Wax Museum Radio
Next broadcast January 10th Friday Night at midnight and Saturday night at 10pm on WRGG.
Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
Today In R&R History January 4th
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, weekday mornings on KSRQ in Three River Falls, Minnesota, KIYU in Galena, Alaska
Craig Maher / Exo-X-Xeno Wax Museum Interview
Craig Maher from Exo-X-Xeno talking about the 2025 album "Luminous Voyage"
- Click picture to listen to the interview with Craig talking about the Exo-X-Xeno project with Yes members Billy Sherwood, Jay Shellen and Patrick Moraz.
Rock and Roll Birthdays
January 4th
- January 4th Birthday, Ohio Players drummer Greg Webster, born in Hamilton, Ohio in 1938. He passed away as the last surviving original member of the band on January 28th, 2022 at the age of 84.
- January 4th Birthday, Guitarist John McLaughlin, born in Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England in 1942.
- January 4th Birthday, Volker Hemback from Tangerine Dream, born in 1944.
- January 4th Birthday, R&B singer Arthur Conley, born in 1946 in McIntosh County, Georgia.
- January 4th Birthday, Paul McCartney Band guitarist and bassist and solo artist Brian Ray, born Brian Ray Thomas in California in 1955.
- January 4th Birthday, Bernard Sumner from New Order, born in 1956 in Broughton, Lancashire, England.
- January 4th Birthday, R.E.M. Lead vocalist Michael Stipe, born in 1960 in Decatur, Georgia.
- January 4th Birthday, Multi-instrumentalist Robin Guthrie from The Cocteau Twins, born in 1962 in Grangemouth, Scotland.
- January 4th Birthday, Singer Beth Gibbons from Portishead, born in Exeter, Devon, England in 1965.
- January 4th Birthday, Pogues Bassist Caitlín “Cait” O’Riordan, born in 1965 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Nektar Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
Nektar interviewed on the second night of the 2025 "Mission To Mars" Tour
- Click image to hear the exclusive the Wax Museum interview with Nektar discussiing the current tour, future plans and group history.
Today In Rock and Roll History
January 4th
- January 4th, 1954 Four days before his twentieth birthday, a young truck driver named Elvis Presley paid four dollars to record a ten-inch acetate demo at the Memphis Recording Service, an open-to-the-public business run by Sun Records founder Sam Phillips. The two songs Presley recorded, “Casual Love Affair” and “I’ll Never Stand In Your Way” impressed Phillips enough that he had Elvis record his first professional sides for Sun the following August.
- January 4th, 1957 RCA Victor Records release “Too Much” by Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires on 45. The song was co-written by Bernard Weinman and Lee Rosenberg and first released in 1955 by Bernard Hardison on Republic Records. “Too Much” was the first of four No. 1 hits for Elvis in 1957, peaking on February 12th.
- January 4th, 1959 Sam Cooke records “Only Sixteen” at Rex Productions in Los Angeles, California. Written by Cooke, produced by Bumps Blackwell and released in May 1959, the song was a Top Fifteen R&B chart hit and went Top Thirty on the Pop charts in the US.
- January 4th, 1963 Roy Orbison records “In Dreams” at RCA Victor Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Fred Foster. Written by Orbison, who claimed the melody came to him in his sleep. When he awoke, he finished writing the song in twenty minutes. With an unusual structure, the song’s arrangement never repeats a section, avoiding any typical verse and chorus, weaving its way through seven distinct melodies and chord progressions. Released late in January 1963, “In Dreams” remained on the charts for five months and peaked at No. 7 on March 30th.
- January 4th, 1964 ABC-Paramount Records release “Talking About My Baby” by The Impressions. Written by Curtis Mayfield, the record peaked at No. 12 on February 8th.
