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Next broadcast May 31st, Friday Night at midnight and Saturday night at 10pm on WRGG.
Hear Today In Rock and Roll History
May 30th - Today In Rock and Roll History
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, KPUP in Patagonia, Arizona, WIZU in Newark, Delaware, KSLU at St. Louis University.
Rock and Roll Birthdays
May 30th
- May 30th Birthday, Dave Clark Five guitarist Lenny Davidson, born in Enfield, Middlesex, England in 1944.
- May 30th Birthday, The Clash drummer Nicky ‘Topper’ Headon, born in Bromley, Kent, England in 1955.
- May 30th Birthday, Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson, born in Össjö, Scania, Sweden in 1958. She died on December 9th, 2019, aged 61.
- May 30th Birthday, Keyboardist Peter Keys, born Peter Pisarczyk in Burlington, Vermont in 1965. Keys is best known for his work with George Clinton in various P-Funk line-ups and as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd beginning in 2009.
Today In Rock and Roll History
May 30th
- May 30th, 1964 “Love Me Do” by The Beatles is the No. 1 record in the US.
- May 30th, 1964 RCA Records release “Good Times” by Sam Cooke on 45. The song was written by Cooke and co-produced at RCA Studios in Los Angeles with Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore over three sessions, December 20th and 21st, 1963 and again on February 2nd. The record entered the charts in June and peaked at No. 11 on July 18th.
- May 30th, 1964 Atlantic Records release “Jamaica Ska” credited to the Ska Kings on 45. The band was actually Byron King and The Dragonairs, who played a crucial pioneering role in bringing Caribbean music to the world. Following their debut single release in 1959, the group represented Jamaica at the 1964 World’s Fair as the backing band for a showcase of Jamaican talent, including Jimmy Cliff, Prince Buster and Millie Small. Recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, “Jamaica Ska” entered the singles charts for one week on July 11th and peaked at No. 98 but became a Top Thirty single in Canada.
- May 30th, 1964 Philips Records release “Wishin’ And Hopin” by Dusty Springfield on 45. Co-written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song was first released as a single B-side by Dionne Warwick in 1962. The Dusty Springfield version was recorded in January 1964 at Olympic Studios in London. Personnel for the session included Bobby Graham on drums, Big Jim Sullivan on guitar and the Breakaways vocal group. Ivor Raymonde arranged and conducted and Johnny Franz was the producer. The single entered the charts in June and reached No. 6 on August 1st.
- May 30th, 1964 ABC Paramount Records release “Keep On Pushing” by The Impressions on 45. The record became The Impressions sixth Top Forty single. Written by Curtis Mayfield and produced by Johnny Pate, the song is closely identified with the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. The record entered the singles charts in June and peaked at No. 10 on July 18th.
- May 30th, 1964 Parkway Records release “Rosie” backed with “Lazy Elsie Molly” by Chubby Checker on 45. It was the single’s B-side that charted. “Lazy Elsie Molly” was co-written by Bobby Hart, Tommy Boyce and Roberta Harris. The record entered the singles charts a week later and peaked at No. 40 on July 11th.
- May 30th, 1964 Vee Jay Records release “Long Lonely Nights” by The Four Seasons on 45. Co-written by Morty and Selma Kraft, the B-side of the single, “Alone” entered the charts a week later and peaked at No. 20 on July 18th.
- May 30th, 1964 London Records release “England’s Newest Hit Makers/The Rolling Stones,” the band’s debut America album. The record charted for thirty-five weeks and peaked at No. 11 on August 22nd.
- May 30th, 1966 Atlantic Records release “You Better Run,” the third single by The Young Rascals on 45. The song was co-written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati. The record, co-produced by Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin, entered the singles charts in June and peaked at No. 20 on July 16th.
- May 30th, 1966 Capitol Records release The Beatles’ “Paperback Writer” backed with “Rain” on 45. Both songs were separate entries on the charts on June 11th. “Rain” was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon and Paul McCartney. Sessions for the song began April 14th and finished on the 16th. The unique sound achieved on the recording had the band playing the song’s instrumental track slightly faster than it was intended to be. The recorded tapes were then slowed down to achieve a different sonic texture. The opposite technique was used to alter the tone of Lennon’s lead vocal. Recorded with the tape machine slowed down, Lennon’s voice played at a higher pitch when it was played back, and the vocal track in the song’s coda was reversed to play backwards. “Paperback Writer” was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon and McCartney. McCartney completed the song with John Lennon early in the sessions for The Beatles’ “Revolver” album. In the third verse of the song, John Lennon and George Harrison sing the title of the French nursery rhyme “Frère Jacques.” “Paperback Writer” went to No. 1 on June 25th. “Rain” peaked at No. 23 on July 9th.
