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Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History April 23rd
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
April 23rd
- April 23rd Birthday, Singer, songwriter, guitarist Roy Orbison born in Vernon, Texas in 1936. He died on December 6th, 1988 of a heart attack, aged 52.
- April 23rd Birthday, Original Jethro Tull bassist Glen Cornick, born in 1947 in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England. He died on August 28th, 2014, aged 67.
- April 23rd Birthday, Electric violinist and keyboardist for King Crimson, David Cross, born in 1949 in Plymouth, England.
- April 23rd Birthday, British singer and guitarist John Miles. A solo artist and singer for The Alan Parsons Project and Jimmy Page, as well as Tina Turner’s musical director, Miles was born in Jarrow, County Durham, England in 1949. Miles died on December 5th, 2021 at the age of 72.
- April 23rd Birthday, Drummer, record producer, singer and songwriter Narada Michael Walden, born in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1952.
- April 23rd Birthday, Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark, born in 1960 in Hillsborough, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He died on January 8th, 1991 from an overdose, aged 30.
Today In Rock and Roll History
April 23rd
- April 23rd, 1965 Parlophone Records in Britain release “Blue Ribbons,” the fifth single by The Paramounts. The band were popular on the British club circuit, counting The Rolling Stones among the fans of the band and were led by future Procol Harum singer Gary Brooker and guitarist Robin Trower. The song was co-written by Shari Sheeley and Jackie DeShannon.
- April 23rd, 1965 Motown Records release “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” by Four Tops on 45. Co-written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland, lead singer Levi Stubbs had not been satisfied with the recording session. The track that became a hit was just the second take of the song. Guitarist Joe Messina played on the track. The single entered the charts in the middle of May and became the Tops’ first No. 1 on June 19th.
- April 23rd, 1966 Capitol Records release Mrs. Miller’s cover version of the Petula Clark song “Downtown” on 45. Written by Tony Hatch, he record entered the charts a week later and peaked at No. 82 on May 1st. The single’s B-side “A Lover’s Concerto” charted as well. Both sides were produced by Alexis K. De Azevedo. Co-written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, the song entered the singles charts in May and peaked at No. 95 on May 14th.
- April 23rd, 1966 Two different versions of the same song are released the same day. Kapp Records release “Younger Girl” by The Critters on 45, while Mercury Records issue the song by LA studio band The Hondells. Written by John Sebastian, the song was originally done by The Lovin’ Spoonful on their debut LP. The two competing versions on the charts at the same time and they both did nearly as well. The Hondells’ version, produced by Gary Usher, peaked at No. 52 on July 2nd. The Critters record, produced by Jimmy Wisner, entered the singles charts in May charted for nine weeks and peaked at No. 42 on July 9th.
- April 23rd, 1968 Columbia Records release “Eli’s Coming” by Laura Nyro on 45. Produced and arranged by Charles Calello and written by Nyro, the song became a No. 10 hit for Three Dog Night in 1969.
- April 23rd, 1968 Date Records release “Time Of The Season” by The Zombies, three weeks after its April 5th release in Britain. It was a long climb into the US charts, entering on February 8th, 1969. Written by keyboardist Rod Argent and self-produced by The Zombies at EMI Studios in London in August 1967, “Time Of The Season” became a surprise No. 1 hit in America for the band nearly two years after it was recorded but never charted in the band’s native Britain. On April 11th, 1969 “Time Of The Season” earned a Gold Record Award in the US for a million copies sold.
- April 23rd, 1969 A&M Records release “With A Little Help From My Friends,” the debut album by Joe Cocker. Engineered by Tony Visconti and produced by Denny Cordell at both Olympic and Trident Studios in London in 1968, session musicians on the record include Tony Visconti, Jimmy Page, Henry McCullough, Albert Lee, Chris Stainton, Matthew Fisher, Steve Winwood, Carol Kaye, Clem Cattini, B.J. Wilson and others. the record peaked at No. 35 on July 26th and was awarded a Gold Record for half a million copies sold.
