Wax Museum Radio
Next broadcast August 15th Friday Night at midnight and Saturday night at 10pm on WRGG.
Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History August 15th
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
August 15th
- August 15th Birthday, An original member of The Drifters, singer Bill Pinkey, born in Dalzell, South Carolina in 1925. He passed away on July 4th, 2007 at the age of 81.
- August 15th Birthday, Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, bandleader and talent scout, Bobby Byrd, born in Toccoa, Georgia in 1934. Byrd founded The Flames and is credited with discovering James Brown. He passed away on September 12th, 2007 at the age of 73.
- August 15th Birthday, Spencer Davis Group drummer Peter York, born in Redcar, England in 1942.
- August 15th Birthday, Hit songwriter Jimmy Webb, who wrote songs for everyone from Joan Baez to Frank Sinatra to Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Glen Campbell, born in 1946 in Elk City, Oklahoma.
- August 15th Birthday, Rock drummer Tommy Aldridge, born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1950. Aldridge has played with Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and others.
- August 15th Birthday, 1980’s era Jethro Tull keyboardist and songwriter Peter-John Vettese, born in Scotland in 1956.
Today In Rock and Roll History
August 15th
- August 15th, 1951 Chess Records release “Moanin’ At Midnight” backed with “How Many More Years,” the debut single by Howlin’ Wolf as a 78 rpm record. Both songs were credited to Carl Germany, a disc jockey and dance promoter, but later credited to Chester Burnett, aka Howlin’ Wolf. The songs were recorded at Memphis Recording Service by producer Sam Phillips in July. Wolf played harmonica and sang, Ike Turner played piano with Willie Johnson on guitar and Willie Steele on drums.
- August 15th, 1958 Buddy Holly married twenty-five-year-old Maria Elena Santiago, a woman he had met two months earlier. The wedding took place at the home of Buddy’s parents in Lubbock, Texas.
- August 15th, 1960 Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now Or Never” starts a five-week run as the No. 1 song in the country. The record would have international sales of over twenty-five million copies.
- August 15th, 1960 Warner Brothers Records release “So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)” backed with “Lucille” by The Everly Brothers on 45. Written by Don Everly and produced by Mark Linett, “So Sad” peaked at No. 7 on October 15th. The song became a hit for several country music artists.
- August 15th, 1964 “A Summer Song” by Chad and Jeremy enters the Pop Singles charts following a July release. Co-written by Chad Stuart, Clive Metcalfe and Keith Noble, the track was recorded in June 1964 at CTS Studios with producer Shel Talmy and Johnnie Spence conducting the orchestra. The US and British singles differ from one another. The UK version has Chad and Jeremy trading vocals in the song’s opening verse. The US version has them both singing in unison. The song went to No. 7 on October 17th.
- August 15th, 1965 The Beatles North American tour kicks off at Shea Stadium in front of a record crowd of fifty-five thousand fans and two thousand security guards. One year later, 1966, The Beatles play DC Stadium.
- August 15th, 1965 Volt Records release “Respect” by Otis Redding on 45. Written by Redding as a ballad for Speedo Sims and later covered by Aretha Franklin, whose version significantly rearranged the song. The Otis Redding version was produced by Steve Cropper and peaked at No. 35 on November 6th.
- August 15th, 1966 RCA Records release “Takes Off,” the first album by the Jefferson Airplane. The LP was produced by Tommy Oliver at RCA Victor’s Music Center Of The World Studios in Hollywood. The record featured original vocalist Signe Anderson and drummer Skip Spence. The record peaked at No. 128 on November 1st.
- August 15th, 1967 Columbia Records release “Hush” by Billy Joe Royal on 45. The track was written and produced by Joe South and later covered by Deep Purple. The Billy Joe Royal version peaked at No. 52 on October 28th.
- August 15th, 1968 The Beatles record “Rocky Racoon” at EMI Studio Two in London with producer George Martin. Paul McCartney wrote the song in India with help from John Lennon and Donovan. Demo’d in George’s Harrison’s Esher home in May with more of a country and western feel than the finished song, the song was taped in nine takes with overdubs added to take nine. John Lennon plays harmonica and accordion on the song. George Martin played a Challen “Jangle Box” piano recorded at half-speed. When played back, the sound mimicked a honky-tonk saloon piano.
