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Rock and Roll Birthdays

January 20th

January 20th Birthday, O’Jays vocalist William Powell, born in Canton, Ohio in 1942. He passed away on December 26th, 1977.

January 20th Birthday, Rick Evans from Zager and Evans, born in 1943 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

January 20th Birthday, Singer, songwriter, record producer Eric Stewart from The Mindbenders and 10CC, born in 1945 in Droylsden, Lancashire, England.

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

January 20th Birthday, Drummer Melvin Pritchard from Barclay James Harvest, born in Oldham, Lancashire, England in 1948.

January 20th Birthday, Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill, born in 1951 in West Bromwich, England.

January 20thBirthday, Kiss rhythm guitarist and singer Paul Stanley, born Stanley Eisen in 1952 in Manhattan, New York City.

January 20th Birthday, Frank Zappa bassist Scott Thunes (TOO-nis), born in 1960 in Los Angeles, California.

January 20th Birthday, L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, born Richard Irving Ulrich in Los Angeles, California in 1966.

Today In Rock and Roll History

January 20th

January 20th, 1957 Chuck Berry records “School Days (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)” at Universal Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois with producers and Chess Records label owners Leonard and Phil Chess. The session featured Chuck Berry on vocals and guitar, Johnnie Johnson on piano, Hubert Sumlin on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass and drummer Fred Below. The record was released on March 16th and peaked at No. 5 on May 27th.

January 20th, 1958 Rick Nelson started a two-week run at No. 1 on the album chart with the self-titled “Ricky” LP.

January 20th, 1964 The Beatles’ debut US album on Capitol Records, “Meet The Beatles” is released. Most of the songs on the LP were taken from the group’s second British album “With The Beatles,” along with both sides of their latest single “I Want To Hold Your Hand and the song “This Boy.” The are significant differences in the overall sound of the American mixes of the songs from their British counterparts, generally added reverb and other effects, overseen by Capitol Records’ Dave Dexter. The album reached No. 1 on February 15th, the first of an eleven-week run. When the album relinquished the top spot, it was to “The Beatles Second Album” on April 10th.

January 20th, 1965 Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, the Dave Clark Five, Bobby Vee, Bobby Sherman and Gerry And The Pacemakers all appeared on ABC-TV’s Shindig!

January 20th, 1965 The Byrds record “Mr. Tambourine Man” with producer Terry Melcher at Columbia Records’ Hollywood Studios. The only member of the group to actually play on the session was Jim McGuinn on twelve string guitar. Studio musicians Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, Larry Knechtel on bass and playing drums Hal Blaine, were the backing band and The Byrds’ McGuinn, David Crosby and Gene Clark sang on the track. The record entered the charts in May and peaked at No. 6 on August 7th.

January 20th, 1967 Arthur Conley records “Sweet Soul Music” at FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Co-written by Conley and Otis Redding, it’s based on the Sam Cooke song “Yeah Man” and the opening riff is a quote from Elmer Bernstein’s score for the 1960 movie The Magnificent Seven. Released on February 21st, 1967, the record entered the charts on March 11th and went to No. 2 on May 13th.

January 20th, 1967 Fontana Records in Britain release “I’m A Man” by the Spencer Davis Group on 45. The song was co-written by singer Steve Winwood and record producer Jimmy Miller, reaching No. 9 in England. The record came out in America on March 18th on United Artists Records and reached No. 10 on May 6th. It was the last hit single by the band before the brothers Steve and Muff Winwood left to pursue their own separate careers.

January 20th, 1967 Decca Records in Britain release “Between The Buttons,” the fifth studio album by The Rolling Stones. Pianists Ian Stewart and Jack Nitzsche (Nitch-ee) both played on the LP. Produced by their manager Andrew Loog Oldham at various sessions at RCA in Hollywood and IBC Studios in London, the British and American versions had a different track listing. In England, the record went to No. 3. In America, the LP went to No. 2 on March 11th.

January 20th, 1968 MGM Records release “No One Knows” by Every Mother’s Son. Co-written by Larry Kusick, Ritchie Adams and the record’s producer Wes Farrell, the record entered the charts a week later and peaked at No. 96 on February 10th.

January 20th, 1968 James Brown and The Famous Flames “There Was A Time” enters the singles charts following a December 1967 release on King Records. The song was issued as the B-side of the single “I Can’t Stand Myself.” The song was recorded live at The Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City, during a medley that included “Let Yourself Go” and “I Feel All Right.” Co-written by James Brown and Bud Hobgood, Brown released a number of different versions of the song over the years. The hit version charted much higher than the A-side, peaking at No. 36 on February 17th.

