Easy,” “Witchy Woman” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” The album reached No. 22 on August 5th.

June 1st, 1973 Paul McCartney’s theme song for the James Bond movie Live And Let Die, is released in Britain on the day of the film’s premiere. The record came out two weeks later, June 18th, in the US. The track reunited McCartney with former Beatles producer George Martin, who produced and arranged the session. Contacted to write the song by the film’s producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli before the screenplay was finished, McCartney and Wings recorded “Live and Let Die” during the sessions for the “Red Rose Speedway” album in October 1972, at Martin’s AIR Studios. In America, Live And Let Die” entered the singles charts a month later and peaked at No. 2 on August 11th.

June 1st, 1973 Columbia Records release “Roland The Roadie And Gertrude The Groupie” by Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show on 45. The song was written by Shel Silverstein and produced by Ron Hafkine. “Roland The Roadie And Gertrude The Groupie” entered the singles charts in July and peaked at No. 83 on July 21st.

June 1st, 1974 Warner Brothers Records release “Space Station # 5” by Montrose on 45. Edited a minute and a half shorter length from the longer album track, the song was co-written by Ronnie Montrose and Sammy Hagar.

June 1st, 1974 “The Streak” by Ray Stevens is the No. 1 record in the US.

June 1st, 1974 “Rock Your Baby” by George McCrae enters the singles charts on TK Records. The song was co-written, produced and arranged by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch from KC and The Sunshine Band. With Casey on keyboards and Finch on bass and drums, the record was a huge international hit, selling over eleven million records worldwide. It was also one of the first to use a drum machine. “Rock Your Baby” peaked at No. 1 on July 13th.

June 1st, 1974 “Annie’s Song” by John Denver enters the singles charts following a May release on RCA Records. Written in January 1973 by John Denver for his wife Annie Martell Denver and produced by Milt Okum, “Annie’s Song” hit No. 1 in the US on July 27th.

June 1st, 1974 Al Stewart’s fifth album, “Past, Present and Future” enters the album charts following a March release on Janus Records. The LP came out in Britain in October 1973. It was Stewart’s second album with producer John Anthony, recorded at Trident Studios in London. Session musicians on the record included Tim Renwick, B. J. Cole, Peter Wood, Rick Wakeman, Francis Monkman, Dave Swarbrick, Bruce Thomas and Roger Taylor from Queen. The record peaked at No. 133 on July 6th, 1974.

June 1st, 1974 “Waterloo” by Abba enters the singles charts on Atlantic Records. The song was Sweden’s winning entry in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest and became a No. 1 hit in several European countries. Co-written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, “Waterloo” sold over six million copies worldwide, one of the best-selling singles in music history. In America, the record peaked at No. 6 on August 24th.

June 1st, 1974 ABC Records release “Workin’ In The Car Wash Blues” by Jim Croce, who explained the song as “a story about a guy who thinks he thinks he should be ruling the universe somewhere, but he is really working at a car wash.” It was the fourth single released after Croce’s death in a plane crash. The record entered the charts a week later and peaked at No. 32 on July 13th.

June 1st, 1975 The Rolling Stones began their first US tour with guitarist Ron Wood with a warm-up show at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Wood would be named a permanent member of the band the following December. Bobby Keys and Jim Price were the brass section on the tour with Billy Preston and Ian Stewart on keyboards and Ollie E. Brown on percussion. The tour played through August 8th at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, New York.

June 1st, 1979 Warner Brothers Records release “Duty Now For The Future,” the second album by DEVO. Produced by Ken Scott at Chateau Recorders in Hollywood, California, the LP peaked at No. 73 on July 7th.

June 1st, 1979 Parlophone Records release “Old Siam, Sir” by Paul McCartney and Wings on 45 in Britain. Written by Paul McCartney, the track was co-produced by McCartney and Chris Thomas from the “Back To The Egg” LP.

June 1st, 1979 Sire Records release the theme song from “Rock And Roll High School” by The Ramones on 45. Produced by Phil Spector, the song was co-written by Johnny, Dee Dee and Joey Ramone. The record didn’t chart in the US but reached No. 67 in Britain.

