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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

September 18th

September 18th Birthday, Singer, songwriter, record producer P.F. Sloan, born PhilIp Gary Schlein in New York City in 1945. He passed away on November 15th, 2015 at the age of 70.

September 18th Birthday, Kansas songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist and solo artist Kerry Livgren, born in 1949 in Topeka, Kansas.

September 18th Birthday, The Ramones bass player Dee Dee Ramone, born Douglas Colvin in 1951 in Fort Lee, Virginia. He died on June 5th, 2002 at the age of 50.

September 18th Birthday, Human League vocalist Joanne Catherall, born in 1962 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

Today In Rock and Roll History

September 18th

September 18th, 1964 Epic Records release The Dave Clark Five’s “Everybody Knows (I Still Love You).” Produced by Dave Clark and co-written by Clark with Lenny Davidson, who sang lead vocals on the track. Columbia Records issued the single on January 8th, 1965 in Britain, where it went to No. 2 in the charts. “Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)” entered the US singles charts in October and peaked at No. 15 on November 7th.

September 18th, 1965 Phillips Records release “Let’s Hang On” by The 4 Seasons Featuring The Sound Of Frankie Valli on 45. The song was co-written by producer Bob Crewe with Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell. It was the last 4 Seasons hit to feature bassist Nick Massi, who quit the group that month. Entering the charts in October “Let’s Hang On” peaked at No. 3 on December 11th.

September 18th, 1967 The Beach Boys release their “Smiley Smile” LP. The album was a revised version of the “Smile” album the band had been working on. Songwriter and record producer Brian Wilson abandoned the original project in favor of “Smiley Smile.” The record featured the hits “Good Vibrations” and “Heroes And Villains” and peaked at No. 41 on December 16th.

September 18th, 1968 The Beatles record “Birthday” in a single session with producer Chris Thomas at EMI Studio Two in London. Paul McCartney wrote the song as the other members of the band arrived. The basic track was captured in twenty takes, to which The Beatles added overdubs. Mal Evans added handclaps and Yoko Ono and Patti Harrison sang backing vocals with John Lennon and George Harrison.

September 18th, 1970 Vertigo Records in Britain release “Paranoid,” the second album by Black Sabbath. Produced by Roger Bain, the album was issued in America the following January. The record peaked in the US at No. 12 on March 20th, 1971.

September 18th, 1970 Reprise Records release “Kiln House,” the fourth album by Fleetwood Mac. It was the band’s first album released after the departure of guitarist Peter Green and the first to feature guitarist Jeremy Spencer. The group produced the LP themselves at De Lane Lea Studios in London. Christine McVie played on the record but didn’t join as a full-time member until after the album was completed. The record peaked at No. 69 on December 5th. From the album, Reprise issued “Jewel Eyed Judy,” co-written by Danny Kirwin, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, as a single on January 6th, 1971.

September 18th, 1971 Atco Records release “Trafalgar” by The Bee Gees. Sessions for the LP with Robert Stigwood co-producing with the band began just months after the release of their previous album “2 Years On.” It was the only LP the group recorded with drummer Geoff Bridgford as a full-time member. The album featured the hit “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.” The album peaked at No. 34 on October 16th.

September 18th, 1971 Pink Floyd became the first rock band to perform at the Classical Music Festival in Montreaux, Switzerland, when they played their “Atom Heart Mother Suite,” the title track of their then current LP, co-written with avant-garde composer Ron Geesin.

September 18th, 1971 Detroit band Springwell enters the singles charts on Parrot Records with a cover of Lennon and McCartney’s “It’s For You” on London Records. The track was co-produced by Pink Unlimited and Vinny Testa. The record peaked at No. 60 on November 6th.

September 18th, 1971 Stax Records release “Respect Yourself” by The Staple Singers on 45. The song was co-written by Luther Ingram and Mack Rice, who suggested to producer Al Bell that The Staples record the song. Bell taped sessions for the song with The Muscle Shoals’ rhythm section with lead vocals by Pops and Mavis Staples. The single peaked at No. 21 on December 25th.

September 18th, 1971 The Who headline a day-long Bangla Desh benefit show at the Kennington Oval Cricket Ground in London. Also on the bill that day were Faces, Atomic Rooster, Eugene Wallace, America, Mott The Hoople, Quintessence, Lindisfarne, The Grease Band and Cochise. The show attracted thirty-five thousand fans, raising fifteen thousand British pounds for famine relief.

September 18th, 1971 A&M Records release Cat Stevens “Peace Train,” entering the charts a week later. Written by Cat Stevens, the track was recorded in March at Morgan Studios in London with producer Paul Samwell Smith. The song would reach No. 7 on November 6th, Cat Stevens’ first Top Ten hit in America.

September 18th, 1976 Boston’s “More Than A Feeling” enters the singles charts following an August release on Epic Records. Written by group guitarist Tom Scholz, who co-produced the track with John Boylan, “More Than A Feeling” was released as the lead single from Boston’s self-titled debut album. The single was an edited version of the LP track, removing the entire second verse and running one minute and nineteen seconds shorter. “More Than A Feeling” peaked at No. 5 on December 25th.

September 18th, 1976 An edited version of “Do You Feel Like We Do” by Peter Frampton enters the singles charts on A&M Records. The single was paired down from the full fourteen minute, fifteen seconds long “Frampton Comes Alive!” album version. Written and produced by Peter Frampton, the track was recorded at Plattsburgh’s Memorial Hall at the State University of New York. The record peaked at No. 10 on November 13th.

