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Today in Rock History – September 14

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1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on UK music show Top Of The Pops.

1967, Filming continued for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour in South West England. The Beatles searched for a quiet, secluded field in which they could conduct filming, but once they’d disembarked from the bus and set up for shooting, scores of onlookers began to crowd around, causing a traffic jam that required the police to step in.

1968, Roy Orbison’s house in Nashville burnt down, his two eldest sons both died in the blaze. Orbison was on tour in the UK at the time of the accident.

1968, Led Zeppelin performed as The Yardbirds at Angby Park in Knivsta, a small Swedish town 48 km (30 miles) north of Stockholm.

1968, The first episode of the animated series The Archies was aired on US TV. The recording group had contributions from Ron Dante, Andy Kim, Jeff Barry and others. Rock mogul, Don Kirshner, who also brought us The Monkees), was put in charge of the studio group. The following year The Archies started a eight-week run at No.1 on the singles chart with ‘Sugar Sugar’, becoming the longest running one hit wonder.

1970, Stevie Wonder married Syreeta Wright a former secretary at Motown Records.

1971, During a US tour Led Zeppelin appeared at Berkley Community Theatre, Berkley, California. The set list included Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Black Dog, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, That’s the Way, Going to California, What Is and What Should Never Be and Whole Lotta Love.

1974, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, The Band, Jesse Colin Young and Joe Walsh all appeared at Wembley Stadium, London, England.

1974, Eric Clapton scored a No.1 with his version of the Bob Marley song “I Shot The Sheriff.”

1974, Stevie Wonder started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Fulfillingness First Finale his second US No.1.

1979, The film Quadrophenia was released. Based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera the film featured Phil Daniels, Toyah Willcox, Ray Winstone, Michael Elphick and Sting.

1981, The Rolling Stones played a secret pre-tour warm-up show at the Sir Morgan’s Cove club in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Billed as Little Boy Blue & The Cockroaches, a local radio station announced that the Stones were in town, resulting in the club being besieged by over 4,000 fans attempted to get into the 350-person venue. Police were drafted in to control the crowds, which resulted in eleven fans being arrested.

Born on this day: Pete Agnew, Nazareth (1946);Paul Kassoff, Free (1950); Steve Berlin, Los Lobos (1955); and Amy Winehouse (1983)

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Today in Rock History – September 8

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The-Who-1966-B1966, The Who appeared at the Locarno Ballroon in Stevenage, England. This UK tour was notable for the addition of the single, “I’m A Boy” to the band’s repertoire.

1968, Pink Floyd were forced to cancel a performance at the Chatelet Teenage Festival in Belgium due to work permit problems.  There were some violent reactions from the fans, but the several other bands, including The Kinks were able to play at the event.

1968, The Beatles performed “Hey Jude” on the UK television show Frost On Sunday in front of an invited audience.

1968, Led Zeppelin played three shows in Denmark on this day, first appearing at the Fjordvilla club in Roskilde with The Ladybirds, who were an all girl topless go-go dancing outfit. Next, the played at Raventlowparken in Lolland, supported by The Beatnicks and to cap it off, they finished the evening at Teaterbygningen in Køge.

1968, Jimi Hendrix played at the Spokane Coliseum in Spokane, Washington.

1972, Pink Floyd appeared at the Municipal Auditorium, Austin, Texas.

1973, During a UK tour The Rolling Stones appeared at Empire Pool, Wembley, London.

1973, Marvin Gaye started a two week run at number one on the singles chart with “Let’s Get It On,” his second chart topper.

1973, The Allman Brothers started a five week run at number one on the album chart with Brothers And Sisters, the group’s only US chart topping album.

1974, David Bowie appeared at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

1974, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Beach Boys all performed at Summersault ’74 at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York.

1976, Aerosmith appeared at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

1977, Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch left Wings to help re-form The Small Faces. McCulloch had played with Paul McCartney’s band on the Venus and Mars and Wings At the Speed of Sound albums, as well as on the Wings Over America tour. He died two years later at the age of 26. Drummer Joe English also left Wings at this time, joining Sea Level.

1978, Dave Edmunds realeased Trax on Wax 4, his fourth solo album. It was released on Zeppelin’s Swansong label and featured the excellent “Trouble Boys,” which Thin Lizzy would cover in 1981.

1978, David Bowie released Stage, his second (official) live album recorded during his “Berlin” period. Backed by some talented players of note. Carlos Alomar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, George Murray, bass, backing vocals, Dennis Davis, drums, percussion, Adrian Belew, lead guitar, backing vocals, Simon House, violin, Sean Mayes , piano, string ensemble, backing vocals, and Roger Powell, keyboards.

1978, Yes appeared at Madison Square Garden in New York.

1979, Led Zeppelin scored their eighth UK number one album when In Through The Out Door went to the top of the charts for two weeks.

1979, Dire Straits performed at The Orpheum, Boston, Massachusetts.

1981, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band appeared at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois.

1983, The Grateful Dead played at Red Rocks Amphitheatre at Morrison, Colorado.

1984, Stevie Wonder had his first UK chart topper with “I Just Called To Say I Love You.” The song was taken from the film Lady In Red. This was was 18 years after Wonder’s chart debut in 1966. The song stayed at number one for six weeks.

1990, Jon Bon Jovi went to number one on the US singles chart with “Blaze Of Glory,” a top two song in the UK. The track appeared in the motion picture Young Guns II, for which it was originally recorded.

1993, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love appeared on stage together at a show in Hollywood. They performed a song they wrote together “Penny Royal Tea.”

1997, 29 years after the band first formed, Led Zeppelin release”d Whole Lotta Love,” their first ever single in the UK. The track recorded in 1969, and featured on the bands second album was issued to promote their re-issued back catalogue.