- April 23rd, 1971 A&M Records release “Rainy Days And Mondays” by the Carpenters on 45. Co-written by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams, the track was recorded with session musicians from The Wrecking Crew. The record entered the charts in May and peaked at No. 2 on June 19th.
- April 23rd, 1971 Columbia Records release “Cry Baby” by Janis Joplin on 45. Originally recorded by Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters in 1963, the song was co-written by Bert Berns and Jerry Ragovoy. The Joplin version was produced by Paul A. Rothchild and released on the posthumous “Pearl” LP. The record entered the singles charts in May and peaked at No. 42 on June 12th.
- April 23rd, 1971 Island Records in Britain release Cat Stevens‘ “Tuesday’s Dead” on 45 in advance of Stevens’ next album, the Paul Samwell-Smith produced “Teaser And The Firecat.” The song was written by Cat Stevens.
- April 23rd, 1971 In Britain, Rolling Stones Records release “Sticky Fingers,” the ninth studio LP by The Rolling Stones. It was the first Stones album without any input from original group guitarist Brian Jones, with his replacement Mick Taylor now fully integrated into the band. Sessions for the record stretched from March 1969 through October 1970 with producer Jimmy Miller at Muscle Shoals Sound in Sheffield, Alabama, Olympic and Trident Studios in London and Mick Jagger’s house, Stargroves, in Newbury, England. Session musicians Bobby Keys, Billy Preston, Jack Nitzsche, Ian Stewart, Ry Cooder and Nicky Hopkins play on the LP. Glyn Johns Andy Johns, Chris Kimsey and Jimmy Johnson engineered while Paul Buckmaster wrote two string arrangements. The album entered the charts in May and peaked at No. 1 on May 22nd.
- April 23rd, 1973 Atlantic Records release “Down The Road,” the second and final album by Stephen Stills and Manassas. The LP reached No. 26 on June 16th and featured the hit single “Isn’t It About Time.”
- April 23rd, 1975 Warner Brothers Records release The Doobie Brothers 45 “Take Me In Your Arms.” A Holland, Dozier, Holland song from 1964, Kim Weston released her version for Motown the following year. Issued as the lead single from The Doobies’ “Stampede” LP, issued two days later. “Take Me in Your Arms” reached No. 11 on June 21st.
- April 23rd, 1976 Chrysalis Records in Britain release “Too Old To Rock And Roll, Too Young To Die,” the ninth studio album by Jethro Tull. It was the band’s first LP with bassist John Glascock, recorded at sessions in Monte Carlo and Morgan Studios in Brussels from November 1975 through January 1976 with Ian Anderson producing. Released in May in the US, the record peaked at No. 13 on July 3rd.
- April 23rd, 1976 Sire Records release the self-titled debut album by The Ramones. Produced by Craig Leon and the band’s drummer Tommy Erdelyi, known as Tommy Ramone, the record was recorded in New York City at Plaza Sound and Radio City Music Hall. The album peaked at No. 111 on September 18th.
- April 23rd, 1976 In Britain, Rolling Stones Records release the thirteenth studio album by The Rolling Stones, “Black And Blue.” “Black And Blue” was the band’s first studio album released with Ronnie Wood as a full-time replacement for Mick Taylor. Wood had played a twelve-string acoustic guitar on the song “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” with the Stones in 1974. Also appearing on “Black And Blue” were guitarists Wayne Perkins and Harvey Mandel, Billy Preston and Ian Stewart. Arif Mardin wrote horn arrangements for the song “Melody.” Sessions for the LP stretched from December 1974 through February 1976 at Musicland Studios in Munich, West Germany, Mountain Recording in Montreux, Switzerland and with the Rolling Stones Mobile unit in Rotterdam, produced by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as The Glimmer Twins. Charting twenty-four weeks in the US, the record peaked at No. 1 on May 15th.
- April 23rd, 1976 Cliff Richard releases “Devil Woman” on 45. Recorded September 8thand 9th, 1975 at Abbey Road Studios in London, the song was co-written by Terry Britain and Christian Holmes. Holmes was the singer in the band The Family Dogg. “Devil Woman” was produced by former Shadows guitarist Bruce Welch and strings were arranged by Richard Hewson. The record entered the charts in July went to No. 6 on September 25th, selling over a million copies and earning a Gold Record in the US and a million more worldwide.
