The Vocal Group Hall of Fame opened in Sharon, Pennsylvania. The Hall was the brain child of Tony Butala, lead singer of The Lettermen. Many of the greatest vocal groups in history would, in coming years, be inducted into the Hall in lavish and nostalgic ceremonies.
Andrew Loog Oldham became manager of The Rollin’ Stones but only after demanding they add the “g”.
Top Single:
“Never Can Say Goodbye” The Jackson Five #1 R&B 1971
“Runaway” Del Shannon #1 1961
Birthday:
Heather Dixon (The Bobbettes) 1944
The Joytones, one of Rock N’ Roll’s first girl groups recorded their single “Gee, What A Boy”.
The Who replaced deceased drummer Keith Moon with former Small Faces member Kenny Jones.
Top Single:
“Ronnie” The Four Seasons #10 1964
“Can’t Buy Me Love” The Beatles #1 1964
Birthday:
Randy Cain III (The Delfonics)
America’s first ambassadors of Rock ‘n’ Roll, began a ten-day tour of Spain. Afterward, they would become the first American Rock ‘n’ Roll act to perform behind the Iron Curtain when they appeared in Poland.
After breaking up in 1976 Deep Purple regrouped. Runor has it they were each (Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Gillan and Ian Paice) offered $12 Million to reunite.
Top Single:
“Call Me” Blondie #1 1980
Mary Hopkin’s success with “Those Were The Days” (#1 U.S. and U.K.) came about thanks to famed model Twiggy who saw the pert songstress perform on Britain’s T.V. talent show, “Opportunity Knocks” called a friend Paul McCartney and insisted he sign her.
Top Single:
“The Locomotion” Grand Funk Railroad 1974
“We Are The World” USA For Africa #1 1985
Birthday:
Peggy Santaglia (The Angels) 1943
The Coasters “Yakety Yak” was issued, eventually reaching #1.
Buffalo Springfield disbanded.
Top Single:
“Ivory Tower” Otis Williams & The Charms #5 R&B 1956
“All Shook Up” Elvis Presley #1 1957
Birthday:
Johnnie Taylor (Highway QC’s & Five Echoes) 1938
The Dell-Vikings “Little Billy Boy” and The Vibes “Darling” were released.
After 18 singles and 7 smash albums with partner and high school friend Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon played his first solo gig at the Music Hall in Boston.
Top Single:
“Come Go Woth Me” The Dell-Vikings #6 1957
“The First Time” Roberta Flack #1 1972
Birthday:
Herb Cox (The Cleftones) 1939
Drifters lead Clyde McPhatter was drafted but was lucky to be stationed in Buffalo, NY where he bused in for weekend gigs with the group.
Top Single:
“Angel In Your Arms” Hot #21 1977
Birthday:
Johnny Maestro (Brooklyn Bridge) 1939
One of the few vocal groups to come out of Texas, The Velvets “Tonight” charted. It was their second of nine singles.
9 of the Top 10 hits in America were from British or Australian acts led by #1 “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter” (Herman’s Hermits” The only domestic charter was #2 “Count Me In” by Gary Lewis & The Playboys.
Top Single:
“Tonight I Fell In Love” The Tokens #15 1961
“Joy To The World” Three Dog Night #1 1971
Billy Ward & The Dominoes “These Foolish Things” was released. It became their 9th top 10 R&B hit in three years.
Mick Jagger donated $350,000 to help victims of the Nicaraguan earthquake.
Top Single:
“Greenfields” The Brothers Four #2 1960
“Hello Dolly” Louis Armstrong #1 1964
The Jive Bombers recorded their unique version of the 1928 song “Cherry”.
The Turtles performed at The White House and leader Mark Volman celebrated by falling off the stage four times.
Top Single:
“He Don’t Love You” Dawn #1 1975
“West End Girls” Pet Shop Boys #1 1986
Birthday:
Danny Rapp (Danny & The Juniors) 1941
The soundtrack to the August 15-17, 1969 Woodstock Festival was issued. It was a 3 disc set.
