Music History ~ July 18th

Born on this day in 1929, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, (Jalacy Hawkins), R&B singer. Hawkins died on 12th February 2000.

Born on this day in 1935, Johnny Funches, singer, the Dells. He died on 23rd January 1998.

In 1953, in Memphis, 18-year-old truck driver Elvis Presley visited the Memphis Recording Service, later known as Sun Studios, and paid $3.98 to record two songs, "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin," as a gift for his mother. Marion Keisker, assistant to Sun Records head Sam Phillips, liked what she heard, wrote down Presley's information and noted that he is a "good ballad singer." As she recalled years later: "I said, 'What kind of singer are you?' He said, 'I sing all kinds.' I said, 'Who do you sound like?' He said, 'I don't sound like nobody.'" It would surface 37 years later as part of an RCA compilation called 'Elvis - the Great Performances.'

In 1960, Roy Orbison saw his first record, "Only The Lonely" climb into the Top 5 in the United States after the Everly Brothers and Elvis both turned the song down. Over the next six years, Orbison would have 22 Top 40 hits.

In 1960, 15 year-old Brenda Lee had the number one song in the US with "I'm Sorry," a tune that was recorded in the last ten minutes of a session and originally meant to be the "B" side of "That's All You Gotta Do." The record reached #12 in the UK

In 1962, actor-turned-singer Johnny Crawford appeared on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."

On July 18, 1963, at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, the Beatles recorded "You Really Got A Hold On Me," "Money (That's What I Want)," and started work on "Till There Was You," a track they completed on July 30. This session took place while 'Please Please Me' was still at number one in the album charts four months after its release, and in the midst of a rigorous touring schedule that also had to include BBC sessions for radio and television. It was completed in seven takes, four of which were complete. The group then recorded four edit pieces. The final version was an edit of takes 7, 10 and 11.

In 1964, Terry Stafford and Bobby Freeman guested on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."

In 1964, the Four Seasons scored their fourth US number one hit with "Rag Doll." Co-writer Bob Gaudio said that he got the inspiration for the song from a young girl in tattered clothes that cleaned his car windows at a stop light. The song reached #2 in the UK.

In 1964, the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go?" was released and enters Billboard's Hot 100. It would stay on the chart for 14 weeks and becomes the group's first number one hit.

Also in 1964, the Rolling Stones chart in the US for the first time when a cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" peaks at #48.

In 1966, Bobby Fuller, who was still riding high on the success of "I Fought The Law," was found dead in his car in Hollywood. The incident is ruled a suicide but evidence suggests foul play, as his clothes and lungs contained gasoline. Fuller was just 22 years old. Police labelled it a suicide, but the possibility of foul play has always been mentioned. Had the 1966 US No.9 single 'I Fought The Law' written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly's Crickets and covered by The Clash.  You can read more about Fuller HERE

On July 18, 1966, 'Fifth Dimension' by the Byrds was released. It peaked at #24 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, during a chart stay of 28 weeks, and reached #27 in the UK.  Two singles, "Eight Miles High" and "5D (Fifth Dimension)" were included on the album, with the former just missing the Top 10 of the Billboard singles chart.  Additionally, a third single taken from the album, "Mr. Spaceman," reached the US Top 40. The LP is widely regarded as the band's most experimental album to date and is considered influential in originating the musical genre of psychedelic.

In 1966, ABC-TV's "Where The Action Is" featured performances by the Hondells and Wayne Fontana.

In 1968, at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, the Beatles recorded a 27-minute and 11-second version of "Helter Skelter" that was never released. Another recording of the song on the same day, originally 12 minutes long, was edited down to 4:37 for the Beatles' "Anthology 3" album. On September 9, they recorded 18 more takes of "Helter Skelter," and the last one is featured on the 'White Album.' After the 18th take, Ringo Starr flung his drum sticks across the studio and screamed, "I got blisters on my fingers!" The Beatles included Starr's shout on the stereo mix of the song.

In 1968, Hugh Masekela's "Grazing In The Grass" was certified Gold.

In 1968, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap's "Lady Willpower" was certified Gold.

On July 18, 1968, the Grateful Dead released their second studio album, 'Anthem of the Sun.'  It is the first album to feature second drummer Mickey Hart, who joined the band in September 1967. In 2003, the album was ranked #287 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

In 1969, at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, Ringo Starr recorded his lead vocal for the Beatles' "Octopus's Garden." The instrumental track for the song had been recorded April 26 with all four members of the group participating. "Octopus's Garden" is a Ringo Starr composition, only the second song he had ever written.

In 1970, Flaming Ember and Tyrone Davis performed on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."

In 1970, Pink Floyd, Roy Harper, Kevin Ayers, and the Edgar Broughton Band, all appeared at a free concert held in Hyde Park, London, England.

