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On this day, April 26, 1945, Tony Murray, who joined the Troggs in 1969, was born.
He won't be in any of the early videos, but I needed something to show.
Hat tip, This Day in Music
Born Today In Music
April 26th
1945 - Tony Murray
Tony Murray, with English garage rock band The Troggs, who had the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Wild Thing' and the hits 'With a Girl Like You' and 'Love Is All Around'.
1942 - Bobby Rydell
American singer Bobby Rydell who had the 1960 US No.2 & UK No.7 single 'Wild One', plus 17 other US Top 40 hits. It is estimated he sold over 25 million records in total. Rydell died from complications of pneumonia on 5 April 2022, three weeks before his 80th birthday.
1940 - Giorgio Moroder
Italian singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer Giorgio Moroder who had the 1979 US No.33 & UK No. 48 single, 'Chase' from the film Midnight Express. He produced all of Donna Summer's world- wide 1976 hits including 'Love To Love You Baby', and the 1984 UK No.3 single with Phil Oakey, 'Together In Electric Dreams.' He also created a score of songs for performers including David Bowie, Kylie Minogue, Irene Cara and Janet Jackson.
1938 - Duane Eddy
American guitarist Duane Eddy, who had a string of hit records in the late 1950s and early 1960s, produced by Lee Hazlewood, which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" sound, including 'Rebel Rouser', 'Peter Gunn', and 'Because They're Young'.
1938 - Maurice Williams
Maurice Williams, from American doo-wop singer who had the 1960 US No.1 & 1961 UK No.14 single 'Stay' with The Zodiacs. The song was also a hit for Jackson Browne and The Hollies.
April 26th
1945 - Tony Murray
Tony Murray, with English garage rock band The Troggs, who had the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Wild Thing' and the hits 'With a Girl Like You' and 'Love Is All Around'.
1942 - Bobby Rydell
American singer Bobby Rydell who had the 1960 US No.2 & UK No.7 single 'Wild One', plus 17 other US Top 40 hits. It is estimated he sold over 25 million records in total. Rydell died from complications of pneumonia on 5 April 2022, three weeks before his 80th birthday.
1940 - Giorgio Moroder
Italian singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer Giorgio Moroder who had the 1979 US No.33 & UK No. 48 single, 'Chase' from the film Midnight Express. He produced all of Donna Summer's world- wide 1976 hits including 'Love To Love You Baby', and the 1984 UK No.3 single with Phil Oakey, 'Together In Electric Dreams.' He also created a score of songs for performers including David Bowie, Kylie Minogue, Irene Cara and Janet Jackson.
1938 - Duane Eddy
American guitarist Duane Eddy, who had a string of hit records in the late 1950s and early 1960s, produced by Lee Hazlewood, which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" sound, including 'Rebel Rouser', 'Peter Gunn', and 'Because They're Young'.
1938 - Maurice Williams
Maurice Williams, from American doo-wop singer who had the 1960 US No.1 & 1961 UK No.14 single 'Stay' with The Zodiacs. The song was also a hit for Jackson Browne and The Hollies.
The Troggs
The Troggs in 1966. L-R: Pete Staples, Ronnie Bond, Chris Britton and Reg Presley {before Tony Murray joined the group}
The Troggs (originally called The Troglodytes) are an English garage rock band formed in Andover, Hampshire in May 1964. They had a number of hits in the United Kingdom and the United States. Their most famous songs include the US chart-toppers "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You" and "Love Is All Around", all of which sold over 1 million copies and were awarded gold discs. "Wild Thing" is ranked #257 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock.
History
Reg Presley (lead vocals) and Ronnie Bond (drums) were childhood friends and in the early 1960s formed an R&B band in their home town of Andover. In 1964 they were joined by Pete Staples (bass) and Chris Britton (guitar) and became the Troggs. They were signed by Larry Page, manager of the Kinks, in February 1966. They recorded on Page's Page One Records, and Page also leased them to CBS for the debut single "Lost Girl". Their most famous hit was the single "Wild Thing" which, with the help of television exposure on Thank Your Lucky Stars, reached number 2 in the UK (Reg Presley's song "From Home" was the B-side) and number 1 in the United States in July 1966. Its combination of a simple heavy guitar riff and flirtatious lyrics helped it to quickly become a garage rock standard (the recording also contains an ocarina solo). The band's success in the U.S. was also limited by the band not touring there until 1968.