- January 4th, 1964 “You’re No Good” by Betty Everett enters the singles charts. Written by Clint Ballard, Jr., “You’re No Good” was first performed by Dee Dee Warwick for Jubilee Records in 1963. Covered many times in different eras, the Betty Everett version was the first to hit the charts, going to No. 5 R&B and No. 51 on the Pop Singles charts. The Dells sang the backing vocals on the recording. A session engineer heard them tapping their feet in time to the song on the wooden platform they stood on. Liking the sound, he placed a mic at their feet, creating the unique beat arrangement in the song. The record peaked at No. 51 on January 25th.
- January 4th, 1965 Columbia Records release “Can’t You Just See Me” by Aretha Franklin on 45. The song was written and arranged by Belford C. Hendricks and produced by Clyde Otis. The single entered the charts at the end of January and peaked at No. 96 the first week of February.
- January 4th, 1966 Fontana Records in Britain release “Work Song” backed with “I Can Do Without Your Love” by Alex Harvey on 45. The A-side was a cover version of the song co-written by Nat Adderly and Oscar Brown Jr. “I Can Do Without Your Love” was written by John Cameron. The track was produced by Brian Shepherd as an Island Record Production.
- January 4th, 1966 Gordy Records release “My Baby Loves Me” by Martha and The Vandellas. The record was credited to Reeves and The Vandellas, but actually featured The Andantes and The Four Tops as backing singers. Co-produced by William “Mickey” Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter, who co-wrote the song with Sylvia Moy, the song peaked at No. 22 on March 19th.
- January 4th, 1967 Elektra Records release the first album by The Doors. The LP was recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California with producer Paul A. Rothchild from August 29ththrough September 23rd. Initial pressings of the record in mono and stereo versions feature significantly different mixes. The album spent one hundred and twenty-two weeks on the album charts and peaked at No. 2 on September 16th.
- January 4th, 1968 Jimi Hendrix spends the night in a Gothenburg, Sweden jail after trashing his room at The Opelan Hotel, reportedly during a fight with his band mate Noel Redding.
- January 4th, 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival release “Proud Mary” backed with “Born On The Bayou” on 45. Recorded in late, 1968 at RCA Studios in Los Angeles, the unique intro to “Born On The Bayou” featured an over-driven amplifier with the tremolo on a slow setting on which John Fogerty uses a Gibson ES-175 guitar. Soon after recording the track, the guitar was stolen from Fogerty’s car and never recovered. The song came together on the day that John Fogerty got his discharge papers from the US Army. Fogerty had been drafted in 1966 and was part of a Reserve unit, serving at Fort Bragg, Fort Knox and Fort Lee. His discharge papers came in 1967.
- John Fogerty claimed his lead guitar on “Proud Mary” was influenced by The MG’s Steve Cropper and the track’s arrangement featured Fogerty overdubbing all the vocals. The record entered the charts in February and went to No. 2 on March 8th.
- January 4th, 1969 Smokey Robinson and The Miracles “Baby Don’t Cry” enters the singles charts. Co-produced by Smokey Robinson, Terry Johnson and Warren Moore, the song was co-written by Robinson and Johnson with Al Cleveland. The record peaked at No. 3 on the singles charts on March 1st.
- January 4th, 1969 Arthur Conley “Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da” enters the singles charts on Atco Records. Recorded at Fame Recording Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama and produced by Rick Hall, the track and five other songs on the Conley album “More Sweet Soul” feature Duane Allman on guitar. The Beatles cover peaked at No. 51 on January 18th.
- January 4th, 1969 John Sebastian’s first solo 45, “She’s A Lady” enters the singles charts. The song was written by Sebastian, produced by Paul A. Rothchild, with a string arrangement by Paul Harris. The record spent four weeks on the charts and peaked at No. 84 on January 25th.
- January 4th, 1971 Performance starring Mick Jagger as a jaded and decadent rock star, premiered in London two years after the film had been completed.
