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Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History May 26th
Daily Rock and Roll History, Birthday and short music clips.
A year long, day by day look back at this date in Rock History in 3-5 minute segments. Now airing WRGG in Greencastle, PA.
Rock and Roll Birthdays
May 26th
- May 26th Birthday, Miles Davis, a pioneer of jazz-rock fusion, born Miles Dewey Davis III in 1926 in Alton, Illinois. He died on September 28th, 1991, aged 65.
- May 26th Birthday, Rockabilly pioneer Gene Vincent, born Vincent Eugene Craddock in 1935 in Norfolk, Virginia. He died on October 12th, 1971 at the age of 36 from a combination of internal hemorrhage, ruptured ulcer and heart failure.
- May 26th Birthday, Drummer and vocalist from The Band, Levon Helm, born Mark Lavon Helm in Elaine, Arkansas in 1940. Helm passed away on April 19th, 2012 from throat cancer at the age of 71.
- May 26th Birthday, Swinging Blue Jeans guitarist Ray Ennis, born in 1942 in Huyton, England.
- May 26th Birthday, Original Mott The Hoople keyboardist Verden Allen, born Terrance Allen in Crynant, Neath, Wales in 1944.
- May 26th Birthday, The Guess Who drummer Gary Peterson, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1945.
- May 26th Birthday, Guitarist Mick Ronson, who played with everyone from Bowie to Mott The Hoople, Bob Dylan and more, born in 1946 in Kingston-Upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. Ronson passed away on April 29th, 1993 from liver cancer at the age of 46.
- May 26th Birthday, Fleetwood Mac singer, songwriter and solo artist Stevie Nicks, born Stephanie Nicks in Phoenix, Arizona in 1948.
- May 26th Birthday, Guitarist, composer and producer David Torn, who has backed David Bowie, k.d. lang, John Legend, Madonna, Tori Amos, Bill Bruford, Tony Levin, Mick Karn, David Sylvian and many others, born in 1953 in Amityville, New York.
- May 26th Birthday, Patti Smith band keyboardist Richard Sohl, born in Queens, New York City in 1953. Sohl died on June 3rd, 1990 of a heart attack.
- May 26th Birthday, Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lenny Kravitz, born in 1964 in Manhattan, New York City.
- May 26th Birthday, Gin Blossoms drummer Phillip Rhodes, born in 1968 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Today In Rock and Roll History
May 26th
- May 26th, 1956 Coral Records release Johnny Burnette and The Rock “N” Roll Trio’s “You’re Undecided” backed with “Tear It Up” on 45 and 78 rpm disc. The single, Burnette’s second and the first with The Rock “N” Roll Trio, was produced by Bob Thiel.
- May 26th, 1958 Jamie Records release “Rebel Rouser” by Duane Eddy on 45, an instrumental co-written by Eddy and Lee Hazlewood and co-produced by Hazelwood with Lester Sil. The tune was loosely based on a folk song called “Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet.” The track was recorded at Clay Ramsey and his son Floyd’s “Audio Recorders” studio at 3830 N. Seventh Street in Phoenix, Arizona and featured Eddy playing lead guitar on his Gretsch 6120. Hazlewood took the recording to Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles and had Gil Bernal overdub his saxophone lines and added singing and hand claps performed by The Sharps. The Sharps would change their name to The Rivingtons, who would have hits of their own in the early 1960s, “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” in 1962 and “The Bird’s The Word” in 1963. “Rebel Rouser” went to No. 6 in the US on July 28th.
- May 26th, 1965 ABC-Paramount Records release “Sealed With A Kiss” by Brian Hyland on 45. The song was co-written by American songwriters Peter Udell and Gary Geld. The studio recording was arranged by Stan Applebaum. “Sealed With A Kiss” peaked at No. 3 on July 28th.
- May 26th, 1965 The Rolling Stones appear on Shindig playing “Little Red Rooster,” “The Last Time” and “Satisfaction.” Others performing on the show were Jackie DeShannon, Sonny and Cher, Bobby Sherman and Jimmie Rogers.
- May 26th, 1965 Reprise Records release “Set Me Free” by The Kinks, out five days earlier in England. Written by Ray Davies and produced by Shel Talmy at Pye Studios in London, Davies’ wife Rasa sings backing vocals on the song. The record entered the singles charts in June and peaked at No. 23 on July 24th.
- May 26th, 1966 Bob Dylan and The Hawks perform at London’s Royal Albert Hall with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in attendance.
- May 26th, 1967 Tamla Records release “More Love” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles on 45. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson for his wife Claudette, an original member of The Miracles who quit touring with the group to have and raise their kids. Robinson considered the lyrics among the most personal of all his work. The record entered the singles charts in June and peaked at No. 23 on July 9th.
