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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

February 16th

February 16th Birthday, American songwriter and producer Otis Blackwell, born in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York City. Blackwell wrote the classic songs “All Shook Up,” “Return To Sender” and “Don’t Be Cruel” for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls Of Fire” and Peggy Lee’s “Fever.” He died after a heart attack on May 6th, 2002, aged 71.

February 16th Birthday, Singer, songwriter, producer and politician Sonny Bono, born Salvatore Bono in 1935 in Detroit, Michigan. He died on January 5th, 1998 from a skiing accident, aged 62.

February 16th Birthday, The New Seekers vocalist Lyn Paul, born Lynda Susan Belcher in 1949 in Wythenshawe, Manchester, Cheshire, England.

February 16th Birthday, Original Def Leppard guitarist Pete Willis, born in Sheffield, England, born in 1960.

February 16th Birthday, Duran Duran singer, songwriter, guitarist Andy Taylor, born in 1961 in Tynemouth, Northumberland, England.

Today In Rock and Roll History

February 16th

February 16th, 1955 Elvis Presley performs two shows at the Odessa Senior High School Field House in Odessa, Texas. In the audience is local singer Roy Orbison.

February 16th, 1963 Cameo Records release “Do The Bird” by Dee Dee Sharp on 45. The song was co-written by Dave Appel and Kal Mann. The song was a thematic dance record follow-up to her 1962 hit “Mashed Potato Time.” The single peaked at No. 10 on April 13th.

February 16th, 1963 The Beatles’ second single “Please Please Me” becomes their first No. 1 record when the song goes to the top of the charts in Britain.

February 16th, 1965 The Beatles record “Ticket To Ride” at EMI Studios in London with George Martin producing. Co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the track came out as a single in England on April 9th on Parlophone Records. The 45 became The Beatles’ seventh consecutive No. 1 in England. In America, “Ticket To Ride” went to No. 1 on May 22nd.

February 16th, 1966 James Brown and The Famous Flames record “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” at Talent Masters Studios in New York City with Brown producing. The track took two takes to perfect with a string section arranged by Sammy Lowe. Brown’s occasional co-writer and one-time girlfriend Betty Newsome later claimed she’d written the song herself. The record entered the charts on April 30thand peaked at No. 8 on June 4th.

February 16th, 1968 Deram Records release “Portable People,” the first single by Ten Years After in Britain, out a month later in America. The song was written by guitarist and singer Alvin Lee and produced by Mike Vernon.

February 16th, 1968 MGM Records in Britain release “Sunshine Day” backed with “Aeroplane,” the first single by Jethro Tull. The single was recorded on the 6th and 7th of January at CBS Studios in London with producer Derek Lawrence. “Sunshine Day” was written by original Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams. The flip side of the record, “Aeroplane,” was recorded on October 22nd, 1967 at EMI Studios in London when the band was still known as The John Evans Band. “Aeroplane” was co-written by singer Ian Anderson and Tull bassist Glen Cornick under the pseudonym Len Barnard.

February 16th, 1968 Polydor Records in Britain release “Spooky” backed with “I Can’t Stand To Lose You” by Gary Walker and The Rain on 45. Walker was Gary Leeds from The Walker Brothers. “Spooky” was a major hit for Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, written by Middlebrooks and Shapiro. The B-side was a Gary Walker, Paul Crane co-composition. The Rain included future Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland. The single was produced by Scott Walker.

February 16th, 1968 Parlophone Records in Britain release the first single by Welsh band Love Sculpture, “River To Another Day” backed with “Brand New Woman.” Love Sculpture were Dave Edmunds on guitar and vocals, John David on bass and vocals and drummer Rob “Congo” Jones. “River To Another Day” was a co-write by brothers Charles and Kingsley Ward. “Brand New Woman” was written by Crick Feather and the production on both tracks was credited to Future Sounds. The Ward brothers founded Rockfield Studios, acknowledged to be the first residential recording studio in the world. Edmunds would work out of Rockfield for the early part of his career.

