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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

March 12th

March 12th Birthday, Chess Records co-founder Leonard Chess, born in Motal, Poland in 1917. He died on October 16th, 1969, aged 52.

March 12th Birthday, Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1940. He died on February 12th, 2017, aged 76.

March 12th Birthday, Guitarist, singer, songwriter James Taylor, born in 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts.

March 12th Birthday, Barclay James Harvest bassist, singer and songwriter Les Holroyd, born in 1948 in Oldham, England.

March 12th Birthday, Pianist and co-founder of Little Feat, Bill Payne, born in Waco, Texas in 1949.

March 12th Birthday, Badfinger drummer Mike Gibbins, born in Swansea, Wales in 1949. Gibbins passed away on December 4th, 2005 at the age of 56.

March 12th Birthday, Iron Maiden guitarist Steve Harris, born in Leytonstone, England.

March 12th Birthday, The Jackson Five’s Marlon Jackson, born in Gary, Indiana in 1957.

Today In Rock and Roll History

March 12th

March 12th, 1961 Elvis Presley records “I Feel So Bad” at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. The song was written and originally recorded by Chuck Willis and released in 1954, when it went to No. 8 on the Rhythm and Blues charts. RCA Victor Records released the song on 45 on May 2nd. The Elvis cover peaked at No. 5 on June 10th.

March 12th, 1966 Elektra Records release “My Little Red Book” by Love on 45. The song was composed by Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Hal David for Manfred Mann for the film What’s New Pussycat. Love’s version was a radical rearrangement of the original, which Bacharach was not fond of. Co-produced by Jac Holzman and Mark Abrahamson, the record entered the singles charts in April and peaked at No. 52 on June 25th, earning Love a spot to promote the song on American Bandstand.

March 12th, 1966 “What Goes On” by The Beatles enters the singles charts. The track served as the American B-side of The Beatles’ single, “Nowhere Man.” It is the only song by the band credited to Lennon, McCartney, Starkey and the only song on the “Rubber Soul” album that features Ringo Starr on lead vocals. “What Goes On” reached No. 81 one week later.

March 12th, 1966 “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” by Cher enters the singles charts on Imperial Records. It was Cher’s second solo single and like her first, “Where Do You Go,” was written and produced by Sonny Bono. “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” charted for eleven weeks and peaked at No. 2 on April 23rd.

March 12th, 1967 Verve Records release “The Velvet Underground and Nico.” Sessions for the album were taped at Scepter and Mayfair Studios in New York City and TTG Studios in Hollywood in April May and November 1966 with Andy Warhol and Tom Wilson co-producing. Critically panned when it was released, the record is now considered a major influence on alternative forms of rock and roll music. At the time of its release, the record peaked at No. 171 after entering the charts on May 13th. In 2013, it once again entered the charts and went to No. 129 on November 16th.

March 12th, 1969 Simon and Garfunkel win the Song Of The Year Grammy for “Mrs. Robinson” from the movie soundtrack of the film The Graduate.

March 12th, 1969 An eventful day in the Beatles camp when Paul McCartney marries freelance photographer Linda Eastman in a civil ceremony in London. Meanwhile George Harrison and wife Patti are arrested at their home and charged with possession of one hundred and twenty joints of marijuana.

March 12th, 1971 The first of two consecutive night’s recording for what became the Allman Brothers’ “At Fillmore East” album. Tom Dowd, who had previously worked on the Allman’s second studio album, “Idlewild South,” produced the recordings. The resulting record is considered one of the greatest live albums of the genre. Released on July 6th, the LP peaked at No. 13 on September 4th, spending forty-eight weeks on the charts and earning a Gold Record for a million copies sold.

March 12th, 1974 John Lennon and fellow hellraiser Harry Nilsson are bounced out of The Troubadour nightclub in Hollywood for heckling The Smothers Brothers.

March 12th, 1975 “Chocolate City” by Parliament is released. The LP was written as an homage to Washington, DC, where the band was hugely popular. Produced by George Clinton, the album went to No. 91 on June 21st.

March 12th, 1977 The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Heard It In A Love Song” enters the singles charts following a February release on Capricorn Records. Taken from the Marshall Tucker band’s “Carolina Dreams” LP, the song was written by group guitarist Toy Caldwell. The song hit No. 14 on June 11th and No. 5 in Canada.

March 12th, 1979 Arista Records release “I Wish I Could Fly Like Superman” by The Kinks on 45. Written by Ray Davis in response to Arista label president Clive Davis’ request for a radio friendly song for the forthcoming Kinks’ “Low Budget” album. The record entered the charts in April and peaked at No. 41 on June 16th.

March 12th, 1980 Columbia Records release “Glass Houses” by Billy Joel. It was Joel’s seventh studio album, the third collaboration between Joel and producer Phil Ramone, following “The Stranger” and “52nd Street.” The LP was recorded at A&R Studios in New York City. The album reached No. 1 on June 13th for the first of six weeks on the charts, was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning Best Rock Vocal Performance – Male and has sold over seven million copies.

March 12th, 1990 Ensign Records release the second Sinead O’Connor LP “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.” Recorded at S.D.S. Studios in Dublin, Ireland with O’Connor and Nellee Hooper co-producing. The LP featured the No. 1 single “Nothing Compares 2 U,” written by Prince. The record was nominated for four Grammy Awards in 1991, winning one, but O’Connor refused to accept the nomination and award. “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” went to No. 1 on April 28th, 1990.