- May 26th, 1967 Verve Records release the second album by The Mothers Of Invention, “Absolutely Free.” The LP was recorded at TTG Studios in Los Angeles with Tom Wilson producing over four days in mid-November 1966. All the songs on the record were written and arranged by Frank Zappa. Drummer Billy Mundi appeared on the album but quit The Mothers before it was released. His name does not appear in the credits. “Absolutely Free” peaked at No. 41 on September 23rd.
- May 26th, 1970 George Harrison begins recording his solo LP “All Things Must Pass” at EMI’s Abbey Road studios, with extensive overdubbing and mixing continuing through October. Harrison spoke openly about recording a true solo record in the autumn of 1969, but it was after the official news of The Beatles breakup a month earlier that he committed to the idea. Among the large cast of backing musicians were Eric Clapton and members of Delaney & Bonnie’s band as well as Ringo Starr, Gary Wright, Billy Preston, Badfinger, Gary Brooker, Peter Frampton and Pete Drake. The title track from “All Things Must Pass” was rehearsed first during The Beatles “Get Back” sessions in January 1969.
- May 26th, 1971 Don McLean records “American Pie” with producer Ed Freeman and session guitarist David Spinozza. Written by McLean, the track was released in two parts as the A and B-side a single in November. “American Pie” hit No. 1 in Canada, Australia and in the US, on January 15th, 1972.
- May 26th, 1971 Warner Brothers Records release “Nobody,” the first single by The Doobie Brothers. Written by Tom Johnston and co-produced by Lenny Waronker and Ted Templeman, the single didn’t chart until it was re-released in 1974, when it entered the charts on November 2nd and peaked at No. 58 two weeks later.
- May 26th, 1971 Motown Records release “Maybe Tomorrow” by The Jackson Five on 45. Co-written collectively by The Corporation, Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell and Deke Richards and produced by the four with Gene Page, the record entered the singles charts in July and peaked at No. 20 on August 21st.
- May 26th, 1972 In Britain, Rolling Stones Records release “Exile On Main Street,” the tenth studio LP by The Rolling Stones. Sessions for the album stretched from June 1970 through March 1972 and four different studios in England, France and The United States with producer Jimmy Miller. On the charts in America for nearly a year, the record peaked at No. 1 on June 17th and featured the hit singles “Happy” and “Tumbling Dice.”
- May 26th, 1973 “Frankenstein” by The Edgar Winter Group is the No. 1 record in the US.
- May 26th, 1973 A&M Records release “You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw,” the sixth album by Spooky Tooth. It was the first album by the band following their reformation after breaking up in 1970. Produced by Gary Wright with the rest of the band, guitarist Mick Jones, later with Foreigner, replaced founding member Luther Grosvenor. The record peaked at No. 84 on July 7th.
- May 26th, 1973 “Smoke On The Water” by Deep Purple enters the singles charts on Warner Brothers Records. The song is based on the true story of how someone had fired a flare gun into the ceiling of the Casino in Montreux, Switzerland during a concert by Frank Zappa And The Mothers Of Invention. The fire destroyed the building where Deep Purple was set to record a live album the next day. Co-written collectively by the five members of Deep Purple, the single reached No. 4 on July 28th.
- May 26th, 1979 “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” by Kiss enters the singles charts. The track was produced by Vini Poncia, co-written by Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley with Poncia and Desmond Child. The record peaked at No. 11 on August 11th.
- May 26th, 1979 “Exposure,” the first solo album by King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, enters the album charts. The record was culled from sessions recorded by The Fripp Mobile in New York City, The House Of Music in West Orange, New Jersey, Relight Studios in Hilvarenbeek, The Netherlands and The Hit Factory in New York City with Fripp producing. Featuring vocals on various tracks by Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall and Peter Hammill, the album peaked at No. 79 on July 14th.
- May 26th, 1979 “I Can’t Stand It No More” by Peter Frampton enters the singles charts. The song was written by Frampton, who co-produced the record with Chris Kimsey. “I Can’t Stand It No More” peaked at No. 19 on July 21st.
- May 26th, 1979 “Church” by Bob Welch enters the singles charts on Capitol Records. Written by Bob Welch and produced by John Carter, it was his last charting single, peaking at No. 73 on June 9th.
- May 26th, 1979 “Do It Or Die” by the Atlanta Rhythm Section enters the singles charts on Polydor Records. Co-written by Buddy Buie, James B. Cobb, Jr. and Ronnie Hammond, the record peaked at No. 19 on July 28th.