- May 30th, 1967 Capitol Records release “The Jokers” by Peter and Gordon on 45. The song was co-written by Mike Leander and Gordon Mills and produced by John Burgess. The record entered the singles charts on June 24th for one week and peaked at No. 97. “The Jokers” was Peter and Gordon’s last charting record in the US.
- March 9th, 1967 The Buckinghams record “Mercy Mercy Mercy” at Columbia Studios in New York City with producer Jim Guercio. Columbia Records released the track on 45 on May 30th. Written by Joe Zawinul in 1966, the instrumental was a surprise No. 11 hit for Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. The Buckinghams cut a pop version of the song with lyrics, modeled on the one issued by Larry Williams and Johnny Guitar Watson. The Wrecking Crew’s Carole Kaye played bass on the track. The record entered the charts in June and went to No. 5 on August 12th.
- May 30th, 1967 Stax Records release “Soothe Me” by Sam and Dave on 45. Written by Sam Cooke, the track was recorded live in Paris during their 1967 tour. The record became Sam and Dave’s first Top Forty hit in Britain, entered the singles charts in June and peaked at No. 42 on December 23rd.
- May 30th, 1968 The Beatles began work on their self-titled double album, known as The White Album. The group recorded sixteen takes of “Revolution,” later named “Revolution 1” after the decision to record a faster version for release on the “Hey Jude” single. The final take ran over ten minutes long and became the basis for the avant-garde track “Revolution 9.”
- May 30th, 1969 Regal Zonophone Records in Britain release “A Salty Dog” by Procol Harum on 45. The track was arranged by Gary Brooker, who co-wrote the song with Keith Reid. Produced by Matthew Fisher, the song served as the title track of the band’s third studio album. The single peaked at No. 44 in Britain.
- May 30th, 1970 “Everything Is Beautiful” by Ray Stevens is the No. 1 record in the US.
- May 30th, 1970 Josie Records release “Hand Clapping Song” by The Meters on 45. The song was co-written by Art Neville, George Porter, Jr, Joseph Modeliste and Leo Nocentelli. Co-produced by Allen Toussaint and Marshall E. Seahorn, the record entered the singles charts in July and peaked at No. 89 on July 25th.
- May 30th, 1973 Apple Records release the “Living In The Material World” album by George Harrison. Phil Spector co-produced “Try Some Buy Some” on the album and the rest was produced by Harrison himself at Harrison’s home studio in Oxfordshire and both Apple Studios and EMI in London. Nicky Hopkins, Gary Wright, Klauss Voorman, Jim Keltner, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Pete Ham from Badfinger and others played sessions for the LP. The album featured the No. 1 hit “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth).” “Living In The Material World” came out in Britain on June 22nd and a day later, peaked at No. 1 on the US album charts.
- May 30th, 1975 Polydor Records in England release “Get Your Love’ by Roger Daltrey on 45. The song was written by the record’s producer Russ Ballard and included Ballard on piano, organ and guitar, Dave Wintor on bass and Stuart Francis on drums. John Barham did the string arrangements with backing vocals by British soul band Kokomo.
- May 30th, 1975 Parlophone Records in Britain and Capitol Records in the US release the “Venus And Mars” LP by Paul McCartney and Wings. Recording began in November 1974 at EMI Studios in London, completing three tracks before moving the sessions to Sea Saint Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana with drummer Geoff Britton and guitarist Jimmy McCullough. When Britton left the band, American drummer Joe English was auditioned and hired as his replacement. Featuring the hit single “Listen To What The Man Said,” the album peaked at No. 1 on July 19th.
- May 30th, 1978 Swan Song Records reported that Led Zeppelin had entered the studio to record a new LP. “In Through The Out Door” would be the group’s last studio album.
