Week in Music History

Composer Ron Grainer was born in Queensland, Australia. He is known, among other things, as the composer of the famous Doctor Who theme.

Singer and talk-show host Mike Douglas was born in Chicago.

American producer, songwriter and arranger Shel Talmy was born in Chicago. He produced The Who's first album and many early recordings by The Kinks, including the hit “You Really Got Me.” He also produced “My Generation” by The Who and “Friday on My Mind” by The Easybeats. He died on November 13, 2024, aged 87.

Rockabilly guitarist Ronnie Dawson was born in Dallas, Texas. He made a name for himself on the local scene in the 1950s and 1960s and gained wider attention during the rockabilly revival of the 1990s.

Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded “Elmer's Tune.”

Guy Villari of The Regents, the original performers of “Barbara Ann,” was born in The Bronx, New York.

Drummer and founding member of Manfred Mann Mike Hugg was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England. Manfred Mann had the UK and US No. 1 hit “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” in 1964. Hugg later became a member of Manfred Mann Chapter Three.

Denis Payton, saxophonist for The Dave Clark Five, was born in Walthamstow, North London. The Dave Clark Five had the UK No. 1 hit “Glad All Over” in 1964 and the US No. 1 hit “Over And Over” in 1965. Denis Payton died on December 17, 2006.

Jim Kale, born Michael James Kale, bassist for The Guess Who, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Guess Who had the US No. 1 hit “American Woman” in 1970. Jim Kale also frequently performed with The Who.

Bill Hurd, pianist and organist for The Rubettes, was born in East Ham, East London. The Rubettes had the UK No. 1 hit “Sugar Baby Love” in 1974.

American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Eric Carmen was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the singer of The Raspberries, with whom he had the hit “Go All The Way,” and as a solo artist became known for “All By Myself,” “She Did It,” “Hungry Eyes” and “Make Me Lose Control.” He died on March 11, 2024, aged 74.

Erik Braunn, born Rick Davis, guitarist for Iron Butterfly, was born in Pekin, Illinois. The group was known for “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” and the 1968 album of the same name is listed by the source among the world's 40 best-selling albums, with more than 30 million copies sold. Erik Braunn died on July 25, 2003, aged 52.

Hank Williams was dismissed from the Grand Ole Opry and told not to return until he was sober. The reason was his drinking problem and frequent absences. He died four months later.

Guitarist and singer Bryan Bassett of Wild Cherry was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group was known for the hit “Play That Funky Music,” which reached No. 1 in the US and No. 7 in the UK in 1976.

British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Jackson, born David Ian Jackson, was born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. He became known for experiments with new wave, jazz and pop. In 1980 he had the UK No. 5 hit “It's Different For Girls” and in 1982 the US No. 6 hit “Steppin' Out.”

Richard Goodman and Bull Buchanan, recording as Buchanan and Goodman, entered the charts with “Flying Saucer.” It was the first song to use the “Break In” technique, in which excerpts of other hits are inserted into a recording. The song later reached No. 3.

The soundtrack album to the musical drama Carousel reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart.

Elvis Presley released the double-sided single “Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog.” Both songs reached No. 1 on the US chart and together remained there for a record 11 weeks. The record was not broken until 1992 by Boyz II Men's “End of the Road.”

Bill Haley attempted to follow up his hit “Skinny Minnie” with “Lean Jean.” The recording reached only No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Elvis Presley's “Hard Headed Woman” became the first rock'n'roll single to receive RIAA Gold certification. At the time, a Gold single required documented US sales of at least one million copies.

Cliff Richard & The Shadows reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Please Don't Tease.” The song also topped the charts in India, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway that year.

Guitarist Paul Gendler of Modern Romance was born. The group had the UK No. 4 hit “Best Years Of Our Lives” in 1982.

Bragi Ólafsson, bassist for The Sugarcubes, was born in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Mary Wells released “You Beat Me To The Punch.”

After eight previous Billboard Top 40 songs, Neil Sedaka reached No. 1 on the US chart for the first time with “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” It spent two weeks at the top of Billboard and also two weeks at No. 1 on the Cashbox Best Sellers Chart. It reached No. 7 in the UK.

Tony Bennett released the single “Once Upon A Time” with “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” on the B-side. When DJs began playing the B-side, “San Francisco” climbed to No. 19 on the chart and later earned Bennett Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance.

The Kingston Trio appeared as celebrity and mystery guests on the CBS-TV program What's My Line?

