Singer-songwriter Otis Redding was born Otis Ray Redding Jr. in Dawson, Georgia, on this day in 1941 (September 9)
Shortly before his death in a plane crash on 10 December 1967, Redding wrote and recorded his iconic "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Steve Cropper.
The song became the first posthumous #1 record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.
The album “The Dock of the Bay” was the first posthumous album to reach #1 on the UK Albums Chart.
Redding received many posthumous accolades, including two Grammy Awards, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In addition to "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," "Respect" and "Try a Little Tenderness" are among his best-known songs…
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On this day in 1965, The Rolling Stones single “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” went to #1 on the UK Singles Chart (September 9)
In the UK, the song initially was played only on pirate radio stations, because its lyrics were considered too sexually suggestive, but went on to become their fourth UK #1.
In 2000, VH1 listed "Satisfaction" first among its "Top 100 Greatest Rock Songs"; the same year, "Satisfaction" also finished runner-up to "Yesterday" in a list jointly compiled by Rolling Stone and MTV.
Newsweek magazine has called the opening riff "five notes that shook the world".
It is ranked #2 on both Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, and the magazine's list of the band's best songs.
In 1998, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" in 2006.
Mick Jagger said “It was the song that really made the Rolling Stones, changed us from just another band into a huge, monster band ... It has a very catchy title.
It has a very catchy guitar riff. It has a great guitar sound, which was original at that time.
And it captures a spirit of the times, which is very important in those kinds of songs ... Which was alienation.”
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Doobie Brothers multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter John McFee was born in Santa Cruz, California on this day in 1950 (September 9)
McFee was a long-term Doobie Brother after replacing Jeff “Skunk” Baxter on guitar in early 1979.
Some of McFee's early and non-Doobie Brothers work includes playing pedal steel guitar on Van Morrison's “Tupelo Honey” and “Saint Dominic's Preview” albums, and recording with many other artists, including Steve Miller on his “Fly Like An Eagle” LP, the Grateful Dead on their “From the Mars Hotel” album, and Boz Scaggs, Emmylou Harris, Link Wray, Rick James, Janis Ian, Nick Lowe, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, Crystal Gayle, The Beach Boys, Twiggy, and Chicago.
McFee played for a number of years with Huey Lewis in the group Clover and also played on Huey Lewis and the News' “Sports” and “Hard at Play” albums.
McFee also played with Glen Campbell, for his “Meet Glen Campbell” live video performance.
McFee has played on a number of Elvis Costello's albums, beginning with all the lead and pedal steel guitar work on “My Aim is True”; he played lead guitar on "Alison".
He has also continued to perform live with Costello periodically through the years.
In 2020, McFee was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Doobie Brothers.
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This week in 1990, the Warrant single “Cherry Pie” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #97 ( September 8 )
The song from the album of the same name was written by Warrant’s vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter Jani Lane.
"Cherry Pie" was a very late inclusion on the band's second album, which was originally going to be called “Uncle Tom's Cabin”.
The president of Columbia Records, Don Ienner, wanted a rock anthem, so he called frontman Jani Lane (according to Lane, he wanted a song reminiscent of Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator"), who wrote the song in about fifteen minutes.
Guitarist Joey Allen stated that "the whole marketing and everything for that record changed. It was definitely driven by the label and not the band."
The song was inspired by Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me”, which interestingly was also a last-minute addition to that group's “Hysteria” album.
The guitar solo was played by Poison’s C.C. DeVille as a favor to Lane, who was a long-time friend.
The song peaked at #6 in Australia, #10 in the US, #35 in the UK, and #37 in New Zealand.
Record sales were hyped up by the video, which was on high rotation on MTV and all of the video music shows of the day, and although the band were grateful for the success and the profile it afforded them, they felt that it wasn’t representative of some of their better work.
The model in the video, Bobbie Brown, became involved with Lane soon after the video was filmed, and married him in 1991.
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On this day in 1978, The Rolling Stones single “Beast of Burden” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #70 (September 9)
The song from the Mick Jagger/Keith Richards songwriting combo featured on the 1978 album “Some Girls”.
In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation disc “Jump Back”, Richards said "Beast of Burden" "was another one where Mick (Jagger) just filled in the verses.
With the Stones, you take a long song, play it and see if there are any takers. Sometimes they ignore it, sometimes they grab it and record it. After all the faster numbers of Some Girls, everybody settled down and enjoyed the slow one."
In the same notes, Jagger says, "It's a soul begging song, an attitude song.”
Richards said that after his drug issues in the ‘70s, “I came back into the studio with Mick... to say, 'Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden' - that's why I wrote 'Beast of Burden' for him, I realise in retrospect."
The song went to #8 in the US, and #9 in Canada.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #435 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
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This week in 1980, the Willie Nelson single “On The Road Again” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #78 (September 6)
This classic song about the life of a muso on the road became one of Nelson's most recognizable tunes, and was his biggest pop hit to that time, peaking at #20 in the US, and #64 in Australia.
It came about when the executive producer of the romantic drama western film “Honeysuckle Rose”, starring Willie Nelson, Dyan Cannon, and Amy Irving, approached Nelson about writing the song for the film's soundtrack.
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On this day in 1983, the Paul Young single “Come Back and Stay” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #27 (September 10)
The song was written and originally recorded in 1981 by US songwriter and musician Jack Lee, who also wrote Blondie’s “Hanging on the Telephone”.
Paul Young’s version from his album “No Parlez” became a worldwide hit, going all the way to #1 in Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand and Belgium, #2 in the Netherlands, #3 in Ireland, Austria and Norway, #4 in the UK, #5 in France, #16 in Sweden, #18 in Australia, and #22 in the US.
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This week in 1984, the Wham! single “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #80 ( September 8 )
Written and produced by George Michael, the song from the LP “Make It Big” became their first UK and US #1 hit.
His inspiration for the song was a scribbled note that his bandmate Andrew Ridgeley had left for his parents, intended to read "wake me up before you go" but with "up" accidentally written twice, so Ridgeley wrote "go" twice on purpose.
George Michael said “I just wanted to make a really energetic pop record that had all the best elements of Fifties and Sixties records, combined with our attitude and our approach…”
The blockbuster dance floor 80s classic was also a #1 hit around the globe, including Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
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And one of my favorite band new song Album coming out shortly. The 2 dueling guitar solos are impressive.
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