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JEWDAYO ROCKS: Jewish Rock and Roll Dates for June
lawrencebush
May 29, 2014
Research by Lawrence Bush and Bennett Muraskin
June 1: Lesley Gore’s“It’s My Party” became #1 on the Billboard chart on this date in 1963. To see her singing it against a background of handkerchief-waving go-go dancers, look below.... Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” from the soundtrack of The Graduate, became #1 on the Billboard chart on this date in 1968.
June 2: Vince Welnick, keyboardist with the Grateful Dead and the Tubes, died a suicide at 55 on this date in 2006.
June 3: Mike Gordon, bassist and vocalist with Phish, was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts on this date in 1965.
June 6: Howie Kane (Kirschenbaum), a member of Jay and the Americans, was born on this date in 1942.... The Dixie Cups’ “Chapel of Love,” written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector, became #1 on the Billboard chart on this date in 1964. . . . Tony Levin, bassist for King Crimson, was born on this date in 1946.
June 7: Carole King’s Tapestry album was certified gold on this date in 1971.... Saxophonist and songwriter Wally Gold died at 70 on this date in 1998. Among the songs he co-wrote were Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never” (1960) and “Good Luck Charm” (1962), Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party,” and numerous others.
June 9: Bob Dylan released Another Side of Bob Dylan on this date in 1964.
June 11: Manfred Mann and his eponymous band recorded “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” on this date in 1964.
June 13: Israeli singer and actor Esther Ofarim was born in Sfat to a Syrian jewish family on this date in 1941. To see her singing “El Condor Pasa” in French, look below.
June 14: Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen,” a song about unpopular teen girls, was released on this date in 1975 and became her first major hit since “Society’s Child” became #1 in 1967. To see her singing “At Seventeen,” look below.... Barry Melton, lead guitarist and co-founder of Country Joe and the Fish, was born in Brooklyn on this date in 1947.
June 15: Guitarist Peter Green quit John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers on this date in 1967. He went on to form Fleetwood Mac.
June 16: Music producer Lou Adler created the first major rock festival, Monterey Pop, which began on this date in 1967. The festival featured, among its two dozen acts, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Simon and Garfunkel, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Otis Redding — many of them new to the general public. Monterey Pop kicked off the famous San Francisco “Summer of Love.” To see Janis Joplin singing “Ball and Chain” at the festival, look below.... Three years later, in 1970, the four Jewish organizers and backers of the Woodstock Music Festival — Michael Lang, Artie Kornfeld, Joe Rosenman, and John Roberts — reported that they had lost more than $1.2 million on the festival, which took place on Jewish dairy farmer Max Yasgur’s Farm in Bethel, New York.... Bob Dylan recorded his classic song, “Like a Rolling Stone,” on this date in 1965.
June 17: Jay and the Americans recorded “Come a Little Bit Closer” on this date in 1964.... Carole King’s Tapestry album hit #1 on this date in 1971 and stayed there for fifteen weeks.
June 18: Hank Medress, a singer with the Tokens (“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”) and a producer of the Chiffons (“He’s So Fine”), died at 68 on this date in 2007.
June 19: Paula Abdul, the daughter of a Sephardic father and an Ashkenazic mother and the creator of six #1 dance hit singles, was born in San Fernando on this date in 1962.
June 21: Dr. Peter Carl Goldmark’s team of engineers at Columbia Records unveiled to the public the first successfully engineered long-playing record (33 1/3 rpm) at the Waldorf Astoria on this date in 1948.... Joey Kramer, drummer with Aerosmith (who gave the band its name), was born in the Bronx on this date in 1950.
June 22: Steven Page, leader of Barenaked Ladies, was born in Ontario on this date in 1970. To see the band playing “When I Fall,” look below.... Howard Kaylan (Kaplan) of The Turtles was born on this date in 1947.... Billy Joel became the first rocker to play a concert at Yankee Stadium on this date in 1990.... Herb Alpert’s “This Guy’s In Love With You” became a #1 song on this date in 1968.
June 24: The Blues Project (sometimes known as The Jews Project) reunited for a Central Park concert on this date in 1973. To hear them working out on Muddy Waters’ “Two Trains Running” in 1981 (featuring Danny Kalb on vocals and guitar), look below.... Helen Reddy released her feminist hit, “I Am Woman,” on this date in 1972.
June 25: Carly Simon was born on this date in 1945.... Neil Diamond made his television debut on American Bandstand on this date in 1966.
June 27: Doc Pomus (Jerome Solon Felder), whose songwriting output as a lyricist (working most closely with Mort Shuman) included “A Teenager in Love,” “Hushabye,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “This Magic Moment,” and Elvis’ “Little Sister” and “Viva Las Vegas,” was born in Brooklyn on this date in 1925.... Bill Graham closed the Fillmore East in New York on this date in 1971.