The Troggs posing at Cheddar Caves, Somerset in 1966
They also had a number of other hits, including "With a Girl Like You" (a UK number 1 in July 1966, US number 29), "I Can't Control Myself" (a UK number 2 in September 1966; their first UK single release on the Page One label, POF 001; this was also their second and final dual-label release in the US, with Fontana retaining the rights to all subsequent releases), "Any Way That You Want Me" (UK number 8 in December 1966), all at Olympic Studios, "Give It to Me" (UK No.12 1967), "Night of the Long Grass" (UK number 17 in May 1967), "Love Is All Around" (UK number 5 in November 1967 and US number 7 in May 1968) plus "Hi Hi Hazel" (UK No.42, 1967). The band's popularity completely waned the following year. Former Plastic Penny bassist Tony Murray replaced Pete Staples in 1969. Richard Moore filled in for Britton on their 1972–1973 tour. In 1974, after a spell on Pye Records, in an attempt to re-create their 1960s successes, the Troggs re-united with Larry Page, now running Penny Farthing Records. The resulting cover version of the Beach Boys hit "Good Vibrations" failed to chart. A reggae version of "Wild Thing" also failed. Richard Moore and Colin Fletcher substituted for Britton, who temporarily quit music to manage a night club in Spain, for the recording of The Troggs Tapes album released in 1976. The band found a sympathetic ear at French label New Rose in the 1980s, releasing the Black Bottom LP (1982) and AU (1990).
{snip}
The Troggs in 1966. L-R: Pete Staples, Ronnie Bond, Chris Britton and Reg Presley {before Tony Murray joined the group}
The Troggs (originally called The Troglodytes) are an English garage rock band formed in Andover, Hampshire in May 1964. They had a number of hits in the United Kingdom and the United States. Their most famous songs include the US chart-toppers "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You" and "Love Is All Around", all of which sold over 1 million copies and were awarded gold discs. "Wild Thing" is ranked #257 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock.
History
Reg Presley (lead vocals) and Ronnie Bond (drums) were childhood friends and in the early 1960s formed an R&B band in their home town of Andover. In 1964 they were joined by Pete Staples (bass) and Chris Britton (guitar) and became the Troggs. They were signed by Larry Page, manager of the Kinks, in February 1966. They recorded on Page's Page One Records, and Page also leased them to CBS for the debut single "Lost Girl". Their most famous hit was the single "Wild Thing" which, with the help of television exposure on Thank Your Lucky Stars, reached number 2 in the UK (Reg Presley's song "From Home" was the B-side) and number 1 in the United States in July 1966. Its combination of a simple heavy guitar riff and flirtatious lyrics helped it to quickly become a garage rock standard (the recording also contains an ocarina solo). The band's success in the U.S. was also limited by the band not touring there until 1968.
The Troggs posing at Cheddar Caves, Somerset in 1966
They also had a number of other hits, including "With a Girl Like You" (a UK number 1 in July 1966, US number 29), "I Can't Control Myself" (a UK number 2 in September 1966; their first UK single release on the Page One label, POF 001; this was also their second and final dual-label release in the US, with Fontana retaining the rights to all subsequent releases), "Any Way That You Want Me" (UK number 8 in December 1966), all at Olympic Studios, "Give It to Me" (UK No.12 1967), "Night of the Long Grass" (UK number 17 in May 1967), "Love Is All Around" (UK number 5 in November 1967 and US number 7 in May 1968) plus "Hi Hi Hazel" (UK No.42, 1967). The band's popularity completely waned the following year. Former Plastic Penny bassist Tony Murray replaced Pete Staples in 1969. Richard Moore filled in for Britton on their 1972–1973 tour. In 1974, after a spell on Pye Records, in an attempt to re-create their 1960s successes, the Troggs re-united with Larry Page, now running Penny Farthing Records. The resulting cover version of the Beach Boys hit "Good Vibrations" failed to chart. A reggae version of "Wild Thing" also failed. Richard Moore and Colin Fletcher substituted for Britton, who temporarily quit music to manage a night club in Spain, for the recording of The Troggs Tapes album released in 1976. The band found a sympathetic ear at French label New Rose in the 1980s, releasing the Black Bottom LP (1982) and AU (1990).
{snip}
The original "Wild Thing," admittedly without Tony Murray:
Here's someone playing it left handed:
Wed Apr 26, 2023: Born on this day, April 26: Giorgio Moroder, Tony Murray of the Troggs, Maurice William, Duane Eddy
Fri Apr 26, 2019: Today's musical happy birthdays: Giorgio Moroder, 1940; Tony Murray of the Troggs, 1945; others....
Thu Apr 26, 2018: Today's musical happy birthdays: Giorgio Moroder, 1940; Tony Murray of the Troggs, 1945; others....
