From the Desk of CLASSICKONG
Welcome back, music lovers, as we close out September with another trip through the records, artists and moments that helped build the soundtrack of our lives.
Before we spin the first record, WTSG-DB proudly sends our thanks to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces — past and present — and to the families who stand beside them. Your service and sacrifice are never forgotten.
Fall is settling in, the days are getting shorter, and around here that means the music somehow sounds even better.
September 30 gives us plenty to celebrate. It is National Love People Day, which is a pretty good reminder that a little kindness still goes a long way.
It’s also National Chewing Gum Day, so grab a piece and try not to stick it under the studio console.
And this one couldn’t be more appropriate for us: September 30 is International Podcast Day, celebrating the medium that has given storytellers, broadcasters and everyday people around the world another way to share their voices.
Considering you’re reading — and perhaps listening to — This Day in Music History, we couldn’t let that one slip by.
Now let’s turn up the music.
September 30, 1967 — Mickey Hart Joins the Grateful Dead
On September 30, 1967, drummer Mickey Hart sat in with the Grateful Dead and joined the band.
For a drummer, this is where things get interesting.
The Dead already had Bill Kreutzmann, but adding Hart wasn’t simply a case of putting another drummer beside him and making everything louder.
The combination eventually became known as the Rhythm Devils, with Hart and Kreutzmann building interlocking rhythms, polyrhythms and long percussion passages that became part of the Grateful Dead’s identity.
Hart also brought a fascination with percussion traditions from around the world. He studied with tabla master Alla Rakha, who famously performed with Ravi Shankar, and that curiosity helped expand the Dead’s rhythmic vocabulary far beyond conventional rock drumming.
You can hear Hart’s influence on albums including Anthem of the Sun (1968, Warner Bros.) and Aoxomoxoa (1969, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts).
Years later, Hart’s Planet Drum (1991, Rykodisc) won the first Grammy awarded for Best World Music Album.
Two drummers can easily become a traffic jam.
Hart and Kreutzmann made it a language.
CLASSICKONG Must Haves — Grateful Dead
Anthem of the Sun — 1968 — Warner Bros.
Aoxomoxoa — 1969 — Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
Workingman’s Dead — 1970 — Warner Bros.
American Beauty — 1970 — Warner Bros.
September 30, 1967 — BBC Radio 1 Signs On
That very same day, something historic happened on the other side of the Atlantic.
At 7:00 a.m. on September 30, 1967, BBC Radio 1 officially went on the air.
Tony Blackburn was the first DJ, and the first complete record played was “Flowers in the Rain” — The Move — Move (1968, Regal Zonophone).
Radio 1 arrived at a fascinating time in British broadcasting. Offshore pirate stations such as Radio Caroline and Radio London had demonstrated just how hungry young listeners were for pop and rock music.
When legislation severely restricted those pirate operations, the BBC launched Radio 1 with a much more youth-oriented sound.
And look at some of the broadcasters who eventually became associated with the station: John Peel, Kenny Everett, Alan Freeman, Annie Nightingale and many more.
For those of us who love radio, this isn’t simply another anniversary.
It’s a reminder of something broadcasters have known forever:
Give people great music, a personality they enjoy spending time with, and a reason to keep listening — and radio becomes more than something coming out of a speaker.
It becomes company.
September 30, 1968 — Diana Ross & The Supremes Release “Love Child”
On September 30, 1968, Diana Ross & The Supremes released “Love Child” — Love Child (1968, Motown).
This wasn’t the usual romantic Motown storyline.
The song dealt with poverty, social stigma and a woman pleading with the man she loves not to repeat the circumstances into which she herself had been born. For mainstream pop radio in 1968, that was unusually serious territory.
And here’s some great Motown studio history.
Although the record carried the name Diana Ross & The Supremes, the background vocals on “Love Child” were performed by Motown’s tremendous session singers The Andantes, while the instrumental backing came from the legendary Funk Brothers.
The record became the Supremes’ 11th No. 1 hit in America.
That’s Motown for you.
Great songwriting. Great musicians. Great singers. And a record assembled inside Hitsville U.S.A. that still sounds alive nearly six decades later.
