Wax Museum Radio

Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

March 7th

March 7th Birthday, Chris Taylor White, the bassist for The Zombies in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, in 1943.

March 7th Birthday, Folk singer, songwriter Townes Van Zant, born in 1944 in Fort Worth, Texas. He died on January 1st, 1997, aged 52.

March 7th Birthday, Love vocalist and songwriter Arthur Lee, born in 1945 in Memphis, Tennessee. Lee passed away on August 3rd, 2006 at the age of 61 after battling with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

March 7th Birthday, J Geils Band singer and solo artist Peter Wolf, born Peter W. Blankfield in The Bronx, New York City in 1946.

March 7th Birthday, Procol Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher, born in Addiscombe, Croydon, England in 1946.

March 7th Birthday, Isley Brothers guitarist Ernie Isley, born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1952.

Today In Rock and Roll History

March 7th

March 7th, 1955 Bo Diddley records “Bo Diddley” at Universal Recording Studios, Chicago, co-produced by Diddley with Leonard and Phil Chess, founders of Chess Records. It was the first recording to introduce African rhythms into rock and roll directly by using the patted juba beat. It was Diddley’s first recording and his first hit single. The 45 debuted on May 14th and went to No. 1 on the R&B charts.

March 7th, 1960 Texas record label Dart Records release “You Know I Love You” backed with “School Day Blues” by Johnny and The Jammers on the 45. It was the debut single by Johnny Winter and his brother Edgar.

March 7th, 1962 The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best, record a BBC Radio session, having passed a BBC audition on February 12th arranged by application by Brian Epstein. Recorded at Playhouse Theatre, St John’s Rd, Hulme, Manchester, Lancashire for the BBC Light Programme show Teenager’s Turn – Here We Go, the session took place from 8-8:45pm in front of a live audience, for the first time ever in the stage suits Epstein bought for them, along with other artists, Brad Newman, The Trad Lads and the Northern Dance Orchestra directed by Bernard Herrman. The program was broadcast the following day. The four-song set included “Hello Little Girl” co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, “Dream Baby” written by Cindy Walker, “Memphis, Tennessee” written by Chuck Berry, “Please Mr. Postman” co-written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Berry Gordy, Brian Holland and Freddie Gorman, “Hello Little Girl” was not included in the next day’s broadcast.

March 7th, 1966 Capitol Records release “Caroline, No,” the first solo single by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. Issued with the B-side “Summer Means New Love,” “Caroline, No” later appeared as the closing track on the Beach Boys’ album “Pet Sounds.” Wilson produced the recording in January 1966 at Western Studio with twelve session musicians who variously played harpsichord, flutes, guitars, basses and vibraphone. The record went to No. 32 on April 30th.

March 7th, 1969 Following the announcement of the breakup of The Small Faces, Immediate Records in Britain release “Afterglow of Your Love” backed with “Wham Bam Thank You Man.” The song was co-written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane from the Small Faces’ 1968 album “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake.” The single reached No. 36 in the UK.

March 7th, 1969 Epic Records release “Sorry Suzanne” by The Hollies on 45. Co-written by Geoff Stephens and Tony Macaulay, “Sorry Suzanne” was the group’s first song to feature guitarist Terry Sylvester after the departure of Graham Nash. Recorded the 27th and 28th of January at EMI Studios with producer Ron Richards, the record entered the singles charts on April 19thand reached No. 56. Much more successful on the UK charts, “Sorry Suzanne” went to No. 3 in Britain.

March 7th, 1970 Windfall Records release “Climbing!” the debut album by Mountain. Sessions for the LP were taped at the Record Plant in New York City with bassist Felix Pappadardi producing. The album reached No. 17 on May 2nd and featured the hit single “Mississippi Queen.”

March 7th, 1973 “Byrds,” the twelfth album by The Byrds is released by Asylum Records. The album was a reunion of the original five members, which had been discussed as far back as 1971. Sessions for the album at Wally Heider Studio 3 in Hollywood, California were recorded in October and November 1972. The record peaked at No. 20 on the album charts.

March 7th, 1976 Elton John becomes the first solo rock celebrity to be immortalized in wax at Madame Tussaud’s waxworks museum in London, England.

March 7th, 1979 Atco Records release “Strikes,” the second studio album by Blackfoot. The album reached No. 42 in the album charts and featured the hits “Highway Song” and “Train, Train.”

March 7th, 1981 Columbia Records release “Dad Loves His Work,” the tenth studio album by James Taylor. Produced by Peter Asher at Record One Studios in Los Angeles, the album coincided with the dissolution of Taylor’s eleven-year marriage to Carly Simon. The album peaked at No. 10 on May 2nd, featuring the hit duet with J.D. Souther, “Her Town Too.”

March 7th, 1983 Mercury Records in Britain release “The Hurting,” the debut album by Tears For Fears. The album was co-produced by Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum and featured the British hit singles “Suffer The Children,” “Pale Shelter,” “Mad World,” and “Change”. A huge success in the UK where it went to No. 1 and Top Forty in Canada, Germany and Australia. “The Hurting” peaked at No. 73 in America on July 16th following an April 1983 release.

March 7th, 1986 Warner Brothers Records release “Candy Apple Grey,” the fifth album by Husker Du. Recorded at Nicollet Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota with guitarist Bob Mould and drummer Grant Hart co-producing. The album peaked at No. 140 on May 3rd.

March 7th, 1987 Atco Records release “Another Scoop,” by Pete Townshend. The double record compilation LP of songwriting demos recorded between 1964 and 1984, it was the sequel to Pete Townshend’s “Scoop” album in 1983. Townshend issued a third volume in 2001 called “Scoop 3.” “Another Scoop” peaked at No. 198 on April 4th.

March 7th, 1988 Apple Records release “Past Masters” Volumes 1 and 2 by The Beatles, both collections of stray Beatles track not included on the band’s recently issued compact discs.

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.”