- August 15th, 1968 Columbia Records release “Piece Of My Heart” by Big Brother and The Holding Company. Featuring lead vocalist Janis Joplin, the song was co-written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Burns and first released by Erma Franklin in October 1967. The Big Brother version of “Piece Of My Heart” was produced by John Simon and peaked at No. 12 on November 9th.
- August 15th, 1969 The Woodstock Music and Art Festival began on Max Yasgur’s six-hundred-acre farm in Bethel, New York. The three-day long festival drew a crowd of more than five hundred thousand people and became one of the most celebrated Rock and Folk concerts of all time.
- August 15th, 1969 Blue Horizon Records in Britain release “The Pious Bird Of Good Omen,” a compilation album by Fleetwood Mac. The LP featured the band’s first four non-album singles, A and B-sides, two previously released tracks and two songs by Eddie Boyd that members of Fleetwood Mac appear on. The US compilation “English Rose” shares five of the record’s tracks.
- August 15th, 1969 Three Dog Night are awarded a Gold Record for their self-titled debut album. The group had become a popular live act in Los Angeles and attracted the attention of several record labels. After a show at The Troubador in 1967, the band signed with ABC Dunhill Records and began work on the album with producer Gabriel Mekler. The LP had a top five single with Harry Nilsson’s “One.”
- August 15th, 1970 “Green Eyed Lady” by Sugarloaf enters the singles charts following a July release on Liberty Records. Produced by Frank Slay and co-written by Jerry Corbetta, J.C. Phillips and David Riordan, the single version was heavily edited down from the nearly seven-minute-long album version. “Green Eyed Lady” peaked at No. 3 on October 17th.
- August 15th, 1970 Todd Rundgren releases “We Gotta Get You A Woman,” credited to his nickname “Runt.” Recorded at Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York with bass and drums by brothers Hunt and Tony Sales, Rundgren wrote the song, played all the other instruments and produced the record. “We Gotta Get You A Woman” entered the singles charts in November and peaked at No. 20 on January 30th.
- August 15th, 1970 “All Right Now” by Free enters the singles charts on A&M Records. Co-written by Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers, the track was recorded at Trident Studios in London in January with the band self-producing. “All Right Now” hit No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart spent sixteen weeks on the charts in the US and peaked at No. 4 on October 17th.
- August 15th, 1970 “Going To The Country” by The Steve Miller Band enters the singles charts on Capitol Records, the band’s second charting 45. Miller produced the record and co-wrote the song with Ben Sidran. The record peaked at No. 69 on September 12th.
- August 15th, 1970 “Long Long Gone” by Linda Ronstadt enters the charts on Capitol Records, her first charting single as a solo artist. Written by Gary White and co-produced by Norbert Putnam and Elliot Mazer, Ronstadt’s version of the song was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance in 1971. The record peaked at No. 25 on October 10th.
- August 15th, 1972 Capitol Records release The Band’s live album “Rock Of Ages.” The recordings were made at the Academy of Music in New York City from December 28th through the 31st, 1971. The record peaked at No. 6 on November 11th.
- August 15th, 1972 Cotillion Records release “From The Beginning” by Emerson, Lake and Palmer on 45. Self-produced by the band, the song was written by Greg Lake three years earlier when he sang and played bass for King Crimson. Originally intended for Crimson’s debut album “In the Court Of The Crimson King” the single entered the charts on August 25thand became ELP’s highest charted 45, peaking at No. 39 on October 28th.
- August 15th, 1975 Atlantic Records release “Atlantic Crossing” by Rod Stewart. Produced by Tom Dowd, sessions for the LP included members of Booker T’s MG’s, Pete Carr and Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, Leland Sklar on bass, David Lindley on mandolin, Nigel Olsson on drums and The Memphis Horns. The record peaked at No. 9 on November 1st.
- August 15th, 1977 Mushroom Records in Australia release “My Mistake” backed with “Crosswords” by Split Enz on 45. Both songs were issued from the band “Dizrythmnia” LP, co-produced by the band with Geoff Emerick at AIR Studios in London. The A-side was co-written by Tim Finn and Eddie Rayner. “Crosswords” was written by Tim Finn.
