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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

November 20th

November 20th Birthday, R&B Singer, songwriter and piano player Eskew Reeder, Jr, who used the stage name of Esquerita. Known for his over the top stage mannerisms, he was an influence on Little Richard. He was born in Greenville, South Carolina in either 1935 or 1938, and passed away on October 23rd, 1986.

November 20th Birthday, Keyboardist, guitarist, singer and songwriter Dr. John, born Malcolm John Rebenack in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1941. He died on June 6th, 2019, aged 77.

November 20th Birthday, Singer, songwriter Norman Greenbaum, born in 1942 in Maiden, Massachusetts.

November 20th Birthday, British record producer Mike Vernon, born in 1944 in Harrow, Middlesex, England. Vernon produced the early John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers records, as well as David Bowie, Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Climax Blues Band, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, Christine McVie and Ten Years After. Vernon also founded the Blue Horizon Records label.

November 20th Birthday, Duane Allman from The Allman Brothers and Derek and the Dominoes, born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1946. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 29th, 1971.

November 20th Birthday, James Gang and Eagles guitarist and solo artist Joe Walsh, born in Witchita, Kansas in 1947.

November 20th Birthday, Poco drummer George Grantham, born in Cordell, Oklahoma in 1947.

November 20th Birthday, Gentle Giant guitarist Gary Green, born in Stroud Green, North London, England in 1950.

November 20th Birthday, Mahogany Rush guitarist Frank Marino, born Francesco Antonio Marino in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1954.

Today In Rock and Roll History

November 20th

November 20th, 1955 RCA Victor buys Elvis Presley’s contract from Sun Records for $40,000. The deal was inked at New Yorks Warwick Hotel and gave Elvis $13,500 for signing.

November 20th, 1961 Bob Dylan begins recording sessions for his self-titled first album for Columbia Records. Accompanied only by his guitar and harmonica, the recording is done two days later at a cost of four hundred dollars in studio time. Seven songs are recorded, “You’re No Good,” “Fixin’ To Die,” “House Of The Risin’ Sun,” “Talking New York,” “Song To Woody,” “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down” and “In My Time of Dyin’.”

November 20th, 1967 Atlantic Records release “It’s Wonderful” by The Young Rascals on 45. Self-produced by the band, the song was co-written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati with Arif Mardin arranging. The record entered the charts in December and peaked at No. 20 on January 13th, 1968.

November 20th, 1968 At The Liverpool Empire Theatre, Keith Moon and Kenny Jones play together on “Magic Bus” for The Who’s encore.

November 20th, 1968 “All Day Music” the fourth album by War enters the charts following an early October release on United Artists Records. The LP featured the hit “Slippin’ Into Darkness,” and peaked at No. 16 on June 3rd, 1972.

November 20th, 1970 “I Think I Love You” by The Partridge Family is the No. 1 record in the US.

November 20th, 1970 The Kinks release “Apeman” on 45 in Britain. The songs writer, Kinks singer Ray Davies flew to London to re-record a misinterpreted section of the lead vocals for “Apeman,” delaying the release of the single in America. Issued as the follow-up to the hit “Lola,” the record was issued in America on December 16th, entered the US singles charts in January, went to No. 45 on February 6th, 1971, but was a bigger hit in England, where it went to No. 5.

November 20th, 1971 Hi Records release “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green on 45. Co-written by Willie Mitchell, Al Green and Al Jackson, the track was produced and recorded by Willie Mitchell, and mixed by Mitchell and Terry Manning. “Let’s Stay Together” went to No. 1 on the Pop Singles charts on February 12th, 1972, and topped the R&B charts for nine weeks.

November 20th, 1971 “All Day Music” by War enters the album charts. The record was co-produced by Jerry Goldstein, Chris Huston and War at Wally Heider’s Studio 3 in San Francisco and Crystal Studios in Los Angeles. The LP featured the hits “Slippin’ Into Darkness” and the “All Day Music” title track. The record peaked at No. 16 on June 3rd, 1972.

November 20th, 1971 Epic Records release “There’s A Riot Goin On,” the fifth studio album by Sly & The Family Stone. Produced by Sly Stone at The Record Plant in Sausalito at sessions that spanned 1970 and 1971. Often working alone without input from members of The Family Stone, a rift began that led to the eventual demise of the band. Billy Preston, Ike Turner and Bobby Womack played on some sessions. The album would reach No. 1 on the LP charts on December 18th.

November 20th, 1971 ABC Dunhill Records release Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds “Daisy Mae.” The song was co-written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, produced by Steve Barri and arranged by Jimmy Haskell, the record entered the charts in December and went to No. 41 on February 5th, 1972.