February 16th, 1968 The Hollies release “Jennifer Eccles” on 45 in the US, five weeks before it came out in Britain. The track was recorded over two sessions on February 3rdand 22nd at both Chappelle and EMI Studios in London with producer Ron Richards. Co-written by Graham Nash and Allan Clarke with input from their wives, the title is a combination of the two spouses’ maiden names, Jennifer Bowstead and Rose Eccles. The record entered the singles charts in March and peaked at No. 40 on May 18th.

February 16th, 1968 RCA Records release “One” by Nilsson on 45. The song was written by Harry Nilsson for his second album, the Rick Jarrard produced “Ariel Ballet” LP. The track was recorded at RCA Victor Studios in Hollywood, arranged by George Tipton. The song became a hit for Three Dog Night in 1969.

February 16th, 1970 Motown Records release “Up The Ladder To The Roof” by The Supremes on 45. It was the first Supremes single to feature new lead singer Jean Terrell and the first of their 45’s to be produced by Norman Whitfield associate Frank Wilson, who co-wrote the song with Vincent DiMirco. The record hit No. 10 on April 18th.

February 16th, 1972 Led Zeppelin made their first live shows in Australia when they kicked off a six-date tour at the Subiaco Oval in Perth. Police battled with over five hundred fans who rammed locked gates trying to get into the concert. Over four-thousand fans stood outside the venue without tickets and local residents jammed police phone lines to complain about the noise.

February 16th, 1972 During his week-long stint as host of the syndicated Mike Douglas Show, John Lennon performs “Memphis” and “Johnny B. Goode” with Chuck Berry, who Lennon refers to as “my hero.”

February 16th, 1973 Polydor Records in Britain release “Blueprint,” the third studio album by Rory Gallagher. The LP was produced by Gallagher at Marquee and Polydor Studios in London in December 1972. Released in April in the US, the record went to No. 147 on May 19th.

February 16th, 1974 The self-titled debut album by Missouri band Ozark Mountain Daredevils enters the album charts. Released in December by A&M Records, the LP featured the hit single “If You Wanna Get To Heaven.” The record peaked at No. 26 on July 13th.

February 16th, 1974 “Star Baby” by The Guess Who enters the singles charts. Written by Burton Cummings, the record was produced by Jack Richardson. The Guess Who performed “Star Baby” on The Midnight Special television show on March 29th. The group hosted the show that week. “Star Baby” peaked at No. 39 on April 20th.

February 16th, 1974 Bob Dylan began a four-week run at No. 1 in the US with his “Planet Waves” LP.

February 16th, 1974 Capitol Records release “Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash” by The Steve Miller Band” on 45. The song was co-written by songwriter Charles Calhoun, the stage name of rhythm and blues pianist and record producer Jesse Albert Stone, who wrote “Shake, Rattle and Roll” for Big Joe Turner in 1954. The record entered the singles charts in March and peaked at No. 51 on April 6th.

February 16th, 1979 Mercury Records release “The Trees” by Rush on 45. Issued from the band’s “Hemispheres” album, song was co-written by Neil Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. The track was co-produced by the band with Terry Brown.

February 16th, 1979 Swan Song Records release “Rock And Roll Fantasy” by Bad Company on 45 in Britain. Recorded during the band’s “Desolation Angels” LP sessions in August through September 1978 at Ridge Farm Studios, in Surrey, England, the song was written by vocalist Paul Rodgers. Entering the charts in March the record peaked at No. 13 in America on June 16th.

February 16th, 1979 Capricorn Records release “Enlightened Rogues,” the seventh studio album by The Allman Brothers. Produced by Tom Dowd at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, the album reached No. 9 on April 14th and featured the hit single “Crazy Love.”

February 16th, 1979 Atlantic Records release the second single from The Blues Brothers, “Rubber Biscuit,” on 45. The song was written by Charles Johnson and recorded originally by vocal group The Chips in 1956. The record entered the singles charts in March and peaked at No. 37 on April 7th.

