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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

March 14th

March 14th Birthday, Composer, conductor, arranger, producer and multiple Grammy Award winner Quincy Jones, born in 1933 in Chicago, Illinois.

March 14th Birthday, The Leaves, The Turtles and The Mothers of Invention bassist Jim Pons, born in Santa Monica, California in 1943.

March 14th Birthday, Chicago sax and clarinet player and songwriter Walter Parazaider, born in Maywood, Illinois in 1945.

March 14th Birthday, Singer, songwriter Michael Martin Murphy, born in 1945 in Dallas, Texas.

March 14th Birthday, Multi-instrumentalist, record producer and a member of Yes, Billy Sherwood, born William Wyman Sherwood in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1965.

Today In Rock and Roll History

March 14th

March 14th, 1966 Stax Records release “Hold On, I’m Coming!” by Sam and Dave on 45. The song was co-written by the songwriting team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter with instrumental backing by Booker T. and The MG’s. “Hold On, I’m Coming!” peaked at No. 21 on June 18th.

March 14th, 1966 The Beatles receive their fourteenth US Gold Record award for the single “Yellow Submarine.”

March 14th, 1966 The Capitols record “Cool Jerk” at Golden World Studios in Detroit with producer Ollie McLaughlin. The session was arranged by Motown house band The Funk Brother’s Mike Terry with Brother Johnny Griffith on keyboards. The song was written by Donald Storball and the record was released by the independent Karen Records label in April. The record went to No. 7 in America on July 2nd, No. 9 in Canada.

March 14th, 1968 Island Records in the UK release “Tons Of Sobs,” the debut album by Free. Recorded October through December 1968 at Morgan Studios in London with producer Guy Stevens, the album didn’t come out in the US until August. The record peaked at No. 197 on September 13th.

March 14th, 1970 “Sweet Baby James,” the second solo album by James Taylor enters the album charts following a February release on Warner Brothers Records. Produced by Peter Asher and engineered by Bill Lazerus at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles in December 1969, the album featured cover photography by Henry Diltz. Session musicians on the album include Danny Kortchmar, Randy Meisner, Carole King and Russ Kunkle. “Sweet Baby James” reached No. 3 on the album charts on November 11th and featured the No. 3 single “Fire And Rain.”

March 14th, 1971 The Rolling Stones play a farewell concert at The London Roundhouse before becoming tax exiles and leaving for France.

March 14th, 1972 After a long string of hits as a songwriter for other artists, Carole King wins the Album of The Year Grammy Award for her second solo LP “Tapestry,” and the Record Of The Year award for her single “It’s Too Late.”

March 14th, 1973 Island Records in Britain release “Larks Tongues In Aspic,” the fifth studio album by King Crimson. Recorded from January through February at Command Studios in London by the third band lineup since the debut album in 1969. Crimson were then guitarist Robert Fripp, John Wetton on bass and vocals, David Cross on violin and mellotron, percussionist Jamie Muir and drummer Bill Bruford.

March 14th, 1974 Tamla Records release “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” by Stevie Wonder on 45 from his 1973 album “Innervisions.” Written, produced and arranged by Wonder, the record entered the charts in April and peaked at No. 16 on June 1st.

March 14th, 1975 Aerosmith record “Sweet Emotion” at The Record Plant in New York City with producer Jack Douglas. Co-written by singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Tom Hamilton, Columbia Records released it as a single on May 19th. “Sweet Emotion” peaked at No. 36 on July 19th.

March 14th, 1978 The Who record the Pete Townshend song “Guitar and Pen” at Ramport Studios during sessions for their LP, “Who Are You,” their last with drummer Keith Moon.

March 14th, 1980 Mercury Records release “On Through The Night,” the debut album by Def Leppard. The LP was produced by Tom Allom at Ringo Starr’s Startling Studios in Ascot, Berkshire, England in December 1979. The album reached No. 51 in the US on July 5th, No. 15 in Britain.

March 14th, 1980 Polydor Records in Britain release “Going Underground” as a stand-alone single by The Jam. The song was written by guitarist and singer Paul Weller. The record was produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven. The single entered the UK charts at No. 1 a week later.

March 14th, 1981 Eric Clapton is hospitalized in St. Paul, Minnesota with severe stomach ulcers. He’s forced to cancel a four-month US tour.

March 14th, 1983 EMI Records in Britain release “Script For A Jester’s Tear,” the first album by Marillion. The record was recorded at The Marquee Studios in London with producer Nick Tauber from December 1982 through February 1983. The LP reached No. 7 in the English charts.

March 14th, 1986 A&M Records release “Body And Soul,” by Joe Jackson. Featuring the hit single “You Can’t Get What You Want,” the record continued Jackson’s move away from his British Pub Rock beginnings in favor of a more cosmopolitan, jazz influenced writing and recording style. Co-produced by Joe Jackson and David Kerschenbaum, the LP was recorded at Masonic Hall in New York City with instrumental tracks played mostly live with a full band. Featuring longtime Joe Jackson Band bassist Graham Maby, Ellen Foley sang backing vocals on the record. “Body And Soul” went to No. 20 on May 26th.

