Music History Today: July 26, 2020

July 26. 1943: Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones is born in Dartford, Kent, England. 

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July 26: 1960: Sam Cooke releases "Chain Gang."

"Chain Gang" was Cooke's second-biggest American hit, his first single for RCA Victor after leaving Keen Records earlier in 1959. 

Sam Cooke

It was also his first top 10 hit since "You Send Me" from 1957, and his second-biggest pop single. The song was inspired after a chance meeting with an actual chain gang of prisoners on a highway, seen while Cooke was on tour. 

Read more: Wikipedia

July 26, 1974: John Denver's "Annie's Song" is certified Gold.

Denver wrote "Annie's Song" for his wife at the time, Annie (nee Martell) Denver, after they had a major fight and brief separation. 

Apparently, Denver wrote the song in 10 minutes while he was riding a ski lift up an Aspen mountain in Colorado, reflecting on how thankful he was they didn't break up.  

Read more: Wide Open Country

July 26, 1979:  The Clash released the single "I Fought The Law," their remake of the Bobby Fuller Four hit. 

In 1979, The Clash broke America with the release of their 1977 debut The Clash which now boasted their newly recorded song "I Fought the Law," which became their first single to be released in the States.

The Clash

The Clash's cover of the 1965 recording by the short lived The Bobby Fuller Four, however, that version is a cover itself, reworking the original 1960 song by The Crickets.  

Read more: Grunge

July 26, 1980: Odyssey had the Number 1 song in the U.K. with "Use It Up And Wear It Out."

"Use It Up and Wear It Out" is a song by Odyssey that was released as a single in 1980. It was originally released as the B-side of "Don't Tell Me, Tell Her". When it was re-released as the A-side it would go on to spend twelve weeks in the UK Singles Chart, including two at No.1, but failed to make commercial success in the United States. 

Read more:  Wikipedia

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Mick Jagger