In 1972, Boston Mayor Kevin White intervened to have Mick Jagger and Keith Richards freed from their Warwick, Rhode Island jail cell in time for the Rolling Stones' scheduled concert in Boston. The two were being held for assaulting a Providence photographer.

In 1972, in Hollywood, all six members of Sly & The Family Stone were arrested after police found two vials of cocaine and two pounds of marijuana on their tour bus.

In 1973, in New York City, Bruce Springsteen played the first of four nights at Max's Kansas City. His opening act was Bob Marley and the Wailers who were on their first North American tour.

In 1974, the US Justice Department ordered John Lennon out of the country by September 10th. The Immigration and Naturalization Service denied him an extension of his non-immigrant visa because of his guilty plea in England to a 1968 marijuana possession charge. The US Court of Appeal would overturn the deportation order in 1975 and Lennon was granted permanent resident status the following year.

In 1975, host Helen Reddy welcomed Mac Davis, Minnie Ripperton, Waylon Jennings, Joe Simon, and Steve Martin to "The Midnight Special" on NBC-TV.

In 1978, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are awarded a Platinum record for their number one hit, "You're The One That I Want".

In 1978, Gerry Rafferty, once a member of Stealers Wheel, earns a Gold record for "Baker Street," which reached #2 in the US and #3 in the UK.

In 1978, Def Leppard made their live debut at Westfield School, Sheffield, England in front of 150 students.
In 1980, the soundtrack album from the movie "Honeysuckle Rose" was released. It included the Willie Nelson hit tracks "On The Road Again" and "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain."

In 1980, "The Midnight Special" on NBC-TV was hosted by the Spinners with guest Stephanie Mills.

In 1983, in Akron, Ohio, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel began a 19-city tour, their first tour together since the 1960s.

In 1983, Abbey Road Studios in London is opened to the public, making it one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.

In 1984, Prince released the single "Let's Go Crazy," the opening song from both the album and the movie "Purple Rain."

On this day in 1987, "Alone" by Heart was the #1 song.

In 1988, Nico died after suffering a minor heart attack while riding a bicycle on holiday with her son in Ibiza Spain. The German born singer-songwriter and keyboard player with Velvet Underground, had also worked as a fashion model and actress.

In 1988, Ike Turner was sentenced in Santa Monica, California to one year in jail for possessing and transporting cocaine. Police had stopped Turner, former husband of Tina Turner, in August 1987 for driving erratically and found about six grams of rock cocaine in his car.

In 1988, a California appeals court upholds a lower courts' decision to dismiss a case against Ozzy Osbourne and CBS Records. In 1984 a teenager allegedly killed himself after listening to Ozzy's "Suicide Solution."

In 1991, the first night of the 'Lollapalooza' tour at The Compton Terrace, Phoenix, featuring, Living Colour, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Henry Rollins Band and The Butthole Surfers.

In 1992, 800 guests saw Whitney Houston, dressed in a $40,000 Marc Bouwer wedding gown, marry Bobby Brown at her New Jersey home. Those in attendance included Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle and Freddie Jackson. After years of making tabloid headlines, she would file for divorce in September, 2006.

In 1995, the oldest known musical instrument in the world was found in the Indrijca River Valley in Slovenia. The 45,000 year-old relic was a bear bone with four artificial holes along its length.
In 2001, the Kiss Kasket, an actual coffin featuring the faces of the four founding members of the band, went on sale. Also included were the Kiss logo and the words "Kiss Forever." Endorsing the item, Gene Simmons quipped, "I love livin', but this makes the alternative look pretty damn good."

In 2002, the Rolling Stones crew chief, 54 year old Royden Magee, who had worked with the band for 30 years, died during a rehearsal in Toronto. A spokesman for the band said Magee had said that he wasn't feeling well and went to another room to take a nap. The Stones had just finished dinner and resumed rehearsing when they got word that Magee had collapsed and stopped breathing. He was taken by ambulance to nearby Sunnybrook Hospital with no vital signs after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was pronounced dead on arrival. The members of the band said they were devastated by his death.

In 2008, Paul Simon filed a law suit against Rhythm USA Inc., a Georgia-based subsidiary of a Japanese firm, claiming the company never got his permission to sell wall clocks that play "Bridge Over Troubled Water". The suit claimed that as one of the best known songs throughout the world, a proper licensing agreement could command at least a $1 million licensing fee.

birthdays today include (among others): Dion DiMucci (74), Martha Reeves (72), Lonnie Mack (72), Robin MacDonald (Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas) (70), Danny McCulloch (Animals) (68), Cesar Zuiderwijk (Golden Earring) (63), Ricky Skaggs (59), Keith Levene (Clash, Public Image Ltd.) (56) and Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam) (51)