- August 15th, 1979 Led Zeppelin released their final album of original material, “In Through the Out Door.” The record was recorded in three weeks at Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden with Jimmy Page producing in November and December 1978 with engineers Leif Mases and Leonart Ostlund. The LP entered the charts at No. 1 in both America and England and remained there for seven weeks, selling over six million copies.
- August 15th, 1980 Elektra Records release “Panorama,” the third album by The Cars. The record, produced by Roy Thomas Baker at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood and The Power Station in New York City, featured the hit “Touch and Go” and peaked at No. 5 on September 20th.
- August 15th, 1981 The second album by the Pretenders, “Pretenders II” is released by Sire Records. Recorded at Wessex Studios in London and Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris, France with producer Chris Thomas, the record featured the hits “Message Of Love” and “Talk Of The Town” and peaked at No. 10 on September 12th.
- August 15th, 1983 Epic Records release “Next Position Please” by Cheap Trick. The album featured the hit “I Can’t Take It” and was produced by Todd Rundgren at Utopia Sound in Lake Hill, New York. The record peaked at No. 61 on October 15th.
- August 15th, 1983 EMI America Records release “Rant N’ Rave With The Stray Cats,” the band’s third album. Produced by Dave Edmunds, the album featured the hit “(She’s) Sexy and 17.” Saxophonist Mel Collins played on sessions for the LP. The record peaked at No. 14 on October 15th.
- August 15th, 1987 Mercury Records release “Paper In Fire” by John Cougar Mellencamp on 45. Written by John Mellencamp, who co-produced the track with Don Gehman, the record peaked at No. 9 on October 3rd.
Miscellaneous August
- August 1957 Ace Records release “Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu” by Huey “Piano” Smith on 45. The song was co-written by Smith and Johnny Vincent. The session for the track included Sidney Rayfield and “Scarface” John Williams on vocals, Lee Allen on tenor sax, Earl King on guitar, Frank Fields on bass and Charles “Hungry” Williams on drums. The record peaked at No. 52 on the Pop singles charts.
- August 1958 Dot Records release “Scratchin’” backed with the novelty song “I Hates Rabbits” by Jerry Neal on 45. Neal was a stage name of Jerry Capehart. He co-wrote both songs with Eddie Cochran. Cochran is rumored to play all the instruments on “Scratchin’,” while Cochran plays lead guitar on “I Hates Rabbits.”
- August 1958 Tune Town Records release “Boxtop” by Ike Turner, Carson Oliver and Little Ann, the first record release to feature the future Tina Turner on vocals. The song was written by Ike Turner, who heard the seventeen-year-old sing during the intermission of a Kings Of Rhythm set at the Manhattan Club in East St. Louis. Carson Oliver was one of the vocalists in Turner’s group, the Kings Of Rhythm band. The track was recorded at Turner’s house on Virginia Place, in East St. Louis.
- August 1963 Original Sound Records release “Heavies” backed with “The Cruncher” by The Rotations on 45. The Rotations were an alias for Paul Buff and Dave Aerni. Both songs were co-written by Aerni and Buff, produced by Frank Zappa at PAL Studio in Cucamonga, California in June. A few seconds of “Heavies” is heard in the opening moments of “Nasal Retentive Caliope Music” on The Mothers Of Invention LP “We’re Only In It For The Money.”
- August 1963 Original Sound Records release “Tijuana” backed with “Grunion Run” by The Hollywood Persuaders on 45. Paul Buff wrote the A-side. “Grunion Run” was performed by Paul Buff and Frank Zappa, recording at PAL Studios in Cucamonga, California in June. Zappa played guitars, bass and drums with Paul Buff on saxophone.
- August 1965 Autumn Records release “Beau Brummels Volume II.” The record featured the hit “You Tell Me Why” and follow-up single “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” but didn’t chart. Sylvester Stewart, later known professionally as Sly Stone, is listed as the album’s producer, but members of the band didn’t recall him being there for the recording sessions.
- August 1969 Immediate Records in Britain release the self-titled album by “The Nice,” the group’s second album.