1997, Derek Taylor, the publicist for The Beatles, died aged 67. Taylor had been responsible for many of the legends surrounding their career and had also worked with The Beach Boys and The Byrds. In 1967 he helped organize the Monterrey Pop Festival together with Lou Adler and John Philips. He helped launch the Beatles Anthology trilogy in the 90’s.

2003, David Bowie performed the first interactive concert when his performance was beamed live into 21 cinemas from Warsaw to Edinburgh. Members of the audience talked to Bowie via microphones linked to ISDN lines and he took requests for songs from fans.

2005, A charity album featuring some of the biggest bands in the UK was thought to be the fastest ever produced. Coldplay, Radiohead, Kaiser Chiefs, Antony and the Johnsons, The Magic Numbers, The Coral, Bloc Party and Gorillaz were among those who recorded tracks for Help: A Day in the Life. The whole 22-track album was made available for download from the War Child website the following day.

2007, A commemorative plaque dedicated to Don Arden and the Small Faces was unveiled at 52–55 Carnaby Street, London, Arden’s former offices. Arden achieved notoriety in Britain for his aggressive, sometimes illegal business tactics and looked after the career’s of Small Faces, The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Black Sabbath. He was the father of Sharon Osbourne.

2015, Cuban-born Jamaican ska and reggae trombonist Rico Rodriguez died aged 80. He recorded with many artists including Karl Pitterson, Prince Buster, and Lloyd “Matador” Daley. He was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) at Buckingham Palace in July 2007, for services to music. In October 2012, he was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica in recognition of his contribution to Jamaican music

Born on September 8: Jimmie Rodgers (1897); Peter Sellers (1925); Patsy Cline (1932); Brian Cole, bass, vocals, The Association (1942); Kelly Groucutt,  Electric Light Orchestra (1945); Ron “Pigpen” Mckernan, Grateful Dead (1945); Benjamin Orr, The Cars (1955); Michael Lardie, keyboards Great White, Night Ranger (1958); David Steele, Fine Young Cannibals (1960); Jay Ziskrout, drummer Bad Religion (1962);  Neko Case,  singer-songwriter, guitarist The New Pornographers (1970); Alicia Moore, aka Pink, (1979);  Cameron Jibril Thomaz, aka Wiz Khalifa, American rapper, singer-songwriter (1987)

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Today in Rock History – August 16

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robert-johnson1938, American blues musician Robert Johnson died, likely poisoned by a jealous husband, at the age of 27 at a country crossroads near Greenwood, Mississippi. His recordings from 1936 -1937 have influenced generations of musicians including Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.

1962, Twelve -year old “Little” Stevie Wonder released his first single, “I Call It Pretty Music, (But The Old People Call It The Blues.)” The single featured Marvin Gaye on drums.

1962, Brian Epstein told Pete Best that the other Beatles wanted him out of the group, and that he was being replaced. Epstein then asked Best to perform with The Beatles that night at the Riverpark Ballroom in Chester, Cheshire. Pete Best does not show up, drummer Johnny Hutchinson of The Big Three filled in the temporary vacancy.

1964, The Who played at the Opera House in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

1965, David Jones’ official stage name became David Bowie.

1966, During a US tour, The Beatles appeared at the John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia playing their set during a huge electric storm.

1966, The Byrds played the first of two nights at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, California.

1967, Pink Floyd were in Studio 3 at EMI Studios on Abbey Road, St. John’s Wood, London recording material for Saucerful of Secrets.

1968, Jimi Hendrix appeared at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

1968, The Jackson Five made their formal debut with Diana Ross and The Supremes at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California.

1968, Working at Abbey Road studios, The Beatles recorded 14 takes of the new George Harrison song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” taking the song from its early acoustic version into an electric version.

1968, Bruce Springsteen’s new band Earth made their live debut at the Off Broad Street Coffee House in Red Bank, New Jersey, admission was 75 cents (£0.47). The lineup of the group consisted of Springsteen on guitars and vocals, John Graham, bass, Michael Burke, drums and Flash Craig on the organ. The group lasted only six months.

1968, Pink Floyd play the first of two nights at Sound Factory in Sacramento, California. Also on the bill are Initial Shock and AB Skhy Blues Band.

1969, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young supported by Joni Mitchell appeared at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, Illinois.

1969, The Grateful Dead perform the following set at Woodstock: Saint Stephen-> Mama Tried, Dark Star-> High Time, Turn On Your Love Light. There were electrical problems, as well as rain, and possibly the band performing while having taken a lot of acid.  The Dead were not pleased with the performance, and have not allowed it to be published.  Nor was it in the concert film.

1969, During a North American tour Led Zeppelin appeared at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park with Joe Cocker as support. Zeppelin had been asked to perform at Woodstock but due to this gig commitment were unable to attend.

1969, Bruce Springsteen’s band Child played the first of two shows over two days at the Student Prince, Ashbury Park. Springsteen was also unable to attend Woodstock due to these gigs.

1969, Hippie leader Abbie Hoffman was knocked offstage by Pete Townshend while attempting to make a political statement during the Who’s set at Woodstock. Later, Townshend said he didn’t know it was Hoffman at the time.

1969, Blind Faith appear at the Earl Warren Fairgrounds, Santa Barbara, California.

1970, The final day of the three day UK Yorkshire Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival at Krumlin, Yorkshire took place featuring The Kinks, Mungo Jerry, Yes, Ginger Bakers Air Force and Edgar Winter.

1971, The Who and Wishbone Ash perform at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.

1971, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1972, Hawkwind plays at Town Hall, Torquay, England.

1974, The Ramones make their CBGB debut on this date. They would go on to play seventy more shows that year as a regular attraction at the famous club in New York.

1975,  Peter Gabriel announced that he was leaving Genesis. Gabriel had informed the band back in late November 1974 of his decision, but agreed to stay through the conclusion of the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour. The group auditioned more than 400 singers during the next 18 months before deciding that Phil Collins, who had been the drummer for Genesis since 1970, could front the band.