- April 23rd, 1976 Chrysalis Records in Britain and Capitol Records in the US release “Interview,” the eighth album by Gentle Giant. Self-produced by the band, the LP was tracked at Advision Studios in London in February and March. The record peaked at No. 137 on June 5th.
- April 23rd, 1977 Columbia Records release the “Let It Flow” album by Dave Mason. Yvonne Elliman and Stephen Stills sing on the LP. Co-produced by Mason and Ron Nevison, the record featured three hit singles and peaked at No. 37 on June 4th.
- April 23rd, 1977 “That Magic Touch” by Angel enters the singles charts following a February release on Casablanca Records. Co-written by Punky Meadows, Greg Guiffria and Frank DiMino, the record was produced by Eddie Kramer. The record spent six weeks on the charts, peaking at No. 77 on May 7th.
- April 23rd, 1977 A&M Records release the self-titled debut LP by 38 Special. Produced by Dan Hartman, the album peaked at No. 148 on June 18th.
- April 23rd, 1977 A&M Records release “Crystal Ball,” the title track of Styx’ sixth studio album on 45. The song was self-produced by the band and written by Tommy Shaw, who had joined the band prior to recording the album.
- April 23rd, 1979 Columbia Records release “Bob Dylan At Budokan,” a double LP live set. Produced by Don DeVito, the LP was recorded during Dylan’s 1978 world tour on February 28th and March 1st. Issued initially in Australia and New Zealand, import copies of the record began to circulate, prompting CBS to release the album worldwide. “Bob Dylan At Budokan” reached No. 13 on June 16th.
- April 23rd, 1983 Dexys Midnight Runners went to the top of the singles charts with “Come On Eileen,” the group’s only US No. 1.
- April 23rd, 1985 Columbia Records release George Harrison’s cover version of Bob Dylan’s “I Don’t Want To Do It” on 45, produced by Dave Edmunds. The track was included on the “Porky’s Revenge” soundtrack album.
- April 23rd, 1987 Carol King sued Ode records owner Lou Adler for breach of contract, claiming she was owed more than four million dollars in royalties. In the suit, King asked for the rights to all her old recordings.
- April 23rd, 1994 EMI Records in Britain release Pink Floyd’s “Take It Back” backed with a live version of an early Floyd classic “Astronomy Domine” on 45. On the recording, David Gilmour used an E-bow on a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar that is processed through a Zoom effects box, directly injected into the mixing board.
Miscellaneous April
- April 1953 Specialty Records release “Don’t Take It Out On Me” backed with “Lucy Mae Blues,” the third single by Texas electric blues guitarist Frankie Lee Sims. Both songs were written by Frankie Lee Sims, a cousin to musician Lightnin’ Hopkins. “Lucy Mae Blues” became a regional hit in Texas.
- April 1954 Specialty Records release “The Story Of My Life” backed with “A Letter To My Girl Friend,” the third single by electric blues pioneer Guitar Slim and His Band. Both songs were written by Slim, credited to his given name Eddie Jones.
- April 1963 Ron Romans record “Tell Me” and “Love Of My Life.” Daani Records released them as the A and B-side of a single. The A-side was written by Frank Zappa associate Kenny Williams, while “Love Of My Life” was a Zappa/Dave Aerni co-write. The song was recorded at PAL Recording Studio in Cucamonga, California with Zappa playing guitar and drums. Zappa rerecorded “Love Of My Life” with The Mothers Of Invention on the 1968 LP “Cruising With Ruben and The Jets.
- April 1964 Chess records release the “Folk Singer” album, the fourth by Muddy Waters. The album features Waters on acoustic guitar, Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar.
- April 1965 Fantasy Records release “Where You Been” backed with “You Came Walking,” the second single by The Golliwogs on 45. 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.