November 20th, 1971 “Lookin’ Back” by Bob Seger enters the singles charts. Released in September, the song was written and arranged by Bob Seger and not released on any of his studio albums. The record was produced by long-time Seger associate Edward “Punch” Andrews and his Hideout Productions Company. The 45 became Seger’s first nationally charted record, peaking at No. 96 on November 27th.

November 20th, 1971 Lee Michaels’ cover version of Marvin Gayes “Can I Get A Witness” followed “Do You Know What I Mean” into the singles charts. Co-written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland, the record, self-produced by Lee Michaels, peaked at No. 39 on December 25th.

November 20th, 1971 Rod Stewart with The Faces’ cover version of The Temptations “I Know (I’m Losing You)” enters the singles charts. Produced by Rod Stewart, backing musicians on the track include fellow Faces members Ron Wood and Ian McLagan, along with Pete Sears on keyboards and Martin Quintenton on guitar. The 45 mix of the song edited nearly two minutes off of the album version. Released in September, the record reached No. 24 on December 25th, No. 13 in Canada.

November 20th, 1972 Elton John releases “Crocodile Rock” in the US. The track was recorded in June 1972 in France with producer Gus Dudgeon for the “Dont Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player” LP. Out the previous month in the UK, the record became his first US No. 1 single, reaching the top spot on February 3rd, 1973.

November 20th, 1973 The fifth studio album by Black Sabbath, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” is released in Britain. The band recorded the LP at Record Plant Studios with a new producer and engineer Tom Allom, but the sessions weren’t productive. Moving operations back to Britain, recording was completed at Morgan Studios in Willesden, North London. Yes were recording in the same studios, and their keyboard player, Rick Wakeman, played on the Sabbath track “Sabbra Cadabra.” The record reached No. 11 on March 16th, 1974.

November 20th, 1973 Warner Brothers Records release “Muscle Of Love,” the seventh studio album by Alice Cooper. Co-produced by Jack Richardson and Jack Douglas at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, The Record Plant in New York City and The Cooper Mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut. Rumors circulated that guitarist Glen Buxton, though credited and listed as a co-writer on some tracks, was not invited to play on the records. Session drummer Allen Schwartzberg, guitarists Mick Masbir, Dick Wagner and keyboard player Bob Dolin played on some songs. The record featured the hit “Teenage Lament ‘74.” The LP peaked at No. 10 on January 12th, 1974.

November 20th, 1974 Reprise Records release “Heroes Are Hard To Find,” on 45. The song served as the title track from the current Fleetwood Mac” LP, co-produced by the band and Bob Hughes. The song was written and sung by Christine McVie. The 45 version was edited fifty seconds shorter than the album track.

November 20th, 1975 The Who kick off a month-long American tour at The Summit in Houston. At a party afterwards, bassist John Entwistle is arrested for disorderly conduct and spends a few hours in jail.

November 20th, 1976 Asylum Records release “The Pretender” by Jackson Browne. The LP was produced by Jon Landau at Sunset Sound in Hollywood. Guest musicians on the album include Leland Sklar on bass, Jim Gordon, Russ Kunkel and Jeff Porcaro on drums, Billy Payne on keyboards, David Lindley, Lowell George, John Hall, Waddy Wachtell and Albert Lee on guitar, and Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, J. D. Souther, David Crosby and Graham Nash on backing vocals. The record peaked at No. 5 on December 18th, 1976.

November 20th, 1976 George Harrison joined show host Paul Simon on NBC-TVs Saturday Night Live. The pair played together on “Homeward Bound” and “Here Comes The Sun.”

November 20th, 1976 Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s cover of the Bruce Springsteen song “Blinded By The Light,” enters the singles charts two months after its September 1976 release on Warner Brothers Records. A significant rewrite of the arrangement from the original by Bruce Springsteen, the Manfred Mann Earth Band version includes the “Chopsticks” melody, played on piano near the end of the bridge of the song. The single hit No. 1 on February 18th, 1977.

November 20th, 1981 Atlantic Records release “For Those About To Rock, We Salute You,” the eighth album by AC/DC. The LP was produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange at two Paris, France studios, H. I. S. and Family. The record topped the American album charts for three weeks, beginning December 26th.

November 20th, 1990 Geffen Records release the “Shaking The Tree – 16 Golden Greats,” hits compilation by Peter Gabriel. The record peaked at No. 48 on February 9th, 1991.

November 20th, 1995 Apple Records release “Anthology 1,” the first installment of a trilogy of previously unreleased studio recordings by The Beatles. All three volumes were double album sets. “Anthology 1” peaked at No. 1 on December 9th.