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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

August 7th

August 7th Birthday, Songwriter Felice Bryant, born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1925. Along with her husband Boudleaux, she wrote The Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “Wake Up Little Susie” and hits for dozens of other acts. She was one of the great songwriters of the early rock and roll era. She passed away on April 22nd , 2003 of cancer.

August 7th Birthday, The Platters vocalist Herb Reed, born in 1928, raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the last surviving member of the original group when he passed away on June 4th, 2012 at the age of 83.

August 7th Birthday, Singer B.J. Thomas, born Billy Joe Thomas in Hugo, Oklahoma in 1942. He died on May 29th, 2021 at the age of 78.

August 7th Birthday, UFO bassist Pete Way, born in Enfield, Middlesex, England on 1950. He passed away on August 14th, 2020 at the age of 70.

August 7th Birthday, Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England in 1958.

Today In Rock and Roll History

August 7th

August 7th, 1961 Mercury Records release “Hey Mr. D.J. Play It Again” by Tina Robin on 45. The song was co-written by Gerry Goffin, Carole King and Howard Greenfield. Don Kirshner and Al Nevins co-produced the record. “Hey Mr. D.J. Play It Again” peaked at No. 95 on September 23rd.

August 7th, 1964 The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” is released on 45 in Britain. Recorded at IBC Studios in London with producer Shel Talmy and written by group front man Ray Davies. It was the group’s third single and reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart on September 11th. In America, “You Really Got Me” was released by Reprise Records on August 26th and peaked at No. 7 on November 28th.

August 7th, 1964 Epic Records release the debut Yardbirds’ single “I Wish You Would” on 45, written by Chicago blues artist Billy Boy Arnold in 1955 while working with Bo Diddley. The Yardbirds’ version was recorded at Olympic Studios in London in March 1964, with producer Giorgio Gomelsky.

August 7th, 1965 The Turtles’ version of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” enters the Pop Singles charts. The track was taped at Western Recorders in Hollywood with producer Bones Howe. “It Ain’t Me Babe” was the band’s first single and the newly formed White Whale Records first release, the first of The Turtles’ nine chart singles and peaked at No. 8 on September 12th.

August 7th, 1965 On tour in the US, vocalist and keyboard player Mike Smith of The Dave Clark 5 is pulled off the stage by overzealous fans during a show in Chicago and breaks two ribs.

August 7th, 1965 Although it failed to chart at all in the UK, Herman’s Hermits reaches No. 1 in the US with “I’m Henry VIII, I Am.”

August 7th, 1967 Columbia Records release The Byrds’ “Greatest Hits” album. The record peaked at No. 6 on October 14th.

August 7th, 1967 Columbia Records release “Revolution!” by Paul Revere and The Raiders. As well as producing the album, Terry Melcher also co-wrote all of the songs on the album with singer Mark Lindsey. The recording took place during a major shake-up in the lineup, with Jim Valley, Phil Volk and Michael Smith leaving the band, replaced by Freddy Weller, Charlie Coe and Joe Correro Jr., all of whom played on the LP. “Revolution!” featured the hit “Him Or Me – What’s It Gonna Be,” and peaked at No. 25 on October 21st.

August 7th, 1968 The Beatles record forty-six takes of George Harrison’s “Not Guilty” at EMI Studio Two in London. The song was written in response to criticism from John and Paul to George’s lead role in the band’s relationship with the Maharishi. The band demo’d the song in May at George Harrison’s Esher home. More sessions followed on August 8th and 9th and finished on August 12th. The song was not chosen for the final White Album track list and remained unreleased until it came out on the “Anthology 3” LP in 1996. Harrison rerecorded “Not Guilty” for his eponymous 1978 solo LP.

August 7th, 1968 James Brown records “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” at Vox Studios in Los Angeles. The song was co-written by Brown and his bandleader, Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis. The session featured young people from LA’s Watts and Compton neighborhoods; the lyrics addressing prejudice towards black people in America. The single entered the charts in September and peaked at No. 10 on October 19th.

August 7th, 1969 Tamla Records release Marvin Gaye’s “That’s The Way Love Is.” Co-written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, the song was produced by Whitfield and became Marvin Gaye’s third consecutive million selling 45. Originally recorded by the Isley Brothers, the instrumentation on the Marvin Gaye version was by Motown house band The Funk Brothers. The single peaked at No. 7 on the Pop Singles charts on October 18th, No. 2 R&B.

August 7th, 1970 Tamla Records release “Signed, Sealed And Delivered,” the twelfth album by Stevie Wonder. The LP peaked at No. 25 on September 26th.

August 7th, 1970 The Moody Blues release their sixth studio album “A Question Of Balance.” The LP was recorded January through June 1970 at Decca Studios in West Hampstead, London with producer Tony Clark. The record peaked at No. 3 on October 10th.

August 7th, 1970 Vertigo Records in Britain release “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath on 45. Co-written by the four members of Sabbath and produced by Rodger Bain, the single came out on Warner Brothers Records in America on October 24th. The record entered the US charts in November and peaked at No. 61 on December 26th.

August 7th, 1971 Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention record their show at Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA. Selections from the recording was released on March 26th, 1972 by Bizarre Records as the “Just Another Band From L.A.” album. Former Turtles members Jim Pons, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman were part of The Mothers, along with Don Preston, Ian Underwood and Aynsley Dunbar. The record peaked at No. 85 on May 20th, 1972.

August 7th, 1973 T Neck Records release “3+3” by The Isley Brothers. The album featured the hits “That Lady,” “What It Comes Down To” and “Summer Breeze.” The record peaked at No. 8 on November 10th.

August 7th, 1990 A&M Records release “Pornograffitti” by Extreme. The album featured the hit “More Than Words” and peaked at No. 10 on June 6th, 1991.

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.