- May 26th, 1979 “Head First” by The Babys enters the singles charts following a December 1978 release on Chrysalis Records. The song was co-written by The Babys’ John Waite, Wally Stocker and Tony Brock. The record, produced by Ron Nevison, peaked at No. 77 on June 2nd.
- May 26th, 1992 Apple Records release The Beatles’ “Compact Disc EP Collection, a box set of the group’s British EP’s from the 1960’s, in the CD format. The fifteen-disc set included reproductions of the original sleeves that came with the vinyl records.
- May 26th, 2006 David Bowie joins David Gilmour onstage at the Royal Albert Hall in London, touring to promote his solo LP “On An Island.” Original Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright played on the song, at that time part of Gilmour’s band. EMI Records released the recording as a single on December 26th, paired with a live recording of Rick Wright on lead vocals taped the following night, and an acoustic live version of Syd Barrett’s “Dark Globe” from Kiam Castle, Austria, recorded live July 27th.
Miscellaneous May
- May 1949 “Back Home Blues” backed with “Rock Awhile” by Goree Carter and His Hep Cats is released as a 78 rpm record on the Freedom Records label. Influenced by the guitar work of T Bone Walker, “Rock Awhile” stakes a legitimate claim as the first rock and roll record released. Eighteen years old when he recorded the song, the overdriven guitar tone and pentatonic lead predated rock and a style similar to Chuck Berry.
- May 1966 White Whale Records release “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” backed with “I’ll Go On,” the second single by Lyme & Cybelle, the folk rock duo of Warren Zevon and Violet Santangelo. Bob Dylan wrote “If You Gottsa Go, Go Now,” and the B-side was a Zevon/Santangelo co-write. The record was produced by Bones Howe.
- May 1968 Parlophone Records in Britain release “(The Autobiography Of) Mississippi Hobo,” the second single by Hans Christian. Hans Christian was future Yes singer Jon Anderson. The single was arranged and produced by Paul Korda.
- May 1970 Viking Records press promotional copies of “From Denver To L.A.” on 45. Credited with a vocal by “Elton Johns,” it was taken from the movie soundtrack from the 20thCentury Fox film The Games. Original copies of the record are considered one of the rarest Elton John singles.
- May 1972 Bearsville Records release “Wonder Girl,” the debut single by Sparks. Written by Ron Mael, the record was produced by Todd Rundgren. Rundgren signed the band to Bearsville and produced their first album when the band was known as Halfnelson. The band changed its’ name to Sparks after the LP came out in October 1971. The name change led to a new cover and re-release of the album in February 1972.
- May 1973 Chrysalis Records release “Grand Hotel” by Procol Harum on 45. Co-written by Keith Reid and Gary Brooker, the song served as the title track of Procol Harum’s sixth studio LP, produced by Chris Thomas.
- May 1975 Harvest Record release “HQ,” the eighth studio album by Roy Harper. Recorded in March at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Peter Jenner, when the LP came out in America, the cover art and the title changed to “When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease.” David Gilmour, Chris Spedding, Bill Bruford and John Paul Jones played sessions on the LP.
- May 1976 MCA Records release “Gimme Back My Bullets” by Lynyrd Skynyrd on 45. The song was co-written by Gary Rossington and Ronnie Van Zant. The studio track was produced by Tom Dowd.
- May 1977 CBS Records in Britain release “Ian Hunter’s Overnight Angels” album. Recorded at several different studios in the US, Canada and England with producer Roy Thomas Baker, Hunter’s US label, Columbia Records refused to release the LP with Hunter’s business management in disarray and no tour scheduled to support the album. Featured on the album sessions were guitarist Earl Slick.
- May 1984 Passport Records release “Russians & Americans,” the tenth studio album by Al Stewart. The LP was produced by Mike Flicker at four different studios, three in California and Abbey Road Studios in London. British and US issues on the record had different tracks. A 2007 reissue collected all the songs on one CD.
- May 1985 EMI Records in Britain release remixed versions of “Loving The Alien” backed with “Don’t Look Down” on 45, originally from from the David Bowie LP “Tonight.” Bowie wrote the AS-side. “Don’t Look Down” was a song co-written by David Bowie and The Stooges’ guitarist James Williamson.
- May 1985 Legacy Records in Britain release “Under Fire” backed with “On Top Of The World” by Roy Wood on 45. Both songs were written and produced by Roy Wood from the LP “Starting Up.”
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of May 24th
This Week In Rock and Roll History is a weekly one hour look back at the songs, the artists, and the stories behind the music of the rock and roll era.
The Cool Song Of The Week
Cool Song Of The Week 5/24 The Turtles
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