#1 R&B Song 1972: “I’ll Take You There,” the Staples Singers
Born: Fredrick Earl “Shorty” Long, 1940
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1955 Ruth Brown’s hit, “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” was banned in England. British Broadcasting felt that it might encourage wife beating.
1957 The Channels’ “I Really Love You” was released.
1957 Roy Brown charted with his last of sixteen R&B chart hits, a cover of Fats Domino’s “Let the Four Winds Blow,” reaching #5 and #29 pop. Brown was best for know for his chart toppers “Long About Midnight” and “Hard Luck Blues.”
1960 The Flamingos, the Crests, and Sam Cooke performed at the Tivoli Theater in Chicago.
1978 Quincy Jones landed on the R&B hit list with “Stuff Like That,” reaching #1 and #21 pop. Similar to his predecessor Johnny Otis, Jones used guest vocalists on the recordings with his orchestra. The vocals for “Stuff” were by Chaka Khan and Ashford & Simpson.
1978 Rick James’ first single as a member of the Motown family, “You and I,” charted, reaching #1 R&B and #13 pop, becoming his first gold disc. Rick, whose real name was James Johnson, played with a blues group in London called the Main Line in 1970 before signing to Motown’s Gordy label. He was motivated by acts like Sly & the Family Stone, the Drifters, and George Clinton, all of whom inspired the style of music he created and called funk ‘n’ roll.
1989 Rick James, the King of Punk Funk, charted with “This Magic Moment/Dance With Me,” reaching #74 R&B. The recording was a medley of two late Drifters hits and the only songs of his career that he charted with but did not write. It was also his last of twenty-seven career singles charters.
Ann
