Wax Museum Radio
Next broadcast May 16th Friday Night at midnight and Saturday night at 10pm on WRGG.
Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History May 16th
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
May 16th
- May 16th Birthday, Jazz drummer Billy Cobham, born in Colon, Panama in 1944.
- May 16th Birthday, King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, born in 1946 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England.
- May 16thBirthday, Savoy Brown and Foghat drummer Roger Earl, born in Hampton Court Palace, London, England in 1946.
- May 16th Birthday, Nazareth drummer Darrell Sweet, born in 1947 in Bournemouth, England. Sweet passed away on April 30th, 1999 at 51 year old, suffering a fatal heart attack just as the band was embarking on the second leg of a US tour. The band had arrived at the Amphitheater in New Albany, Indiana, when Sweet began feeling ill and within minutes went into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the New Albany Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
- May 16th Birthday, Silver Bullet Band saxophonist Alto Reed, born Thomas Neal Cartmell in 1948 in Detroit, Michigan. He died on December 30th, 2020, aged 72.
- May 16th Birthday, Singer and songwriter Jonathan Richman, leader of The Modern Lovers with Jerry Harrison, born in 1951 in Natick, Massachusetts.
- May 16th Birthday, Richard Page, Singer, songwriter, bass player and leader of the band Mr. Mister, born in 1953 in Keokuk, Iowa.
- May 16th Birthday, Krist Novoselic, bass player for Nirvana, born in 1965 in Compton, California.
Today In Rock and Roll History
May 16th
- May 16th, 1964 Twenty-one-year-old Mary Wells hits No. 1 with “My Guy.”
- May 16th, 1964 Kapp Records release “Don’t Throw Your Love Away” by The Searchers in the US, out April 7thin Britain. Co-written by Billy Jackson and Jimmy Wisner for The Orlons in 1963, the record peaked at No. 16 in America on July 11th, No. 1 in England.
- May 16th, 1964 Imperial Records release Johnny River’s cover version of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis, Tennessee” on 45. The record went to No. 2 in the US on July 11th.
- May 16th, 1964 “Long Tall Shorty” by Tommy Tucker enters the singles charts following an April release on Checker Records. Co-written by Don Covay with producer Herb Abramson, it was Tucker’s follow-up to his hit “Hi Heeled Sneakers” from early in 1964. “Long Tall Shorty” peaked at No. 96 on May 23rd.
- May 16th, 1964 ABC Paramount Records release “Help The Poor” by B.B. King on 45. The song was written by Charles Singleton. Produced by Ed Michel, the record peaked at No. 90 on June 19th.
- May 16th, 1966 The Hollies record Graham Gouldman’s “Bus Stop” at EMI Studios in London with producer Ron Richards. Issued June 17th in Britain by Columbia Records and by Liberty Records in the US on July 9th, the song went to No. 5 in both the UK and the United States, on September 5th, The Hollies’ first Top Ten hit in America.
- May 16th, 1966 Capitol Records release “Pet Sounds,” the eleventh studio album by The Beach Boys. Sessions for the LP stretched over nine months and four different studios, Western, Gold Star, Columbia and Sunset Sound, in Hollywood. Lukewarm initial critical reception and record sales have given way to glowing praise for the album as one of The Beach Boys finest records. “Pet Sounds” peaked at No. 10 on July 2nd.
- May 16th, 1966 Columbia Records release “Blonde On Blonde,” the seventh studio album by Bob Dylan. Early sessions for the record began in October 1965 in New York City, but the majority of the LP was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in February and March 1966. Guest musicians on the record include Rick Danko, Al Kooper, Robbie Robertson and Joe South. The record peaked at No. 9 on October 10th.
- May 16th, 1968 Tony Joe White records “Polk Salad Annie” at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. White was born in Oak Grove, Louisiana and he wrote the song from his firsthand experience of eating the leaves of pokeweed, which locals refer to as poke sallet. Produced by Billy Swan, the record was released in June and peaked at No. 8 on August 23rd.
- May 16th, 1970 Lead guitarist Randy Bachman quits The Guess Who, later forming and recording two LPs with a new band called Brave Belt featuring his brother Robbie and later adding CF Turner to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
- May 16th, 1970 “Cottage Cheese” by Crow enters the singles charts following an April release on Ameret Records. The song was co-written by David Waggoner, Dennis Craswell and Dick Wiegand. Originally released as the single’s B-side to Larry Williams’ “Slow Down,” , the Crow version of “Cottage Cheese” peaked at No. 56 on August 1st.
- May 16th, 1970 “Let This Be A Letter (To My Baby)” by Jackie Wilson enters the singles charts on Brunswick Records. Written by The Chi-Lites’ Eugene Record and produced by Carl Davis, the record peaked at No. 91 on May 16th.