February 16th, 1980 “The Steve Howe Album,” the second solo album by Yes guitarist Steve Howe enters the album charts following a January release on Atlantic Records. Among the people who appear on the album were original Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker, British singer Claire Hamill and Yes band mates Bill Bruford, Patrick Moraz and Alan White. The record peaked at No. 164 on February 23rd.

February 16th, 1980 The self-titled debut album by Christopher Cross enters the album charts following a December release on Warner Brothers Records. The LP featured four Top Forty singles. The record peaked at No. 6 on September 6th.

February 16th, 1982 Warner Brothers Records release Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Concert In Central Park” double album set. What began as an idea to have Paul Simon play in Central Park in New York City became a full-on Simon and Garfunkel reunion. The album reached No. 6 on April 17th.

February 16th, 1985 “Born In The USA” became Springsteen’s first No. 1 album in Britain.

February 16th, 1993 Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan Kenney Jones and Bill Wyman, filling in for an ailing Ronnie Lane, participated in a Faces reunion at the Brit Awards in London, England.

Miscellaneous February

February 1957 Gale Records release “Chickee Wah Wah” by Bobby Marchan on 45. The song was co-written by Huey “Piano” Smith and John Vincent. Smith played piano on the track. Marchan was the lead singer in Smith’s band Huey “Piano” Smith and The Clowns, a popular live attraction in New Orleans in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

February 1964 Polydor Records in Britain release “I Just Wanna Make Love To You” backed with “Let The Good Times Roll,” the first single by Scottish singer Alex Harvey and His Soul Band. Harvey wrote the A-side lyrics, reworking the Willie Dixon song. The flip side was penned by Leonard Lee, a cover version of the Shirley and Lee song from 1961.

February 1968 Lee Hazelwood’s LHI Records release “Safe As Home” by The International Submarine Band. Led by twenty-one-year-old Gram Parsons, the LP was recorded at Western Sound (Studio B) in Hollywood with producer Suzi Jane Hokom. Parsons had accepted the offer to join The Byrds before the album was released.

February 1973 Harvest Records release “Lifemask,” the sixth album by Roy Harper. Produced by Peter Jenner at Abbey Road Studios in London, Jimmy Page and Nice drummer Brian Davidson were among the studio musicians on the record.

February 1973 John Martyn’s “Solid Air” album is released. Recording began in July 1972 at Sound Techniques in Chelsea with producer John Wood. Further sessions took place in September and recording was completed by December 9th, 1972.

February 1974 A&M Records release “When The Morning Comes” by Hoyt Axton on 45. Written by Axton who co-produced the track with Allan McDougall, the song features Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals.

February 1975 Warner Brothers Records release “Rock The Nation,” the debut single from Montrose. Co-produced by the band and Ted Templeman, the band included lead vocalist Sammy Hagar, guitarist Ronnie Montrose, Bill Church on bass and Denny Carmassi on drums.

February 1976 RCA/Equinox Records release “Jamaica Farewell” by California Music on 45. The traditional song was co-credited to Terry Melcher, Curt Boettcher and Gary Usher. Usher and Melcher were in the group along with Beach Boy Bruce Johnston.

February 1977 DEVO release their first single on their own record label, Booji Boy Records. “Mongoloid” backed with “Jocko Homo” was co-credited and produced by the band. Both songs would be rerecorded for the group’s first LP “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!” in 1978.

February 1978 Columbia Records release “Godzilla” by Blue Öyster Cult on 45. The song was written by Cult guitarist Donald Roeser from Blue Öyster Cult’s fifth album “Spectres.” The record was co-produced by the band, Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman and David Lucas.

February 1980 CBS Records in Ireland release “Another Day” backed with “Twilight” by U2 on 45. The group co-wrote the LP collectively and co-produced the disc with Chas De Walley.

February 1980 Virgin Records in the US release the first stateside single by XTC. “Ten Feet Tall” was written by bassist Colin Moulding and produced by Phil Wainman, While the label copy states the song is from the band’s “Drums And Wires” LP, the version issued on the 45 in not the same as the one on the album.

February 1987 Legacy Records in Britain release “Staring Up” by Roy Wood. The LP was written produced and arranged by Roy Wood, playing and singing all the instruments and vocals himself.