January 20th, 1968 British band Grapefruit release their first single “Dear Delilah,” produced by Terry Melcher. Grapefruit were based in London, England, brought together by Terry Doran, who signed them to Apple Publishing, a music publishing company started and owned by The Beatles. Grapefruit’s singer was George Alexander, born Alexander Young, the older brother of the Easybeats’ guitarist and songwriter George Young and also of Malcolm and Angus Young, both founding members of hard rock band AC/DC. “Dear Delilah” reached No. 98 on March 2nd.

January 20th, 1968 Cameo Records release “Try It” by The Ohio Express on 45. The song was co-written by Joey Levine and Marc Bellack and co-produced by Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz. The record’s B-side, “Soul Struttin” was co-written by Tony Orlando and Matty Thau. Issued as the band’s second single, the record peaked a week later at No. 83 on February 10th.

January 20th, 1968 In his first public appearance since his motorcycle accident two years earlier, Bob Dylan joins Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Odetta, Richie Havens, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and The Band at a Carnegie Hall tribute concert for Woody Guthrie.

January 20th, 1968 DynoVoice Records release “You’ve Got Personality and Chantilly Lace” by Mitch Ryder on 45. The track was a medley of the Lloyd Price/Harold Logan song “(You’ve Got) Personality” and The J. P. Richardson/Big Bopper song “Chantilly Lace.” The record was produced by Bob Crewe. The record peaked at No. 87 the following week.

January 20th, 1969 Elvis Presley records “In The Ghetto” at producer Chips Moman’s American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. It was Presley’s first recording session since the ‘68 Comeback TV Special. Written by Mac Davis, other hits recorded at the sessions were “Suspicious Minds,” “Kentucky Rain,” and “Don’t Cry Daddy.” Released as a 45 on April 14th, “In The Ghetto” peaked at No. 3 on June 14th.

January 20th, 1969 Atlantic Records release “Heaven” by The Rascals on 45. Written by Felix Cavaliere, self-produced by The Rascals and arranged by Arif Mardin, the single charted for six weeks and peaked at No. 39 on March 1st.

January 20th, 1969 Former Temptations singer David Ruffin releases “My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)” on 45. Co-written by Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Pam Sawyer and James Roach, Fuqua and Bristol handled the song’s production at Motown’s Hitsville, USA Studio A in Detroit. Singing backup for Ruffin on the recording are The Originals. The record entered the charts in February and peaked at No. 9 on March 29th.

January 20th, 1970 Columbia Records release “Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)” by Janis Joplin on 45. Co-written by Chip Taylor and Jerry Ragovoy, the single was released from the album “I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!”

January 20th, 1970 Columbia Records release “Love, Peace and Happiness” by The Chambers Brothers. Collectively co-written by The Chambers Brothers, the record was produced by David Rubenstein. “Love, Peace and Happiness” entered the charts for one week on February 28thand peaked at No. 96.

January 20th, 1970 Columbia Records release “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel on 45. Written by Paul Simon and sung by Art Garfunkel at Simon’s request, who later regretted that he’d given away the lead on the song. Garfunkel himself said he thought Simon should have sung it. The studio recording started on November 9th, 1969 and features Larry Knechtel on piano. The single would start a six-week run at No. 1 in America on February 28th. The song won five awards at the thirteenth Annual Grammy Awards in 1971, including the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

January 20th, 1971 Motown Records release Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” The song was co-composed by Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye. Recorded over four months of sessions from June through September 1970, with Marvin Gaye producing, Funk Brother Robert White played guitar. The song marked Gaye’s departure from the Motown Sound towards more personal material. The record entered the charts in February went to No. 2 on April 10th and sold over two million copies.

January 20th, 1971 Warner Brothers Records release The Grateful Dead’s “Truckin’” on 45. Co-written by band members Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and lyricist Robert Hunter, in addition to being shorter, the single version had some audible differences compared to the album version, which featured sections of lead guitar in places where it’s faded down on the album version, a heavy processed effect on Bob Weir’s lead vocals in the verses, a different vocal track for the “Sometimes the lights...” portion and is missing the album version’s organ part. The record entered the singles charts in November and reached No. 64 on December 25th, 1971, eleven months after its initial release.

January 20th, 1972 Warner Brothers Records release “Garcia’” the first solo album by Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Most of the instruments on the LP were played by Garcia. The LP’s material was co-written by Garcia with Robert Hunter and Billy Kreutzmann. The album peaked at No. 35 on January 29th.

January 20th, 1973 Dunhill Records release “Love Is What You Make It” by The Grass Roots. Co-written by Dan Walsh and Michael Price, who recorded as a duo and wrote a number of hits for the Grass Roots. Co-produced by Steve Barri, Rob Grill and Warren Etner, the single charted for ten weeks and peaked at No. 55 on March 24th.

