This day in music

March 28th 1948, Born on this day, John Evans, Jethro Tull, (1969 UK No.3 & US No.11 single 'Living In The Past').

March 29th 1943, Born on this day, Evangelos Papathanassiou, (Vangelis) 1981 UK No.12 & 1982 US No.1 single 'Chariots Of Fire'.

March 30th 1964, Born on this day, Tracy Chapman, singer, songwriter, (1988 UK No.5 & US No.6 single 'Fast Car', 1988 US & UK No.1 self-titled debut album).

March 31st 1984, Kenny Loggins started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Footloose', the theme from the film with the same name, a No.6 hit in the UK.

April 1st 1948, Born on this day, Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican singer, songwriter, (1969 UK No.6 & US No.25 single 'Wonderful World Beautiful People', 1970 UK No.8 version of Cat Stevens 'Wild World').

April 2nd 1939, Born on this day, Marvin Gaye, singer, songwriter who had a 1968 US No.1 & 1969 UK No.1 single with ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ and a 1982 US No.3 & UK No.4 single with ‘Sexual Healing’. Gaye was a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late 1950s, and then signed with Motown Records subsidiary, Tamla. He started off as a session drummer, but later ranked as the label's top-selling solo artist during the 1960s. He was crowned "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul". He was shot dead by his father on April 1st 1984.

April 3rd 1951, Born on this day, Mel Schacher, Grand Funk Railroad, (1974 US No.1 single 'The Locomotion'). Most successful US Heavy Metal band of the 70's selling over 20m albums.

April 4th 1913, Born on this day, Muddy Waters, US blues singer, guitarist, died 30th April 1983. Recorded 'I Just Want To Make Love To You', 'I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man', 'Got My Mojo Working'.

April 5th 1985, At 3:50pm GMT, over 5,000 radio stations worldwide aired the charity single by USA for Africa 'We Are The World'. The single went on to be a No.1 in the US & UK, and most Western territories.

April 6th 1968, Simon and Garfunkel went to No.1 on the US album chart with the soundtrack of Mike Nichols' movie The Graduate. The film boosted the profile of the folk-rock duo and on the strength of the hit single 'Mrs. Robinson', the soundtrack album rose to the top of the charts.

April 7th 1915, Born on this day, Billie Holiday, (Elinore Harris), the greatest female jazz singer of all time. Made over 100 records, worked with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, numerous arrests for drugs possession. Died on 17th July 1959 from liver failure, aged 44.

Tracklist:
00:00 Me, Myself And I (1937) (Irving Gordon, Allan Roberts, Alvin S. Kaufman)
02:33 Nice Work If You Can Get It (1937) (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
05:39 Summertime (1936) (George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward)
08:31 A Fine Romance (1936) (Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields)
11:21 Moanin' Low (1937) (Ralph Rainger, Howard Dietz)
14:22 God Bless The Child (1941) (Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog, Jr.)
17:16 My Man (1938) (Jacques Charles, Channing Pollock, Albert Willemetz, Maurice Yvain)
20:15 Easy Living (1937) (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin)
23:16 That's Life I Guess (1936) (Peter DeRose, Sam M. Lewis)
26:23 Billie's Blues aka I Love My Man (1936) (Billie Holiday)
29:00 These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You) (1936) (Eric Maschwitz, Jack Strachey)
32:16 Pennies From Heaven (1937) (Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke)
35:20 I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (1937) (Irving Berlin)
38:24 They Can't Take That Away From Me (1937) (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
41:24 Don't Explain (1944) (Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.)
44:43 I'm A Fool To Want You (1958) (Frank Sinatra, Jack Wolf, and Joel Herron)
48:04 I'll Be Around (1958) (Alec Wilder)
51:24 It's Easy to Remember (1958) (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers)
55:21 Glad to Be Unhappy (1958) (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers)
59:26 For All We Know (1958) (J. Fred Coots, Sam M. Lewis)

April 8th 1995, Take That had their sixth UK No.1 single when the Gary Barlow penned 'Back For Good' went to the top of the UK charts. The song sold over 300,000 copies in its first week and was also a US Top 10 hit. The song won Best British Single at the 1996 Brit Awards.

April 9th 1961, Born on this day, Mark Kelly, keyboards, Marillion, (1985 UK No.2 single 'Kayleigh').

April 10th 1959, Born on this day, Katrina Leskanich, Katrina And The Waves, (1983 UK No.8 single 'Walking On Sunshine').

April 11th 1966, Born on this day, Lisa Stansfield, UK singer, (1989 UK No.1 & US No.3 single 'All Around The World', plus over 12 other UK Top 40 singles).

April 12th 1944, Born on this day, John Kay, guitar, vocals, Steppenwolf, (1968 US No.2 and 1969 UK No.30 single 'Born To Be Wild').

April 13th 1944, Born on this day, Jack Casady, bass, Jefferson Airplane, (1967 US No.18 single 'White Rabbit'). Hot Tuna.

April 14th 1972, David Bowie released 'Starman' as a single in the UK, which became his first hit since 1969's 'Space Oddity' three years before. The song was a late addition to the album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars included at the insistence of RCA’s Dennis Katz, who heard a demo and loved the track, believing it would make a great single. The lyrics describe Ziggy Stardust bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation by an alien 'Starman'.

April 15th 1894, Born on this day, Bessie Smith, US blues singer, 'Empress Of The Blues'. Songs include, 'Downhearted Blues', 'St Louis Blues', and 'Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out'. Died in a car accident on 26th September 1937.

April 16th 1924, Born on this day, Henry Mancini, US composer and conductor, died 14th June 1994, (1964 UK No.10 single 'How Soon', 1969 US No.1 single 'Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet').

April 17th 1964, Born on this day, James Keenan, Tool, (2001 US No.1 album 'Lateralus'). Also a member of A Perfect Circle and Puscifer.

April 18th 1958, Born on this day, Les Pattinson, Echo And The Bunnymen, (1983 UK No.8 single 'The Cutter').

April 19th 1956, Born on this day, Gary Langan, Art Of Noise, (1988 UK No.5 single with Tom Jones 'Kiss').

April 20th 1972, Born on this day, Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, (1988 UK No.22 single 'Tomorrow People').

April 21st 1947, Born on this day, American singer-songwriter, musician and actor James Osterberg, (Iggy Pop). Member of The Stooges and solo artist, Pop is sometimes credited with the invention of stage diving. Hits include: 'Lust for Life', 'The Passenger', 'Real Wild Child', and 'I Wanna Be Your Dog'.