- January 4th, 1972 The American release on Cotillion Records of “Pictures At An Exhibition” by Emerson Lake and Palmer. Recorded live at Newcastle City Hall in North East England on March 26th, 1971. The album reached No. 10 on February 19th.
- January 4th, 1972, Motown Records release “A Simple Game “ by Four Tops on 45. The song was written by Moody Blues keyboardist Mike Pinder. The Moody Blues released the song as the non-album B-side to “Ride My See Saw” in 1968. The Four Tops’ version was recorded by The Moodies producer, Tony Clarke. The Tops added their vocals to the backing track on May 5th, 1970 at Wessex Sound Studios. In Britain, the label issued the song as a single in September 1971, where it went to No. 3 in the charts with another Mike Pinder B-side “You Stole My Love,” also produced by Clarke. In America, the record charted for three weeks and peaked at No. 90 on February 19th.
- January 4th, 1972 Atlantic Records release “Roundabout” by Yes on 45. Co-written by singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe, the single was co-produced by the band and Eddy Offord at Advision Studios, London. “Roundabout” entered the charts in February and peaked at No. 13 on April 15th.
- January 4th, 1972 George Harrison’s “Concert For Bangla Desh” triple album set is certified a Gold Record for a million copies sold.
- January 4th, 1973 Lamar Williams is announced as the new bass player for The Allman Brothers Band.
- January 4th, 1974 Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” LP is certified a Gold Record for a million copies sold.
- January 4th, 1975 “Poetry Man” by Phoebe Snow enters the singles charts following a December release on Shelter Records. The song was written by Snow and produced by Dino Airali from Phoebe’s self-tilted first LP. Snow had misgivings about the song and would disavow the notion that she condoned the extramarital affair the lyrics describe. The single peaked at No. 5 on April 12th.
- January 4th, 1975 “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” by Elton John is the No. 1 song in the US.
- January 4th, 1975 Carole King’s “Nightingale” enters the singles charts on Ode Records. Co-written by Carole King and David Palmer, backing vocals on the track were sung by King’s two daughters, Louise and Sherry Goffin. Released from King’s Lou Adler produced “Wrap Around Joy” LP, “Nightingale” spent twelve weeks on the charts and peaked at No. 9 on March 1st.
- January 4th, 1975 Columbia Records release “Changes” by Loggins and Messina, written, sung and produced by Jim Messina at Columbia Studios in Los Angeles, California during sessions for the duo’s self-titled debut album. The record entered the charts in February and peaked at No. 84 on February 15th.
Miscellaneous January
- January 1959 Del Fi Records release “Fast Freight” backed with Big Baby Blues” by Arvee Allens on 45. Both instrumentals, the name was a pseudonym for Ritchie Valens, who wrote the songs. Rereleased later under his real name, it was Valens’ last single issued in his lifetime.
- January 1967 Verve Folkways Records release “More Than A New Discovery,” the first album by Laura Nyro. The LP was produced by Milton Okun from July through November 1966 at Bell Sound Studios in New York City. Verve reissued the tracks as “The First Songs” in 1969 on their Verve Forecast imprint and Columbia did the same in 1973, reissued with a new cover, when it peaked at No. 97 on March 24th.
- January 1968 CBS Records in Britain release “Come Out Fighting Genghis Smith,” the second album by Roy Harper. The LP was produced by Shel Talmy.
- January 1969 CBS Records in Britain release “Love Chronicles,” the second album by Al Stewart. The LP was co-produced by Roy Guest, John Wood and Al Stewart. Session musicians included Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and four members of Fairport Convention, Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson, Martin Lamble and Ashley Hutchings.
- January 1971 Warner Brothers Records release the self-titled debut album by Little Feat. Produced by Russ Titelman, the LP didn’t chart. Little Feat were formed by guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in Los Angeles in 1969.
- January 1972 Reprise Records release “The Spotlight Kid,” the sixth studio album by Captain Beefheart. The album was recorded in the Autumn of 1971 with Beefheart and Phil Schier co-producing.