- May 30th, 1980 Mercury Records release the self-titled third solo album by Peter Gabriel, out a week earlier in Britain where the LP went to No. 1. The record was recorded with the Manor Mobile unit at Gabriel’s home in Bath and at The Townhouse Studios in London with producer Steve Lillywhite. Phil Collins, Jerry Marotta, Robert Fripp, Larry Fast, Tony Levin, Kate Bush, Paul Weller from The Jam and others played sessions for the album. Gabriel released a German language version of the LP as well. In the US, the record peaked at No. 22 on August 23rd, featuring the hits “Games Without Frontiers” and “Biko.”
- May 30th, 1980 Grunt Records release “Nuclear Furniture” by Jefferson Starship. It was the band’s last with founding member Paul Kantner. Produced and engineered by Ron Nevison, the album peaked at No. 28 on July 28th.
- May 30th, 1980 Chrysalis Records in Britain release “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” by Ian Hunter as a four-song seven-inch EP. Written by Hunter, who co-produced the track with Mick Ronson, the song was released from the double record “Welcome To The Club” album and featured a co-lead vocal by Ellen Foley. The record peaked at No. 108 in America.
- May 30th, 1990 Australia’s Midnight Oil protested the Exxon Valdez disaster by performing in front of Exxon’s New York City headquarters.
- May 30th, 1992 Paul Simon married Edie Brickell of The New Bohemians.
- May 30th, 1999 Jimmy Buffett’s album “Beach House On The Moon” enters the US charts. The LP peaked at No. 8 on June 5th.
Miscellaneous May
- May 1965 Independent Los Angeles based label Revis Records release “My Diary” backed with “Utee” by Rosa Lee Brooks on 45. The A-side was written by Jimi Hendrix and Brooks but is credited on the record label to future Love singer and songwriter Arthur Lee, who sang backing vocals on both sides of the record. The B-side, “Utee” is credited to Brooks and label owner Billy Revis, based on a studio jam between Revis, Hendrix, Brooks and the other players on the track. The March 1964 session that produced the tracks are one of the earliest documented on which Jimi Hendrix plays guitar.
- May 1965 Tower Records release “You Can’t Take Your Love (Away From Me)” backed with “Born In Grenada” by Harry Nilsson on 45. Nilsson wrote the A-side and co-wrote the B-side with producer John Marascala, credited as a Vine Street Production.
- May 23rd, 1966 Fairmount Records release “Go Go Shoes” by Lonnie Youngblood on 45. Arranged and produced by Youngblood, who co-wrote the song with backing vocalist May Thomas and bassist Ace Hall, Jimi Hendrix played guitar on the session. The B-side “Go Go Place” was a continuation of the A-side with a piece of music missing from the middle.
- May 1967 RCA Records release their first single by Nilsson, “Without Her” backed with “Freckles.” “Without Her” was written by Harry Nilsson. The B-side was co-written by Cliff Hess, American lyricist Howard Johnson and Milton Ager. Both sides were produced by Rick Jarrard.
- 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 RCA Records release “Caroline” backed with “Yellow Man,” the second single from Nilsson’s “Nilsson Sings Newman” album. Both songs feature the song’s writer Randy Newman on keyboards. The record was produced by Harry Nilsson, credited to A Nilsson House Production.
- 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 single 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 1974 At Ron Wood’s home studio “The Wick,” Paul McCartney did some unspecified production work on an unreleased Wood original “Take A Look At The Guy.” Wood was working on his first solo record “I’ve Got My Own Album To Do.”
- 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 for 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 sessions for the record were guitarist Earl Slick and future Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliot.
- May 1978 PVK Records in Britain release the self-titled “Freddie Starr” album. Starr was the former lead singer of Liverpool, England’s The Midnighters. Paul McCartney sings backing vocals on Starr’s cover version of The Righteous Brothers song “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector.
- May 1982 MCA Records release “Martyrs And Madman” on 45. The song was written by Steve G. Swindells, who wrote two of the three new songs included on Daltrey’s “Best Bits” hits compilation.
- May 1986 Atlantic Records release “The Pride You Hide” by Roger Daltrey on 45. Taken from the Daltrey LP “After The Fire,” the song was co-written by Nick Tesco, Alan Dalgleish and Roger Daltrey. The track was produced by Alan Shacklock.
This Week In Rock and Roll History
This Week In Rock and Roll History week of May 25th
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 May 25th - The Beatles
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