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Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

August 16th

August 16th Birthday, Singer and songwriter Barbara George, born Barbara Ann Smith in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1942.

August 16thBirthday, Soft Machine bassist and solo artist Kevin Ayers, born in Herne Bay, Kent, England in 1944. Ayers died on February 18th, 2013 at the age of 68.

August 16th Birthday, Golden Earring singer Barry Hay, born in 1948 in Faizabad, United Provinces, India.

August 16th Birthday, The Stooges drummer Scott Ashton, born in Washington, DC in 1949. He passed away from a heart attack on March 15th, 2014 at the age of 64.

August 16th Birthday, Tubes guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Spooner, born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1949.

August 16th Birthday, INXS guitarist Tim Farriss, born in Perth, Australia in 1957.

August 16th Birthday, Pop singer Vanessa Carlton, born in 1980 in Milford, Pennsylvania.

Today In Rock and Roll History

August 16th

August 16th, 1957 Ricky Nelson records “Be Bop Baby,” his first side for Imperial Records. Due to Nelson’s popularity on The Adventures Of Ozzy and Harrietnetwork television show, the record had seven hundred and fifty thousand advance orders. Joe Maphis played the lead guitar part on the studio recording. Released September 16th, the song would sell over a million copies and reach No. 16 on October 21st, No. 5 R&B.

August 16th, 1957 The Everly Brothers record “Wake Up Little Susie,” accompanied in the studio by Chet Atkins and Floyd “Lightnin’ Chance on double bass. Co-written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, the single peaked at No. 1 on October 14theven though it was banned by some US radio stations for suggestive lyrics.

August 16th, 1965 Columbia Records release the “E.S.P.” album by Miles Davis. The LP was produced by Irving Townshend and Columbia Studios in Hollywood over three days of sessions from January 20th through the 22nd.

August 16th, 1966 Motown Record release the Four Tops’ “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Co-produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier and co-written by the pair with Eddie Holland, the track was recorded at Hitsville USA Studio A in Detroit with vocalist Levi Stubbs singing lead. The record became the Four Tops’ last No. 1 single on October 15th.

August 16th, 1973 Buddah Records release “Midnight Train To Georgia” by Gladys Knight and The Pips on 45. Written and originally recorded by American singer, songwriter Jim Weatherly, who sang it as “Midnight Plane To Houston.” The Gladys Knight and The Pips version peaked at No. 1 on October 27th.

August 16th, 1974 RCA Records in Britain release Dana Gillespie’s version of the David Bowie song “Andy Warhol” on 45. The song was recorded during Bowie’s 1971 “Hunky Dory” LP sessions with Rick Wakeman on piano. Bowie co-produced the song with Mick Ronson, as well as another track with a Ronson string arrangement, “Mother Don’t Be Frightened” from the Gillespie LP “Weren’t Born A Man.”

August 16th, 1975 Peter Gabriel announces his split from Genesis.

August 16th, 1975 “Free Hand” by Gentle Giant enters the album charts following a July release on Capitol Records. Self-produced by the band at Advision Studios in London, the LP peaked at No. 48 on September 20th.

August 16th, 1975 Grunt Records release “Miracles” by Jefferson Starship on 45. Written by Starship singer Marty Balin, inspired partly by the Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba, whose followers believe him to have been a miracle worker. To garner more Top Forty radio play, the 45 version was a three minute, twenty-five second edit of the album track. The record reached No. 3 on October 18th.

August 16th, 1975 Mercury Records release “Honey,” the seventh LP by funk band Ohio Players. Self-produced by the group, the album featured the hit single “Love Rollercoaster.” The LP peaked at No. 2 on September 27th.

August 16th, 1979 The premier of the film Quadrophenia at the Plaza cinema in London, based on The Who album of the same name. The movie went into general release the following day.

August 16th, 1980 Bill Ward quits Black Sabbath, Jools Holland leaves Squeeze and Cozy Powell leaves Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, all on the same day.

August 16th, 1986 Virgin Records in Britain release “Grass” by XTC as the first single from the Todd Rundgren produced “Skylarking” LP. The song was written by bassist Colin Moulding, drawing inspiration from Thunderclap Newman’s “Something In The Air” and a guitar and string arrangement in the style of John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep?” The non-LP B-side of the single “Dear God” became the bigger charting side of the two when it was reissued as an A-side in June 1987. An Andy Partridge song, the song’s popularity caused Virgin Records to reissue the “Skylarking” LP with “Dear God” included in the track listing. Tubes drummer Prarie Prince plays drums on the album. The record peaked at No. 100 in the English singles charts.

August 16th, 1983 “The Other Side Of Life” by The Moody Blues enters the singles charts on Polydor Records. The song was the title track of the Tony Visconti produced LP “The Other Side Of Life.” The song was written by Justin Hayward. The record peaked at No. 9 on July 12th.

August 16th, 1986 Columbia Records release “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money on 45. The track featured Ronnie Spector on backing vocals. Spector recreated her role on The Ronettes 1963 hit “Be My Baby,” with lyrics from that song interpolating with the Eddie Money song. Songwriters Mike Leeson and Peter Vale are credited along with “Be My Baby” songwriters Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector and Jeff Barry as well. Co-produced by Eddie Money, Richie Zito and Jacob Dooley, the record peaked at No. 4 on November 15th. The success of “Take Me Home Tonight” prompted Ronnie Spector to resume her singing career after several years away from the music business.

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.