Top Single:
“Happy Organ” Dave “Baby” Cortez #1 1959
Birthday:
Arnie Silver (The Dovells) 1943
Tom Giuliano (Happenings) 1943
Eric Burdon (Animals) 1941
ABC Paramount Records formed the Apt label. Among the first signings were The Elegants from Staten Island. The same day The Chantels “I Love You So” was released.
Elvis made his first T.V. appearance since his Army discharge on a “Welcome Back” special. The host was an old rock & roller named Frank Sinatra.
Top Single:
“She Cried” Jay & The Americans #6 1961
“All I Have To Do Is Dream” The Everly Brothers #1 1958
Birthday:
Jay Otis Washington (The Persuasions) 1941
The Spaniels “Everyone’s Laughing”, The Love Notes “Tonight” and The Diablos “Can’t We Talk This Over” were released.
The Royals signed with Federal Records and went on to have 13 hits after they changed their name to Hank Ballard & The Midnighters.
Top Single:
“Jimmy Mack” Martha & The Vandellas #1 R&B 1967
“The Happening” The Supremes #1 1967
Birthday:
Fred Hellerman (The Weavers) 1927
Harold Winley (The Clovers) 1933
Little Anthony & The Imperials recorded two standards “Ten Commandments of Love” (#82 Pop) originally by The Moonglows and “Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind” (#32 R&B, #52 Pop) first done by The Five Keys.
Top Single:
“Candy Girl” New Edition #1 R&B 1983
Birthday:
Bobby Darrin (The Jaybirds) 1936
The Regents (Originally called The Montereys) “Barbara Ann” charted three years after they recorded it.
The first album chart was introduced in America. Albums then were collections of 78RPM singles usually boxed or in a sleeved binder.
Top Single:
“Help Me Rhonda” The Beach Boys #6 1965
“Boogie Fever” The Sylvers #1 1976
Birthday:
Kripp Johnson (The Dell-Vikings) 1933
Lenny Welch (The Sinceres) 1938
Vee-Jay Records signed Sonny Til & The Orioles with an announcement it was taking the group pop.
David Crosby married longtome gal-pal Jan Dance. His friend Graham Nash renewed his vows with
wife Susan at the same ceremony.
Top Single:
“I Wanna Know” The Du Droppers 1953 #4 R&B
“My Guy” Mary Wells #1 1964
Birthday:
Ted Kowalski (The Diamonds) 1931
Barbara Lee (The Chiffons) 1947
The Spaniels, The Dells and The Sweethearts appeared at Chicago’s Royal Theater.
Joan Baez performed at the first Monterey Folk Festival with her protégé, Bob Dylan.
Top Single:
“That’s What You’re Doing To Me”
The Dominoes #8 R&B 1952
“He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)”
Tony Orlando & Dawn #1 1975
“Along Came Jones” was the Coasters 7th chart single, all written by their producers, Leiber & Stoller.
Top Single:
“Kansas City” Wilbert Harrison #1 1959
Alan Freed joined N.Y.’s WABC Radio one week after quitting his position at WINS. The same day the Clovers signed with Poplar Records after seven years with Atlantic. The Drifters classic “Drip Drop” (#58) was released and Jerry Butler & The Impressions debut disc “For Your Precious Love” ( #11) came out.
The Beatles (McCartney, Starr and Harrison) and a Stone (Jagger) performed at Eric Clapton’s and Patti Boyd’s wedding reception. Boyd was Harrison’s ex. It was the first time since their 1969 breakup that the 3 Beatles played together.
Top Single:
“The Magic Touch” The Platters #4 1956
“Soldier Boy” The Shirelles #1 1962
The Chantels “I Really Love You” and The Mellokings classic “Tonite, Tonite” (#77) were issued.
Ruth Brown’s hit “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean” was banned in Britain. The BBC felt it might encourage wife beating.
Top Single:
“I’ll Take You There” The Staples Singers #1 R&B 1972
“Groovin” The Rascals #1 1967
Birthday:
Susan Cowsill (The Cowsills) 1960
The Four Knights first Top 100 single “If I May” (#8) charted. One of the groups four pop hits was “My Personal Posession”(#21) with Nat “King” Cole singing lead.