1975, Eric Clapton performed at the Sports Arena, San Diego, California.

1976, AC/DC appeared at the Marquee Club, London.

1976, Yes plays at the Mecca Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1977, Elvis Presley was found dead lying on the floor in his bathroom by his girlfriend Ginger Alden. He had been seated on the toilet reading “The Scientific Search For Jesus.” He died of heart failure at the age of 42.  He starred in 31 films. Elvis holds the record for the most entries on the US Hot 100 chart with 154. Elvis became the first rock ‘n’ roll artist to be honored by the US Postal Service with a stamp.

1977, Manchester punk band The Buzzcocks signed to EMI’s United Artists label.

1979, The biggest single of the summer in the US, The Knack’s “My Sharona” was awarded a Gold record for selling one million copies. The Knack’s Doug Fieger wrote the song for his girlfriend, Sharona Alperin, whose picture appeared on the single’s cover.

1980, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at the Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.

1981, Foreigner played at Zeppelinfeld, Nuremberg, Germany.

1982, Blue Oyster Cult performed at the Blossom Music Center, Akron, Ohio.

1983, After dating for six years, Paul Simon married actress Carrie Fisher. The marriage would last less than two years, but the two continued to date off and on after they split. The title track to Simon’s Heart and Bones album references their romance.

1986, Madonna started a two week run at number one on the US singles chart with “Papa Don’t Preach.” It was the singer’s fourth US chart topper and was also number one in the UK. Also on this day Madonna went to the top of the US album chart with True Blue.

1988, Kiss played at the Marquee Club in London, England on their current 129-date Crazy Nights world tour.

1997, Blur, Prodigy, Beck, Kula Shaker, Dodgy, Foo Fighters, Placebo, James, Ash, Dodgy and Gene all appeared at the two day V97 UK festival in Chelmsford and Leeds, weekend tickets, £50 ($80.)

2000, Alan Caddy guitarist with The Tornadoes died. He had the 1962 UK and US number one single “Telstar” which became the first major hit from a UK act on the American chart. Caddy also played on sessions and worked on arrangements for Spencer Davis Group, Kiki Dee, Pretty Things and Dusty Springfield.

2005, P Diddy appeared on the US TV Today Show and announced that he was altering his stage name again, dropping the “P” and referring to himself simply as “Diddy.” The name change to Diddy upset Richard “Diddy” Dearlove, a London based DJ who took out court proceedings against P Diddy over the use of the name. He won when an out of court settlement of £110,000 was agreed and as a result, Combs is no longer be able to use the name Diddy in the UK.

Born on August 16: Kevin Ayers, Soft Machine (1945); Gary Loizzo, American guitarist, singer, The American Breed (1945); Gordon Fleet, The Easybeats, (1946); Barry Hay, Golden Earring (1948); Bill Spooner, American guitarist, songwriter, The Tubes (1949); – James “JT” Taylor, American R&B singer-songwriter, Kool & the Gang (1953); Tim Farriss, guitar, INXS (1957); Madonna Ciccone, aka Madonna (1958); American  bassist,  Melvins, Mudhoney (1964); Emily Robison, American singer-songwriter, banjo player, Dixie Chicks, Court Yard Hounds (1972); Bob Hardy, Scottish bassist, Franz Ferdinand (1980)

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Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – The Jukebox Series #13 – Stevie Wonder: “Superstition” b/w “Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)” – Motown 45 RPM Single Y559F (E2/F2)

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Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – The Jukebox Series #13 – Stevie Wonder: “Superstition” b/w “Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)” – Motown 45 RPM Single Y559F (E2/F2)

“The Jukebox Series” focuses on the 80 records that inhabit my 1963 Seeburg LPC1 jukebox. I’ve had my jukebox (or as I like to call it “the prehistoric iPod”) for a little over twelve years and in that time I’d like to think that I’ve perfected the mix of 45s within.

The A-Side of today’s double A-sided jukebox single was the lead single from Stevie Wonder’s landmark album Talking Book. Jeff Beck guested on the album playing guitar on the song “Looking For Another Pure Love.” While in the studio, Beck came up with the drum pattern that kicks “Superstition” into motion. From there, Wonder added the funky clavinet riff that runs through the song and a classic was born. After Wonder wrote the song, he offered it to Beck to record.

In the meantime, Motown chief Berry Gordy heard Wonder’s version and immediately knew it was a surefire smash and pressured Wonder to release it as a single before Beck could commit his version to tape. “Superstition” went on to become Wonder’s second chart-topping hit, his first since “Fingertips” hit the top of the charts in 1963. Jeff Beck was given the song “Because We’ve Ended As Lovers” as a consolation prize which he recorded for his 1975 album Blow By Blow. Beck later recorded Wonder’s “Superstition” with his group Beck, Bogart & Appice.

When Wonder turned 21, he renegotiated his contract with Motown Records giving him total control over his music with increased royalties and publishing. The first fruit of his negotiation was the album Music Of My Mind that included “Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You),” the flip side of today’s double-A sided jukebox classic.

The song was one of the first tracks that Wonder worked on with Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff who invented the TONTO (The Original New Timbral Orchestra) synthesizer and recorded under the name Tonto’s Expanding Head Band. Margouleff: “Stevie showed up [at our studio] with the TONTO LP under his arm. He said, ‘I don’t believe this was all done on one instrument. Show me the instrument.’ He was always talking about seeing. So we dragged his hands all over the instrument, and he thought he’d never be able to play it. But we told him we’d get it together for him.” The duo would go on to help shape the recording of Wonder’s Talking Book, Innervisions and Fullfillingness’ First Finale albums.

Wonder is heard playing all of the instruments on the record including the TONTO, except for the electric guitar which was played by Buzz Feiten and the trumpet and saxophone played respectively by Steve Madaio and Trevor Laurence.