- May 16th, 1970 “Mississippi” the first solo single by John Phillips from the Mamas & The Papas enters the US charts following an April release on Dunhill Records. The song was written by John Phillips and the track, produced by Lou Adler, came from Phillips’ solo album “John, The Wolf King Of L.A.” The album, like The Mamas & Papas records, featured the talents of many of the LA session players known as The Wrecking Crew, including a dobro solo by James Burton, who Phillips name checks on the track. “Mississippi” peaked at No. 32 on July 18th.
- May 16th, 1970 “Hey Mr. Sun” by Bobby Sherman enters the singles charts on Metromedia Records. Written by David Janssen, the record peaked at No. 24 on June 20th.
- May 16th, 1970 “Come To Me” by Tommy James and The Shondells enters the singles charts on Roulette Records. “Come To Me” was co-written and produced by Tommy James and Bob King. The record peaked at No. 47 on June 27th, the band’s last chart single.
- May 16th, 1970 “Check Out Your Mind” by The Impressions enters the singles charts following an April release on Curtom Records. “Check Out Your Mind” was written and produced by The Impressions’ Curtis Mayfield. The song served as the title track of Mayfield’s last album with the group he’d formed with Jerry Butler in 1962. The record peaked at No. 28 on July 4th.
- May 16th, 1972 David Bowie records five songs for the BBC Radio show Sound Of The Seventies. The recordings were broadcast May 23rdand July 25th.
- May 16th, 1973 “My Love” by Paul McCartney and Wings is the No. 1 record in the US.
- May 16th, 1973 “Be What You Are” by the Staples Singers enters the singles charts following a May release on Stax Records. The song was co-written by Homer Banks, Raymond Jackson and Carl Hampton. The record peaked at No. 66 on June 30th.
- May 16th, 1973 Epic Records release “Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne” by Looking Glass on 45. Following the success of “Brandy,” the song was written by Elliot Lurie and the track was produced by Arif Mardin. The record entered the singles charts in July and peaked at No. 33 on September 29th.
- May 16th, 1973 “Goin’ Home” by The Osmonds enters the singles charts on MGM Records. Produced by Alan Osmond, who wrote the song with Wayne and Merrill Osmond, the record peaked at No. 36 on July 14th.
- May 16th, 1973 A&M Records release “Yesterday Once More” by the Carpenters on 45. Self-produced by Richard and Karen Carpenter, Richard wrote the song with John Bettis. The full-length album version was an album side long medley of rock and roll oldies. The single entered the singles charts in June and peaked at No. 2 on July 28th.
- May 16th, 1974 Gordy Records release “You’ve Got My Soul On Fire” by The Temptations on 45. Written and produced by Norman Whitfield, the track was arranged by Paul Riser. The record entered the charts in June and peaked at No. 74 on July 13th.
- May 16th, 1975 Parlophone Records in Britain release “Listen To What The Man Said” by Paul McCartney and Wings on 45, out a week later, May 23rd, in the US. Traffic guitarist and solo artist Dave Mason played guitar on the track. The signature saxophone part was done by Tom Scott. The single became McCartney’s fourth US No. 1 on July 19th. In Britain, the single went to No. 6.
- May 16th, 1978 Asylum Records release “But Seriously Folks,” the seventh album by Joe Walsh. The LP was recorded at Bayshore Studios in Coconut Grove, Florida, co-produced by Walsh and Bill Szymczyk. Jay Ferguson, Joe Vitale, Willie Weeks play on the record, as well as four of Walsh’s new band mates in the Eagles, Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit. The album peaked at No. 8 on August 26thand featured the hit single “Life’s Been Good.”
- May 16th, 1980 Parlophone Records in Britain release the second true solo LP by Paul McCartney. “McCartney II” featured Paul playing all the instruments, producing and singing all the vocals himself. The record was recorded in McCartney’s home in Sussex, England and at Rude Studios in Campbeltown, Scotland from June through August 1979. The record was released in the US a week later, on May 22nd, where it peaked at No. 3 on June 21st. “McCartney II” featured the hit single “Coming Up.”
- May 16th, 1981 Columbia Records release “Friday Night In San Francisco by Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia. The record peaked at No. 97 on July 25th.
- May 16th, 1984 Warner Brothers Records release “When Doves Cry” on 45 by Prince and The Revolution. The song was written by Prince as a request by the Purple Rain movie director to write a song specifically for a scene in the film involving parental difficulties and a love relationship. The record charted for twenty-one weeks and peaked at No. 1 on July 7th.
- May 16th, 1988 Rykodisc Records release “You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore” by Frank Zappa on a double CD. The release featured archival stage recordings spanning 1969 through 1984, the first of six volumes of live material from Zappa’s vaults.
- May 16th, 1998 Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards fell while reaching for a book in his Connecticut home. The fall breaks his ribs, causing the Stones to postpone many dates on their Bridges To Babylon tour.