September 18th, 1978 Casablanca Records release all four Kiss solo albums on the same day. Paul Stanley’s LP peaked at No. 46 on December 23rd. Gene Simmons’ album went to No. 22 on January 6th, 1979. Ace Frehley’s went to No. 13 on February 3rd, 1979 and Peter Criss’ went to No. 43.

September 18th, 1979 The Eagles release “Heartache Tonight” on 45. Co-written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bob Seger and J. D. Souther and produced by Bill Szymczyk, the record became the band’s fifth US No. 1 single on November 10th.

September 18th, 1981 Atlantic Records release “Abacab,” the eleventh studio album by Genesis. The LP featured the hits “No Reply At All” and the record’s title track. It was the first Genesis album recorded at The Farm, a recording studio bought by the group in Chiddingfold, Surrey, England. “Abacab” peaked at No. 7 on November 14th, 1981.

September 18th, 1982 Released earlier in September Crosby, Stills and Nash’s single “Southern Cross” enters the Pop Singles charts. The song was co-written by Stephen Stills, Richard Curtis and Michael Curtis. Because he joined the project after it was begun, David Crosby does not actually appear on the track. Timothy B. Schmit sings backing vocals on the song and Joe Vitale played drums. Self-produced by Crosby, Stills and Nash, “Southern Cross” peaked at No. 18 on November 20th.

September 18th, 1982 Joe Jackson’s “Night And Day” LP enters the album charts following a June release on A&M Records. The album was recorded at Blue Rock Studio, Soho, New York City with Jackson and David Kershenbaum producing. The album featured the hit single “Stepping Out.” “Night And Day” peaked at No. 4 on November 27th.

September 18th, 1990 “The Layla Sessions” box set by Derek and The Dominoes is released. The album featured a remixed version of the original album and session tracks made during the making of the original LP in 1971. The set peaked at No. 157 on October 20th.

September 18th, 1997 Just before launching their Bridges To Babylon tour, The Rolling Stones played the four-hundred-person capacity Double Door Club in Chicago.

September 18th, 2018 David Gilmour releases “Rattle That Lock,” his fourth solo album. Gilmour co-produced the album with Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera. Most of the LP was recorded at Medina Studio, in Hove, England with additional recording at Gilmour’s Astoria houseboat studio, The record peaked at No. 5 on October 10th.

Miscellaneous September

September 1965 Muriel Records release “Lookie There” backed with “Wail Baby Wail” by Tommy Louis with Marshall and The Versatiles on 45. Ike Turner plays guitar on the tracks.

September 1967 CBS Records in Britain release “Love Chronicles,” the second album by Al Stewart. “Love Chronicles” was issued in the US in September. The album was issued in America in January 1969 on Epic Records. The LP was co-produced by Roy Guest, John Wood and Al Stewart. Session musicians included Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and four members of Fairport Convention, Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson, Martin Lamble and Ashley Hutchings. Songs on the record were orchestrated by Alexander Faris.

September 1970 Liberty Records release “Love Is A Game” backed with “Takin’ Back My Name” by a solo Ike Turner on 45. “Love Is A Game” was written by Tina Turner’s sister Ailllene Bullock. “Takin’ Back My Name” was credited to Leah Graham, an alias for Ike Turner, who produced and arranged the tracks as well.

September 1973, RCA Records in Britain release “The Tra La La Days Are Over” by Neil Sedaka. Recorded at Strawberry Studios in the Spring with Eric Stewart producing and 10cc as the backing band, the LP produced “Love Will Keep Us Together.” The song, co-written by Sedaka with Howard Greenfield, would become a huge hit for The Captain And Tennille in 1976.

September 1975 A&M Records release “White Punks On Dope” by the Tubes on 45. The song was co-written by Bill Spooner, Roger Steen and Michael Evans and produced by Al Kooper from the band’s eponymous first album. The single was edited to omit the curse word in the lyrics.

September 1977 DEVO release their second single on their own Booji Boy label. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” was a cover version of The Rolling Stones song. “(I Saw My Baby Getting) Sloppy” was co-written by DEVO. The 45 was produced by the group. “Satisfaction” was rerecorded by DEVO and released as their major label debut for Warner Brothers Records a year later.

September 1979 Reprise Records release “Rust Never Sleeps (Hey Hey, My My [Out Of The Blue])” by Neil Young on 45. The A-side was the acoustic version of the song. The flip side was the full band version, recorded with the band Crazy Horse and both from the “Rust Never Sleeps” LP.

September 1979 CBS Records in Ireland issue the seven-inch EP “Out Of Control” backed with “Stories For Boys” & “Boy/Girl,” the first release by U2. All three songs were written collectively by the band and co-produced by U2 and Chas De Whalley.

September 1981 David Bowie records the five songs written for Bertolt Brecht’s Baal. Bowie appeared in the BBC television production of Baal. The play was transmitted in Britain on March 2nd, 1982. The tracks were co-produced by David Bowie and Tony Visconti, who also played bass on the recordings. The EP was released in September 1982, reaching No. 29 in Britain.

September 1981 Island Records in Britain release “Gloria” by U2 on 45. The second single released from the group’s second album “October,” the song was written collectively by U2. “Gloria” was recorded during July and August sessions with producer Steve Lillywhite at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland. The record peaked at No. 55 in Britain.

September 1986 Warner Brothers Records release “Summer Of Love” by The B-52’s on 45. The song was co-written Keith Strickland, Rocky Wilson, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, produced by Tony Mansfield from the LP “Bouncing Off The Satellites.” The single had a unique remix with additional production by Shep Pettibone.