- January 1972 Buddah Records release “City Of New Orleans” by songwriter Steve Goodman. Although Goodman’s version didn’t chart, two subsequent cover versions did. Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson both had hits with the song. Goodman received a posthumous Grammy award for best Country Song at the 27th Grammy Awards in 1985 for Nelson’s cover of the song.
- January 1973 Palladium Records release “Back In ‘72” by Bob Seger. The album contains the original studio version of one of Seger’s signature songs, “Turn the Page.”
- January 1974 Warner Brothers Records release “Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath” by Black Sabbath on 45. The single version of the song was edited to three minutes and thirty-three seconds from the album version that was nearly six minutes long.
- January 1974 Ardent Records release “Radio City,” the second album by Big Star. Down to the three-piece unit of Alex Chilton, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel, former guitarist Chris Bell did contribute to the writing of a few songs on the LP before departing in late 1972. A few of the songs were completed by Chilton with session players. Sales were hampered by poor distribution of the album when Ardent’s parent company had disagreements with Columbia Records, who otherwise would have placed the album in stores.
- January 1975 Wilco Johnson’s band, Dr. Feelgood, release their first LP “Down The Jetty” on United Artists Records in Britain.
- January 1976 Mercury Records release “Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed” by Thin Lizzy on 45. The song was co-written by Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham and Brian Downey. The track was produced by John Alcock from the band’s “Johnny The Fox” LP.
- January 1977 Private Stock Records release the eponymous first album by Blondie. Produced by Richard Gottehrer, the group bought back their contract with Private Stock and re-signed with Chrysalis Records, wrote re-released the album the following September.
- January 1981 Full Moon/Epic Records release “Outside” by Ambrosia as a single backed with the Eagles song “I Can’t Tell You Why” on the flip side. Both songs were featured in the 1980 Richard Donner film soundtrack Inside Moves. The record peaked at No. 102 in the US.
- January 1981 Sire Records release Talking Heads “Once In A Lifetime” on 45. Co-produced and written by the band and Brian Eno. It was the lead single from Talking Heads’ fourth studio album, “Remain In Light.” The LP went to No. 19 on December 6thbut the single never entered the Top One Hundred despite significant airplay on early MTV broadcasts. A live version released in 1986 peaked at No. 91.
The Paul Bielatowicz Band Wax Museum interview 4/11/25
The Paul Bielatowicz Band interviewed on their 2025 Spring Tour
- Click image to hear the exclusive the Wax Museum interview with The Paul Bielatowicz Band discussiing the current tour and future plans.
Music and conversation with Andy Tillison of The Tangent
Wax Museum interview May 2024
- Click image to hear The Wax Museum's Andy Tillison interview
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of January 4th
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.
Jonas Reingold Interview
Jonas Reingold in The Wax Museum
Click image to hear Chris Palladino's Wax Museum Interview with Jonas Reingold
Carl Giammarese / The Buckinghams Interview
The Buckinghams Radio Show
Click image to hear Chris Palladino's interviews on WRGG with Carl Giammarese from The Buckinghams in 2022 and 2024
The Cool Song Of The Week
Cool Song Of The Week January 4th Status Quo
Cool songs from the Rock and Roll Era, Closet Classics and more.
Robert Fripp Radio Oz interview 7/25/85
King Crimson guitarist Radio Oz interview
- Click Fripp's image to hear the King Crimson guitarist, record producer, solo artist in this 1985 interview for the WARX Sunday night Radio Oz program. Fripp discusses his then current Guitar Craft courses, King Crimson stories, his start in the music business, and more.
Annie Haslam 2019 Wax Museum interview
Annie Haslam "In Words and Music"
- Click picture to hear Annie Haslam "In Words and Music". The iconic Renaissance singer talks at length about music, her life, and artwork for an exclusive interview in The Wax Museum.
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.