The song clocked in at over eight minutes in its original guise on the Music Of My Mind album and was about former Motown secretary and Wonder’s first wife Syreeta Wright. The lyric “trying to boss the bull around” is about Syreeta trying to exert some control on Wonder who is a Taurus.

The first part of the song talks about “Mary’s” desire to leave her current life behind to chase the goal of stardom. The song’s second “Where Were You When I Needed You” part finds the song’s narrator wondering when she will be coming back and why it is taking so long. Musically, the second part of the song was a re-working of Wonder’s 1971 single “Never Dreamed You’d Leave In Summer” from his Where I’m Coming From album. The song was released as a single and climbed to the #33 slot on the pop charts. Indeed, Wonder’s marriage to Syreeta broke up soon after he completed work on Music Of My Mind.”

Both songs on today’s Jukebox classic double A-sided single were originally issued as separate singles, each with a different B-side. The original B-side to “Superstition” was “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” and the original “Superwoman” B-side was “I Love Every Little Thing About You.”

The clip of “Superstition” accompanying this piece is an alternate live in-studio performance of the track with a full backing band.

Today in Rock History August 6

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1965, The Beatles released their fifth album in the UK, the soundtrack to Help!, their second film. The US release took place on August 13. The album was produced by George Martin. It contains fourteen songs in its original British form. Seven of these, including the singles “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride”, appeared in the film and took up the first side of the vinyl album. The second side contained seven other releases including “Yesterday.”

1965, Decca records released The Small Faces debut single “Whatcha Gonna Do About It.” It peaked at number 14 on the UK chart, number 28 and Canada, and did not chart in the US.

1966, Paul Revere & the Raiders appeared at the Sports Arena in Toledo, Ohio.

1967, The Who spend two days at  Talentmasters Studio in New York. Al Kooper joins the band on organ to record two versions of “Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand.” One is released in the U.S. on the B-side of  “I Can See For Miles,” while the other remains in the vaults until the 1995 edition of The Who Sell Out. Also recorded is a studio version of “Summertime Blues,” an organ overdub on “Relax,” performed by Pete, and new vocals to replace the guide vocals on “I Can See For Miles.”

1968, The Who perform at the Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.

1969, During a North American tour Led Zeppelin made their one and only appearance in Sacramento, California, playing at Memorial Auditorium.

1970, The 10th National Jazz, Blues and Pop four day Festival was held at Plumpton Racecourse in Sussex, England. Featuring, Family, Groundhogs, Cat Stevens, Deep Purple, Fat Mattress, Yes, Caravan, The Strawbs, Black Sabbath, Wild Angles, Wishbone Ash and Daddy Longlegs.

1970, Steppenwolf, Janis Joplin, Paul Simon, Poco and Johnny Winter all appeared at the Concert For Peace at New York’s Shea Stadium. The concert date coincided with the 25th anniversary of dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

1971, Pink Floyd made their first ever visit to Japan, playing three dates there. The first show was at Seikei Gakuen Jofundai, near Lake Ashi, in Hakone for the Hakone Aphrodite ’71 along with Buffy Sainte Marie, The 1910 Fruit Gum Company, Mops, Strawberry Path, Happenings Four, and several other Japanese acts.

1972, The Allman Brothers Band played at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California.

1973, Stevie Wonder was seriously injured when the car he was riding in crashed into a truck on Interstate 85 near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, leaving him in a coma for four days. The accident also left him without any sense of smell.

1974, Abba scored their first US top ten hit when “Waterloo” went to number six. It was a chart topper in the UK, Norway, The Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland. The Swedish group were also on their first American tour.

1974, CSNY played at the Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts.

1975, The Rolling Stones appeared at the Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia.

1976, Robin Trower performed at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.

1977, The Police appeared at The Red Cow, Hammersmith Road in London, admission was 60p ($1.10.)

1977, This week’s UK Top Five singles: No.5 “Fanfare For The Common Man,” ELP. No.4, “Pretty Vacant,” The Sex Pistols. No.3, “Angelo,” Brotherhood Of Man. No.2, “Ma Baker,” Boney M and No.1, “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer.

1978, Aerosmith performed at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey.

1979, Van Halen played at Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, Arkansas.

1980, Fleetwood Mac appeared at the Hollywood Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, Florida.

1981, Stevie Nicks released her first solo album Bella Donna which contained four top 40 US hits.  They were “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” a duet with Tom Petty, “Leather and Lace,” with Don Henley, “Edge of Seventeen,” and “After the Glitter Fades.”

1982, Pink Floyd’s The Wall starring Bob Geldof as “Pink”opened in movie theaters in New York. The film was conceived alongside the double album by Roger Waters.

1988, Appetite For Destruction, Guns N’ Roses debut album went to number one in the US, after spending 57 weeks on the chart and selling over 5 million copies. Singles from the album, “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” and “Paradise City” were all US top ten hits. The album is the best-selling debut album of all-time in the US, beating Boston’s debut album Boston, which has gone 17x platinum.

1999, Dick Latvala died aged 56 after being in a coma caused by a heart attack. Latvala worked with The Grateful Dead since the early 80’s looking after their archives of live performances which became a series of Dick’s Picks albums.

2004, Rick James was found dead at his Los Angeles home. Known as “The King of Punk-Funk” James scored the 1981 US number three album Street Songs, and 1981 US number 16 single “Super Freak part 1.” In the late 60’s James worked as a songwriter and producer for Motown, working with Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.

2009, Willy DeVille died at the age of 58 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. The band he formed, Mink Deville, appeared at the legendary CBGB club in New York in the 1970s and scored the 1977 hit “Spanish Stroll.” Doctors discovered he had cancer earlier that year as he was preparing to undergo treatment for Hepatitis C.

