These are today's Birthday people....born May 20 in the years
mentioned :
EMILE BERLINER (1851 Hanover Germany)
Developed the microphone,gramophone and flat 78rpm recording disc
OSCAR DAVIS (1902 Providence RI)
Flamboyant C&W artist management/promoter associate of Col. Parker
MILT GABLER (1911 New York City NY)
Record producer Billie Holiday etc later signed Bill Haley to Decca
VIC AMES (1926 Malden Ma)
Member Ames Bros pop group many hits #1 Rag Mop 1950
TEDDY RANDAZZO (1937 New York City NY)
Member 3 Chuckles many solo releases was in several 50's r&r movies
SHORTY LONG (1940 Birmingham Al)
Recorded for Tri-Phi 1962 later on Motown Here Comes The Judge 1968
JILL JACKSON (1942 McCaney Tx)
Aka "Paula" of Paul & Paula #1 1963 hit first issued as by Jill & Ray
CHER (1946 El Centro Ca)
Thru Sonny Bono met Phil Spector was backup singer for Ronettes 1963
.........and here are some folk who said their last goodbyes to us on
this day
RUDY LEWIS (1964 New York City N)
Lead singer Drifters on 60's hits incl Up On The Roof,On Broadway etc
JOHNNY FULLER (1985 Oakland Ca)
Prolific R&B singer did original Haunted House for Specialty
DICK JACOBS (1988 New York City NY)
Pop orchestra leader at Coral was also A&R man for Jackie Wilson
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EVENTS OF THE DAY
MAY 20 1941
Harry James and his Orchestra record the memorable "You Made Me
Love You" for Columbia Records
MAY 20 1944
On the Billboard best selling pop chart new entries are "When They Ask
About You" Jimmy Dorsey and "Long Ago And Far Away" Perry Como.
New on the Harlem Hit Parade this day are "Cherry Red Blues" Cootie
Williams (vocal Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson) and "Lester Leaps Again"
Lester Young.
MAY 20 1950
On the Billboard best selling pop chart new entries are "Bewtiched"
Jan August with Jerry Murad's Harmonicats,"Hoop-Dee-Do" Kay Starr
and "Stars And Stripes Forever" Frankie Laine. New on the Folk (C&W)
chart is "Letters Have No Arms" Ernest Tubb.
MAY 20 1951
Johnny Desmond guests on Ed Sullivan's "Toast Of The Town" show
MAY 20 1954
This day sees the official release of "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill
Haley & His Comets on Decca
MAY 22 1955
Charles Brown records eight tracks in Los Angeles. Two of these ("I
See By The Papers" and "Tomorrow") are held in the can until the
release of "The Complete Aladdin Recordings of Charles Brown" in
1994 (5 CD set on Mosaic). The other six will be issued on three
singles : "Fool's Paradise"/"Hot Lips And Seven Kisses" (Aladdin
3290, June), "Trees, Trees"/"My Heart Is Mended" (Aladdin 3296,
October) and "One Minute To One"/"Please Don't Drive Me 'Way"
(Aladdin 3316, March 1956). Backing by Ernie Freeman's combo.
MAY 20 1956
Teresa Brewer & David Whitfield guest on "The Ed Sullivan Show"
MAY 20 1957
New on the Billboard Top 100 are "A Teenagers Romance" Ricky
Nelson,"Goin' Steady" Tommy Sands,"Freight Train" Rusty Draper,
"Gonna Find Me A Bluebird" Marvin Rainwater,"I Like Your Kind Of
Love" Andy Williams,"The Girl With The Golden Braids" Perry Como,
"Bye Bye Love" Everly Brothers,"Start Movin" Sal Mineo,"Old Cape
Cod" Patti Page,"Just To Hold My Hand" Clyde McPhatter,"With All
My Heart" Judy Scott,"Wondering" Patti Page,"One For My Baby"
Tony Bennett,"I Need Your Lovin'" Conway Twitty and "Warm Up To
Me Baby" Jimmy Bowen.New on the C&W chart is "Talkin' To The
Blues" Jim Lowe while on the R&B list newies are "Searchin'"/ "Young
Blood" Coasters and "Over The Mountain Across The Sea" Johnnie &
Joe
Backed by Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra,Frank Sinatra records his hit
"Witchcraft" at Capitol's studios in Los Angeles
Ray Charles waxes "Swanee River Rock"/"I Want A Little Girl" for
release on Atlantic 1154 in September, and also both sides of Atlantic
1172, "Talkin' 'Bout You"/"What Kind Of Man Are You"(issued in
January 1958). The fifth track from this session is "That's Enough"
(Atlantic 2022, March 1959).Personnel : Ray Charles (vocals / piano) ;
Joe Bridgewater, Ricky Harper (trumpets) ; Dave Newman (alto sax,
tenor sax); Emmett Davis (baritone sax); Edgar Willis (bass) ; William
Peeples (drums) ; The Raelettes (vocal chorus).
The Five Satins (Bill Baker, Ed Martin, Jim Freeman,Tommy Killebrew,
Jessie Murphy) record their next two singles in New York City : "To
The Aisle"/"Wish I Had My Baby" (Ember 1019, June) and "Our
Anniversary"/"Pretty Baby" (Ember 1025, October).
Four-track session for Smiley Lewis at Cosimo Studio in New Orleans.
Imperial boss Lew Chudd selects "Go On Fool"/"Goin' To Jump And
Shout" for single release (Imperial 5450, July). "How Long" is first
issued on the French Pathe-Marconi LP "Ooh La La" (156 1391) in
1985 and "The Sheik Of Araby" on a Japanese EMI CD (TOCP 7292),
ca.1989.Personnel : Ernest McLean (guitar) ; Frank Fields (bass) ;
Clarence Hall, Herb Hardesty (tenor saxes) ; Meyer Kennedy (alto sax)
Dave Bartholomew (trumpet, producer) ; Huey 'Piano' Smith (piano) ;
Charles 'Hungry' Williams (drums).
