Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for November 4th

An All Birthday Special Edition of the Calendar today: two cool Brits (one, sadly, no longer with us), and an American who-should-be-an-icon that helped John Lennon learn a little bit about the harmonica...

11/4/1940 - Born on this date in Lubbock, Texas, singer-songwriter Delbert McClinton, 75 years old today; recorded several regional singles before hitting the chart in 1962 playing harmonica on Bruce Chanel's "Hey! Baby" -- this took him to the U.K. on a package tour that included The Beatles where Delbert got to show John some of the finer points of harpin'. Emmylou Harris had a Number One in 1978 with McClinton's "Two More Bottles Of Wine" and his "B Movie Boxcar Blues" was covered by The Blues Brothers who sort of introduced his work to a whole new audience on their debut album. Delbert finally got one on his own with "Givin' It Up For Your Love" which went to Number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980. A definite hep-kat with loads of cool records to check out...

11/4/1954 - Born on this date, founding member of Squeeze, guitarist-vocalist-songwriter Chris Difford, 61 years old today. Interesting way to start a group: Chris stole some money from his mother's purse to buy a card to put up in a local sweetshop window advertising for a guitar player to join his band...er, even though he wasn't actually in one at the time! Glenn Tilbrook was the only person to respond to the ad and presto! One of Britain's strongest songwriting partnerships was born: the two formed Squeeze shortly thereafter, and they've written some unique stuff as only the Brits can -- "Tempted", "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)", "Black Coffee In Bed", "Annie Get Your Gun",  "Cool For Cats", "Up The Junction"...probably one of the U.K.'s most under-appreciated talents.

11/4/1957 - Born on this day, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, whose semi-ferocious-take-no-prisoners style of playing was 100% vital to the sound of The Pretenders first couple of albums. Chrissie Hynde was the songwriter and (de facto) leader as front-person, but James' talents were absolutely integral and just as important as Chrissie's vocals and lyrics. Clearly one of the most innovative and versatile players of the early-'80's-New Wave movement, James passed away far too soon -- the official cause of death listed as "heart failure due to cocaine intolerance" -- he was only 25 years old. Chrissie Hynde's just-released memoir ends with James' passing. That says a lot, actually, doesn't it?

Thoughts and comments on the Calendar? Leave 'em right here, fellow babies, on the ol' web site or on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"I got no trophies on display/I sign them away/I mean what the heck...", xoxo!