Born on August 6: Andy Warhol, (1928); Judy Craig, singer, The Chiffons (1946); Allan Holdsworth, Soft Machine (1948); Pat McDonald, Timbuk 3 (1952); and Randy Debarge, Debarge (1958); Geri Halliwell, Spice Girls (1972)

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Song Of The Day – The Jukebox Series #6 – Rufus – “Tell Me Something Good” b/w “Smokin’ Room” – ABC Records 45 ABC-11427 1974 (K1/L1)

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Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – The Jukebox Series #6 – Rufus  – “Tell Me Something Good” b/w “Smokin’ Room”  – ABC Records 45 ABC-11427 1974 (K1/L1)

“The Jukebox Series” focuses on the 80 records that inhabit my 1963 Seeburg LPC1 jukebox. I’ve had my jukebox (or as I like to call it “the prehistoric iPod”) for a little over twelve years and in that time I’d like to think that I’ve perfected the mix of 45s within.

In taking stock of the records that inhabit my jukebox for The Jukebox Series, I’ve come to learn something about myself that I’d like to share. I find it somewhat amusing that there are no records newer than the 1970s included, and with the exception of a few 1950s nuggets, nothing earlier than the 1960s. This leads me to believe that I either find myself in a state of musical developmental retardation, or that every record I’ve chosen for the jukebox is geared to make me feel nostalgic for the years when I was in middle and high school.

This really shouldn’t be such a surprise because when you think about it, the music that we consider OUR music typically harks back to those golden teenage days when we were in public school. It doesn’t matter that those years for some (me included) were the most dreadful years of my life. We still look back on them with rose colored glasses verifying the idea that nostalgia truly is the past with the pain removed, and the musical comfort food that inhabits my jukebox really points this out.

Today’s Song Of The Day was Chaka Khan’s breakout hit as a member of Rufus. Rufus evolved out of the ashes of Chicago group, The American Breed who scored a hit with “Bend Me Shape Me” in the late 1960s. After the American Breed disbanded several members formed a band called Smoke who added vocalist Paulette Williams to the lineup. That group later became Ask Rufus named after a column in the magazine Popular Mechanics. After several more lineup shifts, Ron Stockert was added to the group as vocalist and artistic director and Williams left, recommending her friend Chaka Khan as her replacement.

During the early days of Rufus (shortened from Ask Rufus), Khan was considered one of two co-lead vocalists sharing vocals duties with Ron Stockert. However, when the songs featuring Khan’s lead vocals began to get attention, she became the focal point of the group leading to Stockert’s departure during the recording of their 1974 album Rags To Rufus.

At this point, the group consisted of Chaka Khan on lead and background vocals, Dennis Belfield on bass and background vocals, André Fischer on drums and percussion, Kevin Murphy on organ and clavinette, Al Ciner on guitar, Ron Stockert on vocals and keyboards, Tony Maiden (uncredited) on guitar and talk box and Nate Morgan (uncredited) on keyboards.

The Rags To Rufus album was the group’s last album credited to Rufus, after this they would be forever known as Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. The album also included the huge hit “You Got The Love” (#10 pop/#1 R&B) written by Ray Parker Jr. and Khan, and on the strength of its two singles, the album sold well over one million copies earning a platinum certification.

Today’s Song Of The Day was written by Stevie Wonder and climbed to the #3 position on the pop and R&B charts in 1974. Wonder is said to have recorded a version of the song, but it remains unreleased. “Tell Me Something Good” was one of several songs that Wonder wrote and gave away to female vocalists around this time. Two others notable examples are Aretha Franklin’s “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” (#1 R&B/#3 Pop) and the title track to Minnie Riperton’s chart-topping album Perfect Angel.

Wonder liked the way Chaka Khan sang his song “Maybe Your Baby” on Rufus’ self-titled debut album and decided to give the group another one of his songs to record. As Khan tells it, “Tell Me Something Good” was not the first song that Wonder brought to the band. Wonder came by the studio and played a song called “Come And Get This Stuff,” but Kahn told Wonder that she didn’t like the song. After learning Khan’s astrological sign, Wonder then gave Rufus “Tell Me Something Good” to record and also helped in the studio with the arrangement,  going as far as to coach Khan in the way he wanted her to sing it. The single would go on to with the 1975 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. (Note: Wonder’s “Come And Get This Stuff” would later turn up on his ex-wife’s album Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta.)

“Tell Me Something Good” also features an early example of the use of a talk box during the chorus. The talk box was played through a guitar by Tony Maiden and was also made famous by Joe Walsh on his track “Rocky Mountain Way” and by Peter Frampton on “Show Me The Way” and “Do You Feel Like I Do.” The sultry B-side of “Tell Me Something Good” was “Smokin’ Room,” an album cut also culled from Rags To Rufus.

Today in Rock History – July 31

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1965, In England, the Yardbirds with Jeff Beck perform at the Cleethorpes Jazz Festival.

1965, Beatles VI enters the fourth of its six weeks atop the US album charts. Beatles VI includes two tracks recorded specifically for the North American market, “Bad Boy” and “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” both covers of Larry Williams songs.

1966, Cream play their first gig in Windsor, England.

1966, The Who perform at Brittania Pier in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England.

1967, Mick Jagger was given a conditional discharge, and Keith Richard’s conviction for permitting his house to be used for the purpose of smoking cannabis resin was quashed by appeal court.

1968, Tommy James and The Shondells were at number one on the singles chart with “Mony Mony.” The song was also a hit for Billy Idol in 1987.

1968, Working at Trident studios in London, England, (with its 8-track equipment, EMI was still using 4-track recorders), The Beatles recorded four takes of “Hey Jude.”

1969, Ten Years After played at the Boston Tea Party in Boston. Magic Terry & The Universe were the support act.