Top Single:
“Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”
The Walker Brothers 1966 #13
Birthday:
Ronald Isley (The Isley Bros) 1941
The Rivileers “Forever” (Baton), The Strangers “Blue Flowers (King) and The El Rays “Darling I Know” were released. Soon after, The El Rays changed their name to The Dells.
Jerry Lee Lewis arrived in England for his first tour. After three performances it was cancelled when the British press discovered Lewis had just married his 14 year old cousin.
Top Single:
“Daddy’s Home” Shep & The Limelites 1961 #3
“Mother-In-Law” Ernie K. Doe #1 1961
Birthday:
Jimmy Keys (The Chords) 1930
The Chairmen Of The Board’s “Dangling On A String”
became the 2nd of their 12 R&B chart singles (38 Pop, #19 R&B)
The harmonica part in Millie Small’s hit “My Boy Lollipop” (#2 U.S. & U.K.) was played by Rod Stewart.
Top Single:
“Chapel Of Love” The Dixie Cups 1964 #4
“Cathy’s Clown” The Everly Brothers #1 1960
Birthday:
General Norman Johnson (Chairmen of The Board) 1943
The Emotions charted with “So I Can Love You” their debut disc on both the Pop (#39) and R&B (#3) charts.
The trio of Hutchinson sisters went on to have 30 R&B hits thru 1984.
On Bob Dylan’s 30th birthday, he visited The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.
Top Single:
“Oh Happy Day” Edwin Hawkins Singers #5 1969
“Shining Star” Earth Wind & Fire #1 1975
Birthday:
Sara Dash (Labelle) 1942
Patti Labelle (Labelle) 1944
Bob Dylan 1941
The first R&B hit to crossover to the Pop Top 20 was Billy Ward & The Dominoes “Sixty Minute Man” (#17) which charted today.
Top Single:
“If You Wanna Be Happy” Jimmy Soul #1 1963
Birthday:
Mitch Margo (Tokens) 1947
Even in death there is no escape: Roy Orbison’s estate (He died in December, 1988) was sued by his music publisher because he failed to fulfill his song commitment under his 1985 contract.
Top Single:
“Lovers Who Wander” Dion & The Del-Satins #10 1961
“All I Have To Do Is Dream” The Everly Brothers #1 1958
Birthday:
William Powell (The O’Jays) 1977
The Cellos Doo Wop novelty, “Rang Tang Ding Dong” slipped onto the pop charts reaching #62. It was covered by 16 year old Ray Stevens who began his recording career with the tune. The same day, The Dominoes “Stardust” (#12 Pop, #5 R&B) was released.
Twenty days after Uncle Sam called Drifters lead singer Clyde McPhatter the groups “Honey Love” was released. It became their 2nd #1 R&B hit of 3 releases.
Top Single:
“I Got Rhythm” The Happenings #31967
“Groovin” The Rascals #1 1967
Apollo Records formed the subsidiary Lloyds Label and signed The Larks who reformed after previously being with Apollo and breaking up.
Top Single:
“Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart” The Supremes #91966
Birthday:
Gladys Knight (Gladys Knight & The Pipps) 1944
Frankie Valli’s first recording, “Somebody Else Took Her Home” was released but not with The Four Seasons. He was then a soloist going under the name Frankie Valley. Frankie Valli’s first recording “Somebody Else Took Her Home” was released but not with the Four Seasons. He was then a soloist going under the name Frankie Valley.
Top Single:
“Double Crossing Blues”Little Esther & The Robins #3 R&B 1950
“Travelin’ Man” Rick Nelson #1 1961
Collectors favorites, “You Are My Only Love” (The Cardinals) and
“These Foolish Things” (The Five Keys) were released.
Brenda Lee’s first #1 “I’m Sorry” charted. She went on to have 52 Top 100 charters in 16 years.
Top Single:
“Love On A Two Way Street” The Moments #31970
“Love Me Do” The Beatles #1 1964
The Clovers opened at Emersons in Philadelphia.
The era of Surf Music began 3 years ahead of the Beach Boys when Dick Dale performed his “Let’s Go Trippin” at The Rendevous Ballrooom in Balboa, California.
Top Single:
“So Fine” The Fiestas #4 R&B 1959
“Get Back” The Beatles #11969
Birthday:
Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul & Mary) 1938