March 14th, 1989 A&M Records release “Yellow Moon” by The Neville Brothers. The LP was taped in a vacated apartment in New Orleans with producer Daniel Lanois. The album reached No. 66 on June 3rd. From the LP, the song “Healing Chant” won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Miscellaneous March

March 1957 Flip Records release “Louie Louie” backed with “Rock Rock Rock” by Richard Berry and The Pharaohs on 45 and 78 rpm records. Berry and The Pharaohs were from Los Angeles, California. Berry co-wrote both sides of the record and hired The Pharaohs to back him of the recording. Based on the song “EWl Loco Cha Cha,” “Louie Louie” became a rock and roll standard when The Kingsmen rerecorded it two years later.

March 1958 Big Records release “True Or False” backed with “Teen Age Fool,” the first single by Paul Simon, credited to True Taylor. The A-side was written by Simon’s father Lou Simon, himself a double bass player and bandleader. Paul Simon wrote “Teen Age Fool.”

March 1964 Jam sessions recorded at Tel Mar Studios in Chicago between Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry form the “Two Great Guitars” LP released by the two on Chess Records in August. Produced by Andy McKaie, the recordings feature Lafayette Leake on piano, Jesse James Hohnson on bass and Billy Downing on drums.

March 1966 Scorpio Records release “Fight Fire” backed with “Fragile Child,” the fifth single by The Golliwogs. 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.

March 1969 Buddy Miles records his second album “Electric Church.” Most of the LP was recorded at Mercury Studios with additional sessions at The Record Plant in New York City. Half of the record was produced by Jimi Hendrix, the songs “69 Freedom Special,” “Miss Lady,” “My Chant” and “Destructive Love.”

March 1970 Atco Records release “Teasin’” by King Curtis With Delaney Bramlett, Eric Clapton and Friends on 45. Co-written by Curtis Owsley and the record’s producer Delaney Bramlett.

March 1973 Mercury Records release “For Real” by Ruben and The Jets. The LP featured Frank Zappa on vocals and lead guitar on the song “Dedicated To The One I Love” and wrote the song “If I Could Only Be Your Love Again.” Former Mothers Of Invention saxophonist Jim “Motorhead” Sherman was a member of the band.

March 1973 The release of “Heart Food,” the second album by Judee Sill. Issued on Asylum Records, Sill had been the first act signed to the label. The record was co-produced by Sill and Henry Lewy.

March 1974 RCA Records release “Sweet Jane” by Lou Reed on 45 from the live album “Rock And Roll Animal,” recorded at New York City’s Academy Of Music. Written by Reed, who co-produced the track with Steve Katz, the record features the twin guitars of Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner.

March 1975 Columbia Records release the “Get Off My Cloud” album by Alexis Korner. The LP features session work with Keith Richard, Steve Marriot, Rick Wills, Barry St. John, Nicky Hopkins, Peter Frampton and others, recorded at CBS Studios in London and overdubs at Ramport Studios.

March 1977 Private Stock Records release “In The Flesh” backed with “Man Overboard,” the second single by Blondie. “In The Flesh” was co-written by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. “Man Overboard” was written by Harry. Both tracks were produced by Richard Gotthehrer.

March 1978 Chrysalis Records release “Denis” by Blondie on 45. The song is a cover version of the Randy And The Rainbows song from, written by Neil Levinson. The record was produced by Richard Gottehrer. The Blondie single went to No. 2 in Britain.

March 1980 Warner Brothers Records release “Planet Claire,” the label’s second single from The B-52’s self-titled first album. The song was co-written by singer Fred Schneider and drummer Keith Strickland.

March 1981 Warner Brothers Records release “Lava,” by The B-52’s on 45. Unusual in that the track was from the group’s first album, issued six months after “Private Idaho,” the only single from the group’s second LP “Wild Planet.” “Lava” was written collectively by The B-52’s and produced by Chris Blackwell.

March 1981 Atlantic Records release “Run Through The Light” by Yes on 45. The track is a rewrite of a song called “Dancing Through The Light” that the band recorded during aborted album sessions in Paris in 1978 with original singer Jon Anderson. It is the only song in the Yes catalog before the death of Chris Squire to feature anyone other than Squire on bass. Squire played piano on the song and the bass part was played by singer Trevor Horn. The 45 version is a completely different mix of the version on the album “Drama.”

March 1987, Columbia Records in Canada release “Moonlight Desire” by Laurence Gowen, professionally known as Gowen. The song was issued as the third single from his LP “Great Dirty World.” Yes singer Jon Anderson, heard the song being played in the studio as he walked by, and walked into the session asking if he could sing a harmony part on it. Thus, Anderson’s appearance on the song.

March 1997 Eric Clapton posing as X-sample, and Simon Climie produce and release a CD as Totally Dysfunctional Family called “Retail Therapy.”