Wax Museum Radio
Next broadcast January 10th Friday Night at midnight and Saturday night at 10pm on WRGG.
Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History January 7th
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, weekday mornings on KSRQ in Three River Falls, Minnesota, KIYU in Galena, Alaska
Craig Maher / Exo-X-Xeno Wax Museum Interview
Craig Maher from Exo-X-Xeno talking about the 2025 album "Luminous Voyage"
- Click picture to listen to the interview with Craig talking about the Exo-X-Xeno project with Yes members Billy Sherwood, Jay Shellen and Patrick Moraz.
Rock and Roll Birthdays
January 7th
- January 7th Birthday, Keyboardist and leader of Portland, Oregon’s Paul Revere And The Raiders, Paul Revere, born in 1938 in Harvard, Nebraska. He passed away on October 4th, 2014 at the age of 76.
- January 7th Birthday, Rory Storm, the lead singer of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, born Alan Caldwell in 1938 in Stoneycroft, Liverpool, England. He died on September 28th, 1972 at the age of 34.
- January 7th Birthday, Lefty Baker, the guitarist and vocalist for Spanky and Our Gang, born Eustace Britchforth in Richmond City, Virginia in 1939.
- January 7th Birthday, The Youngbloods guitarist and songwriter Jerry Corbitt, born in 1943 in Tifton, Georgia. He passed away on March 8th, 2014.
- January 7th Birthday, Scaffold singer, songwriter, poet and solo artist Mike McGear, born Peter Michael McCartney in 1944 in Liverpool, England.
- January 7th Birthday, Record producer, songwriter, musician and arranger Curt Boettcher, born in 1944 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He died June 14th, 1987 at the age of 43. Boettcher produced hits by The Association, Tommy Roe and worked as a staff producer for Columbia Records.
- January 7th Birthday, Vocalist, guitarist, songwriter for British folk/progressive rock band, The Strawbs, Dave Cousins, born David Joseph Hindson in Hounslow, Middlesex, England in 1945.
- January 7th Birthday, Loggins and Messina singer and solo artist Kenny Loggins, born in 1948 in Everett, Washington.
- January 7th Birthday, Session drummer Rick Marotta, born in New York City in 1948. Marotta has worked with Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Todd Rundgren and many others.
- January 7th Birthday, Go Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine, born Kathryn Valentine in 1959 in Austin, Texas.
Nektar Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
Nektar interviewed on the second night of the 2025 "Mission To Mars" Tour
- Click image to hear the exclusive the Wax Museum interview with Nektar discussiing the current tour, future plans and group history.
Today In Rock and Roll History
January 7th
- January 7th, 1954 Muddy Waters records “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” in Chicago. Written by Willie Dixon, the record was one of Waters’ first recordings with a full backing band. Waters sings and plays electric guitar along with Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter on harmonica, either drummers Elgin Evans or Fred Below, who replaced Evans during 1954, pianist Otis Spann, who joined the band in 1953 and Dixon, in his debut on double bass for the Waters’ recording session. Chess Records released “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” as a 45 later in January.
- January 7th, 1958 RCA Victor Records release “Don’t” backed with “I Beg Of You” by Elvis Presley on 45. Co-written and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, it became Presley’s eleventh No. 1 hit in the United States. Backing Presley on the session were Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Black on double bass, D.J. Fontana on drums, Dudley Brooks on piano and The Jordanaires sang backing vocals.
- January 7th, 1963 Gary “U.S.” Bonds files a one hundred-thousand-dollar lawsuit against Chubby Checker, charging Checker rearranged “Quarter to Three” --- and turned it into the song “Dancin’ Party.” The suit was later settled out of court.
- January 7th, 1964 The Beach Boys record basic tracks for “Don’t Worry Baby” at United Western Recorders in Hollywood. The song was produced by Brian Wilson, who wrote the tune with radio personality and lyricist Roger Christian. Released May 11th as the B-side of “I Get Around,” the track had a chart run of its own, entering in May and peaking at No. 24 on July 4th.
- January 7th, 1964 The Beatles perform for The BBC’s The Light Program microphones at The Playhouse Theatre in London with producers Jimmy Grant and Bernie Andrews with presenter Brian Matthews. The show was broadcast on February 15th, 1964.