June 1st, 1979 Capitol Records release “Get The Knack!” the debut album by The Knack. Produced by Mike Chapman, the album sold a million copies in five weeks and went to No. 1 for five weeks, beginning August 11th. The record featured the hit singles “Good Girls Don’t” and “My Sharona.”

June 1st, 1981 Dark Horse Records release the “Somewhere In England” LP by George Harrison and four days later in Britain. Conflicts with the label’s distributor, Warner Brothers Records, delayed the release by five months. The original album was delivered in September 1980. Warner Brothers felt the record was not commercial and requested Harrison record new songs for the record. “All Those Years Ago,” an unfinished song intended for Ringo Starr’s next album was reworked with new lyrics as an homage to John Lennon following his murder in December. Paul and Linda McCartney and Wings guitarist Denny Laine were asked to sing backing vocals in early 1981. When “Somewhere In England was finally issued with a different track listing, “All Those Years Ago” became his biggest hit since 1973. The album peaked at No. 11 on July 11th, No. 13 in Britain.

June 1st, 1982 The Rolling Stones Records label release The Stones live cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles “Going To A Go Go” on 45 in Britain and the United States. Co-produced by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as The Glimmer Twins, the record was mixed by Bob Clearmountain. “Going To A Go Go” peaked at No. 25 on July 17th.

June 1st, 1983 Sire Records release “Speaking In Tongues,” the fifth studio album by Talking Heads. The record was produced by the band at Blank Tape Studio in New York City, Sigma Sound in Philadelphia and Compass Point Studios in Nassau, The Bahamas from July 1982 through February 1983. Released after a period when all the band members had released solo material, the album featured the hit single “Burning Down The House.” Original pre-recorded cassette tapes of the LP and later Compact Disc versions of “Speaking In Tongues” have extended versions of five of its tracks. The record peaked at No. 15 on October 29th.

June 1st, 1985 “The Dream Of The Blue Turtles,” the first solo album by Sting is released. The recording sessions for the album finished in March at Blue Wave Studio, Saint Philip, Barbados and Le Studio, Morin-Heights, Quebec, Canada, co-produced by Sting with Pete Smith. The LP peaked at No. 2 on September 7th.

June 1st, 1992 Virgin Records in Britain issued “The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead” by XTC on 45. Written by Andy Partridge and produced by Gus Dudgeon, the single reached No. 71 in England.