- April 1966 Are You Kidding Me? Records issue “The Ballad Of The Yellow Beret” backed with “Florida Time” by The Beach Bums, actually Bob Seger’s first released record. Done as an answer record to Sgt. Barry Sandler’s “The Ballad Of The Green Beret,” “The Ballad Of The Yellow Beret” is executed in a humorous manner but the lyrics are a sharp criticism of men who dodged the draft in the US. The song is credited to D. Dodger. “Florida Time” is closer to the style of The Beach Boys, written by long-time Seger producer “Punch,” with both sides produced and arranged by The Omens.
- April 1966 Paradise Records out of Texas release “Splash Day” backed with “Life’s A Misery” by The Warlocks on 45. The band featured brothers Rocky and Dusty Hill. The band would change their name to American Blues when drummer Frank Beard joined. Beard and Dusty Hill would later join Billy Gibbons in ZZ Top.
- April 1969 Liberty Records in Britain release “Folkjoke Opus,” the third album by Roy Harper. Produced by Shel Talmy, the LP sessions included Nicky Hopkins on piano and Clem Cattini on drums. Ron Geesin scored the arrangements on the record.
- April 1970 CBS Records in Britain release “Zero She Flies,” the third album by Al Stewart. The LP was produced by Roy Guest at Sound Technics Studios in London. Gerry Conway and Trevor Lucas from Fairport Convention played sessions on the record.
- April 1971 Harvest Records release “Stormcock,” the fifth studio album by Roy Harper. Produced by Peter Jenner at EMI Studios in London, David Bedford played keyboards and did the arrangements and Jimmy Page played guitar on “The Same Old Rock,” credited as S. Favius Mercurius.
- April 1973 Chrysalis Record in England release “Parcel Of Rogues,” the fifth studio album by Steeleye Span. The LP was co-produced by Steeleye Span and Jerry Boys at Sound Techniques Studios in Chelsea, London. The band toured the album in the US opening for Jethro Tull.
- April 1975 Asylum Records release “Fountain Of Sorrow” by Jackson Browne on 45. Written by Browne, it was the second single issued from his “Late For The Sky” LP. The 45 version was two minutes shorter than the nearly seven-minute-long album version.
- April 1975 Bob Seger releases “Beautiful Loser,” his first single for Capitol Records. The 45 peaked at No. 103 on the Pop Singles charts.
- April 1978 DB Records in Georgia release “Rock Lobster” backed with “52 Girls,” the debut single by The B-52’s. The A-side was co-written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson. “52 Girls” was co-written by Jeremy Ayers and Ricky Wilson.
- April 1978 Virgin Records release “This Is Pop” backed with “Heatwave,” the third single by XTC. “This Is Pop” was written by Andy Partridge and “Heatwave” was written by Colin Moulding. Both songs were produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange. The A-side was an album track, re-recorded for its’ single release.
- April 1979 Asylum Records release “Alison,” Linda Ronstadt’s cover version of the Elvis Costello song on 45, produced by Peter Asher.
- April 1980 Harvest Records release “The Unknown Soldier,” the tenth studio album by Roy Harper. Co-produced by Harper and Peter Jenner at Abbey Road Studios in London, David Gilmour Andy Roberts, Andy Newmark, Kate Bush, B.J. Cole, Pete Wingfield and others play on the record. David Bedford did the orchestral arrangements.
- April 1981 RCA Records release the soundtrack to the movie Christiane F., Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo. The record was a collection of previously released songs by David Bowie that spanned the years 1976-1978. Bowie appears in an in-concert sequence of the movie during the Isolar Tour of 1976.
- April 1982 Warner Brothers Records release “Deep Sleep” by The B-52’s on 45. The track came from the David Byne produced “Mesopotamia” EP, recorded at Blank Tape Studios in New York City. The song was co-written by Keith Strickland, Kate Pierson and Robert Waldrop.
- April 1982 Woody Records in Britain release “O.T.T.” backed with “Mystery Song” by Roy Wood on 45. Both songs were written and produced by Roy Wood.
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of April 19th
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 4/19
Cool songs from the Rock and Roll Era, Closet Classics and more.
Craig Maher / Exo-X-Xeno Wax Museum Interview
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Nektar Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
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Tommy James Wax Museum Interview January 2019
Tommy James
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