- Songs performed were “All My Loving” co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, “Money (That’s What I Want)” co-written by Berry Gordy Jr. and Janie Bradford, “The Hippy Hippy Shake” written by Chad Romero, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, “Roll Over Beethoven” written by Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” written by Chuck Berry and “I Wanna Be Your Man” co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
- January 7th, 1964 Pye Records in Britain release The Searchers “Needles And Pins” on 45 where it would hit No. 1. The song was co-written by Jack Nitzsche (Nitch-ee) and Sonny Bono and the track, produced by Tony Hatch. Jackie DeShannon claimed to have co-written the song as well but did not receive credit. Audible during The Searchers’ recording of “Needles and Pins” is a faulty bass drum pedal, which squeaks throughout the song. It is particularly noticeable in the intro of the track. The record came out in the US on February 15th on Kapp Records, entering the charts in March and peaked at No. 13 on April 11th. The single’s B-side “Ain’t That Just Like Me” also entered the US charts in April and went to No. 61 on May 16th.
- January 7th, 1965 Ascot Records release “Come Tomorrow” by Manfred Mann on 45. The song was co-written by Bob Elgin, Dolores Phillips and Frank Augustus and was first released by Gospel/R&B singer Marie Knight in 1961. The record peaked at No. 50 on March 20th.
- January 7th, 1966 Epic Records release “At The Scene” by The Dave Clark Five on 45. Co-written by Dave Clark and guitarist Lenny Davidson, the record was issued as a non- LP single not on an original DC 5 album. “At The Scene” charted for seven weeks and peaked at No. 18 on March 12th.
- January 7th, 1967 James Brown and The Famous Flames “Bring It Up” enters the singles charts. The song was co-written by Brown and Flames’ bandleader Nat Jones. The record spent eight weeks on the charts on peaked at No. 29 on February 18th.
- January 7th, 1967 The Dave Clark Five “I’ve Got To Have A Reason” enters the singles charts. The track was produced by Dave Clark. The song was co-written by Dave Clark and band guitarist Lenny Davidson. The record peaked at No. 44 on February 11th.
- January 7th, 1967 The McCoys’ “I Got To Go Back (And Watch That Little Girl Dance)” enters the singles charts. The song was co-written by Jeff Barry and Bert Burns, co-produced by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Bob Irwin and Richard Gottehrer. The record peaked at No. 69 on February 4th.
- January 7th, 1967 “Pretty Ballerina” by The Left Banke enters the singles charts following a December release on Smash Records. Written by group keyboardist Michael Brown and recorded at World United Studios in New York City with co-producers Harry Lookofsky and Steve and Bill Jerome. Harry Lookofsky was a jazz violinist and the father of Michael Brown. The single went to No. 15 on February 25th.
- January 7th, 1967 “Wild Thing” by Senator Bobby featuring Bill Mimkin enters the singles charts. Released on Parkway Records. Sung by comedian Bill Minkin in the verbal style of Democratic Senator Bobby Kennedy while a recording engineer is heard giving instructions, the single charted for seven weeks and peaked at No. 20 on February 4th. The flip side featured “Senator Everett McKinley” (an impression of Republican Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen) doing the same song, a cover of The Troggs hit, written by Chip Taylor, who co-produced the track with Dennis Wholey.
- January 7th, 1969 During The Beatles Get Back rehearsals at Twickenham Film Studios, Paul McCartney begins writing “Get Back” with George Harrison riffing on guitar and Ringo Starr keeping time with his hands and snapping his fingers. The band worked on the song throughout the January rehearsals, recording take one on January 23rd at Apple Studios with Billy Preston on electric piano. The version chosen for release as The Beatles next single was taped on January 27th. The first thirty-five seconds of the coda of the song were added from a performance of the track the next day. Played live, the full coda ran one minute and twenty-two seconds long. The released American and British singles are different mixes, the British mixed to mono and the American 45 mixed to stereo.
- January 7th, 1969 Columbia Records release “More Today Than Yesterday” by Spiral Starecase. Written by group guitarist and singer Pat Upton, the song was produced by Sonny Knight and arranged by Al Capps. The record reached No. 6 in Canada, No. 12 in the US, on June 14th.