The Rolling Stones performed at the 3rd National Jazz Festival in Richmond, Surrey. The festival's headliners were Mr. Acker Bilk And His Paramount Jazz Band.

Hamish Seelochan of The Pasadenas was born. The group had the UK No. 4 hit “I'm Doing Fine Now” in 1992.

The Beatles began recording their fourth studio album at EMI Studios in London, then still untitled and later released as Beatles For Sale. The album marked a departure from the carefree tone of their earlier recordings, partly because of the band's exhaustion after a series of concert tours. Recording was completed on October 26 and the album was released on December 4, 1964. It later reached No. 1 in Australia, Finland, Germany and the UK.

The Beatles recorded the song “Baby's In Black” on this day.

The Beatles' first film, A Hard Day's Night, premiered in New York.

The High Numbers, later known as The Who, performed at the Railway Hotel in Harrow, England. Just before the show, a fight took place outside the hotel in which singer Roger Daltrey was attacked by a relative. Daltrey returned to the stage after the incident and the band began playing.

The Beatles' second film, Help!, premiered in New York, two weeks after its London premiere. The band members were not particularly happy with the film.

John Lennon apologized at a press conference at the Astor Towers Hotel in Chicago for his remark that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” The remark was originally published by the London Evening Standard. Lennon explained that he was talking about the intense obsession of fans with the group and that he could have mentioned television, cinema or automobiles instead—anything popular. His remark sparked protests, bans and Beatles record burnings in the US, especially among some Christian communities.

The Beatles arrived at O'Hare Airport in Chicago to begin their final tour of the United States.

Small Faces, The Move, Marmalade, Paul Jones, Pink Floyd, Amen Corner, Donovan, Zoot Money, Cream, Jeff Beck, John Mayall, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown performed at the British Reading Festival. A three-day advance ticket cost £2. Arthur Brown's characteristic flaming helmet got out of control, and the flames had to be extinguished with a pint of beer by the father-in-law of organizer Harold Pendleton's wife.

American guitarist, singer and songwriter Charlie Sexton was born in San Antonio, Texas. He became known for the 1985 hit “Beat's So Lonely” and has played guitar in Bob Dylan's touring band since 1999. He also contributed songs to film soundtracks and appeared in Thelma & Louise and Boyhood.

The Beatles officially launched their own multimedia company and record label, Apple Corps.

Deep Purple recorded “Speed King” in Studio 2 at Aeolian Hall. The recording was broadcast six days later on Symonds On Sunday.

Diana Ross hosted a party for approximately 350 guests at the Daisy Club in Beverly Hills, where Motown Records introduced The Jackson 5 to music industry figures, the music press and Hollywood society. The event created the mistaken impression that Diana Ross had discovered the group; according to the source, Gladys Knight had actually recommended them to Motown. The Jackson 5 also performed that night at the first Miss Black America pageant. The group subsequently lived up to the expectations and became one of the biggest acts of 1970.

American DJ and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, a founding member and member of A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most influential alternative hip-hop groups, was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Andy Bell, guitarist and singer of Ride, was born. Ride had the UK single “Leave Them All Behind” at No. 9 in 1992. Bell was also a member of Hurricane No. 1 and joined Oasis in 1999.

Jimmy Buffett released his debut album Down to Earth, a folk-rock collection that included “The Captain and the Kid,” written in honor of his late grandfather. The album sold only 374 copies.

Lefty Baker, born Eustace Britchforth Baker, guitarist for Spanky And Our Gang, died at the age of 29 from cirrhosis of the liver. He joined the group during the recording of their 1968 hit “Like To Get To Know You.”

After five years of marriage, Elvis and Priscilla Presley filed for divorce. They agreed to joint custody of their daughter Lisa Marie. Priscilla received $725,000 in cash, alimony, 5% of Elvis's new publishing companies and half the proceeds from the sale of their Beverly Hills home.

The mayor of San Antonio, Texas, proclaimed August 11 “Cheech and Chong Day” in honor of the popular comedy duo, even though neither member was born near the city.

George Lucas's film American Graffiti premiered in theaters. Set in 1962, the story sparked a wave of nostalgia for music from the 1950s and early 1960s and helped revive interest in older recordings.

Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc held a dance party for his sister's birthday in the Bronx, New York, where he played a set full of instrumental breaks that his friends rapped over. He publicly used two turntables to extend instrumental passages, known as breaks. The event is considered one of the key moments in the birth of hip hop, and the date is celebrated as Hip-Hop Celebration Day.