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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

February 6th

February 6th Birthday, British singer Dave Berry, born David Holgate Grundy in 1941 in Woodhouse, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

February 6th Birthday, 1950’s Pop star, singer Fabian, born Fabiano Anthony Forte in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1943.

February 6th Birthday, Reggae star Bob Marley, born Robert Nesta Marley in 1945 in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Colony of Jamaica. He died on May 11th, 1981 in his sleep just forty hours after entering a Miami hospital where he was being treated for lung, liver and brain cancer.

February 6th Birthday, Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle, born in 1946 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

February 6th Birthday, Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward, born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1946. He died on August 12th, 2010, aged 64 from complications due to liver cancer.

February 6th Birthday, Saxophone player Allen Jones from British band Amen Corner, born in 1947 in Swansea, Glamorgan, South Wales.

February 6th Birthday, The Kinks bassist John Gosling, born in 1948 in Paignton, Devon, England. He passed away on August 4th, 2023 at the age of 75.

February 6th Birthday, Cherry People and Angel guitarist Punky Meadows born Edwin Lionel Meadows in 1950 in Washington, DC.

February 6th Birthday, Session drummer and Toto member Simon Phillips, born in London, England in 1957.

February 6th Birthday, Guns And Roses singer Axl Rose, born William Bruce Rose Jr. in 1962 in Los Angeles, California.

Today In Rock and Roll History

February 6th

February 6th, 1956 Atlantic Records release “Such A Night,” the second single by Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters. The song was written by Lincoln Chase. The session was co-produced by Atlantic Records owner Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler. With lyrics considered too racy to play on the radio, the record went to No. 2 on the national R&B charts.

February 6th, 1956 Columbia Records release the first single by The Everly Brothers “Keep A Lovin’ Me” backed with “The Sun Keeps Shining.” “Keep A Lovin’ Me” was co-written as a country waltz by Phil and Don Everly.

February 6th, 1957 The Del-Vikings’ “Come Go with Me” enters the singles charts. Released December 1956 on the independent Fee Bee Records label, then again after the group signed with Dot Records in January 1957, later peaking at No. 5 on May 13th.

February 6th, 1958 Three of the four famous Beatles were linked when George Harrison became a member of Lennon and McCartney’s Liverpool band, The Quarrymen.

February 6th, 1959 RCA Victor Records release the first Elvis Presley LP compilation. “For LP Fans Only” collected early Sun Records recordings with previously released singles recorded before Elvis entered the Army in 1958.

February 6th, 1961 Minit Records release “Mother-In-Law” by New Orleans R&B singer Ernie K-Doe on 45. The song was written by Allen Toussaint, who played piano on the track. After several attempts to record the song, Toussaint was ready to give up on the tune. Willie Harper, one of the backup singers on the session, had to convince him that it was a good song and to keep working on it. “Mother-In-Law” became Doe’s first chart hit, peaking at No. 1 on May 27th.

February 6th, 1965 ABC-Paramount Records release The Impressions “People Get Ready.” Written by group member Curtis Mayfield, the song is steeped in his growing sense of social and political awareness. The single was the Chicago based group’s biggest hit, charting at No. 14 on the Pop Singles charts on March 27th, No. 3 on the R&B chart.

February 6th, 1965 “Midnight Special” by Johnny Rivers enters the singles charts. “Midnight Special” is a traditional folk song thought to have originated among prisoners in the American South. The title refers to the passenger train Midnight Special. Produced by Lou Adler and arranged by Johnny Rivers, the record peaked at No. 20 on March 13th.

February 6th, 1965 The Rolling Stones second album “Rolling Stones No. 2” began the first of a three-week run at No. 1 on the British album charts.

February 6th, 1967 Columbia Records release “Younger Than Yesterday,” the fourth studio album by The Byrds. It was the first album the band recorded without original guitarist and songwriter Gene Clark and the first of three Byrds LP’s produced by Gary Usher. The album reached No. 24 in America on May 13th, No. 37 in Britain and featured the previously released single “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.”