- January 7th, 1970 Jimi Hendrix’ Band Of Gypsys record the basic track, take three of “I’m A Man” at The Record Plant Studios in New York City. Backed with “Izabella,” the track was issued as a single on Reprise Records in April, renamed “Sky Blues Today” with new vocals and guitar overdubs recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City on January 20th.
- January 7th, 1971 Motown Records release “Mama’s Pearl” by the Jackson 5. Co-written by Freddie Perren, Berry Gordy Jr., Alphonzo Mizell and Dennis Lussier. Mizell, Perren, Gordy and Deke Richards co-produced the record under the collective name “The Corporation.” The record charted for ten weeks and went to No. 2 on February 27th.
- January 7th, 1972 Rolling Stones Records release “Jamming With Edward,” by Nicky Hopkins, Ry Cooder, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. Songs on the album were jam sessions recorded during the Rolling Stones sessions for the “Let It Bleed” album. Edward was Hopkins’ nickname. Issued as a budget priced record, the LPpeaked at No. 33 on February 26th.
- January 7th, 1977 RCA Victor Record release the double album retrospective “Flight Log (1966-1976)” by Jefferson Airplane. Not only featuring Airplane songs, the collection includes solo projects by members of the band and one previously unreleased track. The LP went to No. 37 on March 5th.
- January 7th, 1977 Epic Records release “Long Time” by Boston on 45. The song was written by group guitarist and producer, Tom Scholtz, who claimed “Long Time” was the first song he ever wrote, in 1969. An alternate mix with different effects and vocals appeared on an Epic Records promotional sampler and has never been commercially available. The record peaked at No. 22 on March 5th.
- January 7th, 1978 Al Green “Belle” enters the singles charts. The song was produced by Al Green, who co-wrote the song with Rueben Fairfax Jr. and Fred Jordan. It was Green’s first LP without longtime producer Willie Mitchell and his first after he’d become an ordained minister, ending a string of secular records. The record peaked at No. 83 on January 21st.
- January 7th, 1985 Warner Brothers Records release “Centerfield” by John Fogerty. Completely written, produced and performed by Fogerty, the record served as a comeback album after the release of his previous album a decade earlier. With three successful singles issued from the album, “The Old Man Down the Road,” “Rock and Roll Girls” and the title track “Centerfield,” the LP went to No. 1 on March 23rd.
- January 7th, 1993 R.E.M. performed a Green Peace benefit concert at a small club in Athens, Georgia. Appropriately, the show was recorded on a solar-power mobile recording studio.
- January 7th, 2008 Ringo Starr’s “Liverpool 8” is released on 45. The song was co-written by Ringo with David Allen Stewart from the Eurythmics. The track was co-produced by Starr with Mark Hudson.
Miscellaneous January
- January 1959 Del Fi Records release “Fast Freight” backed with Big Baby Blues” by Arvee Allens on 45. Both instrumentals, the name was a pseudonym for Ritchie Valens, who wrote the songs. Rereleased later under his real name, it was Valens’ last single issued in his lifetime.
- January 1967 Verve Folkways Records release “More Than A New Discovery,” the first album by Laura Nyro. The LP was produced by Milton Okun from July through November 1966 at Bell Sound Studios in New York City. Verve reissued the tracks as “The First Songs” in 1969 on their Verve Forecast imprint and Columbia did the same in 1973, reissued with a new cover, when it peaked at No. 97 on March 24th.
- January 1968 CBS Records in Britain release “Come Out Fighting Genghis Smith,” the second album by Roy Harper. The LP was produced by Shel Talmy.
- January 1969 CBS Records in Britain release “Love Chronicles,” the second album by Al Stewart. 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.
- January 1971 Warner Brothers Records release the self-titled debut album by Little Feat. Produced by Russ Titelman, the LP didn’t chart. Little Feat were formed by guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in Los Angeles in 1969.
- January 1972 Reprise Records release “The Spotlight Kid,” the sixth studio album by Captain Beefheart. The album was recorded in the Autumn of 1971 with Beefheart and Phil Schier co-producing.
- January 1972 Buddah Records release “City Of New Orleans” by songwriter Steve Goodman. Although Goodman’s version didn’t chart, two subsequent cover versions did. Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson both had hits with the song. Goodman received a posthumous Grammy award for best Country Song at the 27th Grammy Awards in 1985 for Nelson’s cover of the song.
