40 Year Itch: This and That from August 1973

Billy Paul, Barry White and  Bobby Womack headline the 1973 Watts Summer Festival at the 100,000-seat Coliseum, a year after WATTSTAX. Admission is $2. Other stars include Azteca, Bloodstone, Dramatics, Emotions, Intruders, Thelma Houston, Esther Phillips, Barbara Mason and Soul Children.

 The Dean of rock critics, Robert Christgau,  gave the 1973 Esther Phillips album Black Eyed Blues a rare A rating.

The Harder They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff, makes its Los Angeles debut August 22, 1973. Cliff can be heard on three different labels. The soundtrack is on Mango. His new album , Unlimited, is on Warner Brothers and Wonderful World, Beautiful People has been re-released on A and M Records.

Shada Music sues D'Amiano Films. producers of Deep Throat with copyright infringement for using the same melody as "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing ( In Perfect Harmony)"  to something a bit more intimate.

John Denver makes his acting debut on "McCloud" where he gets to chime in with his trademark catch phrase "Far Out!" ( at :59 seconds in the clip below)

Columbia Records signs Billy Joel

    Impressed with the songs he wrote for Roger Daltry's solo album, Chrysalis Records signs Leo Sayer.

After Rolling Stone called them the "best unsigned band in America", ABC/Dunhill has signed Orleans whose debut album is recorded at Muscle Shoals Recording Studio. It would take three albums before Orleans caught on with the public thanks to singles like "Dance With Me" and "Still the One".