1969, Elvis Presley kicked off a four week run at the Las Vegas International Hotel, his first live show since 1961. He reportedly netted $1.5 million (£937,500) for the shows. On the menu was an Elvis special, polk salad with corn muffins and honey.

1970, After Decca Records demands a final single from the Rolling Stones to make them fulfill their contract, Richards and Jagger deliver the unreleasable “Cocksucker Blues.” The single becomes the title of a Stones documentary that the band decides is also unreleasable.

1970, The Powder Ridge Festival was supposed to take place from July 31st through August 2nd in Middlefield, Connecticut.  None of the advertised acts performed due to a last minute court injunction initiated by the local township. Only Melanie performed on a small stage. In addition to the Allman Brothers Band, Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Jethro Tull, Joe Cocker, Little Richard and others were on the intended lineup.

1971, Pink Floyd leave England to set out on their first tour of the Far East.

1971, The documentary Gimme Shelter premieres at London’s Rialto cinema. The film includes footage from the infamous concert at Altamont.

1971, James Taylor went to number one on the singles chart with the Carole King song “You Got A Friend.” The song would go on to win the 1971 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.

1971, A security guard was stabbed to death during a concert by The Who at New York’s Forest Hill Stadium.

1972, Yes appeared at Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, Texas.

1974, The Grateful Dead performed at Dillon Stadium in Hartford, Connecticut.

1975, Aerosmith played at Market Hall, Dallas, Texas.

1975, The Rolling Stones appeared at the Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina.

1976, George Benson started a two-week run at number one on the album chart with Breezin.

1977, Yes played at the Civic Center, Wheeling, West Virginia.

1979, AC/DC appeared at The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana on their If You Want Blood Tour.

1979, James Taylor plays New York’s Central Park for free to show his support for a campaign to restore the park’s Sheep Meadow.

1980, During An Eagles concert at Long Beach, California, tempers boiled over between Glen Frey and Don Felder, who spent the entire show describing to each other the beating each planned to administer backstage. “Only three more songs until I kick your ass, pal,” Frey told Felder. The group’s next album was mixed by Frey and Felder on opposite coasts after the two decided they couldn’t bear to be in the same state, let alone the same studio.

1980, Van Halen performed at the Checkerdome, St. Louis, Missouri.

1982, King Crimson appeared at The Convention Hall, Asbury Park, New Jersey.

1983, David Bowie played at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan.

1985, The Eurythmics had the number one position on the UK singles chart with “There Must Be An Angel, (Playing With My Heart.”) The song which was the Eurythmics’ first and only chart topping single features a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder.

1992, Michael Jackson made an unscheduled appearance on his hotel balcony in London after a man had threatened to jump from an apartment building across the street. 28 year-old Eric Herminie told police he would leap to his death if he didn’t see Jackson, who was in Britain for a series of concerts. Jackson spent a couple of minutes waving to Herminie, who then climbed back into the building.

2001, BBC producer John Walters died at age 63. Walters produced and worked with Radio 1 DJ John Peel. Peel teamed up with Walters to broadcast some of the most groundbreaking music of an era. He joined the BBC in 1967, and became producer on John Peel’s Top Gear show two years later. Walters played the trumpet with the Alan Price Set in the 1960’s.

2012, Bruce Springsteen played his longest show ever – 4 hours and 6 minutes, at the Helsinki Olympiastadionin Finland, at the end of a European tour.

Born on July 31:  Amhet Ertegun (1923)  Bob Welch (1943)  Gary Lewis (1946); Hugh McDowell, cello, Electric Light Orchestra (1953); Bill Berry, R.E.M. ( 1958); Jim Corr, guitar, keyboards, vocals, The Corrs (1964); John Lowery, guitar, Marilyn Manson (1971); Will Champion, drummer, Coldplay (1978)

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Today in Rock History – June 13

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1967, The Bee Gees appeared live on the UK TV show As You Like It. The group were promoting their debut single “New York Mining Disaster 1941.”

1968, Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Hallucinations performed at Boston Tea Party in Boston, Massachusetts.

1969, The Who stage the Hollywood premiere of Tommy, performing the rock opera at the Hollywood Palladium as part of the “Magic Circus” with fellow acts Poco, and the Bonzo Dog Band. Attending the show are Janis Joplin, Spirit, Mama Cass Elliot, David Crosby, Peter Tork and The Turtles.

1969, The Rolling Stones held a photo call in Hyde Park to introduce new guitarist Mick Taylor. The 20 year-old former John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers member made his live debut with the Stones the following month at a free concert at Hyde Park London.

1969, Glen Campbell played at the Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia.

1969,  Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Sam & Dave, and the Staple Singers perform at the Soul Bowl ’69, held at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.

1969, The Grateful Dead performed at the Convention Center in Fresno, California.

1969, Led Zeppelin play at Town Hall in Birmingham, the first of eleven shows in England and France before returning to the US. Supporting acts were Liverpool Scene and Blodwyn Pig

1969, Pink Floyd played at the Great Hall, Devonshire House at the University of Exeter, in Exeter, England.

1970, The Beatles started a two week run at number one on the US singles chart with “The Long And Winding Road,” the group’s 20th chart topper. The album Let It Be started a four-week run at number one the US album chart on the same day.

1970, Grand Funk Railroad, supported by Steel Mill, featuring Bruce Springsteen, appeared at the Ocean Ice Palace in Bricktown, New Jersey, tickets cost $5.00 (£3.33.)

1970, Christine Perfect says she will retire from music following the release of her self-titled solo album. However, she later becomes a member of her husband, John McVie’s, band, Fleetwood Mac.

1971, Grin, led by Nils Lofgrin played at the Alexandria Roller Rink, Alexandria, Virginia.

1972, The Rolling Stones performed at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California.