15-year old Paul Anka does his first session for ABC-Paramount, in
New York City. "Diana"/"Don't Gamble With Love" is chosen for single
release (ABC 9831, July), resulting in a # 1 hit in both the US and
the UK. "Tell Me That You Love Me" (ABC 9855, October) and "When
I Stop Loving You" (ABC 9855, January 1959) end up on the B-sides of
Paul's second and third ABC single ("I Love You Baby" and "You Are
My Destiny" respectively).Arranged and conducted by Sid Feller,
produced by Don Costa.
MAY 20 1958
Don Gibson joins the Grand Ole Opry
Ersel Hickey's second session yields the single "Goin' Down That Road"
/"Lover's Land" (Epic 9278, July). A third song, "Due Time", does not
arrive at a finished version. An incomplete take is included on the
Bear Family CD "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" (BCD 15676) in 1993.
According to Colin Escott's liner notes for that CD, Ersel played "Due
Time" to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller who adapted it to "Wake Me,
Shake Me" for the Coasters (1960).Personnel : Billy Mure (lead guitar)
Al Casamenti (guitar) ; Edward Goldberg (bass) ; James Osie Johnson
(drums). Arranged and produced by Joe Sherman at Columbia Studio,
30th Street, New York City.
At Gold Star studio in Hollywood The Teddy Bears have their
first session, and only one track is recorded. "Don't You Worry My
Little Pet" will be used as the b-side for their future millionseller
"To Know Him Is To Love Him" (Dore 503, August 1).Personnel :
Annette Kleinbard, Marshall Leib and Harvey Goldstein (vocals) ;Phil
Spector (guitar / piano / background vocals / producer).
Gar Bacon sings "Chains Of Love" and "Mary Jane" on "American
Bandstand"
MAY 20 1959
Buddy Knox has a session at Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, New Mexico.
The single "I Ain't Sharin' Sharon"/"Taste Of The Blues" is released
in August 1959 on Roulette 4179, while the other two tracks, both
instrumentals, remain unissued to this day :"I'm Running Late" and
"Cloudy Days".
One track session for Johnny Otis and his band. "Three Girls Named
Molly (Doing the Hully Gully)" is released on Capitol 4226 in June,
coupled with "I'll Do the Same Thing For You" from a session on
February 17, 1959.Produced by Tom Morgan at the Capitol Tower in
Hollywood.
Another New York session by The Crickets at Bell Sound Studio,
produced by Jack Hansen. On this day they record "Time Will Tell"
first released on the LP "In Style With the Crickets", Coral CRL
57320, 5 December 1960 and "When You Ask About Love" released
as Brunswick 55153 September 1959. The Crickets at this time are:
Earl Sinks, vocals, rhythm guitar ;Sonny Curtis, lead guitar ; Joe
Mauldin, bass ; Jerry Allison, drums.
Three-track session for Ferlin Husky at Bradley Studio in Nashville.
"Morgan Poisoned the Water Hole"/"I Fell Out Of Love With Love" is
credited to Husky's alter ego Simon Crum (Capitol 4252, July)."Black
Sheep" appears under his own name (Capitol 4278, September, c/w
"I'll Always Return" from a session on November 20, 1958).Produced
by Ken Nelson.
Also at Bradley Studio in Nashville,Faron Young records his next
single, "Country Girl"/"I Hear You Talking" (Capitol 4233, June).The
single will top the country charts for four weeks. A third track,"A
Lifetime Isn't Long Enough", is first released on the LP "Faron Young
Sings the Best Of Faron Young" (Capitol T 1450) in November 1960.
Personnel : Hank Garland, Ray Edenton, Harold Bradley (guitars) ;
Ben Keith (steel guitar) ; Lightnin' Chance (bass) ; Marvin Hughes
(piano) Buddy Harman (drums) ; Donny Young (harmony vocal).
Produced by Ken Nelson.
Over a two day session Chuck Miller records the LP "Now Hear This!
Songs Of The Fighting 40s" (Imperial LP 9072, June). Four songs are
laid down on May 20 : "Swinging On A Star", "How Many Hearts Have
You Broken", "Shoo Shoo Baby" and "Saturday Night Fish Fry". The
other eight tracks date from the next day : "Heart And Soul",
"Personality", "G.I. Jive", "Five Minutes More", "Do Nothing Till You
Hear From Me", "For Sentimental Reasons","Lazy River" and "Lili
Marlene".Location and producer not known.
MAY 20 1960
Disc Jockey Alan Freed pleads not guilty to his indictment on
commercial bribery charges (payola) at the Court of Special Sessions
in New York City
Meanwhile 3,000 miles across the ocean minor UK record artist
Johnny Gentle begins a tour of Scotland..Also on the bill are an even
more minor group named The Silver Beatles
MAY 20 1961
In the UK charts Del Shannon takes the #1 spot this day with his
exciting "Runaway" hit,emulating his American success with the
record and dethroning The Marcels and "Blue Moon"
Meanwhile Cliff Richard appears for the first time on "Thank Your
Lucky Stars" teen TV show
MAY 20 1962
Peggy Lee,Louis Prima and The Brothers Four guest on "The Ed
Sullivan Show"
MAY 20 1988
Priscilla Presley holds a press conference to deny that Elvis is still
alive
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Acknowledgement for recording session info used in this series goes to
Dik de Heer's "In The Can" website. For more info see
http://members.home.nl/henk.gorter/Itcindex.html
ROGER FORD
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