CLASSICKONG Must Haves — Diana Ross & The Supremes
Where Did Our Love Go — 1964 — Motown
More Hits by The Supremes — 1965 — Motown
The Supremes A’ Go-Go — 1966 — Motown
Love Child — 1968 — Motown
September 30, 1978 — Turn On the Radio
Buddy, this is one of those charts that makes me want a time machine.
On the Billboard Hot 100 dated September 30, 1978, Exile’s “Kiss You All Over” reached No. 1.
But before we get to Exile, just look at what else was coming through American radios that week.
Olivia Newton-John — “Hopelessly Devoted to You” — Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (1978, RSO) was No. 3.
There’s that voice again.
Olivia had one of those rare voices that could sound delicate without ever sounding weak. Beautiful, clear and seemingly effortless. My wife and I always loved Olivia, and records like this remind me why.
There was something angelic in that voice.
At No. 5 was John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John — “Summer Nights” — Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (1978, RSO).
What a wonderful duet.
The chemistry is fantastic, the call-and-response arrangement is brilliant, and the joke running through the whole thing is that Danny and Sandy are telling their friends two rather different versions of the same summer romance.
Then came Boston — “Don’t Look Back” — Don’t Look Back (1978, Epic) at No. 6.
You already know how I feel about Boston.
Tom Scholz’s layered guitars, Brad Delp’s magnificent voice and that enormous polished Boston sound — unmistakable within seconds.
Little River Band — “Reminiscing” — Sleeper Catcher (1978, Harvest/Capitol) sat at No. 8.
That one is magic.
My Dad turned me on to Little River Band, and “Reminiscing” still has one of the most beautiful love-song atmospheres of that era. The melody, Glenn Shorrock’s vocal, the harmonies and that smooth arrangement all fit together perfectly.
The history of Little River Band became complicated in later years. The original Australian founders eventually lost control of the band name, and the group currently touring as Little River Band contains no original members.
That’s a sad footnote to the story of a band that made some truly wonderful music.
At No. 11 was Anne Murray — “You Needed Me” — Let’s Keep It That Way (1978, Capitol).
Now there’s another legend who doesn’t get talked about enough anymore.
Anne Murray was enormous during the 1970s. Country, pop and adult contemporary audiences all knew that voice, and “You Needed Me” eventually climbed all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
At No. 14 was Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band — “Hollywood Nights” — Stranger in Town (1978, Capitol).
Now you’re speaking my Midwest language.
Around these parts, fall was made for Bob Seger.
Cooler air, leaves turning, a long stretch of highway and Seger coming through the speakers — somehow it all belongs together.
And sitting at No. 15 was Foreigner — “Hot Blooded” — Double Vision (1978, Atlantic).
That record was EVERYWHERE.
Mick Jones’ guitar riff announces itself immediately, Lou Gramm comes roaring through the speakers, and you’ve got one of the defining rock-radio records of the late ’70s.
And we haven’t even mentioned Aerosmith’s “Come Together” — Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: Original Motion Picture Sound Track (1978, RSO), which was climbing the Hot 100 and reached No. 23.
I’ve always loved Aerosmith’s take on the Beatles classic.
Their version came from the bizarre 1978 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie starring Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees. Aerosmith appeared as the Future Villain Band and actually performed “Come Together” in the film.
Billy Preston was in the movie too, performing “Get Back.”
That connection is particularly fitting because Preston had played with the actual Beatles and was famously credited on the original 1969 single as “The Beatles with Billy Preston.”
What a strange movie.
What a terrific Aerosmith recording.
And what an incredible week to turn on the radio.
Rock. Pop. Country. R&B. Disco. Soft rock.
Different styles sharing the same dial.
Radio didn’t always ask what little box a song belonged in.
Sometimes it simply asked:
Is it a great record?
September 30, 1978 — Exile Kisses Its Way to No. 1
Now let’s go back to the record sitting above all of them.
“Kiss You All Over” — Exile — Mixed Emotions (1978, Warner Bros./Curb) reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 30 and stayed there for four weeks.
Written by hitmakers Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn and produced by Chapman, the song was certainly suggestive enough to raise eyebrows in 1978. Even members of Exile reportedly wondered whether they could get away with singing it.
But while stories have circulated about stations refusing to play it, the evidence doesn’t support claiming a widespread radio ban.
