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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

August 13th

August 13th Birthday, Singer, songwriter Dan Fogelberg, born in Peoria, Illinois in 1951. He died from prostate cancer at the age of 56 on December 16th, 2007.

August 13th Birthday, The Outlaws guitarist and singer Hughie Thomasson, born in Buchanan, Virginia in 1952. He died on September 9th, at the age of 55.

August 13th Birthday, Atomic Rooster drummer Richard “Ric” J. Parnell, who also played the part of Mick Shrimpton in the film This Is Spinal Tap, born in London, England in 1951. Parnell died on May 1st, 2022.

Today In Rock and Roll History

August 13th

August 13th, 1952 The original version of “Hound Dog” was recorded by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton at Radio Recorders Annex, Los Angeles with producer Johnny Otis. It was the first hit for the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and would top the R&B chart for seven straight weeks, selling nearly a half a million copies. “Hound Dog” was Thornton’s only hit record.

August 13th, 1962 Columbia Records release “Blowing In The Wind,” the second single by Bob Dylan. Inspiration for the lyrics of the song may have been taken from a passage in Woody Guthrie’s autobiography Bound for Glory, in which Guthrie compared his political sensibility to newspapers blowing in the winds of New York City streets and alleys. Dylan’s reading of the book had been a major turning point in his intellectual and political development.

August 13th, 1965 The US release date of The Beatles’ “Help!” album. Unlike the British version, the LP contained Ken Thorne soundtrack music from the film. The record peaked at No. 1 on September 11th.

August 13th, 1965 The Jefferson Airplane made their stage debut at the Matrix Club in San Francisco. Before the year is out, they had become the first San Francisco Rock group to sign a major recording contract, with RCA Records.

August 13th, 1968 The Beatles begin recording John Lennon’s “Yer Blues” at EMI Studio Two in London, completing the track the following day with producer George Martin. The basic track was edited from sections of takes six and fourteen with additional overdubs and reduction mixes completed the next day. On the same day, after July 19th and 24th attempts to record suitable backing tracks for “Sexie Sadie,” record six new takes with the final labeled Take 107 and marked for overdubs on August 31st. The song was first demo’d in May at George Harrison’s home. John Lennon wrote the song about The Maharishi, expressing his disenchantment with the Indian guru.

August 13th, 1969 The Guess Who record “American Woman” at RCA’s Mid-America Recording Center in Chicago. Released the following March the song reached No. 1 in the US on May 9th and was a certified Gold Record on May 22nd, 1970. “American Woman” was an international hit as well, reaching No. 1 in Canada, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

August 13th, 1973 Atlantic Records release “Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack. The album was produced by Joel Dorn at Atlantic Recording Studios and Regent Sound Studios in New York City. The LP peaked at No. 3 on September 22nd.

August 13th, 1973 Sounds Of The South Records release “Pronounced Lĕh-nérd Skin-nérd,” the first album by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Produced by Al Kooper, the album featured the songs “Free Bird,” “Tuesday’s Gone,” “Simple Man” and “Gimme Three Steps.” The record peaked at No. 27 on February 22nd, 1975.

August 13th, 1982 Capitol Records release “Take The L” by The Motels on 45. The song was co-written by John Carter, Martha Davis and Marty Jourard. The record was produced by Val Garay and peaked at No. 52 on October 2nd.

August 13th, 1986 Sire Records release “True Stories” by Talking Heads. The album was issued to accompany the David Byrne film of the same name. Many of the songs in the film were sung by the actors and actresses in the movie, where the songs on the record were all performed by Talking Heads. The LP peaked at No. 17 on November 8th.

August 13th, 1988 “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS enters the singles charts following a July release on Atlantic Records. Co-written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence, the record peaked at No. 7 on November 5th.

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.