January 20th, 1973 RCA Records release “Follow Your Daughter Home” by The Guess Who. Co-written collectively by the band, the record was produced by Jack Richardson. “Follow Your Daughter Home” peaked at No. 61 on March 10th.

January 20th, 1973 Roulette Record release “Boo Boo Don’t ‘Cha Be Blue” by Tommy James on 45. Co-written and produced by Tommy James and Bob King, the session was arranged by Jimmy Wisner. The record entered the charts in February and peaked at No. 70 on March 24th.

January 20th, 1973 “The Message” by British funk band Cymande enters the singles charts. The song was co-written by group members Patrick Patterson and Steve Scipio. The track was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in London, produced by John Schroeder and released as a 7-inch single through Janus Records. The record went to No. 48 on March 17th. The band gained a cult following in the 1990’s when a number of Hip Hop acts began to prominently sample the group.

January 20th, 1974 After five months of recovery from a near-fatal car crash that left him in a coma, Stevie Wonder returns to the live concert stage with a show at London’s Rainbow Theatre.

January 20th, 1975 Columbia Records release “Blood On The Tracks,” the fifteenth studio album by Bob Dylan. The LP was recorded at A&R Recording in New York City and Sound 80 in Minneapolis, Minnesota from September through December 1974 with Dylan and an uncredited Phil Ramone co-producing. The album reached No. 1 on March 1st and featured the hit single “Tangled Up in Blue.”

January 20th, 1977 ABC Records release “Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes,” the fourth studio album by Jimmy Buffett. The LP was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida and Quadrafonic Sound in Nashville, Tennessee in November 1976 with producer Robert Putnam. Including two hit singles, “Margaritaville” and the LP’s title track, the record went to No. 12 on July 23rd.

January 20th, 1978 Virgin Records in Britain release “White Music,” the debut album by XTC. The LP was recorded at Manor Studios in Oxfordshire, England from April through October 1977 with producer John Leckie. “White Music” went to No. 38 in Britain. Virgin issued the album stateside later in the year, but it didn’t chart.

January 20th, 1978 United Artists Records in Britain release “City To City,” the second solo album Gerry Rafferty. The LP was recorded at Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Oxfordshire, England with Rafferty and Hugh Murphy co-producing. In America, the record featured the hit single “Baker Street,” a No. 2 hit on the singles charts. “City To City” went to No. 1 on July 8th.

January 20th, 1978 Columbia records release “Infinity,” the fourth studio album by Journey. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker at His Master’s Wheel in San Francisco and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles from October through December 1977, it was the first Journey album to feature lead vocalist Steve Perry. The album peaked at No. 21 on May 6th, 1978.

January 20th, 1979 Columbia Records release “Life For The Taking,” the second studio album by Eddie Money. Produced by Bruce Botnick for Wolfgang Productions, the LP reached No. 17 on March 10th and featured two hit singles, “Maybe I’m A Fool” and “Can’t Keep A Good Man Down.”

January 20th, 1979 “Chip Away The Stone” by Aerosmith enters the singles charts following a December release on Columbia Records. The song was written by a friend of the band and collaborator Richie Supa. The studio track, produced by Jack Douglas, was a stand-alone single until it was included on the “Gems” compilation in 1988. The single spent three weeks on the charts and peaked at No. 77 on February 3rd.

January 20th, 1979 “Lonely Wind” by Kansas enters the singles charts. Written by singer Steve Walsh and co-produced collectively by the band, the record peaked at No. 60 on February 10th.

January 20th, 1979 “What A Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers enters the singles charts. Co-written by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, Loggins released the song first on his second album “Nightwatch.” The Doobies version reached No. 1 on April 14th. This version received Grammy Awards in 1980 for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

January 20th, 1982 Boardwalk Records release “I Love Rock And Roll” by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts on 45. Jett first recorded the song in 1979 with Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and Paul Cook. The track was a cover version of British band The Arrows’ song from 1975. Touring England in 1976 with The Runaways, Jett saw The Arrows perform the song on UK television. “I Love Rock And Roll” was played in The Runaways set before Joan Jett left for a solo career. The hit 1982 version was produced by Kenny Laguna and peaked at No. 1 on March 20th.

January 20th, 1983 Mercury Records release “Pyromania,” the third studio album by Def Leppard. The LP was recorded at Parkgate Studios in Sussex and Battery Studios in London, England with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. The album featured three hit singles, “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages” and “Foolin’” and went to No. 2 on May 14th, 1983. “Pyromania” has sold over ten million copies in the US.

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.

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