- August 1971 A&M Records release “White Light,” the second studio album by The Byrds’ singer, songwriter Gene Clark. The LP was recorded at A&M Studios and Village Recorders in Los Angeles with Jesse Ed Davis producing in the Spring, 1971. Playing on the record were Davis, bassist Chris Ethridge of the Flying Burrito Brothers, organist Michael Utley, pianist Ben Sidran and drummer Gary Mallaber, both of the Steve Miller Band.
- August 1972 Thunderclap Newman pianist Andy Newman releases the solo LP “Rainbows” on Track Records in England. Pete Townshend is the executive producer of the album.
- August 1974 Ardent Records release “September Gurls” by Big Star on 45. The song was written by Alex Chilton with autobiographical lyrics about several women in his life. The record was co-produced by Big Stay and John Fry on a six track recording console at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee during sessions for the band’s second album “Radio City.”
- August 1976 Mushroom Records in Australia release “Second Thoughts,” the second LP by Split Enz. The group’s first LP “Mental Notes” had not been released in America or in Europe, so Chrysalis Records issued “Second Thoughts” in September in Britain and January 1977 in the US – as “Mental Notes” with new cover art. “Second Thoughts” was produced by Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera at Basing Street Studios in London. The LP went to No. 18 in the New Zealand album charts.
- August 1978 Chrysalis Records release “I’m Gonna Love You Too” by Blondie on 45, a cover version of The Crickets’ song from 1957. The song was written by Crickets’ bassist Joe Maudlin, guitarist Niki Sullivan and record producer Norman Petty. Produced by Mike Chapman, it was the first single released from Blondie’s “Parallel Lines” LP.
- August 1980 Virgin Records in Britain release “Generals And Majors” by XTC on 45. Written by Colin Moulding and produced by Steve Lillywhite, it was the first single released from the band’s “Black Sea” album and peaked at No. 32 in England.
- August 1980, Virgin Records release “Doc At The Radar Station” by Captain Beefheart. The album was recorded in June at Sound Castle Recording Studios in Los Angeles with Beefheart producing.
- August 1983 Warner Brothers Records release “Song For A Future Generation” by The B-52’s as the second single from the “Whammy!” LP. The song was written collectively by The B-52’s, produced by Steven Stanley.
- August 1984 EG Records release “The Pearl,” the second album by Harold Budd and Brian Eno. Recorded in Toronto, Canada with Daniel Lanois also producing, the premise of the recordings were established on the pair’s first collaboration “The Plateaux Of Mirror,” with Eno treating Budd’s improvised piano parts with studio effects and later making compositional decisions together to create the released tracks.
- August 1986 IMP Records in Britain release “Tokyo Storm Warning” by Elvis Costello and The Attractions on 45, a song Costello wrote with his wife, The Pogues bassist Cait O’Riordan. The track was Costello’s first single release to give credit to his given name MacManus. “Tokyo Storm Warning” was co-produced by Nick Lowe and Colin Fairley.
- August 1987 Virgin Records in England release “Psonic Psunspot,” the first full-length album by The Dukes Of Stratosphere, actually XTC under a different name with guitarist Dave Gregory’s brother Ian on drums. The record was co-produced by John Leckie and the band at Sawmills Studio in Fowey, Cornwall, England in June.
- August 1987 Columbia Records release the movie soundtrack LP “Back To The Beach,” a various artists collection of songs from the film. Highlights include the Stevie Ray Vaughn/Dick Dale remake of “Pipeline,” songs by Dave Edmunds, Eddie Money, Aimee Mann, M<arti Jones and a Herbie Hancock version of “Wipe Out” featuring Dweezil Zappa on guitar and Terry Bozzio on drums.
- August 1989 Virgin Records release “The Loving” by XTC on 45 in Britain. The track came from the band’s Paul Fox produced “Oranges And Lemons” LP.
- August 1992 Warner Brothers Records in Britain release “Real Cool World” by David Bowie on 45. The song was the theme from Real Cool World movie, written by Bowie and produced by Nile Rodgers. The B-side was an instrumental version of the track.
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of August 9th
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 8/9 Johnny Nash
Cool songs from the Rock and Roll Era, Closet Classics and more.
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Jonas Reingold in The Wax Museum
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Firesign Theatre interview 1980
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