1972, Clyde McPhatter, original lead vocalist with The Drifters, died of a heart attack in New York. He joined Billy Ward & the Dominoes in 1950, formed The Drifters in 1953, and had several solo hits including 1962’s “Lover Please.” He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

1973, David Bowie played at the Gaumont State Theatre, London.

1974, King Crimson appeared Cow Palace in San Francisco.

1974, David Bowie, Corinne “Coco” Schwab., Stuey George and driver Jim James leave the MainMan suite at the Sherry Netherland Hotel in New York to begin the nine hour trip by limousine to Montreal for the start of the “Diamond Dogs” tour.

1975, John Lennon made his last ever TV appearance when he appeared on Salute To Sir Lew Grade, performing “Slippin And Slidin,” and “Imagine.”

1976, Aerosmith appeared at the Civic Center, Charleston, West Virginia.

1977, Crosby Stills and Nash performed at the Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island.

1977, Rush played at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England.

1979, The Allman Brothers Band performed at Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York.

1980, Before a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game, Pat Benatar performs a short set and dances with the team mascot, the Phillie Phanatic.

1980, “Roadie” opens across America. Appearing in the film are VH1 giants Meat Loaf, Blondie, Pat Benatar, Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, and Styx.

1980, The Grateful Dead performs at the Seattle Center Coliseum, in Seattle, Washington.

1981, Smokey Robinson was at number one on the UK singles chart with a song he wrote in the late 60’s. “Being With You.” It was his first solo chart topper.

1984, Yes appeared at the Falkoner Teater, Copenhagen, Denmark.

1988, The biggest charity Rock concert since Live Aid in 1985 took place at London’s Wembley Stadium, to rally against South African apartheid. Among the performers were Sting, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, George Michael, Whitney Houston and Dire Straits. Half the money raised went towards anti-apartheid activities in Britain, the rest was donated to children’s charities in southern Africa.

1992, Erasure started a five-week run at number one in the UK with the Abba-Esque EP. The release featured four covers of Abba hits and Vince Clark & Andy Bell dressed up as the two female members of Abba for the videos.

1992, Billy Ray Cyrus started a 17-week run at number one on the US album chart with Some Gave All. His debut album featured the world-wide breakthrough song “Achy Breaky Heart,” which was originally recorded as “Don’t Tell My Heart” by The Marcy Brothers on their 1991 self-titled album.

1995, Alanis Morissette released her studio album, Jagged Little Pill. The album went on to sell over 30 million copies world-wide, and made Morissette the first female Canadian to score a US number one album. Jagged Little Pill featured the massive hits “You Oughta Know,” “Hand in My Pocket,” “Ironic,” and “You Learn.”

2003, The Arctic Monkeys made their live debut at The Grapes pub in Sheffield, England. They received £27 ($46) from ticket sales.

2015, Rapper MC Supreme was killed in Malibu, California when a pickup truck hit his parked car on the shoulder of the Pacific Coast Highway. The 47-year-old “Black in America” performer, whose real name was Dewayne Coleman, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Born on June 13: Uriel Jones, session drummer, the Funk Brothers (1934); Bobby Freeman, singer (1940); Marv Tarplin, American guitarist, songwriter, the Miracles (1941);  Malcolm McDowell, actor  (1943); Dennis Locorriere, guitar, Dr Hook (1949); Howard Leese, American guitarist, producer, Bad Company, Heart (1951); Paul De Lisle, American bass player, songwriter, Smash Mouth (1963); Denise Pearson, English singer-songwriter, Five Star (1968); Rivers Cuomo, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, Weezer, Avant Garde, Homie (1970);

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Today in Rock History – June 11

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1966, The Rolling Stones started a two week run at No.1 on the singles chart with “Paint It Black,” the group’s third No.1 single.

1966, European radio stations mistakenly report that The Who’s lead singer Roger Daltrey is dead. Actually, it was guitarist Pete Townshend who had been injured in a car accident a few days earlier.

1966, Elvis Presley begins shooting his 26th film, Double Trouble.

1967, Printed in this week’s music weekly Melody Maker’s ad’s pages, “Freaky lead guitarist, bass and drummer wanted for Marc Bolan’s new group. Also any other astral flyers like with car’s amplification and that which never grows in window boxes, phone Wimbledon 0697.” The band who formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, went on to release four underground folk albums before becoming known as T Rex.

1968, Cream appeared at Paul Sauvé Arena in Montreal, Quebec.

1968, London’s Olympic Studio catches fire while the Rolling Stones are there recording Beggars Banquet.

1968, Working at Abbey Road studios in London on the White Album, John Lennon worked on “Revolution 9” in studio 3, while Paul McCartney recorded “Blackbird” in studio 2.

1969, The Beatles were at No.1 on the singles chart with “The Ballad Of John and Yoko,” the group’s 17th No.1. Only two Beatles played on the track, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

1969, David Bowie releases his single “Space Oddity” in conjunction with the planned Apollo 11 lunar landing.

1970, Traffic jammed at the Fillmore East in New York.

1970, The Rascals, Poco, and Alee Keith played at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1971, The Allman Brothers Band appear at the Eastown Theater, Detroit, Michigan.

1972, Led Zeppelin performed at the Civic Center in Baltimore.  Tickets were priced from $5.50 – $7.50. The set list was: Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, That’s the Way, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Dazed and Confused, What Is and What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, Whole Lotta Love (medley incl. Let That Boy Boogie, I Need Your Love Tonight, Hello Mary Lou, Heartbreak Hotel, I’m Going Down, Going Down Slow), Rock and Roll, Communication Breakdown.

1972, The Rolling Stones play the Forum in Inglewood, California. The opening act is Stevie Wonder.

1973, Deep Purple performed at Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan.

1974, The Who headlined at Madison Square Garden in New York.

1975, The Rolling Stones appeared at the Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

1976, The Grateful Dead performed at the Great Boston Music Hall.