June 28: Murray (the K) Kaufman’s variety special It’s What’s Happening, Baby! was aired on CBS television on this date in 1965, featuring the Supremes, the Drifters, Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles, the Miracles, the Temptations, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Martha and the Vandellas, and the Ronettes — as well as white acts, the Righteous Brothers, Tom Jones, the Dave Clark Five, and Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
June 29: Little Eva (Eva Narcissus Boyd), who worked as a maid and babysitter for songwriters Carole King (Klein) and Gerry Goffin and became a recording star with their song, “The Loco-Motion,” was born in North Carolina on this date in 1943. To see her singing it surrounded by dancers, look below.
June 30: Bill Graham closed the Fillmore West in San Francisco on this date in 1971.
June 9: Bob Dylan released Another Side of Bob Dylan on this date in 1964.
June 11: Manfred Mann and his eponymous band recorded “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” on this date in 1964.
June 13: Israeli singer and actor Esther Ofarim was born in Sfat to a Syrian jewish family on this date in 1941. To see her singing “El Condor Pasa” in French, look below.
June 14: Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen,” a song about unpopular teen girls, was released on this date in 1975 and became her first major hit since “Society’s Child” became #1 in 1967. To see her singing “At Seventeen,” look below.... Barry Melton, lead guitarist and co-founder of Country Joe and the Fish, was born in Brooklyn on this date in 1947.
June 15: Guitarist Peter Green quit John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers on this date in 1967. He went on to form Fleetwood Mac.
June 16: Music producer Lou Adler created the first major rock festival, Monterey Pop, which began on this date in 1967. The festival featured, among its two dozen acts, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Simon and Garfunkel, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Otis Redding — many of them new to the general public. Monterey Pop kicked off the famous San Francisco “Summer of Love.” To see Janis Joplin singing “Ball and Chain” at the festival, look below.... Three years later, in 1970, the four Jewish organizers and backers of the Woodstock Music Festival — Michael Lang, Artie Kornfeld, Joe Rosenman, and John Roberts — reported that they had lost more than $1.2 million on the festival, which took place on Jewish dairy farmer Max Yasgur’s Farm in Bethel, New York.... Bob Dylan recorded his classic song, “Like a Rolling Stone,” on this date in 1965.
June 17: Jay and the Americans recorded “Come a Little Bit Closer” on this date in 1964.... Carole King’s Tapestry album hit #1 on this date in 1971 and stayed there for fifteen weeks.
June 18: Hank Medress, a singer with the Tokens (“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”) and a producer of the Chiffons (“He’s So Fine”), died at 68 on this date in 2007.
June 19: Paula Abdul, the daughter of a Sephardic father and an Ashkenazic mother and the creator of six #1 dance hit singles, was born in San Fernando on this date in 1962.
June 21: Dr. Peter Carl Goldmark’s team of engineers at Columbia Records unveiled to the public the first successfully engineered long-playing record (33 1/3 rpm) at the Waldorf Astoria on this date in 1948.... Joey Kramer, drummer with Aerosmith (who gave the band its name), was born in the Bronx on this date in 1950.
June 22: Steven Page, leader of Barenaked Ladies, was born in Ontario on this date in 1970. To see the band playing “When I Fall,” look below.... Howard Kaylan (Kaplan) of The Turtles was born on this date in 1947.... Billy Joel became the first rocker to play a concert at Yankee Stadium on this date in 1990.... Herb Alpert’s “This Guy’s In Love With You” became a #1 song on this date in 1968.
June 24: The Blues Project (sometimes known as The Jews Project) reunited for a Central Park concert on this date in 1973. To hear them working out on Muddy Waters’ “Two Trains Running” in 1981 (featuring Danny Kalb on vocals and guitar), look below.... Helen Reddy released her feminist hit, “I Am Woman,” on this date in 1972.
June 25: Carly Simon was born on this date in 1945.... Neil Diamond made his television debut on American Bandstand on this date in 1966.
June 27: Doc Pomus (Jerome Solon Felder), whose songwriting output as a lyricist (working most closely with Mort Shuman) included “A Teenager in Love,” “Hushabye,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “This Magic Moment,” and Elvis’ “Little Sister” and “Viva Las Vegas,” was born in Brooklyn on this date in 1925.... Bill Graham closed the Fillmore East in New York on this date in 1971.
June 28: Murray (the K) Kaufman’s variety special It’s What’s Happening, Baby! was aired on CBS television on this date in 1965, featuring the Supremes, the Drifters, Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles, the Miracles, the Temptations, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Martha and the Vandellas, and the Ronettes — as well as white acts, the Righteous Brothers, Tom Jones, the Dave Clark Five, and Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
June 29: Little Eva (Eva Narcissus Boyd), who worked as a maid and babysitter for songwriters Carole King (Klein) and Gerry Goffin and became a recording star with their song, “The Loco-Motion,” was born in North Carolina on this date in 1943. To see her singing it surrounded by dancers, look below.
June 30: Bill Graham closed the Fillmore West in San Francisco on this date in 1971.