Obviously, somebody was playing the thing.
It went to No. 1!
And here’s the part of the Exile story casual listeners sometimes miss.
If you only know “Kiss You All Over,” you might assume Exile disappeared afterward.
Not even close.
The band reinvented itself in country music and went on to score a remarkable string of country hits, including “Woke Up in Love” — Exile (1983, Epic), “I Don’t Want to Be a Memory” — Kentucky Hearts (1984, Epic), “Give Me One More Chance” — Kentucky Hearts (1984, Epic) and “She’s a Miracle” — Kentucky Hearts (1984, Epic).
That’s not a one-hit story.
That’s survival.
September 30, 1987 — The Music World Rediscovers Roy Orbison
At first glance, this might look like just another concert anniversary.
It’s much more than that.
By 1987, Roy Orbison had already lived one remarkable musical life.
During the early 1960s, that unmistakable voice had given us records like “Only the Lonely” — Lonely and Blue (1961, Monument), “Crying” — Crying (1962, Monument), “In Dreams” — In Dreams (1963, Monument) and “Oh, Pretty Woman” — Orbisongs (1965, Monument).
But the musical landscape changed dramatically after the British Invasion, and as the years passed, Roy was no longer occupying the center of popular music the way he once had.
Then something wonderful began happening during the 1980s.
A younger generation started rediscovering Roy Orbison.
David Lynch prominently used “In Dreams” in the 1986 film Blue Velvet, introducing that extraordinary voice to another generation of listeners. At the same time, major musicians who had grown up listening to Roy were openly acknowledging just how much he had influenced them.
And that brings us to September 30, 1987.
Roy walked onto the stage at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles for what became Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night.
Now look at who showed up — not simply to watch Roy, but to stand behind him and play his music.
Bruce Springsteen. Elvis Costello. Bonnie Raitt. Jackson Browne. Tom Waits. k.d. lang. Jennifer Warnes. J.D. Souther.
His backing musicians also included veterans of Elvis Presley’s TCB Band — James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Jerry Scheff and Ronnie Tutt.
And THAT is why this night matters.
This wasn’t simply Roy Orbison playing another concert.
This was essentially a room full of major musicians saying:
In case everybody has forgotten who this man is, let us remind you.
Roy wasn’t some relic from another era standing onstage while younger musicians politely paid their respects.
These were artists who genuinely understood that Roy Orbison had helped build part of the musical foundation they were standing on.
And the world was listening again.
Within another year Roy would join George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in the Traveling Wilburys, whose Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988, Wilbury/Warner Bros.) became an enormous success.
Then came Mystery Girl (1989, Virgin) and the wonderful “You Got It” — Mystery Girl (1989, Virgin).
Sadly, Roy didn’t get much time to enjoy that extraordinary comeback.
He died suddenly on December 6, 1988, at only 52 years old, just as his career was soaring again. Mystery Girl would be released posthumously only weeks later.
That’s what makes Black & White Night so special when we look back on it today.
For years, Roy Orbison had been one of those giants whose importance was sometimes easier for musicians to remember than the general public.
Then, on one extraordinary night, the generation he helped inspire gathered around him and reminded everybody else.
The world hadn’t discovered a new Roy Orbison.
It had rediscovered the great one that had been there all along.
CLASSICKONG Must Haves — Roy Orbison
Crying — 1962 — Monument
In Dreams — 1963 — Monument
The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 — 1988 — Wilbury/Warner Bros.
Mystery Girl — 1989 — Virgin
September 30, 1995 — Mariah Carey Makes History With “Fantasy”
By 1995, Mariah Carey hadn’t merely arrived.
She had come crashing into popular music like a tsunami.
On the Billboard Hot 100 dated September 30, “Fantasy” — Daydream (1995, Columbia) debuted at No. 1, making Carey the first female artist in Hot 100 history to debut a single at the top of the chart.
And look at the neighborhood.
Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” — Gangsta’s Paradise (1995, Tommy Boy), Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone” — HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995, Epic), Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” — Seal (1994, ZTT/Sire) and Janet Jackson’s “Runaway” — Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 (1995, A&M) were among the major records competing for listeners during that period.
Mariah didn’t sneak into No. 1.
She landed there.