1976, AC/DC appeared at Glasgow City Hall, Scotland, on the first night of their Lock Up Your Daughters 19 date UK tour.

1977, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours retains the number one album in the US. Just one of the 31 weeks it would spend in that position in 1977 and 1978.

1977, Joe Strummer and Topper Headon were detained overnight in prison in Newcastle upon Tyne having failed to appear at Morpeth Magistrates on May 21st. Both Clash members were to answer a charge relating to the theft of a Holiday Inn pillowcase. They were both fined £100 ($170).

1977, KC and the Sunshine Band became only the second group after The Jackson Five to achieve four US No.1’s when “I’m Your Boogie Man” went to the top of the charts.

1977, As Britain celebrated the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, The Sex Pistols reached No. 2 in the singles chart with “God Save The Queen.”

1978, Genesis appeared at Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany.

1980, Aerosmith played at Stage West, Hartford, Connecticut.

1981, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed at the Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois.

1983, ZZ Top played at the Civic Auditorium Arena, Omaha, Nebraska.

1984, Yes performed at Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden.

1988, Nelson Mandellas 70th birthday tribute took place at Wembley Stadium, London, featuring Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman, George Michael, Eric Clapton, UB40, The Eurythmics and Simple Minds. The event was broadcast live on BBC 2 to 40 different countries with an estimated audience of 1 billion.

1991, The Grateful Dead played at the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

2005, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin founding member and guitarist, was awarded an OBE in the Queen of England’s Birthday Honours list and Queen guitarist and founding member Brian May was awarded a CBE.

2011, Pink Floyd’s 1973 album The Dark Side Of The Moon, re-entered the Billboard Album chart at No. 47, and reached the milestone of 1,000 weeks on Billboard’s charts.

Born on this day: John Lawton, Uriah Heep (19467);  Glenn Leonard, The Temptations (1947); Alan Skipper, drums, The Pretty Things (1948) and Frank Beard, ZZ Top (1949)

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Today in Rock History – June 6

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1965, Herman’s Hermits play The Ed Sullivan Show.

1965, The Rolling Stones released the single “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” on the Decca label in the US. The song also featured on the American version of the Rolling Stones’ fourth studio album, Out of Our Heads, released that July.

1965, The Who played at St. Joseph’s Hall in London.

1966, Roy Orbison’s first wife, Claudette, was killed when a truck pulled out of a side road and collided with the motorbike that she and her husband were riding on in Gallatin, Texas, she was 25.

1966, The Who head from Sweden to Denmark, flying into Copenhagen. That night Keith Moon and John Entwistle go drinking at the Carousel Club and sit in for a set with The Tremeloes.

1968, Screaming Lord Sutch appeared at the Freehold Hullabaloo in Freehold, New Jersey. Sutch was touring the East Coast in a old custom-painted Rolls Royce hearse. The support band was The Castiles, with Bruce Springsteen on vocals).

1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Soul Survivors appeared at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.

1969, Rod Stewart signs as a solo artist to Mercury Records.

1970, Christie were at number one on the singles chart with “Yellow River,” the group’s only chart topper. Written by Jeff Christie for the Tremeloes who turned it down, so he recorded it himself.

1970, Felix Cavaliere & The Rascals played at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

1970, Syd Barrett played his first gig since leaving Pink Floyd at the Extraveganza ’70, at London’s Olympia. He was joined on stage by Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.

1970, This is the third of a four night residency for the Grateful Dead at San Francisco’s Fillmore West.

1970, The Doors appeared at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia.

1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono jammed live on stage with Frank Zappa at The Filmore East in New York. Some of these recordings were released in 1972, on John Lennon’s third post-Beatles album, Some Time in New York City.

1971, This date was the last broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show. Ed’s final musical guests are Gladys Knight & the Pips.

1972, David Bowie releases his album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.

1973, King Crimson played at Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, Tennessee.

1974, Billy Swan records his chart topping song “I Can Help.”

1975, Pink Floyd fly to America for a tour. It would end in disaster when an addled Roger Waters spits on the audience. The event would serve as the inspiration for writing The Wall in an attempt to exorcise his demons.

1975, The Rolling Stones appeared at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri.

1976, Genesis performed at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

1977, Queen appeared at Earls Court in London, England.

1977, Students at UCLA are shocked when Stevie Wonder appears as a guest lecturer, talking about his experiences with Motown and then performing music by way of illustration.

1978, Bob Dylan performed at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.

1979, Def Leppard played at Crookes Workingman’s Club in Sheffield. The gig was reviewed in UK music paper Sounds and led to a recording contract with Phonogram Records.

1981, Van Halen appeared at the Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington.

1982, Tom Petty, Crosby Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks and Jackson Browne all appeared at The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California to a crowd of 85,000 fans at the six hour Peace Sunday, We Have A Dream antinuclear concert. Dylan was joined onstage with Joan Baez and duetted with her on “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “With God On Our Side.” The show was partly broadcast on ABC TV’s Entertainment Tonight program on the same day.

1984, Blue Oyster Cult performed at the Agora Ballroom,  a “cavernous” former bowling alley in an industrial area in Hartford, Connecticut.

1986, A&R man Dick Rowe died of diabetes. Rowe became famous for not signing The Beatles to Decca records and made the classic quote “Nobody cares about guitar group’s anymore.” He did however sign The Rolling Stones to Decca.

2003, Keyboard player with The Animals Dave Rowberry died aged 62. He replaced Alan Price who left in 1965. The Animals had the 1964 UK and US number one single “House Of The Rising Sun.”

2006, Billy Preston died of kidney failure. The Grammy-winning keyboard player collaborated with some of the greatest names in the music industry, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan.

Born on June 6: Levi Stubbs, The Four Tops (1936); Gary “US” Bonds (1939); Clarence White, The Byrds (1944); and Steve Vai, guitarist, Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake (1960)

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