March 12th, 1991 Warner Brothers Records release “Out Of Time,” the seventh album by R. E. M. Recorded in 1990 with the band and Scott Litt producing at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York and John Keane Studios in Athens, Georgia with strings recorded at Soundscape Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. The record was mixed at Prince’s Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The LP won three Grammy Awards in 1992. A number of guests perform on the LP, including Peter Holsapple from the DB’s and The B-52’s Kate Pierson. The album peaked at No. 1 on May 18thand has sold over eighteen million copies worldwide.
March 12th, 1994 Pat Benatar and husband Neil Geraldo celebrate the birth of their daughter, Julianna.

Miscellaneous March

March 1957 Flip Records release “Louie Louie” backed with “Rock Rock Rock” by Richard Berry and The Pharaohs on 45 and 78 rpm records. Berry and The Pharaohs were from Los Angeles, California. Berry co-wrote both sides of the record and hired The Pharaohs to back him of the recording. Based on the song “EWl Loco Cha Cha,” “Louie Louie” became a rock and roll standard when The Kingsmen rerecorded it two years later.

March 1958 Big Records release “True Or False” backed with “Teen Age Fool,” the first single by Paul Simon, credited to True Taylor. The A-side was written by Simon’s father Lou Simon, himself a double bass player and bandleader. Paul Simon wrote “Teen Age Fool.”

March 1964 Jam sessions recorded at Tel Mar Studios in Chicago between Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry form the “Two Great Guitars” LP released by the two on Chess Records in August. Produced by Andy McKaie, the recordings feature Lafayette Leake on piano, Jesse James Hohnson on bass and Billy Downing on drums.

March 1966 Scorpio Records release “Fight Fire” backed with “Fragile Child,” the fifth single by The Golliwogs. Both sides were co-written by Tom and John Fogerty, using the names Rann Wild and Toby Green. The Golliwogs renamed themselves Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1967.

March 1969 Buddy Miles records his second album “Electric Church.” Most of the LP was recorded at Mercury Studios with additional sessions at The Record Plant in New York City. Half of the record was produced by Jimi Hendrix, the songs “69 Freedom Special,” “Miss Lady,” “My Chant” and “Destructive Love.”

March 1970 Atco Records release “Teasin’” by King Curtis With Delaney Bramlett, Eric Clapton and Friends on 45. Co-written by Curtis Owsley and the record’s producer Delaney Bramlett.

March 1973 Mercury Records release “For Real” by Ruben and The Jets. The LP featured Frank Zappa on vocals and lead guitar on the song “Dedicated To The One I Love” and wrote the song “If I Could Only Be Your Love Again.” Former Mothers Of Invention saxophonist Jim “Motorhead” Sherman was a member of the band.

March 1973 The release of “Heart Food,” the second album by Judee Sill. Issued on Asylum Records, Sill had been the first act signed to the label. The record was co-produced by Sill and Henry Lewy.

March 1974 RCA Records release “Sweet Jane” by Lou Reed on 45 from the live album “Rock And Roll Animal,” recorded at New York City’s Academy Of Music. Written by Reed, who co-produced the track with Steve Katz, the record features the twin guitars of Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner.

March 1975 Columbia Records release the “Get Off My Cloud” album by Alexis Korner. The LP features session work with Keith Richard, Steve Marriot, Rick Wills, Barry St. John, Nicky Hopkins, Peter Frampton and others, recorded at CBS Studios in London and overdubs at Ramport Studios.

March 1977 Private Stock Records release “In The Flesh” backed with “Man Overboard,” the second single by Blondie. “In The Flesh” was co-written by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. “Man Overboard” was written by Harry. Both tracks were produced by Richard Gotthehrer.

March 1978 Chrysalis Records release “Denis” by Blondie on 45. The song is a cover version of the Randy And The Rainbows song from, written by Neil Levinson. The record was produced by Richard Gottehrer. The Blondie single went to No. 2 in Britain.

March 1980 Warner Brothers Records release “Planet Claire,” the label’s second single from The B-52’s self-titled first album. The song was co-written by singer Fred Schneider and drummer Keith Strickland.

March 1981 Warner Brothers Records release “Lava,” by The B-52’s on 45. Unusual in that the track was from the group’s first album, issued six months after “Private Idaho,” the only single from the group’s second LP “Wild Planet.” “Lava” was written collectively by The B-52’s and produced by Chris Blackwell.

March 1981 Atlantic Records release “Run Through The Light” by Yes on 45. The track is a rewrite of a song called “Dancing Through The Light” that the band recorded during aborted album sessions in Paris in 1978 with original singer Jon Anderson. It is the only song in the Yes catalog before the death of Chris Squire to feature anyone other than Squire on bass. Squire played piano on the song and the bass part was played by singer Trevor Horn. The 45 version is a completely different mix of the version on the album “Drama.”

March 1987, Columbia Records in Canada release “Moonlight Desire” by Laurence Gowen, professionally known as Gowen. The song was issued as the third single from his LP “Great Dirty World.” Yes singer Jon Anderson, heard the song being played in the studio as he walked by, and walked into the session asking if he could sing a harmony part on it. Thus, Anderson’s appearance on the song.

March 1997 Eric Clapton posing as X-sample, and Simon Climie produce and release a CD as Totally Dysfunctional Family called “Retail Therapy.”