And about that voice: Carey is widely credited with an extraordinary five-octave vocal range, along with the whistle register that became one of her trademarks.
But focusing only on the range can miss something important.
Mariah Carey could write.
She could arrange.
She understood hooks.
And “Fantasy” was one gigantic hook.
September 30, 1997 — Bob Dylan Releases Time Out of Mind
On September 30, 1997, Bob Dylan released Time Out of Mind (Columbia), produced by Daniel Lanois.
The album marked Dylan’s first collection of newly written original songs in seven years and became one of the great late-career artistic resurgences in popular music.
Among the tracks were “Love Sick,” “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven,” “Not Dark Yet,” “Cold Irons Bound” and a song that would travel far beyond Dylan’s own recording:
“Make You Feel My Love.”
Billy Joel recorded it. Garth Brooks recorded it. Years later, Adele introduced it to yet another enormous audience.
But the song began with Dylan.
Time Out of Mind went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year, while “Cold Irons Bound” earned Dylan another Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Sometimes a great artist doesn’t need to reinvent himself.
Sometimes he simply needs to remind everybody that he’s still there.
CLASSICKONG Must Haves — Bob Dylan
Highway 61 Revisited — 1965 — Columbia
Blonde on Blonde — 1966 — Columbia
Blood on the Tracks — 1975 — Columbia
Time Out of Mind — 1997 — Columbia
Birthday Spotlight — Buddy Rich
Born September 30, 1917, Buddy Rich became one of the most famous and influential drummers in jazz history.
And buddy, could that man PLAY.
Speed gets most of the attention when people discuss Buddy Rich, but speed alone doesn’t explain him.
His control was incredible. His dynamics were incredible. His independence, touch, phrasing and ability to drive a big band were on another level.
Rich played with Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Harry James and others before becoming one of the most recognizable bandleaders in jazz.
He also became a familiar television personality, making memorable appearances with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. Rich could be genuinely funny.
He could also be famously difficult.
Stories of his temper and brutally demanding standards have followed him for decades, including recordings of backstage tirades directed at his musicians. Buddy didn’t hide the fact that he had strong opinions about music or musicians.
But whatever anybody thought about his personality, when Buddy Rich sat behind a drum kit, there wasn’t much left to debate.
The man was phenomenal.
As a drummer myself, I can watch Buddy Rich and simply shake my head.
Some musicians make you want to practice.
Buddy Rich can make you wonder whether you’ve ever practiced enough.
CLASSICKONG Must Haves — Buddy Rich
This One’s for Basie — 1956 — Verve
Swingin’ New Big Band — 1966 — Pacific Jazz
Big Swing Face — 1967 — Pacific Jazz
The Roar of ’74 — 1973 — Groove Merchant
Birthday Spotlight — Johnny Mathis
Born September 30, 1935, Johnny Mathis turns 91 years old today.
Legend.
There really isn’t another word necessary.
Johnny Mathis became one of America’s great romantic voices, and his career stretches back to the 1950s.
His father recognized his son’s musical ability early, bought the family an old upright piano for $25 and taught Johnny his first song, “My Blue Heaven.”
From there came one of the great careers in popular music.
“Chances Are” — Johnny’s Greatest Hits (1958, Columbia).
“It’s Not for Me to Say” — Warm (1957, Columbia).
“Misty” — Heavenly (1959, Columbia).
And decades later, Mathis was still making hit records, including his beautiful 1978 duet with Deniece Williams, “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” — That’s What Friends Are For (1978, Columbia), which reached No. 1.
Johnny Mathis isn’t merely “easy listening.”
He’s one of the great interpreters of the American love song.
Mr. Love Song.
Happy 91st birthday, Johnny.
Birthday Spotlight — Marilyn McCoo
Born September 30, 1943, the beautiful and enormously talented Marilyn McCoo deserves far more recognition than she sometimes receives.
As a member of The 5th Dimension, her voice graced records including “Wedding Bell Blues” — The Age of Aquarius (1969, Soul City), “One Less Bell to Answer” — Portrait (1970, Bell) and “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All” — Individually & Collectively (1972, Bell).
Then McCoo and husband Billy Davis Jr. stepped out together and delivered “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)” — I Hope We Get to Love in Time (1976, ABC).