Miscellaneous May
- May 1949 “Back Home Blues” backed with “Rock Awhile” by Goree Carter and His Hep Cats is released as a 78 rpm record on the Freedom Records label. Influenced by the guitar work of T Bone Walker, “Rock Awhile” stakes a legitimate claim as the first rock and roll record released. Eighteen years old when he recorded the song, the overdriven guitar tone and pentatonic lead predated rock and a style similar to Chuck Berry.
- May 1966 White Whale Records release “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” backed with “I’ll Go On,” the second single by Lyme & Cybelle, the folk rock duo of Warren Zevon and Violet Santangelo. Bob Dylasn wrote “If You Gottsa Go, Go Now,” and the B-side was a Zevon/Santangelo co-write. The record was produced by Bones Howe.
- May 1968 Parlophone Records in Britain release “(The Autobiography Of) Mississippi Hobo,” the second single by Hans Christian. Hans Christian was future Yes singer Jon Anderson. The single was arranged and produced by Paul Korda.
- May 1970 Viking Records press promotional copies of “From Denver To L.A.” on 45. Credited with a vocal by “Elton Johns,” it was taken from the movie soundtrack from the 20thCentury Fox film The Games. Original copies of the record are considered one of the rarest Elton John singles.
- May 1972 Bearsville Records release “Wonder Girl,” the debut single by Sparks. Written by Ron Mael, the record was produced by Todd Rundgren. Rundgren signed the band to Bearsville and produced their first album when the band was known as Halfnelson. The band changed its’ name to Sparks after the LP came out in October 1971. The name change led to a new cover and re-release of the album in February 1972.
- May 1973 Chrysalis Records release “Grand Hotel” by Procol Harum on 45. Co-written by Keith Reid and Gary Brooker, the song served as the title track of Procol Harum’s sixth studio LP, produced by Chris Thomas.
- May 1975 Harvest Record release “HQ,” the eighth studio album by Roy Harper. Recorded in March at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Peter Jenner, when the LP came out in America, the cover art and the title changed to “When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease.” David Gilmour, Chris Spedding, Bill Bruford and John Paul Jones played sessions on the LP.
- May 1976 MCA Records release “Gimme Back My Bullets” by Lynyrd Skynyrd on 45. The song was co-written by Gary Rossington and Ronnie Van Zant. The studio track was produced by Tom Dowd.
- May 1977 CBS Records in Britain release “Ian Hunter’s Overnight Angels” album. Recorded at several different studios in the US, Canada and England with producer Roy Thomas Baker, Hunter’s US label, Columbia Records refused to release the LP with Hunter’s business management in disarray and no tour scheduled to support the album. Featured on the album sessions were guitarist Earl Slick.
- May 1984 Passport Records release “Russians & Americans,” the tenth studio album by Al Stewart. The LP was produced by Mike Flicker at four different studios, three in California and Abbey Road Studios in London. British and US issues on the record had different tracks. A 2007 reissue collected all the songs on one CD.
- May 1985 EMI Records in Britain release remixed versions of “Loving The Alien” backed with “Don’t Look Down” on 45, originally from from the David Bowie LP “Tonight.” Bowie wrote the AS-side. “Don’t Look Down” was a song co-written by David Bowie and The Stooges’ guitarist James Williamson.
- May 1985 Legacy Records in Britain release “Under Fire” backed with “On Top Of The World” by Roy Wood on 45. Both songs were written and produced by Roy Wood from the LP “Starting Up.”
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of May 10th
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 5/10
Cool songs from the Rock and Roll Era, Closet Classics and more.
Craig Maher / Exo-X-Xeno Wax Museum Interview
Craig Maher from Exo-X-Xeno talking about the 2025 album "Luminous Voyage"
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Nektar Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
Nektar interviewed on the second night of the 2025 "Mission To Mars" Tour
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The Paul Bielatowicz Band Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
The Paul Bielatowicz Band interviewed on their 2025 Spring Tour
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Music and conversation with Andy Tillison of The Tangent
Wax Museum interview May 2024
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Jonas Reingold Interview
Jonas Reingold in The Wax Museum
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Carl Giammarese / The Buckinghams Interview
The Buckinghams Radio Show
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Annie Haslam 2019 Wax Museum interview
Annie Haslam "In Words and Music"
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Tommy James Wax Museum Interview January 2019
Tommy James
- Click picture to hear Tommy promoting all his planned 2019 activities; new album, Sirius XM radio show, touring, new movie, etc.
From the Radio Oz interview archives
Firesign Theatre interview 1980
- Click picture to listen to this archival interview with The Firesign Theatre recorded during their 1980 Fighting Clowns tour of the US for Radio Oz now available for purchase in the Firesign Theatre's "Fighting Clowns" of Hollywood" collection! Also check out this Tiny Ossman interview from 1995 -
Woody Lissauer Wax Museum Interview 2/22/20
Baltimore based Woody Lissauer steps up to the Wax Museum microphones for this in depth interview!
- Click picture to listen to the Wax Museum interview with Woody Lissauer and his latest album "Trouble The Water" with Barbara Ireland and Steve Caplan.
