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Born on this day: March 11, 1957 - R&B singer/songwriter Cheryl Lynn (born Lynda Cheryl Smith in Los Angeles, CA). Happy 56th Birthday, Cheryl!!

On this day in music history: March 11, 1960 - "Because They're Young" by Duane Eddy is recorded. Written by Don Costa, Wally Gold, Aaron Schroeder, and produced by Lee Hazlewood (Nancy Sinatra, Sanford Clark), it is the theme song to the film starring Dick Clark, Tuesday Weld, Doug McClure, and James Darren. The film is about a high school teacher (played by Clark), who tries to make a difference in the lives of his students. Eddy will also have a cameo role in the film. Released as a single in May, the song will become the guitarists' biggest hit in the US, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 4th. Co-star James Darren will later record a vocal version of the originally instrumental theme after Duane Eddy's version becomes a hit.
 

On this day in music history: March 11, 1967 - "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone" by The Supremes hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week, also topping the R&B singles chart for two weeks on the same date. Written by Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier, it is the ninth pop and fourth R&B chart topper for the superstar Motown vocal trio. Songwriter and co-producer Eddie Holland will come up with the basic idea for the song, writing the lyrics about a relationship in the throes of breaking up. Impressed by Diana Ross' emotive speaking voice, HDH will structure the song with passages where she'll deliver brief lines of dialogue before breaking into the songs' chorus. The basic track will be one of the Motown singles of the period not to be cut at the label's main studio (dubbed "Studio A") in Detroit. The producers will have members of The Funk Brothers fly out to Hollywood where they are working with film composer Frank DeVol (The Brady Bunch) on music for the film The Happening (starring Anthony Quinn). Recorded on the scoring stage at Columbia Studios on August 12, 1966, the Motown rhythm section is augmented with a full orchestra (arranged by Gene Page) featuring bassist James Jamerson playing upright bass. Jamerson will later overdub an electric bass part on the track in Detroit on September 22nd, with The Supremes adding their vocals on November 13th. Issued as the follow up to the groups' previous chart topper "You Keep Me Hangin' On" on January 11, 1967, it is the second single from The Supremes Sing "Holland - Dozier - Holland. Entering the Hot 100 at #47 on January 28th, it will shoot to the top six weeks later.
 

To read more Behind The Grooves, go to http://behindthegrooves.tumblr.com.

To read more Behind The Grooves, go to http://behindthegrooves.tumblr.com.

Born on this day: July 9, 1946 - Bon Scott (born Ronald Belford Scott in Forfar, Scotland), the original lead singer of AC/DC. Happy Birthday to this rock vocal icon on what would have been his 66th Birthday!!


On this day in music history: July 9, 1955 - "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets hits #1 on the Billboard Best Sellers chart for eight weeks. Recorded on April 12, 1954 at the Pythian Temple in New York City, the song will go largely unnoticed when it initially released in May of 1954 as the B-side of the single "Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town)". It is only after it is used for the opening title sequence to the film The Blackboard Jungle (starring Glenn Ford) nearly a year later that record finally takes off. The song will create a sensation around the world, causing teenagers to riot in the aisles of movie theaters. It will be regarded as a landmark in music history as the first number one single of the Rock Era. The record will also earn a place in the Guinness World Book Of Records for the largest selling rock and roll record of all time, with sales to be estimated at over 25 million copies sold worldwide. "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" will be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982.


On this day in music history: July 9, 1977 - "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week. Written by O'Day, it is the lone top 10 hit for the LA-based songwriter/producer who has previously written hits for Helen Reddy ("Angie Baby") and The Righteous Brothers ("Rock & Roll Heaven"). O'Day will be the first artist signed to Pacific Records, a label specifically established by then Warner Bros Music president Ed Silvers, and distributed by Atlantic Records. The hit single version is produced by Steve Barri (The Grass Roots) and Michael Omartian (Christopher Cross, Donna Summer) after the initial session for the song (produced by veteran producer/engineer Tom Dowd) is scrapped as O'Day has vocal problems due to allergies. The song's unique vocal echo on the bridges is created by running a second tape machine (to create delay) and then manipulating the reels by hand, slightly speeding them up then slowing the down. "Undercover Angel" will actually be banned by some US radio stations when its lyrics are rumored to contain hidden sexually explicit references. In spite of this, the single will sell over a million copies and is certified Gold by the RIAA.

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Remembering "The King Of Pop" Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009).
Three years after you transcended, your joyous spirit and the incredible musical legacy has only grown stronger. It is apparent on the faces of anyone that has been touched by the sound of your voice or awestruck by the way you could dance. I will be eternally grateful for the way you've inspired me and so many others. Thank you, Michael. - JMH


Another Michael Jackson classic in tribute to the King of Pop. "It's Great To Be Here" was a track from The Jackson 5's fifth album, Maybe Tomorrow, released in April of 1971. In 2002, DJ Kenny Dope was given a copy of the original 8-track multi-track master to produce this excellent remix. No additional overdubs or instrumentation were added. This version was mixed from elements existing on the original master tape.


Born on this day: June 25, 1963 - Pop singer/songwriter/producer George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley, North London, UK). Happy 49th birthday to this pop music legend!

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On this day in music history: May 14, 1969 - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, the second studio album by Neil Young is released. Produced by Neil Young and David Briggs, it is recorded at Wally Heider Studio 3 in Hollywood, CA, in January and March of 1969.  Recorded in just two weeks worth of studio time, it is the first to feature Young's backing band Crazy Horse. The album features some of Young's best known material including "Cinnamon Girl" (#55 Pop), "Down By The River," and "Cowgirl In The Sand." Young will write all three songs in one day while sick in bed with a 103 ° fever. "Nowhere" will peak at #34 on the Billboard Top 200 and will be certified platinum by the RIAA.


On this day in music history: May 14, 1971 - Carpenters, third studio album by The Carpenters is released. Produced by Jack Daughtery, it is recorded at A&M Studios in Hollywood, CA in late 1970/early 1971. Coming just nine months after their breakthrough album Close To You, it will firmly establish the duo's pop star status on a worldwide basis.  Carpenters will spin off three top five singles including "Rainy Days And Mondays" (#2 Pop), "Superstar" (#2 Pop), and "For All We Know" (#3 Pop). The original LP package is designed to look like a formal party invitation, opening from the top like an envelope with an overlapping flap. Carpenters will peak at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, and to date has sold over 4 million copies in the US.