Miscellaneous June

June 1948 Recorded in April, Aristocrat Records release “I Can’t Be Satisfied” backed with “I Feel Like Going Home” by Muddy Waters on 78 rpm record. Both songs were written by Muddy Waters, who most likely reworked the song from earlier standards with slide guitar work in the style of Robert Johnson.
Muddy Waters “I Can’t Be Satisfied” b/w “I Feel Like Going Home”
June 1960 Warwick Records release “Shy” backed with “Just A Boy” by Jerry Landis on 45. Landis was one of a few different stage names used by Paul Simon early in his music career. Both songs were written by Simon as Jerry Landis and produced by Morty Croft.
Jerry Landis “Shy” b/w “Just A Boy”
June 1961 Emmy Records release “Sixteen Tons” backed with “Breaktime” by The Masters on 45. Produced by Gary Price at PAL Studios in Cucamonga, California, the A-side was a cover version of the Merle Travis song. The B-side was co-written by Ronnie Williams, Paul Buff and Frank Zappa and features Zappa on guitar, Williams on drums and bass and Buff on piano.
The Masters “Sixteen Tons” b/w “Breaktime”
June 1963 “Mr. Clean” backed with “Jessie Lee” by Mr. Clean is recorded at PAL Studios in Cucamonga, California. The tracks were issued on 45 on Original Sound Records later that month. Both songs were written by Frank Zappa, who actually was Mr. Clean. Zappa plays guitar, drums and backing vocals on Mr. Clean” and plays guitar, drums and percussion on the B-side. Paul Buff played bass guitar on the songs and electric piano on the A-side.
June 1963 Vigah! Records release “Hey Nelda” backed with “Surf Along” by Ned and Nelda on 45. The A-side was a parody of “Hey Paula” by Paul and Paula. Both songs were co-written by Frank Zappa and Ray Collins. Collins sang co- lead vocals with Zappa, who plays guitar and drums with Paul Buff on piano, organ and bass. The song was recorded in May at PAL Recording Studio in Cucamonga, California.
Ned and Nelda “Hey Nelda” b/w “Surf Along”
June 1964 Snap Records out of Niles, Michigan release “Pretty Little Redbird” backed with “Penny Wishing Well” by The Shondells.
The A-side was written by producer J.D. Deafenbaugh. “Pretty Wishing Well” was written by Tommy (James) Jackson.
The Shondells “Pretty Little Redbird” b/w “Penny Wishing Well”
June 1965 RIC Records release “Boss Barracuda” by The Catalinas on 45. Written and produced by Bobby Darin, the studio band included Bruce Johnston, Hal Blaine, and other members of The Wrecking Crew.
The Catalinas “Boss Barracuda”
June 1965 Elektra Records release “Bleeker and McDougal,” the first album by folk-rock pioneer Fred Neil. Produced by Gordon Anderson and engineered by Paul Rothchild, Felix Pappalardi and John Sebastian both played sessions for the LP.
June 1966 Penthouse Records release “Reconsider Baby” by Bobby Jamerson on 45. Written by Jameson, the recording session was produced and arranged by Frank Zappa, although the label credited Norm Ratner with producing the disc. Jameson wrote the song as a response to Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman.”
Bobby Jameson “Reconsider Baby”
June 1967 Buddah Records release “Safe As Milk,” the debut album by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. The LP was co-produced by Richard Perry and Bob Krasnow at RCA Studios in Los Angeles in the Spring of 1967.
June 1971 Atlantic Records release “Album II” by Loudon Wainwright III. The record was recorded at Intermedia Sounds in Boston, Massachusetts with Wainwright and Milton Kramer co-producing. Kate McGarrigle sings on the song “Old Paint.”
June 1972 Reprise Records release “Henry The Human Fly,” the first solo album by Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson. Co-produced by Thompson and John Wood at Sound Techniques Studio in London, Fairport band mates Sandy Denny and Ashley Hutchins both make guest appearances on the LP.
June 1974 Island Records release LP “In Search Of Eddie Riff” by Roxy Music saxophone player Andy MacKay. The record was produced by Andy MacKay at Island Studios in London in January 1974. Playing on the LP were Eddie Jobson, Phil Manzanera and Paul Thompson from Roxy Music, Deep Purple’s Roger Glover and others.
June 1976 Private Stock Records release “X Offender” backed with “In The Sun,” the first single by Blondie. The A-side was co-written by singer Debbie Harry and Bassist Gary Valentine. In The Sun” was written by guitarist Chris Stein. The record was co-produced by Craig Leon and Richard Gottehrer, “X Offender” was a different take from the one issued on the band’s debut LP.
Blondie “X Offender”
June 1977 German electronic music duo Cluster, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius record sessions with Brian Eno at Conny Plank’s Studios in Cologne, Germany. Joined on the sessions by bassist Holger Czukay from the band Can and Asmus Tietchens on synthesizer, Sky Records released an LP from the recordings, the ambient “Cluster and Eno” album later in 1977.
June 1979 Virgin Records release “Force Majeure,” the ninth LP by Tangerine Dream. Produced by Edgar Froese and Chris Frank at Hansa Studios in Berlin in August and September 1978, the album reached No. 26 on the British charts.
June 1979 “Capricorn Records release “Can’t Take It With You” by The Allman Brothers Band on 45. The song was co-written by Dickie Betts and Don Johnson. Produced by Tom Dowd, the record peaked at No. 105 in July.
The Allman Brothers Band “Can’t Take It With You”
June 1981 A&M Records in the US release “One Step Ahead” by Split Enz on 45. The song was written by Neil Finn, produced from the LP “Waiata” by David Tickle.
Split Enz “One Step Ahead”
June 1982 Warner Brothers Records release the title track from The B-52’s “Mesopotamia” EP as a 45. The song was co-written by band members Keith Strickland, Ricky Wilson, Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson. “Mesopotamia” was produced by David Byrne form Talking Heads.

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