February 6th, 1969 A&M Records release “The Gilded Palace Of Sin,” the first album by The Flying Burrito Brothers. Co-produced by The Burritos, Larry Marks and Henry Lewy at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California, The majority of the songwriting was done by Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, both former members of The Byrds. The record peaked at No. 164 on June 7th.

February 6th, 1970 Columbia Records release “Let’s Give Adam And Eve Another Chance” by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap on 45. Co-written by Red West and Richard Mainegra and produced by Dick Glasser, it was the band’s last charting record, reaching No. 41 on April 4th.

February 6th, 1971 A&M Records release “Highway,” the fourth studio album by Free, out the previous December in Britain. From the album, the single “Stealer” reached No. 49 on the singles charts.

February 6th, 1971 Windfall Records release “Nantucket Sleighride,” the second studio LP by Mountain. Produced by bassist Felix Pappalardi at the Record Plant Studios in New York City in 1970, the album reached No. 16 on February 27th.

February 6th, 1971 “Timothy” by The Buoys re-enters the singles charts, first entering on January 2nd a year earlier. Scepter Records signed the band with a deal that called for the band to promote it themselves. Songwriter Rupert Holmes suggested the lyric contain controversial subject matter to garner radio support. It worked and the song picked up airplay, reaching No. 17 on May 1st, No. 9 in Canada.

February 6th, 1971 “Whole Lotta Love” by C.C.S. enters the singles charts. C.C.S. was the British blues outfit Collective Consciousness Society, led by guitarist Alexis Korner. The song was a cover version of the Led Zeppelin song, co-written by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. The record peaked at No. 58 on February 20th.

February 6th, 1971 Bell Records release “I’ll Meet You Halfway” by The Partridge Family starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. The song was co-written by Gerry Goffin and Wes Farrell. Spending nine weeks on the charts, the record entered the singles charts in May and peaked at No. 9 on June 12th.

February 6th, 1971 Richard Thompson quits Fairport Convention for a solo career.

February 6th, 1971 Led Zeppelin announced a small UK club tour which would see the group playing universities and small venues with reduced ticket prices.

February 6th, 1971 ABC Records release “Live In Cook County Jail” by B.B. King. Produced by Bill Szymczyk, the record label encouraged King to contact the press and record the show on September 10th, 1970 at the Cook County jail in Chicago after warden Winston Moore invited King to play. The press coverage of the harsh living conditions at the prison led to reforms in the system. The LP peaked at No. 1 R&B and No. 25 on the Pop charts on March 27th.

February 6th, 1971 “Carolina Day” by Livingston Taylor enters the singles charts following a December 1970 release on Atco Records. Written by Taylor, the record was produced by Jon Landau at Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia. Guitarist Pete Carr played on the session. The record peaked at No. 93 on February 13th.

February 6th, 1976 Island Records release “Give Me An Inch Girl” by Robert Palmer on 45 in England, out in February in the US as well. Written by Robert Palmer and produced by Steve Smith, the track came from Palmer’s “Pressure Drop” LP.

February 6th, 1976 CBS Records in England release “Arms Of Mary” by Sutherland Brothers and Quiver on 45. The song was written by Ian Sutherland and co-produced by the Albert brothers, Howard and Ron. Released in January in the US, the record entered the charts in April and peaked at No. 81 on May 1st.

February 6th, 1982 Kraftwerk were at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Computer Love,” the first German act to score a British No. 1 single.

February 6th, 1982 The J. Geils Band began a six-week run at No. 1 in the US with their single “Centerfold.” It was the first 45 released from the album “Freeze Frame” and was an early staple on MTV. It also peaked at No. 1 in Australia and Canada and No. 3 in Britain.

February 6th, 1984 Virgin Records in Britain and A&M Records in the US release “Sparkle In The Rain,” the sixth album by Simple Minds. Produced by Steve Lillywhite at Monnow Valley Studios in Rockford, Wales and Townhouse Studios in London, England in September and October 1983. The album went to No. 1 in the UK, No. 64 in America.