It went to No. 1 and earned them a Grammy.
And for those of us who were around television in the 1980s, Marilyn also became the elegant host of Solid Gold.
Here’s another fascinating connection: Marilyn and Billy originally recorded “Saving All My Love for You” — Marilyn & Billy (1978, Columbia) years before Whitney Houston turned the song into a worldwide smash.
Marilyn McCoo has given popular music a lot of beauty over the years.
We’re always happy to give her some flowers around here.
Birthday Spotlight — Patrice Rushen
Born September 30, 1954, Patrice Rushen is another artist whose résumé becomes more impressive the deeper you dig.
Most pop listeners immediately know “Forget Me Nots” — Straight from the Heart (1982, Elektra).
And what a groove.
But Patrice Rushen is far more than one hit.
She’s a classically trained pianist, composer, arranger, producer, educator and musical director whose career crosses jazz, R&B, classical and pop.
She’s performed with artists including George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Prince, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter and Stevie Wonder.
Rushen also became the first woman to serve as musical director for the Grammy Awards, and her work has been sampled repeatedly by later generations — most famously when “Forget Me Nots” became part of Will Smith’s “Men in Black” — Big Willie Style (1997, Columbia).
And this year brought a tremendous honor.
Patrice Rushen was named a 2026 NEA Jazz Master, the nation’s highest honor for jazz artists.
That’s not simply a birthday worth celebrating.
That’s a career worth celebrating.
CLASSICKONG Must Haves — Patrice Rushen
Prelusion — 1974 — Prestige
Before the Dawn — 1975 — Prestige
Pizzazz — 1979 — Elektra
Straight from the Heart — 1982 — Elektra
Birthday Spotlight — Marty Stuart
Born September 30, 1958, Marty Stuart is one of country music’s great ambassadors.
And his story started early.
At only 13 years old, Stuart joined bluegrass legend Lester Flatt’s band.
Think about that.
Thirteen.
He later worked with Johnny Cash, became a successful solo artist and songwriter, and devoted enormous energy to preserving the history, clothing, photographs, instruments and traditions of country music.
Songs including “Hillbilly Rock” — Hillbilly Rock (1989, MCA), “Tempted” — Tempted (1991, MCA) and “This One’s Gonna Hurt You” — This One’s Gonna Hurt You (1992, MCA) helped establish Stuart as a star in his own right.
In 2020, Marty Stuart was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Country music isn’t simply something Marty Stuart performs.
It’s something he protects.
And that’s worth celebrating.
Final Spin
What a way to close out September.
Today we traveled from the Grateful Dead and the birth of BBC Radio 1 to one incredible week of radio in 1978. We watched the music world rediscover Roy Orbison, celebrated some remarkable birthdays, and once again found that behind every great record there’s usually a pretty great story.
And maybe on National Love People Day, there’s one simple thought worth carrying with us:
Give people their flowers while they’re still here to enjoy them.
That’s gonna do it for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s show.
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and we’ll catch you tomorrow right here on…
This Day in Music History!
So long, everybody.
Listen to Today’s Broadcast/Podcast
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Join CLASSICKONG for the spoken-word edition of This Day in Music History, featuring the records, artists, memories and stories behind September 30.
Turn it up, settle in, and enjoy the ride with WTSG-DB.
References
Grateful Dead — Mickey Hart Biography
https://www.dead.net/band/mickey-hart
BBC — Radio 1 50th Anniversary History
https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/radio-1-50th-anniversary.pdf
Billboard — Chart History and Hot 100 Archives
https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/
Bob Dylan — Time Out of Mind
https://www.bobdylan.com/albums/time-out-of-mind/
GRAMMY — Mariah Carey
https://www.grammy.com/artists/mariah-carey/11728
PBS — Roy Orbison: Black & White Night
https://www.pbs.org/
Johnny Mathis — Official Biography
https://johnnymathis.com/wp2/index.php/bio/
GRAMMY — Marilyn McCoo
https://www.grammy.com/artists/marilyn-mccoo/4543
National Endowment for the Arts — Patrice Rushen
https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/patrice-rushen
Country Music Hall of Fame — Marty Stuart
https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/marty-stuart
International Podcast Day
https://internationalpodcastday.com/