- January 1973 Palladium Records release “Back In ‘72” by Bob Seger. The album contains the original studio version of one of Seger’s signature songs, “Turn the Page.”
- January 1974 Warner Brothers Records release “Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath” by Black Sabbath on 45. The single version of the song was edited to three minutes and thirty-three seconds from the album version that was nearly six minutes long.
- January 1974 Ardent Records release “Radio City,” the second album by Big Star. Down to the three-piece unit of Alex Chilton, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel, former guitarist Chris Bell did contribute to the writing of a few songs on the LP before departing in late 1972. A few of the songs were completed by Chilton with session players. Sales were hampered by poor distribution of the album when Ardent’s parent company had disagreements with Columbia Records, who otherwise would have placed the album in stores.
- January 1975 Wilco Johnson’s band, Dr. Feelgood, release their first LP “Down The Jetty” on United Artists Records in Britain.
- January 1976 Mercury Records release “Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed” by Thin Lizzy on 45. The song was co-written by Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham and Brian Downey. The track was produced by John Alcock from the band’s “Johnny The Fox” LP.
- January 1977 Private Stock Records release the eponymous first album by Blondie. Produced by Richard Gottehrer, the group bought back their contract with Private Stock and re-signed with Chrysalis Records, wrote re-released the album the following September.
- January 1981 Full Moon/Epic Records release “Outside” by Ambrosia as a single backed with the Eagles song “I Can’t Tell You Why” on the flip side. Both songs were featured in the 1980 Richard Donner film soundtrack Inside Moves. The record peaked at No. 102 in the US.
- January 1981 Sire Records release Talking Heads “Once In A Lifetime” on 45. Co-produced and written by the band and Brian Eno. It was the lead single from Talking Heads’ fourth studio album, “Remain In Light.” The LP went to No. 19 on December 6thbut the single never entered the Top One Hundred despite significant airplay on early MTV broadcasts. A live version released in 1986 peaked at No. 91.
The Paul Bielatowicz Band Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
The Paul Bielatowicz Band interviewed on their 2025 Spring Tour
- Click image to hear the exclusive the Wax Museum interview with The Paul Bielatowicz Band discussiing the current tour and future plans.
Music and conversation with Andy Tillison of The Tangent
Wax Museum interview May 2024
- Click image to hear The Wax Museum's Andy Tillison interview
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of January 4th
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.
Jonas Reingold Interview
Jonas Reingold in The Wax Museum
Click image to hear Chris Palladino's Wax Museum Interview with Jonas Reingold
Carl Giammarese / The Buckinghams Interview
The Buckinghams Radio Show
Click image to hear Chris Palladino's interviews on WRGG with Carl Giammarese from The Buckinghams in 2022 and 2024
The Cool Song Of The Week
Cool Song Of The Week January 4th Status Quo
Cool songs from the Rock and Roll Era, Closet Classics and more.
Robert Fripp Radio Oz interview 7/25/85
King Crimson guitarist Radio Oz interview
- Click Fripp's image to hear the King Crimson guitarist, record producer, solo artist in this 1985 interview for the WARX Sunday night Radio Oz program. Fripp discusses his then current Guitar Craft courses, King Crimson stories, his start in the music business, and more.
Annie Haslam 2019 Wax Museum interview
Annie Haslam "In Words and Music"
- Click picture to hear Annie Haslam "In Words and Music". The iconic Renaissance singer talks at length about music, her life, and artwork for an exclusive interview in The Wax Museum.
Tommy James Wax Museum Interview January 2019
Tommy James
- Click picture to hear Tommy promoting all his planned 2019 activities; new album, Sirius XM radio show, touring, new movie, etc.
From the Radio Oz interview archives
Firesign Theatre interview 1980
- Click picture to listen to this archival interview with The Firesign Theatre recorded during their 1980 Fighting Clowns tour of the US for Radio Oz now available for purchase in the Firesign Theatre's "Fighting Clowns" of Hollywood" collection! Also check out this Tiny Ossman interview from 1995 -
Woody Lissauer Wax Museum Interview 2/22/20
Baltimore based Woody Lissauer steps up to the Wax Museum microphones for this in depth interview!
- Click picture to listen to the Wax Museum interview with Woody Lissauer and his latest album "Trouble The Water" with Barbara Ireland and Steve Caplan.