February 6th, 1988 Columbia Records release “Diesel And Dust,” the sixth studio album by Midnight Oil. “Diesel and Dust” is a concept album about the struggles of Indigenous Australians and environmental causes.“Diesel And Dust” was recorded at Albert Studios in Sydney, Australia, co-producing the LP with Wayne Livesey. The LP featured the hit “Beds Are Burning,” and peaked at No. 21 on June 4th.

February 6th, 1989 London Records in Britain release “The Raw And The Cooked” by Fine Young Cannibals. The LP came out on the 20th in the US. Recorded at AIR Studios in London and Prince’s Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The album was co-produced by the group, Jerry Harrison and David Rivkin, professionally known as David Z, who produced the Paisley Park sessions. The record peaked at No. 1 in the US on June 15th.

Miscellaneous February

February 1957 Gale Records release “Chickee Wah Wah” by Bobby Marchan on 45. The song was co-written by Huey “Piano” Smith and John Vincent. Smith played piano on the track. Marchan was the lead singer in Smith’s band Huey “Piano” Smith and The Clowns, a popular live attraction in New Orleans in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

February 1964 Polydor Records in Britain release “I Just Wanna Make Love To You” backed with “Let The Good Times Roll,” the first single by Scottish singer Alex Harvey and His Soul Band. Harvey wrote the A-side lyrics, reworking the Willie Dixon song. The flip side was penned by Leonard Lee, a cover version of the Shirley and Lee song from 1961.

February 1968 Lee Hazelwood’s LHI Records release “Safe As Home” by The International Submarine Band. Led by twenty-one-year-old Gram Parsons, the LP was recorded at Western Sound (Studio B) in Hollywood with producer Suzi Jane Hokom. Parsons had accepted the offer to join The Byrds before the album was released.

February 1973 Harvest Records release “Lifemask,” the sixth album by Roy Harper. Produced by Peter Jenner at Abbey Road Studios in London, Jimmy Page and Nice drummer Brian Davidson were among the studio musicians on the record.

February 1973 John Martyn’s “Solid Air” album is released. Recording began in July 1972 at Sound Techniques in Chelsea with producer John Wood. Further sessions took place in September and recording was completed by December 9th, 1972.

February 1974 A&M Records release “When The Morning Comes” by Hoyt Axton on 45. Written by Axton who co-produced the track with Allan McDougall, the song features Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals.

February 1975 Warner Brothers Records release “Rock The Nation,” the debut single from Montrose. Co-produced by the band and Ted Templeman, the band included lead vocalist Sammy Hagar, guitarist Ronnie Montrose, Bill Church on bass and Denny Carmassi on drums.

February 1976 RCA/Equinox Records release “Jamaica Farewell” by California Music on 45. The traditional song was co-credited to Terry Melcher, Curt Boettcher and Gary Usher. Usher and Melcher were in the group along with Beach Boy Bruce Johnston.

February 1977 DEVO release their first single on their own record label, Booji Boy Records. “Mongoloid” backed with “Jocko Homo” was co-credited and produced by the band. Both songs would be rerecorded for the group’s first LP “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!” in 1978.

February 1978 Columbia Records release “Godzilla” by Blue Öyster Cult on 45. The song was written by Cult guitarist Donald Roeser from Blue Öyster Cult’s fifth album “Spectres.” The record was co-produced by the band, Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman and David Lucas.

February 1980 CBS Records in Ireland release “Another Day” backed with “Twilight” by U2 on 45. The group co-wrote the LP collectively and co-produced the disc with Chas De Walley.

February 1980 Virgin Records in the US release the first stateside single by XTC. “Ten Feet Tall” was written by bassist Colin Moulding and produced by Phil Wainman, While the label copy states the song is from the band’s “Drums And Wires” LP, the version issued on the 45 in not the same as the one on the album.

February 1987 Legacy Records in Britain release “Staring Up” by Roy Wood. The LP was written produced and arranged by Roy Wood, playing and singing all the instruments and vocals himself.