1961: The debut single by The Temptations, “Oh, Mother of Mine,” was released on Motown imprint label Miracle Records.

1964: “She’s Not There,” the debut single by The Zombies was released in the UK. Written by keyboardist Rod Argent, it reached #12 in the UK. After it was issued in the US in September, the record went to #1 on the Cash Box chart that September and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December.

1965: The debut single by California pop quintet We Five, an up-tempo cover of Ian & Sylvia’s song “You Were On My Mind,” entered the Billboard Hot 100 on its way to peaking at #3.

1967: Motown Records released “Reflections,” The Supemes’ first foray into psychedelic soul. It was also the first single issued with the group’s new billing, “Diana Ross & The Supremes,” and the first after the firing of founding member Florence Ballard, though Ballard was still a member when the song was recorded. The single stalled at #2 in the September, ending the group’s four-song streak of consecutive number ones on the Billboard and Cash Box pop charts.

1967: After its initial release in the UK in June, “See Emily Play” by Pink Floyd was released was a single in the US.

1967: The Beach Boys released “Heroes and Villains,” the lead single from their twelfth studio album, Smiley Smile.

1970: Matthews Southern Comfort’s version of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” was released as a single, which later became their only #1 on the UK chart. The group had performed the song on BBC Radio 1 in late June, and after receiving a positive response, the BBC contacted the group’s record label, Uni Records, who suggested they re-record the song and add it to their newly recorded album, Later That Same Year. It was instead released as a single but included on the US version of the LP. In the US, it became their highest-reaching single, peaking at #23.

1970: Yes released their second studio album, Time and a Word.

1971: Paul Revere & the Raiders topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian),” written by John D. Loudermilk. The song had previously been released in 1959 by Marvin Rainwater as “Pale Faced Indian” with no success, and the first hit version was by Don Fardon in 1968, which reached #20 on Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on Cash Box chart. The song was Paul Revere & the Raiders’ only #1 hit in the US and their final top twenty song on the Hot 100.

1971: T. Rex had their second straight #1 on the UK singles chart with “Get It On.”

1976: Two years after it peaked at #60 in the US, “She’s Gone” by Hall & Oates was re-issued by Atlantic Records. After the duo moved to RCA Records and had a top 5 hit with “Sara Smile,” Atlantic re-released “She’s Gone,” which subsequently reached #7.

1976: Jefferson Starship released “With Your Love,” the lead single from their third album, Spitfire.

1977: Led Zeppelin played the last show of their eleventh and final North American tour at Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California.

1978: The film adaptation of the Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band opened in the US a week after the release of the accompanying soundtrack double album. The film’s cast includes the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Steve Martin, Billy Preston, Alice Cooper, and Earth, Wind & Fire, with dozens of special guests featured in the finale. The film was a minor box office disappointment, and both it and the soundtrack were panned by critics.

1980: Billy Joel released “Don’t Ask Me Why,” the fourth single from his seventh studio LP, Glass Houses.

1982: John Mellencamp, then as John Cougar, released “Jack and Diane,” the second single from his fifth studio album, American Fool. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is Mellencamp’s most successful hit single.

1987: The biographical film La Bomba, depicting the life and career of Richie Valens, was released. Lou Diamond Phillips stars as Valens alongside Marshall Crenshaw as Buddy Holly and Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochran.

1990: California band Dread Zeppelin released their debut studio album, Un-Led-Ed, in which they perform reggae covers of Led Zeppelin songs. The album was publicly endorsed by Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant, who claimed he preferred their version of “Your Time Is Gonna Come.”

1993: U2’s eighth studio album, Zooropa, debuted at the top of the Billboard pop chart. It became a worldwide #1 hit and was the band’s fourth to top the charts in the US.

1993: UB40 had their second and final US chart topping single with the international hit, “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You,” which was originally a #1 hit for Elvis Presley in 1962.

Birthdays Today

Jimmy Holiday, R&B singer and songwriter, who co-wrote Jackie DeShannon’s biggest hit, “Put a Little Love In Your Heart,” was born in Sallis, MS in 1934.

Les Reed, songwriter, arranger, musician, and orchestra leader who co-wrote hits recorded by artists such as Lulu, Herman’s Hermits, Tom Jones, and Engelbert Humperdinck, was born in Woking, Surrey, England in 1935.

Barbara Jean Love, member of The Friends of Distinction, was born in 1941.

Heinz Burt, bassist, singer, and member of instrumental band the Tornados, was born in Detmold, Free State of Lippe, Germany in 1942.

Jim Armstrong, guitarist for Them, who also played with The Doors, Captain Beefheart, and Frank Zappa, was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1944.

Alan Whitehead, drummer for Crispian St. Peters and Marmalade, was born in 1945.

Lynval Golding, rhythm guitarist and vocalist for The Specials, co-founder of Fun Boy Three, and touring member of The Beat, was born in Saint Catherine, Jamaica in 1951.

Garry Shider, vocalist, guitarist, and musical director for Parliament-Funkadelic, was born in Plainfield, NJ in 1953.

Larry Gott, former lead guitarist for James, was born in Manchester, England in 1957.

Mick Karn, bassist for Japan, was born Andonis Michaelides in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1958.

Leo Williams, bassist and co-founder of Big Audio Dynamite, was born in Saint Andrew, Jamaica in 1959.